The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Hosted by Founder and CEO of Comfort Measures Consulting LLC, Norman Harris. The Official Healthcare Edutainment station. Empowering listeners with the knowledge and resources to age comfortably. The podcast platform will uniquely provide laughter, peace, joy, resources and most of all COMFORT. Fostering professional partnerships and engaging the audience by providing them access to a REAL family-like conversation. That gives them the REAL reasons. Connects them to REAL reliable resources. To get REAL results. For REAL Comfort! Through interviews with C-suite healthcare leaders, experts, caregivers, founders, authors, educators, and thought leaders who are doing incredible work for older adults, family caregivers, and the healthcare community.
The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Women Leading with Purpose: Cherry Hallback-Twiggs on Community Care & Inspiring Generations!
I said Lord, let him have all his teeth.
Speaker 2:All his teeth.
Speaker 1:And didn't know that God was going to give me a dentist. Sometimes you be afraid to leave one place and go to another, and that's how I was, because you only have such a window of opportunity and once it closes, it's closed.
Speaker 2:It's me again, your favorite black bearded bald guy, a host of the let's Get Comfy podcast, florida's number one healthcare entertainment station. Thank you for tuning in and yet again I have a wonderful legend, a Florida legend, plant City, florida legend with me today. Miss Cherry Hombat Twigs Now that name in itself. I just never heard a name like that before. We're going to get into that part. But Miss Twigs, I just never heard a name like that before. We're going to get into that part. But, mr Twigs, I just met you, wonderful spirit, wonderful heart, and I just had to have you on the show. When I started the podcast, I definitely thought about you just from the start, just from the jump, and I thank you for joining us today, just to give you a clap, real round of applause for you joining us but, yeah, I'll let you introduce yourself.
Speaker 1:I always start off that way, um, but yes, tell the audience who you are well, my name again is cherry hallback twigs, and I am the daughter of trudy hallback and willie hall. I'm the oldest out of five siblings, and also I have eight grandchildren and one great-grand, ranging from the ages of 24 to nine years old, and my great-grand is just a year and a half. Aw, yes, yes, and I'm married to a wonderful husband. We live on a farm with cows and chickens and just enjoying each other.
Speaker 1:And I just thank God for what he has done for me and what he's going to do.
Speaker 2:Alright, alright, so y'all know about taxes and stuff, don't you?
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, oh yes, oh yes. He has the cows. We have the cows for the Greenbelt. Okay, so you don't have to pay as much taxes. I already know.
Speaker 2:I already know. Now you tell us about the family life, but let's get more into your credentials and, professionally, your accomplishment, because you being modest right now. Right, so let's brag a little bit. Tell them about really really well.
Speaker 1:At first I wanted to just get married and my mother was a type of mother that trained you at the age of two, meaning that you're gonna do what I say I tell you to do. That was her motto. So I recall calling her one day because I was dating my high school sweetheart. I said, mama, I don't want to go to college, I want to get married. So she said, oh no, you're going to college. And that was the end of the conversation. So from there she had me to enroll at University of South Florida when I was in the 12th grade. I went there under the Upward Bound program and by being the first generation to go to college and it was because of her pushing me and motivating me to go to college I graduated from Plant City High School when I was 16 and going into Florida State University.
Speaker 2:Really, Now, I don't want to be disrespectful, okay, by no means. Uh-huh, now can we talk, get some years into that. Some years, yeah, I want to get some years, years.
Speaker 1:We get some years associated with that, because I know first, they used to be an all women's college right right that wasn't that back that far, no, but just right after uh, I went there in 1976 1976 gotcha now, um, but look at my wife looking at me right now.
Speaker 2:Well, we can take that part out of the show If you want to. But I'm just being me, but but also you witnessed that Obama program. I was actually in the Obama program as well, so I didn't know. It went back, it was relative, and started back then as well. So that was news to me. I'm only being myself, I'm sorry, no, no, that's fine.
Speaker 1:Um, my mother had heard about the uh uh up with our program through one of her co-workers, and their children were going. So that's how I enrolled and I graduated really quickly. Also, I graduated with a four-year degree in marketing within three years.
Speaker 2:You graduated at 16 and graduated in marketing that way.
Speaker 1:Right in 1979. Wow, right. And then in 1980 is when I got married and I had my son, and then later I had my daughter. I started working for the state Department of Transportation and then from there I started working for Department of Children's and Families and then from there I went to Hillsborough County, working there as a social worker and also got a part-time job being a professor. But let me back up With that. My mother was still alive and she told me, cherry, it would be good for you to get something in computers. So at that time my children were small and I tell the audience out there, your children never gets off your payroll.
