Long before she became a Right at Home franchisee in Janesville, Wisconsin, Katie Villa had spent much of her adult life as a caregiver. She started in the field during college and continued in patient care after becoming a nurse. This past year, she took care of her grandfather during his end-of-life hospice care.
“That was very eye-opening and really showed me the importance of having seniors age in their home and providing them that dignity,” she said. “And also having caregivers in the home who are compassionate and provide quality care.”
Katie began looking into in-home care, including hospice nursing, as a possible next step. Around that time, she came across a newspaper article about Right at Home and sent it to her mom, Mary Jo Villa. Mary Jo encouraged her to learn more, and before long, she was interested in the opportunity, too.
Mary Jo spent her career in human resources and operations for a group of newspapers and radio stations, where she held almost every seat except the newsroom. Now, she works for a large holding company, where she supports 20 different companies with benefits work.
“When Katie saw this article and sent it to me, my first piece of pride was, ‘Yes, she's still reading the newspaper.’ But I told her we should absolutely explore it,” Mary Jo said. “I have been so impressed with Right at Home. They were clearly selecting us, and we were selecting them.”
From the early discovery process through onboarding, the Villas were impressed with how much structure and support the brand provided. The training programs and ongoing business coaching gave them confidence in the business.
“Katie's only 30 years old, and so yes, she has me, but you need someone other than your mom validating what your mom says,” Mary Jo said. “So I’ve been extremely impressed with the expertise coming out of Right at Home corporate and how they bring new owners on.”
Working with your mom, or any family member, isn’t for everyone. It can often be polarizing, with some people not recommending it at all, and some not being able to recommend it enough. Katie and Mary Jo see their different strengths, and the time they spend together, as part of what makes the partnership work.
“I never could have imagined doing this without my mom,” Katie said. “Obviously, her knowledge and her expertise, but also her support. I think that we're so fortunate to have a close relationship. I've watched her my entire life. She's been a boss my entire life and this really embodies that and being able to continue that legacy in our family.”
For Mary Jo, one of the most rewarding parts has been watching Katie step into her own expertise. Katie oversees the caregiving and client side of the business, while Mary Jo handles operations and strategy, giving the two a natural division of responsibilities.
“I'm here and highly involved and working, but Katie is the principal operator,” she said. “I've worked in family offices my whole life. You just draw those boundaries. There are the things that you're going to make a mutual decision on and there are the things that you say, ‘No, this is your decision’ or 'This is my decision.’ And then you don't second-guess each other.”
Because their skill sets are so different, the partnership has been easier to navigate. Katie leads decisions around care plans and client relationships, while Mary Jo takes the lead on business systems and financial structure.
“We enjoy being together and we laugh a lot. We believe in hard work, but we have fun. There's nothing that is so profound that it would affect our mother-daughter relationship,” Mary Jo said.
The Villas are building their business with a strong focus on their community. Having lived and worked in the area for decades, Mary Jo sees that as a major advantage.
“I've been established in the community for almost 40 years,” she said. “We consider our entire family a part of this, even if they won't be employed, so to speak. Our whole family is going to be in T-shirts at events. We'll be out as a public face in the community.”
As a young owner, Katie plans to stay involved and continue building both the client base and the caregiver network. She sees Right at Home as an opportunity to serve seniors and create opportunities for people in the community who want to step into caregiving roles.
“I want to be able to be the go-to person in this community for both our clients, for the seniors, but also for our caregivers,” she said. “Whether you're a student, whether you've been a caregiver for your family, whether you're retired and looking to help out somebody in the community, I really want to encourage people and empower the caregivers to do those things and come up with creative ideas to help grow the business.”
If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit https://rightathomefranchise.com/.
Right at Home
SPONSORED
Katie Villa’s experience caring for her grandfather during hospice showed her the value of dignified in-home care and inspired a new chapter with her mother, Mary Jo.
Long before she became a Right at Home franchisee in Janesville, Wisconsin, Katie Villa had spent much of her adult life as a caregiver. She started in the field during college and continued in patient care after becoming a nurse. This past year, she took care of her grandfather during his end-of-life hospice care.
“That was very eye-opening and really showed me the importance of having seniors age in their home and providing them that dignity,” she said. “And also having caregivers in the home who are compassionate and provide quality care.”
Katie began looking into in-home care, including hospice nursing, as a possible next step. Around that time, she came across a newspaper article about Right at Home and sent it to her mom, Mary Jo Villa. Mary Jo encouraged her to learn more, and before long, she was interested in the opportunity, too.
Mary Jo spent her career in human resources and operations for a group of newspapers and radio stations, where she held almost every seat except the newsroom. Now, she works for a large holding company, where she supports 20 different companies with benefits work.
“When Katie saw this article and sent it to me, my first piece of pride was, ‘Yes, she's still reading the newspaper.’ But I told her we should absolutely explore it,” Mary Jo said. “I have been so impressed with Right at Home. They were clearly selecting us, and we were selecting them.”
From the early discovery process through onboarding, the Villas were impressed with how much structure and support the brand provided. The training programs and ongoing business coaching gave them confidence in the business.
“Katie's only 30 years old, and so yes, she has me, but you need someone other than your mom validating what your mom says,” Mary Jo said. “So I’ve been extremely impressed with the expertise coming out of Right at Home corporate and how they bring new owners on.”
Working with your mom, or any family member, isn’t for everyone. It can often be polarizing, with some people not recommending it at all, and some not being able to recommend it enough. Katie and Mary Jo see their different strengths, and the time they spend together, as part of what makes the partnership work.
“I never could have imagined doing this without my mom,” Katie said. “Obviously, her knowledge and her expertise, but also her support. I think that we're so fortunate to have a close relationship. I've watched her my entire life. She's been a boss my entire life and this really embodies that and being able to continue that legacy in our family.”
For Mary Jo, one of the most rewarding parts has been watching Katie step into her own expertise. Katie oversees the caregiving and client side of the business, while Mary Jo handles operations and strategy, giving the two a natural division of responsibilities.
“I'm here and highly involved and working, but Katie is the principal operator,” she said. “I've worked in family offices my whole life. You just draw those boundaries. There are the things that you're going to make a mutual decision on and there are the things that you say, ‘No, this is your decision’ or 'This is my decision.’ And then you don't second-guess each other.”
Because their skill sets are so different, the partnership has been easier to navigate. Katie leads decisions around care plans and client relationships, while Mary Jo takes the lead on business systems and financial structure.
“We enjoy being together and we laugh a lot. We believe in hard work, but we have fun. There's nothing that is so profound that it would affect our mother-daughter relationship,” Mary Jo said.
The Villas are building their business with a strong focus on their community. Having lived and worked in the area for decades, Mary Jo sees that as a major advantage.
“I've been established in the community for almost 40 years,” she said. “We consider our entire family a part of this, even if they won't be employed, so to speak. Our whole family is going to be in T-shirts at events. We'll be out as a public face in the community.”
As a young owner, Katie plans to stay involved and continue building both the client base and the caregiver network. She sees Right at Home as an opportunity to serve seniors and create opportunities for people in the community who want to step into caregiving roles.
“I want to be able to be the go-to person in this community for both our clients, for the seniors, but also for our caregivers,” she said. “Whether you're a student, whether you've been a caregiver for your family, whether you're retired and looking to help out somebody in the community, I really want to encourage people and empower the caregivers to do those things and come up with creative ideas to help grow the business.”
If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit https://rightathomefranchise.com/.
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