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Most people think they know what a nursing home is, but they’ve never heard the voices inside.
The quiet moments of compassion. The stories of resilience. The people who show up, not just because it’s their job, but because it’s their calling.
Brought to you by Majestic Care, Hearts of Excellence shares what it truly means to live and work in long-term care. Through real, unscripted conversations with our care team members, leaders, and resident families, we reveal what excellence looks like in action, and, most importantly, why it matters.
Behind every resident is a family who wants to know they’re cared for. Behind every caregiver is a heart that chose this work for a reason.
Long-term care isn’t the end of the story. It’s just the beginning.
[00:00:00] Tim Huff: So I was in banking for 10 years as a bank teller, and it was probably one of my favorite jobs just getting to, to meet your customers. And, you know, obviously at that point everyone went to the bank. So then, you know, as the 10 years went on, you know, people started using ATMs and things. So it was more of the older population that would come in, and I absolutely loved it.
[00:00:21] my grandmother was a, a critical part in my life, that entire time. And so I can remember as a kid driving through the bank in the back of her Cadillac. You know- I can see that
[00:00:30] you could barely see my head in the backseat. You know, just running errands with her. And so I've always been around older people.
[00:00:39] Amanda: You are listening to Hearts of Excellence, brought to you by Majestic Care, where real stories from long-term care come to life.
[00:00:47] Chelsey Gheyara: Today I'm sitting down with someone who took an unusual path into long-term care. A decade in banking, and then pivoted.
[00:00:55] That surprised him even more, in a career that led him all the way to [00:01:00] overseeing facility acquisitions for Majestic Care. But what I really wanna talk about today isn't just our guest's career. It's the woman who shapes every decision he makes. He calls her Mimi. And today we have Tim Huff. Hi, Tim.
[00:01:17] I can't wait to learn more about this story. And I'm most excited about what our listeners will glean from this today, not just from a professional perspective, but, the stories we bring with us in our journey.
[00:01:30] So.
[00:01:31] Tim Huff: Absolutely.
[00:01:32] Chelsey Gheyara: So let's dive into the conversation, shall we? All right, Tim, you spent a decade in banking before you stepped into long-term care. This is probably my favorite. I love it when you talk about this. It's so interesting to me. tell me what was going through your mind when you made that switch, and was there a moment early on where you thought, "I don't know if this is for me"?
[00:01:54] Tim Huff: Yeah. So I was in banking for 10 years as a bank teller, and it was probably [00:02:00] one of my favorite jobs just getting to, to meet your customers. And, you know, obviously at that point everyone went to the bank. So then, you know, as the 10 years went on, you know, people started using ATMs and things. So it was more of the older population that would come in, and I absolutely loved it.
[00:02:16] Um, was in school, just really hadn't figured out what I wanted to do in life, like most- Yeah ... people my age, you know, then. my grandmother was a, a critical part in my life, that entire time. And so I can remember as a kid driving through the bank in the back of her Cadillac. You know- I can see that
[00:02:32] you could barely see my head in the backseat. You know, just running errands with her. And so I've always been around older people. Yeah. I'm such an old soul, and so that was always my comfort zone. Yeah. So yeah.
[00:02:44] Chelsey Gheyara: you went from then, through your AIT, so you're, you're in the banking industry, collections, to an administrator, administrator, and then a regional leadership role. we're gonna dive into a few... I wanna talk about Columbus. Mm-hmm. we're gonna talk about your role now.
[00:02:58] We're gonna kind of dance around [00:03:00] a lot of things here. but in your leadership journey, at what point in that progression did you start thinking of yourself as a leader, and what made it feel real?
[00:03:11] Tim Huff: That's a very good question. a hard one to answer because I've honestly never thought of myself as a leader.
[00:03:17] I've always thought of myself as just- That's so sweet ... as just everybody. And, you know, I always hated the title administrator, always hated the title executive director because it, put me in a different-
[00:03:28] Chelsey Gheyara: bucket as them, and where I always thought that we were just the same. Our job titles are different, right?
