Both in the Top 100: How This Massachusetts Couple Built Two Award-Winning Home Care Agencies

Out of 3,500 home care agencies across North America, only two in Massachusetts made the top 100 list. Larry Michel and Karen Woodrow own both of them.

In this episode, Paul and Joan sit down with this amazing couple to hear what they built, how they built it, and what they believe actually drives that kind of recognition. If you've ever wondered what separates the agencies families keep coming back to from the ones they leave after three months, this conversation will tell you.

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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_04 0:06

Hello and welcome to the Home Care Millionaire Podcast, the show where compassion meets prosperity. I am Paul Timband. Alongside my beautiful wife, Joan here, we're honored to be your host. Together, John and I have built a home care agency from a little over a $12,000 credit card loan. Okay, some people call it a gambler at that time. We've built it into a we've built it into an eight-figure business serving thousands of families over the years. And now we're here to share the lessons, strategies, and the strategies and the mindset shifts that help us get there so that you can too.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

We launched this podcast because the home care industry is often misunderstood. Too many people don't see the sacrifices owners and their caregivers make every single day, or the powerful impact agencies have on seniors and their communities. And truthfully, we looked around and realized there were not many podcasts out there shining a light on this industry. So we felt called to create the Home Care Millionaire Podcast.

SPEAKER_04 1:09

This podcast is designed for the purpose-driven provider. For those of you who feel called to care, but also want to build a thriving state of a business. Each week we're going to share with you real life stories, current strategies, and powerful mindset shifts that will help you move from just surviving to thriving.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Absolutely. And here on the Home Care Millionaire Podcast, we're going to show you how to embrace both.

SPEAKER_04 1:41

So get ready for inspiration, practical insight, and encouragement you need to impact lives, build wealth, and create a legacy through your agency. So hit subscribe, folks. Join us on this journey to transform your business, your mindset, and your future. Welcome, folks, to the Home Care Millionaire Podcast. Hello and welcome to the Home Care Millionaire Podcast. John and I here today just uh we're so delighted to have some wonderful couple join us today. These are heavy hitters, yo. I mean, heavy hitters in home care, fellow franchisees, folks who are doing a wonderful job in the great state of Massachusetts. John, why don't you go ahead and introduce this fine couple?

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Absolutely. We are so excited and honored to have Larry Michael, right, and Karen Woodrow join us today on the Home Care Millennial Podcast. So I'm going to start out by reading a little bit of um history or a little bit of something about them. Starting out with Larry. So prior to working in home care, Larry spent over 25 years leading and managing consultants to the US government and international agencies working in developing countries. Wow. He managed multi-million dollar projects to improve healthcare systems. Incredible. And expand microfinancing and implement privatization. Now Larry is happy to be helping local area seniors age in place safely and comfortably. Very accomplished, Larry. Thank you so much. And Karen, who is the director of their visiting angels um company, through her own experience with aging parents, she understands the importance of having support from qualified and compassionate caregivers. Not only does it provide peace of mind, but it also allows families to spend better quality time with their loved ones. Her 25 years working in consumer marketing.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

25 plus years.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

Oh, yes. 25 years. Hey, it's something, right? Um, her 25 plus years working in consumer consumer marketing include running the wow, wow, Karen. Wow, and developing social health programs in Southeast Asia. Wow, thank you so much for your time spent in that part of the world, Karen.

SPEAKER_04 4:13

Well, without further ado, let's welcome Larry and Karen from a wonderful visiting offices because I think they have more than one. Uh Boston, Massachusetts. Thank you so much. Welcome aboard, folks. Welcome to the Home Kim and Lena podcast, folks. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

Thanks for having us, Paul and John.

SPEAKER_04 4:31

Wow, wow, wow. Now, Larry and Karen, how did you find yourself? I know you have an accomplished background here. You've done so much. And thank you again for your service. You know, I know working coming from Cameroon, which is a developing country, I know that it can be challenging when you guys work with folks from that part of the world. So thank you again for your service. Uh let me just ask you, how did you guys find yourself in home care?

