Rabbi Becomes Right at Home Franchisee, Continuing to Provide Care In His Community

Matt Field is not your typical entrepreneur. The franchisee initially studied to be a veterinarian, then decided he wanted to become a rabbi. A decade later, he fancied a change and unexpectedly found his way into franchising with the home care brand Right at Home*. 

Now, Field has been a franchisee with the brand for nearly 12 years and is amazed at how organically his experience as a rabbi has fed into his experience as a business owner.

A Winding Career Path

Field studied biology as a college student with the aspiration of becoming a veterinarian. When he failed organic chemistry and was told he should consider a different career path, he realized that he already was quite drawn to Jewish communal work. That became his new pursuit.

After graduating, he joined the seminary and became a rabbi while living in Rochester, New York. At that time, technology was also advancing while employees of the brand Kodak were rapidly declining. This increasing unemployment led to Rochester being known as an “aging town.” Those who remained in Field’s congregation included a lot of aging people, often with illnesses. Eventually, after 10 years of pastoral work, Field decided it was time for another transition.

“After about a decade, I just needed a change,” he said. “It was a lot more political of a role than a lot of people realize. While I enjoyed what I did and took a lot from what I did, it was time.”

But how did he go from rabbi to business owner? Initially, business ownership was something Field deliberately steered clear from.

"I grew up thinking I didn't want to be in business altogether, not that I knew what that meant to be in business,” he said. “All I knew was that my father was in business. He was in [the] family business for a while, and that was difficult. Family business can be good, but it can also be really stressful.”

However, the more he searched for a new career, the more franchising made sense, especially given his very niche experience.

“There aren't too many employers out there looking for somebody with experience on their resume as a rabbi, only as a rabbi,” he explained. “I ended up getting connected with a franchise broker, and he kept pointing me in the direction of home care based on my history.”

Field gained a great deal of experience working around aging, illness and death within his congregation, which is why his franchise broker thought home care would be a good fit. The broker introduced him to Right at Home, which had a territory open in the area Field and his wife were looking to move to, so it all seemed to line up seamlessly from there on out. 

Franchising With Right at Home

From the start, Field and his wife “fell in love with the business model and fell in love with the people there,” he explained. “It felt like they were in it for the right reasons. They were really committed to their mission, not just to being the biggest but really to being the best and to serving their clients well.”

Field quickly became more involved with the inner workings of the franchise, taking on leadership roles and engaging in conversations about the trajectory of the brand.

"I served on the Franchise Advisory Council for a couple of years, and then that kind of rolled into a different entity called the Strategic Leadership Council,” said Field. “That has allowed me to be involved in the brand and the franchise system in a different way, which I have really appreciated. It's allowed me to have a voice, to represent other Right at Home owners in my region, and to engage in ongoing dialogue and conversation with the leadership of Right at Home.”

After four years on the Strategic Leadership Council, Field will soon be stepping back from this role but is thankful for the perspective it has given him on how the brand is following through with its mission as it continues to face challenges and attempts to grow. This transition has encouraged Field to look back at his experience in its entirety with the brand thus far.

Twelve Years Later and Looking Back

Field has been a franchisee with Right at Home for over a decade now and, although there are difficult days as there are in any profession, he remains passionate and confident that he made the right choice.

“I remain really excited about the brand and the industry and where it continues to go,” said Field. “I have conversations occasionally with prospective franchisees, and I think corporate sometimes points them to me, as they point them to other people who maintain that level of enthusiasm and excitement and support for the brand over the years. It hasn't gone away. It's still there, and I'm still excited."

Although Fields is happy with his choice to venture into franchising, he does not regret his previous career choices and is thankful for the transferable skills he acquired along the way. 

Namely, a handful of past clients who know of Field’s background have asked him to perform funerals after they pass. This has also happened with a colleague of Field’s from Right at Home.

“Even a former employee … unfortunately, they became sick about a year and a half ago and passed very quickly,” he said. “The family asked me to perform the funeral.”

The biggest crossover Fields has seen from one career to the next is that the people and families that are impacted by the care he provides share a lot of the same values and desires for their loved ones, making the evolution from rabbi to franchisee feel quite natural.

“The conversations I had with families then and even now about the care needed for their loved ones are very much the same,” explained Fields. “The details differ — I might be discussing care instead of a funeral or a wedding — but the emotion, family dynamics and approach are really the same.”

To watch the full interview, click here. 

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/rightathome/info.