When Nathan Miller entered the senior home care industry with Comfort Keepers®, the leading in-home senior care franchise, his motivation came from a desire to work for himself, to empower small teams and to build a business that could support his family for decades. And that is precisely what he found with his Comfort Keepers business across Colorado’s Front Range.
Before franchising, Miller spent 10 years as a petroleum engineer in Texas, drilling long oil wells and working in high-pressure environments. “I loved my job the first five years; didn’t like it the last five,” he said. As he and his wife welcomed their first child, he realized he was ready for a major change. “I wanted to work for myself. I loved working with small teams and empowering them to do their jobs,” he said.
He also had a close example of what business ownership in senior care could look like: “I have a twin brother who runs another home care franchise in San Antonio … so I knew of the senior home care space and saw he could provide for his family.”
Still, Miller wasn’t interested in starting from scratch. When an existing Comfort Keepers business came onto the market in Denver during 2020, the opportunity aligned with his growing desire to take a leap — and with his wife’s willingness to relocate. “Three months later, a Denver opportunity came up with Comfort Keepers. And her mom lived in Denver. So that’s how I got my wife on board.”
Miller purchased the business from a long-time owner, acquiring five territories and a full team. “We bought an existing business that had about 60 caregivers, an existing book of business, inherited a management staff and moved from Texas to Colorado in COVID in 2020 — and off to the races.”
Since that first acquisition, Miller has become one of the most significant multi-unit operators in the Comfort Keepers system. He used a combination of strategic financing and steady acquisition to build a regional presence that now spans from Denver to the southern Front Range.
To finance that first purchase, Miller tapped into a powerful tool many new franchisees overlook: “We came in using a SBA 7A loan and we used a rollover for business startup. It allowed me to take about $200,000 I had in my 401(k) and use it as the down payment. It allowed me to preserve cash flow.”
From there, the growth accelerated. “In 2021, the Colorado Springs owner wanted to sell. So we got two more territories,” said Miller. “In 2022, the Castle Rock owner wanted to sell, so we got two more territories, and this last year, we picked up an extra territory and a few more zip codes. And then we just bought an independent last week and are bringing it into the Comfort Keepers system.”
Today, Miller owns the entire Denver metro footprint and the full Southern Front Range.
Miller says his success is rooted in three foundational areas: business principles, Comfort Keepers system principles and spiritual principles. On the franchising side, he believes wholeheartedly in leveraging the system. He shared the story of a standout general manager who joined his team thanks to Comfort Keepers corporate connections.
“Within three months, there was an office on the East Coast who had a general manager… she was moving to Denver,” said Miller. “The regional director called me and said, ‘Are you hiring?’ I said, ‘Not really, but because she’s so skilled… we’ll make a position for her.’ She has made a huge difference in our growth in Denver.”
Miller says this type of talent pipeline is a unique benefit of being part of a national brand.
Even with seven territories, Miller stays focused on hiring well, empowering his managers and ensuring everyone is in the right seat. “A lot of owners are like a-type personality. That's not me,” he said. “I want strong general managers running day-to-day. I don’t want to touch anything operationally.”
His philosophy is simple: if he has to get involved in daily operations, something is off. “If I’m having to get involved in operations, that means we haven’t hired right.”
One example he shared illustrates this clearly: a long-time employee who disliked scheduling wanted to quit altogether. “We moved her over to billing and payroll specialist. She loves her job,” he said. “She’ll tell you it’s the best job she’s ever had. We had the right person, but she was in the wrong seat.”
Miller’s story shows that the path into senior home care doesn’t always begin with a personal caregiving experience. Sometimes it begins with a desire for autonomy and a commitment to developing people and a willingness to take bold steps for one’s family.
Comfort Keepers, he says, offered the ideal foundation. “That’s the power of the Comfort Keepers name,” he said. “The power of getting really good talent density in your staff. That’s getting the right people in the right place.”
Today, with hundreds of employees and a thriving multi-unit operation, Miller remains focused on what matters most: “I want to be there for my kids. I want to be home every night.”
His growth across the Front Range — and his thoughtful, values-driven approach — show what’s possible when a franchise system and a franchisee’s philosophy align.
For more information about the costs to buy this franchise, visit: https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers
Comfort Keepers
SPONSORED
Nathan Miller’s journey from petroleum engineer to multi-unit Comfort Keepers® owner shows how the right system, strong values and a commitment to developing people can fuel extraordinary growth.
