HTM Found Me: Building Confidence and Purpose in the Unexpected

In this episode of HTM On The Line, Bryant Hawkins Sr. sits down with Kierra Morrow to discuss her unexpected journey into Healthcare Technology Management.

After being laid off from a lab role, Kierra discovered HTM and quickly grew from a beginner into a team lead in just two years. She shares her challenges, lessons learned, and advice for anyone entering the field.

 This conversation highlights career growth, confidence, and why HTM is a powerful opportunity, especially for the next generation.

Big thanks to our partners: College of Biomedical Equipment Technology, A.M. BICKFORD, INC., UptimeServices, MARS Bio-Med Processes Inc, Innovative Radiology and Sage Services Group. Your support keeps the HTM mission alive!

This podcast was produced by the B-Hawk Network.

Transcript

Bryant Hawkins 0:02

Welcome to HTM on the Live. I'm your host, Brian Hawkins Sr. Sometimes the path you did not plan becomes the one that changes everything. Today I'm sitting down with Kiara Mara. In just two years, she went from learning the basics to leading a team and growing in confidence. This episode is about growth, uncertainty, and becoming who you are meant to be. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

I'm doing good, thank you.

From Dentistry Dreams To Lab Work

Bryant Hawkins 1:15

That's good, that's good. Take us back. Who were you before HTM even entered your life?

SPEAKER_03 1:26

Okay. So originally I was studying to become a dentist. And through some trials and tribulations, I ended up going the biology route solely. So right out of school, I received my biotechnology degree. And then I started working in labs. So first I started off in an environmental lab, and then I ended up moving into an alloy and precious metals lab. But I always thought that I would stay in this kind of environmental role, doing work that felt more like helping the planet initially.

Bryant Hawkins 2:03

Okay. Okay. So healthcare was pretty much part of the plan, always. Environmental.

SPEAKER_03 2:10

More so on like the natural side of it. So like agriculture, botany, deforestation, that type of stuff. Definitely more into like the grass and dirt, not like not really the hospital field originally. But I guess so, maybe with the dentist stuff. Yeah. So it's always been, it's always been about helping someone else for sure. Okay.

Bryant Hawkins 2:37

I just can't see you that dirt type of girl. You like to get your hands dirty?

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Yes, you need a garden. We all need to garden.

Bryant Hawkins 2:48

If that's called cutting grass, okay, I do it.

SPEAKER_03 2:51

That'll work. Yeah.

Bryant Hawkins 2:54

Now, let me ask you this then. How did you first hear about healthcare technology management?

SPEAKER_03 3:02

Oh man, I really want to say it felt it found me. Unfortunately, I was laid off after my lab analyst position, just through some cuts they had to make. So I was unemployed for four months, and I kind of reached a point where I was just open to any opportunity given to me. And that's when I found a biomedical technician position, and it kind of found me like at the right time, honestly. And it ended up changing my entire career path for the best. So it did work out, thank God.

Bryant Hawkins 3:37

HTM found you. So you got your first job. What was your first day like stepping into the HTM industry?

SPEAKER_03 3:49

Yikes. Okay, so even in the interview process, I was very transparent with the hiring manager, and I just let her know that, like, you know, this is my first time coming into the field, not really educated on most things, but she reassured me that, like, you know, I'd be taught and given the tools necessary to learn the material so that I would be okay. So even with that reassurance, I was kind of overwhelmed. I came from a background where I never had to fix anything. So stepping into a role where I was responsible for repairing medical equipment was extremely intimidating at first. There was a lot of self-doubt, especially just knowing that patients and nurses and other care teams in the hospital truly do rely on that equipment to function properly. So I felt a lot of responsibility and I kind of questioned whether that truly fit in the field or not at first. So those are my first couple of days of just a lot of uncertainty.

Bryant Hawkins 4:51

Unfortunately, that just stays with you. You just know how to handle it better as you get into it. So, how long have you been in the industry so far?