Speaker 1:You know, I got a son working for me right now and he's literally on my payroll. So sometimes we think that because your children are small, you can't go back to school and I was trying to wait till they got a little older. But I said, well, well, I may as well go. And when my mother died that same year, within two months, I went, which was in 1979. I went I'm sorry, 1992. I went and applied to get another degree, a, a second degree in computer information systems. I had a desire to teach. Right after I graduated I went to Hillsborough Community College for a job. They said, no, you have to have your master's. So I turned right around, didn't waste no time that same year and enrolled to get my master's degree. And I got my master's degree and I got my masters in computer information systems. Well, as time went on, that degree actually caused me to negotiate my salary and my salary increased by $20,000 that year yeah.
Speaker 2:So let me ask you this, Mr Jitter Around that time, what did your classes look like? Like just your students, right? Your co-students and everything Right? Right Was anybody in your class look like you.
Speaker 1:Well, at Florida State University it's predominantly white, so it wasn't that many of us. And, as a matter of fact, when I graduated with my bachelor's degree, it was a white professor who discouraged me from continuing my master's. He told me well, I don't think you should go for your master's right now, and I don't know why that affected me, but I just took his word and I just didn't do it, just didn't do it, just didn't do it. And so when I got into the master's program, I was the only black female in that class for the whole entire term and journey as far as getting my master's degree. Yes, Wow.
Speaker 2:So it really impacted you. I'm telling you that At Comfort Measures Consulting, we're here to help you navigate the complexity of healthcare. If you're caring for a loved one as a caregiver, you don't have resources, you don't know what questions to ask. You need to have options right. Give Comfort Measures a call. Give us a chance. First consultation is free. Speak with me. Comfort Measures Consultant 850-879-2182. You can also visit our website at wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom. Talk to you soon. You thinking he just had the knowledge and the will with all, so you believed him.
Speaker 1:Yes, I did, and I look back now in retrospect that I should have just followed my own heart and I learned through that that you have to follow your own heart, your own dreams, because people are not, everyone is for you and not everyone is going to give you that positive encouragement that you need. And there comes a time that you have to just look in yourself and say, okay, this is what I want to do, and you do that.
Speaker 2:But you continued on. You continued to fight and pursue and just you sharing your story. And that's why I wanted to continue on that, because I wanted people to really hear a true legend. Because over that span some of the job-related and professional honors and awards and special accomplishments you had was you received the extra mile award from hillsborough county health, uh and social services, uh, you was a supervisor of the year war from hillsborough county health, the county award for creating the intake database program. That's where your mother encouraged you right going into uh computers, right right uh team effect Going into computers.
Speaker 2:Right Right Team Effectives Award from Hillsborough County Health, that's with the social services, right yes?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Participant on many boards and committees, such as the Hispanic Service Council for the Bay Area. Now, that was the interesting one. Now, how did you get involved with that one? Because that's a cultural difference.
Speaker 1:Right, I was a social worker in ruskin, okay, and there, of course, you have a lot of hispanics in that area. Yes, and also even in plant city, I was the president of east hillsborough network and we had different um non-profit organizations that were members of it, of that particular group. So that's how I became a part of that. That's where I learned my grant writing and other skills that, as I look back now, at the age I am now, the Lord was grooming me the whole time, the whole time, and you just never know, you don't understand why, and you're going to go through some trials and tribulations, but he is glooming you for something bigger and better that your eyes have never seen, your ears have never heard. It hadn't even come into your thought, what he has for you.
Speaker 2:Right, right, and then just you stating that, too, you listening to your parents being humble and obedient too. Yeah, look at the trajectory by listening to mama, listening to dad, how, that, what, what direction it took you in life, and look at the things you were able to accomplish and the experiences you're able to have. Then I have to continue. Legal, the Spring Ambassador, the City Chamber, rural Social Services, partnership, healthy Start Mental Health Center and the Hillsborough Homeless Coalition these are all memberships that you actually and committees that you have participated in.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, with the homeless. We actually I was the chair of the East Hillsboro Homeless Committee and we would actually organize teams and go out there and find the homeless and to give them blankets or give them resources or pamphlets of things that they can, uh, you know, be your access to, because that, yeah and and uh, with us, sometimes we don't know the resources that we have available to us. So making sure that they know about us where to come, and becoming personable with them to let them know, hey, we are here to help you. My mother she was a pastor and my dad was a farmer. Unfortunately, they had died two months apart.
