Cheryl Carr, MBA, CMRM

First and foremost, I attribute my success to the spiritual - God's guidance over my life. Even when I don't know what He's telling me, I am very much aware that my life is guided by the Lord. The second would be that I have a good network of people - I have a good mom and dad that just encourage me, and friends who support me, because being a business owner is hard and there are days you're like, why did I do this? It doesn't mean you don't love what you do, but there are difficult days. I'm very fortunate to have people who are very encouraging around me. And then at the end of the day, I got two babies that are looking at me, and I just want them to be proud of their mom. If it's something I can pass on to them, the business, that would be great. If it's just showing them that they can do whatever it is that they want to do, that would be great. So it's kind of like a little tree - God, family, friends, and then my children, of course.

The best career advice I've received is to listen intently, listen a little bit more than talk. And that's because I am a talker. But also, listen because a lot of times, whether you're doing business consulting or fundraising, people will tell you what it is that they need. Ask questions, but don't assume you know the answer - give them time and space to think about what their response will be, and then take it in. The other piece of advice, which sounds kind of contradictory, is don't dim your light when you do need to speak up. Don't let someone take credit for what you've done - document your work and speak up. I've always been one of the few women in leadership in some places, sometimes the only one in those spaces, and so I need to make sure that I own my presence in the room. Not with arrogance, but with confidence, knowing that my voice needs to be heard to represent whether it's the patient or the doctor. Whatever your role is, you're needed, you're valued, there's a reason you're in the room, and so own that.

First of all, be committed - have your why and know the reason you're doing this. Then do your research and study, study, study. I'm a lifelong learner. This weekend, I actually registered for some courses that are specifically about how AI is impacting the health industry, and I thought, I guess I need to know this, huh? So just be a student of your craft is probably the best way I can describe it. Make sure you're continuously taking classes and networking with other professionals in your industry or just other like-minded professionals. Build your network and make sure you have all of your pieces in order - your accountant, your attorney, other business owners. You need to have a network because there's going to be a day you're going to have questions or you don't know something. Yes, you can find a lot online and use ChatGPT and everything else, but you want to have people that you've cultivated, like a real network. Being a business owner, you can feel like you're out on an island sometimes because you're so consumed with what you're doing. You need to be able to be with like-minded individuals and basically help each other. You may have to call on them for questions, but they may have to call on you, so it needs to be some relationship-building, not just one person always calling.

The biggest challenge right now is the AI component coming to medical billing. It's going to be a positive and it's going to present challenges, but the key is making sure you're running your business now while also looking to the future. That means taking courses, becoming an expert, or lining up resources to help when those changes are required. On a day-to-day basis, another challenge is that some potential clients haven't had the best experience with their previous billers or revenue cycle professionals, so you have to explain why your services are important, highlight your expertise, and do continuous follow-up. You might plant a lot of seeds now and do a lot of networking, but that doesn't mean you make one presentation and they're ready to switch to you - it's about cultivating clientele over time. The opportunities are vast because I'm not limited to state lines or bounds - I can work nationally. I'm able to work with medical doctors like oncologists and gynecologists, but I also can work with therapists like speech pathologists and social workers. My field is wide open as far as opportunity, whether it's different specialties or having access to providers in all states. There are always people coming out of medical school or starting their own practice who need to be credentialed with insurance companies, and I handle that credentialing so they can practice. That's a large reason why I chose this particular specialty in this field.

Faith, integrity, honesty, and compassion are the core values that guide both her work and personal life. She is deeply committed to living these principles every day, ensuring that her actions reflect the character she believes in. Equally important to her are her children, as she strives to be the best possible example and role model for them. Her dedication to community is evident through her role as a board member of National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. – MECCA Chapter, where she actively contributes her time and leadership. She has also supported and organized numerous events and fundraisers for Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, further demonstrating her passion for making a meaningful impact.