Peg Tobin
Janis Francis: [00:00:00]
Hello eVeryone. We’re back with your favorite show, Cosmos and Commerce. I’m Janis and with me is the one and only Michele. How are you doing this week, Michele?
Michele Cook: I’m doing great. Keeping things interesting. Just as always over here at Bodyache Escape. Are you ready for your busiest season over there at the Humble Crate?
Janis Francis: I sure am. I’m so excited to help everyone with their holiday shopping.
Michele Cook: Yes. Me too. Our new office manager is doing so good. This year should be a record breaking sale for our gift cards. And today we’ve got a guest who’s really good at putting the right people in the right jobs.
Janis Francis: Yep. We’re talking about finding the best fit for a job and who better to talk about this than someone who knows all about hiring for hospitals and clinics.
Michele Cook: Right? In hospitals, it’s not just about knowing the medical side of things. It’s about finding the people who are the perfect fit for the job.
Janis Francis: And it’s one place where wearing comfy clothes means you’re ready [00:01:00] for work. Woohoo!
Michele Cook: So true. Our guest today is not just a healthcare recruiter. She’s also a beloved educator in the healthcare community, a writer, and a public speaker. She’s the owner of Tobin Associates and works alongside her two sons. Now, let’s welcome the expert at finding great workers for healthcare, the amazing Peg Tobin.
Yay!
Peg Tobin: Yeah.
Janis Francis: Hi Peg, and welcome to Cosmos and Commerce.
Peg Tobin: Thank you. It is an honor to be here. Thanks guys. This is exciting. I’m glad you started something like this.
Janis Francis: Oh yeah, we’re having a good time with it. Can you tell us a story of starting Tobin Associates? What made you want to start a healthcare recruitment company?
Peg Tobin: Actually, I fell into this. I really did not plan on doing a healthcare recruiting and consulting group. Actually, my granddaughter got real sick. She was at the age of, she was like three [00:02:00] and she went into kidney failure. And at that time I was a corporate, I was a nurse for a corporation and I had five states that I had to oversee.
And I traveled a lot going to them and helping develop the different facilities and work with them and teach and educate. When we found out about her being the nurse, I wanted to be home. , I wanted to be there cause I knew it was , it was going to be a trial cause she was so little.
So I quit my corporate job, which they were very nice to me. They offered me even way back then, cause this company has been around for almost, I know we’re over 25. We’re almost on 26 years. So she’s quite a bit older now, but I wanted to, I didn’t want to work from home. I didn’t want to be obligated because I wanted to be available for her.
So I told her very nice and I thought, Oh, what the hey, I was still in my early fifties. I could work and I could work through the cart. So I thought, I’ll go out and be agency or something. But it happened [00:03:00] that I just started getting calls going, Hey Peg, do you know somebody can help? Hey Peg, can you do this deed?
Hey Peg, can you find us a good director of nurses? And I said, you know what? I think this could be a business. So I said, yes, I can for a fee.
Janis Francis: Yes!
Peg Tobin: a sudden, a company was born. And it has gone nationwide. We’re not huge. We’re not the biggest in it. But we were one of the first to even put out temporary interim level administrative.
We only deal with the executive side of it. But we were one of the first to do it. In a way,
it took off.
Janis Francis: awesome.
Peg Tobin: Thanks.
Janis Francis: were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days of your business?
Michele Cook: ago. Yeah.
Janis Francis: I got that. Yeah. I hear that.
Peg Tobin: I think because it was new money was an issue because you always have to have the money up front to grow. And this took off and I had the money and I was like, holy cow, I’ve never done anything like this. [00:04:00] And it’s a service company. So if you go to a bank, they’re like you want, and what is your equity service?
No, God put his hand on it, and when I did go, I had five banks willing to back us, so they started backing us, and we took off. It
Janis Francis: They saw the potential. They saw.
Peg Tobin: Yeah, I think so, and I think because I had already written articles and done a lot of teaching, I hadn’t written the book yet, but I had done articles and was already nationwide as far as speaking engagements and training.
Hey, I give it all to the Lord and it took off and One year after I had it going my eldest son looks at me He says you’re really gonna do this aren’t you mom? And I said, yeah, I’m gonna keep it up and he says I’m gonna join you and I looked at him and said hello Your mother you’re going to work with her Mother.
And he goes, hey, take it up with God. He told me to [00:05:00] come. He joined me, and then my husband, the following year said, I think I’m going to
go out and be your, because he was our nursing home administrator. And so I I always said I sold his body. Yeah, put him out, got money back for it. It was a different type of trade, but we got good money and he was able to go all over and that really helped us.
But now Chris, he didn’t join us till just eight years ago. He came on board. And I begged him to come on board because I said, in order for me to slow down, I gotta get somebody to help your brother out. And so he came on board and it’s been good,
Janis Francis: that’s
Peg Tobin: Family,
Michele Cook: We’re all family
Peg Tobin: we’re all in the healthcare arena. So worked out good,
nice and
Janis Francis: has your approach to healthcare recruitment evolved since you started?
Peg Tobin: It involved deeper at that time. I was pretty much putting people out on a temporary basis, very small and only in [00:06:00] the state of Indiana and Ohio and Kentucky. It has grown nationwide, and it’s grown into coaching, and much higher level placements, your CEOs, CFOs, high levels, vice presidents, and regionals, and stuff like that, along still with the directors of nurses.
Trust me, directors of nurses, they turn over. It’s a hard job,
and administrators, and a lot different from when we first started. The guarantee Is different because got a new generation, they don’t, no more of those gold watches, they’re not sticking around for that. You have a lot more turnover, which means you’ve got, people want to.
People say, hey, what’s my guarantee if I pay out this fee to get this person? I’d like to really find out how you do guarantee human lives.
I
don’t know how to do that yet, but they seem to think you should. But I’d say that’s evolved out, and then we’ve evolved a [00:07:00] lot more teaching, and then I wrote the book, and it went actually international.
So then I wrote another book, and it too went international. So then I did training I don’t know, programs, and I did the presenter, and then the participant workbooks, and then we went into coaching, because we find a lot of people who are put into leadership roles have no idea how to be a real leader, so you gotta, well, you gotta bring out who they are, and you gotta instill confidence in them, and that comes with one on one coaching.
