How to build a support network for care management entrepreneurs ft. Malika Moore

Join us on this episode of CareCraft with Malika Moore, a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of Aging and Amazing. Malika shares her journey from starting as a solo practitioner to growing her organization, the challenges and rewards of running a business during the pandemic, and her insights on maintaining balance and authenticity while expanding her impact in the community.

Key Points:

• Business Growth and Adaptation: Malika speaks about the necessity to remain flexible when starting out and as business needs change

• Balancing Multiple Roles: Recognizing the need to pause and strengthen the foundation of an organization for sustainable growth and balancing building the business with providing care for clients

• Building a Community of Support: How to build a support network of mentors and advocates within the care management community that help to overcome challenges and provide motivation

Malika's journey is a testament to resilience, authenticity, and the power of community support. Tune in to gain valuable insights and inspiration from her experiences.

Listen to the Episode: Spotify

Transcript

[00:00:04] Ariadne: Thank you so much for tuning in today on CareCraft. I'm very excited to be joined by Malika Moore. She's a licensed clinical social worker in the District of Columbia in Maryland. She has over 10 years of experience as a professional and clinician and business owner. And she has started Aging and Amazing in August 2019.

[00:00:25] Aging and Amazing is committed to older adults and strengthening the networks that surround them, guiding care, cultivating peace of mind. Thank you so much for joining us today, Malika.

[00:00:35] Malika: Thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

[00:00:38] Ariadne: Yeah, and I'm so excited to hear about your journey. So we have been interviewing different individuals that have started their own companies in the like care management or caregiving space. And I always think it's great to start off with just a little bit more about you and kind of what led you to starting your own organization.

[00:00:59] Malika: Okay. Well, that is a good question. I will say, I always say that this, this career has been chasing me my whole life.

[00:01:07] If I look back, I think about being a little girl and very much not with the kids my age, but with the older adults, even if that had to be shooed away, I wanted to be with the older adults. I wanted to help. I wanted to, I just felt like I connected a little bit more. Fast forward, I knew I got my bachelor's degree in psychology.

[00:01:30] I knew I wanted to work with adults and my advisor recommended social work and said, Hey, I really think you want to be a little bit more involved in people's lives than we are as psychologists. So she said, I think you should try social work. And care management couldn't be any more involved. So she was right.

[00:01:52] She was spot on. So I came to DC in 2011 from my master's program with the University of Alabama. I got a Hartford scholarship, which meant I had to work with older adults. And I really just immersed myself in the whole experience because I realized that I'm not yet there, and in order to learn, you have to listen, you have to be present, you have to be a problem solver, you have to kind of be in those hard places.

[00:02:22] So I did case management, care management, I was a psychotherapist, I just, anything I could do, nursing homes that would surround me with family caregivers and older adults and put me in a position where I felt I could empower and advocate. That's where I was. So that's kind of a, a short story of how I, I became to work with older adults and I just love it.

[00:02:49] I really do love being in this space. I love everything I've learned and the support that I get from older adults and caregivers. And I'm a caregiver myself now. So I think it's just been beneficial to know, kind of have some foresight, but also be humbled by being in an experience yourself.

[00:03:08] Ariadne: Another question I try to ask everyone that comes on is there's so many titles in the space, right? There's case manager, care manager, coaches, navigators, coordinators, etc. How do you like to define your role? And where do you kind of see the distinctions between those different roles?

[00:03:26] Malika: Okay, well, I will say this for my clients.

[00:03:29] They can call me whatever, like whatever is more comfortable for my caregivers because it's just it's terminology. So it's like, Oh, some people call me a social worker. I am a social worker. Some call me a care manager. I am a care manager. Some say case manager. Some say assistant. I think for my clients, whatever makes them feel comfortable.

[00:03:51] And I'm very big about preserving dignity. Sometimes when I'm out with clients on appointments, I'll say, yeah, I'm a I'm their assistant, only VIP get people get assisted. So just trying to make them feel like, Hey. I'm here with you, not necessarily for you. So that's, that's my client definition. And then I think in the professional world, the way people just call me as a care manager and care manager and case manager can get a little bit sticky.

