Becky Reel, the founder and CEO of Reel Home Care Consulting, shares the story of how she made a major hiring mistake by bringing her nanny into the office during COVID-19.

She overlooked red flags, creating a toxic work environment. She reflects on how she learned from that mistake, along with advice for home care business owners on hiring, culture-building, and managing caregivers.

From improving business practices to creating strong team dynamics, Becky’s insights offer valuable lessons for anyone in the home care industry.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Always dig deeper when hiring, even for trusted individuals. Check references thoroughly and pay attention to red flags.
2. Foster a culture where people come first, and the results will follow.
3. Don’t just check in with your team—truly check on them and understand how they’re feeling about the work environment.
4. Engaging with both positive and negative reviews can humanize your business and showcase your commitment to improvement.
5. If you want to sell your business in the future, start planning years or even decades in advance.

Timestamps:

[00:00:01] Becky on the heaviness of home care and making it lighter.

[00:01:05] Introduction of Becky Reel and her home care journey.

[00:03:02] Becky’s current obsession: her emotional connection with live music.

[00:06:00] Becky’s big mistake: Hiring her nanny and overlooking red flags.

[00:09:48] Decisions that Becky would do differently if she started over.

[00:12:51] The importance of one-on-ones and creating a positive work culture.

[00:17:00] Underrated industry practice: Responding to reviews.

[00:21:00] David and Becky discuss responding to negative feedback and reviews.

[00:26:17] Win of the week: Becky’s success in getting a long-term client out of their comfort zone.

[00:29:00] Plug for Reel Home Care Consulting and Home Care Hot Take

Quotes

• Becky Reel: "I ignored so many red flags because I trusted her. But hiring someone you know personally isn’t always the right move for your business."
• Becky Reel: "It's important to humanize what we’re doing. Caregivers are people, and they need to feel supported beyond just their schedules."
• David Knack: "At the end of the day, home care is a people business. If you’re not connecting with your team, it’s going to hurt in the long run."

Resources:

1. Connect with Becky Reel on LinkedIn
2. Learn more about Reel Home Care Consulting
3. Ava
4. Ava on LinkedIn
5. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
6. Subscribe to Ava on YouTube

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Sarah Barker, owner of Senior Care Sales Solutions, to discuss the balance between growing a home care business and managing personal priorities. Sarah shares insights from her journey, including her big mistake of attending too many networking events at the expense of family time and how she's learned to optimize her efforts.

Their conversation touches on overcoming childhood trauma, the importance of strategic time management, and the role of quality over quantity in marketing relationships. Listeners will gain valuable insights into managing home care agencies, improving sales tactics, and leading a balanced professional and personal life.

Lesson Takeaways:

• Evaluate where your time goes and make sure it's propelling your business forward without sacrificing personal relationships.
• Focusing on fewer but deeper relationships with referral sources is key to success.
• Proper training for marketers on CRMs and tools is vital for successful adoption.
• Balance healthcare sources with legal and financial advisors to ensure long-term stability.
• Understand how early experiences can shape your professional approach, and work to overcome them.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Sarah Barker and time management in home care.

[00:01:15] Sarah’s mission to redefine how senior care professionals approach relationships.

[00:05:04] The impact of childhood trauma on professional behavior and sales efforts.

[00:12:44] Sarah’s biggest mistake: overcommitting to networking events.

[00:17:48] The realization of time’s fleeting nature and prioritizing what matters.

[00:23:23] Overrated industry tools: CRMs and how to implement them properly.

[00:27:00] What to look for in marketers: work ethic, curiosity, and communication competency.

[00:31:00] Focusing on fewer, deeper referral relationships for long-term success.

[00:35:00] Diversifying your referral portfolio: why you need both healthcare and legal/financial sources.

[00:40:00] Win of the week: launching a virtual academy to make education more accessible.

Quotes

• Sarah Barker: "You cannot get time back. The only thing you can do is decide how you're going to use your time."
• Sarah Barker: "Not everybody has to be your cup of tea. The quicker you learn that, the less demoralized you'll be in your efforts."
• David Knack: "We don’t need to work with people who don’t respect us—it’s easy to not work with assholes."
• Sarah Barker: "Your referral portfolio should have both healthcare and financial advisors. It’s about building depth in relationships, not just volume."

Resources:

• Connect with Sarah Barker on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Senior Care Sales Solutions
• Connect Our Elders
• Ava
• Ava on LinkedIn
• Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Ava on YouTube

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Matt Ericksen, Senior Director of Sales and Operations at Griswold Home Care, to discuss his extensive experience and unique insights in the home care industry. Matt talks about overcoming personal challenges like dyslexia and ADHD to rise through the ranks and shares how his upbringing shaped his relentless drive to succeed.

The conversation covers critical topics such as the importance of P&L management, strategies for reducing labor costs, and actionable steps to improve business metrics. Matt also highlights the benefits of proactive management and key performance indicators that agency owners should focus on. This episode is packed with valuable advice for home care professionals looking to elevate their operations and achieve sustained growth.

