Meet an Owner: Pilar Suarez

The first time Pilar Suarez came to the United States from Colombia was to attend classes at Colorado State University. She stayed for a year, working towards achieving a degree in business administration, and worked as a caregiver for an older woman to pay for her expenses. 

After moving back to Colombia and finishing her degree, getting a job at a telecommunications company and meeting her husband, Dario, she began considering moving back to the States. 

“We already had family in America, and when we first decided that we wanted to pursue our new dream, Texas made the most sense for us,” Pilar recalled. “My sister and her family have lived here for over 20 years.”

Life came full circle for Pilar in 2015, when she and Dario became Right at Home franchise owners, opening the doors of a new territory in Rhome, outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Building An American Dream

At the urging of their immigration attorney, Pilar and Dario decided to apply for an E-2 Visa, which would allow them to work, invest their money in the U.S., and bring their young sons with them. Eventually, they met with a franchise consultant who recommended they look into purchasing a home care agency.

“Working as a caregiver when I was in college was an amazing experience,” said Pilar. “So when we decided to move our family here and start a business, I knew what home care work would entail. It also helped that in our culture it’s common to care for your older relatives, and we had both provided care for our grandparents.”

Pilar and Dario met with various home care franchises but ultimately went with Right at Home. Their shared values, and additional support provided by corporate, made it an easy decision for the couple.

Growing A Business From Scratch

Pilar acknowledges that for the first three or four years they were in business, the hours were long and the work was intense. It also wasn’t unusual for either her or Dario to have to take on a shift if a caregiver called out. But after years of fine-tuning their business, Pilar finally has achieved more work-life balance.

“When the pandemic started, I made a promise to myself that I’d also take care of my own needs. I take time for myself in the mornings now, before my boys leave for school. Once they leave, I’ll head into the office around 8 or 8:30.”

With five staff members currently working in the office, Pilar likes to start her workdays with group meetings so that everyone can connect and troubleshoot issues that arise. After the meeting, Pilar will head back to her office to focus on payroll or billing or answering emails. Her office door is almost always open, ensuring that she remains available when her staff has questions.

“When I get a chance, I work with my marketer. I really like to do marketing, and we’ll have meetings throughout the week to see if there’s anything I can help with,” said Pilar. “I also work with our care manager every day. I like to be involved in a little of everything to make sure I’m informed and available to help when needed.”

Pilar understands how physically and emotionally draining it can be to work in a care-focused industry and encourages everyone to take time to recharge their batteries. 

“It can really zap your energy, so I try to leave the office between 3 and 4 every afternoon. I get to be home with my kids, and I have staff in the office that I can count on if anything goes wrong.”

Added Support for Success

One of the most appealing aspects of joining the Right at Home family for any new franchisee is the immense support provided by the corporate office. Right at Home performance groups are unique to the Right at Home franchise, providing room for collaboration and added value amongst the network of other owners.

“Around four years ago, corporate invited us to join a performance group. That was life-changing for me,” Pilar said. “These groups were created so you could connect with other Right at Home franchise owners, and you learn and share a lot of information. We all have best practices, we all have good ideas we bring from our offices, and it’s nice to share everything with each other and listen and learn from their experiences. It helps so much with the growth of the business.”

When asked if she has any advice for incoming franchisees, Pilar doesn’t hesitate: get to know your territory on a deeper level.

“Do your research. Study your demographics. Make sure you understand how you’re going to market your territory,” she said. “Mine is really, really rural, so it’s a very different experience than a major metropolitan area.”

She also encourages new owners not to stress too much about finding success, because the business will come in due time. 

“Hire staff that you can trust and that shares your same values. If you can get the right people to work for you, people who really care about others, then your business is going to be successful.”

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.