Hidden Gems: Meet Tonya Menefee of Thrive Care Home Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Menefee.

Tonya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Before I started my business, Thrive Care Home Consulting, I worked in the media, city and county government management, and a Fortune 500 corporation. Through each of these parts of my professional journey, which were all very unique, I learned several key foundational truths: be humble and grounded no matter the size of the accomplishment, stay in conversation with God, treasure connections because it IS about who you know, strive for the lesson, keep a work-life balance to enjoy your hard-earned benefits, never believe your own press or drink the kool-aid because it can all fall apart at any moment, and don’t be afraid to fail or start over.

Today, I have entrepreneurial endeavors here in metro Atlanta and in another state, but specifically I started Thrive Care Home Consulting headquartered here nearly five years ago.

Thankfully, from Thrive’s start I was wise enough to accept the help of mentorship from someone who was an accomplished business owner many times over. I think I’ve been successful so far because of the strong foundation my mentor Shar helped me build for Thrive when I first began. Whether I worked in government, corporate, or now entrepreneurship, I’ve always sought and appreciated having a mentor because there’s only so much I know, especially when stepping into a new industry.

Plus, I consider myself to be a lifelong learner, so I’ll never turn down an opportunity to not only learn from someone who’s been there, but to also ask questions.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. While it’s great to be your own boss and chart your own life path, it takes a lot of work and is a serious responsibility. But frankly, that’s the case with anything. I started Thrive fully expecting the road to be bumpy, especially at the start. If things are too smooth or too quiet for too long, I start to look around and wonder if everything’s alright, are there any blind spots I’m missing because on a daily basis I’m dealing with tech, humans, finances, regulations, and all forms of communication, so in that mix something is bound to go wrong every now and then.

Some other struggles along the way in my focus areas of healthcare, developmental disabilities and federal and state-level regulations are that they’re constantly changing laws. Just when Thrive gets certain processes down, we must be nimble enough to quickly change for a new government regulation because when it goes into effect, it goes into effect.

Also, another hurdle that to me has become more challenging year after year is paying for healthcare. As a business owner, I have to cover it, and as we’re all seeing in the news nowadays, it can be a serious expense.

I’d also add understanding tax requirements and deadlines. I’m no longer a W2, so I must understand what’s the proper business structure as I grow. There are so many things to track. I need to understand when certain taxes are due and my options to handle them. Also, how to best handle accounting and properly deal with vendors. I now know doing the business and doing business are two different things; it’s like working out in front and behind the scenes at the same time with both being critical roles as an owner.

Still, it hasn’t totally been a bumpy road. I’m grateful. For instance, when my mentor retired she graciously referred all of her clients to me, which thankfully led to some business. Overall, I’m blessed.

As you know, we’re big fans of Thrive Care Home Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Thrive helps our clients get licensed to open group homes currently in an 8-state market – NH, IL, OH, KY, NJ, GA, VA, and MD – for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We create customized and personalized policy and procedure manuals that states require for licensing, as well as other necessary business documents, forms and templates. We take the guess work out of the licensing process by closely working with our clients to complete their licensing application packet for submission. Through every step of the process, we’re consultants for them concerning everything from successfully setting up their facility for the on-site state inspection to staff training. Our experience includes deep expertise in operations, professional development and employee management, customer service, developing strong policies and procedures, and strategic planning.

I think one of the main things that sets us apart from others is our sterling customer service. From the moment someone calls our office, texts us, or sends in a web contact form, we treat them with the utmost respect. We don’t assume we’re going to snag them and we don’t tell them what they want to hear either simply to chase the money. After our pitch, if they decide to go a different route instead of working with us, we genuinely wish them well, no pressure. I’ve had clients tell me that’s what made the difference between them deciding to work with Thrive versus others. Plus, the referrals and repeat customers show me that to be true.

Not too long ago I learned from a potential client who called our office for a proposal that a State of Virginia official referred her to Thrive, which is a big deal. That made my day! It shows that we’ve developed a good reputation inside those government offices based on the excellent application packets they see first-hand that we develop for our clients. Feedback like that gives us the fuel to keep going on tough days.

We’re really proud of our high success rate because we work hard for it. There is no client we have not been able to help get licensed in the nearly five years of my business. I can only think off the top of my head of two clients who didn’t move forward to pursue a license due to serious family illness. And if during the State’s review of their application packet there are concerns or questions, we’ve helped clients who’ve come back to us try to address them if we can, which then gets them licensed. We’re dedicated to our clients succeeding, so we want to be a positive part of setting the foundation of their group home – the license.

Because of the population these group homes serve – people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, such as down syndrome or autism – we want our clients to ultimately set up properly-licensed, solid facilities for the long term because their residents need and deserve it.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned recently is how to pivot when necessary, but not in a knee-jerk, overly emotional way. Instead, I realize things have worked out with my entrepreneurial journey overall when I’m thoughtful, balanced, and proactive.

If I were to give advice to someone who is a business owner or considering it, it’d be to remember you are not your business. Don’t let it become your only identity or your life completely. While there are many times when things will get heavy or hectic, try as best as possible to keep a work-life balance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thrivecarehomeconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thrive-care-home-consulting