Speaker 1:My mother died at church. She had said that if I ever was to die, I want to die preaching, and that's how she died. She was at a church and she had just spoken, so she passed away. She had a heart attack. Two months later, my dad was hit and killed as a pedestrian. So during those trials after that, I even got divorced. Every time I felt like I was getting rattled. I would just go home and kneel down and pray to God, and he helped get that feeling away from me because I knew he had more for me to do so. I actually enjoyed helping people.
Speaker 2:That is because of my upbringing and the values that my my parents had given me right, wow, oh, that's a very intimate story you shared there and you battled through all of that, so thank you for sharing that, right, uh, very much so, so, um, all right, so that's our uh coffee segment, so we like to do interactive entertainment here okay, I have a special surprise for you.
Speaker 2:All right, so we're gonna take a little break, uh, from the show, uh, from from that wonderful story, um, for the moment, um, and one thing I did seeing you over your questionnaire that stood out for me. For me is that and we talked about your childhood here we sort of stand on that. You said that you love basketball, basketball, yeah, so what's your story from basketball?
Speaker 1:My story from basketball is that I loved basketball even in high school and my dad, for Christmas one year, bought me a basketball goal. So I used to play basketball even with the boys and all, and I tried out for basketball for Plant City High School and I did get drafted. Okay, made the team. I made the team. But there was a sad part about it I could not continue on the team because both my parents were in the hospital at the same time and by me being the oldest sibling, we had no one to keep us. We stayed at home and I had to run the house as though as normal as possible, and the kids had to go to school and also I had to withdraw from playing basketball. Wow, wow.
Speaker 2:Wow, so that's a good story there. Yeah, and so now your favorite team you follow basketball continuously after that.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I mean I know about Draymond. Draymond, golden State Warriors yeah, yeah, okay, you know about Draymond, right? Yeah, yes, uh, I mean I know, um, uh, about dream on um, yeah, yeah, yeah, right, yeah, I like the wars and, uh, I look at the celtics and and my husband and I'll be giving each other high fives and stuff, okay, yeah. And now the girls basketball team is rising, rising up, so you got caitlyn, yeah rising up.
Speaker 2:So you got caitlyn. Yeah, okay, yes, yeah all right.
Speaker 1:So were you a shooter or did you like have a post game? I was a shooter, he was a shooter. All right, you have a three-point game. Yeah, yeah, all right.
Speaker 2:All right with the boys, so you used to get picked. Yeah, they used to pick you all, right, right exactly all right thank you for sharing that. That's our little comfy, our laughing moment right there so we'll get right back into it, all right. So, your background. We're going to stand with inspiration. You shared how your family, your mother, was a pastor and how did that connect with you and your approach with being a character connect with you and your approach with being a candidate.
Speaker 1:Well, my mother, she prayed a lot, prayed a lot. As a matter of fact, this past Thanksgiving I was going through some artifacts and things that I had at home and I saw something that she actually wrote and she was letting me know how time has gone by and that I will be graduating from Florida State soon. But the one thing she wanted me to remember in the letter is said, is to pray, pray, pray. She wrote that three times and so that actually keeps me motivated.
Speaker 1:Before I start my day, I pray and ask him to lead and guide me, and that's really how that has shaped me. And I ask God, those who I connect with, let me find favor, lead and guide me. You know, he said to lean on him and he would direct our path. I do recall and I'll give you an example that once I began to start my business, my at the beginning, and I had just a short time to do it I had to listen to god every day as to what to do and follow that, because you only have such a a window of opportunity and once it closes, it's closed right.
Speaker 2:so, with um, basically speaking a lot about your family and just your upbringing, just looking back at your parents and their influence, what would you say out of all your accomplishments and awards, even your committees that you participated in?
Speaker 1:what would you say they'd be most proud of you? Oh, they would be most proud of me as far as the business and me helping the elderly, and because it's a ministry, because God said, you know, take care of my widows, and so they would be really proud. They was always proud of me, even when they were alive. Um, even as a regional manager. I was a regional manager of Hillsborough County and right now they call those centers community resource centers, but by then they were neighborhood service centers and so the work that I was doing in the community they would have been very proud of that. I used to love working with the youth. Put together what we call a youth law fair and that will. They had two purposes. One was to let them know, and this is what my mother used to say trouble is easily get into, but hard to get out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my dad said that the whole time. My dad would say that.
