Her Story
About Katie
My journey into caregiving started about 10 years ago when I became a caregiver for my mom. I was kind of just plunged into that role, and I realized that I was really good at it and that I enjoyed helping others. As I continued in caregiving, I noticed there were a few things in the system of healthcare that made me want to create my own environment and structure, hopefully to make a difference in the lives of seniors, their families, and just people overall. A year and a half ago, after leaving a remote sales job that was so time-consuming and honestly made me miserable, I decided to do something more fulfilling with my life. My husband and I had always talked about starting a business together since we met 5 years ago, so we both put faith in me and just went for it. We got the LLC, I got a mentor, went through the process of getting our license, and worked through all the stepping stones to get us to where we are today with Blue Bonnet Caregivers. We're a non-skilled private pay caregiving company here in Fort Worth, Texas, covering all of DFW. We work mainly with adults who need extra assistance that isn't covered by skilled care, from companionship like sitting and engaging with clients, playing games, and talking, all the way up to helping them bathe or go to the bathroom. I do all of our Blue Bonnet Caregiver assessments myself, and I also fill in as a caregiver when needed. In addition to running the caregiving business, I also work in real estate, and I joke that I do both full-time. I have ADHD, and I actually thrive in an environment where I'm busy all the time. At first it felt chaotic as both businesses grew, but through God and figuring it out, it's been able to balance itself out pretty well, and I feel like I'm able to give my best to both of my businesses.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Katie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I truly believe my success comes from those moments when people choose to trust me with their care or their real estate needs. There's a moment where I've sat in front of them and presented my heart and my ability to serve somebody, and they choose that I'm the right fit for them, that their families are comfortable enough with me. I think that never gets old and is always just the most amazing feeling. I'm also so grateful to God and where God has led me. Looking at where I started to where I am now, I never thought that I would be running a business, much less two. I'm eternally grateful for my journey, including getting sober almost 6 years ago, which completely changed my life. I've also been really blessed with influential women in my life. I've had the same sponsor for over 5 years who's been a guiding light and somebody I've gone to for almost all things. I have a real estate mentor who I can call on hard days, both personal and professional, and I had a mentor last year for Blue Bonnet Caregivers who gave me so many tools. Relationships with women have changed my life because I have so much to learn and there's so much nurturing in it. I'm really glad that I was able to hear these women and take what they've said, and create the discipline to do what they tell me to.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are helping others and making a meaningful difference in people's lives. I realized early on that I was really good at caregiving and that I enjoyed helping others, which is why I wanted to create my own environment to make a difference in the lives of seniors, their families, and people overall. I truly believe that I have some of the best caregivers alongside me, and when a family tells me they already love their caregiver after just 20 minutes, that's what I live for. I also value growth through hard work and challenges. In my experience, the fruits and benefits always come from hard things. I rarely feel like I've really grown from an easy experience. Usually, I've really grown and learned from the really hard experiences I got to walk through. Faith is also central to my life. I'm so grateful to God and where God has led me. My relationship with my husband is built on the foundation of how we can be better for ourselves and then help push the other person. Nurturing relationships with women has also been incredibly important to me because when I was growing up, I didn't know that I had that. Relationships with women have changed my life because I have so much to learn and there's so much nurturing in it.
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