Creating A Meaningful Career Through Franchising with Seniors Helping Seniors

After a distinguished 29-year career with AAA, Kurt Gray found a new purpose after an early retirement. He started his own driver safety consulting business, working with seniors and their families to help identify physical or cognitive changes that could impact driving. 

When Gray started seeking a new opportunity that would allow him to serve others while leaning on his business acumen, he came across Seniors Helping Seniors and quickly found it was the perfect fit. Gray’s aspirations are to make a meaningful difference in the lives of seniors and their families in his community. He admits that the senior care industry is not always glamorous, but it is always worthwhile.

“It’s really meaningful work. To go into someone's home and see the situation, and then, in a few months, to go back and see how things have really changed and improved is incredible. It might mean that someone's spirit is up by developing a new relationship, or that they're eating better and making it to their doctor's appointments. I know the work we're doing is important.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Gray about his journey into franchising with Seniors Helping Seniors and his plans for the future.

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?

Gray: I worked with AAA for 29 years; I was director of driver education and training. Eventually, I was offered an early retirement.

After leaving AAA, I started ??a consulting business where I work with seniors and their families with respect to driving and mobility. I do driving evaluations for older drivers. 

I stumbled upon the opportunity to franchise with Seniors Helping Seniors through a franchise coach and it seemed like a great fit because I love helping people and I had experience working with seniors and their families. I felt good, not only about the company but also about the work that we would do to support seniors and the unique way we help them age in place.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Gray: I have a masters degree in business so I had a pretty positive perspective of franchising. It is a good way to have a business but reduce your risk. The resources you have and the model you’re given is proven, regardless of your industry, ranging from fast food to senior care. I didn’t want to start something from scratch. I wanted to provide a service that people could use and really benefit from.

We are an aging population that will continue to grow in the coming years. With Seniors Helping Seniors, the market was right, the business model was right and the franchise was right. It was a great way to sunset my business career.

I look forward to passing it off to a younger generation when the time comes so seniors can continue to receive the in-home care and support they need.

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

Gray: The brand is expanding and growing. I am excited about not just my growth, but the growth of the concept and the brand. We are making inroads and I think we can get ourselves on the national stage. That will help us grow and give us leverage to offer this great business model on a wider scale. We hire older adults to help seniors. People really appreciate that. People don’t want their mom or dad sitting with a younger person who might be busy looking at their phone or social media. The older caretakers can relate to the seniors and build stronger connections with them.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Gray: I have three territories, which is more than enough. I hope to grow and keep expanding our services to one day include personal care. I have great partners in my Washington metropolitan area, and we're collaborating on a number of community-based events and marketing efforts. It's good to be able to not only leverage the other franchise partners in these efforts but to have them as a resource for me. We sometimes help each other with caregivers and support each other because I trust they are in it for the right reasons, just as I am. 

My main goal is just to help people age in place and to help support families. Sometimes, we get calls from kids who are very distressed because they live halfway across the country from their mom or dad but their parents need help and care. I am so grateful we can provide that peace of mind to them.

It’s really meaningful work. To go into someone's house and see the situation, and then, in a few months, to go back and see that things have really changed and improved is incredible. It might mean that someone's spirit is up and now they have mobility through their own house, or that they're eating better and making it to their doctor's appointments. I know the work we're doing is important.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Gray: I have a gift for helping people. I am able to communicate in a way that is easy to understand and to make people feel comfortable. I ended up choosing Seniors Helping Seniors; it sort of worked and really dovetailed well with the driver safety consulting business where I was already working with seniors and their families with respect to senior driver safety and mobility, so it just seemed like a really good fit for me. I felt good, not only about the company but about the work that we would do to support seniors and help them age in place. 

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

Gray: This isn’t Chick-fil-A; we aren’t selling chicken sandwiches. It’s not always pleasant work, but it’s gratifying work. You have to have the kind of heart required to do this work. It’s not just a money-grab. The work comes in spurts and every client may not be the right fit for you, so you need to have the right intentions. This is not an impulse purchase. People are methodical about their research and they trust you because they are bringing a stranger into their home to provide care for their aging mother who has dementia, for example. A decision like that requires a lot of trust. Be patient, but be sure your heart is in it for the right reason. It’s not glamorous – but it’s gratifying and meaningful work. 

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.