We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Harris Choe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Harris, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The three things that have built my brand have been authenticity, expertise, and community.

Authenticity means being true to yourself and not conforming to what you see around you. In this age of social media, it gets super easy to get caught up in what others are doing. This used to stress me out. However, the more I started to focus on myself and bettering myself, I not only felt more at ease, but my business benefitted from it as well. I was able to show up with genuine care and energy that my clients can feel.

Expertise means being the best you can be on your craft. Other therapist venturing off on their own small business journey ask me about my “secret sauce”. I simply worked on perfecting my skills as a physical therapist. The more I refined my skills/product, I was able to deliver exceptional results for my clients. Through that, my business grew one person at a time.

Community can be the clientele base you’re building, but also the support system you have around you. With the support of my friends and family around me, I am able to show up everyday with strength and energy to tackle the day. The entrepreneur journey can be lonely, but being surround by people who believe in you can make all the difference.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started my journey in college at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where I fell in love with olympic weightlifting, that started my curiosity in kinesiology and biomechanics. Then I finished my Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree at the University of Southern California (USC), where I was fortunate enough to get expert level clinical experience and mentorship. After graduate school, I complete my residency in Orthopedics at USC as well. I received further training and mentorship that helped sharpen my clinical skills to start my own practice.

The biggest hurdle in starting my business was imposter syndrome. I never felt like I knew enough or was good enough. With the support of my family and friends, I was able to take the leap of faith of starting my business. With each client I helped, my confidence grew and I learned to become more comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The biggest lesson I learned from my business is that I need to enjoy the journey. The process of building a brand/business is invaluable and it not only helped me grow as a professional, but also as a person outside the clinic. I’ve learned that I have a privilege to make an impact on other people’s lives through physical therapy.

With every interaction, I hope to positively influence all the people I get to work with.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are a few favorite spots I would want to take them to!

Places to Visit:
1. Santa Monica Pier
2. Venice Board Walk
3. Universal Studios
4. Downtown Culver City
5. Koreatown

Places to Eat
1. Yangmani KBBQ
2. Loqui
3. Sonora Town
4. Hangari Kalgooksu
5. Camphor

Place for Coffee
1. Yeems Coffee
2. Stereoscope Coffee
3. 310 Coffee Company
4. Coffee Commissary

Places for Physical Exercise
1. Blue Republic Crossfit
2. Venice Run Club
3. Fast Lean Fit
4. The Camp LA

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people who supported me from the beginning who have helped me become who I am today. First off, shoutouts to Jamie and Bron, owners of Blue Republic Crossfit in Santa Monica, for trusting me and giving me a space to work out of. Secondly, my wife for pushing me to become the best version of myself and to dream bigger than my own self-doubts. Lastly, to the first professional trainers who believed in me, Kupah James, CJ Hammond, and Austin Dotson. Without them, I would not be where I am today.

Website: https://www.hycphysio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.harrischoe/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harris-choe-794ba65a/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAk0cT_10wtGSS_7ETbRZQ

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.