Janis Francis: Wow.
Peg Tobin: Anyways, that, did that do it?
Michele Cook: I know when I became a leader, I did not know how to be a leader. So I needed a lot of coaching. Too bad I didn’t know you back then. Help me out. But you have inspired me recently.
Peg Tobin: Okay, That’s probably because we went drinking.
Michele Cook: Yeah. Everything’s better over a drink.[00:08:00]
Peg Tobin: Yeah.
Janis Francis: Which is why
we’re called Cosmos in Commerce.
So Peg, could you share a turning point or a pivotal moment? For Tobin associates
Peg Tobin: a turning point was people coming to us at a convention. And for me, I knew that they knew we were different. And that we were, had walked in their shoes. So therefore, when you’re really selecting someone, you know what it’s like to have been them. And that we ask a lot of questions and they know it, but we were at a convention and say, Hey Tobin, like your Tobinisms.
So we knew they were reading a lot more than just asking us to get a position. They were liking our way of looking at life because that’s what we named our little sayings every so often, which I wrote a book on that too called Tobinisms.
Janis Francis: I love it.
Peg Tobin: Yeah. It’s really, it’s just quick little [00:09:00] sayings that we do, they are all up here in this head and everybody else is a smart aleck in this building, so we decided we’d take them and write a book with them.
But I would say that spread it out that we weren’t just this. We were a lot more than that. We had, we had levels and degrees. That was good for me. I liked it, seeing that we were known, and they teased us, and they knew us in other states. And I started, that really was big, when all of a sudden I’m getting asked to go to Washington, or even Alaska.
Michele Cook: Wow.
Peg Tobin: Sitka and, Hawaii and there it’s really nice. So at this age, I don’t really care whether I travel already have and someone else paid for it. Getting us to do that and have people write you, I think a huge one, if you really want to know. What did it for me was when [00:10:00] I was granted permission to, it was Seema Verma.
Do you know who Seema Verma is?
Michele Cook: No.
Peg Tobin: She is the administrator. Administrators of of Medicare, CMS, Central Medicare Services. They are appointed by each president. I was, I, the last, I have been invited by the last two. Administrators for the central Medicare system. I’ve been asked for a one on one personal visit.
They’ve granted me to come and sit and talk. You
Janis Francis: an
Peg Tobin: about, yeah, that you just don’t get them. Cause I’m like, how did I get it? But. I got the opportunity to sit and they really did want to know. They
really did ask some very, they had a reason for the meeting and they want to do it about staffing and how do your nurses and how you do it.
And some of the stuff that we actually I wrote out like 25 ideas. We have seen some of them come to fruition, [00:11:00] so
yeah, that would be huge for me.
Michele Cook: Yeah, change maker.
Peg Tobin: None of our competitors have that. Anyway, okay, next question.
Michele Cook: Next question.
Peg Tobin: feel like I’m on Jeopardy.
Michele Cook: What do you think says healthcare recruitment apart from other kinds of recruitment?
Peg Tobin: The biggest one, true good question. The biggest thing about that is a lot of people like you take architects for instance, they will, or even physicians, which is still in your healthcare, but we don’t do physicians, but they will get a recruiter for them and let them represent them.
And then that recruiter will also keep in track when they see possibilities that come up or new opportunities for this person, they will call them and help guide them. They’ll leave the, they’ll turn to them to help them to [00:12:00] find new roles or to open new doors, where when you deal with us and the type of people we do They’re not letting go.
They don’t turn to you for guidance or letting you negotiate for them and advise them. Slowly that’s coming, but they they don’t understand it. It’s I look at them and say, guys, actors have agents. Why don’t you let us be your agent and sell you and represent you?
But they’re so used
Michele Cook: prefer that you prefer it that way.
Peg Tobin: I do.
I really if they’d step out of the way, sometimes we could do better for them. And if they would listen to us a couple of times, they wouldn’t, Oh no, I’m going to take this. Cause they’re afraid and things are happening. They’re saying, no, sit down.
Out, but they’ll jump. And then they’re sorry, they jump.
So they’re not,
Michele Cook: out for
Peg Tobin: we’re not in that. They haven’t moved up to that and I’d really like to see it [00:13:00] because then we wouldn’t have as much Usage going on where they go. Oh, we can get another one. Don’t worry about it They leave and they’re and actually your average day of a director of nurses now is six months
Michele Cook: Dang, that is short term.
Peg Tobin: It is And can you imagine now i’m telling you there’s something that i haven’t been there for years, but the average turnover for the united states It’s six months, and a lot of it has to do with the staffing, and of course, a lot, so much depression came up because heavy duty against long term care, and we deal mostly with long term care.
And I’m telling you, it was pathetic. We lost so many that said, no, I’m not doing it. Because the masks and the lockup and the scrutinization that went against them was awful. And they just, we burn them. We’ve, they fried our people and they’re now trying to rebuild and you have a whole different type of generation to build stuff.[00:14:00]
Michele Cook: Yeah. Yeah. How do you ensure that you match the right candidate with the right position?
Peg Tobin: Asking a lot of questions. By from the company because you’ve got to know what’s going on and then you’ll research there’s everything’s a public of whatever surveys are going on and anything that’s going against them or positive or negatives are usually publicized and on record so we go get that so
even though you know you might get a call oh it’s a great facility and you find out no it’s not.
anD the thing is that we’re embedded in it, we know it, we know the facilities, so we’re making sure that maybe the, you need someone like an administrator who’s really social that can get out and talk to the community and tell them about the facility, calm them down, do some tours, do some kind of education, hold some programs that people come in can ask and you can diminish some of the fear that’s going on.
Then [00:15:00] we would know that. Because we know that’s going on in that facility, or you have a you might have a facility that you need to look for someone that is very more fiscal. And they have, the one before them wasn’t, and they spent a lot of money and it’s causing problems too. You gotta just find out, you dig.
