Marcus Mancer MACP’s path to physiotherapy began on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Growing up the son of a farmer and teacher, Marcus found that his teenage years were shaped by his father’s struggles with rheumatoid arthritis.

‘I recall going up and down to Adelaide with Mum, Dad and the family, while we better understood Dad’s health needs. 

'So I was in and out of hospitals and physio, occupational therapy and rheumatology clinics. 

'They all looked like they were having fun, professionally. They were kind and polite and it made a huge difference, I think, to my dad and my family at the time.’

Combined with a passion for sport, these early experiences led Marcus to physiotherapy, but only after he repeated Year 12 to get the required entry score into university. 

Graduating from the University of South Australia in 1998, Marcus went straight into private practice— not in a metropolitan clinic but in the mining town of Roxby Downs.

That ‘sink or swim’ experience of working part-time in the clinic and part-time onsite at the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine gave Marcus the independence he sought and exposure to business operations. 

‘I learned that people come and see you not only because you’re hopefully a competent physio but for you as a person and communicator. That appealed to me.’

Marcus as a game day runner-physio with player and fellow physiotherapist Brandon Bailey.

After time overseas and working with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Darwin, where he completed his master’s degree in sports and exercise physiotherapy, Marcus and his wife Jasmin started Tangibilis in 2007. 

Its name stems from the Latin word for ‘tangible’ and reflects the tactile, hands-on focus that Marcus believes physiotherapy should retain.

‘Our first venture was a thrilling challenge in consortium to provide allied health services to the ADF in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region,’ Marcus says. 

Tangibilis and its partners ran physiotherapy, pharmacy, radiology and psychology services across multiple bases until 2013. 

But when the ADF centralised contracts nationally, the business had to pivot. 

Marcus and Jasmin, with four young children, had to start it again almost from scratch. 

‘We thought, let’s use the resources we have and the money we’ve saved and open a clinic.’

The couple chose Berrimah, central to both Darwin and Palmerston, to open their practice, despite scepticism from locals about the location. 

‘We threw caution to the wind and had a crack.’ 

By 2017 Tangibilis had opened its first clinic, with Jasmin as the practice manager while Marcus set about diversifying the business to reach new clients.

The decision to diversify has been central to Tangibilis’ resilience and growth. 

From work with the ADF, the practice expanded into oil and gas, mining, construction, insurance, sport and community health. 

‘We like spreading our wings.’ 

Tangibilis’ client list now includes Shell, INPEX, ERA (Rio Tinto), South32, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, the Northern Territory Police Force, Humpty Doo Barramundi and Australian Crocodile Traders.

For Marcus, the range of clients—from semi-professional athletes to cattle station workers, crocodile handlers, judges, politicians and interstate AFL players—is part of what makes practising in the Territory unique. 

‘We get to meet some fantastic people and hear some pretty wild stories. 

'We’ve had patients who were bitten by crocodiles or gored trying to wrangle scrub bulls, people who’ve been run over or in horrendous motor accidents—defence members, amputees, patients with gunshot wounds, all sorts of things. 

'Territory folk love an adventure and where there’s adventure, there’s often misadventure.’

Marcus believes that Darwin’s culture has shaped both his personal outlook and his business strategy. 

‘Darwin is not like any other city in Australia. You either love it for its casual, unpretentious, relaxed laid-back-ness or you don’t. 

'If you do things consistently well enough, people notice and doors open.’

The transience of the population creates opportunities for practitioners willing to stay the course. 

‘If you put your stilts down and just keep trying, I think the spoils come.’ 

That approach has paid off for Marcus in terms of long-term contracts and organic referrals. 

‘It’s amazing what can happen when you show energy and have a go at something.’

Tangibilis’ growth has been driven as much by relationship building as by clinical expertise. 

Marcus places great importance on being reliable and following through. 

‘Maintaining relationships means doing the best we can to provide the solution they asked for in the first place. 

'This will sound ridiculously simplistic but actually just turning up and being responsible for the service, then being consistent and keeping the dialogue open is essential,' he says.

Marcus says many of Tangibilis’ opportunities have come not from conventional marketing or cold-calling but from reputation.

‘Some company will say, “We’ve got Tangibilis on board with us. Give them a call” and so we get organic referrals for amazing opportunities.’

As the business grew, Marcus relied heavily on his wife’s background in education to shape the culture and values that have propelled it forward. 

‘My wife plays a huge role here. When you have shared values and a clear vision, people tend to come along for the ride. 

'She has certainly been integral in maintaining the stability of our workforce. People love working with her, including me.’

Maintaining a diverse client base requires a degree of travel for Marcus and his staff. 

‘Unless you’re working in and around Darwin, it’s a fair way to go to work sometimes. 

'We have regular work in Arnhem Land, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in Kakadu National Park, down in Alice Springs, in Yulara where Uluru is and across to Broome in Western Australia and beyond,’ he says. 

Some clients travel vast distances to see practitioners in the clinic in Darwin. 

‘We’ve got patients who will come hundreds of kilometres to see us, so we travel or they travel. 

'You’ve got to be prepared to be away from your home and your family.’

The clinic has deliberately focused on recruiting the right staff, supporting its people with mentoring and training and creating an environment where clinicians want to stay. 

In a regional, transient town where five years’ experience marks you as a ‘senior’, Tangibilis has clinicians with 15–20 years’ experience—a rarity that Marcus is proud of.

Marcus’ advice for other private practitioners is simple: look for unmet needs and diversify your practice to meet them. 

‘If you love a certain type of work and you see an unmet need, it’s pretty exciting to consider the possibilities. 

'You’ve got to be bold, back yourself a bit and have a crack.’ 

For those looking to grow their business, Marcus stresses the importance of finding the right balance and support. 

‘I’m constantly spinning plates. It is occasionally tiring but it helps if you love it. You need good people around you. 

'Trying to do it all on your own is a recipe for disaster.’

For practitioners considering diversification, Marcus says stepping outside your comfort zone is essential. 

‘Have a go in the bush or in a regional town. If you are interested in an opportunity, do it where the need isn’t being met. 

'That was probably the most important decision for us. We went on an adventure to see what Darwin might have for us—and it’s still going. 

'Darwin has been incredibly fruitful for us, personally and professionally; the people are amazing and authentic. There’s a lot of opportunity here.’

COURSE OF INTEREST: Rural physiotherapy: skills and capabilities of rural practitioners