Catherine Benavidez
President and CEO
Injury Management Organization, Inc.
Thirty years ago, Catherine Benavidez had an idea. She enjoyed her work in occupational medicine, but the travel commitment was not conducive to her family situation. So she did something about it. Catherine is the founder of Injury Management Organization (IMO), a Managed Care Company. IMO provides services such as Medical Case Management, Peer Reviews, Preauthorizations, Medical Bill Review and an organically grown health care network (HCN). Now in its 30th year, Catherine raised her two amazing daughters, grew her business and survived a recession and now a pandemic and is still going strong.
As one of the few Hispanic, Female CEO's in her industry, Catherine exudes the B Words- babies, bad ass and bravery.
Here is Catherine's story.
TK: Tell me about IMO and the work that you do.
CB: I started my business in 1991, and next year will mark our 30th anniversary! As an occupational therapist and former clinician/manager of rehabilitation clinics, I found myself traveling more and had the opportunity to help start clinics in various states. With such high demand, I realized the role was not a good fit, given I had a young family and was spending more and more time away. As such, I wanted to explore entrepreneurship and stay close to home with a flexible schedule and more control of my time. With this, I became a consultant and started to work with third-party administrators and employers with an emphasis on injury prevention, return to work, and case management. One service led to another, and a client/employer growth allowed us to expand into different offerings over time. From case management, preauthorization, and medical bill review to provider networks and ancillary services, each of our IMO services/departments was organically grown based on industry needs and employer/client requests.
TK: What was it like to be a minority women entrepreneur. What challenges have you faced?
CB: I remember when I was perceived or judged as needing to be at home versus at work, building a business. It was not unusual to even get the question of why I was not "prioritizing" what I was "suppose" to be prioritizing. As a woman of color, I also often found myself one of the only, if not the only, Hispanic women in the board room. While this was and has been uncomfortable at times, I knew I was a mom first but had a passion for being an entrepreneur and knew that I could do both with faith, family, and loyal support. I also had wonderful mentors in business who encouraged me to take steps forward in living my dream. I could not let other opinions get to me.
Catherine with her daughters Rachael and Mattie
When I got divorced, my youngest daughter was eight months, and my oldest was eight years old. With a seven-year-old business and the challenge of having a young family, it took grit, courage, and confidence to stick with it and to build up the security of a stable and sustainable business.
In my nearly 30 years as a wholly-owned company, I have survived many challenges, including two recessions and sometimes scarce resources. Each setback has brought lessons learned, experiences to rebuild, rebrand, and grow. In my early career, I was blessed with great mentors who took me under their wing and encouraged me to go forward and believe in myself. Despite challenges, I am stronger because of them. As a minority woman entrepreneur, I hope that others see they can pursue their dreams, learn from their challenges, and achieve personal and business rewards.
TK: What advice would you give young women today?
CB: If you can visualize yourself as an entrepreneur, do it. Take the leap! Know it will not be an easy process. However, it will be a rewarding one. Find mentors that believe in you, seek wise advice and counsel, empower and equip yourself with the tools you need to persevere. It is also essential to build your team of advocates in the areas that will help grow your vision. These areas include legal, accounting, banking, human resources, and small business centers. Surround yourself with other strong and reliable business owners, employment and labor advisors, and other men and women who will encourage you along the way.
“Take the leap! Know it will not be an easy process. However, it will be a rewarding one.”
TK: Who is your role model, and what did they teach you?
CB: I have been fortunate to have many role models like my parents, both entrepreneurs. My mother, an independent seamstress, designer, and maker of our family's wardrobe (necessary as I was one of eight kids), and my self-employed father. Their drive as leaders, mentors, and parents were great role models. I learned about perseverance and work ethic at a very young age. I also looked up to my Uncle Roy P. Benavidez, a warrior and the ultimate legend fighter – a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I remember Uncle Roy telling me not to give up on my dreams/vision and not to let any interference block forward-thinking into a positive result. A military hero who fought for our freedom and safety, Uncle Roy spent a great deal of time educating youth on making good choices and the power of putting others before your own personal gain. My role models have shown great strength in boldness, courage, and independence while always keeping others at the forefront.
Two of the several books written about Roy Benavidez.
TK: What words do you live by?
“Build Faith for Willpower, Wisdom, Boldness, and Perseverance (BFWWBP)”
TK: How did you manage to raise your family and start a business as a single mom?
CB: Determination and positive support were the bedrock! A single mom or dad cannot take the entrepreneurial journey alone. Help from loved ones, family, friends, and business advocates are essential. When you go through a divorce, separation, or lose a spouse, there are many emotions and family demands; however, our shared goal is to prioritize our children and our purpose. It is critical to take steps forward and toward your vision. When you launch a business, especially as a single parent, it is crucial to ensure you take advantage of every necessary resource to help you mitigate roadblocks. This very advice has helped me manage (and remain focused) along the way.
TK: What advice would you share with a young woman inspired to start a business?
CB: My advice is always to be willing to start a new journey. Taking risks is not easy, but if you have ambition, determination, and willpower -- you can and will be successful! Having a business brings a high degree of stress but also great flexibility and benefits. Take one step at a time! Today my girls are 25 and 33 years old, and IMO is 29 years old.
I started a new journey this year. I recently got married, and I have a new married name – Catherine Benavidez-Anderson.
Learn more about Injury Management Organization, Inc. (IMO) at www.injurymanagement.com
