For Samantha Fazio, founder of Pelvio Physical Therapy, building a life she loves means flexibility, community, and courage. From opening her clinic at 38 weeks pregnant to creating the kind of workplace she always wanted, Sam has built Pelvio with heart. In this interview, she shares what it really takes to design a life you love and the power of stepping into the unknown.
Living the Life You Love Through Flexibility and Control
If you had to tell me what a life you love looks like, what is that?
I’m living the life that I love because I own my own business. I definitely love what I do, and I loved it even when I worked for someone else. But the challenges of working for someone else were always very tough for me. I felt like the stress carried over into my personal life. I was at home worried and nervous about all the standards that had to be met.
When I created my own company, number one, I wanted to make sure I would be the kind of boss I would have wanted to work for. Number two, I wanted the flexibility to leave work at the door, to go home and spend time with my family and my child. There’s an entrepreneurial spirit where you never stop working, and there’s some truth to that. But I also believe in the flexibility of saying, “No, that’s not important right now, I’m leaving it at the door today.”
I am living the life that I love because I have flexibility, I make my own rules, and I have control. I’m doing what I love with people I love working with. I also built a team that I think is incredible.
The Power of Community in Building Pelvio PT
What has community meant to you as you’ve stepped into entrepreneurship and running your own business?
Community is everything because I wouldn’t have a company without it. The very first thing I did when I started Pelvio was ask one of my mom friends, who was also a patient, to share it in a mom’s group. The moms are everything to me. They spread the word. Everyone asks me how I market, and sometimes I don’t. It’s all word of mouth. That’s community.
It’s the same way people ask for recommendations: where do you send your kids to the dentist, who do you go to for Botox, where do you get your hair cut? You ask your friends. That’s how Pelvio has reached people.
There’s also my personal community. I opened Pelvio while planning a wedding, which was incredibly stressful. My husband is a saint. He kept encouraging me, reminding me we had big expenses and I needed to get things moving. He was my biggest cheerleader.
We opened the clinic when I was 38 weeks pregnant, which was the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Six of my best friends and my sister were putting furniture together, cleaning floors, and hanging things up. It was a full-on team effort. I could not have done it without them. My sister even stepped in as office manager during my four-month maternity leave.
There’s the greater community of Philadelphia, which has really supported what I wanted Pelvio to be by believing in it, and then there’s my personal community, which is everything.
Small Habits That Create Space for Success
What habits allow you to be successful with your business, your life, and motherhood?
I have a couple of habits that aren’t so great, but I’ve also built some good ones. I deleted my personal Instagram two years ago. I still have the Pelvio account, and I scroll Facebook a little, but deleting Instagram helped me cut down on unhealthy habits. To replace them, I started crocheting and coloring, just small creative things.
Another habit is waking up at 6:15 every morning. That’s before my daughter and even before my husband. I need that time alone with my coffee on the couch. Sometimes I read a book, sometimes I watch Bravo. That quiet routine is how I start my day. I can’t just wake up and go.
I’m not the best at sticking to habits. I think I have a bit of a focus frenzy, and sometimes I struggle with focus. But I try to build small practices that ground me and help with success.
Facing Fear and Stepping Into the Unknown
What do you think keeps women from taking opportunities that come their way?
When I started Pelvio, I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I was so unhappy. I had hit the bottom of what I could tolerate. I went to my therapist, knowing I had always wanted to start my own thing, but I thought that was ten years away. She asked me, “Why don’t you do it now?”
It felt like there was no other option. I could either stay where I was and remain unhappy, or I could do this terrifying new thing. Both options were scary, but staying felt worse.
I think that’s what holds women in place: fear of the unknown. The devil you know always feels easier. Starting my company was not easy. It was terrifying, and it still is. But fear and uncertainty are what keep women from taking the leap.
Finding Courage When Decisions Feel Impossible
What advice would you give to women who are on the edge of making a decision?
I think about what Brené Brown says about vulnerability. That being vulnerable, courageous, brave, and strong means being open to the unknown. She quotes Teddy Roosevelt about standing in the arena in the face of criticism and danger, not knowing what will happen. That’s bravery.
If you’re afraid and stuck with “the devil you know,” remember that it’s not courageous to stay there. Real courage is stepping into the unknown.
Advice to Younger You: Be Silly
If you had to give younger Sam advice, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to be silly. I spent so much of my childhood afraid of judgment and what people would say about me. I was insecure, stifled, made fun of, and made to feel inferior.
Through therapy and soul-searching, I realized I had been holding myself back. My biggest advice to younger me would be: don’t be afraid to be silly. That also means don’t be afraid to fail.
It’s not just about being playful—it’s about letting yourself dream. Pelvio PT was once a silly idea. Don’t be afraid to be carefree.
About Samantha Fazio
Samantha Fazio owns Pelvio Physical Therapy, a pelvic floor specialty PT clinic. When she’s not running around Philly with her pelvic model educating people about the pelvic floor, she can be found wrangling her 1 year old with her husband at a brewery, reading on the couch, or pretending she doesn’t scroll social media while “watching” Bravo. Sam is an avid participant in therapy and is constantly trying to evolve, learn, and grow through deep conversation and connection.