And we don’t take just what the company says to us and we’re very honest to the people that we’re trying to place in the position. And we tell ’em, this is what’s going on, so this is why your strength would be good for them. And we try to set them up so they know what they’re getting into and they’ll know these so that when they go in for their interview with those people, they’ll know to ask those questions. We set ’em up, right. Yes.
Michele Cook: So there’s no surprises. Yeah. With the changes in health care laws and regulations, how do you keep up to date to ensure compliance and recruitment?
Peg Tobin: There’s [00:16:00] really the compliance issues comes out in the questions. There’s really not anything that applies to recruiting for that. It’s like when you put someone in all the compliance issues are, does that, is that person qualified to do that job? And that means they have to be different than hospitals.
Hospitals, they don’t have to be. They don’t have to have a license to be an administrator, but in long term care you do, but you don’t need one to be in assisted leave. So you’ve got to know the different regulations and do they meet them, and you look those things up, and of course that comes out from the questions that we have for them.
So we don’t want to put someone like a newbie who’s not going to be taking
over. You have a five star program. If you have a facility that’s one star, you’re not going to think it’s too great, right? That means they need someone that’s really good that can get in and help them clean up and get them back into compliance.
You’re not going to put a [00:17:00] newbie in a building like that, so
you got to know that.
Michele Cook: You need a fixer. I know when I came to visit you at your office, you showed me some of those. Regulation manuals, and I was like, you must spend all day looking at rules and regulations to know everything in those books.
Peg Tobin: that’s part of being one. You just, you got to know it. And anybody to even sit and be licensed in it, they have to know it to be able to answer the questions. Before they even get their license, they know it. As far as me knowing it, it’s cause I did it,
UP, and so does Christopher and them, they stay up on it.
But for us to really know them, we’re not the last choice. We’re not the ones that make the decision, it’s the company. And they’ll make sure that they ask those questions.
Michele Cook: Yeah that’s. It’s good, you told us about some of the biggest changes that you’ve seen in the industry. But what are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen just in business in general through the years?[00:18:00]
Peg Tobin: Oh, definitely the generational differences. It, you’ve got We raised them, and yet we go around complaining. I’ll do a presentation, and I look at them, and I go, and they’re going yeah, we ask everybody to put your phones away. Anybody that’s working on the floor, and I say, But yet there’s your phone sitting in front of you. Yeah, this is important. You don’t think that someone’s been raised with them their whole life, that played with them as a baby?
You don’t think that’s just another, part of their body? Yeah, it is. You can’t. Just look at them and say put that phone up and don’t go to it until you get off work. Oh, yeah, right. Yeah No, and so taking in That they don’t like long talks You don’t bring them in do it our Presentations they usually like to work.
You’ve got to learn them. You’ve got to learn what the new generations are You can’t there’s got to be a [00:19:00] meeting and a meshing of it and That is happening in Every industry is. We’ve got to. And as far as me saying, Oh, yo they’re rude. I’m sorry. Who raised them? Who let them get rude? So let’s go back to the parents because you got all these different generations. You have the baby boomers that come along and they have the highest level of a of divorce. Okay. So what does that little kid that they’re raising, Oh, what did they become? Oh, that’s right. They were the latchkey kids.
Michele Cook: Yeah, that’s
Peg Tobin: latchkey kids became our generation, X, or, those ones that came along and they’re going to tell you Don’t tell me what to do.
I’m independent. I can do what I want. There you are. GeneXus and stuff. You’ve got them going. And then so they raise kids and those are, what are those called? Millennials. And nobody picks on [00:20:00] their kids and their kids are gonna all be recognized because, by God, that’s what they want.
Janis Francis: Everybody gets a trophy. How
Peg Tobin: and you put it, which is all right, but now they’re coming to the work and you don’t want to compliment them.
Oh my God. Yes. You complimented them because they showed up. It’s really great to see you. Hell, they should show up anyway. That’s their job. Oh, I’m sorry. You raised them to want that.
Michele Cook: Oh.
Peg Tobin: So we have to. And to talk to them in their, to me, I didn’t know what texts and all these, I remember texting my grandson or calling my grandson up, my oldest one, and I said, Nick, what does IDK mean?
don’t know. And I said, I don’t
either.
Michele Cook: don’t,
Peg Tobin: don’t, no. [00:21:00] And I went, oh my god, you just don’t know that you have to grow. You have to get into that, and you have to text, and you have to learn the new stuff. Golly, girls, do you really want to go down to the stream and beat your clothes on a rock to wash them?
Not me, man. I like those new laundry machines. I like them to do faster with bigger loads and dry them off. You betcha. And do I like TV the way it is? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I like it. And I love my phone. Did I show you my phone? I got my phone. Don’t, and then you got another generation, or was it Z generation that’s come along now and they go, yeah, we know we have to work. They know they’ve got to work to get money, but they don’t want to work all the time. They go, the little girl that they had on, they had some program or whatever, and they show this little girl and she goes, but I don’t want to work all day, I’m tired. I’m going to go home. Why can’t I go home? [00:22:00] And I’m going Mm hmm. So where’s the flexibility? Because if you think that they’re going to sit there just because you said I hired you for eight hours, I don’t care. I got four. I’ll go home now. It’s
Janis Francis: Most medical professionals of any level work 12 hour shifts.
Peg Tobin: a Those are, They’ll call off the next day. They’ll put in their time maybe. They may not do everything they’re supposed to do. But they’ll find their way to get it. They won’t show up. They won’t care that they didn’t call up. And especially nowadays, they won’t. You’ve got a few really great people out there that are still giving their all.
But we’ve got an awful lot that they’re learning to balance it and say, I like working, but I like going home too. And I like playing and I don’t want to come in today, but I don’t feel good and they have no problem with that because they go what are you going to do? [00:23:00] You don’t have anybody in the right.
We don’t. So what would I say we have to do? We got to look at different schedules. You’re going to have to look at that. You’re not going to work people eight hours or 12 hours. You can be looking at six hours, which means you’re going to adjust their pay. Because they’re not going to look and say, no, I need my eight hours.
I got to live. You’re going to have to find, you’re going to have to look at different ways to do it. But, they need their money, but you want really good
care. Because, trust me, they won’t come down to you. They may be on duty and you may need to go to the bathroom. You can be on that horn all the time.