[00:04:23] But in my mind, when you think case management, It may be subsidized, it may be paid for by a program, or it may be someone within a healthcare organization that's doing case management. Care management is more private pay kind of concierge services. So, and over the years you've heard people call us geriatric care managers, and so it doesn't, Really matter what term I think that my focus is more so, you knowing what we do.

[00:04:57] So care manager, social worker, case manager, all of those terms get jumbled up. But I think the most frequent term that you'll hear me call is probably a care manager or a social worker.

[00:05:11] Ariadne: Because at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter so much the title. At least that's my philosophy, but it is, it is helpful for others potentially to find the services.

[00:05:20] And can you tell us more about making that leap from actually, you know, just being in the industry, working a lot with aging populations to actually starting your own organization?

[00:05:32] Malika: Okay. I'm definitely going to credit my dad for my entrepreneurial spirit spirit. It's always been there. Even when I work for jobs, like I, of course they hire me for one thing and I'm sitting at my desk like, Oh, we can do this and we should implement this and we should try this.

[00:05:52] I wrote this plan out. And I mean, I got mixed reviews, like, okay, so Thank you, Malika. Can you go work on that home deliver meals program? We'll think about that later. And then it's like, oh, every now and again, it's like, oh, Malika has this great idea. And so I finally got to a point. And my life where I just couldn't run from it anymore.

[00:06:15] I said, Oh, I really want to start this business. And what's interesting is I think anybody who's close to me or knows me will say, Oh, Malika is a dreamer and I dream big. And so one night I was actually working in a nursing home and I was telling my colleague Jackie Nelson, that I wanted to start this company for older adults, where I could really develop people who are passionate, who are About working with older adults where it was more than just a checkbox or a paycheck and just just competent people.

[00:06:48] And so she came to work later on that week and she handed me 200 to start my LLC. And she also gave me my first speaking engagement. And that really, I think, pushed me because I, she said, Malika, I've seen the way you work with these families, you're very knowledgeable, your business is needed. And so I took that leap.

[00:07:11] I went and started, this is not my first business, but I went and started Aging and Amazing, and it took off very, very quickly. And I think partly because I had already been doing all of this work for other companies. I just needed the space and the platform to grow. And design it the way I wanted it to be.

[00:07:30] So that is, that's what really made me take the leap toward Aging and Amazing. I don't know if Jackie hadn't planted that good seed that I would have started it as quickly. It was more so, Hey, we're working late in the nursing home again. Let me tell you about my dream, but it really took off immediately.

[00:07:49] And I started to see the fruit of my work. So.

[00:07:54] Ariadne: That's incredible. Aging and Amazing has been around for five years now. Where did you start and like, where are you today?

[00:08:01] Malika: Yes, it'll be five years in August and I cannot believe it. It's been a ride. I will tell you. So we don't have time for that today.

[00:08:10] So maybe next time. But I think so. When I first started, I actually the first couple of years had nursing homes, so I'll never forget. I start sign my first nursing home contract March 11 2020. And I think that is a ring in everybody's ear. I had no clue what would happen in just the next couple of days.

[00:08:34] It was totally different from the day I was like to whoa, wait a minute what's happening. So we had the pandemic come and then the first two years I had nursing home so I was working out supporting their providing professional coaching and then just supporting because They needed the help. It was during the pandemic and we were all trying to figure out what is exactly happening.

[00:08:59] And then as that rolled into 2021, I was really stressed out and, and traumatized kind of, because I had never. Seen so many bodies go out of a nursing home. I had lost a few colleagues. And by the end of 2021, I was like, Oh, I got to hang this up. Like I'm, I'm tired. I can't, I can't do it anymore. And so I tried to kind of regroup, which you often have to do as an entrepreneur, regroup and figure out, okay, am I going to stay or go with Aging and Amazing?

[00:09:32] So I did something briefly wasn't. Tried to work a job and I was like my entrepreneur spirit was like, let me out. Let me out. So I ended up taking everything I had in savings and I said, you know what, this is the huge leap. I'm not going to work any other contract jobs. I'm not going to do anything else.

[00:09:52] What I'm going to do is put my all into Aging and Amazing. And so in 2022, I added care management on because I had been doing it anyways for all these other companies. So I'm like, I know what I'm doing. Why aren't I doing this service for my own company? So I added the care management on, I marketed very hard.

