We were lucky to catch up with Bridget Maddox recently and have shared our conversation below.
Bridget, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
Yes! I’m truly happier as a business owner. Many times, even before starting my business I questioned if it was the “best” thing to do because of the stability of a regular job. However, after stepping out on faith, I realized all the benefits that came with being a business owner…time with family, not being told no when things come up, setting your own guidelines for success and making decisions based upon what’s best for you. Yes, it has its hurdles, like the high costs of self employed healthcare, ups and downs of the finances earned and being able to successfully market. However, the overall satisfaction I get from it always supersedes working for someone else. I’ll be honest and admit that when I’ve lost a client or I get nervous about getting sick and not having PTO or sick leave, my faith gets compromised and I start contemplating on working a regular job again. I’ll actually fill out an application and all. Things will go well, but the first day of “work”, I’d see myself frustrated because I’m looking for things to be the way they would be in my business. Every time, without failure, I last 3 days maximum and I’m back grinding for my business because I realize, I’ll never be happy working for a regular job. Therefore, I begin putting in the work to make sure I’m giving my all to my business so I can deliver those things I look for in a regular job so that my future employees will want to stay and that I keep the confidence that my business will be a success despite the hurdles and challenges. Lastly, when you step out on faith to become a business owner, it’s important to stand strong even in those tough seasons because those challenges make you a stronger, more determined and successful entrepreneur.
Bridget, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m the owner of In Bridget’s Hands Service, LLC. I became a personal caregiver in 2014 for a now close friend of mine. She was looking for someone to help her nightly. I took the position because I was looking for something to supplement my income and because I knew I loved caring for people. Over the years I’ve continued being a caregiver while working a full time job. However, I realized that even though I was helping people in the career field I was in, I was more satisfied with doing it on a personal, hands on level. In 2022, I had surgery and I needed someone that was loving, caring and compassionate to help me when my family members couldn’t be there for me. I was on short term disability and it wasn’t paying enough to keep my household running. Therefore, I had to go something. I prayed about it, talked to close friends that knew that my heart was in caring for others and meeting their needs. After about 2 months of contemplating , I decided I was going to start In Bridget’s Hands Services full time. Man, I was so excited but nervous at the same time because I didn’t have any money saved nor did I have benefits knowing I’d still need to go to the doctor. However, my faith was activated and in January of this year, I was ready. In Bridget’s Hands Services, LLC was designed to solve the problem of caring for family members when their children, spouses or significant other no longer can because they have other obligations or they don’t have the experience that the loved one needs to be cared for.
I feel that what sets my business apart from others is that I pour my all into every one I care for. I don’t have limitations on what I can and cannot do for the individual because I report only to myself and the responsible family member. From experience, I’ve witnessed other businesses will provide the bare minimum of service that’s requested even when they see the individual needs a hand with something else. Many of my clients don’t have family members that are local so that little extra time to put lotion on an elderly client to prevent skin breaking or putting on that favorite television show before I leave truly makes a difference in that clients day. It helps them know I care about them as if they were my own family member.
I’m most proud of the way others are able to see how happy my client is with the care he or she is given when we’re out in public or at a doctors appointment. They see that I’m attentive, knowledgeable and concerned about my client’s health and well-being. Lastly, I want potential and future clients and family members to know that I’m Bridget’s Hands Services, LLC is the best choice you could make when looking for a private in-home caregiver because I’ll always treat your family member like family.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
I’ve always been a people person and when I needed a side hustle to supplement my income, I chose to care for others to make that hustle a success. I started out caring for one individual on a nightly basis every week for five days. It was meeting the need at the moment so I was content. However, her day time caregiver had to quit and she asked me if I’d be willing to help her. I was hesitant to do so because I knew that piston included tasks that I didn’t think I could accomplish. The client had faith that I could handle the tasks and when my mom said, “if you love her, you’ll be just fine”. I agreed. It’s been 10 years and even though she’s no longer a local client, I’m still the one caregiver she chooses to travel with her because she knows I’m the one that’s going to make sure everything concerning her is handled correctly. It’s because of her, my desire and purpose in life to serve others, I started my own business caring for others. I beloved that’s when it’s “in” you, there’s nothing you can do to change it. You can only make it work for you and that’s what I’ve been doing since 2014 whether it was caring for children or adults. It’s my purpose in love and I strive to give it my all.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me has been referrals and the internet platforms that list families that are in need of help for their family. I’ve had calls from people saying a person referred me to them and I’m not even aware of the reference, but I’m always thankful because the services I provide are truly speaking for themselves.
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