How an Engineer with Zero Home Care Knowledge Built a Thriving Agency

What happens when someone with zero healthcare background stumbles into home care? In this episode, Paul and Joan sit down with Buteau Francois, a Visiting Angels owner in Chelsea, who spent eight months building with no clients.

Buteau shares the one conviction that helped him steady his agency. If you've ever wondered whether you need the perfect background to build something meaningful in home care, this episode will answer that.

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Your next big win starts here. Serve with heart, lead with faith, and remember… compassion is your calling, and wealth is your reward.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

June and I are honored today to welcome a good friend, a fellow home care owner who's been at us for many, many years, Mr. Buteau Francois. He's out of uh he he has his offices uh in the Chelsea, Massachusetts area in the United States, and he does wonderful, wonderful work. Uh Buteau is somebody who's very humble, very hardworking, he's an immigrant, proud to be an immigrant, and he came to America and took advantage of the American dream and is serving hundreds and outside thousands of clients in Massachusetts.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

So we are really excited to hear his story and his wisdom to help fellow home care owners and those who are aspiring to get into the industry. So, without further ado, let us welcome Mr. Francois Bito Francois to the Home Care Millennium Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Welcome, Bito. Thank you so so much for this warm introduction, and I am thrilled to be invited in your podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

You're very welcome.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome, Bito. Bito, this our our interview had uh it's long overdue, I'll say, you know, it's long, really long overdue. You know, we really wanted to be with you, and I'm glad that we're finally connected because you know you're an immigrant just like us, you know, you've uh you've been in America for a long time, and uh you've you're in this business, this business that we're all in, serving seniors. And I know that it's not been an easy road for you, it was not an easy road for us. Everyone has their journeys. What is your journey, Bito? How did you find yourself in home care?

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Please tell us. I'm going to say something that probably shocked your audience. My background is really electromechanical engineering. Wow. I had nothing to do with home care. As a matter of fact, when I entered this world, I didn't even know what an HHA was, a CNA, a hook maker, nothing like that. So, like everything is my life is, I mean, happened as miracle. I got my jumping into the home care industry, you know, and then my coming to America. So everything in my life is by miracle. Wonderful. So the way that I entered this, I had a good friend of mine that we used to do business together. We used to do flipping. Okay. And then at that time, I was working as a network engineer for Boston College. Okay. And then on the side, I used to do flipping with my best friend from high school. Because let me just say flipping is real estate now. You know real estate flipping, right? Yes. Okay. That was I was just doing uh real estate uh flipping. Then we lost some money. Okay. Uh my friend just left, and then he went with his wife and then do his own business. And I went to him, I said, Man, we are together. We've been together for a long time, and I count on you. I mean, how? You just left me behind, and then you go only with your wife. And he goes, Man, you know, but again, we just opened a home care agency. I said, Josh, what is a home care agency? He goes, You don't know. I said, No. And he goes, Well, you know, I just opened one visiting angel. I said, Wow, what is visiting angels? And then he educated me and then referred me to uh Jerry at visiting angels. When I called Jerry, I did not even know what to tell Jerry because again I have no idea what I was getting through. That's right. Well, as I talked to Jerry, Jerry kind of trusted me. And he goes, Well, you know, and then he sent me an application, I filled out the application as I mean as to the best of my knowledge. And then he did a background check, and then he into and then he invited me to come to repentation. So the franchise was awarded. Now, I went to where I swear I did not know anything about home care. I put everything down when he talked about assessment of CNA, HHA, personal care, homemaking, I have no clue. So without any business background, like running a business, so after seven days, I believe was the training was on Monday to Saturday. Okay. When I got home, and then with my binders, and I mean, um, with me. Yes, yes, yes. I with the binders, and I have to develop these binders into a multi-million dollars business. Wow. So the night that I came, that was on Sunday night, and Sunday night I came home and I had to think about, I mean, going to get a uh a legal name. What is the what is DBA? What is DBA? Get outside, look for an office, look for a caregiver. So again, and by the time I get there, you know, and and at that time I was working as a network engineer, okay, and I was a uh instructor at a community college as well. Okay, but all this thing, you know, combined with other things, but I'm back into this into this project. Wow. So it wasn't easy. The beginning was not easy, as it took me, I would say, eight months to get my first wow during that time. People who knew me kind of say, Hey, but this is not your cup of tea, this is not your area, this is how you're gonna fail. And then I really focus on developing this. So here I am today. I am not saying that I'm an expert, but I can talk highly about the whom can whom can I just see right now?

