David Shultz’s Life-Changing Mission With Right at Home: Turning a Passion for Helping Seniors Into a Purpose-Driven Career

When David Shultz’s mother suffered a fall and was placed in a rehab facility in Albuquerque, the experience would come to change the course of his life. Shultz and his siblings took turns traveling back and forth to help care for their mother, who, despite being 85, had been active and independent before her injury. What they encountered in the rehab facility was a lack of support and care.

“It was not a very good facility. She was not having her needs met,” Shultz said. “We ended up hiring caregivers from Right at Home* to help my mom, and that had a huge impact on my family. It was immediate relief of stress and anxiety for all of us, but most importantly for my mom. She didn’t want to be a burden.”

His brother, Tim, owned the Albuquerque Right at Home franchise, but until then, Shultz hadn’t known much about the business. After experiencing the difference their services made, he was moved to act. “I went to him and said, I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to be a part of this,” he said. “I was willing to take a pay cut, willing to drive to Albuquerque every week. I just wanted to be involved.”

That decision led him to learn the business from the ground up, eventually becoming director of operations for the Albuquerque location. Now, Shultz is bringing that mission closer to home with a new Right at Home franchise in El Paso. “Every one of our clients I literally picture as if they are my mom or my grandma,” he said. “I get a lot of gratification knowing that we’re improving the lives of who I consider to be the most vulnerable in our population.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Shultz about his passion for helping others, his franchising journey with Right at Home and his plans for the future. Here’s what he had to say:

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

David Shultz: From a business perspective, my brother Tim and I have always felt unfulfilled unless we were in a job helping other people. Tim was in nonprofit forever, and I found a niche helping schools and organizations fundraise. For the last 24 years, I’ve been working with schools and different organizations to help them raise money. That was very meaningful and fulfilling because these kids got to do things they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.

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

Shultz: When COVID hit, it pretty much shut my business down. That caused me to start looking for something safer but still fulfilling. During that time, my mother had a fall and ended up in a rehab facility in Albuquerque. It was not a good facility — she wasn’t having her needs met. I was driving up every weekend for several months to take care of her, and my siblings helped during the week.

Eventually, we hired caregivers from Right at Home, and that had a huge impact on my family. It was immediate relief from stress and anxiety for us all, especially my mom. She didn’t want to be a burden. That experience changed everything for me. I went to Tim, who owned that location, and said, “I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to be a part of this.” That’s how it started.

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?

Shultz: I never really considered joining a franchise. I never looked into it. But now that I’m in it, I see the benefits of having a support system behind us. There are experts out there ready to step in and help us fulfill our mission. We do what we do best, and they’re like our backbone — providing operational and other support. Corporate has been amazing. I just got back from their long residence week training, and everyone there was fantastic.

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

Shultz: I didn’t even know these types of agencies existed. I stumbled into it. Now, after being in the industry a couple of years, I hear things about other franchises — I won’t mention any names — but it seems like they don’t have the support system that we do. I appreciate being a part of Right at Home more and more. I can literally send an email or make a call and get support almost immediately. It’s fantastic.

1851: Can you walk us through your journey with Right at Home?

Shultz: As I mentioned, COVID shut down my previous business, and right around that time, my mom had her fall. We used Right at Home caregivers to help care for her, and that made me want to be part of the organization. I told Tim and his business partner, Debbie Kenny, — who I’ve known for 20 years — that I was willing to take a pay cut and drive to Albuquerque every week. I just wanted to be involved.

They brought me in, and I started learning all the operations of the business. Occasionally I got to talk to clients, and Tim said, “Wow, dude, you’re amazing with these people.” I truly do care — they’ve all lived pretty cool lives and have amazing stories. I eventually moved up to director of operations. I still look forward to answering the phone — it’s the best part of my day.

I tell my story about my mom at every caregiver orientation. We can teach skills, but what’s most important is why you’re doing this. You’ve got to have the heart. Everything else we can teach.

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

Shultz: I just want to improve the lives of as many people as we can and eventually get to a point, like we’ve done in Albuquerque, where we can do some charity work too. We have clients struggling financially, and we help them within their budget. Of course, we lose money on those, but that’s part of it. I call those “deposits into the goodwill bank.”

We have a lot of VA clients in Albuquerque, and I want to help as many veterans as I can in El Paso. We even have a client through the Wounded Warrior Project. He didn’t want to live anymore. The caregiver we paired him with got him up and walking on prosthetics again. He just got back from visiting friends around the country — something he never would have done. I want to replicate that in El Paso.

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

Shultz: They joke about it at the office — if you get me on the phone, I’ll end up telling you some jokes and talking your ear off. But I genuinely love talking to people. I think it’s a gift — don’t ask my wife — but I’ve found my niche and I’m going to run with it.

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

Shultz: Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons — not financial reasons. My advice is to do the right thing, and the money will come. But don’t get into it just to get rich. That shouldn’t be the motivation.

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 five other countries.

If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit http://rightathomefranchise.com or to read more about franchise ownership, visit our blog at: https://rightathomefranchise.com/forc/.