“My mom unintentionally traced the roadmap to my destiny. Little did she know that when she signed me up for a beauty contest, she opened the doors for the most thrilling journey of my life.”

 

When 23-year-old Greice Murphy arrived in America from her native country of Brazil, she had with her three pieces of luggage, grandma’s rosary, and her first job as a currency trader in a regional bank. She spoke no English, had no friends or family in Atlanta, but she had a big dream:

 

“I didn’t come here just to take my shot at the ‘American Dream’ or be professionally successful. I came here to make a difference! I followed my calling in life: add value to others and make a positive impact on the lives I touch.”

 

And what a difference she made! Within 7 years, Greice would become the founder and CEO of an award-winning healthcare company that would change the way in-home nursing care services are delivered to medically fragile patients. 

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Recently married, Greice had spent her last year in finance helping the CEO of a major retailer navigate the post-recession future of their business. She was ready to go on her own and start her journey as an entrepreneur.

 

In 2010, while pregnant with her first child, Greice founded Advanced Care Partners (ACP), a leading provider of home-based nursing care for medically fragile patients focused on the delivery of exceptional clinical care and customer service, together with a family-oriented culture.

 

“When God gives you the privilege to lead, it is your responsibility to create the right team environment in order to develop, equip and inspire others to implement your vision --which is the foundation to scaling any business or organization.”

 

From 2011 to 2021, the company’s revenues grew more than 22,000%, and its team swelled to more than 1,300 committed employees. In 2022-- for the seven year in a row – Inc. Magazine named Advanced Care Partners in its annual list of the 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the U.S. 

 

“Making it a 7-time Inc. 5000 Honoree is a rare accomplishment. Less than 5% of companies that applied to the Inc. 5000 over the years ever achieve the Hall of Fame level. This rank is a testament of our commitment to go above and beyond for our patients and employees.”

 

In 2018, Greice began contemplating one of the most significant decisions of her life: find new options to scale, and find a partner with specific expertise in the healthcare industry to help take ACP to the next level. 

 

“I was clear on what I wanted from in a partner: they must share my passion to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves and recognize that financial returns must never be prioritized over doing the right thing for my team and the families we serve.”

 

In late 2018, Greice made the important decision to sell majority interest of ACP to Council Capital, a well-respected healthcare private equity firm. Greice led ACP as its CEO from its inception until mid 2021, and now remains actively involved as a board member. As the founder and second largest shareholder of the company, Greice’s focus is to create equity value by improving operating efficiencies, enhancing culture, and helping with the implementation of the company's M&A strategy.

 

“Every founder who grows a company into a multimillion-dollar enterprise and has had a successful exit understands that it is not about the destination, it is about learning and enjoying the journey along the way. Now, it’s time to give back what life has given me. It is time to start my new ERA as a Multiplier.”

 

Greice wants to make another kind of difference in the world--this time equipping other entrepreneurs and CEOs to become transformational leaders, help scale their businesses, and increase their impact and returns. She wants to invest more of her time in philanthropic causes related to underserved medically fragile children and youth mentorships.

 

“There is a chapter for every CEO, and to be a CEO of many chapters you need to understand how important is to grow your leadership skills as the company scales. As a founder, one of the biggest transitions you will make is from leading individual contributors to leading other leaders or managers. It is difficult and it requires a different skillset and mindset to effectively do this.”

 

In 2021, Greice’s dynamic, authentic, and yet compassionate leadership style was recognized by Ernst & Young when she received the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award® by the consulting giant, and for the past three years, she has contributed her expertise as a lead judge for new candidates competing for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award.

 

“Receiving the EY Entrepreneur of The Year award was a validation that no matter where you come from or where you went to school, success is possible when you put your heart and soul into what you love.”

 

Greice knows firsthand the power of example and mentorship. Growing up in the small town of Sao Francisco de Assis in Southern Brazil, she watched her entrepreneurial mother build a home-based cosmetics franchise while taking care of her children and teaching high school classes in the evenings. 

 

“Growing up in a small town gave me a sense of community and taught me at a very young age the value of connecting with others. Schools don’t teach you how to connect and create a rapport with people. Being involved in a community does. If it is true that almost everything we become and accomplish in life is with and through other people, then the ability to connect with them is the most important skill we can learn.”

 

Greice would apply these lessons time and again. When she arrived in Atlanta, her working schedule didn’t allow her to attend language lessons. But her attitude to learn motivated her to spend hours in the local 24/7 Walgreens reading product labels with an electronic translator pen to learn English.

 

“Coming to America without speaking English was extremely hard and frustrating. I cried every night for months. I was homesick. I knew that I needed to remain focused on the outcome, not the obstacles. Every day, I reminded myself of how blessed I was for the opportunities I had ahead of me, and that being frustrated was a positive and essential part of success.”

 

Following her mother’s example, Greice is a strong believe that sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. She learned to embrace failure and see every opportunity as a chance to get better, while cultivating a sense of humor, appreciation, and determination.

 

When Greice was 16 years old, her mom signed her up for a beauty contest, and winning the pageant’s national title was the start of a new era in her life.  Nearly overnight, Greice had to move to the capital of the South of Brazil. Four hundred miles away from family and friends, she had no choice but to grow up, adapt, and embrace change.

 

“My parents taught me that beauty and talent are gifts, but that character and attitude are choices. Beauty and talent will open the doors for you. Character and attitude will keep you in. Our character is connected to our heart, and it gets developed through our life experiences and, more importantly, what we choose to learn from them. Build a great character and you will be set apart for lifetime”.

 

Greice’s background and trademark accomplishments have created breakthrough business strategies that focus on the needs of clients, together with the teamwork, training, and empowerment of employees.

 

“My new era - the Multiplier - is about adding significant value to those that I serve and lead. It’s about putting a stamp of excellence on the future and building a legacy. The world needs more mindful leaders, and we have the responsibility to multiply and contribute to future generations.”