SPEAKER_03 5:00

Right now, I'm currently two years into the industry.

Bryant Hawkins 5:05

Two years. Wow, congratulations. Thank you. Have you had anything happen in these two years that's kind of like a big challenge for you to overcome?

SPEAKER_03 5:19

Oh, absolutely. If I'm being honest, I'm still learning my place. I've built a strong foundation and I'm confident working on infusion pumps. I'm also grateful I've had opportunities to learn labor and delivery equipment, like infant warmers, breast pumps, blood warmers. But there's still so much I haven't mastered yet, like ventilators or respiratory systems, anesthesia machines. So sometimes seeing how much there is to still learn makes me question like, where exactly do I want my focus to be at? And like, where do I want to grow next into? So those are definitely still some of the challenges I'm enduring right now.

Bryant Hawkins 6:00

That's great. That was gonna be my next question. Like, if you had to choose a modality to specialize in, which would it be?

SPEAKER_03 6:10

Maybe just the fast pace of like the OR anesthesia equipment. I I love the high intensity of that. Like you're always moving, you're always learning. And then I also think like even while you're working, you're always networking with the vendors and the surgeons. So I like that atmosphere right now, but where do I want to go? I'm still not sure. I'm not leaning towards anything just yet.

Bryant Hawkins 6:35

Yeah, that's an honest answer. That's a fair answer, also, because our industry is so dynamic. What's going on? Yeah, what's going on today may not be here tomorrow. Okay. Now, what has been some of the hardest things that you may have gone through? I know you have some challenges, but what is let's talk more on not technical, but have there been any type of, I guess I'll say mental challenges you had to overcome in the two years so far?

SPEAKER_03 7:06

Yeah, for sure. I'd say something that's really shocking when I first came in is just the age gap. Like on my team, there's about 40 people overall. However, the majority are like 45 plus. And then there's only a small group, about four of us, including myself, that's like 26 and under. So like you fill the gap in just like small conversations and just trying to like appease your coworkers or like try to understand where they're coming from. Sometimes that can be a true challenge, and like especially like because I'm trying to learn from them, it is hard to connect with them sometimes. So yeah, I guess that's one of the biggest shocks that like I didn't really realize until I got into this field is like, man, there's a huge gap of like missing people, to me at least.

Bryant Hawkins 8:06

Yes, that's that's a fact. Our industry, I think the average age is 52 to 55.

SPEAKER_03 8:12

Yeah.

Bryant Hawkins 8:13

So that's not surprising, and it's the it's a real challenge because of the generation jump there.

SPEAKER_03 8:20

Oh, absolutely.

Bryant Hawkins 8:22

And young people like yourself, y'all coming in with millions of questions, and we're trying to tell you be patient. And unfortunately, y'all didn't grow up in the patient world, like we know, we don't be trying to hear that. But it's a give and take on both sides. I get you on that one. But now, when did you get to a point where you stopped feeling new and started feeling like you belonged?

SPEAKER_03 8:51

Well, I was grateful enough to in my first year be promoted to a lead, and that was a real confidence boost because I have finally started to feel seen as like, okay, you know, all my hard work with those infusion pumps isn't going, you know, in vain. Like they see that I'm out here, I'm trying. And then like I get my own team now. So just being able to step into a leadership role and teach them what I've learned and like show them what I've created, and maybe just new ways and how I think doing this pump is most effective and can get it back quicker on the floors and stuff, like having that team really built my confidence into like just personal growth, not even just just the leadership role itself, but just like knowing that I can have a team and they respect me enough to trust in what I'm giving them, and then they're applying it and it's working. And then now it's not just one of me doing this, there's four of me doing this, and now we're getting the work done faster than ever before. So I just I genuinely I love my team. I love the feeling that they give me. Yeah, they're they're literally the highlight of my job right now. So that's great.

