Care to CEO – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast that helps caregivers and underdogs take bold steps toward confident business ownership in the care industry! In this episode, host Crystal Smith cuts through the confusion around getting licensed —and getting paid — for a home care business. Crystal shares her personal journey, practical steps, and plenty of hard-won wisdom on how to navigate the paperwork, state requirements, and the all-important approval process to become a Medicaid or state-funded provider.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by confusing government websites, unsure of what license you really need, or just stuck googling into the void, this episode is your go-to guide. Crystal walks us through the exact steps she took: choosing her business structure, opening the right doors at state agencies, leveraging mentorship, and building her network. She talked about common mistakes (so you don’t make them!), working with reviewers, setting up for renewal, and even how to diversify your funding streams. Plus, Crystal shares that sometimes “starting scared” is the best way to get going — no matter how daunting it all seems.

So whether you’re just dreaming or deep into your application, tune in for real-world tips and inspiring stories to help you launch and grow your care business. Let’s get you from uncertainty to approval, and from care to CEO — together!

Timestamps:

00:00 Overcoming Licensing Challenges

05:53 Licensing Challenges for New Businesses

08:16 Choosing a Path in Caregiving

11:23 Medicaid Payee Approval Process

15:48 Foster Care Challenges and Experiences

18:59 Medical Coding for Billing Payments

22:47 "Effective Communication and Responsiveness"

23:51 Application Process Challenges and Review

27:10 Helpful Feedback from Reviewer

33:08 Power of Mentorship

36:28 "Embracing Help and Delegation"

39:15 Affordable Help and Rachel's Book

40:59 Mentorship: Driven to Elevate Others

43:35 Embrace Action Despite Fear

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast that empowers caregivers, everyday people, and underdogs to embrace their inner entrepreneur - especially in the care industry. In today’s episode, host Crystal Smith, a trailblazer in group homes and behavioral health housing, to uncover a business opportunity most of us have never even considered owning: the group home and non-skilled care business. 

Crystal shares her inspiring journey from caregiver to CEO, breaking down myths about the industry, revealing how accessible and rewarding this work can be, and giving step-by-step insights from her own experience. 

Whether you’re a CNA, a home health aide, or someone with a passion for helping others, Crystal’s story and practical advice show that you don’t need a trust fund or a fancy degree to build a legacy -- just heart, determination, and the willingness to start. Get ready for a real, raw conversation that might just change the way you see your future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Understanding Group Homes

03:11 Impromptu Park Outing Success

09:12 Starting a Home Care Business

10:32 Balancing Daily Tasks and Ambitions

15:03 Opportunity in First Responder Care

18:03 "Quick Success in Home Care"

21:08 Insightful Real-World Business Examples

26:28 Endless Demand for Care Services

29:50 "Empowering Frontline Caregivers"

31:36 Motivation: Key to Overcoming Challenges

36:37 Pushing Through Challenges

39:47 Seeking Guidance at Conventions

41:53 Relatable Success through Hardship

44:43 "What Would Crystal Do?"

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

Welcome to Episode 1 of Care to CEO! In this inspiring kickoff, we introduce you to our host: Crystal Smith, a remarkable caregiver-turned-entrepreneur who shares her heartfelt journey from humble beginnings as a caretaker for her great-grandmother to becoming the CEO of a home care business. Crystal opens up about her childhood in Canton, Ohio, her family’s strong work ethic, and how the invaluable skills she learned caring for loved ones naturally evolved into running her own business. 

She discusses the challenges of navigating the healthcare system, the realities of being undervalued as a frontline worker, and the empowering moment she decided to bet on herself - transforming not just her own life, but the lives of those around her. From pivoting during the uncertainties of Covid to opening her home to those in need, Crystal’s story is a testament to resilience, compassion, and the power of turning care into action. 

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a healthcare worker, or someone searching for inspiration, this episode will remind you that the skills you have - and your heart for helping others - might just be the blueprint for your own success.

Timestamps:

00:00 From Caregiver to Entrepreneur Mentor

04:02 "From Caretaker to Entrepreneur"

08:58 Natural Caregiver's Journey

12:32 "Undervalued Healthcare Workers' Plight"

15:22 "Perseverance as a Single Mother"

20:12 Starting a Mentorship Business Journey

23:54 "Embracing Pressure to Succeed"

26:35 24-Hour Childcare for Special Needs

28:45 Balanced Life Through Caregiving

33:04 Emergency Respite Care Decisions

34:43 Support Challenges in Service Industry

40:16 Examples of Envy and Progress

41:56 "Natural Humility as Success Blueprint"

44:35 Eager for Episode Two

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

The only podcast built for underdog entrepreneurs, everyday people, and caregivers who want to build their own care-based business (Group Homes, Home Care, Foster Care, Behavioral Health Housing, Veteran Housing, etc.) without a trust fund or a fancy degree.

This show is hosted by Crystal Smith, a former CNA turned CEO & City Councilwoman, who shares the real, unfiltered, from-the-trenches playbook, helping you focus on the transformation journey from being an overworked and underpaid worker to becoming CEO and business owner — just like Crystal did — with tactical steps, mindset shifts, mentorship, and hard truths.

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast where caregivers become confident care entrepreneurs. In this candid episode, “The Ugly Truth: The Hardest Parts of Running a Care Business,” host Crystal Smith pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build and sustain a care-based business. You’ll hear Crystal’s raw reflections on staffing nightmares, staying compliant, emotional burnout, and those moments when everything seems to fall apart at once. She shares personal stories, like the unforgettable day when staff quit, clients threatened to walk, and her own child fell ill, and reveals how she found the resilience to keep going.

