Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I said Lord, let him have all his teeth.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
All his teeth.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
And didn't know that God was going to give me a
dentist.
Sometimes you be afraid toleave one place and go to
another, and that's how I was,because you only have such a
window of opportunity and onceit closes, it's closed.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's me again, your favorite black bearded bald guy,
a host of the let's Get Comfypodcast, florida's number one
healthcare entertainment station.
Thank you for tuning in and yetagain I have a wonderful legend
, a Florida legend, plant City,florida legend with me today.
Miss Cherry Hombat Twigs Nowthat name in itself.
(01:02):
I just never heard a name likethat before.
We're going to get into thatpart.
But Miss Twigs, I just neverheard a name like that before.
We're going to get into thatpart.
But, mr Twigs, I just met you,wonderful spirit, wonderful
heart, and I just had to haveyou on the show.
When I started the podcast, Idefinitely thought about you
just from the start, just fromthe jump, and I thank you for
joining us today, just to giveyou a clap, real round of
(01:25):
applause for you joining us but,yeah, I'll let you introduce
yourself.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I always start off that way, um, but yes, tell the
audience who you are well, myname again is cherry hallback
twigs, and I am the daughter oftrudy hallback and willie hall.
I'm the oldest out of fivesiblings, and also I have eight
(01:50):
grandchildren and onegreat-grand, ranging from the
ages of 24 to nine years old,and my great-grand is just a
year and a half.
Aw, yes, yes, and I'm marriedto a wonderful husband.
We live on a farm with cows andchickens and just enjoying each
(02:11):
other.
And I just thank God for what hehas done for me and what he's
going to do.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Alright, alright, so y'all know about taxes and stuff
, don't you?
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Oh, yes, oh yes, oh yes.
He has the cows.
We have the cows for theGreenbelt.
Okay, so you don't have to payas much taxes.
I already know.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I already know.
Now you tell us about thefamily life, but let's get more
into your credentials and,professionally, your
accomplishment, because youbeing modest right now.
Right, so let's brag a littlebit.
Tell them about really reallywell.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
At first I wanted to just get married and my mother
was a type of mother thattrained you at the age of two,
meaning that you're gonna dowhat I say I tell you to do.
That was her motto.
So I recall calling her one daybecause I was dating my high
school sweetheart.
I said, mama, I don't want togo to college, I want to get
(03:15):
married.
So she said, oh no, you'regoing to college.
And that was the end of theconversation.
So from there she had me toenroll at University of South
Florida when I was in the 12thgrade.
I went there under the UpwardBound program and by being the
(03:37):
first generation to go tocollege and it was because of
her pushing me and motivating meto go to college I graduated
from Plant City High School whenI was 16 and going into Florida
State University.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Really, Now, I don't want to be disrespectful, okay,
by no means.
Uh-huh, now can we talk, getsome years into that.
Some years, yeah, I want to getsome years, years.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
We get some years associated with that, because I
know first, they used to be anall women's college right right
that wasn't that back that far,no, but just right after uh, I
went there in 1976 1976 gotchanow, um, but look at my wife
looking at me right now.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Well, we can take that part out of the show If you
want to.
But I'm just being me, but butalso you witnessed that Obama
program.
I was actually in the Obamaprogram as well, so I didn't
know.
It went back, it was relative,and started back then as well.
(04:43):
So that was news to me.
I'm only being myself, I'msorry, no, no, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Um, my mother had heard about the uh uh up with
our program through one of herco-workers, and their children
were going.
So that's how I enrolled and Igraduated really quickly.
Also, I graduated with afour-year degree in marketing
within three years.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You graduated at 16 and graduated in marketing that
way.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Right in 1979.
Wow, right.
And then in 1980 is when I gotmarried and I had my son, and
then later I had my daughter.
I started working for the stateDepartment of Transportation
and then from there I startedworking for Department of
(05:35):
Children's and Families and thenfrom there I went to
Hillsborough County, workingthere as a social worker and
also got a part-time job being aprofessor.
But let me back up With that.
My mother was still alive andshe told me, cherry, it would be
(05:57):
good for you to get somethingin computers.
So at that time my childrenwere small and I tell the
audience out there, yourchildren never gets off your
payroll.
You know, I got a son workingfor me right now and he's
literally on my payroll.
So sometimes we think thatbecause your children are small,
(06:19):
you can't go back to school andI was trying to wait till they
got a little older.
But I said, well, well, I mayas well go.
And when my mother died thatsame year, within two months, I
went, which was in 1979.
I went I'm sorry, 1992.
I went and applied to getanother degree, a, a second
(06:43):
degree in computer informationsystems.
I had a desire to teach.
Right after I graduated I wentto Hillsborough Community
College for a job.
They said, no, you have to haveyour master's.
So I turned right around,didn't waste no time that same
year and enrolled to get mymaster's degree.
And I got my master's degreeand I got my masters in computer
(07:06):
information systems.
Well, as time went on, thatdegree actually caused me to
negotiate my salary and mysalary increased by $20,000 that
year yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So let me ask you this, Mr Jitter Around that time
, what did your classes looklike?
Like just your students, right?
Your co-students and everythingRight?
Right Was anybody in your classlook like you.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Well, at Florida State University it's
predominantly white, so itwasn't that many of us.
And, as a matter of fact, whenI graduated with my bachelor's
degree, it was a white professorwho discouraged me from
continuing my master's.
(07:58):
He told me well, I don't thinkyou should go for your master's
right now, and I don't know whythat affected me, but I just
took his word and I just didn'tdo it, just didn't do it, just
didn't do it.
And so when I got into themaster's program, I was the only
black female in that class forthe whole entire term and
(08:24):
journey as far as getting mymaster's degree.
Yes, Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
So it really impacted you.
I'm telling you that At ComfortMeasures Consulting, we're here
to help you navigate thecomplexity of healthcare.
If you're caring for a lovedone as a caregiver, you don't
have resources, you don't knowwhat questions to ask.
You need to have options right.
Give Comfort Measures a call.
Give us a chance.
(08:53):
First consultation is free.
Speak with me.
Comfort Measures Consultant850-879-2182.
You can also visit our websiteat
wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom.
Talk to you soon.
You thinking he just had theknowledge and the will with all,
(09:15):
so you believed him.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yes, I did, and I look back now in retrospect that
I should have just followed myown heart and I learned through
that that you have to followyour own heart, your own dreams,
because people are not,everyone is for you and not
(09:37):
everyone is going to give youthat positive encouragement that
you need.
And there comes a time that youhave to just look in yourself
and say, okay, this is what Iwant to do, and you do that.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
But you continued on.
You continued to fight andpursue and just you sharing your
story.
And that's why I wanted tocontinue on that, because I
wanted people to really hear atrue legend.
Because over that span some ofthe job-related and professional
honors and awards and specialaccomplishments you had was you
received the extra mile awardfrom hillsborough county health,
(10:13):
uh and social services, uh, youwas a supervisor of the year
war from hillsborough countyhealth, the county award for
creating the intake databaseprogram.
That's where your motherencouraged you right going into
uh computers, right right uhteam effect Going into computers
.
Right Right Team EffectivesAward from Hillsborough County
Health, that's with the socialservices, right yes?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Participant on many boards and committees, such as
the Hispanic Service Council forthe Bay Area.
Now, that was the interestingone.
Now, how did you get involvedwith that one?
Because that's a culturaldifference.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Right, I was a social worker in ruskin, okay, and
there, of course, you have a lotof hispanics in that area.
Yes, and also even in plantcity, I was the president of
east hillsborough network and wehad different um non-profit
organizations that were membersof it, of that particular group.
(11:11):
So that's how I became a partof that.
That's where I learned my grantwriting and other skills that,
as I look back now, at the age Iam now, the Lord was grooming
me the whole time, the wholetime, and you just never know,
you don't understand why, andyou're going to go through some
(11:34):
trials and tribulations, but heis glooming you for something
bigger and better that your eyeshave never seen, your ears have
never heard.
It hadn't even come into yourthought, what he has for you.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right, right, and then just you stating that, too,
you listening to your parentsbeing humble and obedient too.
Yeah, look at the trajectory bylistening to mama, listening to
dad, how, that, what, whatdirection it took you in life,
and look at the things you wereable to accomplish and the
experiences you're able to have.
Then I have to continue.
(12:12):
Legal, the Spring Ambassador,the City Chamber, rural Social
Services, partnership, healthyStart Mental Health Center and
the Hillsborough HomelessCoalition these are all
memberships that you actuallyand committees that you have
(12:34):
participated in.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Right, yeah, with the homeless.
We actually I was the chair ofthe East Hillsboro Homeless
Committee and we would actuallyorganize teams and go out there
and find the homeless and togive them blankets or give them
resources or pamphlets of thingsthat they can, uh, you know, be
(13:01):
your access to, because that,yeah and and uh, with us,
sometimes we don't know theresources that we have available
to us.
So making sure that they knowabout us where to come, and
(13:22):
becoming personable with them tolet them know, hey, we are here
to help you.
My mother she was a pastor andmy dad was a farmer.
Unfortunately, they had diedtwo months apart.
My mother died at church.
She had said that if I ever wasto die, I want to die preaching
, and that's how she died.
(13:43):
She was at a church and she hadjust spoken, so she passed away
.
She had a heart attack.
Two months later, my dad washit and killed as a pedestrian.
So during those trials afterthat, I even got divorced.
Every time I felt like I wasgetting rattled.
(14:15):
I would just go home and kneeldown and pray to God, and he
helped get that feeling awayfrom me because I knew he had
more for me to do so.