Bryant Hawkins 10:12

Well, first of all, congratulations on your promotion.

unknown 10:15

Thank you.

Bryant Hawkins 10:15

That's awesome. Yeah. And I'll tell you this about IV pumps. A lot of people, you know, they they look at IV pumps as grunt work, but what I always tell people, I V pumps really teaches you patience, it helps you get over this thing called redundance because it's the same thing. But if you keep in mind the importance of each pump, you kind of master that. And that's a good skill to have in this industry where you you don't get tired of seeing the same thing because some people get bored and they start neglecting their responsibilities. So you can take those IV pumps seriously and do the job correctly. It's it's a great tool, it's a great asset that the hospital needs.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

And absolutely that's crazy.

Bryant Hawkins 11:03

So you being a leader, you love your team, so you can how can you say then HTM has changed your confidence as a professional? I mean, I know you came in here a little weary, but since you had all this stuff happen to you in this short period of time, has HTM changed your confidence as a professional?

SPEAKER_03 11:29

Oh, absolutely. Beyond the team, I would like to say like maybe another moment that genuinely boosted me into like knowing that A, I'm in the right field of like just growth overall is like the moment. Well, recently when we just had our first speech together at the MD Expo, genuinely just the standing ovation at the end, the support, the love from people, even those that I didn't really know, like it sparked something in me and it confirmed that like I am on the right path, and not just in my career again, but just in how I want to grow and show up for myself. So now I'm not just teaching and fixing stuff, but I'm also now doing public speaking and I'm learning small things that like I truly do enjoy doing. So I'm just extremely grateful. I did not see myself ever having an opportunity to meet you, let alone have a speech with you. So yeah, I can't complain over here.

Bryant Hawkins 12:34

That's great, that's great. Yeah, you did a great job on your presentation.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

Thank you. We did a great job.

Women In HTM And Representation

Bryant Hawkins 12:39

Yeah, but only one of us got a standing ovation. So but that's for another conversation. But that being said, what I mean, you mentioned how your team was such a difference in age. What about when it comes to male and female? Is it a big difference? You have a lot of females on your team, or what's the um ratio? How many, how many females work on y'all team?

SPEAKER_03 13:06

So, yeah, I wanted to say it's kind of like a double-sided experience because I am fortunate enough to be a in a large team, because I know most teams don't come 40 plus people in our field. However, I am around at least six or seven other female technicians. But going to these conferences and stuff, I do see that that is not a common theme in most shops. So I would say I am grateful to have that experience to be working alongside multiple women in different nationalities as well.

Remembering The Patient Behind Devices

Bryant Hawkins 13:42

So that's good. Now that's switching up a little bit here. Now, do you ever think about how your work impacts patients even if you don't see them?

SPEAKER_02 14:00

All the time, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

I believe as technicians, it's definitely easy to get caught up in just fixing a device and then moving on to the next, especially if like you have a luxury of staying in your office for the most part and just handing it out. But at the end of the day, the equipment is going back to a real person. And that's why I think it's important for techs to spend time on the hospital floors and to see these patients and care teams in real time to remind us that like this work is more than just numbers or completed tasks. It's truly about the people at the end of the day. And like maybe just seeing a note from a person versus like going and having that conversation with the charge nurse or the manager of that floor, it really shows you like the intensity of them needing this equipment or like the importance of this working or functioning properly so that this patient is getting the best care possible.

Bryant Hawkins 14:57

Yeah, yeah, because unfortunately in our industry, we may not get too many applause for what we do. Right. But you can just know by watching those patients, like you mentioned on the floor, that helps you kind of appreciate what you do.

Why More People Need To Know HTM

SPEAKER_03 15:11

No, right, absolutely.

