Bill’s Journey Into Sterile Processing

We open up our personal story and the moments that shaped our confidence, our faith, and our drive to build a life through sterile processing. We walk through the setbacks, mentors, hospital moves, and mindset shifts that turn SPD from a job into a platform for growth and purpose. 
• finishing a first year of podcasting and why we choose to share our story 
• childhood insecurity, addiction, faith, and the power of community support 
• discovering sterile processing through a mentor and committing to training 
• externship mindset and a pro tip for becoming a value-added hire 
• early career growth in a trauma center and the push to get certified 
• stepping into pediatric instrumentation and the added precision it requires 
• union realities, seniority, contract rules, and communication gaps 
• learning to advocate for yourself while staying focused on performance 
• a 2024 car accident, fear of losing the career, and the idea behind Sterilization Station 
• “updating” your mindset, value-centered solutions, and intentional leadership 
• why sterile processing can create stability for your family and your future 
visit sterilizationstation.org. Click on the coaching tab, and let's get you started. 
If you're looking for inspiration and insight and growing in your surgical instrumentation skills, then click the link below where you can purchase the World of Surgery workbook and instruments catalog. 

Transcript

Why This Story Matters

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to another episode of the Sterilization Station. This is your host, Bill Rochelle. And today I have a great topic and really kind of want to open up a little bit and take you into the book of my story, a little bit into my life and sharing with you who I am. You know, I just finished my first year of podcasting with the sterilization station, and it's been such an empowering experience for me. And I would not have gotten this far hadn't it not been for people who were in my corner encouraging me to move forward with this podcast. And so, you know about Bill Rochelle, I love people of all backgrounds, uh, I love to build a network. I'm definitely a talker, and I'm just someone who truly loves people and loves to build relationships. And I like to get back and to share some of the things that have really helped me. And, you know, welcome back to the station. And uh, this podcast is dedicated to empowering, motivating, and inspiring uh anyone in life who's on this journey of this thing we call life. Whether you're in sterile processing or just someone who's going through life, I hope that you will find value in this podcast episode. I'm truly a person, an entrepreneur since 2025, my first year, and I'm really excited for the growth that I experienced. And I hope that opening up my story today will encourage you and empower you. And so today I wanted to do a little something different. I really want to share my story, my journey into sterile processing, the challenges that I face, the doors that have opened, and the lessons I've learned along the way. And I hope that listening to this would um add value to you. And so I just remember, you know, kind of growing up as a uh uh through my childhood, and remember my parents, you know, beginning to separate when I was younger, and it really had a great uh impact on my self-confidence, you know, my insecurities as well as a lot of other things. And um I remember, you know, struggling, um, even you know, turning to different addictions at one time, which I thank God for, how those things have changed. But that is a part of my story and truly is, you know, like a vessel that was broken, and my life was put back together. Not understanding what maybe you believe in, but for me, uh I believe in God, grew up in a home that believed in God, and I remember turning to God in this moment and begin to get um you know a life-changing experience that empowered me to grow and becoming who I am today. And so, you know, I struggled with these addictions, I felt lost, and at times didn't really know what my future held. Um, but I remember coming into a church uh in the California, Northern California, I began to change my life and be around a community of people that began to tell me, um, Bill Rochelle, you can do anything. You know, I've been married for 20 years by God's grace and mercy, and my wife, wonderful woman, encouraged me and always was that cheerleader in my corner, telling me that I could do anything. And so that began to change the trajectory of my life. And I remember my friend who brought me to church was a still processing technician, and I began to, you know, snuck me on nighttime and let me experience her for a night. And after that moment, I knew that something was um getting ready to change. I went to school and began to excel in my program, an externship at a local hospital, which opened up doors for me to get a job there. You know, I was a student, but I knew that Faith Without Works is dead, and that my job was to prove to them why they needed me on staff. And so I listened to the managers and a little pro tip: if you're an externship student, you're new on the job, pay attention to what the managers are asking people to do. And sometimes, you know, step in and do that. Show them that you're a value-added employee. And so I was wiping down machines, I was folding towels, I was