Speaker 1:Yes yes, yes, for hard to get into hard to get out For hard to get out, yeah. And so what? We show them that even if you do things at school that you're not supposed to do and you get in trouble, all the consequences that follows behind it. And so the Plant City Courthouse had allowed us one whole day to use the courthouse, but the children would go through the metal detector. They were, um, actually put on a skip.
Speaker 1:I networked with the superintendent of of the uh of plant city high School and then Plant City High School had their some students that put on a skit to show how they got into a fight, and then there was actually a judge, an actual judge, that was sitting in the courtroom and would tell them what the consequences would be. The other purpose was to let them know. Sitting in the courtroom and would tell them what the consequences would be, wow, yeah. The other purpose was to let them know of different jobs that they can go into in law enforcement, such as being an attorney. Everyone gave their testimony. There was an attorney there, there was a judge there, there was a state trooper. They would give their testimonies and give them what credentials that they would have to have if they were interested in going into that particular field.
Speaker 1:In addition to that, the community came together. South Florida Baptist provided all the children's lunches, and so that's why, just being out there and listen to the heartbeat and the needs of the community, uh, I would pray about it and do those things and all the other awards and acclamations, and it will come, you know, but if you, you know, putting him first and it's just going out there, stepping out to put the people first yes right.
Speaker 2:So being a woman of the people being hands-on now, how did that lead you to your journey to founding uh florid creative uh corporation for creative care corporation.
Speaker 1:I should say well, I started out, I was still working with Hillsborough County and my sister and I were planning on opening up a group home together and I have two sisters, but my youngest sister who is a nurse, and me being a social worker. Putting those two together we thought would be a pretty good combination. Together, we thought would be a pretty good combination. We started. We created the name Flory from part of my name and part of her name what's her name?
Speaker 1:her name is Sabrina Florenza Florenza, so that's where the flow came from. The RRY came from Cherry, yes, yes. So we put together our own escort and all, but then later she decided that she didn't want to do that at that time. That time. So I still wanted to do it. I had the burning in me. I just felt like that this was something I had to do, but I was still working for the county. I didn't want to. I did not want to leave the county and do this. Sometimes you'd be afraid to leave one place and go to another, and that's how I was. But the Lord pushed me to leave the county.
Speaker 1:And once I left the county, I went to work for the Census Bureau for a year in 2010. At the end of 2010, what happens? It happens when you work for the census. They let you know this is only temporary, because the census is coming every 10 years. You're not going to continue to have a job.
Speaker 1:So I was facing unemployment. Even though I was a supervisor at the census bureau, I was facing unemployment and I had my license to be an administrator for an assisted living. I said well, lord, either I'm going to go for it or I'm not. It's either all or none. So I just stepped out on faith and that's when I started finding out what I need to do. I put in my application. What I need to do, I put in my application. And one of the hardest part and the challenges I had with the application is you have to do two years financials. So I went to the Small Business Association, I became a member of them with them and they have different ones in different professions, and there was an accountant there that his wife was in something similar and he did my financials for me and I was able to get approved to open up my first ALF.
Speaker 1:Now comes the funding, the funding part. The funding is where I didn't have the money. Of course, I was facing unemployment. Well, united Way and they did a video of me and you can search it on the Internet United Way had a program that whatever you saved, they would match it, and so that's how I was able to get some of my money back, get some of my money to fund the Flory House that I have today. Another one was that I needed money for insurance and that was $500 back then. Now it's much more.
Speaker 1:A lady actually a pastor called me and said that I was in my prayer closet and the Lord told me to give you something. I said, really. She said I need you to meet me. This was here in plant city, so I met her. And she said I need you to meet me. This was here in Plant City, so I met her and she said you were there when my children needed help the most, while you were with the neighborhood service center that's what it was called formerly and I want the Lord told me to give you this, and it was five hundred dollars he'll make a way he would make a way out of no way.
Speaker 1:And so, during my, through my journey, that's what the lord has been doing, because he wants you to know that it was him, not you man that's powerful, yes, and it's powerful, and that's a miracle too.