[00:03:35] Tim Huff: I mean, we're here for eight plus hours, so what we do is different, but at the end of the day, we're just people helping people.
[00:03:42] Chelsey Gheyara: And, you know, I've always found that, you know, if you're with them, you understand them, you understand what's going on, you will get much greater success. And so I've never thought of myself as a leader, even though that is what inevitably what I am.
[00:03:58] Tim Huff: it's just has not [00:04:00] been, something that I've kinda latched onto. And,and it's boasted well for me over the years, I've just kinda gone with that. So.
[00:04:08] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:04:08] Tim Huff: Yeah.
[00:04:08] Chelsey Gheyara: That's beautiful. And you can tell that in your leadership, you know, you are elbow to elbow.
[00:04:14] Tim Huff: Mm-hmm.
[00:04:14] Chelsey Gheyara: And it's, it's a beautiful thing to witness.
[00:04:18] I'm gonna switch gears a little bit. I wanna go back to Mimi. I wanna hear a little bit more about this. so you said that your grandmother, your Mimi, was your rock. Mm-hmm. And, she passed in 2019. Mm-hmm. can you tell me about her?
[00:04:30] Tim Huff: Oh, yeah.
[00:04:30] Chelsey Gheyara: Who was she?
[00:04:31] Tim Huff: I have to paint the picture of what she looked like first- Yeah
[00:04:34] so just so you get an image. So she was, the look of Jane Fonda, like always put together, you would never see her out of the house without Full, you know, full attire, necklaces, the whole nine. So, she was always just a classy lady, a business lady.
[00:04:49] Chelsey Gheyara: Wow.
[00:04:50] Tim Huff: very business savvy.
[00:04:51] she never made decisions, just off the cuff. if it was anything, she would always say that she had to sleep on it, so- Yeah ... she always felt like that was the best decisions that she [00:05:00] ever made. Yeah. So my entire family, has always worked for themselves. Okay. So they've never received a W-2, so to speak-
[00:05:08] Chelsey Gheyara: Wow
[00:05:09] Tim Huff: ever.
[00:05:09] Chelsey Gheyara: Like, your whole family?
[00:05:10] Tim Huff: Entire family. So me growing up like that, I always knew that that's not what I wanted to do. Mm-hmm. Because with that, you know, your parents miss homecomings, proms. They, you know, they miss those critical moments. And so with Mimi, that's why I gravitated to her, because my parents were always busy.
[00:05:26] Chelsey Gheyara: And so my grandmother, I, I wouldn't say that she raised me, but I would say that she raised me-
[00:05:30] with golf outings that her and the gang would go out and, you know, just different things. She was just a, a wise, wise lady- and accepting of everybody. when she passed in 2019, her, you know, she was 87.
[00:05:43] And the funeral home was packed, so much so that they were moving it along. I mean, she never had a, she never met a, someone that didn't like her.
[00:05:52] Tim Huff: And she owned rental property. She was a business lady. Wow. She had every opportunity for people to not like her-
[00:05:58] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ...
[00:05:58] Tim Huff: um, because of what she [00:06:00] did, and it is, I think it was just how she treated people.
[00:06:03] Chelsey Gheyara: she was just a very kind lady, so.
[00:06:04] That's beautiful. What are a couple things that you learned from her?
[00:06:09] Tim Huff: Oh, gosh. Never buy a bundle of bananas that the store gives you. you can take off the banana of each bundle and just have it from bright yellow to green, and you'll have a banana every day.
[00:06:22] Whereas if you're a single person- Wow ... and you just buy the bundle, they're all gonna go bad at the same time.
[00:06:26] Chelsey Gheyara: At the same time. That's a great insight. I would've never thought about that. J-
[00:06:30] Tim Huff: she just had little- Thanks, Mimi ... little things like that. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, yeah, that was just the way, that's just how she was.
[00:06:36] parents separated. They got divorced. Yeah. And so, my grandmother helped my mom buy a car. Yeah. And my mom said, "Well, I want a, I want a, a Cutlass Supreme with leather in it." Wow. And she looked at my mom and she said, "Angie, you can't afford that, but you can afford leather pants," so.
