Dr. Angie Mason and Dr. Tyre Patterson built a business on a foundation of shared interests, skills, and experiences. The two best friends are co-founders and co-owners of Dynamic Duo PT+, a physical therapy practice based in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

Besides their extensive experience in physical therapy, Angie and Tyre also share a zest for adventure and travel and both take great joy in teasing one another. However, what makes the two ideal business partners is their shared philosophy about how to treat their patients. “When we opened our clinic, we wanted this to be a family,” Angie says. “My job is to get you better and feeling better physically, but I want you to know that we're always here for you, and you always have access to us.” 

Unfortunately, when the duo launched their practice in 2021, they found that their existing bank did not share their approach to business. For example, soon after starting Dynamic Duo, Angie and Tyre sought to become federal contractors – a process that required their bank to sign off on some documentation. “We were calling 800 numbers, we went into two or three different branches, and we called the person that we knew at the branch,” remembers Tyre. “There was nothing they could do.”

Around that time, Angie and Tyre met Greg Hillberg, a relationship manager at BankUnited. Hillberg watched Angie and Tyre pitch their business at BankUnited’s Small Business Big Dreams: Women in Business contest – a contest they won – and was impressed enough to introduce himself. 

In fact, Greg was so impressed with Angie and Tyre that he visited Dynamic Duo’s office, even though they weren’t his clients. For Greg, spending time with clients and prospects is the best part of his job and an essential piece of doing it right. 

“My title is relationship manager, so I think it's a lot harder to have a relationship if you can't have an opportunity to meet face to face and get to know somebody on a personal level,” Greg says. “We are going to talk about money and finances and banking. At the end of the day, I want to get to know who my prospects and clients are, what drives them, and what's important to them. That’s how I figure out what will benefit them the most.”

That customer and human-centered approach resonated strongly with Angie and Tyre, in part because it mirrored their own philosophy. When Greg visited Dynamic Duo, he not only got to know Angie and Tyre personally, but he also gained an understanding of the systems and processes they use to run their business. First-hand exposure to a company’s people and operations is invaluable whenever Greg considers what banking solutions can help his clients. “You can’t get that on the phone or a Zoom call,” Greg says. 

After Greg spent a few hours at Dynamic Duo, Angie and Tyre decided to become BankUnited clients. Since then, their relationship has only expanded. “The more I get to know my clients, the better I can serve them,” Greg says.

Greg is always eager to find ways for his clients to grow their businesses. For Dynamic Duo, he connected Angie and Tyre with BankUnited's wellness program manager to offer webinar sessions to employees. The opportunity enhanced BankUnited’s wellness program because it tapped Angie and Tyre’s expertise, but it also helped Dynamic Duo because it provided exposure to many bank employees who participated in the award-winning program.

The best relationships are those that are supportive in both directions. Because Greg has earned Angie and Tyre’s trust, they are comfortable referring other entrepreneurs to him. “If somebody says they’re thinking about opening a business, but they need a bank, Greg is the first person to my mind,” Angie says. “I know he will care about them as much as I care about them. I want to make sure my reputation stays clean, and I know the people I refer to Greg will be taken care of because that is what Greg does and that is who Greg is.”

Even though it’s hard to predict the business challenges and opportunities Dynamic Duo will have to navigate in the future, Greg, Angie, and Tyre all agree that they’ll face whatever comes their way as a unified team. “I foresee us cultivating our relationship further. I foresee BankUnited being the long-term banking institution for Dynamic Duo PT,” Tyre says. “Greg goes above and beyond for his clients. That speaks volumes to his character, and for him as a person. Because of that, I will continue to bank with BankUnited.”