I actually enjoyed helpingpeople.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
That is because of my upbringing and the values that
my my parents had given me right, wow, oh, that's a very
intimate story you shared thereand you battled through all of
that, so thank you for sharingthat, right, uh, very much so,
so, um, all right, so that's ouruh coffee segment, so we like
(14:53):
to do interactive entertainmenthere okay, I have a special
surprise for you.
All right, so we're gonna take alittle break, uh, from the show
, uh, from from that wonderfulstory, um, for the moment, um,
and one thing I did seeing youover your questionnaire that
stood out for me.
(15:13):
For me is that and we talkedabout your childhood here we
sort of stand on that.
You said that you lovebasketball, basketball, yeah, so
what's your story frombasketball?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
My story from basketball is that I loved
basketball even in high schooland my dad, for Christmas one
year, bought me a basketballgoal.
So I used to play basketballeven with the boys and all, and
(15:49):
I tried out for basketball forPlant City High School and I did
get drafted.
Okay, made the team.
I made the team.
But there was a sad part aboutit I could not continue on the
team because both my parentswere in the hospital at the same
time and by me being the oldestsibling, we had no one to keep
(16:16):
us.
We stayed at home and I had torun the house as though as
normal as possible, and the kidshad to go to school and also I
had to withdraw from playingbasketball.
Wow, wow.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Wow, so that's a good story there.
Yeah, and so now your favoriteteam you follow basketball
continuously after that.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yes, yes, I mean I know about Draymond.
Draymond, golden State Warriorsyeah, yeah, okay, you know
about Draymond, right?
Yeah, yes, uh, I mean I know,um, uh, about dream on um, yeah,
yeah, yeah, right, yeah, I likethe wars and, uh, I look at the
celtics and and my husband andI'll be giving each other high
fives and stuff, okay, yeah.
And now the girls basketballteam is rising, rising up, so
(17:07):
you got caitlyn, yeah rising up.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So you got caitlyn.
Yeah, okay, yes, yeah all right.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
So were you a shooter or did you like have a post
game?
I was a shooter, he was ashooter.
All right, you have athree-point game.
Yeah, yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
All right with the boys, so you used to get picked.
Yeah, they used to pick you all, right, right exactly all right
thank you for sharing that.
That's our little comfy, ourlaughing moment right there so
we'll get right back into it,all right.
So, your background.
We're going to stand withinspiration.
You shared how your family,your mother, was a pastor and
(17:45):
how did that connect with youand your approach with being a
character connect with you andyour approach with being a
candidate.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Well, my mother, she prayed a lot, prayed a lot.
As a matter of fact, this pastThanksgiving I was going through
some artifacts and things thatI had at home and I saw
something that she actuallywrote and she was letting me
know how time has gone by andthat I will be graduating from
(18:14):
Florida State soon.
But the one thing she wanted meto remember in the letter is
said, is to pray, pray, pray.
She wrote that three times andso that actually keeps me
motivated.
Before I start my day, I prayand ask him to lead and guide me
(18:36):
, and that's really how that hasshaped me.
And I ask God, those who Iconnect with, let me find favor,
lead and guide me.
You know, he said to lean onhim and he would direct our path
.
I do recall and I'll give youan example that once I began to
(19:01):
start my business, my at thebeginning, and I had just a
short time to do it I had tolisten to god every day as to
what to do and follow that,because you only have such a a
window of opportunity and onceit closes, it's closed right.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
so, with um, basically speaking a lot about
your family and just yourupbringing, just looking back at
your parents and theirinfluence, what would you say
out of all your accomplishmentsand awards, even your committees
that you participated in?
Speaker 1 (19:41):
what would you say they'd be most proud of you?
Oh, they would be most proud ofme as far as the business and
me helping the elderly, andbecause it's a ministry, because
God said, you know, take careof my widows, and so they would
be really proud.
They was always proud of me,even when they were alive.
(20:01):
Um, even as a regional manager.
I was a regional manager ofHillsborough County and right
now they call those centerscommunity resource centers, but
by then they were neighborhoodservice centers and so the work
that I was doing in thecommunity they would have been
(20:23):
very proud of that.
I used to love working with theyouth.
Put together what we call ayouth law fair and that will.
They had two purposes.
One was to let them know, andthis is what my mother used to
say trouble is easily get into,but hard to get out.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah, my dad said that the whole time.
My dad would say that.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yes yes, yes, for hard to get into hard to get out
For hard to get out, yeah.
And so what?
We show them that even if youdo things at school that you're
not supposed to do and you getin trouble, all the consequences
that follows behind it.
And so the Plant CityCourthouse had allowed us one
(21:12):
whole day to use the courthouse,but the children would go
through the metal detector.
They were, um, actually put ona skip.
I networked with thesuperintendent of of the uh of
plant city high School and thenPlant City High School had their
some students that put on askit to show how they got into a
(21:38):
fight, and then there wasactually a judge, an actual
judge, that was sitting in thecourtroom and would tell them
what the consequences would be.
The other purpose was to letthem know.
Sitting in the courtroom andwould tell them what the
consequences would be, wow, yeah.
The other purpose was to letthem know of different jobs that
they can go into in lawenforcement, such as being an
(22:00):
attorney.
Everyone gave their testimony.
There was an attorney there,there was a judge there, there
was a state trooper.
They would give theirtestimonies and give them what
credentials that they would haveto have if they were interested
in going into that particularfield.
In addition to that, thecommunity came together.
(22:21):
South Florida Baptist providedall the children's lunches, and
so that's why, just being outthere and listen to the
heartbeat and the needs of thecommunity, uh, I would pray
about it and do those things andall the other awards and
acclamations, and it will come,you know, but if you, you know,
(22:44):
putting him first and it's justgoing out there, stepping out to
put the people first yes right.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
So being a woman of the people being hands-on now,
how did that lead you to yourjourney to founding uh florid
creative uh corporation forcreative care corporation.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
I should say well, I started out, I was still working
with Hillsborough County and mysister and I were planning on
opening up a group home togetherand I have two sisters, but my
youngest sister who is a nurse,and me being a social worker.
(23:23):
Putting those two together wethought would be a pretty good
combination.
Together, we thought would be apretty good combination.
We started.
We created the name Flory frompart of my name and part of her
name what's her name?
her name is Sabrina FlorenzaFlorenza, so that's where the
(23:45):
flow came from.
The RRY came from Cherry, yes,yes.
So we put together our ownescort and all, but then later
she decided that she didn't wantto do that at that time.
(24:05):
That time.
So I still wanted to do it.
I had the burning in me.
I just felt like that this wassomething I had to do, but I was
still working for the county.
I didn't want to.
I did not want to leave thecounty and do this.
Sometimes you'd be afraid toleave one place and go to
(24:25):
another, and that's how I was.
But the Lord pushed me to leavethe county.
And once I left the county, Iwent to work for the Census
Bureau for a year in 2010.
At the end of 2010, whathappens?
(24:46):
It happens when you work forthe census.
They let you know this is onlytemporary, because the census is
coming every 10 years.
You're not going to continue tohave a job.
So I was facing unemployment.
Even though I was a supervisorat the census bureau, I was
facing unemployment and I had mylicense to be an administrator
(25:09):
for an assisted living.
I said well, lord, either I'mgoing to go for it or I'm not.
It's either all or none.
So I just stepped out on faithand that's when I started
finding out what I need to do.
I put in my application.
What I need to do, I put in myapplication.
(25:33):
And one of the hardest part andthe challenges I had with the
application is you have to dotwo years financials.
So I went to the Small BusinessAssociation, I became a member
of them with them and they havedifferent ones in different
professions, and there was anaccountant there that his wife
was in something similar and hedid my financials for me and I
(25:55):
was able to get approved to openup my first ALF.
Now comes the funding, thefunding part.
The funding is where I didn'thave the money.
Of course, I was facingunemployment.
Well, united Way and they did avideo of me and you can search
(26:21):
it on the Internet United Wayhad a program that whatever you
saved, they would match it, andso that's how I was able to get
some of my money back, get someof my money to fund the Flory
House that I have today.
(26:41):
Another one was that I neededmoney for insurance and that was
$500 back then.
Now it's much more.
A lady actually a pastor calledme and said that I was in my
prayer closet and the Lord toldme to give you something.
(27:03):
I said, really.
She said I need you to meet me.
This was here in plant city, soI met her.
And she said I need you to meetme.
This was here in Plant City, soI met her and she said you were
there when my children neededhelp the most, while you were
with the neighborhood servicecenter that's what it was called
formerly and I want the Lordtold me to give you this, and it
(27:24):
was five hundred dollars he'llmake a way he would make a way
out of no way.
And so, during my, through myjourney, that's what the lord
has been doing, because he wantsyou to know that it was him,
not you man that's powerful, yes, and it's powerful, and that's
a miracle too.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It's a miracle and it makes you feel like this this
was a purpose right, and thatyou're on the right path and you
were Right.
You're still here today, stillin existence, right, 2010 is
2025.
Yes, 15 years later, 15 yearslater 15 years later.
So that is an amazing story.
Now, during that time, can youdescribe the need for an
(28:05):
assisted living facility in thePlant City area, for an assisted
living facility in the PlantCity area?
And I want to also describeblack women in the industry at
that time as owners in AML.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Well, in the Plant City area there was only one
that was located on the samestreet that Flory House is now.