Janis Francis: Oh, I spent so many hours in the nursing homes with my dad and my mom and assisted livings and I know it’s hard.
Peg Tobin: It is.
Janis Francis: them.
Peg Tobin: And even, I found, even if you, the one worst thing that I did was overstaff. Sounds weird, [00:24:00] doesn’t it? You think you got them plenty of help, so they’ll know they do less. You gotta find that balance. You have to find the different ways, but, and you have to be involved. A lot of times when you’re seeing that is you stretched your staffing too thin.
And the, your leaders are not out there encouraging them or making a conversation with them. It’s tough being a leader in healthcare. I agree. I think it’s tough being a leader, but you asked to be it. The number one thing about a leader, unless you care, your staff won’t care. No one will care unless you care.
So that, that takes getting out. It takes circulating with them. It takes knowing their name and you don’t want to give a cat toy to a person who loves only dogs. So that means you got to get to know them.[00:25:00]
Janis Francis: Yeah. Yeah.
Peg Tobin: it, but that’s part of accepting the leadership role.
Janis Francis: Yeah. So regarding philosophy, what is the philosophy behind Tobin Associates approach to recruitment?
Peg Tobin: Our approach is if we get the right person It’s very important to me to put the right person in that will stay because if you stay and because whenever you have Changeover at the top you always got changeover at the bottom. If you got changeover at the bottom It’s going to affect your patients. It’s going to affect your residents so You want to stabilize that there so that you can stabilize people not turning over in their stay, which turns out good for the patient and good for the residents.
And that’s what we’re in it for. And Tobin, our main goal has always been to make, do what I can to make it better for the people who are in the beds.
Janis Francis: I love that. So can you share some successful strategies that have helped you [00:26:00] grow your business? Yeah.
Peg Tobin: I tried to be in a hooker, but I couldn’t make it on 25 cents.
Janis Francis: That didn’t work out for you? No,
Peg Tobin: willing to go. And I was willing to sell all of my boys, but no, they weren’t willing to go. Their wives seemed to protest. I don’t know.
Janis Francis: I didn’t go for that idea.
Peg Tobin: ours is that we, that I think for us is that we deviated to do consulting. And the writings and the teachings and we make it feasible for them to get.
I think it was good for us because they get to know us and from our education part, our coaches or whatever, they know they can trust us, I don’t know.
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Peg Tobin: That’s what we get feedback. They’ll tell me, yeah, we ask you pay because by God, your [00:27:00] whole company, you’re involved with it. You know what’s going on.
So we want to trust you.
Janis Francis: that’s good. How do you maintain relationships with both the healthcare professionals you recruit and the organizations that hire them?
Peg Tobin: tHat’s a, those are two different entities, and you have to greet them differently. You can’t, it’s the same thing. You know how you go and you do a presentation, hope you get something done. But if you really want to get to specific ones, you have to know how to talk to the candidates. You have to also know how to talk to the client.
Cause you can’t sell them with one blah comment. Hey Tobin, we’re here. Yeah, great for you. You have to meet the candidates on a certain level by telling them what you’ll do for them and show them that you care about them and about them getting into the right position so that they can stay. You want to make sure they’re getting good pay, they get good benefits.
You [00:28:00] want to make sure that they ask the right questions and help them, guide them through. But the company also wants to know, do you care about giving us someone that’s going to stay?
Janis Francis: Nice.
Peg Tobin: And you make your prices right.
Janis Francis: So what role does company culture play in your recruitment process?
Peg Tobin: Wow. Huge. we’re family oriented and we’re strong Christians. And I don’t have anybody that works with us. Hardly. If they don’t let me talk about God then leave. Because I don’t show up. So our culture is very important. It comes down, all of us just care. And we care about each other.
We’re very family oriented. If you got a problem with it then you don’t really need to be with us. But we’re gonna We’re so family that I think they all look and say And we better take care of them because mom will be there someday in that bed. So I guess we [00:29:00] better learn it.
Yeah, I think our culture is very important.
It’s very deep and Integrity is huge. Honesty, we’re very honest. If we can’t handle it, we’re not going to tell you we can. We’ll be real. I have given up positions because we’re not the right person to get it for them. And I will not represent every company. There’s some lousy ones out there and I’m not going to tell someone just so I can make a placement and make a buck.
I’m not going to put someone in there.
And. And there’s some bad administrators, directors, and nurses and stuff. I don’t want to represent them. I’ll smile at them. I don’t get into it, but I’m not representing them.
Janis Francis: Yeah.
Peg Tobin: Gee.
Michele Cook: to me how it seems like some people don’t think about long term consequences of how they treat people.[00:30:00]
Peg Tobin: Yeah. I think you’re not always aware of what you’re doing, but you should be as aware as you can be. And it should always be to leave it better.
Michele Cook: hMm.
How do you foster leadership within your own team?
Peg Tobin: Oh my, that’s really easy. fiRst, the reason I say is because you got to find out who they are and what turns them on.
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Peg Tobin: And what are the, where do they want to go? What are their goals? And as a true leader, you will always try to develop them to the best they can be. And if that means directing them to another.
Company that they can grow faster or do something that’s more them than you. You have to let them go. But a week. A lot. We’re probably you were here. We’re all a bunch of leaders. Nobody has their voice. And we recognize each other and respect each other.
Michele Cook: Yeah. It was fun talking to your team. [00:31:00]
Peg Tobin: We we’ve lost some people because they really. Oh, they, and they’re blossoming, but you gotta let them go,
and I don’t like letting them go, because you gotta start again,
Michele Cook: Right.
Peg Tobin: but that leadership’s really all about developing other people.
Michele Cook: In what way do you invest in the development of your staff?
Peg Tobin: I think you invest when you listen, and really hear them.
Take the time to listen.
Michele Cook: Okay. I will do that. What trends do you see shaping the future of healthcare recruitment?
Peg Tobin: Everything through the social, I think that has a lot to, to do what we say and how and learning how far to go with it and what not to do with it. And if you can’t communicate, if you don’t know how to use any of it um, which I’m still learning, [00:32:00] but
Janis Francis: Me too.