Speaker 2:It's a miracle and it makes you feel like this this was a purpose right, and that you're on the right path and you were Right. You're still here today, still in existence, right, 2010 is 2025. Yes, 15 years later, 15 years later 15 years later. So that is an amazing story. Now, during that time, can you describe the need for an assisted living facility in the Plant City area, for an assisted living facility in the Plant City area? And I want to also describe black women in the industry at that time as owners in AML.
Speaker 1:Well, in the Plant City area there was only one that was located on the same street that Flory House is now. As far as a minority, there was only one black female and the Small Business Association helped me become certified as a black-owned business and it was really difficult at first because of the challenges and, you know, being a minority, but the Small Business Association was able to send me statistics as to how many ALS were in the area. What was the need in the area? Even I started doing in-home care. And what was the need? Because I was catering mostly to Medicaid recipients instead of Medicare recipients, and I learned that 10% of the population gets Medicaid and also Medicaid disappear of last resort, meaning that they will pay less and they pay when nobody else will pay. So my, my, I had to.
Speaker 1:Um, well, marketing actually taught me to identify with who is my target market, where do I need to go to get these people, where are they located, um, and who needs to help. So I learned that you know the hospitals, the rehab centers, you know you may get some referrals from private or who you know. And that's how I began being being a minority and in Plant City, I went to the nursing homes. We have two nursing homes.
Speaker 1:As of today, it's been 15, 14, 15 years later I have only received one referral. One referral because of me. Now I now have another assisted living facility and when I first got that assisted living facility that was previously white owned and I had another white administrator working under me, I unfortunately had to let her be the face to go out there and market, because once they see me then it's like they shut down. So you sense that they tell you okay, I'm going to call you. Oh, yes, we're going to do this and we'll do that. Yes, leave some of your brochures. I've done all of that and still yet no referrals. But thank God, as of today, I'm full.
Speaker 2:Full.
Speaker 1:Full.
Speaker 2:Regardless, regardless.
Speaker 1:Regardless that, regardless that's right.
Speaker 2:So I actually know to be administrative at both of the facilities too, and we can talk after this In Plant City Okay, like for real. But yeah, that's sad. Yeah, it's real sad. Yeah, all right, another game. Okay, another game.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Another game. All right game, okay, all right. Another game, all right, yeah, we need to switch on that, simply right. Yeah, all right, but um, all right, so this game here. We'll keep it short, all right. So this is that's my answer. You get three seconds to answer the questions. Okay, that way, it's your first response. All right, if you could eat a meal? Uh, you get one dish that you have to eat every day for the rest of your life. What would it be? A salad, a salad, mm-hmm, all right. If you could start a rumor about yourself, what would it be?
Speaker 1:A rumor about myself.
Speaker 2:A rumor. Yep, she's rich, she's rich, she's okay. Uh, if you could have a superpower, uh, what would it be? But it had to be kind of useless, like if, if you had a superpower, uh, but it had to be kind of useless, like a useless power, what would it be.
Speaker 1:I snap my fingers and my house is clean. Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:Okay, what is the funniest thing that ever happened to you at work or on vacation?
Speaker 1:The funniest thing. The funniest thing, well, the funniest thing that ever happened to me at work or on vacation. Well, at work, something recently, is that one of my residents which I do with all of them I embrace them, I tell them I love them, whether male or female, and things like that, and sometimes the other resident may get jealous if I hug this one and don't hug them. So I try to spread the love. Well, one of them recently told one of the caregivers that well, you know that I love you, right? It's. Oh, yes, I love you too. It said, but I am in love with miss cherry, right? So she said I can't help you with that. You're gonna have to talk to her about that if you could, uh, be any animal.
Speaker 2:This is the last one, all right. What would it be, and why?
Speaker 1:animal. Just last one, all right. What would it be? A why, if I can be any animal, what would it be? And why? Maybe I'd be a cheetah? Yeah, so I can get to places faster, here and there, yeah well, I'm gonna have, that's just.
Speaker 2:I be alive. You realize I was just watching. You should watch some Netflix called animals. But on the line he go, like he have his own little pride. He just get there, he first, first, and then they have to just sit there, wait to whatever he. We get full, then they call it oh no it's just mad, pretty bad. You get mad if they eat too much. You get mad and like growl at them, they just turn over like oh, I surrender oh, yeah, yeah, they did that even in lion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah there's that all right. So okay, we're back in, and all right, all right, back in. All right, thank you for sharing that, and playing the game alone with us all right now.
