Nick Bryan never set out to buy a franchise. He specifically didn’t want one. But when he discovered Comfort Keepers®, the senior care brand with over 600 territories and a mission to elevate the human spirit, it changed his perspective.
“Comfort Keepers checked all the boxes,” Bryan said. “Owning a franchise turned out to be a very powerful experience because the network of people you get to tap into who have already done it — there is a great deal of synergy there.”
Bryan’s career prior to Comfort Keepers was firmly rooted in financial services. “My career started in investment banking in New York,” he said. “I then did corporate finance and M&A, and strategy at Capital One.”
Eventually, he worked to scale Open Sky, a secured credit card company aimed at helping people rebuild their credit.
“We built a whole suite of services to help people who had credit problems. We had extraordinary success with that venture,” he said. “I remember one client sent a thank-you note with a photo of his wife and kids on the steps of his new home, and how we helped him achieve his dream with the help we gave him.”
That moment solidified his desire to find a purpose-driven venture.
“I had the experience that building businesses and helping people at the same time was very satisfying and gave me purpose,” Bryan said. “When I decided to have my own company, that was something I knew I wanted to be a part of.”
From the beginning, Bryan says Comfort Keepers stood out because it was both recession-resistant and purpose-led. He purchased an existing Comfort Keepers business in 2019 that included 14 territories. But just as he got started, the pandemic hit.
“My first two years of ownership were challenging because of COVID, because this is a business where you have to be out in person. People have to know you and trust you,” he said. “When you get into a business like this, referrals are driven by trust.”
Bryan credits Comfort Keepers with helping him weather that storm. “Comfort Keepers did a lot to help me and help everyone in the system during that pivotal time. It was critical to my survival in those first two years,” he said.
He also notes how much the brand has continued to elevate its support for the franchisee network. “Comfort Keepers is really doing an amazing job at building stronger and stronger franchise support,” he said. “For the last five years, it has really become world-class.”
When it comes to building a successful multi-unit venture, Bryan emphasizes how important it is for new owners to be active and present in their business.
“There are a few things that are critically important — you have to be the face of your business, and people have to know who you are,” he said. “Comfort Keepers is a great brand, but people want to know the person who operates in the market is a partner. You have to get out there and get to know people and be at the forefront of the community.”
He also shares the importance of hiring the right internal team. “The other really important thing is the quality of the team you hire in the office. That is critical,” he said. “If you try to save money on administrative hires, you pay for that in other ways.”
Bryan also believes that the business hinges on company culture. “You have to be intentional about it, define what you want the company culture to be, and then nurture it with everything you do, everyone you hire,” he said. “It should all emanate from that culture.”
From day one, Bryan connected with other owners in the system to share best practices — something that’s played a major role in his success.
“One of the first things I did was join a performance management advisory group of other owners,” he said. “That sharing of best practices has been very powerful in driving my success. I’ve also made lifetime friends in that group.”
Today, Bryan serves as chair of the national advisory committee and recently joined the brand’s innovation council. “The more involved you are as a new owner, the better off you will be,” he said.
Bryan says the business has flourished over the last few years. “Once we started growing, it hasn’t stopped,” he said. “We grew about 50% last year. We are growing robustly, and we are very pleased. It is the product of building a great team and being at the forefront of the business.”
But for Bryan, the most meaningful part of the business isn’t just the growth — it’s the people he gets to serve.
“We’ve had four-star generals, admirals — we had a client who was the former head of aviation safety for the whole U.S. Navy. That was cool for me because I’m a private pilot and airplane nerd,” Bryan said. “These people have extraordinary stories to tell when you get the opportunity to sit and listen to them. We just signed a client last week who was a former CEO of a Fortune 100 company. He was so fun to sit and talk to. I ended up spending an hour and a half with him, just taking all that wisdom from him. We serve a lot of extraordinary people, and we should be enjoying that.”
To learn more about franchise opportunities with Comfort Keepers, visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.
