Turning Soft Skills Into CEO Strength: Crystal Smith’s Journey to Leadership
Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast where everyday caregivers transform into confident care entrepreneurs. In this episode, Crystal Smith - Mother, former CNA, Black Woman CEO, and City Councilwoman - digs into the real, often untold truth: women of color, especially caregivers, are not the underdogs. In fact, they’re uniquely built for business leadership.Crystal shares her inspiring journey from managing a multigenerational household to founding her own care business and winning a city council seat. She unveils how the so-called "soft skills" develop through a lifetime of caregiving, like resilience, resourcefulness, and emotional intelligence. These are actually women's greatest business strengths. Crystal tackles the realities of impostor syndrome, being underestimated, and turning adversity into advantage.Get ready for actionable insights, hard-won wisdom, and a strong message: those everyday skills you use to care for your family and community are the very building blocks of a powerful entrepreneurial legacy. If you’re a caregiver or a woman of a minority considering entrepreneurship, this episode will leave you feeling seen, equipped, and empowered to just start, because your story, your strength, and your leadership matter now more than ever.Timestamps:00:00 Innate Leadership in Adversity03:57 Leadership Rooted in Compassion07:23 Recognizing Undervalued Soft Skills10:41 Empowering Entrepreneurs of Color14:28 Entrepreneurial Journey: Triumphs and Trials17:58 Mentorship for Marginalized Communities21:28 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome25:12 "Embrace Trial and Error"26:31 "Just Start Your Journey"Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/ Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/ TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/
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29:49
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29:49
Building a Bulletproof Care Business: Staffing, Systems, and Sanity with Crystal Smith
Welcome back to another episode of Care to CEO, the show where caregivers and everyday people get the inside scoop on building confident, sustainable care businesses. In today’s episode, host Crystal Smith — a care business owner who’s seen it all — is here to dig into the often overlooked, “unsexy” essentials that keep your business alive: finding the right team, setting up effective systems, and keeping your own sanity intact.Crystal shares her candid journey, from the early days of hiring just to fill shifts (and the chaos that followed), to learning why empathy, flexibility, and communication matter more than credentials when building a staff that truly cares. She talks openly about the hard lessons she learned trying to do it all herself, how she finally mastered delegation, and the digital tools and systems that now let her step away from the business without missing a beat.Whether you’re just starting out or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your growing care business, this episode is packed with actionable advice, practical tools, and real talk about what it takes to survive — and thrive — in the care industry. If you’re ready to build a business that won’t fall apart when life gets messy, you won’t want to miss Crystal’s insights on staffing, systems, and the heart of successful care leadership.Timestamps:00:00 Screening for Values Beyond Resumes06:55 Empathy in Action08:45 "Collaborative Problem-Solving and Integrity"13:26 Transition to Britco System15:48 "Systems Restore CEO's Peace"19:06 Empowering Staff Through Teamwork24:33 "Set Up Access Care Early"28:04 "Care Business Survival & Mentorship"28:58 Gratitude and FarewellCare to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/ Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/ TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/
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29:14
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29:14
The Ugly Truth: Surviving Burnout, Staffing Nightmares, and Hard Lessons in Care Business
Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast where caregivers become confident care entrepreneurs. In this candid episode, “The Ugly Truth: The Hardest Parts of Running a Care Business,” host Crystal Smith pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build and sustain a care-based business. You’ll hear Crystal’s raw reflections on staffing nightmares, staying compliant, emotional burnout, and those moments when everything seems to fall apart at once. She shares personal stories, like the unforgettable day when staff quit, clients threatened to walk, and her own child fell ill, and reveals how she found the resilience to keep going.From learning the critical difference between hiring hands and hiring hearts, to the ongoing challenges of compliance (“the license is just the wedding, compliance is the marriage”), Crystal gets real about the emotional and organizational tolls of entrepreneurship. She also opens up about the importance of self-care, learning to ask for help, and forging strong boundaries to avoid burnout.Whether you’re just dreaming of starting your own agency or are deep in the trenches, this episode is packed with advice, hard lessons, and the encouragement you need to stay in the game, even when it gets messy.Timestamps:00:00 Entrepreneurship: A Heartbreaking Calling04:14 Overcoming Crisis with Resilience07:32 "Heart Over Skills in Home Care"12:31 Organizing: Key to Legacy Building14:58 Embracing Self-Care and Balance19:15 Boundaries Bridge, Protect, Empower20:43 Rethinking Boundaries as Bridges25:42 Learning to Delegate with Love28:52 Clutter Reflects Mental Health Struggles31:06 Challenges of Building a Business34:59 "Embrace Solitude in Business"38:34 Networking for Success41:46 Breaking Cycles, Empowering Women46:40 Strategic Thinking Reflection47:30 Coping with Leadership StressCare to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/ Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/ TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/
