We recently had the chance to connect with Hoang Tran and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Hoang , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I work on my businesses a lot and if I’m not working, I’m thinking about my businesses. Over a year ago, I rediscovered doing pottery. I experimented with doing pottery on a wheel back in my college days at UF over 25 years ago.
Recently I started taking classes again at a local small business and fell in love with pottery again. It’s a great space for me to relax, shut off my mind because I have to focus on throwing on the wheel that I can’t really think about other things, and just working on building one skill at a time in order to improve.
I get to have fun, make my kids things that they like, and share some of the best pieces for friends and family. I do some custom orders but I don’t sell anything! This is just my hobby!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Hoang Tran, author, occupational therapist, certified hand therapist, and business owner of Hands on Therapy Services and Hand Therapy Secrets.
People often ask me what made me specialize in hand therapy. When I was at the University of Florida, I was interested in studying to become an Occupational therapist thinking I would work with children since that was some of my experience. I volunteered at Shands Hand Therapy clinic in order to get more experience to apply for the master’s program.
It was there that I met a man who had been bitten by a venomous snake on his arm. The venom destroyed the tissue in his arm and he needed several surgeries to save his arm and movement. He was there for therapy to recover his motion and function. I took one look at him and what he was going through and said “that’s for me – I like that”
Ever since then, I”ve been interested in specializing in hand therapy. As an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist for over 25+ years, I get to help people after life changing accidents, surgeries, help them make decisions around their recovery, and help them regain their livelihood.
Over 10 years ago, I started Hands on Therapy Services in Doral as a clinic to help people after surgeries. But I started to meet so many people living in chronic pain, confused about what their options are, and there’s a lot of chronic problems where there are no surgical options.
Living with pain might be common, but it’s not normal. You can fix that.
As we age, we have to make different decisions around our health and what we value as we move into out 60’s, 70’s and 80s. I’m turning 50 soon. I want to live pain free, be active for as long as possible, and keep my original body parts. There’s two aspects that keep people living more independently for longer in their home – that’s mobility and good grip strength. Grip strength isn’t just about your hands—it reflects overall strength, nervous system health, and correlates with better mobility and independence.
Unfortunately, most of the information out there is confusing and focused on pills, injections, and surgery. My mission is to educate people about their injuries and pain, so they can confidently choose recovery options that work for them—many of which don’t require surgery or drugs.
Because of the growing global need for hand therapy specialists—there are fewer than 8,000 Certified Hand Therapists worldwide—I launched Hand Therapy Secrets over 6 years ago. My goal: help therapists develop real clinical skills and become Certified Hand Therapists.
Since then, I’ve created online programs to support therapists anywhere, anytime. Taught live workshops across the U.S. and internationally. Authored a comprehensive book to help OTs and PTs pass the notoriously tough CHT exam (pass rate ~50%).
Through these programs, I’ve helped therapists not just in the U.S. and Canada, but as far as Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi, and Australia.
This work is more than a profession. It’s a passion. And I’m just getting started.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I always felt “stupid.”
All my brothers were labeled “gifted” and breezed through math and science. I struggled. I was the one Asian kid who couldn’t even do simple math in her head.
My best friends were brilliant—one was the valedictorian, the other the salutatorian. Even being in the top 10 of my class didn’t make me feel smart. I just assumed I moved up the ranks because so many students left after Hurricane Andrew.
I was a B student at best, and every grade was hard-earned. Getting into the University of Florida—and even graduating with my master’s—didn’t make me feel smart. Passing the Hand Therapy Exam on the first try to become a CHT?
Still didn’t feel smart.
Growing up Vietnamese, my mom—who knew me best—used to say to me, “Stop being so stupid.” Or at least, that’s what I thought she was saying.
It wasn’t until I was in my 30s, during an argument, that I finally confronted her about it. I told her how hurtful it was to always be called “stupid” in Vietnamese.
She looked at me, surprised, and said, “I never called you stupid. That’s not what that word means. It means you’re naïve. You’re too nice, and I don’t want people to take advantage of you.”
Mind blown.
She wasn’t insulting me—she was trying to protect me.
But even that revelation wasn’t what fully shifted things for me.
What truly turned things around was when I started teaching others.
We are our harshest critics. And often, we’re the only ones who can rewrite the story we’ve been telling ourselves.
I began to recognize that I am smart—just in a different way. I have a different aptitude, a different learning style. I’m great at seeing patterns. I have a strong kinesthetic sense. I understand concepts deeply, even if I don’t memorize facts easily.
That childhood belief—that I wasn’t smart—has finally been transformed into something empowering.
More importantly, it’s made me a better teacher. It’s helped me become more compassionate and empathetic—whether I’m guiding a patient who needs clarity or coaching a therapist who’s developing their clinical skills.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Two years into building my therapy clinic, I almost gave up.
