[0:02] Sharnese Johnson: can do that in my sleep.
[0:03] Nirav Chheda: You can sleep any in your sleep.
[0:05] Nirav Chheda: I can do that in [music] got with me a special guest today, Sharnese Johnson, the secret sauce NEMT coach.
[0:29] Nirav Chheda: Sharnese, how you doing? I'm good.
[0:32] Nirav Chheda: How are you? Never been better.
[0:36] Nirav Chheda: Sharnese, you are all over social media.
[0:39] Nirav Chheda: You coach NEMT businesses. You host events.
[0:42] Nirav Chheda: You instruct them on how to get started.
[0:45] Nirav Chheda: Um, can you give us a bit of a background on yourself?
[0:48] Nirav Chheda: You started your NEMT business about 7 years ago and two years ago you shifted the focus from NEMT to student transport.
[0:58] Nirav Chheda: Can you tell us about you know seven years ago how you got into NEMT and what your journey's been like?
[1:05] Sharnese Johnson: Sure definitely. So about seven years ago I would say maybe two six 2016 um I left corporate America decided I did not want to be behind the desk anymore.
[1:17] Sharnese Johnson: Um, I left, started doing Uber and Lyft.
[1:20] Sharnese Johnson: So, just to find out what it was that I actually wanted to do in that time frame.
[1:24] Sharnese Johnson: My daughter had a friend at school whose mom was actually um, she owned a NEMT business.
[1:30] Sharnese Johnson: She needed some drivers. So, she asked what, you know, mind coming on?
[1:35] Sharnese Johnson: And I decided, yeah, let me see what this is about.
[1:37] Sharnese Johnson: I'm already driving. So, it piqued my interest because I was meeting different types of So, you know, I got my way in and started to doing my research to find out what was NEMT, what is this NEM?
[1:52] Sharnese Johnson: Um, I looked online. I actually um did not register a business, but I started my business with my own private pay clients during the time that I was working with her.
[2:06] Sharnese Johnson: She did tell me a little bit about how to obtain my own clients.
[2:10] Sharnese Johnson: So, I started out with clients from Craigslist.
[2:12] Sharnese Johnson: Believe it or not, I put an ad [clears throat] on Craigslist.
[2:15] Sharnese Johnson: I obtained my private paid clients.
[2:17] Sharnese Johnson: Uh, one of them was with me for four almost five years until he passed in 2021.
[2:23] Sharnese Johnson: But during that time, I saw the need.
[2:26] Sharnese Johnson: Um, because my mom had been sick as well and trying to get to doctor's appointments and I'm like, you know what, this is something that's valuable.
[2:34] Sharnese Johnson: This is what I want to do.
[2:36] Sharnese Johnson: um trans you know coming forward to 2019 I decided well let's make this you know a permanent thing legal thing so I registered my business and took off from there um went into NEMT did it with brokers for
[2:50] Sharnese Johnson: maybe six months and then branched out completely on my own with contracts with different vendors and facilities and it wasn't until two years ago almost yeah about two and a half years ago I started transporting students started out
[3:04] Sharnese Johnson: with maybe two or And then all of a sudden just it blew up from there.
[3:09] Sharnese Johnson: And I did not understand the importance of it until I actually became uh my provider now a student transportation broker that it's not just about the yellow school bus transportation.
[3:22] Sharnese Johnson: There's a great need for student transportation um in many aspects uh of the school system.
[3:28] Sharnese Johnson: So and that's what brings me here to now my focus is on student transportation.
[3:34] Sharnese Johnson: I haven't given up NEMT, you know, I can do that in my sleep.
[3:38] Sharnese Johnson: Um, but I shifted um, you know, pivoted to student transportation because there is a great need there as well.
[3:46] Nirav Chheda: And here I am and here you are.
[3:49] Nirav Chheda: And you can in your but you're focusing on students now.
[3:54] Sharnese Johnson: Exactly. Right. I can go to sleep and say, "Oh, okay.
[3:56] Sharnese Johnson: U, let's call this facility. Let's do get this contract." Getting contracts is not a problem with any.
[4:02] Sharnese Johnson: This is why I teach and do coaching and mentoring because for the first five or so years of my uh entrepreneurship as a NEMT provider or passenger transportation now that it's called um I know the ins and outs.
[4:17] Sharnese Johnson: I've gone through some of the things that some of the providers now are going through.
[4:21] Sharnese Johnson: Um so when I coach and I instruct and mentor, I don't do anything or teach on anything that I have not done, which is very few and far between.
