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1851 Franchise caught up with Slupecki to learn more about his franchising journey, the growth trajectory of the non-medical home care franchise and the qualities that determine an ideal franchisee. 

1851: How did you start your franchising journey?

Griswold CEO Michael Slupecki: My franchising experience goes back 20 years. I started with a different home health care and hospice franchise. I didn’t expect to get into it — I actually came onto that team through the finance side. But I eventually grew into the COO role, and as my responsibilities increased, so did my focus on franchising, overseeing both domestic and international growth. After that, I was looking for an opportunity to lead a franchise brand myself, which is how I ended up as CEO with Griswold.

I love the franchising model. I love small business owners. I view it as a shared expertise model — we can provide all the tools and experience for prospects who have a passion for the industry they are choosing. 

In any business, it all starts with people. The only way you can truly be effective as a leader is to attract and retain the right people. If you have people with the same mission and culture, that is the most critical element for franchise growth and successful leadership, regardless of how you came into the industry. If you can’t retain talent, you’ll never be effective, no matter how hard you work. 

1851: How does that carry over to franchisees?

Slupecki: It all starts in the franchise recruitment process. Everything starts at the top — if you don’t have “A” talent at the top, you won’t get “A” talent in the middle, and that goes all the way down to having “A” caregivers in the home.

1851: What is the most important trait for a successful Griswold franchise owner?

Slupecki: Griswold is a people-driven business. We aren’t making burgers. So, when we meet a prospective franchisee, we always ask ourselves — could we see ourselves working for this person? Everyone has their own definition of what leadership is, but I think it is really about making sure someone has the credibility to build the best team. The trust factor also has to be there — would we trust this person taking care of our own mother? 

Of course, franchisees also have to meet the financial requirements to launch the concept, but in our business, we want to see that mission alignment first. This can be a challenging business, and if you aren’t getting the dividends on the emotional side, there isn’t enough money you can generate to make up for it. You have to have a heart for this business. 

1851: How do you make sure that message comes across to franchisees?

Slupecki: We prioritize transparency. It is easier to get out of a marriage than a franchise. This is a lifetime commitment. We don’t want someone who trusted a big portion of their net worth to come up to me and say: “You didn’t tell me this was going to be hard.” 

Luckily, we are a mature and established brand, so we don’t need franchise fees to keep the lights on. A lot of brands lower their standards when they start out to sell franchises, but we don’t do that. We want to lead the industry in success. We don’t care how many franchises we sell, we care about how many succeed. 

1851: Do franchisees appreciate that viewpoint?

Slupecki: When evaluating a prospect, we often think about the response existing franchisees will have to them — will they be happy about this person joining the exclusive club? That is why we are so focused on bringing in the strongest people we can. For example, we recently sold a franchise in Hawaii, and we connected one of our most tenured and professional existing franchisees with that new franchisee to ensure the connection was there. 

Every Friday morning, we also have a round-table to connect with franchise owners. We have tremendous experience on the leadership team — we are home care people who are also in franchising, not vice versa. So, as smart as we think we are, we know we don’t always have the best ideas. As a franchisor, if you aren’t leveraging the ideas of the franchisees who are on the ground everyday, you are going to underperform. 

1851: What else do you want candidates to know about this opportunity?

Slupecki: I am just a reflection of the team that I built. Up and down the organization, you will see this same passion. Our team is franchisee-focused and success-focused. I would put our team against anyone. Not only do we have tremendous experience, we also don’t have the big egos that come with it. 

This is not a one directional relationship. It's not “our way or the highway.” Home care is unique in that it is very regulated and still very local. We want to arm franchisees with the tools to take advantage of opportunities that may only be in their local market, for example. Sure, some parts of the model are one size fits all, but you also have to be opportunistic and willing to adapt. 

1851: How does the concept of family work into your franchising vision?

Slupecki: We have several young franchisees who have growing families. They have franchised with us in order to enjoy more flexibility — to have the time to attend their kids’ soccer games. This is not an absentee business; it is owner-operator run. But, once you get your office up and running and you build your team, you have tremendous flexibility. 

We also have many multi-generational franchisees in our business. A grandmother started the business, passed it onto her son and now the latest generation is taking over. We love those stories because it all goes back to the mission of a business that is about more than just making money. Griswold is about giving back to the community and touching lives in a meaningful way. 

1851: I get a sense that you are very proud of the work that you’ve done as an organization. Is that what makes you happy in your career? 

Slupecki: If you build the right team, you’ll have fun at work. Sure, it’ll still be work, but you’ll enjoy it more. Griswold has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Philadelphia Inquirer, which is a very important distinction to us. We’ve created a fun culture at our offices. That culture resonates with our franchisees, as well — they see the teamwork and comradery and they want to be a part of it. 

1851: What are you most excited about looking ahead?

Slupecki: A big thing we did last year was roll out a major rebrand. It was much more than just a new logo and tagline. We brought everyone in the Griswold family together and worked together to define our core principles. 

The outcome of those conversations is this new rebrand — a visible representation of who we are as a company. When you look at other competitors, their brand imagery is all hearts, hands and houses. And a lot of those houses look like they could use a remodel! We wanted to do something more modern, innovative and future-focused. How can we do more with less? 

It was important to us that the branding wasn’t just consumer-focused — it needed to resonate with franchise owners, employees, caregivers and everyone that we touch as part of Griswold. We landed on our new motto: “Live Assured”. Clients live assured they have the care they need to live life to its fullest. Families live assured that their loved ones are being cared for so they can live a worry-free life. Caregivers live assured that they work with a company that cares about them and their well-being. Employees live assured that they work for a company with a solid foundation and bright future. The community is assured that Griswold is there to support those members who need help, thereby making the community a happier, healthier place to live.

For more information about franchising with Griswold, please visit https://www.griswoldcare.com/.

ABOUT GRISWOLD

With 170 locations in 31 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 https://www.griswoldcare.com/ or call 215-402-0200.