Meet an Owner: Dr. Michelle Rankine

Before Dr. Michelle Rankine decided to purchase an existing Right at Home in Lewisville, Texas, she was in the process of completing her PhD and working as a High Performance Director for the United States Olympic Committee. When her brother was paralyzed after a car accident, her entire life changed.

“He needed round-the-clock care, and the social worker at the hospital had recommended home care–I didn’t even know what that was at the time,” recalled Michelle. “I honestly didn’t even know that home care was a possibility until he needed it.”

The more she researched home care for her brother, the more Michelle saw an opportunity; although she was not searching for a homecare business, the more she learned, the more appealing Right at Home became. In 2013, Michelle bought into a resale opportunity and has since expanded into two additional territories.

Jumping In & Learning to Swim

Because Michelle purchased an existing business, there wasn’t much time for her to slowly ease into becoming the boss. 

“It was fast-paced, and there was definitely a learning curve in regard to compliance and meeting all of the clients quite rapidly,” said Michelle. “I was working a lot more hours when I first started–7 days a week. Now I have a great team in place and I have a little more balance.”

During her first year in business, Michelle was dedicated to figuring out exactly how she wanted to run her Right at Home franchise and what kind of boss she wanted to be. In the years since, her role has evolved significantly; her main areas of focus are creating a positive work culture for her employees and caregivers and also serving as the Chief Marketing Officer.

“I actually call myself the Chief Cheerleader because I help everyone stay uber motivated,” Michelle said. “I also manage all of the C-Suite marketing and contracts. I didn’t have a marketing background prior to purchasing Right at Home, but I’ve really come to love it.”

Training for Success

“One of the most valuable aspects of Right at Home was the training they provide,” said Michelle. “The other franchises I had researched only provided a day or two of training, but Right at Home provided a full week.”

In addition to the formal training, Michelle found it incredibly helpful the Right at Home corporate team pairs each franchisee with a business coach and provides introductions to the full network of other franchise owners, ensuring you always have someone to turn to when you need help. For Michelle, there were immense benefits in connecting with the other franchise owners.

“You need someone that understands your daily struggle, gives you critical feedback, helps you brainstorm, and celebrates wins with you. Those relationships are really valuable,” Michelle said. “I feel like everyone is real and will give me real answers.”

One thing Michelle would advise against? Putting too much stock in comparing your business to the other franchises.

“Figuring out how you want to run your business versus how your neighbors or mentors run their businesses could be different–and it should be! Your market is different from other territories. Be sure to do your own research about the market and spend time meeting people in the community. It will help you learn how to tailor your niche and emphasize your strengths.”

A Professional Evolution

For Michelle, her strengths turned out to be marketing, which surprised her at first.

“I thought my professional strengths were in operations but after working with the franchisor and getting marketing coaching, I realized that’s what I loved the most and wanted to pursue,” she said.

Although in those early years in business Michelle was spending much of her time bogged down on administrative tasks around the office, she now enjoys spending more of her time out in the community, sharing her story, and connecting with new potential partners and clients.

Michelle acknowledges that her road to success wasn’t always easy, but in the end, the journey was worth it.

“My one piece of advice for those who are considering purchasing a Right at Home franchise is: be patient. Throughout the process of starting a business and becoming an entrepreneur you want everything to just work, but you have to become okay with the fact that things won’t always work out the way you want them to. I was afraid of making mistakes early on, but you just have to keep going.”

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 six 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.