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Wow, wow, wow, awesome! That's impressive, that is impressive. You went head on, you didn't listen to the naysayers because sometimes when people want to get into this industry or any industry, you know, any business for that matter, there are those who are going to discourage you. Yes, but you were so focused, you were determined to make it work, and you did. Look at you here today. Wow, congratulations, correlations.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Thank you. You know, yeah, and you and you say you had no clue, you did not know even know what a DBA meant. You know, you you went to training, you're not not knowing even what a C who a CNA is. You took a little faith, yeah. That was that was faith right there, wasn't it? For you before it was your faith, right? It was faith.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

I mean, I'm a believer, and then uh when I'm on something, and I pray, and then I always get results, and I believe this happened by me.

SPEAKER_03 6:54

Yes, there you go. Wow, and that speaks to perseverance also because you said it took you eight months to get your first client. I mean, many people have just said forget it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

This is not for me, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

So that that that shows really persevered, and that paid but the first client was it like when we're 24/7, it was uh three hours every other week.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Wow, wow, so that's that's humble beginnings, isn't it? Uh Vito, that's humble beginnings, right there.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

It's very humble, yes, yes, it was it was it was it was three hours three hours a week every other week, every every other week, that's six hours a month.

SPEAKER_03 7:32

Wow, so for somebody getting into this, what does it teach them, right? Like Paul said, humble beginnings. You have to start where you can start, and then it gave you the confidence to know that hey, this thing can work, whether it's three hours every other week, it can work, and then you just kept going. So, yes, the the podcast is called the Home Care Millionaire Podcast, but you have to work at it, you have to persevere, you have to be dedicated, you know, and just keep going, and then it would happen. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Yeah, because because look at where you are today, look at the size of business you've built. Look at that. I mean, who could have known? Who could have known? Yeah, who could have known that from the first eight months, the first seven months, nothing was working, you know, but you hung in there, and then you start with three hours every other week. Look at the kind of business you have now. Yes, you know, because one of my mentors said that, and I'll share this with us here. He said that um when it's not working for you, it's working in you. I believe that all the faith you had, all the persistence, all the hardware you're doing was working in you, and the output was gonna come out soon, and it has come out, yes, right? I mean, those don't you think? Oh my god, that's a blessing! Yes, yes, yes. Wonderful, wonderful job. Yeah, wow, that is great. So, what would what would what what were the early days like, Richard? I know you know you you told us where you started and how you got there. What were the early days like for you?

SPEAKER_00 9:00

So the early days were not easy, as I said, I had no idea. I was working uh basically two two jobs again, and then I I added visiting angels to it, so therefore, it was only one men's show. I mean, after work, I on the weekend I'll go and then post uh distribute flyers and then and go to nursing homes, you know, try to make contacts, talk to people. But however, those who know me told me that, I mean, I stopped telling them anymore because again, each time you know I told them that if it's open, they said, Well, I mean, I mean, where's your client with your client? I have no client, nothing, seven, eight months going back and forth, people asking me, you know, you know, where are you right now? Where are you? But I stopped telling people having the business until you know, and honestly, with the blessing that I had, once I get started after the eight months, everything else just comes down like you know, I got um I broke even in about I would say six months after getting my first client.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

Oh wow, wow, wow, wow, correlations, correlations, Vito. One thing I want to also highlight is the fact that you know, because we're part of a franchise system, we have to pay royalties, right? Yes, you know, so you have to even the first seven months you were not having any clients. You had to pay royalties, right? You had to pay that, you had to pay light, you had to pay rent where you work, yes, right? You had to pay for marketing. So you had to do all of that, even though you had no client, because you believe that you were saying, Yes, you had faith, you believe it was gonna work for you.

