Shaterica Lee

My mom used to always tell me, when it comes to business, how bad do you want it? A lot of people think success is going to happen overnight and that you're not going to have to sacrifice anything, but that's not reality. My mom would always tell me that if you want this business, you want to be successful, you want to make money, you want to have this certain lifestyle, how bad do you want it? So, what are you willing to sacrifice? What are you willing to do to get it? People that have succeeded and made it up in high places understand this, but when you're trying to explain it to other people, they think they can work their own way and have everything they want without sacrifice. No, when you really want to succeed, you have to sacrifice something, whether it's your time, whether it's money, whether it's something material, you have to sacrifice something to make it. I wasn't afraid to fail and I learned everything through trial and error. When I got started, there was no one I could call for guidance or reference, not even a business model to follow, because independent phlebotomy businesses weren't something people were doing in my area. Everything was trial and error for me, but I kept going.

My mom used to always tell me, when it comes to business, how bad do you want it? A lot of times, we get into businesses, and especially what I've experienced from listening to other people, they will always kind of be like, oh, you think that this is going to happen overnight, and that you're not going to have to sacrifice anything, or a lot of people are not willing to sacrifice anything. So, my mom would always tell me that if you want this business, you want to be successful, you want to make money, you want to have this certain lifestyle, how bad do you want it? So, what are you willing to sacrifice? What are you willing to do to get it? And people that have succeeded and made it up in high places understand, but when you're trying to explain it to other people, they're like, oh, well, you know, it's a business, I can work my own way, and I can just do this, and I don't have to sacrifice it, I can have everything I want. No, when you really want to succeed, you have to sacrifice something, whether it's your time, whether if it's money, whether if it's something material, you have to sacrifice something to make it.

Don't take no for an answer. You can do it. I will say that being a woman in this industry has been a little bit of a challenge, because a lot of people are quick to assume that you don't know what you're doing, or that this is just something that a man is supposed to do. No, don't take no for an answer, you can do it, you can be out there with the best of them, and be out there with people that's got way more degrees and education that you may have, and you can still run with the big dogs. So don't take no for answer, you can do it. Not just this industry, any business. And I would also say, don't be afraid to fail. That's a big, big issue. When I got started, there was no one that I could call and ask for guidance or reference, or not even a business model that you could reference, because it wasn't something that people were doing. Everything was trial and error for me, but I kept going.

I would say just trying to get business, because when people see phlebotomists, a lot of times, most people don't even know what that is. And then, in the healthcare field, even though it's an important job, and the laboratory is a very essential part of treatment for a lot of practitioners, it's still not seen the same way when you're trying to be independent. It's still like, you know, this isn't real, or is this really a real thing, or people don't really know how to treat it as an actual business. So then that becomes a struggle, you know, just within itself, and just trying to market yourself and get business. I would say that's the absolute hardest part for me that I've experienced.

I would say integrity. I value the integrity of my work, because I believe when it comes to people's health, I don't think that's something where you need to come in and just be like, okay, you can just come in with any type of attitude just because you're getting the check. These are still people that you're dealing with at the end of the day. And I know what it's like to be sick, I know what it's like to have family members sick, like my parents, my siblings, different loved ones, and I know how I would want to be treated, I know how I want them to be treated. So when I see my patients, I try to treat them the same way, and if it's something that I can't do, then I try to advocate for them the best way I can to make sure I can find the right person that I know can get the job done. And I'm the same way in my everyday life, holding myself accountable and making sure everything I do has integrity.