We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Jennifer Rispoli recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Jennifer, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity has a strong faith background. I was raised in the church and have seen tithing for my entire life. Anyone who tithes knows that financially things seem always work out ok, even when you don’t know how/there is no explanation. My husband always says “The hole you give through is the hole your receive through.” He also always says “You can’t outgive God.” I have found both of these things to be extremely true. Since 2017 when I ended my divorce with more money in my account than when I started (despite my then husband leaving me with a mortgage and a child without any financial support), I have continued to thank God for his blessings by returning the favor.
When it comes to business, I always tell my patients I don’t want finances to be the limiting factor. I always work with women to devise a payment plan that works for them. I believe generosity is key to being a good business owner.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy. This means that women with incontinence, pelvic pain, bowel dysfunction, and in the prenatal/postpartum journey are my niche. So many women leak with coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, and laughing. So many women have pelvic pain due to IBS, endometriosis, or PCOS. They are frequently told this is normal or that the only way to fix it is to have surgery. These are all lies, and I am able to get these women to have dry pants and pain-free sex! I have recently seen a rash of women with tailbone pain after delivery. Once again, this is super common, but not talked about. You don’t have to have pain with sitting for the rest of your life! Go see a pelvic PT.
As to what I do, pelvic floor physical therapy can treat the following diagnoses:
Incontinence (urine, gas, or stool)
Nocturia (waking more than once a night to go to the bathroom)
Urinary frequency (urinating more than once every 2 hours)
Overactive Bladder (OAB)
Pelvic and perineal pain
Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
Pelvic Floor Tension
Vulvodynia
Dyspareunia (Painful sex)
Postpartum Muscle Weakness
Sexual Dysfunction
Muscle Spasms
Constipation
Coccyx or tailbone pain
Pelvic floor Muscle Weakness
Prolapse management
Pre and Postoperative (hysterectomy, laparoscopic female procedures, etc)
Symptoms of Endometriosis and PCOS
I am most proud of my ability to provide quality, comprehensive care. My goal is that everyone that walks out of my office walks out feeling heard, understood, and that they matter. I also want them to be filled with hope that things are going to/already are getting better.
Our practice model of spending a full hour of 1-0n-1 time with each client sets us apart from a lot of other pelvic floor providers in the area. I am also certified in pelvic pain, incontinence, and bowel dysfunction, as well as a certified prenatal and postpartum core exercise specialist (PCES). Many pelvic floor PTs may have minimal to no training. They may be afraid or lack the education to perform internal evaluations and treatments. I am 1 of only a few PTs in the entire state of Missouri with a PCES degree. This extensive education sets me apart from a lot of my peers. I have also been a PT for over a decade. Many new grads are going into pelvic floor, which is great. However, ambition does not make up for experience.
I would also like to note that nurses providing pelvic floor therapy, or personal trainers specialized in pelvic floor are NOT the same as physical therapy. As pelvic floor PT becomes more popular, more people want to cash in on it whether they are qualified or not. For the average women, it can be hard to know what is real and what is not. My advice is to ensure you are seeing a physical therapist, and be sure they are willing and able to perform internal evaluations and assessments. Would you see a shoulder expert and be ok with them not looking at our touching the shoulder? I am not sure why women settle for this type of service in the pelvic floor world. To get a good understanding of something, you need to see it and touch it!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Finish what you start. I went to school to be a PT, I became a PT. I started with a pelvic floor class, I finished with 4 certifications and am continuing to grow.
Pay attention. I took 0 business ownership classes. I read 0 business ownership books. But I did pay a lot of attention to the companies I worked for. I looked at what worked, and what did not. I saw what I liked and would implement, and what I did not like and would be sure to never do.
The company you keep matters. Surround yourself with successful people. Surround yourself with people of common interests, backgrounds, and business goals similar to yourself. The relationships in your life are directly correlated to the quality of your life, so choose wisely and accordingly.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to start a business. Nothing will make up for time and hustle. There are so many free resources out there. Learn from the success of others. If your “business coach” has never run a successful business but decided to go into coaching, why would you listen to them? Success leaves clues. Follow the clues-this is often free, and only takes time, dedication, and a willingness to learn.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They made me work for stuff. They instilled in me a work ethic. If I wanted to make money, I had to do a chore around the house. Then I would get paid 10 cents. That teaches you the value of a dollar really quick. When I broke a light switch (after they had told me to stop messing around with it), they took money from me to pay for it. This included taking the money I was just given for my birthday right out of the card and into their pocket. Unbeknownst to me they put it back in my bank-but I did not find that out for years later.
Those who act like they have a lot of money often times do not. Those who live frugally probably have a lot more money than you think. Material things are not important. Experiences are far more valuable. There is a difference between wants and needs. Once you figure that out, what you value changes.
You and only you are responsible for your actions.
Not doing your best in school was not an option. You follow instructions, check your work, do everything on time and to your best ability. Intrinsic value is way more important that extrinsic value.
They never told me I couldn’t do something. If I wanted to do something, they told me to work towards it. I spent hours practicing softball because I wanted to be the best pitcher. I was fairly successful at this goal. I spent little time practicing piano. I did not care as much about this. I was never a great piano player.
If you want something, you have to work for it. You are not owed anything. Life is not fair. Life will never be fair. It is how you react to life’s unfairness that determines your success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stlwomenspt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjen_pelvicpt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StLwomensPT
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-rispoli-a58a031b2/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/st-louis-womens-physical-therapy-o-fallon