SPEAKER_03 10:42

This is this is important, yes. So, can you shed some light on where you are today? You know, I know you do, I believe you do some Medicaid, some private pay. If you can share with our audience today, what it is that you do higher.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Your business mix, yeah, has changed. All right, let me tell you this because again, I am in Chelsea, Massachusetts, okay, where the uh the average income is not that high. It's very low, I believe it's less than$40,000 a year. So, therefore, having business in Chelsea, I mean putting your office in Chelsea was it was it a deal. However, uh I did go around and then talk to people, meet people. So the thing that the biggest challenge that I had was when someone from Chelsea or Everett area called the office to tell them that, oh, we don't do um, we don't do Medicaid, we don't do uh we don't do state line. They said, ah, I heard so many good things about your office like that. That really struck me. Then because of that, I decided to open my door to Medicaid clients. And I can tell you this among the 21 offices in Massachusetts, I am the only one taking Medicaid clients. Wow, wow. So uh so I opened my door. When I opened my door to them, and then business began to grow. Not only Medicaid client, there is something called Commonwealth Care Alliance, again, still still Medicaid. We have something called P A C E. We have the veterans, we have HCBS, and honestly, there are people who cannot afford to put it out of pocket. But the state pays for them. So therefore, but in order for us to do that, because Massachusetts is not a compliance state, so therefore, you can do whatever you want. But again, in order for me to deal with the state, I have to follow rules and stay in compliance. Yes, yes, so therefore, I am able just to develop this by having uh pest client, medical client, uh HTBS client, you know, uh uh you name it, but that's really really built. But again, having doing that is not only for the money, but again for those that are really in need. As you know, uh a private home care is very hard. Not everyone has money to pay out of pocket, so doing that really um make it turn into my business and also help as many seniors that I could. Yes, that is great.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

That's great. No, awesome way to go. Now, we just so you know, we also serve Medicaid clients. Wow, serve them. Oh yeah, oh yeah. When we started, I mean, you know, we started, I mean, we you know it was interesting. We saw this one gentleman at a meeting years ago when we started, and uh he was doing very well, and then so June and I went to him. We said, Well, sir, you know, uh, because we learned pretty quickly that hey, if you want to do well, you have to model yourself after somebody who's doing well, right? Yeah, when we said, sir, can we ask a question? See here, his name was Stephen Barney. Stephen Barney, um, how come? How are you doing so well? I mean, what's your secret? He told us, said, Hey, I serve Medicaid clients. So, wait a minute, really? We said, How do you go about doing that? He told us, okay. So we got home, guess where we went to our state, you know, office to find out about how do we get enrolled, how do we start serving these people, and that's how we started.

SPEAKER_03 14:24

Yes, right, John? Absolutely, and and that put us on the map, to be honest with you. It's it's good you mentioned all those other services that you you um, all those other programs or payer sources that you work with, because as we know, it's not good to depend solely on one payer source, right? Because I know you just mentioned your state, it's not a licensed state, right? It's not it's not a licensed state, but things could change overnight. You're mentioning like in New York, the government is trying to change the Medicaid program, and you know, in our state in Maryland, they've made some changes, so it's a wonderful um thing that you're doing by diversifying your pool. Your pool. Can you just share with us besides the the great care that you you provide, the compassion, you know, looking at those who cannot afford your serving them, I'm serving them too. Yeah, the only franchise in uh this angels franchise in Massachusetts providing care to that population. What do you believe is the single most important factor that has contributed to your growth?

SPEAKER_00 15:29

You know, I'm gonna tell you a story because I believe in people. I always tell other people that come to my office just to be trained on how to pay the home care. I usually tell them that do not chase money, chase people first. Once you chase people, money will follow you. Let me give you an example as a what uh is something that I'm still proud of. Okay, I have a private client, so she used to be a dentist with two practices one in Rhode Island, one in Massachusetts. Okay, she got into a deep car accident where she could no longer use her arm to do anything, and as you know, a dentist realized uh his or her arm to do the work, right? Right, that's right. So she was probably in her late late 50s, and then she contacted my office for, I would say for just temporary because thinking that she'll go back into her business as time went by, she was still not able to go back after four or five years. She wished out to me and said, You know what? My money, I'm running out of money, I cannot do this anymore. But she was about at that time, she was 58, 59. But I did tell her one thing I can do for you, I can give you a job. And okay, I trained her, I gave her a building job. So until still now, she's probably now 64, she's still my client, and she is my employee. Oh wow, wow, yes, wow, Vito. That's good. That is beautiful, Vito.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Yeah, it is not about putting money first, it's putting again, also doing the relationship that I have developed with uh the client family. Until now, I have a client that I had when she was 97. She passed away at one or two. Until now, I still go out with the son to get a drink. Wow. So it's people first, and then money will follow. Again, and honestly, the same thing I do for the client, I do them as well for the caregivers. As you know, this will require you know low hand holding, but again, I do hold hands, you know, for my caregivers as well. And I believe this is the reason why you know I am where I am right now, is because I put people first, not money. Good for you. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_03 18:07

