When Maryanne Murray first joined the Griswold Home Care family over 20 years ago under the leadership of Dr. Jean Griswold herself, she quickly learned a valuable lesson: "If you care about the people — the caregivers and clients — you will be a success." This caring attitude was repeated daily by Jean, and by leading with love, Murray says she quickly found her calling in helping seniors stay safely in their homes. 

That calling led to a life full of “Griswoldness” for Murray, including ownership of two offices in Delaware and recognition as "Franchise of the Year" from the IFA (International Franchise Association) and the SBA (Small Business Association). Now, although Murray may be retired from franchise ownership, she certainly has no plans of leaving her Griswold legacy behind. Not only is Murray currently the chair of the Jean Griswold Foundation — the brand’s non-profit organization dedicated to lifting up those who help others — but she is also helping pass down Griswold ownership to the next generation by partnering with her daughter, Erin Pickrell, in the purchase of the Bethesda/Chevy Chase territory.

“Griswold Home Care ownership was so fulfilling for me — it truly changed my life,” said Murray. “I want everyone to feel that way about their career, and the fact that my daughter is following that path makes me so proud.” 

Pickrell says she really grew up in the Griswold Home Care business and was inspired every day by watching her mother thrive as an independent and empowered business owner. After graduating from college, Pickrell worked in Costa Rica for three years, and then moved to D.C. to help with operations for nonprofits and schools. When it came time for a change, Griswold ownership immediately sounded like the right path. 

“I have learned a lot throughout my career about the type of work environment I want to create and spend my time in,” said Pickrell. “Seeing my mom own her own business growing up really motivated me to do the same. I am so proud of her and the person that she is, and as I became an adult, I realized I wanted to follow in her footsteps. I also had met Jean Griswold when I was young, and I knew that the brand put care first in everything that it does, so I was happy to work with Griswold as a franchisee.”

Founded in 1982 as the first non-medical home care franchise in the United States, Griswold Home Care is backed by 40 years of experience providing quality home care to the elderly, disabled adults and individuals recovering from illnesses. Griswold Home Care gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to provide an essential and meaningful service as the growing senior population creates a steadily increasing need for quality home care. Today, the brand has expanded into 30 states across the country, thanks to the dedication of its franchisees.

Pickrell became one of those franchisees after receiving her home care license in early 2020 and starting her Griswold Home Care business right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Despite those challenges, Murray says she has been blown away by the determination and hard work of her daughter. 

“When I started in 1999, I was the only game in town, so it was a lot easier,” said Murray. “Now, there are many more obstacles, but Erin is doing an amazing job. I try to coach her on ways to approach problems or how to work with caregivers, but she’s really got it covered. I’m so proud of her.”

Just like Jean Griswold taught Murray about the importance of care back in the day, Pickrell says that lesson was also passed down to her by her mother. “We answer the phone whether it is Sunday at 10 am or Friday at 8 pm,” she said. “We want to answer all questions and be there for our clients. That is the niche that we fill in our area. We have really wonderful caregivers that really care about their clients, and we are proud to provide that higher level of non-medical home care.”

In terms of following in her mother’s footsteps, Pickrell says she is also excited to work with the Jean Griswold Foundation to further give back to her community. “Not many other agencies have a non-profit foundation,” she said. “We already gave a grant to an Alzheimer’s group here that had to move online and needed to get funding for Zoom and training. In our community, we want to have fundraising events for the foundation and spread awareness about what we are doing for caregivers and clients.”

Mike Slupecki, CEO of Griswold Home Care, says the mother-and-daughter team is the epitome of Griswoldness. “Not only is Maryanne Murray an essential part of the Griswold story, but bringing her daughter Erin into the business and passing along that mission to the next generation has been so inspiring to see,” he said. “This brand has been around for 40 years, and watching Griswold Home Care grow from generation to generation really solidifies the importance of our mission and the strength of our concept.”

Franchise opportunities range from $95,850 to $174,100 including a $49,500 franchise fee. For more information about franchising with Griswold, please visit: https://www.griswoldhomecare.com/franchising/investment-info/.