Happy Monday and a very Happy New Year to you and yours! Looking forward to traveling with all of you in the year ahead!
Growing a healthcare staffing company has been one of the most challenging and rewarding chapters of my entrepreneurial journey. This past year taught me that success in healthcare staffing is rarely linear, never simple, and always built over time.
As I venture into 2026, I want to share a few honest lessons: what I thought would matter, what I learned the hard way, and how my definition of success has evolved.
What I Thought Would Matter vs. What Actually Did
When I first started the company, I believed that providing strong value, ethical practices, and consistent service would naturally help us carve out a niche. I assumed that if we focused on doing things right, there would be room to grow.
What I underestimated was how much of the healthcare staffing industry is already occupied by large, established players. The ecosystem is complex, layered with long-standing relationships, structured processes, and multiple gatekeepers.
Breaking into this space required far more patience and system-level understanding than I anticipated. Progress came slowly, and meaningful traction took time. It wasn’t just about working hard—it was about learning how the industry truly operates.
The Mistakes I Won’t Repeat
Coming from an IT background, I carried assumptions that didn’t fully translate to healthcare staffing. In IT, being a secondary vendor to a large firm was often a viable growth strategy.
Healthcare staffing works differently.
The VMS/MSP ecosystem plays a significant role in how many healthcare organizations manage recruiting. While these platforms help streamline operations for clients, the experience for smaller staffing firms can be challenging and unpredictable.
Early on, I relied too heavily on a VMS-driven approach. Over time, I recognized its limitations and made a conscious pivot toward direct client acquisition. That shift allowed us to build stronger relationships, improve visibility, and gain greater control over our business. It ultimately helped us close the year on a much stronger footing.
How My Definition of Success Changed
For a long time, I defined success narrowly—closed deals and revenue in the bank. Anything short of that felt like failure.
This year forced me to rethink that mindset.
In healthcare staffing, progress often shows up quietly: a solid provider relationship, a smoother internal process, a promising client conversation. These moments may not generate immediate revenue, but they move the business forward.
Learning to see success as progression—not just outcomes—has changed how I lead and how I evaluate growth.
Healthcare staffing has taught me patience, resilience, and adaptability. It has challenged my assumptions and reshaped how I define progress. As I step into the new year, I do so with clearer priorities, stronger systems, and a deeper appreciation for the journey.
I’m curious—what has this past year taught you about your business?
Enjoy your first full week of work in 2026!