Former HR Exec Celebrates 10-Year Milestone as Seniors Helping Seniors Franchisee

Diana Cabassi never thought she would own her own business, but learning about Seniors Helping Seniors changed her mind. While Cabassi was successful in the corporate world, she felt that something was missing. She craved a kind of emotional fulfillment in her work that seemed unattainable at the time.

Later on, Cabassi heard an advertisement on the radio for Seniors Helping Seniors and could relate to their mission from her own experience caring for her mother who had dementia. She decided to give them a call and, after a bit of research, decided to join them in making a positive impact in the lives of seniors, finally finding the sense of self-actualization she had been searching for.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Cabassi: I grew up in the corporate world. For 35 years, I worked for a major international company and worked in Human Resources. I started as a clerk, as a young adult right out of high school, and I worked my way up into a senior management position where I was running an HR Shared Service Center. 

I had my parents who were alive when I was at the end of my tenure with that company, and I had moved to Virginia from Florida where I had grown up. My father passed away during that time, leaving my mom, who was still young at 72. 

But as the years went by, things changed and her health changed. Since I was away in Virginia, she would come and visit. But it wasn't the same.  When mom got older, she started exhibiting signs of dementia. At one point, she came to stay with me, and she broke a bone in her foot and had to stay with me for three months. 

During that time, I was really able to see how much she had declined. It is one thing to talk to somebody on the phone and another thing to spend significant time with them. When our parents start to age, we don't really realize what's going on until we have an opportunity to spend time with them. 

I decided to quit my job of 35 years and move back to Florida. Being the only daughter, I knew my mom needed me to be present. I have two brothers, and they did a great job taking care of her things. But when it came to taking care of her, that was a different story. 

Fast forward to 2023. I still have my mom who is currently 94 years old. She's the impetus behind my getting into Seniors Helping Seniors, and she's very well-advanced in her walk with dementia. 

When I moved back to Florida, being a single mom I couldn't finish wrapping up my life in Virginia and look for work over here. I figured when I get to Florida, I would just concentrate on finding work. 

The more I looked for work, the more disenchanted I became. When I was looking for work, nothing seemed to fit. Even though I did well in the work that I did, it wasn't something that fulfilled me emotionally. I'm a very spiritual, emotional, loving, caring kind of person. The corporate world is not that. 

I remembered reading an article about Seniors Helping Seniors and thought to myself, when I grow up I’m going to do something like that.  When I heard a commercial on the radio about Seniors Helping Seniors, I thought to myself, “Let me give them a call.” I did, and the rest is history. They did their due diligence on me, and I did my due diligence on them. 

Basically, that's how we ended up partnering. I knew nothing about the senior industry other than having a mother with dementia. Over the last 10 years, I've learned a lot of things, and I don't regret at all a day of having made this decision.

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?

Cabassi: I never thought I would own my own business. When I saw what a franchise brought to the table, in terms of the structure, the support, the materials being provided and the framework for a business, I thought this is something I could do. 

If I had to have started a business from the ground up, especially the business that I'm in, since I knew nothing about working with seniors, other than what I knew about my mom. That support that I got from the franchise was really critical in my decision to branch out on my own because I had a support system.

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

Cabassi: We really can't measure the value that we bring to the table as Seniors Helping Seniors. The model that we use, where we primarily employ active seniors as companions, is just wonderful because the people that are providing the help are closer in age. Of course, they’re not the same age because I can't typically employ people that are in their 80s and 90s, although my oldest companion is 84. Her name is Millie, and she's been with me since I started the business. For the last 10 years, I've had my Millie with me. She's lovely, and she works every day except for Sunday now, which is actually new. At Easter time, she decided that was her last Sunday. But she worked seven days a week. Wow. 

I actually have two companions who have been with me since I started the business. My companion retention is pretty good as well. Most of them have been with me for over five years. They are my priority, even though the business is a priority, too. If I take care of my companions, that's visible in the work that they do. They want to do it, and they do it in a loving way. At this point, I have about 35 companions, and it's good. I'd like to say it's fun work, but more than anything, it's very rewarding work.