[4:30] Sharnese Johnson: Um, but if I've done it and I've experienced it, now I want to show others this is what can happen, will happen, this is how to get through So on that note, you know, two years two things happened.
[4:45] Nirav Chheda: Number one, you shifted from focusing on NEMT to focusing on student transport.
[4:51] Nirav Chheda: And number two, you began this consulting, coaching, and you know, putting your a lot of content out there for new startup NEMT businesses to basically get mentoring from Can you tell us about the second one first?
[5:10] Nirav Chheda: So, about the coaching and mentoring, you know, how did you decide to get into it and how is how's that journey been for you?
[5:19] Sharnese Johnson: interesting. Someone came just came to me and said, "You know what, Sharnese?
[5:23] Sharnese Johnson: Um, I hear, you know, sometimes you talking about it on your page about NEMT, the business that you're doing, and I've always wanted to get into it.
[5:32] Sharnese Johnson: You know, can you give me a little information and kind of help me on this journey?" Great.
[5:37] Sharnese Johnson: You know, had no problems with it.
[5:39] Sharnese Johnson: And then this person was excited and they were like, you know, you have so much information to give.
[5:46] Sharnese Johnson: And from there she went on to not only starting an NEMT uh business but then she started getting contracts and you know things started growing for her and she would come back and she would tell me if it
[5:58] Sharnese Johnson: had not been for you helping me I wouldn't have gotten through this and I remembered I had no one to show me when I came into the business and what better way to give back than to have those
[6:12] Sharnese Johnson: who are wanting to come into the industry come in doing it the right way understanding the business, understanding your role um as you know this NEMT company or business and what you know who you're benefiting and that's and
[6:27] Sharnese Johnson: that's when I decided you know what I can do a little mentoring and coaching and this is what I like to do but my mentoring and coaching is not just for NEMT providers it's for anyone who wants to
[6:39] Sharnese Johnson: start a business but my focus in my consulting are the passenger transportation NEMT and student transportation companies.
[6:49] Nirav Chheda: Can you give us any stories or examples of your clients who you've coached and who have, you know, been able to leverage your experience to to I'm going to I can give you several.
[7:01] Sharnese Johnson: I have one client, he's in um Massachusetts.
[7:05] Sharnese Johnson: He came through he actually took my program.
[7:07] Sharnese Johnson: I have a program where I start help you start your business from the beginning.
[7:11] Sharnese Johnson: We go all the way through uh understanding how to set up and get um registered with your state city government to possibly bid on government contracts.
[7:22] Sharnese Johnson: So that's a whole process of about four months.
[7:25] Sharnese Johnson: He started that program uh started his business.
[7:28] Sharnese Johnson: We walked through it. He's now with uh he's asked to I guess procure uh some contracts with uh the Centers for Aging in Massachusetts.
[7:41] Sharnese Johnson: They actually approached him said, "Hey, you know, we see you out there.
[7:44] Sharnese Johnson: We understand what you're doing. We want you, we would like you to, you know, transport our clients for us.
[7:51] Sharnese Johnson: We have a very large base of clients.
[7:53] Sharnese Johnson: We would like for you to do that." He contacted me about two weeks ago.
[7:56] Sharnese Johnson: He was so excited. He was like, "Hey, listen.
[7:58] Sharnese Johnson: What do I do?" you know, this is kind of big.
[8:00] Sharnese Johnson: Um, and we walk through that process.
[8:03] Sharnese Johnson: He also has now providers up under him that he helps um to transport.
[8:08] Sharnese Johnson: He'll get contracts through ModivCare and um some of the other brokers in his area and then he gives, you know, trips to them to help them in the business.
[8:18] Sharnese Johnson: So, his idea was, you helped me, so now I'm going to give back and help others.
[8:22] Sharnese Johnson: Um, I have one young lady, she has gone through a many of my boot camps, my online trainings.
[8:29] Sharnese Johnson: Um, and she decided, well, I don't think I want to do student transportation.
[8:33] Sharnese Johnson: She's in South Carolina. Okay. And I let her know, we go through this process.
[8:37] Sharnese Johnson: I'm going, you know, full speed ahead with you because school is getting ready to start um in August and you want to be prepared.
[8:46] Sharnese Johnson: She has been approached by not only two charter schools but one of the school districts in South Carolina who says hey you know what we need you send me your information now and let's figure out how we can
[8:59] Sharnese Johnson: get you started. So I have them who come through who you know obtain my services and they are successful.
