Over the past several years, Jessica Burke and Jason Fahey have found themselves navigating moving in and managing the healthcare of a parent with chronic health conditions,  hospice care for another parent, and managing medical and skilled care for a relative with intellectual disabilities. Despite impressive careers in health care law and operations for Fortune 500 companies, Burke and Fahey felt overwhelmed by the reality of becoming caregivers for several of their loved ones. They realized that if people with their backgrounds felt overwhelmed, their neighbors in Louisville likely felt the same.

As the “Silver Tsunami” continues to reshape the American health care landscape, Burke and Fahey recognized that the industry is at a crossroads. People aren’t looking for a transactional service but a partner to help them navigate the messy intersections of Medicare, insurance, and daily physical care. Through Burke and Fahey’s legal and operational expertise, they are positioning themselves to fill a critical gap in the Louisville market with the state's first Griswold franchise.

While many see franchising as becoming a "cog in a wheel," Burke and Fahey viewed it as a tried-and-true recipe that they could season with their own local expertise. They have already started putting their own stamp on the business, negotiating for larger territories and treating their franchisor like a “college professor.” 

Now, as they prepare to open Griswold Home Care of East Louisville, Burke and Fahey are focused on more than just units or rankings—though their competitive nature keeps those on the radar. Their focus is making sure that a son can go back to being a son instead of a nurse, and a spouse can focus on their partner instead of a medication schedule. 

Burke and Fahey took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what they had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Jessica Burke: We come from different backgrounds, but they're really complimentary. I have represented a lot of businesses, and I am currently a health care attorney and in house counsel for a health care company. Jason's engineering background comes with a lot of operations and logistics experience. We both have been interested in owning our own business, and sometimes life takes you places that you weren't expecting. We wound up in a situation where we had people in our lives who would have found this service really helpful. 

His mom had a prolonged illness and wound up with hospice, we wound up managing the care needs for a relative with intellectual disabilities, and then my mom moved in two years ago due to some ongoing health challenges. We got thrown into this space and learned a lot about all the various and complex challenges of navigating this stage of life. Griswold reached out to me on LinkedIn, and we looked into other companies that did what Griswold does. It made a lot of sense; we liked what we saw—an opportunity to make a difference and do good in our community.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Burke: From my perspective, I have represented a lot of companies in my legal practice, including startups and small-to-medium businesses. There is a lot to be said for having something completely your own that you build, but it's an uphill battle doing everything from scratch. The more we looked into this, it really was the best of both worlds. We get to have our company and grow it, but it's not built from scratch. There is an entire infrastructure, and there is so much knowledge to build on and use. It really is a good system because all the resources are there to build our business, so we're not completely out there on our own.

Jason Fahey: I've worked for two Fortune 500 companies and one private equity firm. I was a plant manager and director of operations over multiple sites in multiple states. Franchising gives us a recipe that is very easy to follow, and we have the support there. By trade, I'm not necessarily a creator, but every place I've been, I make things better. I used to move around about every year and a half to turn a new plant around. I'm confident if I'm given a good foundation, which I think Griswold provides us, that I can take it, make it our own, make it better, and make it successful.

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? 

Burke: I had limited exposure to franchising, but I had reviewed some franchise agreements for clients who were considering it. I didn't really have strong negative or positive opinions, but generally when you think of franchising, you think of a McDonald's, which is very different. I initially thought you didn't really have flexibility, and you're just taking ownership of the company's location and rolling with it. That's not what's happening with this business at all. In reality, you are taking a tried-and-true recipe and making it your own. It is fantastic because we have the ability to go out, be innovative, be creative, and do what works best for our community, but we still have all of the support.

Fahey: About 25 years ago, I looked into possibly doing a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise, and the entry requirements and the amount of oversight seemed substantial compared to what we've invested so far in this. With something like that, you're not really getting to put your stamp on it… When you go into a McDonald's in Louisville, Kentucky, it's pretty much the same as going into a McDonald's in New York City. This is the opposite; we're given the framework and allowed to tailor it and personalize it on our own. From a previous franchise experience I looked at, it seemed like I was just going to be another cog in a wheel, which is one of the reasons why I got out of working for Fortune 500 companies. I want to be able to put my own personal stamp on something, and this franchise actually offered that, which I don't think is a norm in franchising.

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

Burke: One, they do a lot of training and have a lot of support, but they're also very innovative and forward-thinking. They are constantly looking for ways to move forward in the industry and figure out how we can do things better and differently. Early on, they caught my attention because they are looking for how to support the whole person. We're not just providing the caregiver; we want to make sure that when a family needs hospice or durable medical equipment, we can provide them with those resources and point them in the right direction. People are looking for more than a service… They are looking for guidance. That person-centered focus really resonated with us.

Fahey: Griswold has been around for over 40 years, so they have an established track record. Within that time, they've obviously had to adapt to changing environments, changing technologies, global pandemics, and changing their business, and they've weathered all of that. It's that safety net of proven performance that I found very comforting.

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

Burke: Growth is absolutely on the table. We haven't even opened the first franchise yet, so it's the proverbial cart before the horse, but we want to get this up and running and grow it. We are both competitive people, so we want to do well in the friendly competition of Griswold's rankings. We think there is a good market here and we can do well, so we plan to grow it in the next couple of years and see where things go from there.

Fahey: When they offered us the franchise territory, me being from Louisville, I immediately saw that there were regions within Louisville that were not included that would likely really benefit from our services. I negotiated a bit to increase our territory. We've already told them we want any additional territories that meet up with ours because we fully intend to be a benefit for the community as a whole.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Burke: We have, and are, experiencing the challenges we are here to solve in our personal lives. We are offering solutions based on personal experience and the 40 years of experience Griswold has in the industry. Even with our backgrounds, it’s not easy to figure out doctors, Medicare, insurance, where you go to get things, and just all of the things that go into managing care that are often unseen until you are doing it. We want to provide a resource for people who are navigating these challenges and be a trusted partner.

Fahey: With our personal experiences, I want to make sure we are in a business and supporting the community in a way that allows people to spend more quality time with their loved ones, versus the transactional or functional taking care of them. We want to allow them to just reminisce, spend time, and talk versus worrying about how they are going to bathe this person or take care of them. Sometimes it gets to be too much and you lose sight of the relationship with your family member or friend. 

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

Fahey: Make sure you are asking questions and not assuming anything. I told the home office when we were in training that I'm going to treat them like a college professor. When I didn't understand something in college, I felt I was paying that professor to do a job, which was to make me understand it. Similarly, with the franchisor, if I have questions or concerns, I'm looking to them as the technical resources; I'm not just going to send them a check every month. It's going to be a collaborative relationship between us and the franchise. Make sure you've got that kind of relationship, and that it's not a one-way street.
 

Burke: I would echo that. Do the research because nothing is 100% easy or good, and there are negatives and positives or neutrals for everything. We obviously looked at everything the company sent us, but we also did a whole lot of Googling, talking to existing offices, and looking at things to really understand what we were getting into. My second piece of advice would be to be ready and able to roll with the punches. Things will pop up or change and you have to be adaptable. 

ABOUT GRISWOLD:

With over 200 locations across 31 states, Griswold is one of the country’s top home care companies, providing and referring professional, compassionate Caregivers around the clock. 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. Griswold has been recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500® and named a 2023, 2024, and 2025 Best of Home Care® Endorsed National Provider. For more information, visit www.GriswoldCare.com or call 215.402.0200.