[00:06:50] Chelsey Gheyara: That's hilarious.
[00:06:51] Tim Huff: S- just little things like that that's just who she was. Yeah. You know, and everyone knew. She was kinda quirky, but very intelligent lady. Yeah. So, yeah.
[00:06:58] Chelsey Gheyara: Sounds like she [00:07:00] was very warm, and everyone always knew where they stood-
[00:07:03] Tim Huff: Oh, yeah ...
[00:07:03] Chelsey Gheyara: with her.
[00:07:04] Tim Huff: Yeah.
[00:07:04] Chelsey Gheyara: That's incredible. Gosh, we miss you, Mimi. All right, you've described your approach to this work as every facility is filled with Mimis. when did that framing first come to you, and when does it actually change how you walk into a building?
[00:07:22] Tim Huff: Great question. I would say, you know, when I grew up going to the nursing homes with her- 'cause her mother was in a nursing home. they probably hated to see her come, because she, she did have the ombudsman's phone number. At the time, I of course didn't know what an ombudsman was or even knew how to say it. So, when she passed away, I was very critical in that moment to kind of understand her last wishes.
[00:07:44] No one in my family is in healthcare. Mm-hmm. So, you know, I'm not a nurse, but I, I knew what the lingo was, and so it really helped her with that. And I think it was really at that moment, to know that those moments matter, that, you know, if someone doesn't have a [00:08:00] family, it is our duty, not only as a, administrator, but as a organization, and as just a person, to make sure that the person is dignified in such a way that, you know, that it is your Mimi.
[00:08:12] Chelsey Gheyara: you know, I have to chuckle at this, 'cause she had tons of clothes from Petite Sophisticate, tags still on the clothes. Wow. So we had, you know, to obviously figure out what to do with them, and I thought, you know, "Oh, I'll, I'll give them to the nursing home." And I thought about that for a minute, and I thought, "That is the craziest thing."
[00:08:30] Tim Huff: You know, I just could not imagine, you know, all these beautiful ladies- Yeah ... walking around in a nursing home, and Mimi's clothes are just a constant reminder. So it was- Yeah ... it was challenging, honestly- I bet ... to go back to the nursing home.
[00:08:42] Chelsey Gheyara: She was never, you know, in a nursing home, but, it was a challenge.
[00:08:45] Tim Huff: Yeah. So at that moment, I knew that this is it, you know, trudge on, so.
[00:08:49] Chelsey Gheyara: And they're, they are our family.
[00:08:51] Tim Huff: Mm-hmm.
[00:08:52] Chelsey Gheyara: You know? So I could see why that would be challenging, 'causewhen you're in that building every day, you're seeing them, and you're getting their everyday updates.
[00:08:59] Mm-hmm. And [00:09:00] you're, you're hugging them, and you know, that, that would be really hard to s- to see that. so I want to shift a little bit to Columbus. So Tim, you led the, the tremendous turnaround of Majestic Care of Columbus, from the special focus list all the way to a five-star facility. What was it actually like inside that building during that process, and what kept you going when it was hard?
[00:09:27] Tim Huff: Good question. I, I think it, the story starts when was, when Dave, our CEO, called me.
[00:09:33] Chelsey Gheyara: I was sitting at a table to sign to buy a house. And so I was running a facility of, of ours at, at Avon. I didn't even know that Dave knew who I was, you know? And so I got the call, and I did not sign the papers to buy the house.
[00:09:47] Tim Huff: So long end of it short, it was terrifying because it was, you know, buying a house, shifting, going to a special focus facility in Columbus, Ohio- Yeah ... not really knowing what that would look like. Yeah. And so, you [00:10:00] know, Majestic Care believed in me, you know, and so I, so I did it, for an entire year. It was probably one of the most gratifying moments, achievements of my entire career.
[00:10:11] Chelsey Gheyara: it was gratifying to see the staff just really rally. the staff at our f- at our, uh, facility in Columbus is just w- some of the most resilient staff. Yeah. That, you know, as we know as, as, you know, long-term care, we know that a lot of nurses and, uh, STNAs can get a job anywhere.
