The Day I Decided The Color Of My Skin Would Never Hold Me Back

 

My home health business, which is governed heavily by state regulations, is experiencing a surprise survey and plan of corrections. This may not sound like much but we are governed by the same governmental agency that oversees nursing homes and other facilities. While many businesses just get a business license, we have stringent regulations as well.

Surveys can be pretty intense. I have been lucky enough to have two in one year (and yes, I’m being sarcastic). I believe they are looking at my website and are coordinating them with my major events (and yes, I’m kidding….I think). But seriously, the first one happened the morning of my flight to San Diego last September. I was notified by my Executive Assistant just in time before I left for the Philadelphia airport. This time it started a week before my training event Illumination Live! 2014 in Atlanta, GA.

My world, once again, came to a screeching halt. Not only can these surveyors hurt my livelihood, but they can also hurt the livelihoods of my employees. The last year in this business has been difficult enough: we’ve survived a managed care organization’s lack of timely payments, fired key personnel, dissolved a partnership, and other challenges large and small. On top of all of that, yet another visit from an agency with which I already had a tenuous relationship.

Back when I first decided to go into business for myself in 2004 (yes, 10 year anniversary this past April), I purchased a senior care franchise. For some reason, I thought when I bought a franchise I would be buying a system, like McDonald’s. No matter what McDonald’s you visit, you can be assured the french fries will be the same. That’s what a franchise represented to me – systems, standard operating procedures – so I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. The franchise had systems but one crucial thing was missing – they didn’t have the information necessary to secure an “aide only” license in Delaware, which was the necessary requirement to provide personal care in the state of Delaware.

This was not a quick or simple process. I started on the journey to secure this home health aide only licensure. I finally thought I was ready and did my presentation in front of the licensure agency. They laughed in my face. It was back to the drawing board.

I met with the other franchise owners in the state. There were 3 other ladies who owned a senior franchise. What I discovered during the meeting is there were several other franchise owners that didn’t survive. Some of the territories had flipped hands several times over and two of the ladies at the table had purchased someone else’s territory that couldn’t make it work. Two of the ladies decided to get started without the license. We all invested several thousand dollars for the franchise and no one wanted the investment to go down the drain. I, personally, was not willing to do that. Being caught operating without the license could result in huge fines as well as the inability to ever secure the license (based on our knowledge).

Another interesting fact: the room divided evenly on who would operate without the license and it was split by race.

We agreed to seek this license together. I didn’t divulge at this time that I already wrote the presentation because I wanted to see what they would bring to the table. After many attempts, only one person was serious enough to see this through. We met a few times. I agreed to share all of the work I already completed under one condition: our presentation to the agency must be joint. She agreed.

I changed the font on my presentation, added her name, she developed some forms based off what I wrote, and we set up a new presentation. This time they didn’t laugh in my face. They made us add more forms, etc. and after some additional documents through email, we were each issued a probational license.

Let me tell you, I was feeling fantastic! Over two years since I had invested in the senior care franchise, with all of the trails and tribulations we went through, I could now operate the company and start generating some revenue. I found a nurse for both of us and was so excited to get my first client. This first client kept going in and out of the hospital so the start date kept getting pushed back. Now the state was back to do their survey to issue the permanent license. My nurse was out doing the assessment on the very same day for the first client. Since they couldn’t survey the client, I was denied permanent license. My “partner” didn’t have a client to survey either but since I told her what happened, she serviced her mother (or so she told me), and therefore she was granted the permanent license.

I was livid. Beyond livid.

It was my nurse, my processes, my everything – and I was denied and she continued. After talks with many advisors and organizations including a civil rights attorney, I filed a formal complaint. A week later, my mother had a stroke. All bets were off. I wasn’t in the fighting mood. I just wanted to take care of my mother. I let it all go. The company. The Fight. Everything.

That day when I decided to let go, I also made another decision: There will NEVER AGAIN be marginal results so someone could take something from me.

NOT based on gender.
NOT based on creed.
NOT based on religion.
NOT based on race.
NOT based on performance.

From that day forward I would always strive for excellence.

Fast forward to the first survey last September: one of the very same surveyors that I felt violated my rights was now in my business and seemingly controlling my future once again. The feelings came back from so many years ago.

The feelings of inadequacy.
The feelings of hopelessness.
An overall feeling of fear.
Which for me is crazy because I do not operate from this space.
Yes, I face different fears daily but this one had me by the cojones.

I survived that survey and continued to do business. Life goes on.

And then the call came in again: the state was back again. I could feel that knot in my stomach. For about 48 hours, I went to a place that I didn’t want to remember: the place where someone else can control my future, my livelihood.

Then I realized something (about to get woo woo on you, LOL). I believe God or whomever you pray to, will continue to present the same types of people and circumstances in your life until you learn the lesson. After I got still, it was time to change this trajectory once and for all.

I had some serious conversations with the surveyors. I had consulted for other home health companies for several years and they had NEVER experienced a survey during the entire time they were open (about a seven year span of time) I wanted to know how did I have two surveys within a year? EYE OPENER. Former employees decided they would not operate in excellence. I terminated their services and then they filed complaints against me. Picture this: If I had filed complaints first, all of this may have been circumvented. REALLY?

Again, These two state surveys started from complaints from former employees that decided they would not operate in excellence. Fortunately, I do. So while this may be a painful process, ALL is WELL in Tinaland. Most importantly, with this post I can release all the past stories that kept creeping up inside of me, paralyzing me from moving forward, including my feelings for the surveyor (yes, I’m a work in progress, LOL). She is just doing her job and it’s up to me to do mine.

While I had to postpone my event, I am grateful for this experience because I’ve finally released the pain and emotions from that experience all of those years ago. I know if I could dial my parents in heaven, my mom would be cussing something terrible and my dad would be laughing saying “It’s about time you learned the lesson.” My mom and I would be irritated but know my father is right.