[00:10:11] I know people were like, where did this lady come from? I know, like she, I've been in DC almost. 14, 15 years now, but people, you know, I've been working for other people. And so there, I have people stop me and say like, where did you come from? Like, you just came out of thin air with this company and Aging and Amazing.

[00:10:32] So that I said, mission accomplished. That's what I meant to do. Make sure, you know, I'm here and my services are here and I'm qualified. So we added that on, then things just come full circle because what happened is I ended up being out and someone said, Hey Malika, aren't you a clinical social worker?

[00:10:51] And I said, yes. So they said we need help in the nursing homes. So I ended up back in the nursing homes, but as a, but as a consultant. So Aging and Amazing evolved into, we have our private care management. We created an online community, which is unique for a care management agency. So I'm still kind of at the forefront of that with all these communities that are being online communities that are being developed.

[00:11:19] And then I had nursing homes. So I had nursing homes where I was going in as a consultant and an expert. Making sure they're following state and federal regulations and making sure their care was more than a checkbox. So fast forward 2024, so much has changed. I've grown like as a leader, as a business owner, having to balance social work Malika and business Malika, because sometimes they clash.

[00:11:49] So I've had to do that. And now we have Aging and Amazing, which is our care management and our online community. And I've had to split another company off. So we have Aging and Amazing solutions plus, and that's our nursing home and kind of our education wing. So a lot has changed over five years, but Aging and Amazing is going strong and providing care management services.

[00:12:14] And we've, we've added new services. So it's just being an entrepreneur allows you to constantly be creative. And say, Hey, this didn't work or, Hey, I see this is the need. Let's try this. So it's a, it's a trial and error sometimes.

[00:12:28] Ariadne: That's incredible. Especially the fact that it's come full circle from like the, where you started to where you are today and making it through a pandemic.

[00:12:37] I feel like that is very challenging on a business.

[00:12:41] Malika: Yeah.

[00:12:41] Ariadne: How has the organization grown in terms of people? Like, did you start as just yourself and now you've brought on others or?

[00:12:49] Malika: That's a great question. So yes, I started with just me, and for a long time it was just me. It wasn't until well, I'll say this, I've had contractors over the year.

[00:13:02] So even the first two years, even though it was a pandemic, my business did really, really well. And I think that was because where I was, I was in nursing homes where there was so much need at the time. So I wasn't really worried about what, what my business be financially stable at all during the pandemic.

[00:13:20] I, it was more so. Will I be alive? You know, the next day, those were more of the thoughts that I was having and feeling very obligated not to leave these people. This, this is their home versus me coming in to work. So I had contractors that I've hired over the years. And that's pretty much been, The business model, like hiring contractors who are able to support and help.

[00:13:46] But fast forward to 2024, we're in a different place. So I still have contractors but later on this year, we're planning to bring on someone full time and continuing to grow the company. Because as you can probably tell that my brain is like, Oh, I want to do this. I want to try this. And with the care management.

[00:14:06] When I'm busy, when I'm planning funerals or at the ER or at the skilled nursing rehab or on a home visit, there's not a much, there's not a lot of time for me as the owner to be creative and make sure we can continue to grow and evolve and keep up with the trends in this This boom of older adults that we're going to have being able to meet their needs in a creative and innovative way.

[00:14:32] And so I realized that contractors are great, but it's we're kind of at a place where we need full time employees, where They can be loyal to the company and there for our clients. We can have the consistency that we need and it'll free my time and space up a little bit more to be creative and ensure that Aging and Amazing is around years to come, like with or without me, that's the goal.

[00:14:58] Ariadne: How do you balance all of that? Because, you know, that's like two companies, right, that have their own needs and then on top of that, you know, like the direct care portion is like very hard to predict when something might come up and

[00:15:10] just

[00:15:11] the schedule.

[00:15:12] Malika: It is. I don't have a secret potion. I wish I did. I wish I did.

[00:15:19] I'm telling you, like, I've been exhausted some days where I'm like, Oh, my God, how am I doing this? And then let's, let's just be honest. I'm getting older, too. So the energy that I had in my 20s, like, it's kind of like, whoa, you need to slow down and take a nap because this is not going to happen. It's very unpredictable, but I will say that having contractors and being able to plan my schedule and also just taking a break.