As far as a minority, there wasonly one black female and the
Small Business Associationhelped me become certified as a
black-owned business and it wasreally difficult at first
(28:44):
because of the challenges and,you know, being a minority, but
the Small Business Associationwas able to send me statistics
as to how many ALS were in thearea.
What was the need in the area?
Even I started doing in-homecare.
(29:06):
And what was the need?
Because I was catering mostlyto Medicaid recipients instead
of Medicare recipients, and Ilearned that 10% of the
population gets Medicaid andalso Medicaid disappear of last
resort, meaning that they willpay less and they pay when
(29:29):
nobody else will pay.
So my, my, I had to.
Um, well, marketing actuallytaught me to identify with who
is my target market, where do Ineed to go to get these people,
where are they located, um, andwho needs to help.
So I learned that you know thehospitals, the rehab centers,
(29:58):
you know you may get somereferrals from private or who
you know.
And that's how I began beingbeing a minority and in Plant
City, I went to the nursinghomes.
We have two nursing homes.
As of today, it's been 15, 14,15 years later I have only
(30:21):
received one referral.
One referral because of me.
Now I now have another assistedliving facility and when I
first got that assisted livingfacility that was previously
(30:42):
white owned and I had anotherwhite administrator working
under me, I unfortunately had tolet her be the face to go out
there and market, because oncethey see me then it's like they
(31:03):
shut down.
So you sense that they tell youokay, I'm going to call you.
Oh, yes, we're going to do thisand we'll do that.
Yes, leave some of yourbrochures.
I've done all of that and stillyet no referrals.
But thank God, as of today, I'mfull.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Full.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Full.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Regardless, regardless.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Regardless that, regardless that's right.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
So I actually know to be administrative at both of
the facilities too, and we cantalk after this In Plant City
Okay, like for real.
But yeah, that's sad.
Yeah, it's real sad.
Yeah, all right, another game.
Okay, another game.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
All right.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Another game.
All right game, okay, all right.
Another game, all right, yeah,we need to switch on that,
simply right.
Yeah, all right, but um, allright, so this game here.
We'll keep it short, all right.
So this is that's my answer.
You get three seconds to answerthe questions.
Okay, that way, it's your firstresponse.
All right, if you could eat ameal?
Uh, you get one dish that youhave to eat every day for the
(32:11):
rest of your life.
What would it be?
A salad, a salad, mm-hmm, allright.
If you could start a rumorabout yourself, what would it be
?
Speaker 1 (32:27):
A rumor about myself.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
A rumor.
Yep, she's rich, she's rich,she's okay.
Uh, if you could have asuperpower, uh, what would it be
?
But it had to be kind ofuseless, like if, if you had a
superpower, uh, but it had to bekind of useless, like a useless
power, what would it be.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I snap my fingers and my house is clean.
Yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Okay, what is the funniest thing that ever
happened to you at work or onvacation?
Speaker 1 (33:04):
The funniest thing.
The funniest thing, well, thefunniest thing that ever
happened to me at work or onvacation.
Well, at work, somethingrecently, is that one of my
(33:29):
residents which I do with all ofthem I embrace them, I tell
them I love them, whether maleor female, and things like that,
and sometimes the otherresident may get jealous if I
hug this one and don't hug them.
So I try to spread the love.
Well, one of them recently toldone of the caregivers that well
(33:53):
, you know that I love you,right?
It's.
Oh, yes, I love you too.
It said, but I am in love withmiss cherry, right?
So she said I can't help youwith that.
You're gonna have to talk toher about that if you could, uh,
(34:24):
be any animal.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
This is the last one, all right.
What would it be, and why?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
animal.
Just last one, all right.
What would it be?
A why, if I can be any animal,what would it be?
And why?
Maybe I'd be a cheetah?
Yeah, so I can get to placesfaster, here and there, yeah
well, I'm gonna have, that'sjust.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
I be alive.
You realize I was just watching.
You should watch some Netflixcalled animals.
But on the line he go, like hehave his own little pride.
He just get there, he first,first, and then they have to
just sit there, wait to whateverhe.
We get full, then they call itoh no it's just mad, pretty bad.
(35:16):
You get mad if they eat toomuch.
You get mad and like growl atthem, they just turn over like
oh, I surrender oh, yeah, yeah,they did that even in lion.
Yeah, yeah, yeah there's thatall right.
So okay, we're back in, and allright, all right, back in.
All right, thank you forsharing that, and playing the
game alone with us all right now.
Uh, it's uh.
So my next question actuallywas going to be uh, how did your
(35:40):
background influence how yougrew your uh, your pursuit?
And actually you led right intothat, going into marketing.
But let's get into.
How did computer informationsystems, actually that
background, help you grow yourorganization as well with florid
creative service care yes, uh,with the computer information
(36:01):
system, it uh, I got.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
First I got a another degree in computer programming
and then I got, got the degreein computer programming and then
I got the degree in computerinformation system.
The masters With that.
That helped me.
Even today.
If there is a computer problem,I'm the one that they call on
(36:25):
to actually to fix or to do thisor that.
Uh, troubleshoot the uh system.
That's what I do on our website.
If there are any updates thatare needed, I do it and it
really just helped me that tounderstand all of the technology
(36:50):
out there.
And my staff will tell you Ilove technology and becoming
paperless.
So in our business we haveapplication tracking system, we
have a clock in and clock outsystem, we have a way that they
can put in for vacation.
Everything is electronic and ifI did not go into computers I
(37:17):
would not have the understandingof that.
You know I could teachMicrosoft Office and do
spreadsheets, type, you knowletters, do powerpoints,
presentations.
So if it was not for my motherencouraging me and being
obedient, ego being obedient andand do that I would not be
(37:40):
where I am today yes yes ma'amyeah, they planted the seed all
right.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Uh, so you stated about your employees and I would
have to commend you as well,because I've been to your
facility, working with hospice,with Accent Care, been to the
Fleur House.
I've been to Coventry as welland never had one incident, and
I've been there multiple timeswe're not talking one or two,
(38:11):
we've done it at least 10 timesapiece, right and never had one
incident with any staff member.
They were always pleasant,customer service was always on
point, like very kind, very kindteam, thank you.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Yes, I am really blessed to have such good staff
because if you show that youcare about them and you know I,
I do, uh, performance reviews, Ido, uh, you know, give them a
little extra because of, if theydare, if we have a flu outbreak
and they've been coming to work, then I give them extra for
(38:52):
that.
And I also received a grantwhere I was able to purchase a
car and so if one of their carsbreak down, they would be able
to still drive that car.
It's an electric car and theywould be able to drive the car
back and forth to work untilthey get their vehicle repaired.
(39:13):
I had one recently that was ina car accident, unfortunately,
and total her car and she had touse the vehicle.
So, okay, yes, yes, she's doingfine, thank the lord.
But the card is mainly for thatand for marketing.
But I had to write for a grantagain going back to not knowing
(39:35):
why I was learning all this whenI was with the county, how to
write for a grant, not knowingthat I one day I would have to
do it for myself right, right.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Yeah, we need to talk too.
I need some Grant Seward inhere too, yeah, man.
Oh man, that is a blessing.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
You never know what.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
God will take you through certain things.
I just experienced something inlife and I'm still lost on why
I experienced this, so I guess Ihave to wait to see why as well
, right?
Speaker 1 (40:05):
Everything has a purpose.
That's right, and sometimes youfeel like you're lost or it's
not fair, but you know God heknows, he knows, you know All
right.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
So my next question is what is your role?
What role has your familyplayed in supporting and
contributing to your successwith Flory Creative Care?
Speaker 1 (40:31):
You ever heard of saying that don't hire your
family?
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
, ha, ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha,
but in my case I have hired,like my son, my nephew, both of
my sisters, one other cousin andthe only one that right now is.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
I have one sister working for me and my son Mm-hmm
.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Yeah, go ahead and say their name.
Yeah, shout them out.
Give them a shout out on theshow.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Hey, johnny, what's?
Speaker 2 (41:08):
up John.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
All right, johnny, yeah, yes, yes.
He's been with me since thebeginning, when I started out
with just him and one employee,and now today I have 80
employees.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Wow, you have 80 employees.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Yes, as far as contractors or employees, I have
80.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Okay, yes, because of the in-home care.
I was about to say that We'llget on that one.
That's the next topic we'regoing to go to.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I wanted to get to the family, the family.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
They've been very supportive.
They've been very supportiveEven now.
My sister, yes, but they'vebeen very supportive.
They've been very supportiveEven now.
My sister, who was a nurse andthat was with me.
They're always cheering me onand praying for me and they want
the best for me, and so Ireally, really appreciate it.
My son, johnny.
(42:03):
He and I may sometimes bumpheads, but he know that I really
couldn't do a lot of thingswithout him.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Johnny, alright, nothing wrong with being a
mama's boy man.
Nothing wrong with it at all soit's good being up for your mom
.
I'm pretty sure you learned alot from her too, and, as you
can see from the story thatshe's sharing, being obedient
gets you a long way in life.
It sure does.
Sure you're learning a lot fromher too, and, as you can see
from the story that she'ssharing, being obedient gets you
a long way in life it sure doesit's a long way in life, so,
and I want to give a shout outto my daughter too.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
I have a daughter.
She's in georgia.
I just have two children,johnny and monica.
Yes, she's the one that had theseven children, okay, and my
son has one, okay, yes, yes, yes, but they have been very
supportive.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Good.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you.
I always like to highlightfamily.
You probably hear the familyhere.
