From the Heart: How Wendy and TJ Henley Found Their Purpose With a Right at Home Franchise

After years in separate careers, TJ and Wendy Henley were ready to do something meaningful together. With aging parents and firsthand experience navigating the challenges of senior care, they began searching for a way to serve their community in a more personal way. Franchising wasn’t initially part of the plan, but when they came across Right at Home*, everything aligned.

“We have always been in some type of service,” Wendy said. “My husband's been in the financial and service industry for over 25 years. I'm a former teacher and life coach. We both have aging parents and have had experiences with our elders needing caregiving — good and bad — so it just seemed like the next good fit for us. It’s something we could do together. Most importantly, this is the first time we've been able to really do something together that is heartfelt and impactful, and we're really excited to be able to do that.”

That sense of shared purpose and the brand’s strong culture made the decision easy. Now, just weeks into ownership, Wendy and TJ are focused on building a business that honors their values and creates dignity not just for clients, but for caregivers and staff alike.

1851 Franchise sat down with Wendy to learn more about what drew her and TJ to Right at Home and how they’re building a business rooted in compassion and purpose. Here’s what she had to say:

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

Wendy Henley: We have always been in some type of service. My husband's been in the financial and service industry for over 25 years. I'm a former teacher and life coach. We both have aging parents and have had experiences with our elders needing caregiving — good and bad — so it just seemed like the next good fit for us. It’s something we could do together. Most importantly, this is the first time we've been able to really do something together that is heartfelt and impactful, and we're really excited to be able to do that.

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

Henley: My husband has been in the financial industry, working anywhere from mortgages through retirement planning and investing. I was a teacher, stay-at-home mom, life coach and author. My husband specifically knew he wanted to get into home care because he had seen some success with our friend, who is a fantastic person with a heart similar to ours. He said, “I really would like to look into that.”

Initially, I wasn’t sure if it was for me. We passed on another opportunity, and then this one came along. Something just clicked inside of me. I felt the energy of us finally being able to do something together, and it was a fantastic opportunity. Right at Home is a wonderful corporation. They support their franchises to the nth degree. They are fantastic at supporting their franchises. We saw that immediately and said, “We have to do it.” It wasn’t even a question.

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?

Henley: My husband’s parents owned a Mr. Jim’s Pizza, so they had a great experience with franchising. I always liked the idea of a turnkey system. While you might not have clients instantly, you have that base of method and best practices to work from, and you’re not having to design everything yourself. I love that. I absolutely love that.

It makes going into business so much easier. As soon as we talked to Jen Chaney and did the discovery call, everybody on the leadership team — at the highest level — was on that call. They all made time to hear about us. It felt like we were being interviewed by them, but we were also interviewing them. It was very clear they were going to be so supportive, and that has 100% been the case.

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

Henley: The culture is amazing. We are all about culture. That was 100% a fit for us. We could tell their culture was legitimate and that they cared about what they were doing.

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

Henley: We have another territory that we plan to expand. Our current territory is huge, so we have enormous room for growth — just in this one territory, much less the other one. We’ve only been the owners for two weeks, but we want to be the lead caregiver in Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas.

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

Henley: For us, it’s super important that not only the people we are serving, but also the people allowing us to serve — our caregivers and office staff — feel the dignity of the amazing humans they are. That’s really important to us. Culture is everything, and we want to provide the best that we can in our human form. We want people to say, “I like doing business with TJ and Wendy,” whether that’s a caregiver or someone being cared for.

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

Henley: Always do your research and pick a company that aligns with your personal values so that it’s a seamless transition. Right at Home completely aligns with our values, so it’s super easy to implement their best practices because they’re aligned with who we are.

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 750 franchise locations in the U.S. and four 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/.