Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Judy Medina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Judy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
I started EZ CPR when a friend suggested taking over her CPR training business. I had spent 15 years in the Human Resources field and had left a few years prior to be a stay at home mom. I got bored very quickly after having worked in such a fast paced field. My first class consisted of 4 people, 2 of whom were close friends and using equipment that was a little out of date since I did not have a lot funds to purchase all new equipment.
I found that I enjoyed teaching, but one mistake I made at the beginning, was not investing enough in my business. Any start up requires money and I was nervous about spending more than I was making. In hindsight, I did my business a disservice. I should have bought the necessary equipment sooner and spent a little money on advertising. I was lucky because I had a lot of friends posting on social media recommending me, but had I properly invested in my business I would have turned a profit sooner.
Sometimes you have to take an educated leap of faith to grow your business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I fell into this business and found I really enjoy it. Luckily, it does not feel like a job because it’s fun. I started with only CPR and First Aid and added CPR for healthcare, babysitting training, Stop the Bleed training, Safe Sleep Training and all my classes can be delivered in Spanish as well.
There is a lot of competition in this industry. Many people who think this is an easy way to make money, but in reality you need to work hard and have passion for what you’re teaching. I believe that is what sets me apart. I am a firm believer in actually teaching a life saving skill. You’re not just teaching something so a person can provide a card/certification for a job, you’re teaching them to save someone’s life. I also try and make it fun for everyone so everyone enjoys the class.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Getting through COVID was a journey. I had already been in business a few years, but all of a sudden business came to a complete halt. Luckily, I had reserves to weather the storm, but it took some time for classes to pick back up again. Part of owning your own business is learning to adapt to changes and understanding that bad times do not last forever. Business is back to normal and I feel proud that I got through it without giving up.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
It takes time to build a reputation, but what helped me, is customer service. It sounds so basic, but I have heard from clients who state they never get return phone calls or emails. Just something as simple as returning phone calls in a timely manner makes such a difference. Ensuring that it is easy for customers to contact you is very important. I also am very responsive when past students need anything like replacement cards or have additional questions.
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