5 Years
Written by Sal LoPorto
Very few things last longer than 5 years. The things that do often come with hard work and determination.
For context, 5 years is 60 months, 1,825 Days, or 2,628,000 minutes. Think about your life and name something you have done consistently for 5 years or longer.
Education?
Marriage?
Parenthood?
Friendships?
Last week marked SparkChange’s fifth anniversary. I know that good things take time, but these 5 years have been truly impactful, not only for me, but for our teammates and clients. Over the past five years, I could have never imagined how many incredible people I would have had the opportunity to meet. Our team, our clients, and our future clients all have made each of these 1,825 days better and better.
As I think about the past five years, it’s hard not to reflect on the early days. The mission of those early days hasn’t changed and our attitude toward the end goal stays the same.
Here is a story that has shaped us to this day.
It was just Monty, Craig, Dung, and me early in our tenure. As budding entrepreneurs, we did what we thought you were supposed to do, made Dung’s basement our headquarters (basements are where all businesses start, right?), bought a whiteboard and markers for our big ideas, updated LinkedIn profiles. Oh yeah, we needed great headshots. Since we didn’t have money or a budget, we figured we could take these ourselves… It was these headshots that created an anticipated culture and approach for SparkChange. You can still see this same picture on my LinkedIn today.
Our First Genuine Lead
Fast forward, and we are now a couple of months into our new business with no clients and few prospects. The reality is, we were the people behind the curtain at our previous employer. We didn’t have a network of people to call on. We didn’t know any executives or CXO’s to share our story. All we knew was we had to tell our story, even if it wasn’t a perfect story. So, each day, we would send out LinkedIn connections, reach out to former colleagues, and attend every meeting possible. I would "meet, seat, or eat” as we called it, with just about anyone who would listen.
Finally, it happened. I had coffee with someone who would change our business trajectory for good. He inquired about SparkChange assisting with some revenue cycle work and solving some critical issues for a former client. We were happy to do anything, but first, we needed to be vetted – a call was arranged.
On the day of the call, we were all anxious. This client was perfect for us. We knew we could help, but would that come through via a Zoom call? As the call started, I was the first person on the SparkChange side to share. I had a slide deck for the presentation (you’d laugh at those early decks… remember we were the guys behind the curtain), and I was ready to share how we could help.
As I started down the path, I shared our abilities, backgrounds, and our approach. There was very little feedback or questions, but as I began to wrap up, I was interrupted:
Client: “This is good, but I have two questions for you. One, have any of you worked at a hospital?”
Blankly, we stared at each other. We had all certainly worked at a hospital, but not FOR a hospital, which is what was implied. As the silence seemed like it took forever, Monty spoke up.
SparkChange: “Yes, I worked for Danbury Hospital. I was in the IT department doing data analysis. Also, my mom and brother are both providers, as OBGYNs and ED Physicians, respectively.”
Shocked, Dung, Craig, and I stared at Monty with that look of “What the hell?” None of us knew that; honestly, Monty rarely shared much about his personal side. On the other hand, we silently high-fived as we cleared the first question hurdle.
Client: “Second question, why don’t you have suits in your LinkedIn pictures?”
Uhhhhhh… How do you answer that question?
Tick, tick, tick, tick… we were stumped. I had no answer.
The reality is that we had just come from a workplace where talking suits were a real thing. We didn’t want to give off that perception, but you can’t say that, can you?
Tick, tick, tick, tick… As I prepared to explain, I was interrupted again.
Client: “Geniuses don’t wear suits. I will see you all on-site to provide a proposal.”
We did it.
Our Story Continues
As I stated at the outset, very few things last for five years, and of those things that do, I would argue they are some of the most meaningful aspects of our lives.
We have carried this client’s lesson, and others, along the way, and they have helped shape our identity and goals. When we work with clients, we don’t show up in suits. We are there to roll up our sleeves and get to work. That is who we are. That is how we have made it this far.
We make sure that the work we are doing leads to sustainable change within our client organization. We make sure that our mantra “Think.Do.Win.” is at the heart of every decision and encounter. With our approach, we leverage insights, identify opportunities, and consistently deliver high-quality results for success in the revenue cycle. We embrace continuous improvement, allow our clients to stay agile, and achieve impactful growth.
We want to spark a change in this industry that leads to better lives for everyone involved. Yes, our mission is to make the Revenue Cycle less complex, but we know that this impacts more than just the bottom line – it impacts employees, patients, everyone.
Thank You
There are so many people to thank, from families to colleagues to teammates to clients. And while they all deserve a shout-out, I would be doing them a disservice and ultimately missing someone by listing them all. However, I have encouraged my teammates to seek these people out and tell them how impactful they have been to SparkChange and our careers. THANK YOU!
We are grateful for this opportunity to look back at our foundation and most importantly, excited about what’s to come. The next 5 years will continue to be filled with people (not in suits) rolling up their sleeves, tackling the healthcare crisis, and sparking real change.
