We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Crystal Edwards a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Crystal, thanks for joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?

So many people see your achievements and see the good that has come of it, but no one sees the negative situations or the sacrifices you had to endure while climbing to the top of the mountain to reach those successes. My life has not been easy, from childhood into adulthood, I made many mistakes but I won’t blame anyone other than myself for those mistakes. Yes. I suffered trauma at the hands of others, but the choices I made based on those traumas was my fault because I chose, at that moment, to be a victim instead of a survivor. I suffered many traumas that carried over into my adulthood and me not being healed from those traumas caused me to make bad decisions and build relationships with people that should have never had the opportunity to be a part of my life. I had to make many sacrifices, I had to understood the importance of determination, resilience and discipline to understand how to truly achieve each goal I had set for myself. Most importantly, to do these things, I first had to heal from my traumas, overcome my fears, find my motivation and find myself. I tell this story because I want people to know, no matter what you’ve been through, there is nothing you can not overcome. You can choose to be a victim or you can choose to become a survivor. You can choose to be a statistic or you can choose to beat those odds. Your traumas may not choose you but they can control you if you let them. Take control of your life, take control of your decisions and make yourself accountable for every move that you make! Let nothing and no one keep you down, you are always able to get up and do it again or do it better so do it! Be the narrator in your life and decide how your life will go!

Dr. Crystal, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started my journey in healthcare doing clinical and a local college in Alabama when I was just a high school student in the 11th grade. At that time, I was working in a local nursing home with elderly patients. From there, my passion to help others grew. I went to college to achieve in getting my Bachelor’s of Science and at first, wanted to go to medical school and be an anesthesiologist until I started taking my laboratory classes as a part of my curriculum. As I got into the labs, I became interested in the science of healthcare. I became interested in how the body works internally and how organisms work based on factors such as environmental and social. Once I graduated with my B.S. I went on to get my Masters of Public Health. During this journey, I was working as a Public Health Scientist for the state of Tennessee and during this time, it was focused on the heath of others individually. While I was working on my masters, I learned much on population health. This is where I decided that I wanted to help populations of people, not just individual people. This is also where I found my area of expertise and passion in healthcare focusing in on diabetes and other chronic illnesses. I then applied for a Program Manager job which I was hired for while I finished my masters and went on to finish my doctorate as well. By the end of my doctoral program, I was hired as a Chronic Disease Evaluator and Epidemiologist for the state of Georgia. This is not my final step on the ladder of healthcare but it is a step in the right direction. I specialize in infectious as well as chronic diseases. I am now able to help minority and elderly populations that are highly at risk based on factors such as socioeconomic status. Once I got into this position and finished my residency and dissertation, the statistics from these studies showed me that so many groups with disabilities and that were elderly were highly at risk and needed help. This is where I decided to open my own Home Healthcare business. My goal opening this business was and is and will always be to provide access to care, resources, build health literacy, provide health aides, provide medical professionals and customer care with professionals that care about these individuals quality of life and long-term healthcare goals. I am most proud of my passions in healthcare leading me to make decisions that not only furthered my level of success but also has helped to save lives and better equip people in their goals to live healthier lives.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think it is most helpful to network, to do the research about opening such a business before getting into that business. It is also necessary to prepare yourself for adversity, challenges and change. Never go in with the mindset that everything will be perfect or everything will go smoothly because it won’t always be easy. As you take on a business, you are also taking on loads of responsibility. It is a rollercoaster so be ready for the ride. Some days will be great, while others will be difficult. This is where the resiliency, determination, discipline and sacrifice are the most important.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My advice for managing a team and keeping high morale is set a standard and stick to it. You aren’t their friend, you are their boss but still you and your employees are human. Learn when it is important to be stern and when it is important to show compassion. Have boundaries with your employees but also have a welcoming demeanor so they know they can come to you about any issues they are having. Build a great relationship with your employees and welcome heathy communication because this builds morale and creates loyal employees who will work with you and work hard. Be sure to hire employees not just based on experience, but also a passion for the role you are filling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seek2findhomecare.com/
• Instagram: seek2findhomecare
• Facebook: Seek2Find Home Care Services L.L.C
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-crystal-edwards-phd-mph-bs-76ab80266?trk=contact-info
• Yelp: https://s.yelp.com/eeFtDCFHnN