Speaker 2:Uh, it's uh. So my next question actually was going to be uh, how did your background influence how you grew your uh, your pursuit? And actually you led right into that, going into marketing. But let's get into. How did computer information systems, actually that background, help you grow your organization as well with florid creative service care yes, uh, with the computer information system, it uh, I got.
Speaker 1:First I got a another degree in computer programming and then I got, got the degree in computer programming and then I got the degree in computer information system. The masters With that. That helped me. Even today. If there is a computer problem, I'm the one that they call on to actually to fix or to do this or that. Uh, troubleshoot the uh system. That's what I do on our website. If there are any updates that are needed, I do it and it really just helped me that to understand all of the technology out there. And my staff will tell you I love technology and becoming paperless. So in our business we have application tracking system, we have a clock in and clock out system, we have a way that they can put in for vacation. Everything is electronic and if I did not go into computers I would not have the understanding of that. You know I could teach Microsoft Office and do spreadsheets, type, you know letters, do powerpoints, presentations.
Speaker 1:So if it was not for my mother encouraging me and being obedient, ego being obedient and and do that I would not be where I am today yes yes ma'am yeah, they planted the seed all right.
Speaker 2:Uh, so you stated about your employees and I would have to commend you as well, because I've been to your facility, working with hospice, with Accent Care, been to the Fleur House. I've been to Coventry as well and never had one incident, and I've been there multiple times we're not talking one or two, we've done it at least 10 times apiece, right and never had one incident with any staff member. They were always pleasant, customer service was always on point, like very kind, very kind team, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yes, I am really blessed to have such good staff because if you show that you care about them and you know I, I do, uh, performance reviews, I do, uh, you know, give them a little extra because of, if they dare, if we have a flu outbreak and they've been coming to work, then I give them extra for that.
Speaker 1:And I also received a grant where I was able to purchase a car and so if one of their cars break down, they would be able to still drive that car. It's an electric car and they would be able to drive the car back and forth to work until they get their vehicle repaired. I had one recently that was in a car accident, unfortunately, and total her car and she had to use the vehicle. So, okay, yes, yes, she's doing fine, thank the lord. But the card is mainly for that and for marketing. But I had to write for a grant again going back to not knowing why I was learning all this when I was with the county, how to write for a grant, not knowing that I one day I would have to do it for myself right, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we need to talk too. I need some Grant Seward in here too, yeah, man. Oh man, that is a blessing.
Speaker 1:You never know what.
Speaker 2:God will take you through certain things. I just experienced something in life and I'm still lost on why I experienced this, so I guess I have to wait to see why as well, right?
Speaker 1:Everything has a purpose. That's right, and sometimes you feel like you're lost or it's not fair, but you know God he knows, he knows, you know All right.
Speaker 2:So my next question is what is your role? What role has your family played in supporting and contributing to your success with Flory Creative Care?
Speaker 1:You ever heard of saying that don't hire your family?
Speaker 2:Ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha, but in my case I have hired, like my son, my nephew, both of my sisters, one other cousin and the only one that right now is.
Speaker 1:I have one sister working for me and my son Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, go ahead and say their name. Yeah, shout them out. Give them a shout out on the show.
Speaker 1:Hey, johnny, what's?
Speaker 2:up John.
Speaker 1:All right, johnny, yeah, yes, yes. He's been with me since the beginning, when I started out with just him and one employee, and now today I have 80 employees.
Speaker 2:Wow, you have 80 employees.
Speaker 1:Yes, as far as contractors or employees, I have 80.
Speaker 2:Okay, yes, because of the in-home care. I was about to say that We'll get on that one. That's the next topic we're going to go to.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I wanted to get to the family, the family.
Speaker 1:They've been very supportive. They've been very supportive Even now. My sister, yes, but they've been very supportive. They've been very supportive Even now. My sister, who was a nurse and that was with me. They're always cheering me on and praying for me and they want the best for me, and so I really, really appreciate it. My son, johnny. He and I may sometimes bump heads, but he know that I really couldn't do a lot of things without him.
Speaker 2:Johnny, alright, nothing wrong with being a mama's boy man. Nothing wrong with it at all so it's good being up for your mom. I'm pretty sure you learned a lot from her too, and, as you can see from the story that she's sharing, being obedient gets you a long way in life. It sure does. Sure you're learning a lot from her too, and, as you can see from the story that she's sharing, being obedient gets you a long way in life it sure does it's a long way in life, so, and I want to give a shout out to my daughter too.