That is a compassion in this, right? That that is it. You know, like I said, uh tagline earlier, you know, compassion is your calling and wealth is your reward. That's exactly what you're doing. Absolutely, yes, absolutely, yes. Who would have imagined that you not knowing anything about home care now hired uh an experienced and established dentist, yes, to work for you. I mean, that speaks volume to your level of compassion and just putting people first. You just turn her life around, give meaning to her life.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Because I mean, I felt that at the time she was young and then couldn't do anything, you know, wake up every day, sit down on the wheelchair, do nothing. Again, she has a brain. I mean, she's you know, she's smart, educated. I mean, why treated her as a client only? I say, you know what? I'm gonna give you a job again, that really alleviates the burden on paying uh out of pocket, you know, uh the monthly bill.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Yes. And I was gonna say it was very smart of you also, you know, use a lot of initiative there too, because to think about again, it goes back to your principle put people first. You know, you thought about how can I serve this client, this person, how could I serve this person that needs the service, they need your services for sure, you know, and you have to pay a caregivers to help her. How do you serve? You you find a way around it, you know, you find it to still come out with your your primary focus, which is putting people first.

SPEAKER_03 19:34

Not money, but you need you to talk about your caregivers, right? Not just your clients, you know, looking at your caregivers. I know our industry is really struggling with your caregiver shortage, right? Retention is 70 to 80 percent in the home care industry. How have you worked with your caregivers, especially in recruiting you know, reliable caregivers to provide the quality care that you provide to your clients?

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Uh, as you know, caregiver shortages everywhere. However, um, for me, when I go to the office, but not only, let's talk about the office staff. I go to the office, you will see people jumping all over me because again, I treat them you know with respect and then I take care of them because they are the ones, they are the face of the business, they are the ones that do the daily activity. So, therefore, the first thing I do, not only for the office staff, but again, the caregivers. So, when they come to the office, that's why you know I don't really go to the office every day. I work better at home than going there because again, they will always come to the office to see me. When they come, those who are carrying this burden to the shoulder, when they come, you know, I take the uh good pride in giving them something, giving them some incentive. I mean, pay for the CNA class, pay for the English. Again, when they come, they always look for me. And honestly, that's why you know I don't go to the office every day because when I go there, it's a distraction. Not only just happening with the caregivers, but also with the office staff, you know. Yeah, wow, that that speaks a lot to your life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Treat them well, treat them as a human being, respect them because I always tell people that although the clients bring money to the business, but you may have plenty of clients if you don't have good enough good great caregivers, you have no business. So, again, for me, I treat them at the same level with the same respect.

SPEAKER_03 21:37

Absolutely, yes, 100%. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

That's that's that's that's powerful stuff. That is powerful. Wow, wow, wow. That's powerful. I like I like it. I mean, I this is this is awesome. This well, I tell you what, I tell you, I'll tell you what, uh Bito. Um looking back at your entire journey, you know, uh home care, you've been in for many years now. I would say I would say I am turning nine years.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Wow, wow. I am turning nine years in April.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Congratulations. Wow. Wow. Wow. Congratulations. That is wonderful. That's wonderful. And looking at all the years you've been in, uh Vito, what are some lessons? I mean, as we wrap up our interview today, what are some lessons that you know uh what has been the most let me just say what has been the most rewarding aspect of being a home care owner, in your view?

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Um, this side, I would say freedom. Freedom is one of them, but if you go beyond freedom, is able to assist probably to help other immigrants, other people like me. Some of them, honestly, you don't know how many of them I uh participated in sending them. Some of them they were they came to me as a CNO or H A. Now they are, I mean, they are N. Wow, wow, wow, because of what because of what you did. Yes, so basically, I guided them. Some of them they come to me with no high school diploma. Doing annual review, I asked them, what is your final goal? What would you like to accomplish? And then they talked to say, you know what? But one example is that there was one that I hired a long time ago doing uh her annual review. I asked her, What would you like to do in life? What is your final goal? I thought she was going to tell me that she wanna be she wanna be an artist. She told me that she wants to be an aircraft mechanic. Oh wow, oh wow, I was shocked because she is in the home care field. I thought she was gonna say, you know, I want to be an R. I want to be a female. She said that I wanted to be an aircraft mechanic, a female. Wow. I said, really? She said, Yeah, yeah, but it's what I want to do. And I asked her, What are the requirements to become an aircraft mechanic? Okay, she said that we need to have a high school diploma, and she did not have it. Okay, I I registered her on the online high school, high school class online. Oh wow, I assisted her doing the homework and whatever the math. Wow, she graduated. Oh guess what? Guess what? She is currently, she's now working for Jet Blue as a aircraft mechanic.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Oh my god, wow, wow, wow, you to God bless you. God bless you. Wow, wow. So these are the things that really motivate me to stay in this business.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

