Today we’d like to introduce you to Shirley Moy.
Hi Shirley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story is a first-generation story, an entrepreneur story, a story of perseverance, a story of journey companions.
My education started in elementary school, where I learned to speak English along with my ABCs. I grew up in inner-city Detroit, and my ticket to a profession was my magnet high school. The high school offered career tracks, including opportunities to major in the trades, performance arts, computer science, and college preparation. I chose the computer track, and enjoyed programming on the IBM 1130 computer. I was able to go to college on a scholarship. From that opportunity, I was the first in my family to earn a college degree. I entered the job market with my computer science degree in the midst of the 1980 recession. Like today, finding a job was difficult. When I got frustrated in my search for a job, I remember my grandmother saying to me, “Get on a donkey, before you get on your elephant.” So I took my first job with an outfit that gave me a desk job doing very little. From that initial position, I progressed to leading teams and developing corporate systems on IBM mainframes for Fortune 500 companies. This was progress, but wasn’t quite my “elephant” yet.
From those days in the corporate world, I became an accidental entrepreneur. While I enjoyed working as part of a leadership team, I was frustrated after missing several paychecks and hitting glass ceilings. I started wondering, “Why not work for myself?” I have been an entrepreneur for over 25 years. Like many entrepreneurs, I lived through the highs as well as some real lows. To be an entrepreneur, I chose to make peace with unpredictability. I chose to join hands along the way with those who shared my work ethic. I chose to let go of anger when others caused me losses. My journey as an entrepreneur paralleled my journey of self-development. I was seeking like-minded people and defining my ethics among my customers, vendors, and staff. This process was defining my “elephant,” as I interacted with each person I met.
As a business person, I am always observing the world around me. Being in the technology industry, I have always had to reinvent myself, incorporating new concepts, creating new methods, aiming for new goals, and establishing new partnerships. I am watching today’s workforce learning to pivot as we all operate in an era defined by uncertainty. As a seasoned entrepreneur, I am learning from Millennials and from Gen Z new ways to operate from a growth mindset. This mindset enables me to respond with even greater creative flexibility to the challenges and opportunities that arise, despite the pervasive sense of uncertainty.
What has guided me through my journey are questions like “What do I want to be known for? What roads am I willing to explore? Who is on a parallel road I can join hands with?”
As a bright-eyed youth, I believed/hoped I would be successful. Through the years, I have learned that success can have many facets. I have broadened my definition of success to encompass not only financial security and general certainty but also to include empowering partnerships that lead to creative and innovative solutions within our industry.
Valuation with money is one measure of success. It is not the only valuation. I have considered that verse, “What if a man gains the whole world, but loses himself?” I am learning that being myself is valuable – first to myself, then to others. Each lesson I learn about myself and the process of being an entrepreneur helps me become more sure-footed, solid, and constantly moving forward.
These are a few of the life lessons I am learning in my journey.
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?
I have played the “What if?” game. And I’ve had to take a hard look at the doubts those questions brought up. Given my quiet personality, I didn’t talk about these doubts with anyone. Eventually, through mentorship and self-development over the years, I am learning to accept my journey – the successful plans, the shortfalls, and the questions.
I examined each question and doubt. I found that I was more scared when I hid from these questions. Like many, I am afraid of what is in the dark. When I examined my What Ifs with an open mind, my fear lessened. My sense of regret dissipated. I could let go of criticizing my own decisions. I am grateful to have had a few people in my life who modeled being their authentic selves in both their professional and personal lives. Their examples showed me how I could walk out of my shadow self, to allow myself to be seen, and in being seen, to be able to see other people. I feel richer in seeing myself and the world of people around me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The first half of my work life was in corporate manufacturing systems. One day, a coworker told us that a close friend with an extensive medical practice was experiencing a business problem. They stated, “The auditors are coming” to the healthcare sector. I explored the issue and sat with the office staff to understand their workflow and assess their needs. I noticed that insurance companies had computers, but every day, medical offices only had billing systems. The auditors were coming, and here was an essential industry with only minimal computer usage. I wanted to help doctors so that they could help us, their patients. I saw an opportunity to create solutions in a new industry where computers were barely in doctors’ offices.
My team and I built the first compliance software to help doctors manage their billing risk and improve their income. Our software helped doctors, medical coders, and medical auditors objectively review and improve their billing codes. These codes tell the story of what medical service was provided, why the service was needed using diagnosis codes, and where the service was provided, such as a medical office or a hospital. Our goal was to help doctors match their billing codes to the patient’s health story.
Today, our core product is Swiftaudit.com. We service compliance teams and professional auditors who help doctors in business so that the doctors can focus on their patients. We are expanding our partnerships with others who are innovating in the healthcare industry, such as those developing human AI-assisted platforms and enhancing various back-office and staffing workflows.
What is human AI-assisted? There are many articles and opinions about AI. Human AI-assisted is similar to doctors in shows like Star Trek, where humans use sophisticated technology tools to diagnose and treat their patients. It has been a long time since I programmed the IBM-1130 in high school, to today’s very high-tech world of smartphones, smartwatches, and AI tools. I continue to enjoy the ever-evolving business landscape, technology tools, working with partners, and serving our customers. SpringSoft Medical, Inc. is here to identify solutions and work with terrific people so doctors can focus on us – their patients.
What matters most to you? Why?
In business, I work on computer systems and people systems. Computer systems have many varied, interacting parts – from physical computer components to software that transforms data into information. We all rely on these computer interactions continuously, yet it is our interactions with people that have the most significant impact on how we see ourselves and everyone around us. It is our interactions with people that color our lives.
My work life started with a lowly job, which I viewed as my ‘donkey.’ Along the way, each job, each project, each team, each customer, each colorful interaction grew into my ‘elephant.’ My body of work included people every step of the way. Today, I look forward to building new products and services, to learn from and with others. I am grateful for the opportunities to interact with others as we each understand our ‘elephants,’ our vocations, our lives’ work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://springsoftmedical.com