[9:06] Sharnese Johnson: They continue going on. I have one in Florida.
[9:09] Sharnese Johnson: She's doing well um in Jacksonville, Florida.
[9:12] Sharnese Johnson: She came through the program as well.
[9:14] Nirav Chheda: So, for everyone watching, if you want to get in on Sharnese's secret sauce, I'm putting her contact info in the description of this video.
[9:25] Sharnese Johnson: Reach out to Reach out. Reach out.
[9:28] Nirav Chheda: And now I want to get to the student transportation part.
[9:33] Nirav Chheda: So, two years ago, two and a half years ago, you started doing student transport and you started with one contract.
[9:41] Nirav Chheda: you started transporting some students and then you began realizing, hey, I should actually lean more into this, my focus from NEMT to student transport and then now that's the majority of what you're doing and and the big part
[9:56] Nirav Chheda: of your focus. Talk to us about why you made that shift in focus.
[10:03] Sharnese Johnson: So, I have many different students.
[10:08] Sharnese Johnson: When I say different students, I have my autistic students.
[10:12] Sharnese Johnson: I have those who have some special needs.
[10:15] Sharnese Johnson: I have uh students from public schools, from private to charter schools.
[10:20] Sharnese Johnson: So, I have an array of students that I transport.
[10:24] Sharnese Johnson: What really made me want to move further into student transportation is the family need.
[10:31] Sharnese Johnson: Okay, these are students and families who they either don't have the school busing in their area, no school buses, no routes in their area.
[10:40] Sharnese Johnson: The parents have to transport them to and from school.
[10:44] Sharnese Johnson: Imagine being a parent or a single parent.
[10:46] Sharnese Johnson: You're having to get a child to school.
[10:48] Sharnese Johnson: You're having to go to work.
[10:49] Sharnese Johnson: You're having to either leave work early or make, you know, adjustments in your schedule to now have to go back and pick that child up.
[10:56] Sharnese Johnson: But you also have a household to run.
[10:59] Sharnese Johnson: You need that help. you need someone to say, "I will help you.
[11:02] Sharnese Johnson: I can transport your child for you." Um, being a single mom myself and having to transport my daughter back and forth to school, I understand what they are dealing with.
[11:13] Sharnese Johnson: So, that was my one thing.
[11:14] Sharnese Johnson: You know what? If I can help a parent who has a need, who wants their child to go to a particular school because of the education that child will receive, that is what I'm here for.
[11:27] Sharnese Johnson: Let's make sure that child gets to that school.
[11:30] Sharnese Johnson: Secondly, you with u my autistic uh students and the special needs, they like being in that environment with other kids, okay?
[11:40] Sharnese Johnson: They like getting on the van, getting it with all the other kids and interacting with the other kids.
[11:46] Sharnese Johnson: It brings them together to let them know, you know what, I like this.
[11:51] Sharnese Johnson: I am just like you. I just may have a different type of disability, but they get on the van.
[11:57] Sharnese Johnson: They are, you know, they're playing video.
[11:59] Sharnese Johnson: You'll be surprised that they know the same video games.
[12:02] Sharnese Johnson: They're playing the same, you know, on the phones.
[12:04] Sharnese Johnson: And I like that, you know, because these kids are learning each other.
[12:09] Sharnese Johnson: And the third reason why I decided is because of the foster care, the homelessness that we are experiencing that involves many, many children.
[12:22] Sharnese Johnson: They are entitled to go to school.
[12:25] Sharnese Johnson: They're entitled to an education regardless of their housing situation or their familiar, you know, situation.
[12:32] Sharnese Johnson: Uh the McKinney-Vento uh act is a very important it's a very uh big act and it's in every state.
[12:40] Sharnese Johnson: Every state uh has a McKinney-Vento um division of public school systems etc.
[12:48] Sharnese Johnson: But they have a need. So, I want to make sure that every student is in is going to school, is being transported to school, has that opportunity to attend school.
[13:03] Sharnese Johnson: And if I'm able to do it, whether it is subcontracting to another provider, if it is going to the school districts to set up a contract to partner with the school districts, whatever it takes for me to do
[13:16] Sharnese Johnson: that, that's what I want to do because it's dear to me.
[13:19] Sharnese Johnson: I want to see these children obtain their education.
[13:23] Nirav Chheda: You know, the way that another NEMT business owner put it who also shifted focus to student transport is that in NEMT, you're focusing on the end of people's lives and you know, you're going to be doing their last
[13:39] Nirav Chheda: trip for them. Student transport, [clears throat] you're transporting people who are at the beginning of their lives and you're going to be transporting them.