[00:15:48] So sometimes you literally have to be shift your focus. Like my focus is this quarter that we're in second quarter, second quarter, I think in terms of quarters, second quarter of 2024. I'm more so in a state of pausing. I'm not really actively like, I gotta get more clients. I gotta get, I'm more so like, okay, I have clients.

[00:16:12] I'm going to make sure they're okay. Like I told you, we have the goal to bring full time people on and then just kind of Re evaluating. Okay, do we need to change the website? Do we need to do this? So this is that quarter for this and then later on in the year, I think that by strengthening the foundation, because occasionally you need that when you're an entrepreneur like me and you're doing so many things, and you can notice that, hey, oh, I neglected this area a little bit.

[00:16:41] Because I was at the ER or I was with the client trying to help with this and that. So it's not humanly possible to do everything. And I think that's a different level of growth when you figure out, Hey, you need to stop so you can continue going. And so you can bring other people on with your ultimate goal of it being more people like you who care and will be able to serve and maybe meet and reach people that other companies won't.

[00:17:12] Ariadne: That's really wise advice. And I wanted to go back to something you were talking about earlier, which is when you were really launching Aging and Amazing and, and the private care management aspect and you like went out there and you like made a name for yourself and the community so much so that, you know, people recognize you.

[00:17:29] Can you tell us about that process? Right? Like how did you go from like the idea to like being seen as a leader in your community? And what does that look like?

[00:17:36] Malika: I can tell you about that process. It was draining. So most people think that I'm an extrovert. I'm not. I am so much an introvert. It's not even funny.

[00:17:47] Like I, I'm a kind of a homebody. Like I'd rather read or be with my dogs or something like that. I'm, I'm, but people, when they see me out. I'm smiling and I'm talking and that's me. With the business hat on like, Hey, I have to make sure my business is out here, but I'm also a person like once it's over, I'm like, Oh my gosh, I need to go home.

[00:18:10] I talked to all these people today. So that is what I kind of signed up for every networking event possible because most of the people in my area already know one another. There are tons of care management agencies in the area. I think a couple of things set me apart. First of all, I'm African American and I'm, you know, I'm African American woman and I'm younger than the typical care manager.

[00:18:38] So it was I had a lot of people, which is sad, Hilarious to me that I thought I just graduated from I don't know. My clients think that too, but one of my old supervisors, I'll never forget what she told me. She was like, take the compliment while you can, because it won't last long. Okay. But it's also a double edged sword because when people think that you just graduated.

[00:19:00] They equate that with, you don't know what you're doing. So I had like all these hurdles, like, no, I've been here and I've done all of these things. And then I think another thing is that I just allowed myself to show up as me, like authentically. And when I say that my personality, I'm not from this area.

[00:19:22] I'm from Alabama. So occasionally my my accent slips out where people hear it if I'm more relaxed or tired. But then I mean, and when I'm networking in these rooms, I have my natural hair, which is like a curly Afro, and I'm pretty tall. So people are like, who is this woman? Like we, if you don't see me, you saw my hair before you saw me.

[00:19:44] So I think that I just really was able to show up as me and not be apologetic about it. And even on those days where people weren't so kind, if I'm honest, where people weren't so kind, having a good support system that's saying no. Like people need Aging and Amazing people need you people need your energy your expertise So just thanking all those people who really didn't let me quit When the days get tough and I had someone tell me well if you're an entrepreneur and you don't Think about quitting every other day.

[00:20:18] You're not doing something right. So I'm like, okay, well, I'm on track. I'm on, I've been on track for some years now. So I just really, every networking event, I'm telling you probably six, seven days. I was driving from event to event. And you have to remember I was all in, like I took all the money out of my savings and said, I'm going to make this work.

[00:20:39] And so I really needed to start getting clients by October. And I did. And then that presented another learning curve. Now I had this challenge of feeling like I was worthy of the money that I was charging and being able to set prices and do all of these things. So I think it's a constant. Constant learning curve.

[00:21:01] I'm constantly growing. And even this year, like my big learning curve has been boundaries, like not just talking about it, but living it. So just really putting myself out there, taking risks. And when I have those moments where it feels like, what am I doing, really having a good support system that says, Hey, maybe you just need to rest, not quit.

[00:21:25] You just need to rest, not quit. And you need somebody to show up for you. Like you show up for so many other people.