From learning the critical difference between hiring hands and hiring hearts, to the ongoing challenges of compliance (“the license is just the wedding, compliance is the marriage”), Crystal gets real about the emotional and organizational tolls of entrepreneurship. She also opens up about the importance of self-care, learning to ask for help, and forging strong boundaries to avoid burnout.

Whether you’re just dreaming of starting your own agency or are deep in the trenches, this episode is packed with advice, hard lessons, and the encouragement you need to stay in the game, even when it gets messy.

Timestamps:

00:00 Entrepreneurship: A Heartbreaking Calling

04:14 Overcoming Crisis with Resilience

07:32 "Heart Over Skills in Home Care"

12:31 Organizing: Key to Legacy Building

14:58 Embracing Self-Care and Balance

19:15 Boundaries Bridge, Protect, Empower

20:43 Rethinking Boundaries as Bridges

25:42 Learning to Delegate with Love

28:52 Clutter Reflects Mental Health Struggles

31:06 Challenges of Building a Business

34:59 "Embrace Solitude in Business"

38:34 Networking for Success

41:46 Breaking Cycles, Empowering Women

46:40 Strategic Thinking Reflection

47:30 Coping with Leadership Stress

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

Welcome back to another episode of Care to CEO, the show where caregivers and everyday people get the inside scoop on building confident, sustainable care businesses. In today’s episode, host Crystal Smith — a care business owner who’s seen it all — is here to dig into the often overlooked, “unsexy” essentials that keep your business alive: finding the right team, setting up effective systems, and keeping your own sanity intact.

Crystal shares her candid journey, from the early days of hiring just to fill shifts (and the chaos that followed), to learning why empathy, flexibility, and communication matter more than credentials when building a staff that truly cares. She talks openly about the hard lessons she learned trying to do it all herself, how she finally mastered delegation, and the digital tools and systems that now let her step away from the business without missing a beat.

Whether you’re just starting out or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your growing care business, this episode is packed with actionable advice, practical tools, and real talk about what it takes to survive — and thrive — in the care industry. If you’re ready to build a business that won’t fall apart when life gets messy, you won’t want to miss Crystal’s insights on staffing, systems, and the heart of successful care leadership.

Timestamps:

00:00 Screening for Values Beyond Resumes

06:55 Empathy in Action

08:45 "Collaborative Problem-Solving and Integrity"

13:26 Transition to Britco System

15:48 "Systems Restore CEO's Peace"

19:06 Empowering Staff Through Teamwork

24:33 "Set Up Access Care Early"

28:04 "Care Business Survival & Mentorship"

28:58 Gratitude and Farewell

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast where everyday caregivers transform into confident care entrepreneurs. In this episode, Crystal Smith - Mother, former CNA, Black Woman CEO, and City Councilwoman - digs into the real, often untold truth: women of color, especially caregivers, are not the underdogs. In fact, they’re uniquely built for business leadership.

Crystal shares her inspiring journey from managing a multigenerational household to founding her own care business and winning a city council seat. She unveils how the so-called "soft skills" develop through a lifetime of caregiving, like resilience, resourcefulness, and emotional intelligence. These are actually women's greatest business strengths. Crystal tackles the realities of impostor syndrome, being underestimated, and turning adversity into advantage.

Get ready for actionable insights, hard-won wisdom, and a strong message: those everyday skills you use to care for your family and community are the very building blocks of a powerful entrepreneurial legacy. If you’re a caregiver or a woman of a minority considering entrepreneurship, this episode will leave you feeling seen, equipped, and empowered to just start, because your story, your strength, and your leadership matter now more than ever.

Timestamps:

00:00 Innate Leadership in Adversity

03:57 Leadership Rooted in Compassion

07:23 Recognizing Undervalued Soft Skills

10:41 Empowering Entrepreneurs of Color

14:28 Entrepreneurial Journey: Triumphs and Trials

17:58 Mentorship for Marginalized Communities

21:28 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

25:12 "Embrace Trial and Error"

26:31 "Just Start Your Journey"

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

Welcome back to Care to CEO, the go-to podcast for people dreaming of building real businesses in the care industry. In today’s episode, Crystal Smith takes us on the journey from securing a license to landing that all-important first paying client. Crystal shares the unfiltered story behind her entrepreneurial beginnings: the mistakes, the setbacks, the hustle, and the invaluable lessons she learned along the way.

She digs into why trust, reputation, and word-of-mouth matter far more than flashy ads when you’re just starting out, and offers real-world strategies for getting your name out there, even if you’re feeling intimidated or uncertain. Whether you’re frozen by fear, stuck after becoming licensed, or needing a nudge to get moving, this episode is packed with practical advice and encouragement that proves you don’t have to be perfect; just present, prepared, and persistent.

So if you’re ready to turn your care business dreams into dollars, tune in and let Crystal show you how she did it and how you can too.

Timestamps:

00:00 Starting a Residential Care Business

06:34 Relationships Drive Client Acquisition

09:38 Trust as Marketability

13:13 Embrace Learning and Consistency

16:14 "Emphasize In-Person Networking"

20:34 Networking with Ohio's County MRDD Boards

22:31 "Fully-Furnished Rentals Appeal"

26:58 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Politics

31:17 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

32:26 "Unexpected Business Growth Journey"

37:45 "Sporty Business Attire Evolution"

39:12 "Overcome Fear: Lead with Action"

41:58 "Get Clients: Be Present, Persist"

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/