Today we’d like to introduce you to Brett McQueen.
Hi Brett, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m an athletic trainer by training. In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work in a wide range of settings: hospital-based systems to secondary schools, collegiate athletics, and even the professional level. While I’ve enjoyed each of those experiences, I’ve always been especially passionate about rehabilitation, injury risk mitigation, and performance training.
That passion has deep roots. Years ago, I sustained an injury that wasn’t well managed within the traditional care system. I went through a difficult cycle of physical pain and mental frustration that left a lasting impact on me. I knew I didn’t want other young athletes to go through that same experience. These experiences with traditional care made me want to stick to a non-traditional model of education for achieving the same professional goals.
In 2020, after a lot of encouragement from friends and family, I opened a brick-and-mortar location built on a direct pay or cash based model allowing me to provide top-level care without the limitations of insurance-driven systems. My goal has always been to serve athletes better: with individualized care, a deep understanding of their performance goals, and a commitment to both their physical and mental well-being.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. In fact, very little about launching Lightning Performance Solutions could be called easy. Back in 2018, I came close to leaving the profession entirely. I was burned out after working in an environment where doing what was best for people and patients often came second to satisfying a larger system. I lost a lot of faith in the work. Thankfully, the people around me didn’t. Some incredible friends, family, and mentors saw potential in me that I couldn’t see in myself at the time, and they kept encouraging me to keep going.
They’re the same people who eventually pushed me to open a brick-and-mortar clinic. Ironically, I signed my lease just three days before COVID shut the world down. So not only was I opening a business, I was doing it in the middle of a global pandemic. Zero star review, do not recommend, by the way.
Since then, the road has been filled with challenges, setbacks, unexpected hurdles, and growing pains. I’ve also faced consistent criticism from professional colleagues due to my non-traditional path. As an athletic trainer running a rehabilitation, performance, and injury prevention clinic outside the traditional model, what I do is often misunderstood. It’s different. It’s unique. Honestly, it’s hard to fully explain until you’ve walked through the doors and seen it for yourself.
Through all of the challenges, prayers have been answered and the mission has only gotten stronger. I’m continuing to grow, adapt, and build something that’s truly centered on doing what’s best for the whole athlete.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Lightning Performance Solutions is a direct-pay, athlete-focused rehabilitation and performance clinic based in Kansas City. Founded by an athletic trainer with a passion for doing things differently, the clinic specializes in working with baseball/softball players and overhead athletes with a strong emphasis on injury risk evaluation, rotational stability training, and performance optimization.
What sets Lightning Performance apart is the ability to look at the body through a different lens that blends biomechanics, manual therapy, and strength training to treat the whole athlete, not just a specific injury. From day one, the mission has been to provide high-level, personalized care without the restrictions of traditional, insurance-driven systems.
Every evaluation and rehabilitation session is one-on-one and tailored to the patient’s needs, allowing for focused rehabilitation, preventative strategies, and long-term performance gains. The clinic offers services like dry needling, soft tissue work, corrective exercise, and sport-specific training. We don’t just do and offer these therapies, we specialize in them for the needs of athletes. In addition, we do some group based training sessions to build a stronger community among peers training for a common goal.
What we do is unique and often misunderstood, especially by those outside of this model. The result of our treatment methodologies and impact speaks for itself. From youth athletes to professionals, we’ve helped countless individuals move better, recover faster, and perform at their highest level. We’re proud of the work we do and the results we deliver. We have built a community around a shared commitment to better health, smarter training, and a higher standard of care.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was one of those kids who always wanted to understand the “why” behind everything. I asked a lot of questions in school, but I had no patience for busy work or assignments that didn’t feel meaningful. Though I was plenty smart enough, academics weren’t always easy. Especially with how easily distracted I could be. I was constantly involved in something: sports, band, Boy Scouts, church, you name it. When I committed to something, I was all in almost to the point of hyperfixation. I never really followed the crowd and tended to do things my own way, even if it meant taking the harder path. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that I’d eventually end up running a business that doesn’t follow the traditional mold.
Pricing:
- Initial Evaluation Appointment (90 minute)
- 90 Minute Follow-up
- 60- Minute Follow-up
- Multiple visit care packages
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lightningperformancekc.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lightningperformancekc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/lightningperformancekc
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/brett-mcqueen-at
- Twitter: https://x.com/lightningperfkc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lightningperformancekc