SPEAKER_02 4:57

Well, I was, you know, like you, Paul, I worked um for a lot of uh uh larger companies, corporate America, and um was looking for a new job and thought you know was thinking that I want I wanted to also have a plan B. And uh I think you know, plan B in my mind was instead of looking for a job, maybe running my own business. And so that was the first step. And I started to explore different opportunities, and to be honest, home care was not on my radar when Karen and I talked about it. We both thought, you know, maybe it would be good to have a company where we have very few employees. That didn't quite work out. Um but when so it really was um serendipitous, there was an opportunity to acquire an existing visiting angels. Um, and with the background that I had working in developing countries and trying to strengthen the healthcare systems there, I realized that a lot of the um community health workers on those projects were in many ways very similar to the caregivers that support our seniors. And so as I learned more and more about it, it seemed like a really great fit. And then as I learned a little bit more about it, I realized I couldn't do this without Karen. Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Yeah, basically he dragged me kicking and screaming into this. And I'm I'm really seven years later, I'm really quite grateful. Um, my background, as you read, is in consumer packaged goods marketing. I I moved into social marketing, I had my own business and I was really quite happy with it. He asked me to come meet the owners of the visiting angels who were selling. And after talking to them and seeing the value of the work that they were doing and helping the community, I was like, all right, I I will join you on this adventure. And a year later, well, and and it I was a little bit jealous because the people that we purchased the um agency from, they were they were best friends from Chelmsford High School. And they both had cared for their parents um through illness and realized that there was an opportunity in the Chelmsford community for home care services. So they started the franchise uh from scratch, and they were taking care of their teachers, their best friends' parents. They were really um like pillars in their community. And so after owning Chelmsford for a year, um, I said to Larry, you know, we we live in Newton, and I would like to care for the people in our community, and in a very fortuitous way, we were able to acquire the Newton franchise as well.

SPEAKER_04 7:53

Wow, congrats!

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Wow, a husband and wife team, husband and wife teams are very popular in home care, right?

SPEAKER_04 7:59

Yes, hey, that's that's exactly right. That's exactly right. Wow, wow, awesome! How was the journey? I know that it wasn't something you guys had done before, not in this industry. How was the first couple of years getting it? I know that a good thing for you guys is you acquired an existing office, but how was that?

SPEAKER_02 8:19

The first year was an incredible learning experience, and then the second year was an even more incredible learning experience because we acquired um the first office January 6th, I think, of 2019.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

And it was about a year later that we were but but we purchased an agency that had a really fantastic core team already in place, and we were very lucky that they stayed with us, and it's seven years later, and they're still with us. Yeah, I mean, we're very successful marriage between us and the office staff. We are an amazing team together, and so we were we were feeling great about it, we were ready to move this agency to the next level, and then we got the right idea to buy a second one.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

So we we it was very unexpected. We wanted to let the Newton owners know that if they were getting to a point in a few years where they thought they might want to retire, that we would be interested. And when I mentioned it to um the one of the owners, she said it's actually going up for sale next week. Whoa! So we were our heads were spinning, but we made it happen. Um and then we we closed on February 29th, 2020. We became the new owners on March 1st of 2020, and everybody in the office worked remotely two weeks later.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

We said we're the new owners. It's very nice to meet you now. Go home, there's a pandemic.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

Wow. So 2020 was a roller coaster. We thought we'd learned everything, and then we realized we had a whole bunch more to learn with COVID.

SPEAKER_04 10:10

Wow. How was it for you guys just having bought the office, just having gotten into the industry? How was it for you guys?

SPEAKER_01 10:16

We were very grateful that we had owned Chumpsford for as long as we did before this happened. I don't know that we could have been new owners on March 1st and handled the COVID.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Yeah, yeah. So having a little over a year of experience really helped a lot. It meant that we knew enough not to um, you know, burn the house down. Yeah. And we and we could try to navigate all of the challenges of COVID um with a little bit of experience.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

That must have been a big challenge for both of you. You know, I mean, it almost did, it almost, you know, you know, crippled us. Oh, oh yeah. Honestly. It almost crippled us. So that was a major challenge. What other challenges did you uh, you know, go through and how did you work around them to be as successful as you are today?

