The Brisbane Spine Clinic builds trust, growth and a business for good

Finding purpose in the gap

When physiotherapists Leo Hyun and Justin Lin first opened The Brisbane Spine Clinic eight years ago, it was to serve a group of patients often overlooked, those living with chronic spinal pain and desperate for alternatives to surgery.

“There was a big gap for a lot of patients,” says Lin. “Desperate patients, who were really at the end of the line in terms of spinal conditions. They’d been offered surgery as a last resort, but a lot of patients don’t want to go down that route.”

“We knew from experience that surgery often isn’t the only option. So we wanted to be that missing link, to give them real advice, guidance and treatment.”

As the clinic grew, the pair were joined by Eric Hu, an operations leader who brought commercial structure and strategic focus. Together, they evolved The Brisbane Spine Clinic into The Brisbane Spine Group, now home to multiple clinics, a growing multidisciplinary team and the innovative NeuroFit program that extends their care model beyond recovery into long-term strength, aged care and community health.

Building a business on partnership

In the early years, hiring was their biggest challenge. “Good clinicians are hard to find,” Lin recalls. “But we were lucky. We built a strong team and eventually welcomed Hu, who helped us grow through structure and systems.”

The three now run the business with an unusual mix of discipline and trust. They meet constantly, often after a run or gym session, blending business with friendship.

“I spend more time with these guys than my wife,” Hyun laughs. “But it doesn’t feel like work. We talk about the business every day, but we don’t see it as business. It’s just what we do.”

They credit their success to shared ambition, respect and a clear division of strengths. Hyun leads clinical development, Lin oversees finance and growth, and Hu manages operations, a partnership that has become the clinic’s engine for expansion.

The founder mindset

For Hyun and Lin, the transition from clinician to business owner was never a switch to flick. “You don’t transition, you do both,” Hyun says. “Running a clinic and treating patients go hand in hand. You can’t separate them.”

Lin agrees. “Business is all or nothing. You’re either in or you’re not. Once you accept that, it becomes part of who you are.”

That mindset has underpinned every stage of their growth, from expanding into multidisciplinary care to acquiring a standalone premises. “It’s expensive,” Hyun admits, “but it’s short-term pain for long-term gain. Patients feel like they belong here. And for staff, it shows we’re serious. People want to work somewhere that looks like it’s going places.”

The benefits of a dedicated space

A key inflection point in the clinic’s growth was the decision to invest in a standalone premises, rather than operating as just another tenancy in a busy shopping centre. The move came with a cost increase, but the founders saw it as a strategic commitment to the long game.

It’s a lot more expensive, compared to just paying rent on a shopfront versus paying for the usage of a standalone building,” Lin says. “It’s one of those things, short term pain, long term gain.”

Beyond the financial equation, Lin believes a dedicated space changes how patients experience the practice from the moment they walk in. “But having a standalone place to ourselves, a lot of patients feel…I think it gives them a sense of belonging,” he says. “Not just one shop out of a million other shops in the shopping centre.”

That sense of identity and ownership, they’ve found, supports the kind of trust and continuity their model depends on, creating an environment that feels purpose built for care, not simply convenient to lease.

Lessons from the journey

If there’s one theme that runs through their story, it’s accountability. “Know your numbers,” Hyun says. “Not just profit and loss, but clinical metrics like cancellation rates, conversions and outcomes. If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

Lin adds, “Don’t be selfish. A great business isn’t about you, it’s about how well you connect with patients, your team and your partners.”

And his final piece of advice for health founders? “Find good partners. Doing it alone might get you there, but doing it together gets you further.”

The Brisbane Spine Group’s rise proves that healthcare and business aren’t opposites. They are two sides of the same purpose: helping people live and move better.