[00:10:30] The amount of just pressure on all of us that, you know, these are people's homes, and if we don't get this right-
[00:10:36] then they're gonna lose their home. And so that pressure was immense. Mm-hmm. And that we never took lightly any day.
[00:10:43] we tried to make the best of it, and we did. I mean, that, the, the team there is just phenomenal. Yeah. So we took it from a special focus facility, graduated them off a special focus- Yeah
[00:10:55] Tim Huff: and now they're a five-star in downtown Columbus- Ohio. So, we did the [00:11:00] unthinkable.
[00:11:00] Chelsey Gheyara: You sure did. So, yeah. You sure did. That's, I mean, fantastic work. That, it's unbelievable. E- even in such a short amount of time. Yeah. Um, that just doesn't happen in that quick of a turnaround, so, um, seeing that was, was amazing.
[00:11:14] I'm sure there's numerous answers to this, but what was one of your favorite moments throughout that whole journey?
[00:11:20] Tim Huff: Oh, gosh. Throughout that whole journey, one of my favorite moments was probably just in the moment when survey was there and just knowing that we passed. You know, I almost get teary-eyed- just like thinking about it. Um- Yeah,
[00:11:34] Chelsey Gheyara: that's amazing ...
[00:11:35] Tim Huff: yeah, that's a special crew. Yeah. That's a really special crew in Columbus. And, you know, w- I think when... I'm gonna dance around a little bit here, but related to this question is one of the things I love about working in our industry is a lot of times on, on our podcast, for our listeners who have listened before, we talk a lot about all the different levels of care.
[00:11:57] Chelsey Gheyara: And I think, many of us have worked in the [00:12:00] hospital or in our industry or a different level of care, and one thing that's so special and unique about our industry is it truly is a family. And I know a lot of, you know, people in business don't like to say that a lot- Mm-hmm ... but it's true.
[00:12:14] Tim Huff: Yeah.
[00:12:15] Chelsey Gheyara: Every building and community, it's a community, has its, its own inner community.
[00:12:21] Tim Huff: Mm-hmm.
[00:12:21] Chelsey Gheyara: And that is... it's so special, and those are the people that, you know, someone passes away in your family, they're gonna make you a meal, or they're gonna rally with you and cry with you the next day when you're having a bad day.
[00:12:34] or rallying together to, to pass special focus, right? staying late together to get the, get the work done. so I think that's something that people don't understand is- Mm-hmm Long-term care, we talk about it all the time. There's a lot of misconceptions. And one of the many things we want people to know on this podcast is it's so rewarding, not only for their, because of the residents and the [00:13:00] impact we make in their lives, and they make in our lives, but each other's lives.
[00:13:04] You know, I can't imagine you going through what you went through in Columbus, that you're gonna have those stories forever.
[00:13:12] Tim Huff: Yeah. You know? and I had the opportunity to see them at, at the Ohio conference, OHCA. Yeah. And it was awesome. Yeah. And so I, I s- you know, they're all still there, you know?
[00:13:23] And just- Oh, that's awesome ... just remembering that, the moment that the surveyor told us, and the surveyor was just as excited as we were. I just got chills. They were, they wanted us to pass. They wanted us to do well. Yeah. And they knew in that moment that not only did we do well, we, we finished it off with one of the lowest citations- Wow
[00:13:41] in, in an annual survey that I've ever seen. Yeah. So, and they, they knew that. and we heard stories from the surveyors of what, what it was like prior to even Majestic Care owning the facility. And then, you know, these surveyors had been in the building for years. Mm-hmm. And just the transition they had made.
[00:13:56] Yeah. And just the look on everyone's faces. We, [00:14:00] gosh, we went on the sec- it's a third story building. Yeah. And so we went second floor, third floor, and w- and the entire building was just a party. the residents knew it. Yeah. They knew what was going on. We had a, a, still have a lot of long-term staff there that have been there for many, many years.