Comfort Keepers
SPONSORED
Nick Bryan leveraged his background in finance to grow one of the largest Comfort Keepers franchises in the U.S., finding both personal fulfillment and strong business results along the way.
Nick Bryan never set out to buy a franchise. He specifically didn’t want one. But when he discovered Comfort Keepers®, the senior care brand with over 600 territories and a mission to elevate the human spirit, it changed his perspective.
“Comfort Keepers checked all the boxes,” Bryan said. “Owning a franchise turned out to be a very powerful experience because the network of people you get to tap into who have already done it — there is a great deal of synergy there.”
Bryan’s career prior to Comfort Keepers was firmly rooted in financial services. “My career started in investment banking in New York,” he said. “I then did corporate finance and M&A, and strategy at Capital One.”
Eventually, he worked to scale Open Sky, a secured credit card company aimed at helping people rebuild their credit.
“We built a whole suite of services to help people who had credit problems. We had extraordinary success with that venture,” he said. “I remember one client sent a thank-you note with a photo of his wife and kids on the steps of his new home, and how we helped him achieve his dream with the help we gave him.”
That moment solidified his desire to find a purpose-driven venture.
“I had the experience that building businesses and helping people at the same time was very satisfying and gave me purpose,” Bryan said. “When I decided to have my own company, that was something I knew I wanted to be a part of.”
From the beginning, Bryan says Comfort Keepers stood out because it was both recession-resistant and purpose-led. He purchased an existing Comfort Keepers business in 2019 that included 14 territories. But just as he got started, the pandemic hit.
“My first two years of ownership were challenging because of COVID, because this is a business where you have to be out in person. People have to know you and trust you,” he said. “When you get into a business like this, referrals are driven by trust.”
Bryan credits Comfort Keepers with helping him weather that storm. “Comfort Keepers did a lot to help me and help everyone in the system during that pivotal time. It was critical to my survival in those first two years,” he said.
He also notes how much the brand has continued to elevate its support for the franchisee network. “Comfort Keepers is really doing an amazing job at building stronger and stronger franchise support,” he said. “For the last five years, it has really become world-class.”
When it comes to building a successful multi-unit venture, Bryan emphasizes how important it is for new owners to be active and present in their business.
“There are a few things that are critically important — you have to be the face of your business, and people have to know who you are,” he said. “Comfort Keepers is a great brand, but people want to know the person who operates in the market is a partner. You have to get out there and get to know people and be at the forefront of the community.”
He also shares the importance of hiring the right internal team. “The other really important thing is the quality of the team you hire in the office. That is critical,” he said. “If you try to save money on administrative hires, you pay for that in other ways.”
Bryan also believes that the business hinges on company culture. “You have to be intentional about it, define what you want the company culture to be, and then nurture it with everything you do, everyone you hire,” he said. “It should all emanate from that culture.”
From day one, Bryan connected with other owners in the system to share best practices — something that’s played a major role in his success.
“One of the first things I did was join a performance management advisory group of other owners,” he said. “That sharing of best practices has been very powerful in driving my success. I’ve also made lifetime friends in that group.”
Today, Bryan serves as chair of the national advisory committee and recently joined the brand’s innovation council. “The more involved you are as a new owner, the better off you will be,” he said.
Bryan says the business has flourished over the last few years. “Once we started growing, it hasn’t stopped,” he said. “We grew about 50% last year. We are growing robustly, and we are very pleased. It is the product of building a great team and being at the forefront of the business.”
But for Bryan, the most meaningful part of the business isn’t just the growth — it’s the people he gets to serve.
“We’ve had four-star generals, admirals — we had a client who was the former head of aviation safety for the whole U.S. Navy. That was cool for me because I’m a private pilot and airplane nerd,” Bryan said. “These people have extraordinary stories to tell when you get the opportunity to sit and listen to them. We just signed a client last week who was a former CEO of a Fortune 100 company. He was so fun to sit and talk to. I ended up spending an hour and a half with him, just taking all that wisdom from him. We serve a lot of extraordinary people, and we should be enjoying that.”
To learn more about franchise opportunities with Comfort Keepers, visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.
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