Peg Tobin: Yeah, but it, a lot is out there for the public now and we’re not so used to always having it.
So Publicized. Trends. The youth, again, and the different, that’s why you have to learn to communicate in the different means that we have. Because we got different generations, that’s the only way they communicate.
Michele Cook: Yeah, it’s crazy how quickly the communication methods change. Some people aren’t even looking at their texts anymore because
Peg Tobin: No.
Michele Cook: just gotten to be spammy. So they only message like through Instagram and it’s it’s just wild.
Janis Francis: or Snapchat that my grandson, I texted him, I don’t know, three times and I didn’t hear back. I am like, is he okay? And a friend of mine said, oh, they all use Snapchat now, or, don’t. They won’t look at your text, I’m like, I’m his grandmother, what?
Peg Tobin: And everything is [00:33:00] so,
Janis Francis: I’m gonna have to, no I’ve got it, I just don’t use it, but I’m gonna
have to.
Michele Cook: Oh,
Peg Tobin: it’s instant, and then it’s gone. And. They don’t care to keep, like for us. Oh, look, I get a little note. My, my granddaughter, who, by the way, is reason for this, is now working for us.
uh,
Janis Francis: a
Peg Tobin: is, she’s in nursing. Kaylee works with us. And she’s had two kidney transplants. And She’s a state tested nursing assistant but she works with us now because she’s limited but she’s really healthy looking and does a lot but it’s interesting when, which is something I had to learn, that I thought, oh, you get a transplant and so it’s going to be good.
Now, granted, I hadn’t studied it that much but having been very closely related to it, there’s a lot. With it and you are limited you [00:34:00] aren’t just snap back to it and a lot of them. They don’t last, But six ten years something like that and then you get to get another one others. They’ll last 20 30 years.
You don’t know
There’s a lot that goes into it, but she is so Part of this company now and she was the reason we started and it was interesting to see the full circle
Janis Francis: I was just gonna say, it’s full circle, yeah.
Michele Cook: Are there any new areas or services you’re planning to explore in your business? I know you’ve diversified a lot. Is there anything that’s piquing your interest lately?
Peg Tobin: I know that, no. I’ve already written a coaching, and I really want to, I find that so extremely important that I really want to develop. We’ve only been working on that and developing it in the last two years, and it’s picking up because people are so slow to develop. You invest, but your return is just too much.
First of all, we don’t lose them to the industry. If we [00:35:00] can work with them and mentor them. We’ll keep them and we need them in our industry. I think one of the things I want to do more is I’d like to get out and get an opportunity to speak to the training programs, whether it be medical, respiratory, any, and nursing, because if we can get them, They’re taught hospital.
That’s really great and definitely need them there. But you’ve got long term care, you’ve got assisted living, you’ve got home health. And it’s a different, when people say nurse is a nurse, no we’re not. You have specialties. You’re going to have a pediatric nurse is not going to be your pulmonologist.
If they’re not the same. It takes too much. It’s too deep. They maybe could do CPR the same, but you have more to learn on the differences. A person, a nurse in the hospital is quick. They’re going to learn. They got to know how to get the IVs going. They got to watch the PVC lines, all these [00:36:00] things.
That’s good. That’s clinical and it’s technical. But your patient is usually gone within three to five days. In long term care, they’re coming in now with trachs, which they’ve always had trachs, but they’re coming now with lines and open wounds and, they’ve also doing debuting drips and everything else that nobody ever did in them because now they can.
That person, you’re going to get them in. They’ve stabilized, so you’re going to be more monitoring what the stabilization is. Now your whole thing is, they’re psychological. How are they handling it? How are they growing? Now, add on top of that, you have family.
Michele Cook: A lot of
Peg Tobin: So, and you have no doctor, 24. You have just you, little nurse.
And so this nurse has got to be much wider looking at the patient. So it’s, there’s differences. So I want to get in and [00:37:00] explain to them the rewards that are in there and the differences. One place that has awful time recruiting is behavioral. mental health side, because of the outburst. And nine times out of ten, you create the outburst by the approach.
So To recruit for them. So I want to show them that we need you, and we can train you. Let us train you. There is more than one section, but a lot of just, and
the school’s only trained for the one way, because they’re maybe not invested, I don’t know. But we need someone who will go in and teach them and inspire them to try other things.
What do you like? What’s big and important to you? Look at all the difference between just being a nurse for a transplant. I had lots to learn, and I had been a nurse for quite a while before I had this granddaughter, next question.[00:38:00]
Michele Cook: Okay, she’s done answering that one. What, are you planning on slowing down at all? And what is your succession plan for when you do?
Peg Tobin: My succession plan is already in pretty much in place because I’ve got I’m not the CEO. I’m not the COO. I’m not making, I’m part of the decision team, but I’m no longer the one driving. Okay. Are you going to shut me up? No, but Do I see myself? I already have started this. I take time off. Not a lot.
Because personally, when you’re a nurse, first of all, true nurses, it’s not a job. It’s a calling. So you look at it totally different. You get up, you go. I don’t know. It’s just in you. And so to me, it’s not a big, I don’t, [00:39:00] If I’m needed, and I go when I do. Um, The guys are set up. Truly, this sounds terrible.
If I died tomorrow, this company would still exist. It’s already been set up for that. What will I do? I, because I’ve always worked a lot, and I’ve enjoyed it, and oh my God, I get to work every day with my sons. Come on. And my daughter in laws are beautiful, and I see them. It’s a good family. I don’t know what I would do. No women’s groups, no nothing. I want to be creating. I always want to be starting something. I want to add to it. I think this is really super, you guys. I still want to help. I want women to understand. Don’t limit yourselves.
There’s so much for us to do and to help one another. And cause I was that kid that was an army brat, and it took me 10 years to get my 12 years of schooling, [00:40:00] cause my dad moved so much.
When I moved, I didn’t give a hoot about a grade. Are you kidding? I wanted someone to eat lunch with. I didn’t, I just wanted friends. I didn’t think about doing my grades well. When I always say, I graduated in the bottom third of the bottom third of high school. So I was hanging on by a wire.