Lesson Takeaways:

• Own Your P&L: See it as a story, not just numbers, and learn to manage labor and overhead for profitability.
• Proactive vs. Reactive: Shift your mindset from reacting to problems to anticipating and preventing them.
• Focus on First Billable Shift: The most crucial metric for staffing success is getting new hires to their first billable shift quickly.
• Overtime Costs: Controlling overtime and reducing unnecessary labor costs can have a massive impact on profitability.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Matt Ericksen, his journey, and early life challenges with dyslexia and ADHD
[00:06:00] Building the ultimate playroom for his kids and the importance of creative outlets
[00:09:00] Matt's biggest mistake: not owning his P&L early in his career
[00:13:00] The importance of viewing a P&L as a story and focusing on labor costs
[00:17:00] Pricing services based on internal labor costs and avoiding margin compression
[00:23:00] Key metric: Hours per employee and retention strategies
[00:31:00] Matt’s win of the week: Contributing to the Home Care Pulse 15th Anniversary Benchmark Report
[00:35:00] Matt’s advice for agency owners: Focusing on first billable shift and key staff hiring practices

Quotes

• Matt Ericksen: "Your P&L is your truth teller at the end of the day. It’s not just about numbers—it tells the story of your business."
• Matt Ericksen: "Focus on the things that drive real change—managing labor costs and being proactive, not reactive."
• Matt Ericksen: "Make sure your new hires are working within 48 hours of hire, or you risk losing them to turnover."
• David Knack: "When you shift from reacting to problems to anticipating them, that's when real growth happens."

Resources:

• Connect with Matt Ericksen on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Griswold Home Care
• Home Care Pulse 15th Anniversary Benchmark Study
• Ava
• Ava on LinkedIn
• Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Ava on YouTube

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Emily Isbell, founder of EI and Company, to discuss her impressive journey from caregiver at 19 to a successful home care consultant and bestselling author.

They delve into Emily's early career, the evolution of her business, and the release of her book, 'The 24/7 Solution.' Emily shares valuable insights on correcting mistakes, the importance of consistently executing strategies, and the necessity of looking for talent within your existing workforce. They also explore the challenges of maintaining emotional maturity in a high-stakes industry like home care.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. When mistakes happen, own them, apologize, and work to make things right rather than focusing on defending your actions.
2. Stick to your systems and execute consistently, even when challenges arise. This is essential for long-term success.
3. Look for leadership potential in your caregivers. With the right mentorship, they can become powerful contributors to your business.
4. Base your decisions on hard data, not emotional reactions, to ensure sustainable growth and success.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Emily Isbell and her home care journey
[00:04:29] Emily’s "What if?" career: Owning a gym for competitive gymnastics
[00:07:34] The cigarette mistake: A cringe-worthy moment from Emily’s caregiving days
[00:13:00] Emily’s key takeaway: "It’s about making right, not being right"
[00:16:37] The importance of consistent execution in the home care industry
[00:25:00] Promoting from within: Emily’s philosophy on caregiver development
[00:34:31] Big vs. small mistakes: Thinking like an owner, not a manager
[00:40:41] Emily’s win of the week: Growing client businesses by 60% in six months

Quotes

1. Emily Isbell: "It’s not about being right; it’s about making right. That’s how you build trust in this industry."
2. David Knack: "An urgent problem in home care is also an important one, which makes it crucial to respond with emotional maturity."
3. Emily Isbell: "I would not be here today if someone hadn’t believed in promoting caregivers from within."
4. Emily Isbell: "Data over dopamine—that’s how we keep the business growing without being reactive to every little challenge."

Resources

1. Emily Isbell on LinkedIn
2. Emily's Book: The 24/7 Solution: Proven Strategies for Home Care Business Leaders
3. EI and Company: Consulting firm specializing in home care operations and growth strategies
4. EI and Company on LinkedIn
5. Ava
6. Ava on LinkedIn
7. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
8. Subscribe to Ava on YouTube

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack interviews Rachel Gartner, founder and CEO of Carework. They discuss Rachel's life in rural South Georgia as an Army wife and mother, her passion for hiring military spouses, and the unique challenges in the home care recruitment industry.

Rachel shares insights on building effective systems for employee recognition, managing rapid company growth, and the importance of maintaining a caregiver-first mindset. They explore the difficulties of balancing recruitment intentions with execution and the significance of analyzing recruitment metrics.

The episode concludes with Rachel's thoughts on overrated and underrated recruitment strategies, the benefits of a strong referral program, and simplifying the hiring process.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Scaling employee recognition requires both intention and properly built systems to ensure no one falls through the cracks.
2. Having a defined and consistent recruiting process is more effective than constantly chasing flashy new recruiting strategies.
3. Owners and leaders need to be mindful of their language and attitudes about caregivers, as it sets the tone for the entire organization.
4. Referral programs are a highly effective yet often underutilized source of quality candidates and should be funded appropriately based on cost-per-hire metrics.

