Former Rabbi Finds New Way to Give Back with Right at Home Franchise

When Matt and Rachel Field, both seasoned professionals in their respective fields, decided to take a new entrepreneurial route with a focus on caregiving, they quickly found a match made in heaven with senior care franchise Right at Home*. Over a decade later, the Fields have expanded their reach and now own five Right at Home territories across the suburbs of Chicago. 

Matt was initially a rabbi in Rochester, New York, specializing in providing comfort and support for aging individuals and those grappling with mortality. His desire to escape the political aspects of his profession and the ambition to positively impact lives on his own terms led him toward exploring franchise opportunities, specifically in home care. On the other hand, Rachel, having worked with a nonprofit and later a stay-at-home mom, returned to the workforce when her kids were in school full-time. This provided her the chance to play an increasingly active role in the family’s new business venture.

Since their launch in 2012, they've built a strong, successful business, and they're enthusiastic about the direction it's taking. 

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

Matt: I am originally from Chicago. I went to college in upstate New York and went to seminary in Manhattan for six years before taking a congregation in Rochester and becoming a rabbi. I had my own congregation for over a decade. I was focused on helping people deal with issues around aging and death. Eventually, I found that world too political. We wanted to build something we felt good about and continue to impact people’s lives. That led me down the path of exploring options in home care. 

Rachel: While in Manhattan, I worked for a nonprofit organization for about five years and then became a stay at home mom when Matt took a congregation in Rochester. When we moved back to the Chicago area, my kids were in school full-time so it allowed me to take a more active role in starting a new business. 

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?

Matt: All I really knew was that I didn’t want to continue doing what I was doing. I knew finding a job outside of the Jewish world was going to be difficult as that was my primary experience. I started talking to some business brokers and learned about the advantages of franchising — turnkey solutions, support, proven track records, etc. I wanted to put my trust behind a franchise that I felt was the right fit for me based on my background. 

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

Matt: Logistically speaking, Right at Home had a territory available exactly where we were moving. But more than anything, I fell in love with the business model and the people associated with the brand, both at the corporate level and franchisees. I spoke with several owners during our discovery process. They all felt like they were principled and had a good mission. It wasn’t simply about building a lucrative business, it was also about making a difference in people’s lives. Everyone I spoke to felt fully committed to that mission of supporting one another. It matched our vision and values. It was important for us to continue to do something that we felt good about and could be proud to share with our children.

Our official opening date was in October of 2012. Like any business, it definitely has its challenges and difficult days, but overall the experience has been very positive for us. We feel like we’ve built a strong, successful business that continues to move in the right direction and allows us to support our family and do the things we want to do. We have been able to provide a lot of jobs for a lot of really good people as well, supporting professional growth for our employees and caregivers. It has been an interesting, exciting and fulfilling journey. 

1851: Why have you expanded the business?

Matt: Early in our career with Right at Home, we started partnering with long-term care facilities, nursing homes and such. That really sustained us through COVID. So many clients canceled us on day one of the pandemic, but nursing homes and care facilities started calling a few weeks in. In many ways, that launched us to a new plateau. From 2020 to 2022, our business grew almost 100%. 

Rachel: As our kids got older, my role has evolved with the business. I started part-time, and that has expanded over time. Now I am the president and majority owner of our Right at Home operation.  

Matt: We started talking about expansion opportunities last year, and an opportunity presented itself to purchase a new territory. A couple months later, another opportunity presented itself when a nearby franchisee sold his two Right at Home territories to us in Oak Park, which is between our two other offices. With this year’s expansion, we now have five Right at Home territories. Some of our employees have been with us for a lot of years, and we have a lot of trust in them, so it didn’t feel like we were starting over. We have a good team behind us who can help us make this happen. Looking ahead, we have goals for where we want to take the business, but we are really focused on making a difference in people’s lives. 

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

Matt: We have always prioritized providing education to our community, particularly around dementia care. We train a lot of staff — both clinical and administrative — at hospitals, nursing homes and local sheriff departments. We have really become a go-to for a lot of organizations in the community, and that is very important to us.

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

Matt: Look for a franchise system that has a strong culture of collaboration and support. Right at Home is full of supportive franchise owners. There have been plenty of times where we really leaned on other franchise owners to help guide us to get us through difficult moments. We’ve done the same for other franchise owners as well. Not every franchise system has that type of culture, which is why you should really spend time talking to as many franchise owners as you can to get a good feel for the values of the brand. 

Rachel: One of the big lessons we’ve learned is that the more you take advantage of the opportunities the franchise system presents, the more you will be able to grow. We’ve learned best practices from the staff, the franchisees and the corporate team — things we didn’t even know we needed. It is really important to take advantage of all the resources and support the franchisor provides. 

The initial investment required to start a Right at Home franchise ranges from  $88,719 to $157,669. For more information on franchising with Right at Home, visit https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/info. 

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities who want to live independently. Most Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated, and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff. Each caregiver is thoroughly screened, trained and bonded/insured before entering a client’s home. Right at Home’s global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S. and seven other countries. For more information about Right at Home, visit rightathome.net or read the Right at Home blog at rightathome.net/blog.