Bryant Hawkins 15:13

I'm gonna just ask you this here because you didn't know about this industry. So why do you think more people need to know about HTM, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_03 15:30

Well just like we kind of spoke about earlier, I do think if more people were early on introduced to this field, there wouldn't be this huge gap in age as far as like our field right now. So like earlier exposure to this field will have more people hopefully come into this field so that you know there won't be gaps anymore because I mean it matters, like it's not the biggest effect on us, but it it could be a huge change as far as like how HTM overall its trajectory evolves. So that's why I think it's important now that what you do going to these schools and speaking to young people just to like put that put that initial thought in their head, like this also is a job, you know, that's in healthcare, you make good money, and you can really find yourself in a good career path in this. So just early exposure definitely can help the age gap situation in our field.

Bryant Hawkins 16:40

Sure. Now, you've mentioned you've been in this industry for two years now. So what advice would you give someone in their first 90 days? Because your 90 days wasn't that long ago. So what advice would you give someone in their first 90 days?

SPEAKER_03 16:58

Yeah, I definitely would say to just not overthink it. Like, I think sometimes the job can sound more intimidating than what it actually is. And if you're open to learning and willing to apply yourself, it's absolutely doable. You just have to give yourself a chance.

Bryant Hawkins 17:18

Okay, great. Now, you you kind of touched on high schools and things like that. So I go to high schools, as you are aware of, elevate HTM. If a high school student is listening right now, what would you say to them about HTM?

SPEAKER_03 17:38

I would say that HTM is a growing field that you should seriously consider. You can enter without having extensive education requirements, and the beauty is that right now it's not an oversaturated field. So you should definitely be giving this a real opportunity here right now.

Who Thrives In This Field

Bryant Hawkins 18:07

Now, what kind of person, in your opinion, is successful or could be successful in this industry?

SPEAKER_03 18:19

A person that could be successful in the HTM career probably would be someone who is definitely trying and willing to evolve. Someone who's curious and open to learning more about themselves and their interests. I would also say this field isn't just about being a technician. You can grow into leadership, you can specialize in certain equipment, or you can even move into engineering. It can take you in so many directions if you let it. So definitely just someone who is willing and trying to evolve.

Bryant Hawkins 18:55

Nice answer. I like that. Now, this is like I mentioned before, we have young people listening. What would you tell someone? And you was here probably at one point. What would you tell someone who feels unsure about their future?

SPEAKER_03 19:12

Okay. Someone who is unsure about their future. I relate to this because that was me not too long ago. So as a black woman who once thought she had everything figured out. I really want everyone to understand that life is a journey. So it's important to find good mentors and more importantly, a field where you feel seen. But I guess the biggest thing is just to stay open when things don't go as planned, because sometimes your original plan really doesn't work out because there is something better waiting for you. Something that you probably didn't even imagine you were gonna do well in the first place. Because that's me right now, so yeah.

Bryant Hawkins 19:56

Right. Now let's play a little rapid fire. We're gonna have some fun.

SPEAKER_02 20:01

Okay.

Bryant Hawkins 20:02

I want you to give me one word to describe HTML. One word, don't give me a sentence, one word.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

I'd say community.

Bryant Hawkins 20:20

Okay, I like that community. Most rewarding part of your job.

SPEAKER_03 20:27

Between two things. It's really between two things that I'm most satisfied about in my field. One is really small, but like completing something on my own. It's one thing to be taught and then have someone over your shoulder looking at you doing it, but like sitting down and doing it yourself and it turns out right and you've actually fixed it and it's functioning properly, that is such a great feeling, especially like when you had problems with it before you just didn't feel confident doing it by yourself. So that is one thing I definitely enjoy. And two, again, I have to bring up my team. Like they are the bread and butter of what I do right now. Just making sure that they're happy, making sure that they feel seen, making sure that they feel like they have the support to be the best technician they can be right now. That makes the world of a difference for me. Like that makes me so happy inside.

unknown 21:21

Okay, great.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

So, yeah, definitely between those two things.

Bryant Hawkins 21:25

All right. Now, something people would be surprised to learn about HTML something, one thing that people would be surprised to learn about HTML.

