Today we’d like to introduce you to Tami Ferguson-Stewart.
Hi Tami, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I was 10 years old my paternal grandmother became ill . I knew then that I was born to be a caregiver. I would go see her everyday to take care of her until she passed.
I felt that passion at that early age.
When I became an adult I started working in nursing homes and became a certified nursing assistant and that went on for 20 plus years until I hurt my back and could no longer work with patients hands-on.
At that time I was being layed off and was offered a job with a new in home care agency with little to no office experience. At that point I knew God was in control.
I excelled in that agency and learned all about the health care business not knowing one day I would have my own.
One day I was approached with an offer of opening my own agency and then is when I knew God had ordered my steps.
I had to be put in a position to leave what I loved to do in order for God to elevate me to something bigger.
I did my research on owning a home care agency because I knew how to run one and I started the process.
With long days and hours I put in to applying for the right licenses and contracts to opening up the agency with little to no money.
It finally happened i received my contract with the state of south carolina medicaid and started to receive referrals for clients.
And that was in November of 2009. And I been going hard and strong every since. It has not been easy. I have made a lot of sacrifices and made a lots of mistakes along the way but with God and a whole lot of Grace I am still standing.
From CNA to CEO was a dream that I never in a million years thought I would see in reality but im here and if I can achieve what I have without a college degree anyone can.
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 has not been a smooth road. Ive struggled with perfectionism due to not wanting to fail, worrying about what others said or thought about me , how people perceived me, and often questioning myself as if i wasn’t good enough. But through healing ,growth and self reflection, I am now able to face these battles deal with them or not and move on.
I have been thru Sabatoge where employees have deliberately tried to have me business shut down.
I have been thru many unnecessary audits where people have reported me to the state with no findings of any wrong doing. Ive had a lot of sleepless nights worrying about what’s going to happen next or what sure I’ll have to put out next.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a Serial Entrepreneur. My Corporation and Brand TMF LLC houses all of my businesses .
Above and Beyond Care Services LLC
Attentive Care Services LLC
1st Choice Recruiting LLC
Place Called Home
My in home care business is where we provide in home skilled and non skilled care to our patients and clients.
We also provide durable medical equipment to our clients in need of and medical supplies.
The boarding home is a place where we provide people coming home from prison, who may need a job and a place to live temporarily until they are able to go out on their own.
The temp agency is where we provide temporary employees to manufacturing plants as quality inspectors and assembly workers.
I am known for going above and beyond making sure that our employees and clients are well taken care of.
Our clients and patients are more than just a name, they are like family to us. We treat them as such.
We screen our caregivers vigorously with annual back ground checks ,references, random and annual drug test.
We make sure that our clients are matched with the right caregivers giving our clients a chance to meet them prior to Services and to be able to be included in the decision making process.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice would be to never go into health care business with money being your number one priority or only priority you have to put the clients and employees first if you want to succeed in home health care
And what i wish I knew would be more about taxes and how they work and how important credit is to business owners.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tmfcorporation.org
