Her Story
About Christy
I started my career 16 years ago as a memory care director because I was passionate about senior care and helping people with dementia and Alzheimer's. Over time, I realized that a lot of the industry is broken and not built for families to have a convenient and good experience. That drove me to transition to a different side of the field where I could be part of the solution. Now I work with home care agencies and startups that are trying to make the senior care industry better for the families that are using it. For the past 6 months, I've been working as a consultant for a tech startup in stealth mode. I'm responsible for operations and product strategy, and we partner with home care agencies to provide more reliable, easier, and cheaper staffing using AI tools. My work helps home care agencies run their operations better, and I focus on helping companies figure out where we should use AI and where we should not. I have this natural drive to be part of the solution rather than just talking about the problems, and I want to make this whole industry better for people like myself and my family.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I really believe that things can be done better, and I try to be part of the solution. People spend a lot of time talking about the problems, but I have this natural drive to be part of the solution and to make this whole industry better for people like myself and my family. Rather than just identifying what's wrong, I focus on actively working to fix it and create positive change.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to reach out to people and don't be afraid to reach out to the people that you know, even if you don't know what you need. People want to talk and people want to help, so reaching out and talking to people usually leads to a good outcome. You shouldn't let uncertainty hold you back from making connections because those conversations often open doors you didn't even know existed.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One piece of advice I gave recently, and that I've seen work since then, is to know your strengths and always have an answer ready when someone asks you what you are good at. You've got to sell yourself and pitch what you are good at, and that's the way forward, especially in this tough job market. Be able to say out loud, 'I am really good at blank.' Don't hesitate or be modest - know your value and be ready to articulate it clearly.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
AI is doing a lot of things that we've never been able to do before, so it's actually way more exciting than challenging these days. The main challenge is getting buy-in from customers who are still learning how to trust AI and figuring out where to trust it and where to use it, and then where it makes things worse. So one challenge is helping companies to figure out where we should use AI and where we should not. But overall, the opportunities far outweigh the challenges right now.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The main value that's most important to me is integrity. I believe that the choices you make build the person that you are, and that if you lead with integrity, then the things you want will follow behind. Every decision shapes who you become, so staying true to your values and maintaining integrity in all aspects of life is fundamental to achieving your goals.
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