SPEAKER_03 21:38

As small as the field is, it's really not small. Like, I think that's what shocked me. Like, I think initially you just think, like you said earlier, like some people as technicians working on a pump, they just they hear that and be like, Oh, that's redundant. And it's really not though, like, but it all depends on who you are. Again, going back into the specialties, there's so there's like, and then each specialty is like its own world, you know what I mean? Like, there's imaging, there's anesthesia again, there's ventilators and respiratory, like all of that ends up becoming its own world of just new knowledge and new people. I think that's like the biggest thing that blows my mind. Cause when I first came in, I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna be fixing pumps. But like, no, no, there's so much to it once you really get into it. You really don't know how big it is until you're actually in the field itself.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Your motivation on tough days.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

My motivation on tough days.

SPEAKER_03 22:48

My team, and that's why it's so important. And I know I keep bringing them up, but they really do make the difference for me. Just having people that are close to my age that understand what I'm enduring at work sometimes. It's good to like, and I hate to say, you know, like misery loves company, and it's not even just misery, but it's glad to know that someone else understands what you're going through, and then to have support from them. Because then it doesn't make it as bad as it it would be if you were just by yourself.

Bryant Hawkins 23:18

Okay, that's good. Now, Kiara, I have just two more questions for you.

SPEAKER_02 23:25

Okay.

Bryant Hawkins 23:27

When people hear your story, what do you want them to take away from it?

SPEAKER_02 23:37

For my story, I really want people to take away that it's okay to not know everything.

The Takeaway And Looking Ahead

SPEAKER_03 23:46

It's okay to go into a field and be uncertain if this is what you really want to do. It's okay to ask those silly questions because those were all things that I genuinely was afraid to do, and I did them still, and then I'm looking at myself right now, and I'm just happy that I did not stop myself or enclose myself into that bubble of what I originally wanted to do earlier in my life while still in school. I just really hope that people take away that it's okay to be unsure as long as like you genuinely believe in yourself and you're actively putting in some type of action to move yourself along, like something will find you. So, yeah.

Bryant Hawkins 24:42

What does the future look like for you in HTM?

SPEAKER_03 24:47

I'm trying to be like you, Brian. I'm trying to genuinely make a difference. I want to, like I mentioned earlier, I definitely want to see more black and brown people in the field. I want to see more women in the field. And if I can do that in any shape or form, then that is my ultimate goal while being in this field is to continue to grow my leadership role and to get more people exposed to this field who I feel like don't think they have many options.

Bryant Hawkins 25:25

Great. And just so you know, you're not gonna be like me, you're gonna be better than me.

SPEAKER_03 25:31

So stop it. So keep going, what you're doing.

Bryant Hawkins 25:34

I'm just I'm just gonna tell you this honestly. I met you in the Expo Dallas. That was what six months ago. And I can truly see a difference in you in that short period of time, and that's awesome. And that obviously it comes from exposure of you meeting more people and keep doing that, keep networking. And I promise you, the sky's the limit in this industry because you have the it factor, and a lot of people don't have that, so just keep building on it, stay humble, and I promise you, you you can do whatever you want to do in this industry because it's it's wide open right now, and there's a need for people like you who embrace being a leader. Yes, you're not just being a leader by title, you're being a leader with a servitude attitude. So keep that, and I wish you the best. And if anything I can do to help you, you know I will. And keep pushing, Chiera. I'm proud of you.

SPEAKER_03 26:32

Yes, thank you. I appreciate the kind words, it means a lot.

Bryant Hawkins 26:36

That was Chiara Morrow's story. A reminder that you do not have to have everything figured out to keep moving forward. Sometimes the opportunity you never expected becomes the one that grows you, builds you, and changes your life. Chiara, thank you for your honesty, your leadership, and your heart. And to everyone listening, keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up. This is HTM on the line. I'm your host, Brian Hawkins. Till next time, y'all say hi.