Want to be a guest on Marketing Masters? Contact TEAM PHEIFF to receive a guest application.
GUEST: Diane Mead
Welcome to #Marketing Masters radio hosted by @ConniePheiff the #queenoftheask. Each week Connie Pheiff connects you with the best of the best thought leaders from around the globe sharing marketing strategies and best practices so you too can grow your market.
Stick around, subscribe on iTunes and get ready to accelerate your business ~ we’re live… uncensored… and sometimes raw.
Grieve it and leave it… you got 20-minutes. Stuff happens to all of us. Diane Mead talks about not letting your past define who you are, but you will be.
About Our Guest
Diane Mead, R.N., B.S.N., A.C.C., L.N.C., started her healthcare career 25 years ago as a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked her way up the corporate ladder to become the Vice President for the nation’s largest hospice provider for the Northeast. Entrepreneurial in spirit, Diane walked away from corporate America in 2004 and founded Bethany Hospice in 2005, where she serves as President and CEO. Bethany Hospice has been voted “Best Places to Work” in Pennsylvania by its employees for the past 6 years. She also founded the “RN Leadership Academy” and speaks nationally on the topic of
Leadership.
She served as a volunteer coach for the Coro Center for Civic Leadership – Women in Leadership Program, and a volunteer mentor for the Embark! Mentoring Program – Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Voted one of the Top 50 Business Women in Pennsylvania, Diane holds a BSN and a Professional Coaching Certification from Duquesne University. Diane currently sits on the Duquesne University Board of Governors, Duquesne University Alumni Association Board, The Duquesne University Professional Advisory Board for the School of Nursing, LIFE Pittsburgh’s Professional Advisory Board, as well as, the AALNC Board (Pittsburgh Chapter) as a Director at Large.
About Business
Bethany Hospice was founded on the belief that we will be the provider of choice and the employer of choice and not be about lip service. At Bethany Hospice – it’s our culture. All members of the Bethany Hospice Team are committed to the following standards of excellence. Every new staff member reviews these “accountabilities” with the President/CEO and signs off on the standards.
• Respect
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Communication
• Understanding
• Cooperation
• Professionalism
• Competence
• Accountability
• Unconditional Positive Regard
• Celebration
These are the values in which every team member is held accountable.
Most Memorable Business Failure
My most memorable business failure has been an on-going issue for 10 years and still counting. The investor group that we formed included multiple local physicians. The belief was that it would be a value-added move in regards to the number of patient referrals to our program. It didn’t turn out that way. Our investor plan made complete sense, but investing physician referrals did not come. Day after day, month after month, investing physician referrals were almost non-existent. And day after day, month after month, we would whine about it until one day my business partner (Sam Angelo) said, “QBYHATW.” “Quit banging your head against the wall” and go do it yourself. So we did!
Ah-Ha Moment
In my last job before starting Bethany Hospice, I worked for the largest hospice in the United States. When I began employment with them, there were only 3 sites. When I left employment a little over 6 years later, there were 71 sites. There was also a successful IPO during this time. I learned so much through this amazing experience.
One of the things I learned about myself was “bigger” was not better for me. While I enjoyed the entire experience of growing, was grateful for this opportunity, I liked the intimacy of the smaller company I started with. Demands change when a company goes through an IPO, and these demands were not congruent with my values and beliefs. I was so fortunate to learn that from a pioneer company in the hospice industry.
Favorite Success Quote
“A good head and a good heart are a formidable combination.” ~Nelson Mandela
I truly believe that the best entrepreneur can balance head and heart successfully.