[00:14:16] Yeah. you know, and so we defied all odds- Yeah ... obviously. And,they're just a very resilient team there. Yeah. And they're, they're still there, and, maintaining the five star, so.
[00:14:24] Chelsey Gheyara: That's incredible.
[00:14:25] Tim Huff: Yeah.
[00:14:25] Chelsey Gheyara: And for our listeners that don't know, this building is smack dab right in the heart of downtown Columbus, Ohio.
[00:14:32] And, you know, with any urban building, you know, being downtown, there's many, you know, challenges that you could have. The odds were against us in many ways, and you guys overcame them, like you mentioned. so we talked a little bit about your favorite parts about it.
[00:14:47] What were maybe your, some of your most challenging moments?
[00:14:52] Tim Huff: I would say I-70 East.
[00:14:54] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:14:55] Tim Huff: I-70 West was probably pretty high up there. That's so great ... once I was [00:15:00] there, I was fine.
[00:15:00] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:15:01] Tim Huff: I stayed in a Airbnb. so I had that for really the whole, the whole year. close second was probably the first actually, is just seeing where we didn't do something the right way.
[00:15:13] Mm-hmm. And just seeing, you know, you have 100 million tasks to do, right? And so there's only a certain amount of time to do it. And having to circle back and say, "Oh, well, you forgot to do that," or, "Oh, that was missing." Just seeing that, you know, in our care team member's face of just like, you know, just never feeling like it's ever good enough.
[00:15:33] Yeah. And so when you're having to be perfect in an imperfect world where we're open 24/7, 365, that's a big ask of anybody. Mm-hmm. And so that one was probably the most challenging, is just feeling like the person has just let us down. Yeah. And that wasn't the case at all. So it was, you know, having the difficult conversations.
[00:15:55] And, and it wasn't easy. I mean, you know, there were some times that we had to have that, that, [00:16:00] you know, this isn't working out. Mm. You know, we have to shake hands and move on. Yeah.
[00:16:03] Chelsey Gheyara: what would you tell a new leader going in, a new administrator, based on this experience, and your prior experience as well, what would you tell them?
[00:16:13] Tim Huff: I would say, you know, understand where the facility is at. Understand the struggles that that facility has had. understand it, embrace it, and go in easy, you know, till you can kind of figure it out. You know, Majestic Care of Columbus, you know, a lot of the staff, I would say more than half, are on the, you know, they go, they take the bus-
[00:16:34] to work. So, you know, the survey team enters at 7:00 AM on a Monday morning, there's a foot of snow out there. You have to just understand that, you know, half your staff are, are on the bus line, and they're probably not gonna get there. So what do you- Yeah ... what do you do about that? Right. So just really understanding that every facility is different, respecting its past, not kind of going in and, you know, with the wrecking ball.
[00:16:57] love that.
[00:16:58] Looking at Columbus, [00:17:00] and I'm focusing, I'm focusing on Columbus a lot because of just the significant turnaround.
[00:17:05] Chelsey Gheyara: Mm-hmm. Right? I mean, you've already mentioned it, going from a special focus building to five-star in a very short amount of time. The, the care team members, you know, whether they're on the floor leading, face-to-face with our residents, or whether they're preparing meals in our culinary team, what attributes did you see in them that inspired you everyday?
[00:17:29] Tim Huff: That's a great question. They, they wanted to do well. Yeah. I think it's easy to say that, oh, they're special focus. Go in there, turn everyone around.
[00:17:38] Chelsey Gheyara: You know, fire them all, start new. Yeah. It's easy for someone to say that, right? but, you know, we have to understand too that, you know, I had an advisor in school.
[00:17:49] Tim Huff: I had my grandmother- Yeah ... who inspired me. I had so many people that, that were my mentors, right?
[00:17:57] Chelsey Gheyara: I was very fortunate in that. You [00:18:00] know, as us as administrators, we, we had that. We have to understand that so many of, of the care team members that we have, whether they're in culinary, whether they're housekeeping, laundry, they've never had that.