learning instruments. And even when people said things negatively to me, I would use those things as the fuel for your success. You think about the fire flame, right? You have what caused the fire, the oxygen that feeds the fire, what's being consumed that created that heat source, right? And so as you keep that fire burning, there's nothing, no one can put out your fire unless you choose to let something happen. Initially, they'll cover the base of the fire to try to kill that oxygen, or they'll remove out what's being burnt to break that triangle. Don't let no one break the triangle of your success. So these experiences laid a foundation of faith in my life, perseverance, and the belief that if I stayed focused on my goals, things would happen, doors would open, and you know, I could definitely begin to make changes. So I eventually started my first career in sterile processing and type. It was right before we got married, and I started a brand new job, working nights per GM, and I'm so thankful to see where I am today. I began a trauma center, which gave me a lot of experience to learn crash carts, case carts, instruments, decontamination. It was a wonderful hospital, and I appreciate all those at this facility that invested in me, and because of that, I'm here today. I got certified. Big shout out to Tim Parsons. He's now retired, but a wonderful educator, someone who was actively involved in the local HSPA chapter, formerly Issued them. And I just want to say, Tim, I salute you as you retire, and I thank you for all that you've done for me to help me grow in my sterile processing career. And so I grew, I gained confidence, and eventually I moved on to Children's Hospital, which was a whole new level of responsibility and precision. I began to learn about pediatric instrumentation, which is why I went there. But something happened at children's that I had never experienced in my career, and that was my first unionized job. And I had some challenges, let me tell you. I was not used to people saying that's against the contract. I don't have to do that because in this in the contract it says I was always raised to work hard. I had parents that worked two jobs, three jobs at one time. We have never been lazy. I always was working. My wife will say, Bill Rochelle is always someone who's working. I'm not afraid to work if I need to, provide for my loved ones, and I'll never forget being in these meetings with management because there were people who were spending more time trying to get out of work than they were actually working. And so just want to share a few things with you. What will you face in union? Seniority rules, your schedule, your benefits, your ship preference are often based on seniority, not performance. The politics of unions, right? Understanding representation, stewardship, collective bargaining agreements can be tricky. Having some rigid processes, right? Policies may feel bureaucratic. Bureaucratic, slow down the workflow, limited flexibility, changing roles or position might take longer in these union settings, right? Communication gaps, miscommunication between management and staff can create frustration. So these challenges were real. These are real challenges I faced. But so are the opportunities to learn, grow, and to advocate for yourself professionally. So I began to transition to a bigger unionized hospital, which was Kaja Permanente, which exposed me to new opportunities, and I began to take on projects. You know, I remember meeting Karen Cherry at Children's Hospital, and I was very young in my early 20s, and I was a firecracker. I was in the department, I had always had things to say, I've learned and more as I've gotten a little older. You have to choose your battles. But never forget Karen Cherry asking me to do a project, and I was young, and I wanted to, oh, I want to do a project. And then when she asked me, oh, I got a project for you all studying now, I'm like, oh, you know, you're playing the, you're flexing your union rights, right? I'm a unionized worker. We always joke about it now, but she's someone that's been a great influence in my career. When I first met her, you know, she encouraged me to grow as a leader, step out of my comfort zone, share my experience. She would always say, if you want to be a teacher, teach. If you want to be an educator, educate. You want to be a podcaster, then start a podcast, right? So later I returned to work night shift at Kaiser Permanente, where I was introduced to through social media, Beyond Clean, around 2019. And that began to really encourage me in my quest to become more active in the social media aspect with the social post, networking, building relationships, just wanting to meet people in store processing. So I always wondered, could I do something bigger, right? Could I educate others and share my experience on a larger platform? And that's when I started to chew on the thought maybe one day I would do this. And that's when the car accident of 2024 happened. And I remember sitting there wondering what was my next move gonna be. I couldn't walk, I had brain trauma, I couldn't remember instruments, I thought it's over.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Sterile processing is over. And I remember I began to pray, and I woke up every day, is this on my mind? Sterilization station. So I wrote it down and woke up the next day. Sterilization station, right?

