Latanya Wilson

I have to say my dad, John Ellis Montgomery Jr. He just instilled so much in us - there was no way for me and my siblings to fail in life because we watched my dad and my mom work hard and do what they did to get to where they were. My dad was my greatest motivation. He would tell me to get a job, be dependable, and make sure that no matter what happens - even if your car breaks down - don't make that an excuse not to go to work. Always make a point to get to work to show people that you are dependable and you're going to do a good job. He instilled in me that it's okay to cry, but you've got to keep moving. He just created a great foundation and left us with so many little tidbits that we will all carry for the rest of our lives. My son also gives me motivation to keep grinding because I do it for him as well. My goal as a single parent was for him to see ambition, and my dad would get him for the summer and take him to Chicago, where he learned so much from him.

The best career advice really stems from my dad, John Ellis Montgomery Jr. He told me to get a job, be dependable, and make sure that if something goes wrong - like if your car breaks down or whatever - don't make that an excuse not to go to work. Always make a point to get to work to show people that you are dependable and you're going to do a good job. He instilled in me that it's okay to cry, but you've got to keep moving. He always told me to be responsible and dependable on any job that I have. My current boss also gives me great advice about changing jobs and always reinforces the importance of being a hard worker and staying determined. She's always telling me please don't leave her, and watching her succeed as a Black CEO running this large organization and opening up these locations to serve people gives me so much motivation.

Be patient and be willing to take criticism, because things are not always going to go your way. Be willing to understand that in that criticism, you need to go back and take out the key points to re-evaluate and look at what was done to come back and make a better outcome. Don't stop and don't give up just because somebody doesn't like you or somebody said something about you. Continue to be your authentic self, no matter what the situation is. Don't try to be like anybody else - I think that's what has made me be who I am to get to where I am in life, is that I never try to be like anybody else besides Latanya Wilson. Be yourself, whoever that may be, and just strive, always strive for greatness to be the best you that you can be, and you will succeed at anything.

When it comes to turnover, that's been a significant challenge. During COVID, it was very hard for us to recruit people, and when it was over, it was difficult to get them back because people started doing travel nursing and making a whole lot of money. So it was a challenge to try to grab people to get them to come work for us, and I had a challenging time for about 2 to 3 years. It was a struggle - I was like, I don't know if we're ever going to get anybody. That was a very difficult time for us.

My faith is very important to me. I trust in God with all my heart, and I lean to Him for a lot of guidance, just to clear my mind. I also value my boss here - she's a Black CEO running this large organization, and just watching her succeed and opening up these locations to serve people is a big accomplishment. I value her opinion on a lot of things, and she gives me a lot of accolades. She's always telling me that I'm a hard worker, very determined, and she's always saying please don't leave me. I really admire her ambition because her goal was to put these clinics in place to serve people, and she's from Alabama. Just watching her gives me motivation.