SPEAKER_02 11:07

Well, you know, as Karen alluded to, the Chelmsford team, uh, the core team has been with us um the entire time. The new the Newton team uh was a larger team, and we only have a couple people left, a few people left from that original team. It really required um some changes because it was not a it was not the right team for what we had to do. Um, so that was another challenge because every time you know someone new joins or someone leaves, it changes the dynamic. Um people interact with each other and getting to know a new person. Um, so that was a big challenge over the last few years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

And you know, and then could change the industry, as you guys know, right? I mean, prices had to had to go up because labor force wages had to go up, and um it's it's a it's a much tougher business now than it was the day we bought, and I'm sure you guys have seen that given your purchasing in O2. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

I was gonna ask you, I believe uh Massachusetts is a non-licensed state, right? Yeah, does that how does that impact your business? I mean, is it an advantage? Is it an advantage? Or you know, can you speak to that? Or you just love the fact with licensing?

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Yeah, we are um proud members of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, which in a way acts as sort of a credentialing um body. They have certain criteria that we have to meet in order to be um credentialed, but obviously to run a home care agency in Massachusetts, you don't have to be um a member of the Home Care Alliance or get that credential. So for us, licensure wouldn't be a big change because we're already doing the things that we expect a license um state would require. And we've been actually advocating for licensing in Massachusetts.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Larry's a very familiar face at our state house advocating for licensure in the industry.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

But you know, to answer your question, Joan, the bigger challenge has been we have a lot of competition and it's not a very level playing field because um agencies that are just doing private duty may or may not have workers' compensation insurance, may not be paying their caregivers um you know all of the benefits or you know, the employer taxes, um or even fair wages has a you know a lower cost structure that is competing with us. And um, you know, that's it's for us, it's um we'll we're happy to compete and we've been successful, but you know, for the consumers and for the caregivers that are out there, it creates some risk for them. Um the last thing we want to see is for a caregiver to be treated unfairly or poorly, or for a client to be taken advantage of. Knock on what that doesn't happen very often, but we're hoping that licensing in Massachusetts becomes a reality.

SPEAKER_04 14:21

And I mean, I think it's important to have some kind of licensing, really, because it just it sets you apart, you know, and and it's you know, it really does. It does, it does. I was gonna also add that the fact that uh the team at Chompsworth State, you know, first franchise is testament to to the kind of people you guys are. I mean, the the the the the leaders that you guys are really, because I mean you're not gonna keep folks around if you're not if you're not good people, right? I mean, that speaks to to you guys, you know. Um, I was just gonna say I'll add to the fact that when it comes to you know, because you guys have done so well, what have been some of the keys to your success? I mean, you you got into business not too long ago. I mean, you know, 2019 is not too long ago. I mean, but you've been able to build such a successful uh and I and I just appreciate your presence every time to the meetings we attend, you fly into DC, DC flying. We did that last year, right? I mean, you know, we were both in uh uh Clearwater a couple weeks ago in Florida for the for the business building. I mean, what has been I know, I mean, what has been the key to how have you been able to, you know, what are some things you've done that has made you so successful? Yes, I I get to talk about the team, but it takes it takes weird leaders to really get things up.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Well, just sort of top level, Paul. Um, thank you for the compliment that we're doing well. That's been validated. Both of our agencies have been ranked in the top 100 home care agencies across North America, and we're really proud of that. And on one hand, we're really proud of our team for um they're providing this client satisfaction and the caregiver satisfaction that ranks us so highly in the nation. We're the only agencies in Massachusetts to be on that best of home care top 100 list out of 3,500 uh agencies across the nation. And on the other hand, we sort of laugh and scratch our head and we say, we're just doing what we think is right. We're taking care of our clients the way we feel like they should be taken care of. We're taking care of our caregivers and treating them in a way they should be treated. So that's just sort of the top level of it. And I'll let Larry go into the more details of what we're really doing behind the scenes to earn these awards.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

