Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Antonia “Toni” Counts.
Hi Dr. Antonia “Toni”, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Doctor of Physical Therapy, entrepreneur, wife to my husband Cole, and mom to our son Camden. I’m also the founder of Off The Block Physical Therapy, a sports performance and women’s health clinic based in Upstate South Carolina. My path into business wasn’t something I originally planned—it grew out of a deep conviction that healthcare could be done better and that our community deserved a higher standard of care.
I’m the first doctor and the first entrepreneur in my family, so stepping into both of those roles meant learning as I went. I earned my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and early in my career I began to see some of the limitations within traditional healthcare systems. Many physical therapists are required to treat multiple patients at the same time and move quickly from one case to another. While that structure works for large systems, it often limits how much time and attention clinicians can give each person.
I wanted to build something different—something that prioritized both excellent care and meaningful relationships. That vision ultimately led me to start Off The Block Physical Therapy nearly five years ago. The goal was to create a clinic where athletes, active adults, and women could receive highly individualized care focused not just on getting out of pain, but on building strength, resilience, and long-term performance.
At the same time, I wanted to create a better professional environment for physical therapists themselves. Too many clinicians experience burnout or feel forced to compromise the quality of care they provide because of productivity pressures. Off The Block was built not only to deliver exceptional patient care, but also to create rewarding careers for physical therapists—where they get to work with motivated people, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and have meaningful earning potential.
What began as a solo practice has grown into a team-based clinic serving the Upstate community. We’ve expanded to a second location in Easley and have introduced specialized services including sports performance and pelvic health physical therapy, bringing the first women’s pelvic health physical therapist to Pickens County. Our clinic has been recognized with honors such as Best of South Carolina and Best of the Upstate.
Education and mentorship have also become an important part of our mission. We regularly host clinical students at Off The Block so we can help train the next generation of physical therapists and show them that there is a better way to practice—one that prioritizes quality care, strong relationships, and professional fulfillment.
Beyond the clinic, I stay actively involved in our local business and leadership community. I serve as a Chamber Ambassador for the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce and was honored to be named one of the Women in Business of South Carolina award recipients. I’m also a member of the Leadership Pickens County Board of Regents and serve on the Tri-County Technical College Board of Visitors, both of which allow me to contribute to the growth and development of our region.
Looking back, the journey has been anything but linear. But building a business in the same community that raised me—and being able to create better healthcare, better jobs, and better opportunities for others—has been incredibly meaningful. For me, entrepreneurship has never just been about building a company. It’s about building something that makes the community stronger and helps people reach their full potential.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building a business in healthcare comes with a unique set of challenges, and many of the struggles along the way have been both professional and personal.
One of the earliest challenges was simply navigating entrepreneurship without a roadmap. Being the first entrepreneur in my family meant there wasn’t a built-in playbook for how to start, grow, and sustain a business. In the early years, I was learning everything in real time—clinical work, marketing, finances, hiring, leadership, and operations. Like many small business owners, there were seasons where I was wearing every hat and learning through trial and error.
Another challenge has been building a business that intentionally goes against some of the norms of the traditional healthcare system. Our model prioritizes longer one-on-one visits and a more personalized approach to care. While that allows us to deliver a very high level of service, it also requires a lot of education for patients because it’s different from what many people are used to. Helping people understand the value of investing in high-quality care has been an ongoing learning process.
As the clinic has grown, leadership has brought its own set of challenges. Hiring and developing a team means shifting from thinking like a clinician to thinking like a leader and business owner. That transition requires learning how to create systems, mentor other professionals, and build a culture where people feel supported and challenged to grow. Leading people well is incredibly rewarding, but it also requires constant growth and self-reflection.
Balancing entrepreneurship with life outside of work has also been a significant journey. As a business owner, wife, and now a mom, learning how to build a company while protecting time for family has required intentional boundaries and a willingness to evolve the way I lead. That balance isn’t something you solve once—it’s something you continually refine as your life and responsibilities change.
There have also been the typical growing pains that come with scaling any small business: expanding locations, managing increasing operational complexity, and making decisions that affect both the team and the patients we serve. Those moments can carry a lot of responsibility, but they’re also opportunities to strengthen the systems and culture that the business is built on.