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49:15
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49:15
From Caregiver to CEO: Step-by-Step Licensing and Getting Paid in the Care Industry
Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast that helps caregivers and underdogs take bold steps toward confident business ownership in the care industry! In this episode, host Crystal Smith cuts through the confusion around getting licensed —and getting paid — for a home care business. Crystal shares her personal journey, practical steps, and plenty of hard-won wisdom on how to navigate the paperwork, state requirements, and the all-important approval process to become a Medicaid or state-funded provider.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by confusing government websites, unsure of what license you really need, or just stuck googling into the void, this episode is your go-to guide. Crystal walks us through the exact steps she took: choosing her business structure, opening the right doors at state agencies, leveraging mentorship, and building her network. She talked about common mistakes (so you don’t make them!), working with reviewers, setting up for renewal, and even how to diversify your funding streams. Plus, Crystal shares that sometimes “starting scared” is the best way to get going — no matter how daunting it all seems.So whether you’re just dreaming or deep into your application, tune in for real-world tips and inspiring stories to help you launch and grow your care business. Let’s get you from uncertainty to approval, and from care to CEO — together!Timestamps:00:00 Overcoming Licensing Challenges05:53 Licensing Challenges for New Businesses08:16 Choosing a Path in Caregiving11:23 Medicaid Payee Approval Process15:48 Foster Care Challenges and Experiences18:59 Medical Coding for Billing Payments22:47 "Effective Communication and Responsiveness"23:51 Application Process Challenges and Review27:10 Helpful Feedback from Reviewer33:08 Power of Mentorship36:28 "Embracing Help and Delegation"39:15 Affordable Help and Rachel's Book40:59 Mentorship: Driven to Elevate Others43:35 Embrace Action Despite FearCare to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/ Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/ TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/
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44:29
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44:29
The Untold Opportunities in Group Homes and Non-Skilled Care for Everyday Caregivers
Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast that empowers caregivers, everyday people, and underdogs to embrace their inner entrepreneur - especially in the care industry. In today’s episode, host Crystal Smith, a trailblazer in group homes and behavioral health housing, to uncover a business opportunity most of us have never even considered owning: the group home and non-skilled care business. Crystal shares her inspiring journey from caregiver to CEO, breaking down myths about the industry, revealing how accessible and rewarding this work can be, and giving step-by-step insights from her own experience. Whether you’re a CNA, a home health aide, or someone with a passion for helping others, Crystal’s story and practical advice show that you don’t need a trust fund or a fancy degree to build a legacy -- just heart, determination, and the willingness to start. Get ready for a real, raw conversation that might just change the way you see your future.Timestamps:00:00 Understanding Group Homes03:11 Impromptu Park Outing Success09:12 Starting a Home Care Business10:32 Balancing Daily Tasks and Ambitions15:03 Opportunity in First Responder Care18:03 "Quick Success in Home Care"21:08 Insightful Real-World Business Examples26:28 Endless Demand for Care Services29:50 "Empowering Frontline Caregivers"31:36 Motivation: Key to Overcoming Challenges36:37 Pushing Through Challenges39:47 Seeking Guidance at Conventions41:53 Relatable Success through Hardship44:43 "What Would Crystal Do?"Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/ Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/ TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/
The only podcast built for underdog entrepreneurs, everyday people, and caregivers who want to build their own care-based business (Group Homes, Home Care, Foster Care, Behavioral Health Housing, Veteran Housing, etc.) without a trust fund or a fancy degree.This show is hosted by Crystal Smith, a former CNA turned CEO & City Councilwoman, who shares the real, unfiltered, from-the-trenches playbook, helping you focus on the transformation journey from being an overworked and underpaid worker to becoming CEO and business owner — just like Crystal did — with tactical steps, mindset shifts, mentorship, and hard truths.
USA