[00:21:34] Ariadne: I mean, that sounds exhausting as a fellow introvert, but also, you know, incredible. That is how you build the business, how you make people aware that you're there. The, the pricing point is actually a comment that I've heard from a lot of other care managers.

[00:21:48] how did you decide what was the rate you were going to charge for that first client? And like, has that changed over time?

[00:21:56] Malika: Ah, yeah. So I, I kind of knew the rates in the area. So you get the, you, you search your market and see what your rates are. And what's funny is mine is kind of, I set it at what I thought it should be.

[00:22:09] So I didn't let, like, I had some, I encountered some people who their rate is a little lower than mine and they probably been around decades, but I said, Hey, this is the rate. That I'm going to decide on their, their clients out there. And then I have my mentor in Cathy Cress who was on, she's in California.

[00:22:30] She ran a care management agency and I struggle a lot with, with, with pricing. So she didn't necessarily help me set my price. Whatever I set my price was, she was more adamant about you need to stick with it. You need to stick with it. You need to know that you're, you're worthy of it. Then I started doing things like retainers and I'm like, Now I'm asking for people for money up front, like, Oh my goodness.

[00:23:01] So if that was another curve, so really it's a trial and error. So trust me, I kind of played with it. And then I realized, okay, you did more work than people paid you for, or you should have, you didn't bill for this, these, these types of things. So it's changed in a sense where. I always struggle with it not being affordable for everybody.

[00:23:24] That's a big kind of personal conflict for me. But I also realized there are people who can afford it. And, and the business is at a place where. You got to build it so before you can be able to help people who, who necessarily can't afford it. So at this, at this time, we've added, like we have our care management services, but being with the innovation and everything, we've added on these, our care strategy calls, where that kind of meets the needs of people.

[00:23:53] I've noticed I was getting a lot of calls from people who didn't necessarily need care management yet, or they can't afford it. But they just need our expertise. They need our brain. They need to, they need strategy. So hence our care strategy call. And then being able to work that way. So that's a different price per point versus the care management and really sticking with my price.

[00:24:18] So the other thing has been just working out, like being more consistent when people aren't paying and Figuring out things because sometimes since social worker Malika buzz in a lot. So I have social work Malika and I have Ms. Moore, the business owner, and they, they go at it like a lot of times.

[00:24:37] So sometimes when I want to say like, Oh, you know, I know this person hasn't paid or something like that. Social worker Malika is saying, Oh, it's okay. Like leave it alone. And businesses Malika is like, Hey, no, you gotta pay contractors. You have overhead to pay. You have to do this. And plus you're sacrificing a lot of yourself to make sure other people are okay.

[00:25:01] In the meantime of my life, I'm, I'm moving, relocating my great aunt. I'm having relatives pass. I'm having all these things that are still happening in my life. That none of my clients know about because I'm making sure that they're okay. So it's okay for me to be okay. So that type of thing, and knowing that my clients who do show up and they keep our services on, they recognize the value.

[00:25:28] So we, we are worth it. And as a social work student, I always kind of rejected the thought that social workers don't make money. I was like that. That just won't be me. Like I just always rejected that because I believe that I should be taken care of too. I should be okay also. And I shouldn't have to like martyr myself to make sure that everybody else as well.

[00:25:51] Ariadne: That's a lot of great advice, especially when you're just getting started. And you mentioned your mentor in there. How did you get connected with your mentor and how's that kind of helped you figuring out how to lead your own organization as well.

[00:26:04] Malika: Yeah, I have a lot of mentors. Cathy has been great with the care management piece because she did it. She did it for 30 years and I think she started when she was my age. So it's like we have all these commonalities.

[00:26:17] I purchased her books and I was like, I just need to read up on it. Like I had done it, but I needed a more solid foundation. And what happened is she ended up emailing me and said, Hey, I noticed you purchased my books. Can we meet for a zoom call? And she has just been such a light and she's like a ball of fire, very sassy.

[00:26:39] When I grow up, I want to be just like her. So she very much opposite of me being bashful. And she also really supported me as a woman of color. And that was something that meant a lot to me because I faced like different hurdles and different struggles being in care management. And so she was there, you know, if I, you know, occasionally when I was in tears, cause I'm like, look, this is what I'm experiencing.

