From Serving our Country in the Marine Corps to Serving the Community as a Griswold Franchisee

Nolan Chandler had a world of money-making career opportunities at his fingertips upon graduating from law school, but it was the idea of doing some good for his country that drew him to the Marine Corps. He joined as an attorney and served for four years, becoming accustomed to the stability of the weekly paychecks. In rejoining civilian life, he spent some time practicing law but felt the urge to do something meaningful where he could continue to make an impact, although he did initially question his abilities in entrepreneurship and the lack of stability in business ownership.

When a franchise consultant suggested franchising with Griswold, the 170 unit in-home senior care franchise, Nolan thought of his grandmother and how a service like this would have made her care experience more comfortable.

“My grandmother got very sick very quickly back in 2009, and we had to send her to a hospice facility,” he said. “When I learned about Griswold, I thought about this experience with my grandmother. For those who have a choice, being able to stay at home and age in their own environment, with family visiting and having the opportunity to continue living their normal life with the care they need, is a great option.”

It was with this inspiration of giving others the desirable option of in-home care that Nolan overcame his self-doubt and made the transition from the disciplined, stable realms of a career in the Marine Corps to the dynamic landscape of franchising with a Griswold territory in the Greater Temecula area of California. 

1851 Franchise spoke with Nolan to discuss his journey into franchising 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?

Chandler: ??I went to law school beginning in 2014 until 2017 and I met my wife while I was there. In my second year of law school, Marine Corps recruiters came on campus. Long story short, I ended up joining the Marine Corps after law school as an attorney, and I served with them for four years in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 

After getting out of the military, I moved back to California with my wife and I was working as an attorney in the civilian world for a little while, but I wanted to make a change, especially because of the rigid schedule. I wanted to pursue something more entrepreneurial; eventually, I got in touch with a franchise consultant. He gave me some options and Griswold was one of those. Ultimately, I narrowed it down to Griswold to help those in need in my local community.

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?

Chandler: I used to think of McDonald’s and fast food, in general. I didn’t think too much about the opportunities in the service industry. There’s a lot of different ways to franchise, so I’m glad that I had an open mind. 

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

Chandler: I chose Griswold because they offer a unique service to the community. My grandmother got very sick, very quickly, back in 2009, and we had to send her to a hospice facility. She was in New Mexico and the distance was such a challenging factor. She, of course, didn’t know anyone before she arrived at the facility and that can be so uncomfortable. When I learned about Griswold, I thought about this experience with my grandmother. For those who have a choice, being able to stay at home and age in their own environment, with family visiting and having the opportunity to continue living their normal life with the care they need, is a great option. Needing care can really change your family dynamic, so if you can keep one aspect the same, that being your home, I think it makes a big difference. 

I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to serve my community in this meaningful way. After law school, graduates typically go work at law firms of various sizes or work in other government positions. I decided to go into the Marine Corps because I have always wanted to serve my country. Even though I'm not serving in that capacity anymore, I still want to serve my local community.

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

Chandler: I know that you don't want to grow too fast because there can be some negative consequences to that, but I do want to grow as fast as possible. I would like to be able to affect the greater Temecula area; I will get to work on that first and hopefully be able to expand to neighboring, or other, territories. I just want to be able to help as many people as possible because I know that there's a very high demand for these services but not enough providers to keep up with that demand. I want to fill that gap and help families who need this service.

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

Chandler: Self-doubt has been very embedded in my brain since the beginning of this process.  When you're in the military, your position is very secure. Your paychecks are very dependable. Coming out of the military, I know that a lot of service members have that go-getter attitude and they're disciplined, however many service members don't want to get out of the military because they’re used to that security. 

I’ve had this self-doubt about whether or not this is something I can be successful in, but I've been able to overcome my self-doubt by surrounding myself with other people that are like-minded and by building a network of support. I hope to grow my confidence and accomplish my goals by offering Griswold’s services to others. 

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

Chandler: Although some may argue that you should be very narrowed in your search for a franchise before you begin looking, I believe your goals should be the narrowed focus. The franchise should mold around your goals in order to support those goals. For instance, retail franchises could really support goal X, but not goal Y. And service-based franchises could support goal Y, but not goal X. Think of this as reverse engineering to lead you to an appropriate franchise.

ABOUT GRISWOLD

With over 170 locations in 32 states, Griswold is one of the country’s top home care companies, providing professional, compassionate caregivers 24/7. Griswold’s “Live Assured” promise gives both clients and their loved ones peace of mind, so they can live without the weight of worry. Griswold helps adults maintain quality of life despite advanced age, onset of illness, or post-surgery recovery through services including companion care, home services, personal care and respite care. Founded by the late Jean Griswold in 1982, the company has maintained its founder’s profound sense of empathy for older and disabled adults and those living with chronic conditions. For more information, visit www.griswoldhomecare.com or call 215.402.0200.