When Nathan Miller entered the senior home care industry with Comfort Keepers®, the leading in-home senior care franchise, his motivation came from a desire to work for himself, to empower small teams and to build a business that could support his family for decades. And that is precisely what he found with his Comfort Keepers business across Colorado’s Front Range.
Before franchising, Miller spent 10 years as a petroleum engineer in Texas, drilling long oil wells and working in high-pressure environments. “I loved my job the first five years; didn’t like it the last five,” he said. As he and his wife welcomed their first child, he realized he was ready for a major change. “I wanted to work for myself. I loved working with small teams and empowering them to do their jobs,” he said.
He also had a close example of what business ownership in senior care could look like: “I have a twin brother who runs another home care franchise in San Antonio … so I knew of the senior home care space and saw he could provide for his family.”
Still, Miller wasn’t interested in starting from scratch. When an existing Comfort Keepers business came onto the market in Denver during 2020, the opportunity aligned with his growing desire to take a leap — and with his wife’s willingness to relocate. “Three months later, a Denver opportunity came up with Comfort Keepers. And her mom lived in Denver. So that’s how I got my wife on board.”
Miller purchased the business from a long-time owner, acquiring five territories and a full team. “We bought an existing business that had about 60 caregivers, an existing book of business, inherited a management staff and moved from Texas to Colorado in COVID in 2020 — and off to the races.”
Since that first acquisition, Miller has become one of the most significant multi-unit operators in the Comfort Keepers system. He used a combination of strategic financing and steady acquisition to build a regional presence that now spans from Denver to the southern Front Range.
To finance that first purchase, Miller tapped into a powerful tool many new franchisees overlook: “We came in using a SBA 7A loan and we used a rollover for business startup. It allowed me to take about $200,000 I had in my 401(k) and use it as the down payment. It allowed me to preserve cash flow.”
From there, the growth accelerated. “In 2021, the Colorado Springs owner wanted to sell. So we got two more territories,” said Miller. “In 2022, the Castle Rock owner wanted to sell, so we got two more territories, and this last year, we picked up an extra territory and a few more zip codes. And then we just bought an independent last week and are bringing it into the Comfort Keepers system.”
Today, Miller owns the entire Denver metro footprint and the full Southern Front Range.
Miller says his success is rooted in three foundational areas: business principles, Comfort Keepers system principles and spiritual principles. On the franchising side, he believes wholeheartedly in leveraging the system. He shared the story of a standout general manager who joined his team thanks to Comfort Keepers corporate connections.
“Within three months, there was an office on the East Coast who had a general manager… she was moving to Denver,” said Miller. “The regional director called me and said, ‘Are you hiring?’ I said, ‘Not really, but because she’s so skilled… we’ll make a position for her.’ She has made a huge difference in our growth in Denver.”
Miller says this type of talent pipeline is a unique benefit of being part of a national brand.
Even with seven territories, Miller stays focused on hiring well, empowering his managers and ensuring everyone is in the right seat. “A lot of owners are like a-type personality. That's not me,” he said. “I want strong general managers running day-to-day. I don’t want to touch anything operationally.”
His philosophy is simple: if he has to get involved in daily operations, something is off. “If I’m having to get involved in operations, that means we haven’t hired right.”
One example he shared illustrates this clearly: a long-time employee who disliked scheduling wanted to quit altogether. “We moved her over to billing and payroll specialist. She loves her job,” he said. “She’ll tell you it’s the best job she’s ever had. We had the right person, but she was in the wrong seat.”
Miller’s story shows that the path into senior home care doesn’t always begin with a personal caregiving experience. Sometimes it begins with a desire for autonomy and a commitment to developing people and a willingness to take bold steps for one’s family.
Comfort Keepers, he says, offered the ideal foundation. “That’s the power of the Comfort Keepers name,” he said. “The power of getting really good talent density in your staff. That’s getting the right people in the right place.”
Today, with hundreds of employees and a thriving multi-unit operation, Miller remains focused on what matters most: “I want to be there for my kids. I want to be home every night.”
His growth across the Front Range — and his thoughtful, values-driven approach — show what’s possible when a franchise system and a franchisee’s philosophy align.
For more information about the costs to buy this franchise, visit: https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers
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