[00:18:11] Tim Huff: So-
[00:18:12] Chelsey Gheyara: you know, to go in and, and think that they do, or that... You know, they, they need inspired just like everybody else. Mm-hmm. I, I need inspired daily,
[00:18:19] to go in, you have to have a understanding that, you know, we don't know what they've been through.
[00:18:25] we don't know that.
[00:18:26] Tim Huff: We just have a, have to have a better understanding of that, and inspire them.
[00:18:30] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah.
[00:18:30] Tim Huff: So I would say that, you know, inspiration comes a long way. as an administrator, take a day off and- Yeah ... and go in the kitchen. You know- Great ... prepare a meal with them if, if you're qualified, you know?
[00:18:40] Chelsey Gheyara: And try the food.
[00:18:41] Tim Huff: And try the food. Eat the food. You know? Yeah. That's always one thing that I always did, is- Yeah ... you know- eat the food. Yeah. It's, it's not bad.
[00:18:48] Chelsey Gheyara: No,
[00:18:48] Tim Huff: it's not. I, I've had it all the time, so, you know, I'm qualified to say that because I've had it. And so, you know, I think that once they see you as a person and not as an executive director- Right
[00:18:59] [00:19:00] right? Um, once they see, you know, be silly with them, dance with them, you know, it's just you have to be, you have to be. And, and you will be, feel better as a person-
[00:19:09] Chelsey Gheyara: to not feel like you have to keep this level of, you know, professionalism. It's okay to let your hair down- Yeah ... with y- with your team.
[00:19:18] Tim Huff: They, they need that. They do. Um, and I think the, a lot of respect comes from that.
[00:19:21] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah, I love that. That is such a big misconception in leadership, is we have to armor up and- Mm-hmm ... you know, this is by, by all means not me saying, "Let's all air our dirty laundry, and let's get on the mic and talk about our deepest, darkest secrets."
[00:19:38] And it's also saying, you know, we are humans- Mm-hmm ... and our teams need to see us that way. So taking that armor down- Yeah ... is, that was probably one of the, that was probably one of the most important leadership lessons I've ever learned- Mm-hmm ... is you don't have to always be perfect. You don't have to have a mask on.
[00:19:57] You just have to be you.
[00:19:59] Tim Huff: Yeah.
[00:19:59] Chelsey Gheyara: And they'll love you [00:20:00] for that. you answered this a little bit, but I, I wanna ask it in another way. How did you keep your team engaged through that extremely challenging time?
[00:20:10] Tim Huff: Yeah. is challenging. It i- it was challenging for me, as someone that had to head that team, you know, the boat in the right direction.
[00:20:19] just showing up every day, you know, trying to just do the best, and just leveling with them that, you know, "Hey, guys, today, today wasn't that great, but, you know, we always have tomorrow. You know, let's, let's leave early today, be ready to go tomorrow." Mm-hmm. Just being just a, a person.
[00:20:35] Chelsey Gheyara: Just being a human being.
[00:20:37] Tim Huff: you know, and I always hate the saying celebrate the wins, but you have to. You have to. You truly do. Yeah. And it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be challenging. It's gonna be difficult. There's days that you're gonna wanna quit, but, you know, you just have to know that there's a lot of Mimis in every nursing home that maybe don't have an advocate.
[00:20:53] Yeah. And so what, what happens to, to those folks?
[00:20:56] Chelsey Gheyara: and so we have to be that advocate. We have to be that [00:21:00] ombudsman for that person-
[00:21:00] as leaders.
[00:21:01] Absolutely. What would you tell maybe, let's say you're having a conversation with someone, and they're going into administration or healthcare- Mm-hmm
[00:21:10] and they know nothing about long-term care, and they're very apprehensive to even explore that.
[00:21:16] Tim Huff: What would you tell them?
[00:21:18] Great question. So my grandmother, Mimi, did not know any regulation at all. She didn't know any of it. However, she knew common decency. She knew how to treat people. I like
[00:21:30] Chelsey Gheyara: that.
[00:21:31] Tim Huff: And so I'll never forget, uh, my great-grandmother, which was her mother, was in a quad, unit, in the nursing home.