[13:46] Nirav Chheda: you know that's a lifelong journey for them.
[13:50] Nirav Chheda: How different is it from NEMT?
[13:54] Nirav Chheda: Like can you give us a comparison of you doing NEMT transports versus you doing student The difference to me is with NEMT you're transporting to a doctor's appointment.
[14:07] Sharnese Johnson: You're transporting someone you may never see again.
[14:10] Sharnese Johnson: um you're transporting someone um and as they said they may be that may be their last transport.
[14:18] Sharnese Johnson: Okay. But with the students when you when they see me there's Miss Sharnese when they are comfortable.
[14:26] Sharnese Johnson: Okay. When they have a smile on their face when they when they feel like I'm protected that's what makes me want to continue to do it.
[14:36] Sharnese Johnson: I'm protecting someone when I'm driving them or transporting [clears throat] them for NEMT, but that's not a personal relationship that I have built that is going to continue on.
[14:46] Sharnese Johnson: With my student transportation, I built a relationship not only with the students, but I built a relationship with the schools and with the parents that if something goes on that you have that person to contact.
[14:58] Sharnese Johnson: So on this hand, the student transportation, I'm building relationships to carry on.
[15:03] Sharnese Johnson: for the NEM. I'm there to provide a service that you may only have that is for that moment.
[15:11] Nirav Chheda: Yeah. Yeah. I like that. Can you tell us about like, you know, for other NEMT providers out there who are hearing what you're saying and saying, "Hey, I like this.
[15:23] Nirav Chheda: I think student transportation is an area that I want to start diversifying into." One thing that's going to be on, you know, transportation owners minds is, you know, what's the difference in the money I make from doing versus
[15:37] Nirav Chheda: student transport. Like what's the difference in the revenue and you know, the business model.
[15:42] Sharnese Johnson: So in NEMT, there's different models of ways to earn money in NEMT.
[15:48] Sharnese Johnson: You have your brokers and you have your private pay, which means you can work with a facility or with um just individuals, right?
[15:56] Sharnese Johnson: So with a broker, you're limited to how much you're able to make because in essence, that's that broker's business.
[16:04] Sharnese Johnson: You're just the person that's providing the service to help them along within their business.
[16:10] Sharnese Johnson: So you're limited in how much you're actually able to make.
[16:14] Sharnese Johnson: On the private pay side, when you're doing NEMT, you're looking at are they able to pay a certain amount?
[16:22] Sharnese Johnson: Is it insurance? um what type of facility what is what is their budget in doing so um how long will I be transporting them to the point where I will be seeing that revenue coming from private pay and
[16:37] Sharnese Johnson: NEMT on the school side you have your school districts and those programs such as McKinney-Vento etc who have funding that if you're able to contract with them you have at least nine months that you know guaranteed that
[16:54] Sharnese Johnson: you are making this revenue. Okay, you're you're you also have families that you add to that who they're [clears throat] willing to pay for their services because their child is getting to school.
[17:07] Sharnese Johnson: And if you're providing the service of them getting to school on time um that you're you have that flexibility for the parents, they're going to pay.
[17:16] Sharnese Johnson: So you have now you get contracts in NEMT.
[17:22] Sharnese Johnson: You know that's not one of those things where you'll never get a contract in NEMT.
[17:26] Sharnese Johnson: But on this side of student you know, in fact that for 9 months you're guaranteed they're going to pay.
[17:34] Sharnese Johnson: You have a school district that says we we're going to pay you.
[17:37] Sharnese Johnson: You know, this is the amount that we're going to pay.
[17:39] Sharnese Johnson: You're picking up 20, 30, 40 kids for us.
[17:42] Sharnese Johnson: Imagine picking up 20, 30, 40 children at one time versus you may have a contract where you may only have five or six, eight or 10 at one time in N&T.
[17:54] Sharnese Johnson: It's the volume in student transportation versus your volume in NEMT that then brings on that revenue.
[18:02] Nirav Chheda: So in order to actually transport that volume, what are the different kinds of vehicles and you know drivers?
[18:10] Nirav Chheda: Well, I mean, you have to have a different kind of capacity to be able to do student transport, right?
[18:14] Nirav Chheda: So, if I'm a NEMT company, I do wheelchair transport, ambulatory, let's say, I want to move into student transport.
[18:22] Nirav Chheda: What assets do I need to acquire in order to actually be able to do it?