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

Cabassi: I have grown the business every year and I plan on continuing to grow. However, the growth has been slow. I guess I had a little bit of a false expectation at the beginning that I was going to be able to take on more work than I did. 

Since COVID, people have decided that communal living probably isn't the best solution. Before, nobody even thought about a pandemic and what that would do to our parents if they were living in an assisted living type of arrangement. 

There are many circumstances where assisted living is critical. However, there are people that are safe at home for a long time. With a little bit of help, they have the opportunity to stay home, and it's less expensive and more personalized.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Cabassi: What gives me a lot of pride is that I'm the daughter of immigrants. I'm a first-generation American Hispanic woman; I'm a double minority. Actually, I'm a triple minority because I'm a senior too! 

When I was growing up, it was uncommon for women to own businesses.  In my generation it just wasn’t that way.  In fact, my mother’s dream of an ultimate job for me was to be a legal secretary. I have surpassed my mother's dream for me, and I have reached something that I never dreamed of.  

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

Cabassi: I guess it depends on where they're coming from. If you have unlimited money and if you have a true knowledge of the industry that you're going into, being on your own is probably good. But if you are someone who has the ability to run a business and you’re not exactly sure what business to go into, franchising is probably a better option because you have the name behind you. 

1851: Tell me about the anniversary. Any plans for that?

Cabassi: Every year I get together with my companions and staff around Thanksgiving or Christmastime.  I have a nice party-kind-of house, therefore, I usually host the parties at home and celebrate together. 

For this year, we'll just have a 10th anniversary party. I usually cook for them because I think that it’s something that shows my love for them. They don't expect it. The boss is cooking for them. They like that; it makes them feel special.

They also get to be with each other because they don't necessarily work together. Usually, there's a one-on-one with the client. Unless the client has many hours, or has service every day, they don't necessarily have an opportunity to interact with one another. Getting them together is fun. They love it. I make them feel important. It's really all about them, not about me.

1851: What are the biggest achievements you have made in the last 10 years?

Cabassi: My greatest achievement has been independence more than anything. I don't have to depend on anybody. I don't have to report to anybody. That's not true. I really do have to depend on my companions. But in terms of a boss, I have no real boss per se. 

We have to stay within our franchise rules. We're not going to go rogue and do all these funky things that don't fall within the business model, but I pretty much get to do it my way. I like that. The way that I handle my business is more like a boutique, so to speak. I can design a service plan, however, it works for people. We don't live in a very affluent area, so I have a low minimum in terms of the number of hours I serve as a minimum of three hours.

1851: What territory do you serve?

Cabassi: I am in Southwest and Central, Broward County. Over the years I've expanded; I started with one territory. A couple of years into it, I purchased another territory. Last year, I expanded again, which is great. I could always reach the people. But the way that the franchise works is that you have your territory, and you work within the space that's yours.  

ABOUT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS®

Seniors Helping Seniors® was founded by husband-and-wife duo Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran, who grew up in India, later worked to advance humanitarian efforts alongside Mother Teresa. After moving to the U.S. in 1995 and marrying her husband Philip, the Yocoms felt called to provide loving care to seniors and to cultivate an exchange of gifts at every generational level. Together, the Yocoms founded Seniors Helping Seniors® in 1998, opening the brand up to franchising in 2006. With a mission to be the most respected and rewarding homecare provider in the U.S., Seniors Helping Seniors® stands apart from competitors as the only company that prioritizes hiring active seniors to provide care services to their less-active counterparts. Seniors Helping Seniors® aligns caregivers and care recipients based on the abilities and needs of both by offering a wide range of care services. Seniors Helping Seniors® has grown to nearly 200 locations in 30-plus states and seven international locations, with 125 franchise partners. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise ranges from $86,785 to $141,390. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors®, visit seniorshelpingseniorsfranchise.com.