We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Buddy Clay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Buddy below.

Alright, Buddy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Yes I certainly do think about having a regular job. As a business owner, you don’t have certain luxury’s that 9-5 employees have. For instance, being able to clock out. Clocking out doesn’t exist for a CEO, especially when a business is new. There is always something going on, or something that needs to be taken care of and I can’t “leave my work at the office” During the first year of business for New Hope Healthcare, I spent a lot of time trying to grow the business and think of ways to do so successfully. These types of thoughts don’t really turn off. It’s also very easy to stress and worry about everything. My line of work comes with high risks that require me to be constantly available, and that means there’s no off switch.

So yes, there have been a few times I have thought about what it would be like to have a regular job again and be able to turn off my phone for a weekend without the fear of something bad happening. However, the long-term benefits will certainly outweigh the pros of being a regular employee. If doing my job now was a walk in the park, everyone would be doing it as well, and there is a reason why it’s so tough. That’s the reminder I need, and most weeks when I feel completely worn thin, one of my employees or clients says something that helps fill my tank up so I can press on for another week.

Buddy, 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?

To start, my name is Buddy Clay and I am married to Tasha. I truly won the lottery by meeting Tasha in California when I moved there from Long Island, New York back in 2013. We have the two most beautiful girls, Brooklyn who is 4, and Isabella who just turned one.We also have a rescue dog, Elliot who was our firstborn and is still adjusting to not being our “baby”. My family and I moved to Knoxville TN in March of 2021, and are thrilled to grow roots, and truly feel like Knoxville is home.

I have personally worked in the mental health field for over ten years. I initially started with an entry-level position for an adolescent program in California, which gave me a solid foundation for my career path. I have been involved in every avenue of treatment/rehab, from behavioral tech, admissions, marketing, counselor, and program director. This laid the groundwork to know what it takes to run a successful program of my own. My fundamental knowledge of working at other successful treatment centers and my passion for helping others is what fueled my desire to help launch New Hope Healthcare Institute. New Hope Healthcare is an outpatient mental health and substance use treatment facility. We offer day treatment, along with evening groups to accommodate working professionals. Our program is anywhere from 45-90 days and during that time clients in our care receive individual therapy, group therapy, and psychiatry appointments as needed. our mission statement is ” Renewing the lives of the struggling with mental health and addiction while bringing back hope to their families.”

Any advice for managing a team?

Employees are the key to a company’s success. If you have a happy and motivated team, they will be more likely to provide high-quality work.  I can honestly say that as healthcare workers in the Mental Health and Substance abuse industry, we do some of the most important work. So, for me it’s very important to have a happy team of employees. This is a very difficult task, but certainly the most important. “You can’t pour out of an empty cup.”

Having a young, growing company I have also made it a point to encourage professional growth. Each employee I have hired meets with me, and I discuss my goals and growth plans for the company. My goal in that meeting is to paint a picture of what that could look like for anyone who plans to stick around long-term. Each employee I have started with, in theory, could easily be a manager for their respective department, and help oversee a team as we continue to grow. That was something I found a lot of value in, and motivated me early in my career.

I have also found being readily available for staff concerns is something that helps. I have tried my best to listen, and allow staff to come to me with issues they have, and give them a platform to address me directly and not through their supervisor. As the owner, I have seen value in being present and spending time in the milieu amongst staff and clients.

Another thing is simply offering the best benefits your company can manage, I know what I currently offer isn’t the best, but its better than nothing, Current employees have voiced that is one of the reasons they took a job from me, and a reason why they are staying.

The last piece of advice, PIZZA. I have read some studies that show employee productivity goes up when there is a food incentive (especially pizza) Since I opened our doors I have provided staff with lunch every Friday. This is something I started because I wanted staff to know they are valued, and I also wanted to encourage everyone to sit down together and enjoy a meal. I know its a small gesture, but I worked for a company that did this, and It gave me something to look forward to as well!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In January 2021 I was faced with something nobody ever plans for, and that was hearing I had cancer. My wife and I were living in California, we were expecting our second child, and I had a great job as a program director for a Mental Health facility. We have been working towards getting a home in Orange County and planning on growing our family there. When I say my life and career took a pivot, I mean that in the fullest sense. I needed to plan for the worst and figure out what would be best for my family. We ended up deciding to move to Knoxville, TN so we could be close to family and have my parents around to help with our kids in case things got worse with my health. I switched careers prior to moving, and took a job doing marketing for a vitamin company in Knoxville. During this time I had begun my year long treatment to lower the chances of cancer coming back. My body was responding well, I was able to hold a job, and also have energy as a father. After a few months of working for the supplement company, I realized I was missing what I did back in California, and didn’t feel like I had as much purpose. After talking with my business partner, and by God’s grace all of the right pieces started to come together and New Hope Healthcare Institute had started to come to life. It may sound cliche but you never know what the future holds and anyones life can look drastically different in just a years time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.newhopehealthtn.com
• Instagram: @newhope.healthcare
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/buddy-clay