[18:26] Sharnese Johnson: So, to for me having several 15 passenger vans and an eight passenger van and an SUV.
[18:37] Sharnese Johnson: Okay. Now, with those passenger vans, I can take on several routes.
[18:43] Sharnese Johnson: That means I have routes going at many different uh times, but I have on each van 60 children total.
[18:51] Sharnese Johnson: They could be going to different schools, but those vans are in motion at the same time.
[18:57] Sharnese Johnson: Um, you can do it in a sedan, you can do it in an SUV because you're still able to get multiple children in those vehicles to transport them.
[19:08] Sharnese Johnson: So, it is the same type of vans and vehicles that you can use in any NEMT, but again, it's the volume.
[19:16] Sharnese Johnson: How many NEMT providers, you know, would have an uh 15 passenger van that they're going to fill up at one time to transport somebody unless it's a dialysis center and I still I mean 15 people that you're picking
[19:29] Sharnese Johnson: up at one time for dialysis versus, you know, 15 children you have on this 15 passenger van that you're transporting.
[19:37] Sharnese Johnson: Again, it's the volume. Um, it's not so much the vehicle because as a broker, I can have um several providers or several companies are that are transporting up under me that are able to pick up multiple So therefore,
[19:55] Sharnese Johnson: I'm still reaching that volume of children even with if it's one vehicle here, one vehicle there, or SUV there.
[20:03] Sharnese Johnson: So, it just depends on what your volume is and what you're looking to do, how many children you want to transport at one time.
[20:10] Nirav Chheda: Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, I was going to ask you like, does it make sense for a transportation business to start out doing NEMT and then move into student transport versus just starting out and doing student transport
[20:23] Sharnese Johnson: from the start? Many many people transporters uh providers don't want to deal with children.
[20:31] Sharnese Johnson: Okay. So, it's not one of those, well, you start out in NEMT and you transition.
[20:37] Sharnese Johnson: No, if you feel that I like working with children, I understand the business, the industry, and I know that, okay, this is going to benefit me in many ways.
[20:49] Sharnese Johnson: You don't have to start out any NEMT.
[20:52] Sharnese Johnson: This is not a you know a pre NEMT is not one of those prerequisites where in order to do student transportation you have to have this NEMT experience.
[21:02] Sharnese Johnson: The experience comes with one if you start out with one or two children and you get an understanding of your routes knowing how to do your routes.
[21:10] Sharnese Johnson: It is the same um type of transportation because you're transporting people.
[21:17] Sharnese Johnson: They may be children and it's you having to develop a route.
[21:21] Sharnese Johnson: However, you're looking at it student transportation versus NEMT, but it's still passenger transportation.
[21:29] Sharnese Johnson: And that's what a lot of people um in the industry don't understand.
[21:33] Sharnese Johnson: NEMT is just the non-emergency medical side of it.
[21:37] Sharnese Johnson: But when you're getting into adding other types of transportation, airport transportation, passenger transportation, all of that can be done together, you're no longer a NEMT provider at that point.
[21:50] Sharnese Johnson: You are a passenger transportation company at that point because you do all things transportation and that's what I am right.
[21:59] Nirav Chheda: So let's talk about actually winning contracts to do the student transportation.
[22:05] Nirav Chheda: You know I say okay I want to do this.
[22:08] Nirav Chheda: I think it makes sense. I like you know the children you know the the use case of transporting I have the vehicles.
[22:17] Nirav Chheda: I have the capacity to do it.
[22:19] Nirav Chheda: How do I actually approach schools and win contracts to do the There are different ways.
[22:25] Sharnese Johnson: Some districts, some states, you have to do a bidding process in order to obtain student transportation contracts within those states.
[22:34] Sharnese Johnson: And they are further north, you have Massachusetts, I believe is one, New York, some of their school districts, um that you have to actually bid on the contract, right?
[22:44] Sharnese Johnson: Then you have further south, you Georgia, South Carolina, Florida.
[22:48] Sharnese Johnson: It's not a bidding on a contract, but there are either there's either an open enrollment period that they will accept applications from providers who want to transport, do student transportation, or you have what they call the alternative transportation
[23:05] Sharnese Johnson: companies or the brokers who they have a contract that they have um gotten a partnership with a school district that you can then go up under that provider and provide student transportation services up under that company.
[23:22] Sharnese Johnson: So, it just depends on where you are and what the requirements are for that state.