Updating Your Mindset For Growth

Coaching Help And Skill Resources

Your Next Level Starts Now

Final Encouragement And Blessing

SPEAKER_01 9:39

So I began to ponder on maybe this is what I'm supposed to do. So I began to overcome my insecurities, overcome my fears, my doubts. I began to consider maybe this is what I should do, right? So I started Sterilization Station, a podcast that was gonna be different than Beyond Clean. It wasn't just gonna be education-based, but it was really gonna empower the mindset. I'll never forget being introduced to Michael E. Parker and his team at URA CEO, where they're helping entrepreneurs scale and grow their business, as well as have leadership and coaching for leaders, for those that are starting their own businesses, entrepreneurs, those who are trying to build someone else's corporation. And that was something that really began to think, change the way I think. You know, we talk a lot at URCO about think, feel at, right? You want to hear more about it, look in the show notes, the description. You can look around and see what it is. There's a few links in there for you. And they begin to change my life. Change the way I thought, change the way I looked at situations. I remember listening to Jamar Moore talk about building relationships at work, how to network, how to how to grow in building these relationships, begin to change the way I looked at work. Value-centered solutions, right? Mr. Parker's companies focuses on building your business based upon what your customers really value. I started to put these things into my life. I read a book, Who Said So? But Michael Parker. Begin to change the way I look at things. Who said you have to do it the same way that everyone else is doing? We got IFUs, we got policies, SOPs, I understand that. But how am I letting my, the way I am, my insecurities and fears, am I letting them guide me? Or can I actually begin to change myself so when I come to work, I can be a better version of me? You download your iPhone, you download your drawer, you got 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, updated software, but are you updating the way you look at things? Are you updating the way you approach scenarios that you've already been through? Or is it just the same way? The brain is uh a data center that holds thoughts and experiences, pain, suffering. But are you able to heal through that and grow through that and learn how to look at those things differently? The mind is what we focus on. How am I focusing on the situations? So sterile processing has been more than a job for me, right? It helped me purchase two homes, raise my family, and grow financially and personally. And above all, it has strengthened my faith. And I thank you, Lord, for opening all these doors for me. Along the way, as I mentioned, I was introduced to URCO and Michael E. Parker. I read his book. It changed my life. It taught me about lean management, value-centered solutions, and building my work around what our customers value. Through the URCO, I was introduced to the A Club. This is a group of business partners who are helping people like myself, entrepreneurs, to grow and scale their business through programs. A lot of leadership coaching, business coaching is beautiful what's happened to me. I'm not done, and it's beautiful to know that others are out there empowering others through great programs. I learned how to lead intentionally. I learned how to focus on outcomes, not always the problems, but what is the solution? What is a solution-based approach to it? I learned how I, yes, I can develop others. These lessons have not just made me a better leader, but they've been meeting they've made me a better mentor, a better educator. You know, somebody once said, it's not about being a better this or a better that, be a better person and all the little things around your life will be better because you're becoming a better in every aspect of your life. So if you are a new graduate, if you're a student trying to break into sterile processing, or you're a tech trying to level up your career, I want you to know you cannot, and you do not have to navigate this alone. I have a coaching program designed to guide you step by step, whether it's landing your first job, growing in your current role, or developing leadership skills, visit sterilizationstation.org. Click on the coaching tab, and let's get you started. If you're looking for inspiration and insight and growing in your surgical instrumentation skills, then click the link below where you can purchase the World of Surgery workbook and instruments catalog. We do have some codes down there where you can get a discount. Please take advantage of those if you're interested. So looking back as we get ready to close down this episode, every challenge, every setback, and every mentor has shaped who I am today. From struggling with addictions to finding purpose, from trauma-free hospitals to children's hospitals, from night shift to unionized roles, every step mattered. And I want you to hear this clearly. Remember, your past does not define your future. The things you go through are the opportunity to grow through. You can use what you've been through to help you to grow. But you have to make a choice if that's what you really want to do. Your current role is not your calling. Remember, where you are today could be a stepping stone for tomorrow. But please make sure whatever you're going through today, learn the lessons because those lessons could be the very thing that will open up doors in the future. So make sure you're looking at your situations through the lens of growth. How is this going to help me grow? What am I supposed to gain from this? And if you need that coaching on how to grow through trying times, please reach out. We're here for you. Remember, your growth is in your hands, right? It's like going to the gym. The gym is not going to work out for you. You know, that little ab exercise thing you put on and it zaps your abs. It's not like that. You got to put in the work. You got to overcome that. You got to have those difficult conversations with people. You got to be able to set boundaries, and you got to find the people around you that can add value to you, that can pour into you, that can pour into you. Find them. They're there. Tap into those resources. Remember, sterile processing is a pathway to more than just a paycheck. It's a career, it's a calling, and it's a way to create stability, opportunity, and impact. And I promise you this: if you stay committed, if you're willing to invest in yourself, and you remain open to learning, doors will continue to open. So today, as I share my journey, I want you to take one thing away. Your journey in sterile processing can change your life, your family, and your purpose. If you want to have guidance to grow, overcome challenges, or reach your next level in sterile processing, go to sterilizationstation.org. Your next level in sterile processing, we're here for you. Click the coaching tab. Remember, it's giving me so much, and I want to help you maximize your opportunity that it can give you. Thank you for listening. Stay motivated, stay focused, and remember you are essential, you are capable, and your impact truly matters. May God bless you.