Yeah, yeah, that Larry was gonna say something. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

I was just gonna build on what Karen said in terms of, you know, one of the just as an example, one of the things that frustrated me when we first got into this is that, you know, our workforce, we don't get to see them very often. They're in our clients' homes, they travel from their home. They only come into the office, you know, occasionally when we need them to sign something, or they're picking up gloves or masks or something, or we have to yell at them. And to that point, the other time we would interact with them is when they did something wrong or made a mistake, and that just felt to me like it was going to create a very negative culture, and I didn't want that, and so we found a way to create a more positive and supportive culture. One of the things that we did um was a program called Angel Coins, which is through a service provider that was called Perry, and now it's called Jolly.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

It's Jolly Jolly Labs, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:39

And um it means that when our caregivers clock in on time and clock out on time and use the app, they get points. When they don't miss a shift and don't call out, they get more points.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

And like we can set missions. Like if you don't call out eight weeks of summer, you will earn a thousand angel coins. And these angel coins can be redeemed for product or uh Amazon gift cards or different things that our caregivers really enjoy it as a way to say thank you.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

And for me, it was a way to create that positive culture to let them know that we we see them, we see that they're doing the right things and they're representing us really well. And it it all comes back when we see the surveys from the um uh Activated Insights um caregiver surveys. Every month we see at least two or three of our caregivers mentioned that they feel recognized because of the points that they can earn when they do good work.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

Wow, that's amazing. That's awesome. Wow, that's amazing. That that is key. I know, Karen, you said what you said there, you said that's high level. And I was just gonna add that that that's in fact to me, or to us, I believe that's the most important part of it. You know, just treating people right. Do the right thing. You know, what we do is so people-centered that it's part of relationship building, is what creates that trust, and then everything falls in place. So thanks for sharing that.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

It's really about having caring teams. I mean, everyone in this office picks up the phone and calls the clients and checks in on them. We go out and do regular visits to make sure that things are going how our client wants them to go, to make sure that our caregivers are doing the right thing. We call the caregivers after uh shifts with new clients. How did it go? How you know, how could it be better? Are we providing you with the right tools to do your work? So, you know, the honor really goes to both of our staffs. They are amazing people that really, really have their hearts in this business.

SPEAKER_04 19:44

Wow. It's serving. I mean, you know, because I mean, and we're in a caring business, aren't we? That's that's what we are in. If we don't care for our own, how do we expect to care for other people?

SPEAKER_02 19:53

You know, I mean, it's it's uh yeah, it's I think it helps that Karen's mom is turning 99 this year. Her mom is turning 95 in two weeks, and you know, any given day we can simply think about how we would like our moms to be treated and know that that's what we need to do. That's it, that's it. You've said it all. Amazing. Wow, congrats, Karen. Her mom's name, and I don't think she'll see this podcast.

SPEAKER_04 20:27

You got great jeans, Karen. I gotta tell you that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

Joe, you're gonna yeah, I was just gonna say, I mean, your background was not in home care, and now you're in home care with aging parents. How has your perspective on providing care to seniors evolved since you started? Well, if I it's I'll jump in.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

I think I'm gonna answer the question a little bit differently. I think it's changed my perspective on how I treat my mom. It's really educated me. Um, and you know, because family relationships can be challenging. People have a lot of history, um, and that you know, parent-child relationship, but no now understanding like what's going on with my mom as she ages, you know, it really helps me be a little more patient. I could probably be even more patient, right? Um, but that's helpful.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Right. I've started to see my mother through the eyes of a professional caregiver, not just me as a family caregiver. And it, and as Larry said, it really uh opens up your mind to you know how to really care for another human being. And I and I joke because you know, my car says visiting angels on it, and I often wear a visiting angels jacket, and I take my mother out and I'm yelling at her, right? I'm like, I'm and I'm being a daughter, and then I look around and go to think visiting angels is a terrible issue. And then I want to go, this is my mom, I have a right. I'm gonna go, oh my god, I would never treat. A client like this. I need to like grill it in.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