Speaker 1:I have a daughter. She's in georgia. I just have two children, johnny and monica. Yes, she's the one that had the seven children, okay, and my son has one, okay, yes, yes, yes, but they have been very supportive.
Speaker 2:Good. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. I always like to highlight family. You probably hear the family here. We both have family here right now with us both.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So it's very good to have that foundation.
Speaker 1:And I want to say too that my husband now his name is Rudolph Twiggs, and I recall when I did a what you call the storyboard and the vision board, I wrote it down and I even prayed about it, and when I met him I said, oh my gosh, the Lord gave me everything that I had. And once I stopped trying to do it myself, the Lord sent him, Because the Lord said that when a man finds a wife, so he found me. It took him a year to catch up with me, but he found me, Dr Twiggs. Dr Twiggs and I asked on there. I said, Lord, let him have all his teeth.
Speaker 2:All his teeth.
Speaker 1:And didn't know that God was going to give me a dentist.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and so real teeth, real teeth, real teeth. Yeah, and he is my best friend. He understands the business that I'm in. He's also a farmer too, even though he's a dentist. Yeah, and we have so much in common and he tells me the truth, even if it hurts, and he'll tell me something sweet every day, every day, every day. But he and he'll tell me something sweet every day, every day, every day, and so it just really has been such a wonderful union between him and I, so he's very supportive real deal player yes, dr.
Speaker 2:Twiggs, how much you charge for the whitening tray? It's a whitening tray. What's the name of this practice? Want to give him a shout out while we're here.
Speaker 1:Yes, Westwater Dental. Westwater Dental In Tampa, Florida. Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, all right, thank you, dr Twiggs. Yes, sir, we definitely support you here on the let's Get Comfort podcast and Comfort Measures Consultant, for sure, Thank you so much, all right. Thank you. Okay, so question for you is regarding vision and community. Florida creative services serves Oak County and Healdsburg County primarily.
Speaker 1:Right yes, we're licensed in other counties such as Manatee and Highlands also okay now you just recently expanded into home care services.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so what? You start that and what sort of initiated that venture?
Speaker 1:Well, going back to my grant writing, I was able to get contracts with Polk County and I have a contract with Hillsborough County. With Polk County I started out with them and they wanted me to do just homemaking. That's only what my license was allowing me to do, so I did not have the clientele that I really wanted. So I took off a year and applied for my nurse registry license and once I did that and had to learn the policies and procedures of that, then I was able to start that. But that only is for Medicaid clients or private pay, and we also can do skilled nursing.
Speaker 1:Well, since that time right now, I went from 10 clients to 130 clients, and so now what we do we're doing is getting to home health. I'm moving everything to one campus at Coventry. I've already got zoned and got the okay from the city of Plant City to renovate one of the buildings that's there into offices so that we all be in one location. We've already got our credentials or accreditation from uh for our home health. We're just waiting for our medicare number and then we'll be, you know, ready to go. So what are, so right, gonna do with the headquarters?
Speaker 2:the headquarters is moving there at Coventry right, but I think the old one, the one that way I used to come to.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm just gonna rent that out. Yes, I plan on renting that out yes, yes, yes, yes yes, you're a small business woman. Yes, yes, okay, yes, good, so you would start from 10 and now to 130 is what I looked at last night.
Speaker 2:Because I remember when you first told me about this about a year or something ago, you said you was going to do it and you did it too. Yeah, wow, that's right, that's really good.
Speaker 1:So you have to speak those things as though they were and you just don't know A lot of things. I don't see yet. You know visually, but I know it's there. That's the direction that the Lord wants me to go.
Speaker 2:Because when we talked you said you wanted like a small satellite office in Tampa because of the need I think it was in that area.
Speaker 1:And let me tell you about that, my husband having a dental office, he allowed me to have a satellite office, so I do have someone that is there in Tampa.
Speaker 2:Oh, look at the blessing. Yes, that's really good, that's really good. Well, um, so you have that new investment advancement initiative that you have going now. Um, a lot of changes going on with the alf for that piece. Uh, is there anything else you want to share with the audience?
Speaker 2:um, and just your message to families out there if they're looking for no, you're full right now, but if they're looking for I know you're a fool- right now, but if they're looking for a place for their loved ones or caregivers, if they need assistance and support, whether it's in-home, or if they need to transition their loved ones to a facility. What's your message to them when it comes to your services?