But I really didn’t do well. In fact, my counselor told me that I should find a man and get married. Settle and stay home, have children? Boy did I do that one wrong. But I, oh yeah, okay. So just convinced me that I was stupid. I didn’t know to think that my grades were poor because we moved a lot and I wasn’t into it.
I did meet the guy, by the way, and I did marry him. He didn’t see a dumb girl. He didn’t. He thought I was bright, and I always said [00:41:00] and pretty. And I told him, don’t ever change your glasses. Those lens are good. And I just said, okay, honey, you don’t get around much, do you, to talk to other women if you think I’m smart.
Anyway, he just, he kept reflecting back to me that I was smart and that I had talent. And he convinced me to try. And I was quite a bit older before I went back to school. But when I did nursing, when I graduated from college, I was summa cum laude. what happened?
Michele Cook: Yeah, I have a similar story when I was in grade school, I missed so much school because I hated it so much because I wasn’t interested in any of the topics. But as soon as I got to college, I was there every single day. And was I thrived because I loved every subject that I decided to take.
Peg Tobin: Yeah it’s turning it on. And for me, it was someone who believed in me. And this is why I always say to you, the best way to develop someone is to believe in them, listen to them, talk to them, care [00:42:00] about them. Don’t do it. Everybody always says I’m trying to help that person. Too many people try to wear their shoes.
I said, walk in their shoes a little bit. Don’t buy them. Because if you buy them and you are always doing the walking for them, they’re not taking ownership. You can help guide them.
But you don’t take them on. You help direct them, but they have to do the doing.
Michele Cook: Is that 1 of your Tobin isms
Peg Tobin: Yeah, one of them, there’s a lot of them.
But yeah, I think you have to have someone that inspires you to be all you can
be in your life somewhere. I think it just works miracles, but yeah. But, yep, I wasn’t a dumb girl,
after all, but I did marry the guy and in January we’ll be 59 years,
Janis Francis: Aww. That’s awesome.
So Peg, what advice would you give someone looking to start their own business in the healthcare [00:43:00] sector?
Peg Tobin: You’re nuts. Um, First of all, make sure there’s a need. No, you’re competent. I don’t want to be frightened. Just you should talk to someone so that they can see are you looking at it correctly? That’s really big. I think there’s a lot of competition in it. I think there’s always room for more people.
And someone else can come in and take care of it. There’s a lot out there. No, I wouldn’t discourage them. But I do Would want to hear that they know what they’re getting into and just talk to somebody who will help you get guided in the right direction and help you stay couraged, but it, there’s good reimbursement, there’s good stuff, but there’s a lot of ranks, like you were saying earlier. There are, you have to worry, even in this thing with HIPAA, you have to also worry about Medicare dollars, [00:44:00] because if part of it’s coming to you for any pay, you cannot have any kickback, you can’t have anything that ties you, or someone promises to give to you, if you give them a discount, you got to be very careful about those things.
Those are some. Requirements, but I would probably advise them to talk to someone, just someone that’s in it, and see if they’ve got a plan worked out.
Janis Francis: Yeah.
What’s the best advice you have for someone interviewing for a high level position?
Peg Tobin: Be honest. Be prepared. And a lot of people want to exaggerate their ROIs, which is return on investment. You’ve got to know your return on investment. But you also have to know to ask the right questions, because if you’re going to be a top level, you’re going to be held accountable. Where did this, where is this facility financially now?
Where are they As far as surveys go, what’s going on, what’s your [00:45:00] turnover? You got a lot of questions. If you’re going for that top level, you got to make sure they’re financially stable. And where
are their owners?
Janis Francis: majorly? If so, what’s that story?
Peg Tobin: Oh, I, the only one, and I mean it wasn’t really funny in any way, shape or form, but we had someone, they just couldn’t shut up how mad they were with the last company that they had worked with. So they just kept on and on and couldn’t understand. Why they didn’t get hired, really? You go in slamming the last place, do you think they think you won’t say that about them?
Or that attitude’s not going to come in and you’re not going to be able to focus and get going anywhere? Hello! And they were so mad at the company.
Okay.
Janis Francis: goodness. Oh
Peg Tobin: no, most people, we try to prepare them so they don’t call them. But this one, we couldn’t turn them. Now we have had people come in and what they’re representing [00:46:00] themselves and they think they’re and you find out that they gave you a license number and they’re not licensed.
Michele Cook: Oh,
Peg Tobin: I had a girl, in fact, that wanted to go out and do an interim position for me. And I was like, Okay, I called her and she was busy and then the next thing she couldn’t do the next one and I’m like, Oh, okay. I saw her on the news being led out of a building because she had falsified that she was a nurse.
And I’m like, oh, thank God I didn’t put that girl, because I couldn’t put her, because I couldn’t check her out. And I was trying to get information on your numbers aren’t coming up. I don’t have your license. It’s not showing up. Oh, that’s the
reason. And I’m sitting there going, oh my Lord, how do people do that?
Janis Francis: Oh wow. Oh
Peg Tobin: she blew that one.
Janis Francis: my gosh. So Peg, how do you balance the demands of running a business with your personal time?[00:47:00]
Peg Tobin: We’ll just hire all family and then I’ve got all my personal right there.
Michele Cook: It merges
Janis Francis: there you go. There you go.
Peg Tobin: Now I’m a nurse, I don’t do a good job.
Michele Cook: She’s not the person to answer that one, huh?
Peg Tobin: I would say Richard’s real used to me and being in the field, he doesn’t say a word because he knows he was in it too.
Michele Cook: And that’s why you’re happily
Peg Tobin: really not. Yeah, granted.
Janis Francis: All right. All right, Peg. So we, you’ve been sharing some incredible insights and stories with us. I feel like we’ve all learned so much. Now, how about we switch gears a little?
Michele Cook: Yes, let’s shake it up with something we like to call the quick fire round. It’s a bunch of fun, snappy questions to let us and our listeners get to know you a bit better. It’s all in good fun. And there are no wrong answers.
Janis Francis: Yeah, think of it as a friendly chat over a cup of coffee. Just say the first thing that [00:48:00] comes to your mind. Are you ready to give it a go?
Peg Tobin: Okay.