[00:21:39] And they, she got a new roommate. Well, Mimi found out, through just showing up, and so she wasn't notified. And I, you know, I have to look to see if that was even a regulation back then. Yeah. Probably wasn't, but she knew that that wasn't how that was supposed to go. Yeah. that if someone was living with, you know, her mom in a room, that she needed to be notified.
[00:21:58] And so she [00:22:00] marched right down, you know, to the administrator's office and complained. I'll never forget that. So to back to your question- You may not know the reg, but just what does your heart say? Yeah. what does just common decency say to do? Yeah. You know, you may think that there's a lot of crazy regulations out there, but if you just look at it from a person-
[00:22:18] Chelsey Gheyara: helping other people, what would you want? Yeah. And i- if you think of it like that, it... I wouldn't say it's easy, but I would say that it's, it's, if you're always thinking with your heart, I think it just does come a lot easier. Yeah. And I, I think that that was one of the challenges I had in passing, you know, administrator licensure,you know, just what would your heart say?
[00:22:38] Tim Huff: Yeah. What, what is a common decency thing to do-
[00:22:41] Chelsey Gheyara: Absolutely ...
[00:22:41] Tim Huff: um, versus what, you know, what the big paragraphs say in a regulation, so.
[00:22:46] Chelsey Gheyara: Right. In a policy.
[00:22:47] Tim Huff: Yeah. Or, or in a policy, exactly.
[00:22:49] Chelsey Gheyara: Do the right thing. In your current role in working in acquisitions, which I think is fascinating, how, how do you see things maybe differently now?
[00:22:59] [00:23:00] So, I mean, you went from banking to an administrator to obviously Columbus' transformation that we just talked about. And now you've moved on and you're working in acquisition. So how has that shaped the way you look at your new day-to-day?
[00:23:15] Tim Huff: Absolutely. So if we're going, and let's say that we're acquiring a facility, their tensions are high, you know, because the facilities that we're acquiring, they don't know us.
[00:23:24] They've probably Googled us. they don't know, you know, anything about us really at all. And so it's my role to, you know, have them understand who we are. You know, we are the premier provider, you know, that's out there, and kind of calm their fears, and just be, be an advocate for them as well, you know, and just being a person.
[00:23:43] and I've been in that position before- Yeah ... where the facility I ran was for sale and, you know, we sold, so I've been on the other side of that. what was going through my mind in that moment.
[00:23:52] Chelsey Gheyara: You know? And understand too, that, you know, we may see it a different way, but, you know, there's gonna be questions big and small.
[00:23:59] Tim Huff: Right. You [00:24:00] know, I have childcare. I work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. You know, th- Yeah ... this is my schedule. That's what they wanna know, if that is gonna be my schedule. So you have to have an understanding that there's gonna be questions big and far, and a lot of stress in that. So- Yeah ... just going in and just trying to answer any question in that, you know, this is an amazing company.
[00:24:21] You know, we have so many great benefits and all of the things, and, just trying to ease that for them.
[00:24:26] Chelsey Gheyara: That's beautiful. How do you juggle all of it? How do you manage all of l- you know, being a leader and all the things that we have to do as leaders? how do you juggle the day-to-day?
[00:24:38] Tim Huff: It can be challenging at times. what I love about it is that you just kinda never know what is gonna come, you know? And that, and that can be exciting, too. you know, there can be chaos. There could be not chaos. And you know, I always thought if, if I am stressed out about something, it's 'cause I don't have a plan.
[00:24:56] I don't have a plan in place. You know, like let's say you, you're [00:25:00] late on your electric bill.
[00:25:01] Chelsey Gheyara: And you just don't know how you're gonna pay it. You're stressed 'cause you just don't know how you're gonna pay it. Well, get a plan together. And then- Mm-hmm ... I, the stress kinda goes away. And I've always Led my days like that so that, you know, the stress kind of isn't as stressful.
[00:25:14] Tim Huff: and I love to work outside, so that oft- You do? ... that helps tremendously, just being out in nature-
[00:25:19] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah ...