Speaker 1:Well, my message would be that we understand and we are trained for this field as far as assisted living, and we understand that sometimes it's difficult to move your loved one into an assisted living facility. But I tell my staff and I tell the resident you don't come here to die, you come here to live. So we make sure that they still have their dignity and respect, have them going into, you know, being involved in the community, like with the Bruton Memorial Library. They check out books. I take them to restaurants. We want them to live. We have one that's, you know, plant a garden.
Speaker 1:So, in order to come to us, you just give us a call at 813-704-6918. And we will give you the paperwork to enroll. To enroll and also, because of my social work background, I'm able to help you to get funding if you don't have all the money that you need for assisted living, and that is through Seniors Connection and where you get on what they call long-term care. So I have applied for the Medicaid and long-term care. So I have applied for the Medicaid and long-term care from many of my residents to make sure that they have the funding that they need.
Speaker 2:Yes, really helpful. Can you share with them like your social media, like Facebook page or website? They can find you out. Find that as well, if you can share that as well, yes, Our website is flory.
Speaker 1:That's F-L-O-R-R-Y creativecarecom. That's our website, and you also can send us a message from that website and learn what we're all about. And our Facebook page is Flory Creative Care, and so you can pull that up also and contact us that way. Again, we have what we call a human resource department and they will get you started. We need as many home health aides, certified nursing assistant. We need nurses, RNs and LPNs. So if you're looking for work, or even as a start, we will be a good place for you to be. We are family oriented, we have a very good culture in our business and it's a place that we will be welcoming you and hope that you would join us.
Speaker 2:As we wrap up my last, I have to ask this question if you had one piece of advice, very briefly, and one piece of advice for someone looking to start their own assisted living facility, what would you advise them?
Speaker 1:I will advise for them to first go to the core class, which is sometimes they have the in class or the bridge class online. First take that and get certified. That would be the first step. After that, reach out to different ones. I have had people that reach out to me and and ask questions about how to get started. I'm happy to do that. I've had people or different ones say, well, you need to. But I have never charged because I believe if I help someone else, god helps me. It's enough out there for everybody. So it's no competition. It's just that if there's something that you feel within yourself that you really want to do, please, please, pursue that, pursue yes, well, thank you, ms Julie, for joining us today here on let's Get Comfy Podcast.
Speaker 2:It was a very heartfelt show for me meeting you. The first time we met, we sat down and talked, for I don't know how long you messed up my route back rock, but I'm just joking but it was like we connected instantly, instantly, instantly, like we talked, for it had to be over like two hours. Two hours, yes, we talked and and from there, every time we would see each other. It was like we had so much to talk about, right, and you shared so much knowledge with me. Just, you didn't care. Yeah, this was just free, free knowledge, just like you're saying right now, right, and it was just a wealth of knowledge for me and wisdom. And I just saw, like, your heart and the real care that you have for the community, for one Right, but also for what you were doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:As well and how long you was doing it and the area that you were doing it, and then to see that you were actually from Plant City and I was like this is a true legend that people don't even really know about. The light isn't shining on individuals like yourself. It's like a hidden gem, so to speak, and that's what I saw you as.
Speaker 2:So it's an honor to have you on the show to be able to highlight you, and I know you travel here today, so I'm very grateful for you to do that on a Saturday, so to take time out with me and my family in the audience today, so and you share the knowledge that you have with the caregivers in the audience that are listening today. Well, for caregivers out there, you're not alone. There are services like Florida Creative Care that's there to lift some of the burden and load off of you. It's not giving up on your parents to seek additional services. All right, it's not giving up, it's getting support. You didn't go to school for this. Yeah Right, you don't know. You didn't study. You didn't study Right and read books about providing proper care and adjusting and turning and placement and what to do when your parent fall down. Right, you didn't take classes on that. It's really people that was trained for these things, to do it, and it's okay to seek those services to get that.
Speaker 2:I know firsthand that when I used to call Ms Cherry, every time she called hey Norman, I'm on an appointment. Right, I'm at a doctor's appointment with a patient right now. I have to call you back. Hey Norman, I'm driving a client right now. I have to call you back. She drive them herself. This is the owner doing it.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So those are the type of things that drew me to her. She's just a hands-on person, she really does these things. So thank you all for joining us.
Speaker 1:Another episode.
Speaker 2:Find us on YouTube and Spotify. Please be sure to comment, like share. I know it's a healthcare podcast. People don't check for healthcare. It's awful. Please subscribe, send it to your mom or dad or granddad or two. Tune in, thank you.