Janis Francis: Okay. What is the book that you’ve most given as a gift or the book that made the biggest difference for you?
Peg Tobin: Oh, now that’s easy. That’s the Bible. The Bible.
Michele Cook: Yes,
what purchase of 100 dollars or less has most positively impacted your life?
Peg Tobin: When I hired somebody to clean my house for a hundred dollars, that really had a big impact. No, I, I don’t know. Let’s see a hundred dollars. I had the biggest, but boy that impacted my life. I wanted someone to always clean from that day forward. Does that count?
Michele Cook: Yes,
Janis Francis: Yes,
Michele Cook: answer.
Peg Tobin: I was thinking, oh my God, because I was always like, you don’t do that.
You have to clean, you have to cook, you have to do everything. I was super woman. And all of a sudden, one time I looked at it and this girl said, actually it was for she did it for 95. I said and I went, oh my God, I can’t believe I did that. And I was like, I’m going to do this more often.[00:49:00]
Michele Cook: Yeah. Yeah. It’s called delegating.
Janis Francis: that trigger. I still need to do that.
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Peg Tobin: it’s really nice.
Michele Cook: it. Yeah. It’s like magic.
Peg Tobin: Oh, it is. I love coming home to that night, Mal, and I’m going,
Michele Cook: yeah,
Janis Francis: okay, so what
An unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?
Peg Tobin: on that one goes through my mind, you know what always make people make fun is that I talk a lot because I will talk to anybody that’s cashing out because I think you should say hello and that you see them. And my family’s always going, do you have talked to everybody? Because if they’re cashing you out or whatever they do, I do.
And they said, what a habit you have mom. And I go, yep. But they know that we saw them,
Michele Cook: You appreciate. Yeah. What is your proudest accomplishment?
Peg Tobin: My proudest accomplishment is that I believed [00:50:00] in me and I went back to school. I went to school.
Michele Cook: That’s great. Yes.
Janis Francis: is your current passion project?
Peg Tobin: That is the coaching absolutely passionate about it. I want to help people. I didn’t have it. I had my husband, but you need that. You need it.
Michele Cook: Yeah. Someone to be there with you in the mud.
Peg Tobin: So I’m going to help build you up and see the good in you.
Michele Cook: Yeah.
What is one skill you would like to master?
Peg Tobin: Oh, you know what skill I want to do? I want to learn knit.
Janis Francis: Oh,
Michele Cook: I think Janice has had some knitting classes at her shop.
Janis Francis: I had crochet classes at my shop, but I took a knitting class at Joanne’s
Peg Tobin: uh huh.
Janis Francis: That year for Christmas. I made all the girls my granddaughters These cool little purses and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed
Peg Tobin: they have that at Joann’s? I wonder if they still have them. I can
[00:51:00] crochet,
Janis Francis: don’t know. Yeah
Peg Tobin: but I don’t know how to knit.
Janis Francis: So yeah, I’ve had three crochet classes here
Peg Tobin: I figure I gotta get a hobby. Right?
Michele Cook: You don’t have to.
Peg Tobin: If I’m going to stay home, I need to have something to do.
Janis Francis: You can knit a sweater.
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Janis Francis: All right. Do you believe in the power of manifestation?
Peg Tobin: Absolutely. Absolutely. Because I think it helps to manifest it if you stop and you think. And you think on it for a while, and you see it, and then you, it’ll come, when it begins.
Michele Cook: Agree. What was your very first job?
Peg Tobin: Oh, I was a bank teller.
Michele Cook: Oh.
Peg Tobin: Yep.
Michele Cook: Okay. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Peg Tobin: Probably doing the same thing I’m doing now, except that’ll be five years older. No, that make me 83. Yeah.
Michele Cook: Yep. You’ll still be going strong. [00:52:00] I know it.
Peg Tobin: Yeah. I hope so.
Probably, I don’t see me doing much different, honestly. I don’t,
Michele Cook: Are you still running that group? The 100 women who care has that stopped?
Peg Tobin: I, that came under my Ordinary Women thing. Cause I have a a 501c3 called Ordinary Women Make a Difference. Because everybody thinks I have to be extraordinary, you already are.
Janis Francis: Was that where everybody gave a hundred dollars and then it oh, I know a couple of people, I think that were in that
Peg Tobin: Yeah it was really good. But then, Sarah. This Sarah went to Costa Rica and gradually, actually the truth was it, for seven years I had to present it, set it up, take it down, do it, and I, when I said I’m going to step back and let somebody else start it, that’s when they really quit.
Michele Cook: It dwindled.
Janis Francis: fizzled out then.
Peg Tobin: Yeah, [00:53:00] because I didn’t lead it. I didn’t get up for one. I was at every one of them. I think I only missed two because they held the meetings right here at our office and went well, but I think when she left and then I no longer got up and led the group, they didn’t have somebody that stepped up. So anyway, sorry, I think it’s a very good group, but I think that there was more
we could do.
Janis Francis: Yeah.
What’s your pump up song?
Peg Tobin: Oh my God, my pump up. Do you guys ever do, ever hear Mandisa?
Janis Francis: I don’t think
Peg Tobin: Oh, Mandisa has a morning song. You should listen to it one time. She’s, it gets you going good morning and you’re like, okay. And then I’ve got one. Oh, I like it. I love to hear
it on the way to work.
Michele Cook: Mandisa.
Peg Tobin: then she also has the one called Stronger and Overcomer.
And sometimes when you’re down and you’re listening, no, I’m going to, I’m going to take this, I’m going to walk through this, and I’m going to be stronger. But the good morning song [00:54:00] does really get you. Go ahead, good morning.
Michele Cook: I want to know, you’re, you seem like a good matchmaker because you match people with jobs. Have you ever played matchmaker for your friends with love?
Peg Tobin: No.
Michele Cook: I thought you were going to say yes all the time. All my friends are married to each other. Yeah.
Peg Tobin: never. I, you know what? I don’t have a lot of friends.
I don’t. I’m very social and I like people, but I guess my work or whatever, and I, the other day I was just talking to my eldest son, and I said, you know what? I think you and Sherry are my best friends. That’s his wife, and I’m going, wow,
my kids are my best friends, and the grandchildren, they all come by and stuff.