We both have family here rightnow with us both.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Right.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
So it's very good to have that foundation.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
And I want to say too that my husband now his name is
Rudolph Twiggs, and I recallwhen I did a what you call the
storyboard and the vision board,I wrote it down and I even
prayed about it, and when I methim I said, oh my gosh, the Lord
(43:27):
gave me everything that I had.
And once I stopped trying to doit myself, the Lord sent him,
Because the Lord said that whena man finds a wife, so he found
me.
It took him a year to catch upwith me, but he found me, Dr
Twiggs.
Dr Twiggs and I asked on there.
(43:49):
I said, Lord, let him have allhis teeth.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
All his teeth.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
And didn't know that God was going to give me a
dentist.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Really.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Yes, yes, and so real teeth, real teeth, real teeth.
Yeah, and he is my best friend.
He understands the businessthat I'm in.
He's also a farmer too, eventhough he's a dentist.
Yeah, and we have so much incommon and he tells me the truth
(44:18):
, even if it hurts, and he'lltell me something sweet every
day, every day, every day.
But he and he'll tell mesomething sweet every day, every
day, every day, and so it justreally has been such a wonderful
union between him and I, sohe's very supportive real deal
player yes, dr.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
Twiggs, how much you charge for the whitening tray?
It's a whitening tray.
What's the name of thispractice?
Want to give him a shout outwhile we're here.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
Yes, Westwater Dental .
Westwater Dental In Tampa,Florida.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yes, all right, thank you, dr Twiggs.
Yes, sir, we definitely supportyou here on the let's Get
Comfort podcast and ComfortMeasures Consultant, for sure,
Thank you so much, all right.
Thank you.
Okay, so question for you isregarding vision and community.
Florida creative servicesserves Oak County and Healdsburg
County primarily.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
Right yes, we're licensed in other counties such
as Manatee and Highlands alsookay now you just recently
expanded into home care services.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Yeah, so what?
You start that and what sort ofinitiated that venture?
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Well, going back to my grant writing, I was able to
get contracts with Polk Countyand I have a contract with
Hillsborough County.
With Polk County I started outwith them and they wanted me to
do just homemaking.
That's only what my license wasallowing me to do, so I did not
(45:52):
have the clientele that Ireally wanted.
So I took off a year andapplied for my nurse registry
license and once I did that andhad to learn the policies and
procedures of that, then I wasable to start that.
But that only is for Medicaidclients or private pay, and we
(46:16):
also can do skilled nursing.
Well, since that time right now,I went from 10 clients to 130
clients, and so now what we dowe're doing is getting to home
health.
I'm moving everything to onecampus at Coventry.
(46:37):
I've already got zoned and gotthe okay from the city of Plant
City to renovate one of thebuildings that's there into
offices so that we all be in onelocation.
We've already got ourcredentials or accreditation
from uh for our home health.
(46:57):
We're just waiting for ourmedicare number and then we'll
be, you know, ready to go.
So what are, so right, gonna dowith the headquarters?
Speaker 2 (47:08):
the headquarters is moving there at Coventry right,
but I think the old one, the onethat way I used to come to.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Oh, I'm just gonna rent that out.
Yes, I plan on renting that outyes, yes, yes, yes yes, you're
a small business woman.
Yes, yes, okay, yes, good, soyou would start from 10 and now
to 130 is what I looked at lastnight.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
Because I remember when you first told me about
this about a year or somethingago, you said you was going to
do it and you did it too.
Yeah, wow, that's right, that'sreally good.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
So you have to speak those things as though they were
and you just don't know A lotof things.
I don't see yet.
You know visually, but I knowit's there.
That's the direction that theLord wants me to go.
Speaker 2 (47:55):
Because when we talked you said you wanted like
a small satellite office inTampa because of the need I
think it was in that area.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
And let me tell you about that, my husband having a
dental office, he allowed me tohave a satellite office, so I do
have someone that is there inTampa.
Speaker 2 (48:18):
Oh, look at the blessing.
Yes, that's really good, that'sreally good.
Well, um, so you have that newinvestment advancement
initiative that you have goingnow.
Um, a lot of changes going onwith the alf for that piece.
Uh, is there anything else youwant to share with the audience?
um, and just your message tofamilies out there if they're
(48:40):
looking for no, you're fullright now, but if they're
looking for I know you're afool- right now, but if they're
looking for a place for theirloved ones or caregivers, if
they need assistance and support, whether it's in-home, or if
they need to transition theirloved ones to a facility.
What's your message to themwhen it comes to your services?
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Well, my message would be that we understand and
we are trained for this field asfar as assisted living, and we
understand that sometimes it'sdifficult to move your loved one
into an assisted livingfacility.
But I tell my staff and I tellthe resident you don't come here
(49:20):
to die, you come here to live.
So we make sure that they stillhave their dignity and respect,
have them going into, you know,being involved in the community
, like with the Bruton MemorialLibrary.
They check out books.
I take them to restaurants.
We want them to live.
We have one that's, you know,plant a garden.
(49:43):
So, in order to come to us, youjust give us a call at
813-704-6918.
And we will give you thepaperwork to enroll.
To enroll and also, because ofmy social work background, I'm
(50:15):
able to help you to get fundingif you don't have all the money
that you need for assistedliving, and that is through
Seniors Connection and where youget on what they call long-term
care.
So I have applied for theMedicaid and long-term care.
So I have applied for theMedicaid and long-term care from
many of my residents to makesure that they have the funding
that they need.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
Yes, really helpful.
Can you share with them likeyour social media, like Facebook
page or website?
They can find you out.
Find that as well, if you canshare that as well, yes, Our
website is flory.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
That's F-L-O-R-R-Y creativecarecom.
That's our website, and youalso can send us a message from
that website and learn whatwe're all about.
And our Facebook page is FloryCreative Care, and so you can
(51:07):
pull that up also and contact usthat way.
Again, we have what we call ahuman resource department and
they will get you started.
We need as many home healthaides, certified nursing
assistant.
We need nurses, RNs and LPNs.
(51:30):
So if you're looking for work,or even as a start, we will be a
good place for you to be.
We are family oriented, we havea very good culture in our
business and it's a place thatwe will be welcoming you and
hope that you would join us.
Speaker 2 (51:52):
As we wrap up my last , I have to ask this question if
you had one piece of advice,very briefly, and one piece of
advice for someone looking tostart their own assisted living
facility, what would you advisethem?
Speaker 1 (52:07):
I will advise for them to first go to the core
class, which is sometimes theyhave the in class or the bridge
class online.
First take that and getcertified.
That would be the first step.
After that, reach out todifferent ones.
(52:30):
I have had people that reachout to me and and ask questions
about how to get started.
I'm happy to do that.
I've had people or differentones say, well, you need to.
But I have never chargedbecause I believe if I help
someone else, god helps me.
(52:51):
It's enough out there foreverybody.
So it's no competition.
It's just that if there'ssomething that you feel within
yourself that you really want todo, please, please, pursue that
, pursue yes, well, thank you,ms Julie, for joining us today
(53:11):
here on let's Get Comfy Podcast.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
It was a very heartfelt show for me meeting
you.
The first time we met, we satdown and talked, for I don't
know how long you messed up myroute back rock, but I'm just
joking but it was like weconnected instantly, instantly,
instantly, like we talked, forit had to be over like two hours
(53:35):
.
Two hours, yes, we talked andand from there, every time we
would see each other.
It was like we had so much totalk about, right, and you
shared so much knowledge with me.
Just, you didn't care.
Yeah, this was just free, freeknowledge, just like you're
saying right now, right, and itwas just a wealth of knowledge
for me and wisdom.
And I just saw, like, yourheart and the real care that you
(53:57):
have for the community, for oneRight, but also for what you
were doing.
Speaker 1 (54:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
As well and how long you was doing it and the area
that you were doing it, and thento see that you were actually
from Plant City and I was likethis is a true legend that
people don't even really knowabout.
The light isn't shining onindividuals like yourself.
It's like a hidden gem, so tospeak, and that's what I saw you
as.
(54:22):
So it's an honor to have you onthe show to be able to highlight
you, and I know you travel heretoday, so I'm very grateful for
you to do that on a Saturday,so to take time out with me and
my family in the audience today,so and you share the knowledge
that you have with thecaregivers in the audience that
(54:43):
are listening today.
Well, for caregivers out there,you're not alone.
There are services like FloridaCreative Care that's there to
lift some of the burden and loadoff of you.
It's not giving up on yourparents to seek additional
services.
All right, it's not giving up,it's getting support.
(55:03):
You didn't go to school forthis.
Yeah Right, you don't know.
You didn't study.
You didn't study Right and readbooks about providing proper
care and adjusting and turningand placement and what to do
when your parent fall down.
Right, you didn't take classeson that.
It's really people that wastrained for these things, to do
(55:24):
it, and it's okay to seek thoseservices to get that.
I know firsthand that when Iused to call Ms Cherry, every
time she called hey Norman, I'mon an appointment.
Right, I'm at a doctor'sappointment with a patient right
now.
I have to call you back.
Hey Norman, I'm driving aclient right now.
I have to call you back.
She drive them herself.
(55:44):
This is the owner doing it.
Speaker 1 (55:46):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (55:47):
So those are the type of things that drew me to her.
She's just a hands-on person,she really does these things.
So thank you all for joining us.
Speaker 1 (55:56):
Another episode.
Speaker 2 (55:57):
Find us on YouTube and Spotify.
Please be sure to comment, likeshare.
I know it's a healthcarepodcast.
People don't check forhealthcare.
It's awful.
Please subscribe, send it toyour mom or dad or granddad or
two.
Tune in, thank you.