I think having aging parents and backgrounds that are very different from home care, it really helps us understand that it's not just about our the our clients, it's their families, it's their loved ones, it's that whole dynamic, and we can see it from a lot of different perspectives, and we understand how challenging it can be for families to go through this process.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

So our um our Newton agency this year has a uh national semifinalist in the caregiver of the year uh contest. Last year our Chelmsford office did, this year it's Newton.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

No, they're both sorry, they're both Chumstford. Sorry, sorry, sorry. But but my point is that we had to video do video testimonials from our clients, and our caregivers client, two daughters, made the most heartwarming video testimonials about how life-changing it is for their father to have this caregiver. Now, I edited the video, so I have watched it at least 300 times, and every time I get goosebumps and I and I cry because you can feel it, you know, from the family, how much uh the support makes a difference.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Yes, oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_04 23:34

No, what would do matters, folks. I mean, what would do matters. I mean, you know, what you see. Let me just say this real quick, Larry and Karen here. When we started, this vision was given to Joan, not to me. Okay, here's giving to Joan, not to me. I feel you, Paul. Yeah, well, and so um, you know, but so I said, Well, as a as a loving husband, I'll support my wife, right? So I got in there, and then uh the first year I was kind of poo-pooing it, you know. I mean, because she said, Yeah, back then we're paying what I think the class was paying was eight eleven dollars an hour, maybe twelve dollars.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

It was 1125. Yeah, yeah, that's an hour.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

Starting out, okay. I mean, this is a private pair wasn't much better, okay? Because we we did it both, all right. And so we started out, and I was like, Joan, I mean, we get three hours back then it was three hour minimum, remember? You know, um, so we started, we had this nice, wonderful lady. We called her Poppy. That was her, that was her nickname, and uh, and it took us a while to get the first client, by the way. So, and I was like, Joan, is this really gonna get us where we want to go? We just kept, you know, and I know we can pick up a client, it's just you know, slowly but it was building up. End of the year, I saw the numbers. I said, wait a minute, Joan, is that what this can do? And so we had a totally different vision. And what that has learned me, what that has taught me over the years, you know, just to you know weigh in here a little bit, is this that when you serve, you will get rewarded. Folks out there need our care. Yeah it's amazing how many people out there are robbed of the quality of care that they could get from an agency like you guys and ours. And in fact, the whole visitors' franchise, really, at the for that matter, because we provide excellent care, but a lot of folks don't know about it. I mean, if you hear you talk to families and stuff, you see what I mean, how the lack of care, quality care, as it were, because the folks listen out there and they they don't come, they don't come from a compassionate standpoint. And if you don't care, folks can feel it. Yeah, that's been I mean, I don't know if that's been your experience at all.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

There are many times that a client, a prospective client, will not choose us, they will choose a competitor to save a dollar an hour.

SPEAKER_03 25:44

That's it, that's it.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

So, okay, respect finances are are an issue. Yes, and they will call us back three months later and say, You were right, I I should have gone with you because we are providing that quality care.

SPEAKER_04 25:58

Yes, no, so true, like Karen and when they call us and they're talking about us, we we tell them, listen, which you know, because you see, I learned a while back that if we're gonna compete on price, if we're not the lowest, you know, as as a Walmart, right? We're not the lowest, then you can't compete, right? So I don't want to go there. Price and we're gonna lose it every day. I I go and I say, listen, look at we've been around 24 years. You guys have been around at least 10-15 years, you know. And I said, That's how long we've been. We have X amount of people in the office. This is how we take care of our people. This is some testimonials of folks who serve. So that way the price isn't an issue anymore. I mean, it's up to you at that point. I mean, if you want to go for a dollar or two cheaper as opposed to the reputation that we have to pull here, you know, you see what I'm saying? That's the way we because a lot of times, folks, as you know, there's there's a lot of people. You you guys are a very uh busy market with a lot of you know, uh uh other other home cages, we have the same thing here. But yeah, I think with the kind of care we offer, the how we position ourselves when a national and international organization. I mean, doesn't that move the note for you guys, Karen and Larry? Because it does for us.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Yeah, I think um a lot of times when we talk to potential clients and they decide to come with us, it's because of our reputation. Um not just visiting angels, but also this office as well.