[00:27:08] And then she was very open to those frank conversations that I would have for her when we, we would talk marketing strategies. And I would say, Hey, those marketing strategies don't work for me. Like, this is what I'm going to have to do because we don't look alike. Like we don't have the same privilege.

[00:27:25] So being able to really have that conversation with her and she's not offended, she's supportive. And she's also like, every time I wanted to quit, like, I was like, okay, I'm not going to do, no, you're not quitting. And it was no question about it. So I think that we kind of. I don't believe in coincidences, but we kind of lucked upon one another.

[00:27:50] And like I said, when I grow up, I want to be like her. She is, she is really just bold and courageous. And when I can't tap into my inner, get it done or my inner, make sure they pay. I just hear her voice in my mind saying, Malika, you have to do this. So I think it's good to have her in my corner. And she's been there.

[00:28:13] And like, even when I had to take breaks and you know, I ended up winning a national award with the Aging Life Care Association last year at my first conference and

[00:28:24] Ariadne: Congratulations,

[00:28:26] Malika: it was, it was out of this world. So I just say that to anybody who's trying or working on something. I had no clue that people were paying attention to how hard I was working, but you don't do it for that reason, but it is good to know that, Hey, you're seeing, especially when as entrepreneurs, when the doors closed, we can be by ourselves so many times, like trying to figure things out.

[00:28:50] So that that was a good confirmation to keep going also.

[00:28:54] Ariadne: I am curious what you think about diversity and care management because I have seen some like industry reports.

[00:29:01] It's like 90 percent women is the workforce. I don't know that I've actually seen it broken down by race, but have been to some conferences and would say it's not a very diverse industry. I'm curious, why you think that is or like how you see that changing in the future.

[00:29:17] Malika: Mostly when I think of the industry, it's mainly like this is a second and third career for people. It's not so usually a 60 year old Caucasian women who have these care management companies. And I'm, I'm not, I'm not there yet. So, and I'm not Caucasian I won't be there. So, so I think I don't think it's diverse at all.

[00:29:39] Like I'd like you said, you've been to the conference. You look around the room. It's not it's not a lot of us not saying the conference is reflective of everybody. But I mean, you can just see it. I'm very hopeful that by I can't change the world. I'm not. I used to think that when I first started living life, I can't change the world, but there is a portion that I have.

[00:30:04] So I think that for the simple fact, someone's watching someone that looks like me. And when I say looks like me, maybe a person of color. Like where is something as simple as Do I wear my natural hair? Do I wear my natural hair to this event? Or do I need to get it straightened? So I'll look like everyone else or all these other questions.

[00:30:28] It sounds silly. But I think it's all these other layers when you're a person of color, and you're especially you're trying to break this glass ceiling in an industry where it's not people who Who look like you, but I will say that I have had met, like, that's why I'm going to the conference now. I met so many wonderful women who like, it's just seeing, we connected on, we're both care managers, we're both owners.

[00:30:55] Like let's, let's focus on that. And then also being able to connect with some people of color who own care management businesses and say, Hey, Have you experienced that? Has, has someone called the police on you for being in this neighborhood? Or, you know, so being able to talk about those things and not feel like you're making it making it up is a great space, but also I'm very vocal when I find something good.

[00:31:21] I tell people about it and I don't know if that's a good business strategy, but that's just who I am as a person. So I've told a lot of people of color who are, I thought would be great care managers.

[00:31:31] Like, Hey, did you know aging life care association existed? Do you know you could do this and do that? And also it's also my. My kind of contribution for trying to break this wealth gap, because even when we're helping clients there, there's a clear wealth gap when we, when you go into these communities and all of those things.

[00:31:53] So really just bit by bit, and I've been so blessed and so fortunate to have clients of all races, and I am happy to see clients that look like me. So even know that People knowing that these services existed. It's just the whole area. And I think by Aging and Amazing being here and me being the owner, it makes a statement in itself.

[00:32:17] Ariadne: I always liked that saying a rising tide raises all ships, right. And it's like, there's, More people in the industry and there's more families that know this is actually a service and you can like get experts and they can like, support you on this journey. I think everyone benefits.

[00:32:34] So I think it's a great business strategy for you. Do you, you have advice for individuals that are considering taking this same leap and starting their own business?

[00:32:48] Malika: Mm hmm. Yeah, I've been thinking about this a lot with five years approach. I have a lot of advice, but I think most of, most of, most importantly is to do it.