I said Lord, let him have all his teeth.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
All his teeth.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
And didn't know that God was going to give me a
dentist.
Sometimes you be afraid toleave one place and go to
another, and that's how I was,because you only have such a
window of opportunity and onceit closes, it's closed.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's me again, your favorite black bearded bald guy,
a host of the let's Get Comfypodcast, florida's number one
healthcare entertainment station.
Thank you for tuning in and yetagain I have a wonderful legend
, a Florida legend, plant City,florida legend with me today.
Miss Cherry Hombat Twigs Nowthat name in itself.
(01:02):
I just never heard a name likethat before.
We're going to get into thatpart.
But Miss Twigs, I just neverheard a name like that before.
We're going to get into thatpart.
But, mr Twigs, I just met you,wonderful spirit, wonderful
heart, and I just had to haveyou on the show.
When I started the podcast, Idefinitely thought about you
just from the start, just fromthe jump, and I thank you for
joining us today, just to giveyou a clap, real round of
(01:25):
applause for you joining us but,yeah, I'll let you introduce
yourself.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I always start off that way, um, but yes, tell the
audience who you are well, myname again is cherry hallback
twigs, and I am the daughter oftrudy hallback and willie hall.
I'm the oldest out of fivesiblings, and also I have eight
(01:50):
grandchildren and onegreat-grand, ranging from the
ages of 24 to nine years old,and my great-grand is just a
year and a half.
Aw, yes, yes, and I'm marriedto a wonderful husband.
We live on a farm with cows andchickens and just enjoying each
(02:11):
other.
And I just thank God for what hehas done for me and what he's
going to do.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Alright, alright, so y'all know about taxes and stuff
, don't you?
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Oh, yes, oh yes, oh yes.
He has the cows.
We have the cows for theGreenbelt.
Okay, so you don't have to payas much taxes.
I already know.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I already know.
Now you tell us about thefamily life, but let's get more
into your credentials and,professionally, your
accomplishment, because youbeing modest right now.
Right, so let's brag a littlebit.
Tell them about really reallywell.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
At first I wanted to just get married and my mother
was a type of mother thattrained you at the age of two,
meaning that you're gonna dowhat I say I tell you to do.
That was her motto.
So I recall calling her one daybecause I was dating my high
school sweetheart.
I said, mama, I don't want togo to college, I want to get
(03:15):
married.
So she said, oh no, you'regoing to college.
And that was the end of theconversation.
So from there she had me toenroll at University of South
Florida when I was in the 12thgrade.
I went there under the UpwardBound program and by being the
(03:37):
first generation to go tocollege and it was because of
her pushing me and motivating meto go to college I graduated
from Plant City High School whenI was 16 and going into Florida
State University.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Really, Now, I don't want to be disrespectful, okay,
by no means.
Uh-huh, now can we talk, getsome years into that.
Some years, yeah, I want to getsome years, years.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
We get some years associated with that, because I
know first, they used to be anall women's college right right
that wasn't that back that far,no, but just right after uh, I
went there in 1976 1976 gotchanow, um, but look at my wife
looking at me right now.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Well, we can take that part out of the show If you
want to.
But I'm just being me, but butalso you witnessed that Obama
program.
I was actually in the Obamaprogram as well, so I didn't
know.
It went back, it was relative,and started back then as well.
(04:43):
So that was news to me.
I'm only being myself, I'msorry, no, no, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Um, my mother had heard about the uh uh up with
our program through one of herco-workers, and their children
were going.
So that's how I enrolled and Igraduated really quickly.
Also, I graduated with afour-year degree in marketing
within three years.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You graduated at 16 and graduated in marketing that
way.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Right in 1979.
Wow, right.
And then in 1980 is when I gotmarried and I had my son, and
then later I had my daughter.
I started working for the stateDepartment of Transportation
and then from there I startedworking for Department of
(05:35):
Children's and Families and thenfrom there I went to
Hillsborough County, workingthere as a social worker and
also got a part-time job being aprofessor.
But let me back up With that.
My mother was still alive andshe told me, cherry, it would be
(05:57):
good for you to get somethingin computers.
So at that time my childrenwere small and I tell the
audience out there, yourchildren never gets off your
payroll.
You know, I got a son workingfor me right now and he's
literally on my payroll.
So sometimes we think thatbecause your children are small,
(06:19):
you can't go back to school andI was trying to wait till they
got a little older.
But I said, well, well, I mayas well go.
And when my mother died thatsame year, within two months, I
went, which was in 1979.
I went I'm sorry, 1992.
I went and applied to getanother degree, a, a second
(06:43):
degree in computer informationsystems.
I had a desire to teach.
Right after I graduated I wentto Hillsborough Community
College for a job.
They said, no, you have to haveyour master's.
So I turned right around,didn't waste no time that same
year and enrolled to get mymaster's degree.
And I got my master's degreeand I got my masters in computer
(07:06):
information systems.
Well, as time went on, thatdegree actually caused me to
negotiate my salary and mysalary increased by $20,000 that
year yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So let me ask you this, Mr Jitter Around that time
, what did your classes looklike?
Like just your students, right?
Your co-students and everythingRight?
Right Was anybody in your classlook like you.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Well, at Florida State University it's
predominantly white, so itwasn't that many of us.
And, as a matter of fact, whenI graduated with my bachelor's
degree, it was a white professorwho discouraged me from
continuing my master's.
(07:58):
He told me well, I don't thinkyou should go for your master's
right now, and I don't know whythat affected me, but I just
took his word and I just didn'tdo it, just didn't do it, just
didn't do it.
And so when I got into themaster's program, I was the only
black female in that class forthe whole entire term and
(08:24):
journey as far as getting mymaster's degree.
Yes, Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
So it really impacted you.
I'm telling you that At ComfortMeasures Consulting, we're here
to help you navigate thecomplexity of healthcare.
If you're caring for a lovedone as a caregiver, you don't
have resources, you don't knowwhat questions to ask.
You need to have options right.
Give Comfort Measures a call.
Give us a chance.
(08:53):
First consultation is free.
Speak with me.
Comfort Measures Consultant850-879-2182.
You can also visit our websiteat
wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom.
Talk to you soon.
You thinking he just had theknowledge and the will with all,
(09:15):
so you believed him.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yes, I did, and I look back now in retrospect that
I should have just followed myown heart and I learned through
that that you have to followyour own heart, your own dreams,
because people are not,everyone is for you and not
(09:37):
everyone is going to give youthat positive encouragement that
you need.
And there comes a time that youhave to just look in yourself
and say, okay, this is what Iwant to do, and you do that.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
But you continued on.
You continued to fight andpursue and just you sharing your
story.
And that's why I wanted tocontinue on that, because I
wanted people to really hear atrue legend.
Because over that span some ofthe job-related and professional
honors and awards and specialaccomplishments you had was you
received the extra mile awardfrom hillsborough county health,
(10:13):
uh and social services, uh, youwas a supervisor of the year
war from hillsborough countyhealth, the county award for
creating the intake databaseprogram.
That's where your motherencouraged you right going into
uh computers, right right uhteam effect Going into computers
.
Right Right Team EffectivesAward from Hillsborough County
Health, that's with the socialservices, right yes?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Participant on many boards and committees, such as
the Hispanic Service Council forthe Bay Area.
Now, that was the interestingone.
Now, how did you get involvedwith that one?
Because that's a culturaldifference.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Right, I was a social worker in ruskin, okay, and
there, of course, you have a lotof hispanics in that area.
Yes, and also even in plantcity, I was the president of
east hillsborough network and wehad different um non-profit
organizations that were membersof it, of that particular group.
(11:11):
So that's how I became a partof that.
That's where I learned my grantwriting and other skills that,
as I look back now, at the age Iam now, the Lord was grooming
me the whole time, the wholetime, and you just never know,
you don't understand why, andyou're going to go through some
(11:34):
trials and tribulations, but heis glooming you for something
bigger and better that your eyeshave never seen, your ears have
never heard.
It hadn't even come into yourthought, what he has for you.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right, right, and then just you stating that, too,
you listening to your parentsbeing humble and obedient too.
Yeah, look at the trajectory bylistening to mama, listening to
dad, how, that, what, whatdirection it took you in life,
and look at the things you wereable to accomplish and the
experiences you're able to have.
Then I have to continue.
(12:12):
Legal, the Spring Ambassador,the City Chamber, rural Social
Services, partnership, healthyStart Mental Health Center and
the Hillsborough HomelessCoalition these are all
memberships that you actuallyand committees that you have
(12:34):
participated in.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Right, yeah, with the homeless.
We actually I was the chair ofthe East Hillsboro Homeless
Committee and we would actuallyorganize teams and go out there
and find the homeless and togive them blankets or give them
resources or pamphlets of thingsthat they can, uh, you know, be
(13:01):
your access to, because that,yeah and and uh, with us,
sometimes we don't know theresources that we have available
to us.
So making sure that they knowabout us where to come, and
(13:22):
becoming personable with them tolet them know, hey, we are here
to help you.
My mother she was a pastor andmy dad was a farmer.
Unfortunately, they had diedtwo months apart.
My mother died at church.
She had said that if I ever wasto die, I want to die preaching
, and that's how she died.
(13:43):
She was at a church and she hadjust spoken, so she passed away
.
She had a heart attack.
Two months later, my dad washit and killed as a pedestrian.
So during those trials afterthat, I even got divorced.
Every time I felt like I wasgetting rattled.
(14:15):
I would just go home and kneeldown and pray to God, and he
helped get that feeling awayfrom me because I knew he had
more for me to do so.