[23:29] Sharnese Johnson: Uh some school districts would tell you um that you know we simply need the help send over the information that you know what the type of work that you perform, your availability, how many students you're able to transport.
[23:44] Sharnese Johnson: And at the same time, there are school districts who say, "We don't offer student transportation, but we would allow the parents to reach out to you to um you know, utilize your services, which means that and it's and
[23:58] Sharnese Johnson: it's basically charter schools, private schools, micro schools that don't have transportation, but they are not funded enough to be able to afford to pay a provider.
[24:11] Nirav Chheda: So then they shift that responsibility to the parent and then the parent and the provider has that And the way this industry is shaping out, it seems to me like there's growing to do more student transport.
[24:27] Nirav Chheda: Like the demand is just it's up and to the right.
[24:31] Sharnese Johnson: Is that right? That is correct.
[24:33] Sharnese Johnson: Um and the reason being um if you look at now there has been a lot of issues with school busing um in a lot of districts a lot of states where it has become um minimal school buses now
[24:46] Sharnese Johnson: that you see uh that may be to due a lack of people retiring who have done it for so long they retired.
[24:52] Sharnese Johnson: Not many people want to drive school buses.
[24:56] Sharnese Johnson: Um but the thing is the more that you the lack of school buses that you see you have many other communities that are now going up which there are a lot of children in those communities.
[25:08] Sharnese Johnson: So that is the need there is a great need for because again those students have to get to school.
[25:14] Sharnese Johnson: Um being a student transportation provider also gives the flexibility to the parents.
[25:21] Sharnese Johnson: they, you know, we have what we call satellite drop off locations um that the parents bring the kids there, we pick them up all at one time and we drop them back off at that same location.
[25:34] Sharnese Johnson: That could be near a a parents uh work location that they just have to run quickly, pick up their child and maybe go back to work or run them home versus a school bus.
[25:45] Sharnese Johnson: you may not have that flexibility to have a school bus to drop your child off at your place of employment.
[25:52] Sharnese Johnson: So that's that flexibility there uh for the parents when it comes to private or alternative transportation Yeah.
[26:02] Nirav Chheda: Any fun or favorite story you want to leave our viewers with about doing student transport?
[26:09] Sharnese Johnson: I have so many stories. Um the children they like the at the end of the uh winter break I normally give them gifts.
[26:19] Sharnese Johnson: Okay. We used to do snacks but the children I find a lot of crumbs and paper and so I kind of had to cut the snacks out.
[26:29] Sharnese Johnson: But um I had one student to get on the van just before I stopped doing the snacks.
[26:34] Sharnese Johnson: And he got on the van and he sat there and he knew, you know, let's put our seat belts on, let's get ready.
[26:39] Sharnese Johnson: and he sat there and he said, "Okay, Ms.
[26:41] Sharnese Johnson: Sharnese, I'm ready." And I said, "What are you ready for?
[26:45] Sharnese Johnson: It's snack time." And I said, "Oh, I didn't bring the snacks." Oh, man.
[26:52] Sharnese Johnson: Are you kidding me? And I said, "You know, you all don't like to pick up the paper and the trash off the van." And all of a sudden, he turned around.
[27:00] Sharnese Johnson: He said, "Hey, pick up your paper and your trash cuz I want my And he turned around.
[27:08] Sharnese Johnson: He said, "How about that?" I'm [laughter] like, "No, that's not going to work." But hey, he was ready.
[27:16] Sharnese Johnson: He was determined. Listen, I want my snacks.
[27:19] Sharnese Johnson: So, but um I have so much fun with them, okay?
[27:24] Sharnese Johnson: Listening to them. I usually put my little earbuds on to make them think that I'm not listening, but I am.
[27:30] Sharnese Johnson: And it's some of the things that they talk about and the some of the they even talk about school stuff.
[27:36] Sharnese Johnson: Um, and I just love it.
[27:38] Sharnese Johnson: It's it's a fun thing for me because I like working with children.
[27:42] Sharnese Johnson: Um, and I like the fact that they are safe with me.
[27:45] Sharnese Johnson: They feel safe with me. So that's I wouldn't change it for the world.
[27:50] Nirav Chheda: I love it. Everyone, Sharnese Johnson, the CEO of Optimal Reliability, the secret sauce NEMT coach.
[28:00] Nirav Chheda: Again, her contact info is in the description.
[28:04] Nirav Chheda: Reach out to her. Get in on that secret sauce.
[28:07] Nirav Chheda: Sharnese. Thanks so much. Run, Bambi, run.