Ultimately, the struggles have been an important part of the process. They’ve forced me to grow as a leader, sharpen our vision, and stay grounded in why we started in the first place—to build a practice that serves people well and creates meaningful opportunities for the professionals who work there.
As you know, we’re big fans of OFF THE BLOCK Physical Therapy . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Off The Block Physical Therapy is a sports medicine and performance-based physical therapy clinic located in Upstate South Carolina, serving athletes, active adults, and women throughout the region. Our mission is simple: help people get out of pain, understand why their injury happened in the first place, and return to performing at their highest level—often stronger and more resilient than before.
What makes our clinic unique is that we intentionally bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance. Traditional physical therapy often focuses on getting someone “back to normal,” but our approach goes further. We work with athletes and active individuals who want to return to sport, training, or competition with confidence. That means not only treating the injury itself, but also addressing the underlying mechanics, strength deficits, and movement patterns that contributed to it.
Sports medicine is a major focus of our practice. We work with athletes across a wide range of sports and levels—from youth and high school athletes to collegiate competitors and highly active adults. Many of the people who come to us are runners, lifters, field and court sport athletes, or individuals who simply want to stay active without pain limiting their lifestyle. Our care model is designed around the physical demands of sport and training, which allows us to help athletes safely transition from rehabilitation back into full performance.
Another defining aspect of our clinic is our one-on-one model of care. Every patient works directly with a doctor of physical therapy for the entirety of their session. This allows us to provide highly individualized care, develop a deeper understanding of each person’s goals, and create a clear plan for both recovery and long-term performance. We’re not just focused on reducing pain—we’re focused on building durable, capable bodies that can handle the demands people place on them.
While sports medicine is a cornerstone of what we do, we also provide specialized services in women’s health. Our clinic brought the first women’s pelvic health physical therapist to Pickens County, allowing us to support women through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and a variety of pelvic health conditions. This work is incredibly meaningful because many women struggle to find providers who are trained to address these issues with the same level of expertise and attention.
Another part of our mission that we take seriously is creating a better professional environment for physical therapists. Off The Block was built not only to provide exceptional patient care, but also to create fulfilling careers for clinicians. Our therapists are able to spend meaningful time with their patients, work with motivated individuals who value their health, and practice at a high level without the burnout that often comes with high-volume healthcare settings.
We’re also proud to play a role in educating the next generation of physical therapists. Our clinic regularly hosts clinical students so they can experience a model of care that prioritizes quality, relationships, and long-term outcomes. By mentoring students early in their careers, we hope to influence the future of the profession and show that healthcare can be practiced in a way that is both effective and sustainable.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the reputation we’ve built within our community. Much of our growth has come through word of mouth from athletes, families, coaches, and local organizations who trust our team. Being recognized with awards like Best of South Carolina and Best of the Upstate has been an incredible honor, but the real success is seeing people return to the sports, training, and activities that make their lives meaningful.
At the end of the day, Off The Block Physical Therapy is about helping people move better, perform better, and stay active for life. Whether someone is recovering from an injury, trying to prevent the next one, or simply wants to stay strong as they age, our goal is to give them the tools, guidance, and confidence to keep doing what they love.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is actually one that probably hinted at the path I would eventually take as an entrepreneur.
When I was young, I remember wanting to find ways to earn my own money during the summer. Instead of just asking around casually, I decided to treat it like a real business. I made a flyer advertising my lawn mowing services and went door to door around my neighborhood handing them out. Before long, a few neighbors hired me to mow their yards each week during the summer.
Looking back, it’s funny because I didn’t think of it as entrepreneurship at the time—I just had this instinct to create an opportunity instead of waiting for one. But that experience really captures something that has been consistent throughout my life: I’ve always had the itch to build, create, and take initiative.
It wasn’t until after graduate school that I really gained the resources, mentorship, and professional experience needed to channel that instinct into something larger. Starting and growing my business showed me how powerful entrepreneurship can be—not just for creating opportunities for yourself, but for improving industries and communities.
That’s one of the reasons I’m passionate about mentorship and education today. I hope to continue helping transform not only the way healthcare is delivered, but also access to practical business education for high school and college students who already have that entrepreneurial spark but may not yet know where to start.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.offtheblockpt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sportsdoctoni
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonia-counts-a30bb7157
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sportsdoctoni