I actually enjoyed helpingpeople.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
That is because of my upbringing and the values that
my my parents had given me right, wow, oh, that's a very
intimate story you shared thereand you battled through all of
that, so thank you for sharingthat, right, uh, very much so,
so, um, all right, so that's ouruh coffee segment, so we like
(14:53):
to do interactive entertainmenthere okay, I have a special
surprise for you.
All right, so we're gonna take alittle break, uh, from the show
, uh, from from that wonderfulstory, um, for the moment, um,
and one thing I did seeing youover your questionnaire that
stood out for me.
(15:13):
For me is that and we talkedabout your childhood here we
sort of stand on that.
You said that you lovebasketball, basketball, yeah, so
what's your story frombasketball?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
My story from basketball is that I loved
basketball even in high schooland my dad, for Christmas one
year, bought me a basketballgoal.
So I used to play basketballeven with the boys and all, and
(15:49):
I tried out for basketball forPlant City High School and I did
get drafted.
Okay, made the team.
I made the team.
But there was a sad part aboutit I could not continue on the
team because both my parentswere in the hospital at the same
time and by me being the oldestsibling, we had no one to keep
(16:16):
us.
We stayed at home and I had torun the house as though as
normal as possible, and the kidshad to go to school and also I
had to withdraw from playingbasketball.
Wow, wow.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Wow, so that's a good story there.
Yeah, and so now your favoriteteam you follow basketball
continuously after that.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yes, yes, I mean I know about Draymond.
Draymond, golden State Warriorsyeah, yeah, okay, you know
about Draymond, right?
Yeah, yes, uh, I mean I know,um, uh, about dream on um, yeah,
yeah, yeah, right, yeah, I likethe wars and, uh, I look at the
celtics and and my husband andI'll be giving each other high
fives and stuff, okay, yeah.
And now the girls basketballteam is rising, rising up, so
(17:07):
you got caitlyn, yeah rising up.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So you got caitlyn.
Yeah, okay, yes, yeah all right.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
So were you a shooter or did you like have a post
game?
I was a shooter, he was ashooter.
All right, you have athree-point game.
Yeah, yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
All right with the boys, so you used to get picked.
Yeah, they used to pick you all, right, right exactly all right
thank you for sharing that.
That's our little comfy, ourlaughing moment right there so
we'll get right back into it,all right.
So, your background.
We're going to stand withinspiration.
You shared how your family,your mother, was a pastor and
(17:45):
how did that connect with youand your approach with being a
character connect with you andyour approach with being a
candidate.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Well, my mother, she prayed a lot, prayed a lot.
As a matter of fact, this pastThanksgiving I was going through
some artifacts and things thatI had at home and I saw
something that she actuallywrote and she was letting me
know how time has gone by andthat I will be graduating from
(18:14):
Florida State soon.
But the one thing she wanted meto remember in the letter is
said, is to pray, pray, pray.
She wrote that three times andso that actually keeps me
motivated.
Before I start my day, I prayand ask him to lead and guide me
(18:36):
, and that's really how that hasshaped me.
And I ask God, those who Iconnect with, let me find favor,
lead and guide me.
You know, he said to lean onhim and he would direct our path
.
I do recall and I'll give youan example that once I began to
(19:01):
start my business, my at thebeginning, and I had just a
short time to do it I had tolisten to god every day as to
what to do and follow that,because you only have such a a
window of opportunity and onceit closes, it's closed right.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
so, with um, basically speaking a lot about
your family and just yourupbringing, just looking back at
your parents and theirinfluence, what would you say
out of all your accomplishmentsand awards, even your committees
that you participated in?
Speaker 1 (19:41):
what would you say they'd be most proud of you?
Oh, they would be most proud ofme as far as the business and
me helping the elderly, andbecause it's a ministry, because
God said, you know, take careof my widows, and so they would
be really proud.
They was always proud of me,even when they were alive.
(20:01):
Um, even as a regional manager.
I was a regional manager ofHillsborough County and right
now they call those centerscommunity resource centers, but
by then they were neighborhoodservice centers and so the work
that I was doing in thecommunity they would have been
(20:23):
very proud of that.
I used to love working with theyouth.
Put together what we call ayouth law fair and that will.
They had two purposes.
One was to let them know, andthis is what my mother used to
say trouble is easily get into,but hard to get out.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah, my dad said that the whole time.
My dad would say that.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yes yes, yes, for hard to get into hard to get out
For hard to get out, yeah.
And so what?
We show them that even if youdo things at school that you're
not supposed to do and you getin trouble, all the consequences
that follows behind it.
And so the Plant CityCourthouse had allowed us one
(21:12):
whole day to use the courthouse,but the children would go
through the metal detector.
They were, um, actually put ona skip.
I networked with thesuperintendent of of the uh of
plant city high School and thenPlant City High School had their
some students that put on askit to show how they got into a
(21:38):
fight, and then there wasactually a judge, an actual
judge, that was sitting in thecourtroom and would tell them
what the consequences would be.
The other purpose was to letthem know.
Sitting in the courtroom andwould tell them what the
consequences would be, wow, yeah.
The other purpose was to letthem know of different jobs that
they can go into in lawenforcement, such as being an
(22:00):
attorney.
Everyone gave their testimony.
There was an attorney there,there was a judge there, there
was a state trooper.
They would give theirtestimonies and give them what
credentials that they would haveto have if they were interested
in going into that particularfield.
In addition to that, thecommunity came together.
(22:21):
South Florida Baptist providedall the children's lunches, and
so that's why, just being outthere and listen to the
heartbeat and the needs of thecommunity, uh, I would pray
about it and do those things andall the other awards and
acclamations, and it will come,you know, but if you, you know,
(22:44):
putting him first and it's justgoing out there, stepping out to
put the people first yes right.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
So being a woman of the people being hands-on now,
how did that lead you to yourjourney to founding uh florid
creative uh corporation forcreative care corporation.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
I should say well, I started out, I was still working
with Hillsborough County and mysister and I were planning on
opening up a group home togetherand I have two sisters, but my
youngest sister who is a nurse,and me being a social worker.
(23:23):
Putting those two together wethought would be a pretty good
combination.
Together, we thought would be apretty good combination.
We started.
We created the name Flory frompart of my name and part of her
name what's her name?
her name is Sabrina FlorenzaFlorenza, so that's where the
(23:45):
flow came from.
The RRY came from Cherry, yes,yes.
So we put together our ownescort and all, but then later
she decided that she didn't wantto do that at that time.
(24:05):
That time.
So I still wanted to do it.
I had the burning in me.
I just felt like that this wassomething I had to do, but I was
still working for the county.
I didn't want to.
I did not want to leave thecounty and do this.
Sometimes you'd be afraid toleave one place and go to
(24:25):
another, and that's how I was.
But the Lord pushed me to leavethe county.
And once I left the county, Iwent to work for the Census
Bureau for a year in 2010.
At the end of 2010, whathappens?
(24:46):
It happens when you work forthe census.
They let you know this is onlytemporary, because the census is
coming every 10 years.
You're not going to continue tohave a job.
So I was facing unemployment.
Even though I was a supervisorat the census bureau, I was
facing unemployment and I had mylicense to be an administrator
(25:09):
for an assisted living.
I said well, lord, either I'mgoing to go for it or I'm not.
It's either all or none.
So I just stepped out on faithand that's when I started
finding out what I need to do.
I put in my application.
What I need to do, I put in myapplication.
(25:33):
And one of the hardest part andthe challenges I had with the
application is you have to dotwo years financials.
So I went to the Small BusinessAssociation, I became a member
of them with them and they havedifferent ones in different
professions, and there was anaccountant there that his wife
was in something similar and hedid my financials for me and I
(25:55):
was able to get approved to openup my first ALF.
Now comes the funding, thefunding part.
The funding is where I didn'thave the money.
Of course, I was facingunemployment.
Well, united Way and they did avideo of me and you can search
(26:21):
it on the Internet United Wayhad a program that whatever you
saved, they would match it, andso that's how I was able to get
some of my money back, get someof my money to fund the Flory
House that I have today.
(26:41):
Another one was that I neededmoney for insurance and that was
$500 back then.
Now it's much more.
A lady actually a pastor calledme and said that I was in my
prayer closet and the Lord toldme to give you something.
(27:03):
I said, really.
She said I need you to meet me.
This was here in plant city, soI met her.
And she said I need you to meetme.
This was here in Plant City, soI met her and she said you were
there when my children neededhelp the most, while you were
with the neighborhood servicecenter that's what it was called
formerly and I want the Lordtold me to give you this, and it
(27:24):
was five hundred dollars he'llmake a way he would make a way
out of no way.
And so, during my, through myjourney, that's what the lord
has been doing, because he wantsyou to know that it was him,
not you man that's powerful, yes, and it's powerful, and that's
a miracle too.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It's a miracle and it makes you feel like this this
was a purpose right, and thatyou're on the right path and you
were Right.
You're still here today, stillin existence, right, 2010 is
2025.
Yes, 15 years later, 15 yearslater 15 years later.
So that is an amazing story.
Now, during that time, can youdescribe the need for an
(28:05):
assisted living facility in thePlant City area, for an assisted
living facility in the PlantCity area?
And I want to also describeblack women in the industry at
that time as owners in AML.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Well, in the Plant City area there was only one
that was located on the samestreet that Flory House is now.
As far as a minority, there wasonly one black female and the
Small Business Associationhelped me become certified as a
black-owned business and it wasreally difficult at first
(28:44):
because of the challenges and,you know, being a minority, but
the Small Business Associationwas able to send me statistics
as to how many ALS were in thearea.
