I love being underestimated. I love coming in with no expectations and being able to blow everybodyâs mind.
Counting Yourself In When They Count You Out
Kashuna Hopkins, President of Favored Medical Billing, never received formal education in medical billing.Â
But, 11 years later and a business of 70 clients nationwide, she’s proof that non-traditional education might be a revolution in the making.Â
Most people are only capable of seeing the pioneer behind the rebel in hindsight. Hopkins is used to being underestimated. She rejects the dated social norms clinging to the idea of what a “professional” looks like — And she loves it.Â
Hopkins embodies the concept of “owning it,” from where she comes from to knowing who she is.
Standing alone isn’t easy. Hopkins journey to success has been more like a trek on the Road to Hana than a cross-country road trip along the I-40. But, the road with more twists and turns usually boasts better views and unforseen treasures.
âEverything Iâve learned about my business, how to structure my business, how to negotiate contracts, everything Iâve done, Iâve done completely on my own."
Street Smarts
After Hopkins filed 24 W2s for one year of work, she knew it was time to make a change.
She hadn’t found her calling and was settling for a lifestyle of odd-jobs.Â
So, she enrolled in a trade school to become a dental assistant. Sixteen months later she graduated without any real-life training, $16,000 of debt and no job prospects.Â
Hopkins felt like she was back where she started. She worked to survive and still wasn’t settled in a career.Â
An acquaintance suggested a job opening at a medical office. Hopkins agreed.Â
She says that she knew she was in the right place after she made the first phone call on the job. She had never considered medical billing as a career (or even knew what it was). But the on-the-job learning, the feeling of accomplishment after getting a difficult (and large) claim paid and the the aggressive nature of the job fit with her personality like nothing else had.Â
Hopkins dream job ended-up being aligned more with her soft skills than trade skills. It’s a good example of what opportunities arise when “what we’re good at” is prioritized over an industry or idea of what success should look like.Â