SPEAKER_03 27:24

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

And they look at both and they feel, I think, reassured that their whether it's their mom, their dad, another loved one, um, is going to be taken care of. And one of the things that I remember, I think Karen said this the first time, and it's I think really speaks to how we treat our our clients and their families is we we tell them we may not get it right the first time, but we will work very hard to fix it if we don't get it right. And there are agencies out there that you know say they'll get it right every time, perfectly, no, you know, no exceptions. It's you know, if something's too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true. I agree. Larry, I agree.

SPEAKER_04 28:11

And Larry, and Larry and Karen, we're dealing with human beings, right? I mean, they're gonna have frailties, they're gonna be free. There's gonna be errors are gonna, it's gonna happen, it's part of life, right? I mean, you know, we just have to, like you said, we just have to make it right, we have to own up to it, you know. And I think once I think that's to me, that's a testament to the leadership that you and Karen really exude or really um exemplify in your offices because once you take and you and I'm because we do that in our offices as well. We we hire folks that are gonna step up to the plate and not pass the buck. Yeah, and our clients know that, right? So wow, well, thank you so much, Karen. This has been very formative. Let me just kind of you know close out here, Jonah. Did you wanna? I was gonna just ask Karen and Larry that with the experience of that thus for uh having been doing this for so long, because so long, because you know you guys have done real well, you know, and uh and joan and I really we really salute your progress and everything. What are some lessons learned? What would you tell the folks out there who are doing what we do, looking to raise it up the next level? Or who want to just who want to get in? Exactly. Who wanna get in? What are your words of wisdom here, and care?

SPEAKER_01 29:17

I want to hear your words of wisdom first, Joan. How are you doing this?

SPEAKER_00 29:22

So I would I would say let it be something that you're passionate about, okay, to the point where you feel like it's a calling for you to get into this industry. And in fact, that's why we've started this podcast, the Home Care Millennium Podcast. And just to piggyback to the stories you shared about your caregivers' reviews, right? Many people out there don't know the difference that we make in the lives of clients, uh, family members, you know, the community, our team, caregivers, office stuff. Many people don't know. So this is just to put it out and say, hey, this is what we're doing. And it's not we love it, so it's a label of love, right? But it's not uh a walkov, so to say. You have to come in there with that compassion, knowing that it's a calling and be ready to roll up your sleeves and do the best for people, do the best for humanity. So, to me, coming with that mindset, the right mindset, right? And then for those who are already in the industry, they're already working, you know, you just have to remember once in a while what's your why. Because you're gonna come across roadblocks, you're gonna come across challenges like the COVID, which sometimes I don't even want to mention that. You know, challenges are gonna be there, dealing with people. HR can be very challenging. So you just have to, hey, why did I get into this in the first place and just keep going?