What was the need in the area?
Even I started doing in-homecare.
(29:06):
And what was the need?
Because I was catering mostlyto Medicaid recipients instead
of Medicare recipients, and Ilearned that 10% of the
population gets Medicaid andalso Medicaid disappear of last
resort, meaning that they willpay less and they pay when
(29:29):
nobody else will pay.
So my, my, I had to.
Um, well, marketing actuallytaught me to identify with who
is my target market, where do Ineed to go to get these people,
where are they located, um, andwho needs to help.
So I learned that you know thehospitals, the rehab centers,
(29:58):
you know you may get somereferrals from private or who
you know.
And that's how I began beingbeing a minority and in Plant
City, I went to the nursinghomes.
We have two nursing homes.
As of today, it's been 15, 14,15 years later I have only
(30:21):
received one referral.
One referral because of me.
Now I now have another assistedliving facility and when I
first got that assisted livingfacility that was previously
(30:42):
white owned and I had anotherwhite administrator working
under me, I unfortunately had tolet her be the face to go out
there and market, because oncethey see me then it's like they
(31:03):
shut down.
So you sense that they tell youokay, I'm going to call you.
Oh, yes, we're going to do thisand we'll do that.
Yes, leave some of yourbrochures.
I've done all of that and stillyet no referrals.
But thank God, as of today, I'mfull.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Full.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Full.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Regardless, regardless.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Regardless that, regardless that's right.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
So I actually know to be administrative at both of
the facilities too, and we cantalk after this In Plant City
Okay, like for real.
But yeah, that's sad.
Yeah, it's real sad.
Yeah, all right, another game.
Okay, another game.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
All right.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Another game.
All right game, okay, all right.
Another game, all right, yeah,we need to switch on that,
simply right.
Yeah, all right, but um, allright, so this game here.
We'll keep it short, all right.
So this is that's my answer.
You get three seconds to answerthe questions.
Okay, that way, it's your firstresponse.
All right, if you could eat ameal?
Uh, you get one dish that youhave to eat every day for the
(32:11):
rest of your life.
What would it be?
A salad, a salad, mm-hmm, allright.
If you could start a rumorabout yourself, what would it be
?
Speaker 1 (32:27):
A rumor about myself.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
A rumor.
Yep, she's rich, she's rich,she's okay.
Uh, if you could have asuperpower, uh, what would it be
?
But it had to be kind ofuseless, like if, if you had a
superpower, uh, but it had to bekind of useless, like a useless
power, what would it be.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I snap my fingers and my house is clean.
Yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Okay, what is the funniest thing that ever
happened to you at work or onvacation?
Speaker 1 (33:04):
The funniest thing.
The funniest thing, well, thefunniest thing that ever
happened to me at work or onvacation.
Well, at work, somethingrecently, is that one of my
(33:29):
residents which I do with all ofthem I embrace them, I tell
them I love them, whether maleor female, and things like that,
and sometimes the otherresident may get jealous if I
hug this one and don't hug them.
So I try to spread the love.
Well, one of them recently toldone of the caregivers that well
(33:53):
, you know that I love you,right?
It's.
Oh, yes, I love you too.
It said, but I am in love withmiss cherry, right?
So she said I can't help youwith that.
You're gonna have to talk toher about that if you could, uh,
(34:24):
be any animal.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
This is the last one, all right.
What would it be, and why?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
animal.
Just last one, all right.
What would it be?
A why, if I can be any animal,what would it be?
And why?
Maybe I'd be a cheetah?
Yeah, so I can get to placesfaster, here and there, yeah
well, I'm gonna have, that'sjust.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
I be alive.
You realize I was just watching.
You should watch some Netflixcalled animals.
But on the line he go, like hehave his own little pride.
He just get there, he first,first, and then they have to
just sit there, wait to whateverhe.
We get full, then they call itoh no it's just mad, pretty bad.
(35:16):
You get mad if they eat toomuch.
You get mad and like growl atthem, they just turn over like
oh, I surrender oh, yeah, yeah,they did that even in lion.
Yeah, yeah, yeah there's thatall right.
So okay, we're back in, and allright, all right, back in.
All right, thank you forsharing that, and playing the
game alone with us all right now.
Uh, it's uh.
So my next question actuallywas going to be uh, how did your
(35:40):
background influence how yougrew your uh, your pursuit?
And actually you led right intothat, going into marketing.
But let's get into.
How did computer informationsystems, actually that
background, help you grow yourorganization as well with florid
creative service care yes, uh,with the computer information
(36:01):
system, it uh, I got.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
First I got a another degree in computer programming
and then I got, got the degreein computer programming and then
I got the degree in computerinformation system.
The masters With that.
That helped me.
Even today.
If there is a computer problem,I'm the one that they call on
(36:25):
to actually to fix or to do thisor that.
Uh, troubleshoot the uh system.
That's what I do on our website.
If there are any updates thatare needed, I do it and it
really just helped me that tounderstand all of the technology
(36:50):
out there.
And my staff will tell you Ilove technology and becoming
paperless.
So in our business we haveapplication tracking system, we
have a clock in and clock outsystem, we have a way that they
can put in for vacation.
Everything is electronic and ifI did not go into computers I
(37:17):
would not have the understandingof that.
You know I could teachMicrosoft Office and do
spreadsheets, type, you knowletters, do powerpoints,
presentations.
So if it was not for my motherencouraging me and being
obedient, ego being obedient andand do that I would not be
(37:40):
where I am today yes yes ma'amyeah, they planted the seed all
right.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Uh, so you stated about your employees and I would
have to commend you as well,because I've been to your
facility, working with hospice,with Accent Care, been to the
Fleur House.
I've been to Coventry as welland never had one incident, and
I've been there multiple timeswe're not talking one or two,
(38:11):
we've done it at least 10 timesapiece, right and never had one
incident with any staff member.
They were always pleasant,customer service was always on
point, like very kind, very kindteam, thank you.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Yes, I am really blessed to have such good staff
because if you show that youcare about them and you know I,
I do, uh, performance reviews, Ido, uh, you know, give them a
little extra because of, if theydare, if we have a flu outbreak
and they've been coming to work, then I give them extra for
(38:52):
that.
And I also received a grantwhere I was able to purchase a
car and so if one of their carsbreak down, they would be able
to still drive that car.
It's an electric car and theywould be able to drive the car
back and forth to work untilthey get their vehicle repaired.
(39:13):
I had one recently that was ina car accident, unfortunately,
and total her car and she had touse the vehicle.
So, okay, yes, yes, she's doingfine, thank the lord.
But the card is mainly for thatand for marketing.
But I had to write for a grantagain going back to not knowing
(39:35):
why I was learning all this whenI was with the county, how to
write for a grant, not knowingthat I one day I would have to
do it for myself right, right.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Yeah, we need to talk too.
I need some Grant Seward inhere too, yeah, man.
Oh man, that is a blessing.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
You never know what.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
God will take you through certain things.
I just experienced something inlife and I'm still lost on why
I experienced this, so I guess Ihave to wait to see why as well
, right?
Speaker 1 (40:05):
Everything has a purpose.
That's right, and sometimes youfeel like you're lost or it's
not fair, but you know God heknows, he knows, you know All
right.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
So my next question is what is your role?
What role has your familyplayed in supporting and
contributing to your successwith Flory Creative Care?
Speaker 1 (40:31):
You ever heard of saying that don't hire your
family?
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
, ha, ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha,
but in my case I have hired,like my son, my nephew, both of
my sisters, one other cousin andthe only one that right now is.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
I have one sister working for me and my son Mm-hmm
.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Yeah, go ahead and say their name.
Yeah, shout them out.
Give them a shout out on theshow.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Hey, johnny, what's?
Speaker 2 (41:08):
up John.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
All right, johnny, yeah, yes, yes.
He's been with me since thebeginning, when I started out
with just him and one employee,and now today I have 80
employees.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Wow, you have 80 employees.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Yes, as far as contractors or employees, I have
80.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Okay, yes, because of the in-home care.
I was about to say that We'llget on that one.
That's the next topic we'regoing to go to.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I wanted to get to the family, the family.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
They've been very supportive.
They've been very supportiveEven now.
My sister, yes, but they'vebeen very supportive.
They've been very supportiveEven now.
My sister, who was a nurse andthat was with me.
They're always cheering me onand praying for me and they want
the best for me, and so Ireally, really appreciate it.
My son, johnny.
(42:03):
He and I may sometimes bumpheads, but he know that I really
couldn't do a lot of thingswithout him.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Johnny, alright, nothing wrong with being a
mama's boy man.
Nothing wrong with it at all soit's good being up for your mom
.
I'm pretty sure you learned alot from her too, and, as you
can see from the story thatshe's sharing, being obedient
gets you a long way in life.
It sure does.
Sure you're learning a lot fromher too, and, as you can see
from the story that she'ssharing, being obedient gets you
a long way in life it sure doesit's a long way in life, so,
and I want to give a shout outto my daughter too.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
I have a daughter.
She's in georgia.
I just have two children,johnny and monica.
Yes, she's the one that had theseven children, okay, and my
son has one, okay, yes, yes, yes, but they have been very
supportive.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Good.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you.
I always like to highlightfamily.
You probably hear the familyhere.
