Robert Campbell has spent his life in service. After growing up in poverty and serving more than two decades in the Marine Corps, Campbell went on to lead a growing church and develop affordable housing for seniors and veterans. When he began searching for a business that could support his long-term vision for workforce development and community impact, he wasn’t looking for just another company. He was looking for purpose.

That search led him to TruBlue Home Service Ally, a premium handyman franchise focused on helping seniors and busy adults stay safe, comfortable and confident in their homes. For Campbell, TruBlue is an extension of who he is, how he serves and the five-star standard he believes people deserve.

1851 spoke with Campbell to learn more about his inspiring story, what drew him to TruBlue 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?

Robert Campbell: I have always wanted to give back. I grew up in Missouri in poverty. I joined the Marine Corps and served in two wars. I spent over 20 years and retired as a major with a master’s degree. It wasn’t easy.

After that, I came down to Wilmington, North Carolina, and became a pastor at a small church. We grew that church and built a multi-million-dollar complex. Since I got here, I’ve always been trying to help people.

I had a vision for building affordable housing. We built affordable housing for senior citizens using low-income tax credits. We went on to buy and build a couple of multifamily homes and lowered the rent. In trying to buy housing and build affordable housing, I was also looking to start workforce development. I thought I would train people to fix houses and give them jobs.

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

Campbell: As I started writing up that workforce development program, it was really hard. But one day I saw TruBlue, and I thought, “Wow — this is a business with a purpose.” You can merge service and community, and that’s my sweet spot. I decided to look into TruBlue, and I really liked the ethos, the integrity — all of those things. We decided to go ahead and invest in the franchise.

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?

Campbell: What I’ve learned is that franchising gives you structure. TruBlue gave us everything — the way it’s structured, the onboarding, and the understanding that we are a premium handyman service. That matters.

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

Campbell: When I was starting our church, we were in the inner city. We had bars on the windows, and people were afraid to come there at night. But I shared with our people that we were going to build a five-star church.

And TruBlue is a five-star premium service. We go a step above. We sweat the details. We come into people’s homes, and we respect it. It’s not finished until we do our five-star walkaround.

In the last 21 years, I’ve been involved in several things, but TruBlue gives me the opportunity to not only help our premium customers, but also to help the marginalized. I know how to write grants. I know how to serve people. The name of my non-profit is New Hope CDC. I want to help ordinary people excel.

I thought I would buy this business for myself and use it for hope.

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

Campbell: TruBlue did a great job of helping us understand that a Silver Tsunami is coming. I’m a Baby Boomer myself, and I know that 65 is just getting in the game nowadays.

I’ve ensured that our team learns about senior citizens. As a senior, we sometimes forget that we’re not 21 anymore. People know about the risk of falling, but they still get on ladders.

I went to change a light bulb the other day on a step ladder, and when I was coming down, I almost broke my neck. I can afford to have somebody come over and do the maintenance plan. They can come by every quarter. That fall was fitting — I’d never had that happen before.

We don’t age in our minds as much as we age in our bodies. It’s just not worth it. Sometimes you can have a fall and get injuries that you never recover from.

1851: What does your background bring to the TruBlue model?

Campbell: I’m a senior. I’m in real estate. I own personal real estate in five states. I understand the entrepreneur who has to get his house ready for a flip, and I understand providers. We provide a premium service. What’s going to determine how the client feels about the job is how they feel about you. That’s why I teach five-star service. It’s about relationships. If we make good relationships, we can bring in repeat customers.

1851: What are your long-term goals with TruBlue?

Campbell: I’m writing grants to build houses and getting ready to build 34 units for veterans — permanent housing for chronically homeless veterans. It’s a $10 million project. We’re also starting a all boys school, HOPE Technology Preparatory Academy, a high school for boys 9-14th years. What’s different about this school is it’s culture over curriculum and giving them the chance to belong to a brotherhood. If we don’t give them a place to belong in the school, they will find a place to belong in a gang. With TruBlue, I can have them working for us being exposed to different skills, environments, people, doing work and awakening their perspective to so much more. These young men won’t be in a traditional school with a workforce program; the school is the workforce program and a stabilizing institution in the community as it will host a head start program, daycare center, and learning labs for adults and to get their GED, high school diploma and learn new trades and skills.

My goal is to expand with TruBlue into other states. I believe that when I talk to them this time next year, we’re going to outperform most franchisees. I’m an overachiever, that’s what I do. We’re starting out slow but we will excel to lead, it’s just a matter of time.

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

Campbell: We are a home service ally for people. One call does it all. Our school is creating young men of character, education and leadership for life, and the good part about it is we can employ these young men and help them reach their dreams. This is part of my life’s work, it’s who I am — and I’m loving it!

To learn more about franchising with TruBlue, visit: https://1851franchise.com/trubluehomeserviceally/info.

About TruBlue Home Service Ally:

TruBlue Home Service Ally® provides a unique and affordable approach to helping busy adults and seniors live a worry-free life by offering trustworthy handyman, home maintenance and senior modification services. Helping you maintain your home both inside and out, TruBlue’s services include handyman projects and to-do list chores, preventative home maintenance programs, kitchen and bath remodels, seasonal work and senior modification services, all handled by professional, bonded and insured Tru-Pro® Technicians. TruBlue franchise owners are required to complete senior home safety certification programs through the NAHB and Age Safe America. As certified specialists, TruBlue franchisees are able to perform aging in place home safety assessments and can make recommended safety modifications as needed.

All locations are independently owned and operated. Service offerings, certifications and licenses vary by location.