[00:25:20] Tim Huff: gardening, running. it can totally be a reset. Are
[00:25:23] Chelsey Gheyara: you, do you grow vegetables or flowers or-
[00:25:25] Tim Huff: I'm starting to, yeah. Starting to.
[00:25:27] Chelsey Gheyara: Love that.
[00:25:28] Tim Huff: Yeah. So more outdoor, just shrubs and trees- Yeah ... and landscaping.
[00:25:33] Mowing the grass, so.
[00:25:35] Chelsey Gheyara: I love that. Yeah. Mowing is fun.
[00:25:36] Tim Huff: It can be. It can be.
[00:25:37] Chelsey Gheyara: My very first job out of high school, I worked for the Indiana Department of Transportation, and I worked on their mowing crew for their next to interstates. So that was fun, 'cause I got to spend all summer outside on a zero turn Oh, yeah
[00:25:55] just mowing with my crew.
[00:25:57] Tim Huff: Oh, yeah.
[00:25:57] Chelsey Gheyara: It was so fun.
[00:25:58] Tim Huff: You definitely get a lot of thinking done, for sure. [00:26:00] You
[00:26:00] Chelsey Gheyara: do get a lot of thinking. Yeah. I had my iPod Nano in my ear, and that's awesome. Cool. Last question. What does excellence mean to you?
[00:26:10] Tim Huff: Gosh, what does excellence mean to me? Excellence means just being the person that you are authentically- Mm-hmm
[00:26:18] and going into a building, whether it, if we're relating it to nursing home care, and just setting the bar that- Mm-hmm ... you know, this is how I run it. You know, this is how I see that we should be doing this, and just making sure that your staff know that, you know, if Tim's coming in, he's gonna expect this.
[00:26:37] and not only that, but they're not doing it just for me, but they see it, and they want that excellence as well. Yeah.it's something that my grandmother kind of always instilled in me that, you know, no matter what, no matter, everything can be fixed. You know, just try to be the best you can.
[00:26:52] Everyone is trying to be the best that they can. And, just having an understanding where everyone kind of comes from and just being [00:27:00] excellent.
[00:27:00] Chelsey Gheyara: Is there anything else you would like our listeners to hear today?
[00:27:04] Tim Huff: Gosh, if you have your grandmother, hug her.
[00:27:06] Chelsey Gheyara: Aw.
[00:27:07] Tim Huff: She's, they can be amazing people, so.
[00:27:09] Chelsey Gheyara: Yeah. I love that. Okay, If someone watching this is a care team member who's exhausted, a CNA at the end of a long shift, who's wondering if all of this work matters, what do you want them to know?
[00:27:24] Tim Huff: Gosh, it does. It does matter. I would first say go to your administrator and say, "I need a day off."
[00:27:29] Take a day off. That if your administrator will give you a day off, take a day off, take a breather. You know, it, every day is gonna be challenging. You know, they could have had three call-offs in the day, and they were the only CNA.
[00:27:43] You know, that maybe they had a heavy, heavy haul. You know, it is 100% worth it. there's just not enough thanks that can go to a CNA. I got my CNA license when I... During COVID. You did. And it was, and I, I think that [00:28:00] every administrator should- to be honest. it brings a whole new level of respect- Oh, yeah
[00:28:05] for sure. And, um, you know, they get it from everybody. They get it from administration, families, sometimes residents, the state. They're getting it from all over. and so, you know, they will feel at times that, "I just don't wanna do it anymore."
[00:28:21] Chelsey Gheyara: and that can be very challenging.
[00:28:22] Absolutely. Well, that is it for today. Thank you for tuning in to Hearts of Excellence. Tim's journey is a reminder that the most powerful thing you can bring to this work is someone you love, and the belief that every person in your care deserves to be seen the way you saw them. If you're interested in learning more about the culture at Majestic Care or want to find out more about our career opportunities, visit majesticcare.com/contactus.
[00:28:49] If you or a loved one needs long-term care, reach out to us. We're here to support your next chapter. Talk to you soon.