We both have family here rightnow with us both.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Right.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
So it's very good to have that foundation.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
And I want to say too that my husband now his name is
Rudolph Twiggs, and I recallwhen I did a what you call the
storyboard and the vision board,I wrote it down and I even
prayed about it, and when I methim I said, oh my gosh, the Lord
(43:27):
gave me everything that I had.
And once I stopped trying to doit myself, the Lord sent him,
Because the Lord said that whena man finds a wife, so he found
me.
It took him a year to catch upwith me, but he found me, Dr
Twiggs.
Dr Twiggs and I asked on there.
(43:49):
I said, Lord, let him have allhis teeth.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
All his teeth.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
And didn't know that God was going to give me a
dentist.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Really.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Yes, yes, and so real teeth, real teeth, real teeth.
Yeah, and he is my best friend.
He understands the businessthat I'm in.
He's also a farmer too, eventhough he's a dentist.
Yeah, and we have so much incommon and he tells me the truth
(44:18):
, even if it hurts, and he'lltell me something sweet every
day, every day, every day.
But he and he'll tell mesomething sweet every day, every
day, every day, and so it justreally has been such a wonderful
union between him and I, sohe's very supportive real deal
player yes, dr.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
Twiggs, how much you charge for the whitening tray?
It's a whitening tray.
What's the name of thispractice?
Want to give him a shout outwhile we're here.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
Yes, Westwater Dental .
Westwater Dental In Tampa,Florida.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yes, all right, thank you, dr Twiggs.
Yes, sir, we definitely supportyou here on the let's Get
Comfort podcast and ComfortMeasures Consultant, for sure,
Thank you so much, all right.
Thank you.
Okay, so question for you isregarding vision and community.
Florida creative servicesserves Oak County and Healdsburg
County primarily.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
Right yes, we're licensed in other counties such
as Manatee and Highlands alsookay now you just recently
expanded into home care services.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Yeah, so what?
You start that and what sort ofinitiated that venture?
Speaker 1 (45:29):
Well, going back to my grant writing, I was able to
get contracts with Polk Countyand I have a contract with
Hillsborough County.
With Polk County I started outwith them and they wanted me to
do just homemaking.
That's only what my license wasallowing me to do, so I did not
(45:52):
have the clientele that Ireally wanted.
So I took off a year andapplied for my nurse registry
license and once I did that andhad to learn the policies and
procedures of that, then I wasable to start that.
But that only is for Medicaidclients or private pay, and we
(46:16):
also can do skilled nursing.
Well, since that time right now,I went from 10 clients to 130
clients, and so now what we dowe're doing is getting to home
health.
I'm moving everything to onecampus at Coventry.
(46:37):
I've already got zoned and gotthe okay from the city of Plant
City to renovate one of thebuildings that's there into
offices so that we all be in onelocation.
We've already got ourcredentials or accreditation
from uh for our home health.
(46:57):
We're just waiting for ourmedicare number and then we'll
be, you know, ready to go.
So what are, so right, gonna dowith the headquarters?
Speaker 2 (47:08):
the headquarters is moving there at Coventry right,
but I think the old one, the onethat way I used to come to.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Oh, I'm just gonna rent that out.
Yes, I plan on renting that outyes, yes, yes, yes yes, you're
a small business woman.
Yes, yes, okay, yes, good, soyou would start from 10 and now
to 130 is what I looked at lastnight.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
Because I remember when you first told me about
this about a year or somethingago, you said you was going to
do it and you did it too.
Yeah, wow, that's right, that'sreally good.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
So you have to speak those things as though they were
and you just don't know A lotof things.
I don't see yet.
You know visually, but I knowit's there.
That's the direction that theLord wants me to go.
Speaker 2 (47:55):
Because when we talked you said you wanted like
a small satellite office inTampa because of the need I
think it was in that area.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
And let me tell you about that, my husband having a
dental office, he allowed me tohave a satellite office, so I do
have someone that is there inTampa.
Speaker 2 (48:18):
Oh, look at the blessing.
Yes, that's really good, that'sreally good.
Well, um, so you have that newinvestment advancement
initiative that you have goingnow.
Um, a lot of changes going onwith the alf for that piece.
Uh, is there anything else youwant to share with the audience?
um, and just your message tofamilies out there if they're
(48:40):
looking for no, you're fullright now, but if they're
looking for I know you're afool- right now, but if they're
looking for a place for theirloved ones or caregivers, if
they need assistance and support, whether it's in-home, or if
they need to transition theirloved ones to a facility.
What's your message to themwhen it comes to your services?
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Well, my message would be that we understand and
we are trained for this field asfar as assisted living, and we
understand that sometimes it'sdifficult to move your loved one
into an assisted livingfacility.
But I tell my staff and I tellthe resident you don't come here
(49:20):
to die, you come here to live.
So we make sure that they stillhave their dignity and respect,
have them going into, you know,being involved in the community
, like with the Bruton MemorialLibrary.
They check out books.
I take them to restaurants.
We want them to live.
We have one that's, you know,plant a garden.
(49:43):
So, in order to come to us, youjust give us a call at
813-704-6918.
And we will give you thepaperwork to enroll.
To enroll and also, because ofmy social work background, I'm
(50:15):
able to help you to get fundingif you don't have all the money
that you need for assistedliving, and that is through
Seniors Connection and where youget on what they call long-term
care.
So I have applied for theMedicaid and long-term care.
So I have applied for theMedicaid and long-term care from
many of my residents to makesure that they have the funding
that they need.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
Yes, really helpful.
Can you share with them likeyour social media, like Facebook
page or website?
They can find you out.
Find that as well, if you canshare that as well, yes, Our
website is flory.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
That's F-L-O-R-R-Y creativecarecom.
That's our website, and youalso can send us a message from
that website and learn whatwe're all about.
And our Facebook page is FloryCreative Care, and so you can
(51:07):
pull that up also and contact usthat way.
Again, we have what we call ahuman resource department and
they will get you started.
We need as many home healthaides, certified nursing
assistant.
We need nurses, RNs and LPNs.
(51:30):
So if you're looking for work,or even as a start, we will be a
good place for you to be.
We are family oriented, we havea very good culture in our
business and it's a place thatwe will be welcoming you and
hope that you would join us.
Speaker 2 (51:52):
As we wrap up my last , I have to ask this question if
you had one piece of advice,very briefly, and one piece of
advice for someone looking tostart their own assisted living
facility, what would you advisethem?
Speaker 1 (52:07):
I will advise for them to first go to the core
class, which is sometimes theyhave the in class or the bridge
class online.
First take that and getcertified.
That would be the first step.
After that, reach out todifferent ones.
(52:30):
I have had people that reachout to me and and ask questions
about how to get started.
I'm happy to do that.
I've had people or differentones say, well, you need to.
But I have never chargedbecause I believe if I help
someone else, god helps me.
(52:51):
It's enough out there foreverybody.
So it's no competition.
It's just that if there'ssomething that you feel within
yourself that you really want todo, please, please, pursue that
, pursue yes, well, thank you,ms Julie, for joining us today
(53:11):
here on let's Get Comfy Podcast.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
It was a very heartfelt show for me meeting
you.
The first time we met, we satdown and talked, for I don't
know how long you messed up myroute back rock, but I'm just
joking but it was like weconnected instantly, instantly,
instantly, like we talked, forit had to be over like two hours
(53:35):
.
Two hours, yes, we talked andand from there, every time we
would see each other.
It was like we had so much totalk about, right, and you
shared so much knowledge with me.
Just, you didn't care.
Yeah, this was just free, freeknowledge, just like you're
saying right now, right, and itwas just a wealth of knowledge
for me and wisdom.
And I just saw, like, yourheart and the real care that you
(53:57):
have for the community, for oneRight, but also for what you
were doing.
Speaker 1 (54:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
As well and how long you was doing it and the area
that you were doing it, and thento see that you were actually
from Plant City and I was likethis is a true legend that
people don't even really knowabout.
The light isn't shining onindividuals like yourself.
It's like a hidden gem, so tospeak, and that's what I saw you
as.
(54:22):
So it's an honor to have you onthe show to be able to highlight
you, and I know you travel heretoday, so I'm very grateful for
you to do that on a Saturday,so to take time out with me and
my family in the audience today,so and you share the knowledge
that you have with thecaregivers in the audience that
(54:43):
are listening today.
Well, for caregivers out there,you're not alone.
There are services like FloridaCreative Care that's there to
lift some of the burden and loadoff of you.
It's not giving up on yourparents to seek additional
services.
All right, it's not giving up,it's getting support.
(55:03):
You didn't go to school forthis.
Yeah Right, you don't know.
You didn't study.
You didn't study Right and readbooks about providing proper
care and adjusting and turningand placement and what to do
when your parent fall down.
Right, you didn't take classeson that.
It's really people that wastrained for these things, to do
(55:24):
it, and it's okay to seek thoseservices to get that.
I know firsthand that when Iused to call Ms Cherry, every
time she called hey Norman, I'mon an appointment.
Right, I'm at a doctor'sappointment with a patient right
now.
I have to call you back.
Hey Norman, I'm driving aclient right now.
I have to call you back.
She drive them herself.
(55:44):
This is the owner doing it.
Speaker 1 (55:46):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (55:47):
So those are the type of things that drew me to her.
She's just a hands-on person,she really does these things.
So thank you all for joining us.
Speaker 1 (55:56):
Another episode.
Speaker 2 (55:57):
Find us on YouTube and Spotify.
Please be sure to comment, likeshare.
I know it's a healthcarepodcast.
People don't check forhealthcare.
It's awful.
Please subscribe, send it toyour mom or dad or granddad or
two.
Tune in, thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com