From Affordable Housing to Healing: How Dr. Jiali Built a Life Without Limits

Introduction: Why This Story Matters

Affordable housing doesn’t just provide a roof. It builds the foundation for future leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. In this episode of the Affordable Housing & Real Estate Investing Podcast, host Kent Fai He sits down with Dr. Jiali, a physical therapist, clinic owner, and lifelong friend who grew up in the same affordable housing community.

Dr. Jiali’s story is about more than health and fitness. It’s about resilience, entrepreneurship, and how the stability of affordable housing can transform families across generations. For investors, developers, and advocates, his journey illustrates the ripple effect of housing security—how it creates space for people to dream bigger, start businesses, and impact communities far beyond where they started.

How Did Growing Up in Affordable Housing Shape Dr. Jiali’s Path?

Dr. Jiali and Kent grew up together in Boston, both children of Chinese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with little more than determination. Affordable housing gave their families safety and stability in a city where market rents would have been out of reach.

For Jiali, this foundation meant access to schools, friends, and community networks that opened doors. As he put it:

“Without affordable housing, I literally would not be doing what I’m doing today.”

That stability created the conditions for him to pursue higher education, experiment with sports and fitness, and eventually find his calling in physical therapy.

What Inspired Dr. Jiali to Become a Physical Therapist?

The journey wasn’t straightforward. Like many teens, Jiali started with gaming and only stumbled into fitness through sports and curiosity. Volleyball, weightlifting, and a desire to improve physically led him to study kinesiology and later earn his doctorate in physical therapy.

Along the way, he discovered something powerful: movement can heal. Foam rolling relieved his own knee pain. Helping clients move differently gave them back the ability to play with their kids or live pain-free. That emotional income, as Kent calls it, became a driving force.

“People would come in and say, ‘I haven’t been able to play with my kids for two years, and now I can.’ That’s what kept me going.”

How Is His Approach to Physical Therapy Different?

Traditional physical therapy often reduces people to a diagnosis: “back pain patient,” “knee pain patient.” Dr. Jiali takes a more holistic view.

He focuses on:

• Movement patterns instead of isolated symptoms.
  
  

• The nervous system and how subconscious habits shape pain.
  
  

• Teaching awareness so patients can reprogram their default movements.
  
  

He uses what he calls the “detour analogy.” Just like drivers adjust to road closures, bodies adapt to injuries or habits. Over time, these “detours” can become the new default—even if they’re inefficient or painful. His job is to help patients find better shortcuts and build lasting patterns.

“We’re not just fixing backs or knees. We’re enhancing the human experience so people can live the life they thought was impossible.”

What Role Did the Pandemic Play in His Business?

Launching a business in 2020 was risky, but the pandemic opened unexpected doors. With people stuck at home, online content consumption exploded. Dr. Jiali leaned into authenticity, creating videos that showcased his unique approach instead of following cookie-cutter fitness trends.

That authenticity resonated. His online business grew, eventually evolving into a brick-and-mortar clinic, Physio X, where he continues to help clients “live life without limits.”

What Lessons Can Affordable Housing Investors Learn from His Story?

Jiali’s success highlights a critical truth for developers, city planners, and investors: affordable housing is a launchpad.

• It gives immigrant families stability in expensive markets.
  
  

• It allows children to focus on school and growth instead of survival.
  
  

• It produces future entrepreneurs who create businesses, jobs, and impact.
  
  

For investors, this is a reminder that affordable housing is not charity. It’s an ecosystem investment with compounding returns for generations.

Key Insights & Frameworks

• Affordable housing creates stability that allows families to dream bigger.
  
  

• Authenticity drives connection. Jiali’s online growth came from being himself, not copying trends.
  
  

• Movement is subconscious. Changing default patterns requires awareness, not just exercises.
  
  

• Entrepreneurship is about asking the right questions. Jiali emphasizes that good decisions start with better questions.
  
  

• Resilience is built through decisions. Success is rarely an accident—it’s a series of hard choices.
  
  

Best Quotes

• “Without affordable housing, I literally would not be doing what I’m doing today.”
  
  

• “We’re not just fixing backs or knees. We’re enhancing the human experience.”
  
  

• “Success isn’t a surprise, it’s the accumulation of decisions.”
  
  

• “If you can plan your way out of being homeless, you can do anything.”
  
  

Common Questions This Episode Answers

1. How does affordable housing impact future generations?
It provides stability that allows children to pursue education, develop skills, and eventually contribute back to society as entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals.

2. What makes Dr. Jiali’s physical therapy model unique?
He focuses on movement patterns and nervous system reprogramming rather than just treating pain symptoms. Patients leave with tools to heal themselves.

3. Why did he start during the pandemic?
The pandemic created demand for online content. His authentic videos attracted an audience and grew into a sustainable business model.

4. How can affordable housing investors use this story?
It reinforces that housing isn’t just shelter. It’s a long-term investment in human potential and community resilience.

5. What advice does he give future entrepreneurs?
Start with the “itch.” If an idea keeps pulling at you, scratch it. Then ask the right questions until you find the path forward.

Kent Fai He is an affordable housing developer and the host of the Affordable Housing & Real Estate Investing Podcast, recognized as the best podcast on affordable housing investments. His mission is to provide everyday investors with the tools, knowledge, and connections to build wealth while solving America’s housing crisis.

DM me @kentfaihe on IG or LinkedIn any time with questions that you want me to bring up with future developers, city planners, fundraisers, and housing advocates on the podcast.