A Trio of Female Entrepreneurs Provide Care with Seniors Helping Seniors

Tricia Izadi, her mother Sue Erskine and her aunt Doris Dorey were inspired to venture into franchising with Seniors Helping Seniors, the in-home care brand that hires active seniors to provide care for their less-active counterparts, after the shared experience of watching an aging family member benefit from a similar type of care. 

“My grandfather had Alzheimer's disease and he had caregivers who were older themselves. He would go play golf with his caregivers, run errands with them, go for ice cream together and things like that,” said Izadi.

Their loved one not only received the care he required, but he also formed close, meaningful friendships with his caregivers. The three women feel proud to improve the lives of seniors in San Diego and Orange County, and feel especially honored to serve the veterans in their area, having achieved the contract that allows them to do so about two years ago.

Beyond benefiting seniors in their community, being female business owners with Seniors Helping Seniors has brought the three women a rewarding sense of accomplishment. 

“What makes me proud to be a business owner is just the fact that I feel like I'm a good role model for my daughter,” said Dorey. “It also has given me a real boost of confidence, being a business owner. I feel like I can do anything.”

Dorey once overheard her father explaining to her mother that he felt he was investing a great sum of money into his four daughters’ education only for them to go on to be wives and mothers. As it turns out, his investment has more than paid off as two of his daughters, and his granddaughter, are now business owners, just like he was. The three women continue to make him, and themselves, proud as they demonstrate the power of women in franchising.

1851 Franchise spoke with Izadi and Dorey to discuss their journey into franchising.

FEATURE QUESTIONS

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Izadi: I previously worked for an online training company, so I did customer support and project management; it’s a company that puts together training for people that are employed in assisted living and nursing. 

I decided to venture into franchising with Seniors Helping Seniors with my mom and aunt because of my grandfather. My grandfather had Alzheimer's disease and he had caregivers who were older themselves. He would go play golf with his caregivers, run errands with them, go for ice cream together and things like that. The concept worked really well.

Dorey: I've worked in healthcare a good portion of my career. I started right out of college with a large home care company and that was my very first job. It’s interesting how it’s come full circle 40 years later. 

I also have experience working in human resources and I worked for a health insurance company: Blue Cross Blue Shield. Having a background in health insurance and experience in the home care industry made this brand a great fit.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Dorey: The brand attracted us because my father, Tricia’s grandfather, had Alzheimer's. It was very challenging for our stepmom to care for him and she made a promise that she would not transition him into any type of facility and that she would allow him to stay home. She kept that promise to the detriment of her own health and suffered greatly from stress. Eventually, we finally were able to convince her to look to the outside and bring in caregivers. The company she chose had a lot of older adults working as companions. There was one fellow in particular who was really nice and loved to golf, so he would take my dad once a week and then they would have lunch together. My father loved it. 

There was another caregiver as well who used to be a nurse, and she was in her late 60s or early 70s, and they formed a close relationship. He needed someone who would engage with him and empathize with him. 

We saw an advertisement for Seniors Helping Seniors and that was their exact business model, which we thought was perfect.

Izadi: Two years ago, we received the contract to be able to provide home care services for veterans in San Diego. I feel like that's been my biggest accomplishment because San Diego is a big military city, and it is really rewarding to be able to help veterans who are living alone. 

1851: What makes you particularly proud of being a successful woman in franchising?

Dorey: What makes me proud to be a business owner is just the fact that I feel like I'm a good role model for my daughter. I've always been a working mother and I've always strived to go further in every job that I had and to open up my own business. I think she sees all of those aspects. 

It also has given me a real boost of confidence, being a business owner. I feel like I can do anything.

My dad had four daughters. I was the youngest and I remember once overhearing him in a discussion with my mom saying that he's paying for all this college for a woman who's just going to end up getting married and having babies. I feel like we proved him wrong.

Izadi: I don’t think you proved him wrong as such because he was very proud of all his daughters. I think you proved the generational mindset wrong.

Dorey: That’s right. He was very proud of my older sister, who is our third business partner, because of how well she did. She finished college, nearly achieved her doctorate and then ended up being a business owner just like him. I personally feel so proud of that, as well. I always feel proud to watch my older sister. She was always my mentor and now I feel proud to be a female business owner alongside her and share in that success.

1851: What are the unique challenges and opportunities for women in franchising?

Izadi: Sometimes people assume I am not the owner because I am a woman. It’s nice to be able to demonstrate that we are capable and we’ve done this for a long time. We’ve helped a lot of patients. 

1851: How has your experience been working side-by-side as three women from the same family?

Doris: The experience has been wonderful. We have a very close family and we have all had health-related backgrounds. Working with my sister and my niece has been one of the best experiences of my professional career. Tricia has a strong operational background, I have a background in human resources, and Tricia’s mom has a strong entrepreneurial drive. 

Tricia: We all have different skill sets we can bring to the business. 

1851: What advice do you have for other women thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Izadi: Seek out other women business owners who may have a business similar to yours and try to work with that person and learn from them. You might be new at first, and you might feel like you’re taking more from them in the beginning than you can give in return, but eventually you can provide them with feedback and be a sounding board, helping each other out. 

Dorey: You have to stay positive and know anything is possible if you try hard enough. You need to surround yourself with good people that are going to teach you and help mentor you and lift you up. Never be afraid to fail. Failure is a great way to learn.

ABOUT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS:

Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise system was founded by husband-and-wife duo Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran, who grew up in India, later worked to advance humanitarian efforts alongside Mother Teresa. After Kiran moved to the U.S. in 1995 and married her husband Philip, the Yocoms felt called to provide loving care to seniors and to cultivate an exchange of gifts at every generational level. Together, the Yocoms founded Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services in 1998, opening the brand up to franchising in 2006. With a mission to be the most respected and rewarding homecare provider in the U.S., Seniors Helping Seniors® locations stand apart from competitors as the only company that prioritizes hiring active seniors to provide care services to their less-active counterparts. Seniors Helping Seniors® service aligns caregivers and care recipients based on the abilities and needs of both by offering a wide range of care services. Seniors Helping Seniors® network has grown to 200-plus locations, 125 franchise partners in 30-plus states and international markets. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home care, visit seniorshelpingseniors.com.