I started the clinic because I wanted to create a space where I could help patients in the way I knew would get them the best possible results—while also creating a sustainable income for myself and my family. I had spent years developing my clinical skills. I was great at getting my patients results. Local doctors trusted my work.
But I was wearing all the hats—treating patients, doing the marketing, handling billing, and trying to negotiate with insurance companies. I was making some money, but I was struggling to grow, struggling to hire for my small clinic, and struggling to spend time with my young children.
The whole point of starting the business was to have more time and flexibility with my kids.
But the opposite was true.
My patience was thin.
My attention was scattered.
My energy was completely drained.
It all came to a head on a last-minute family vacation to the Smoky Mountains. I was glued to my phone the entire time—fielding texts and calls from the few staff members I had. Even while hiking, I couldn’t relax. I was constantly worried that something back at the clinic would fall apart. We kept having to come back down into town just so I could get enough signal to take or make calls.
It was a mess.
My kids remember that trip as a fun vacation. But for me? It was a breaking point.
When we got home, I gave myself an ultimatum:
Either I was going to fix this business… or I was going to quit and get a job.
So I got serious.
I invested thousands into coaching programs and business training.
I stopped winging it and started learning real business skills.
Within six months, I hired my first therapist. I also began recording my staff trainings. A few years later, those very trainings became the foundation of my second company—Hand Therapy Secrets.
Service-based businesses are easy to start—but staying in business and fulfilling your mission takes clear strategy, critical decisions, and intention.
I didn’t want to run a high-volume, general-box therapy clinic.
I didn’t want the cold, sterile vibe of hospital-based rehab.
I wanted to create a place where patients felt heard, understood, and empowered. A place where we could help people get real results—and educate them on their recovery. That’s why we:
Create educational videos on YouTube
Host live workshops on common injuries and rehab topics
Offer free discovery visits, so people can meet our team and get clarity on what help they need
Because of the success of the clinic, I’ve been able to:
Provide meaningful jobs in our local community
Hire and train future Certified Hand Therapists
Launch Hand Therapy Secrets, my educational platform for OTs and PTs around the world
So… was there ever a time I almost gave up?
Absolutely.
But that moment didn’t break me—it became the turning point that changed everything.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
What You See Is What You Get
The public version of me—whether from the clinic or the program side—is the real me.
I’m a bit more casual than most therapists. I like to tell jokes. In fact, I always tell my patients, “I’ve had the same jokes for years—I just rotate the people out.”
And yes, I curse a little.
It’s the passion in me.
But there’s a time and place for everything.
In the clinic, my rule of thumb is: I don’t curse first. But if my patients do? Well… that’s usually my permission to be a little more “myself.”
When I’m teaching therapists, I’m even more relaxed. I’ll drop a few inappropriate stories or unexpected analogies—not just for the laughs, but to create an emotional connection to the lesson. I want people to remember what they’re learning, not just hear it.
Because here’s what I believe:
Learning needs to be fun in order to stick.
So whether you’re watching me on YouTube, listening to me teach, or scrolling through an Instagram reel of me treating a patient—what you see is what you get.
There’s something for everyone…
But I know I’m not for everyone.
And that’s okay.
If you don’t vibe with my style, no hard feelings—I’m more than happy to point you in the right direction.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
The books I’ve written—and the ones I plan to write—may not pay off for another 7 to 10 years.
But I write them anyway.
My first book, The Hands-on Approach: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Rid of Nagging Hand and Shoulder Problems Without Pills, Injections, or Surgery, was written for my patients. I kept hearing the same questions over and over—about trigger finger, carpal tunnel, what to expect after surgery. I wanted to give them clear answers and practical advice, all in one place.
My second book, Hand Therapy Exam Success: The Ultimate Book of Practice Questions, is for therapists studying to become Certified Hand Therapists. Therapists need more than just knowledge—they need practice thinking critically, solving clinical problems, and making confident decisions. That’s exactly what this book helps them do.
I plan to release my next book in mid-2026, and I have several more lined up after that.
The more I write, the better my books will get.
My long-term vision is to write not only for therapists, but also for everyday people—especially those recovering from very specific hand injuries and conditions. I want to give them something empowering, something useful, something that helps them take charge of their healing.
Because these books? They’re not just products.
They’re part of a much bigger mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://handsots.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handsots/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoang-tran-ot-l-cht-aa3a4689/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handsOTS/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HandsOnTherapyServicesIncMiami
- Other: Hand Therapy Secrets Sm pages:
https://www.facebook.com/handtherapysecrets/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCubievX5JmbBcb0oGV1tW3w
https://www.instagram.com/handtherapy_secrets/@handtherapy_secrets https://handtherapysecrets.com/