Wow, that is transformation, total transformation. You've transformed somebody's life, somebody's life, make them realize their dream, you know. I mean, you're gonna be so rewarded for that.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Yes, so I mean, this is my reward, honestly. This is what I this is what I do. Besides that, I mean, I worked for a long time, you know. I have enough to retire, to retire, but again, keeping, you know, helping others, you know, not only the care the client, but also the caregiver, choice from their uh their life, those who want to advance. I mean, I'm always there for them to advance, to advance with them.

SPEAKER_03 25:08

Thank you for sharing that story.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

I mean, that is that's very inspirational. Very so, you know, again, you know, like you said before being an immigrant, you know, you see this opportunity. You're working now, you own a visiting, and just you get to work for yourself with what June and I do. Well, immigrants do, right? We're able to serve, which is what you're doing, because we love serving, right? Serving is such such a worthy thing, and we're blessed because we're in a country where you can serve you doing what we do here. We I think one of the things that we love so much is just being able to make a difference in somebody's life, which is what you do, you know, which is what you do. I mean, nothing makes me get makes me happier than when I uh I'm able to touch someone. I mean, you know, a caregiver, a client, to just lighten their day, you know. I mean, that that that is you know, you don't get that often. I mean, and in what we know it's not easy, no, exactly, you know, but you do that, so it's uh you know, you inspire, you know, you get to inspire folks that it is possible because thanks to what you're doing, people say that it is possible because you're an owner, yes, yes, you're making a difference because they say it's possible. You share your belief, your faith with other people, like you do with the loyal lady with the mechanic. Yes, right? Yes, that's amazing. That's an amazing story. Yes, wow, wow, wow, wow. So let me just ask you, like I said, uh before we just about wrapping up here, what are some nuggets you want to leave with our audience? The audience could be folks doing what we're doing, or they're already established owners like you and my and John and I here, or folks who are looking to get into this industry. What are some nuggets, two or three nuggets or four that you want to share with anyone coming in? What should they consider? What should they uh you know, uh, you know, really work on if they want to get into this business and serve people like you and I have done it.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Okay, I would say that never stop learning because life is not static, life is very dynamic.

SPEAKER_02 27:04

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

So continue to learn, continue to improve yourself, continue to place people first, first, then um those who work around you with you, treat them with respect and value, and also focus on what on what you believe in. Absolutely. Wow, wow, wow that really wraps it up, Nikki.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That is wonderful. That is so wonderful. Thank you so much, Vitor. Thank you, I tell you. This has been awesome. Thank you so much for sharing with us. And John, did you want to have a question for Bitho?

SPEAKER_03 27:38

I think I think he he really knew. I mean, I'm gonna just take that story, yeah, which you needed with so many others. Yes, it's totally inspiring.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Um that's okay.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

No, I was just gonna say, I'm gonna run with that story because it's so inspiring, it's so powerful. It's it's really powerful, you know, making a difference in your employees' lives, in your caregiver, your employee, you know, your clients' life. It's it's keep on learning. What what better reward can we get from this? Yes, right. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Well, Bito, thank you again so much, Bito. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Home Care Millionaire Podcast. We hope you found inspiration, encouragement, and practical tools you can apply right away in your own journey. Our mission is simple, folks, to shine a light on the incredible impact that home care owners and their caregivers make every single day, and to give you the mindset, strategies, and faithful wisdom to build both purpose and prosperity.

SPEAKER_03 28:43

Because here is what we believe compassion is your calling, wealth is your reward. If this episode spoke to you, we would love for you to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you like more resources or have questions for Paul and I, just head over to askjoanandpaul.com. We'll be honored to connect with you there.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

Until next time, folks. Remember, you have what it takes to build wealth, create freedom, and live a legacy through your agency. We're here cheering you on every step of the way. Bye for now.