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Spotlight: Dr. Bryant Villota, Founder of Crossover Physical Therapy & Performance
- Kathia Guzman
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
How a Tampa Bay physical therapist built a practice rooted in grit, gratitude, and the art of the crossover.
Want to connect with Dr. Bryant Villota? Visit his website, give him a call at (813)-816-2840, send an email (Info@crossoverptp.com), or reach out on Instagram or Facebook!
On a beautiful Tampa morning, Dr. Bryant Villota walks into Leads Coffeehouse the same way most regulars do: shoulder relaxed and eyes scanning the room for familiar faces. He orders his usual, hot latte with oat milk, then settles at a corner table where the noise drifts into a gentle hum. To him, this place is more than caffeine; it’s community. It’s the quiet pulse of small business owners, creators, and the everyday Tampa locals.
Dr. Villota is the founder of Crossover Physical Therapy & Performance, a practice that began as a dream in a small office suite and is now on the cusp of expanding into its own facility, a milestone built on years of discipline, unexpected pivots, and a deep love for movement. He’s equal parts clinician, entrepreneur, basketball enthusiast, and proud Peruvian. And if you sit with him long enough, you’ll hear all those threads woven together in one philosophy: help people "Crossover" from who they’ve been to who they want to become.
We sat down at Networking Leads to talk about entrepreneurship, culture, community, and why he still believes the body (and life) can always change direction if you’re willing to do the work.
Q&A WITH DR. BRYANT VILLOTA
What inspired you to start Crossover Physical Therapy and Performance?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. Back in high school, I sold throwback NFL jerseys—buying low, selling high, thinking through what people wanted. It sparked something in me about possibility. But I also knew I wanted to be in healthcare, especially working with athletes. I loved that world. So the question became: How do I blend business and sports medicine in a way that feels true to me?
I wanted freedom to treat people the way I believe helps them most. Once I started working in traditional clinics, I realized I wasn’t seeing the population I truly loved: active adults, weekend warriors, athletes. That’s when Crossover went from a thought to a calling.
Did you ever imagine you’d end up building something like this?
I knew I wanted to build something, but I didn’t know what it would look like. Before you start a business, everything feels like a dream. You imagine, Oh, I’ll open the doors and people will just come. But the reality is nothing like that.
There were obstacles, learning curves, moments where I had no idea what the next step was. But it’s been fulfilling. You fall in love with the process, even the hardest parts.
What was a pivotal moment or piece of advice that shaped you as a business owner?
A big influence was my roommate from PT school. He opened his own practice about a year and a half before I did, and seeing someone who walked the same halls I did actually do it made the dream feel real.
Also, I got my MBA before PT school, and my professors changed the way I saw business: marketing, management, finance, the nuts and bolts of how a service becomes a sustainable practice. Accounting was my least favorite class, and honestly still is, but it taught me what drives a business behind the scenes.
And I’ve had mentors, business coaches, podcasts, people who poured into me when all I had was an idea and determination.
You’re expanding into your own facility. What excites you most about that new chapter?
It’s a huge step. I started in a small office, so moving into a larger space means we can help more people. Right now, I treat one person at a time. With more physical therapists on staff, we can double or triple the number of people we impact in a day.
It also lets us create the environment that reflects who we are: our brand, our energy, the vibe we want clients to feel the moment they walk in.
Who is your ideal client?
The active adult or the athlete. From the person who hits the gym once a week, to weekend softball players, rec-league hoopers, runners, lifters, all the way to professional athletes. We’ve treated players who come home to Tampa during the off-season or between overseas contracts.
If you love movement, you’re our people.
Why the name “Crossover”? What does it mean to you?
Basketball is my first love. I still play, and I’m an assistant coach at Tampa Catholic. Two of my favorite players growing up were Tim Hardaway and Allen Iverson, the kings of the crossover. It’s that move where you send your defender one way and change direction.
Life is full of crossovers. When something hard happens, you have a choice: stay stuck or change direction.
Same with injury, people identify so much with their sport or activity that pain can feel like losing yourself. But when you decide to take action, to invest in getting better, you give yourself the chance to cross over from injury to performance, from discouragement to hope.
It’s physical and mental. It’s movement and mindset.
What do you love most about serving the Tampa Bay community?
The fitness community here is incredible. You can walk into a gym and people will greet you like family. Everyone’s trying to be better, and that energy is contagious.
The sports community is the same, basketball, soccer, football, volleyball. I’ve been able to build partnerships and relationships that make Tampa feel small in the best way. After hurricanes, after hard seasons, I’ve seen this city come together in ways that reaffirm why I love it here.
You’ve become a big part of the Networking Leads community. What has your experience been like?
Networking Leads has been amazing. I come in, grab a coffee, and there’s this energy, people building businesses, brainstorming, grinding. Being surrounded by that pushes me to be better. It feels collaborative, not competitive. Everyone’s trying to grow.
And becoming part of the Leads Coffeehouse family… it just feels natural.
Let’s talk about your Peruvian heritage. How do you integrate that into your work?
In little ways and in meaningful ways. If I have a Hispanic client, maybe the playlist shifts to salsa or Latin music for the hour. If they’re more comfortable speaking Spanish, that’s how we communicate, in person, in texts, in emails. There’s power in feeling understood.
Beyond that, Peruvians are hardworking. We don’t quit. We’re grateful. That’s something I try to bring into Crossover, gratitude for the community that makes this all possible, humility in how we care for people, and the belief that goals are meant to be chased.
What makes Crossover different from other physical therapy clinics in Tampa?
We give our clients undivided, one-on-one attention for a full 60 minutes. No handoffs. No bouncing between therapists. No being passed to an assistant halfway through.
Corporate clinics often rely on volume, they need to see fifty people a day. That’s when mistakes happen. I’ve worked with athletes who were progressed too fast after surgery and nearly re-injured themselves.
At Crossover, we have the equipment, the experience, and the time to do it right: turf, barbells, kettlebells, everything you need to bridge the gap between rehab and performance. We treat you like an athlete, not a chart number.
Any exciting programs or future goals?
Once we move into the new facility in December, I want to keep building partnerships with fitness studios and gyms. Workshops, injury-prevention seminars, collaborations that elevate everyone’s experience, not just ours.
I also want to connect with nonprofit organizations, food drives, community outreach, anything that lets us give back. I’ve done volunteer work passing out food for holidays, and I want Crossover to be part of that kind of impact.
What’s the mission or vision of Crossover Physical Therapy and Performance?
We want to help people stay active and athletic for as long as possible. Just because you’re 50 or 60 doesn’t mean your best physical years are behind you. You can still run, lift, hike, compete, your body is resilient. It adapts.
Our job is to help people tap into that resilience so they can enjoy the life they want, for as long as they want.
Want to connect with Dr. Bryant Villota? Visit his website, give him a call at (813)-816-2840, send an email (Info@crossoverptp.com), or reach out on Instagram or Facebook!
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