I don’t know. But no, I don’t, I have a few people that I’ve met. Isn’t that terrible?
Michele Cook: No.
Janis Francis: You
Peg Tobin: It’s not that I wouldn’t like to know [00:55:00] people, huh?
Janis Francis: You keep your circle tight and close.
Peg Tobin: I Do have a few friends. Probably five, you can count on your hands. But usually when you’re around my age, really, you are down to about five friends. You, I can go out and people know me. And I’m very friendly with them. But somehow they don’t invite me out.
Michele Cook: Okay, I’ll start inviting you to my parties.
Peg Tobin: The only thing I get invited to are like, women groups, birthday parties or something like that. And I’m going like I don’t see any other time, I don’t talk to you, but let’s come to your birthday party.
Michele Cook: What are what’s an ideal thing that you would like to be invited to lunch.
Peg Tobin: I like luncheons. I like to get to know different people. And they don’t just have to be one on one, but I don’t want a real big one because you wouldn’t have the ability to talk with everybody. Now, I do going the Athena thing was nice. [00:56:00] That I like those because I like to see the women recognized.
As you both know, too,
Janis Francis: It’s so emotional.
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Peg Tobin: was one of the It’s an award that meant something to me.
Janis Francis: Me too.
Peg Tobin: Yeah, so I like doing that. I would love to get more involved that we don’t just meet once a year, that we do something that inspires us. Even if we just do it three times a year, we need to do it a little bit more for us to gather to support one another who’ve all been recognized. But
one of us has to do that. And as you can see, I’m too lazy.
Janis Francis: You’re just too busy. You’re not too lazy.
Michele Cook: Let’s make Janice do it.
Peg Tobin: Janice, you do it.
Janis Francis: I’ve
Peg Tobin: just over there
Janis Francis: jobs. We’ll throw another one in on that.
Peg Tobin: Yeah.
Janis Francis: Okay. So since we’re called Cosmos and Commerce, [00:57:00] what is your drink of choice?
Peg Tobin: I don’t know if I really know what that question means, other than I’m a commerce, probably because I’m local. Okay.
Michele Cook: like a
vodka
Peg Tobin: couldn’t. I didn’t understand that from what you were talking.
What’s a commerce drink? I don’t know what a commerce drink is.
Janis Francis: Cosmos?
Michele Cook: We’re drinking and talking business,
Peg Tobin: oh, is that what that
means? So what’s my drink of choice? Champagne.
Michele Cook: Oh,
Janis Francis: Do you like mimosa? It’s mimosa made with champagne, right?
Peg Tobin: Yes, it is. I like those, but
I
Michele Cook: should go to brunch together.
Peg Tobin: dry champagne. I can handle that. And yeah, I’m not a teetotaler, that’s for sure. I’ll have a drink, but I’m not a heavy drinker. But yeah, I’ll have wine. And I like, let’s see, margaritas. And what do they call those? Iced teas?[00:58:00]
Janis Francis: Long Island iced tea?
Peg Tobin: Whatever. If somebody fixes it, then I can’t walk
Michele Cook: know, that’s the strongest drink you can get, I think.
Peg Tobin: know, no,
Janis Francis: had one of those.
Michele Cook: You’re pretty good.
Peg Tobin: I do, I’m like, if I’ve done a whole day of presenting, I’ve had one of those and I go right to bed and I’m
like, no, I only had one.
Um, but no, I usually like a dry champagne.
Janis Francis: Okay.
Peg Tobin: I’m not a heavy drinker. Heavy eater.
Michele Cook: right. We have two questions left.
Peg Tobin: Oh, really?
Goody. I think.
Michele Cook: Okay. This one is a fun one. Would you rather have the power to instantly find the perfect job for anyone with just the snap of your fingers or have the ability to heal any minor ailment with a touch.
Peg Tobin: Now, I’m going to heal somebody. I’m still the nurse.
Michele Cook: Nurse at heart.
Peg Tobin: Yeah, and I got the mommy’s touch.[00:59:00]
Michele Cook: Yeah.
Peg Tobin: You get them, you rub it, you make it better.
Michele Cook: Let me kiss it.
That’s
Peg Tobin: I’ve got six, six
grandchildren now and two great grandchildren. So yes, my kisses work and hugs.
Michele Cook: So that’s your
Janis Francis: Oh.
Michele Cook: All
Peg Tobin: Even with real people
outside.
Janis Francis: where can our listeners find you?
Peg Tobin: Yeah, they can go to our website, which is www. tobinway. com. That’s our website. I’m on Facebook. We’re under Tobin and Associates for Facebook. And we’re also on LinkedIn under Tobin and Associates. We’re on Instagram also under Tobin and Associates. Yay! And I’ve got Instagram, under Peg Wall Tobin,
Janis Francis: Where’s your physical office, your physical location there?
Peg Tobin: yeah, I was going to say you can drop by at 8233 Howe Industrial Parkway in Canal, Winchester. You can drop in. I’ll give you a cup of coffee or a glass [01:00:00] of water. No champagne.
Janis Francis: No. Okay. Okay.
Peg Tobin: You can drop in and hopefully have a talk.
And say, boy, she’s for real. Yeah, I’m for real. I might even give you a Tobinism.
Michele Cook: I’m sure you will. There’s, that could be your guarantee.
Peg Tobin: But, yeah, no, that’s where you can find us. We’re there and we’re out there and, I don’t know.
Michele Cook: Thank you so

And just like the last sip of a perfectly crafted cocktail, we’ve come to the end of our show. Peg, we cannot, I know we cannot thank you enough for joining us today. Thank you so much. Your stories and insights have been nothing short of inspiring and hilarious.
Janis Francis: Absolutely, Peg. It’s been a real pleasure getting to know you and thank you for taking the time to share your journey knowledge with us and our listeners. We’ve learned a ton about the heart and soul of what goes into healthcare recruiting and you.
Peg Tobin: Thank you.
Michele Cook: [01:01:00] Yes, and to our listeners, we hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we did. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button and stay updated on the latest episodes.
CHeers, everyone. All right.
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