[00:32:59] I think that for me, I've done a lot of things and whenever my time comes, like, I, I don't think I'll have regrets. Like, Hey, I didn't, not everything I thought would work, worked, or sometime it was just the timing. Like I was ahead of my time. Like I just needed to wait. Five more years. So I would just say, do it, get more information, get around people who support you.

[00:33:22] And I also would say when you start having that imposter syndrome or, you know, the competition is you. So you have to, you will get stifled and you won't be able to go very far. If you're looking at this company and that company, you're going to get so distracted. So just keep look straight ahead and know that your big biggest competition is you, but also be open to feedback and connect and learn with people because there's nothing new under the sun.

[00:33:51] So you're going to learn from people who've done it already. And you're going to learn, you're going to pave your own way, add a little spin on it. And just show up authentically you because there is somebody that needs your service, whatever the name of the business is, no matter how your hair is or your skin color or whatever.

[00:34:10] If you have an accent, you don't like someone needs what you have to offer. And you're, if you're convicted of that, I think that you should just do it. And even if it doesn't work out the first time, you never know things come back around full circle this year may not be it, but three years from now, it may be perfect.

[00:34:28] Ariadne: Yeah. And tactically like how much time would you suggest someone give themselves kind of like learn about it and get set up in the beginning.

[00:34:38] Malika: Hmm. Time. Oh, okay, so I can't. I'll speak for myself. It's a lot. It's kind of my life. Like, it's my life for a long time now, and I'm kind of shifting away from like, Hey, you need more time to have a life outside of the, the company you have built.

[00:35:01] I will say if you're working like a nine to five job and you're just like, Oh, I want to be entrepreneur, please know. That you're swapping that nine to nine to five or 24 seven, because it's different when you have like this structure parameters that, Hey, and I mean, yeah, you work overtime if you're salary, but when you're the one who has to make sure that the income comes in or you don't eat or something like that, it's a different mindset.

[00:35:33] That you have, you're a little bit more. Hungry or maybe literally hungry, trying to figure out, okay, what am I going to do next? So I think you have to realize where you are and start where you are start where you are so it I didn't start off with just quitting my job. I think you'll notice that I started this company in 2019.

[00:35:54] I didn't fully let go of all my safety nets, my full time job, my, my many contract jobs until mid 2022. So I think that you just have to listen to your body because a lot of times our bodies will say, Hey, like, I can't do this anymore. So listen to that and then go on your own time scale. So just because and you have to know that everybody who started a care management company started it a different way.

[00:36:22] You have someone like me who started it from scratch. You have investors who just bought a company because they have the money. You have all these different scenarios. So you can't just look at somebody and think you're gonna start where they are because you don't know how they got it. So you just have to focus on you, come with a strategy, make sure you're taken care of.

[00:36:45] You write the book and then somebody will come listening to you and write their own book. And that's the goal.

[00:36:51] Ariadne: Yeah, yeah, it's really great advice because I feel like day zero does look very different, you know, first off by the path you pick, but also just like, you know, day zero is very different than a five year old company or a 10 year old company.

[00:37:05] Malika: Trust me. And the last thing I would say is celebrate your wins. I think there's something that like almost five years in that I've discovered is sometimes I've gotten so busy. So trying to so much trying to strategize and get to the next step. I got to get more clients. I got more people have to know the business, blah, blah, blah, trying to do all that, that I, I didn't celebrate my wins.

[00:37:29] Like some of the stuff that I prayed for, that I cried for, that I stayed up late at night, late nights for, it was happening right before my eyes. But I was looking so far ahead that I didn't take a minute to pause and say, Whoa. It happened like this. I was, it was a moment when I prayed just to have this amount of money in the account, or I prayed at this number of clients, or I prayed to have this.

[00:37:55] So be able to celebrate your wins and don't let anybody make you feel guilty about it when you do.

[00:38:02] Ariadne: That's awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Malika. It was incredible to hear your story. So excited to see what Aging and Amazing has done so far. And then I can't wait to see where you guys are going to be in the next five years.

[00:38:14] Malika: Thank you. Thank you for having me and blessings on this podcast. I'm glad you're bringing awareness.

[00:38:19] Ariadne: Thank you so much.

[00:38:21]