Timestamps:

[00:01:03] Introduction to Rachel Gartner’s mission as a military spouse through Carework

[00:07:21] A lesson from Rachel’s dad and her big mistake realized after reading employee feedback

[00:14:00] Discussing how Rachel built a system to acknowledge every caregiver’s hard work and spotting company problems through surveys

[00:23:00] Overrated vs. Underrated: Rachel’s take about how to improve recruiting strategies

[00:29:08] How complaining about caregivers influence a whole team and Carework’s newest case study

[00:35:13] Home Care Hot Take: Rachel’s valuable knowledge about hiring caregiver candidates

Quotes

1. Rachel Gartner: " When I do fail or make a big mistake, I go, well, you know what? At least I know I'm trying really hard."
2. David Knack: "Our best caregivers never get to hear from us because we know we can rely on them and they're out of sight, out of mind. "
3. Rachel Gartner: " I will challenge people on bad practices. But there's so much doom and gloom out there that actually is really not helpful for agencies that want to grow. That I try to be very clear of like, it is possible and it can work and it can be really fun and rewarding."

Resources:

1. Carework on LinkedIn
2. Sign in to Carework
3. Case Study about a 25% Cut of Caregiver Turnover
4. Ava
5. Ava on LinkedIn
6. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
7. Subscribe to Ava on YouTube

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Julio Briones, CEO of The Briones Group Consulting, to explore his unique journey in the home care industry. From his start in home care at the tender age of 15 to becoming a well-respected consultant, Julio shares valuable lessons learned along the way.

The conversation takes a deep dive into the challenges of hiring, the myth of the caregiver shortage, and the importance of proper legal documentation. Julio’s story is a mix of humor, hard-won wisdom, and a surprising love for karaoke.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the home care industry looking to avoid common pitfalls and find innovative solutions to their staffing challenges.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Always invest in having your service agreements professionally reviewed to protect your intellectual property and avoid costly mistakes.
2. Relying on one client or one type of service can be risky. Explore additional verticals to ensure business stability.
3. Whether it’s with clients or caregivers, nurturing relationships is crucial for business growth and employee retention.
4. Make quick decisions based on measurable outcomes and don’t be afraid to cut losses when necessary.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Getting to know Julio and his career in home care.

[00:01:50] Julio's perspective on hiring stay-at-home moms for flexible roles.

[00:06:32] Discussing Julio's biggest mistake in consulting and the lessons learned.

[00:12:00] The importance of proper legal documentation in business.

[00:17:21] Overrated vs. Underrated: Julio’s take on the caregiver shortage myth.

[00:30:30] The art of failing quickly: why making quick decisions can save your business.

[00:38:40] Julio’s latest business ventures and what excites him about the future.

Quotes

1. Julio Briones: "The best lessons that we learn in life and what creates true wisdom are usually the most painful and most expensive for us to learn."
2. David Knack: "Learning's always expensive."
3. Julio Briones: "There’s no shortage of caregivers; there’s a shortage of agencies that know how to retain them."

Resources:

1. Home Care Owners Corner on YouTube
2. The Briones Group Consulting
3. Ava
4. Ava on LinkedIn
5. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
6. Subscribe to Ava on YouTube

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Amber Monroe, VP of Customer Experience at Paradigm, to dive deep into the challenges and triumphs of hiring in the home care industry.

Amber shares her journey from making critical hiring mistakes early in her career to becoming a leader who knows how to navigate the complexities of team building. The conversation touches on the importance of behavioral-based interview questions, the impact of company culture on employee retention, and the often-overlooked need to professionalize the caregiver role.

With a mix of humor and serious insights, this episode is a must-listen for anyone in the home care industry looking to improve their hiring practices and build a stronger, more resilient team.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Focus on asking questions that reveal how candidates have handled situations relevant to the role they are applying for.
2. Hire candidates who align with your company’s culture, even if they lack some technical skills.
3. Elevate the status of caregivers by creating clear career paths and recognizing their critical role in the business.
4. How you respond to criticism, whether from employees or clients, sets the tone for your organization’s culture.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Amber Monroe and her role at Paradigm

[00:03:00] Amber’s restaurant-picking skills and the anxiety of making group decisions

[00:07:00] Discussing Amber’s biggest career mistake: hiring the wrong candidate

[00:12:00] The pivotal moment when a bad hire impacted Amber’s career progression

[00:17:00] Behavioral-based questions and their importance in hiring

[00:24:00] Professionalizing the caregiver role and creating career paths

[00:29:00] The importance of focusing on caregiver and staff experiences

[00:34:00] Amber's win of the week: launching a successful customer satisfaction survey

Quotes

1. Amber Monroe: "I think it was pretty clear to me when my boss's boss sat me down and said, 'This situation is the reason why we're not moving forward with your promotion.' That was a pivotal moment in my career."
2. David Knack: "An angry customer is not somebody you're going to lose. An angry caregiver is not necessarily somebody you're going to lose. It’s about what you do with that energy."
3. Amber Monroe: "At the end of the day, people just want to feel heard, valued, and appreciated. And there are ways to do that in any circumstance."

Resources:

1. Paradigm
2. Amber Monroe’s LinkedIn - Paradigm Senior Services
3. Home Care Pulse's Benchmark Study
4. Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)
5. Ava
6. Ava on LinkedIn
7. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
8. Subscribe to Ava on YouTube