By: Shari Dalton
When I first started in the Healthcare Staffing industry, I was very passionate about working with Allied and Nursing professionals and matching then with my client hospitals. Since I pass out at the mere sight of blood, this was my way of giving back. When people asked me what I did for a living I would say “I save lives.” Deep down, that is what I believed. Yes, it was sales, yes, I made commission every month based on my production, but I always took the job more serious than that. I never stopped learning and every time I placed a nurse or healthcare professional, I always thought to myself, “Is this someone that I would want taking care of my daughter or a family member?” If the answer was no, then I just wasn’t interested.
After almost 10 years in the industry something changed for me-there was a part of me that just didn’t feel fulfilled anymore. Like something was missing. I had several fantastic nurses that I was working with, great coworkers and I was making a lot of money…but it just didn’t seem to matter. I spent the good part of a year soul searching. I kept feeling this overwhelming need to help people, but I had no idea where to start.
I’ll never forget the day Adam (my fiancé…and I’m sure the topic of future blogs) looked at me and said “Just do it, just quit-forget the money-go find what you’re looking for.” And my journey began.
I started taking online courses for start up businesses. I started meeting with local coaches and mentors. I wanted to help people, but who? Everyone would say-“find something you’re good at” or “find something you’re passionate about” and start there. But the only thing I had really been GOOD at was my job….and I just quit. But that’s when it hit me. I had spent almost a decade honing and refining my skills in a very specific industry. I knew the ins and outs of the business and how to work with different types of people. I knew how to make A LOT of money, but ALWAYS did it the right way. This industry has afforded myself and my family a tremendous lifestyle….what if I could help people, like the coworkers I had adored so much, create that type of life for themselves? Better yet, what if I could help those companies that put me in the position I’m in today-be even better and more successful.
And then it came full circle…what if I could help save even more lives. The shortage of nurses in the United States is at a crisis level and projected to get even worse over the next 15-20 years. It’s easy to make money in the Healthcare Staffing industry right now. But what isn’t easy is keeping up with the demand and keeping your sales staff and operations team from burning out because of the rapid growth. It’s been my experience that real training and management is almost non existent in this sector. One of the first things to suffer is quality. In my book, that’s unacceptable.
So here I am, several months later, starting my own business. Working with great clients who truly see the value that I bring to the table. Coaching them and their teams on how create more value and quality for their customers. Working with individual sales team members to hone their craft in this field. Creating a foundation for success for my clients which in turn, to me, means I’m saving more lives.