SPEAKER_04 30:48

Uh, Karen, to ask you a question before I pass over you folks. Um, you know, what I've learned thus far in the industries is that we have to care. People need to feel cared for, they need to feel like they matter. You know, in fact, what I tell our team members every time is that um, you know, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, when I show up to the office and I meet our team, I want to feel like somebody that they matter to us. And I tell them every day, I say, yes, I'm the owner, Joan and I are the owners and whatnot, but we have it's our position. Okay, it's a job, this chair we happen to sit on. That's the position we hold here. Your position is just as important as mine. If you weren't, if your position wasn't it, if you weren't, you wouldn't be here. So you do matter. There's no I in the team. It takes a team. And don't be bashful about where you start. Like don't talk about that. No, your why. And every day you go to work, do the best you can do. Because when you do that, you get noticed. You first of all feel good about it, then you get noticed, you make a difference. There's somebody out there that needs your voice, you know, your smile, your you know, just your hello today. Go do that, and then tomorrow do the same thing and keep because it's about to me, it's about spreading love and compassion and caring for everyone. We're all human beings, we all deserve that, and that's why John and I, on many occasions, have because she's an LPN, you know, uh, we were out, we've been out a lot of holidays when our nurses could not go out. We had this one client, uh, you don't remember his name, don't you? This he was bed bound. The gentleman was about over 400 pounds. Okay, so John had to do bowel movement because on those days, those holidays, the nurses couldn't go. Joan and I went. And Karen and Larry, um, when we helped this gentleman, every time we literally said, let us pray, he prayed for us. Okay, this gentleman prayed for us. You know, that touched me so much because I saw us making a difference in this individual. Walked away, it was a holiday, but it didn't matter. There was love here, there was caring being shown. That's what this is about. If we can do that, I think it just heals our world. And that's what I think. That's that's my message to anyone who's involved in this. You know, again, you know, like Larry does, and Karen, you do that too. You know, show up, show up for yourself, show up for the vulnerable, show up for the folks who've been called to serve. It's a calling, yeah, it's a calling. Yeah, go ahead, go ahead, Larry.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

What I wanted to say on top of that, like I I love that, Joan. What's your why? And we've talked about the heart part of this work, the the caring and doing good. But you know, if we're talking to people that are interested in going into the home care business or want to do better in the home care business, um, it is a fantastic business, right? You are you are running a real business, you are employing real people, you are giving them real wages and letting them, you know, thrive in the world. So on a business level, it's really a nice business. Um, I'm going to uh my business school reunion and they're offering classes over the weekend. And some of them are like, how to have a meaningful career and how to add joy to your work life and everything. And I feel very fortunate that my work life, that my business also includes doing good for the world.

SPEAKER_03 34:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

Right. So I'm not just going to work every day and pulling in a paycheck. I also get to feel good about what I do. And I think that that is uh another benefit of the business, right? You get to be a business person, you get to run a business, you get to look at your books, you get to, you know, do all that HR stuff or whatever. But really, at the end of the day, you have very satisfying work.

SPEAKER_02 34:29

Yeah, it reminded me just this past holiday season, we got a call the um Friday afternoon before Christmas from a son whose mom was in rehab and really wanted to get home for the holiday. And, you know, there are agencies that we call sometimes because maybe it's uh a client that's out of our territory and we call them on a Friday, and they're not even answering the phone. They're not even answering the phone. And so we got this call, and I I enjoy um you know meeting with potential clients, um, in addition to you know, our case managers that do it on a regular basis. And so I said, I it was nearby. I said, I'll come and meet with you and your mom. And we were able to get her home um before the holiday with caregivers in place, and it, you know, we know it meant a lot to her and her family, and you know, yeah, there's no way you can quantify how rewarding that feels to be able to help a family that way.

SPEAKER_01 35:33

So but let's quantify it. We added a good, you know, you know, 168 hours to our to our way to go. That's the example of the two-sided coin that this business is.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

You know, it goes to back to what you said at the very beginning, Paul. If you do good, you get rewarded. Yes, absolutely, 100%.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_04 35:55

Well, I'll tell you, you know, um, Karen, Larry, we I think we told the audience, the audience that these were heavy hitters. And I don't think that our audience, we have not, we've learned so much from you guys, and uh I know the audience has been well served. Thank you for the work you do. God bless you. Continue to keep doing what you're doing, and just keep showing shining light on on these wonderful folks that you and your team have been called to serve. Yes, we thank you, John. Did you want to say hello bye to these wonderful folks?

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Of course, many more blessings, you know, coming from the growth in your business, growth in your, you know, longevity in your in your families and all of that, right? Just thank you so much for making such a big difference.

SPEAKER_04 36:38

And please, please buy some more offices. We have four.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

How about you? Thank you so much for inviting us on your podcast. We really enjoyed it. We always enjoy talking to both of you, and we look forward to seeing you soon in person.

SPEAKER_04 36:54

Yes, thank you, Kira. Thank you, Larry. 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. I mention it 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_00 37:26

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'd 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_04 37:48

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 carrying you on every step of the way. Bye for now.