This Franchise Training Mistake That Almost Broke Our New Owners — Christina Chartrand
Release Date: 04/29/2025
I Trusted Passion Over Process and It Broke My Business – Kristen Duell
Home Care Hindsight
Kristen Duell, founder of Momentum Healthcare and Technology Consulting, joins host David Knack for a raw conversation about the recurring mistake that has shaped her entire leadership journey: believing that shared passion and purpose are enough to run a successful business. Kristen opens up about the "black eyes and kidney punches" she's endured from moving too fast and trusting that others shared her standards of integrity, without first establishing clear structure and alignment. She explains why "momentum without tension is chaos" and how this hard-won lesson is now the core philosophy of...
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My Failed Acquisition Pushed Me To Do More Due Diligence – Kevin Smith
Home Care Hindsight
Kevin Smith, CEO of Best of Care, joins host David Knack to pull back the curtain on a splashy but failed acquisition that taught him a brutal lesson about due diligence. Kevin opens up about buying an adult day health program's home care arm, a deal that made perfect sense on paper but fell apart at the seams, resulting in a massive revenue shortfall. He reflects on the costly mistake of relying too heavily on his relationship-driven "gut" for a process that required forensic analysis, and how the timing—closing the deal the day before his first child was born—added immense personal...
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On Death and Dying in Home Care Part 2 – Gabrielle Pumpian and Nicole Soares
Home Care Hindsight
Gabrielle Pumpian returns, joined by death doula and end-of-life consultant Nicole Soares, for a profound conversation about the one thing every home care agency deals with but few are prepared for: death. They explore a common operational mistake: failing to align a caregiver's duties with a client's core values, leading to disengagement and a reduced schedule. Nicole shares her powerful personal journey that led her to become a "one-stop death shop," while Gabby reflects on the costly mindset of viewing a client's passing primarily as a revenue loss. The discussion offers actionable advice...
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On Death and Dying in Home Care Part 1 – Gabrielle Pumpian and Nicole Soares
Home Care Hindsight
Gabrielle Pumpian returns, joined by death doula and end-of-life consultant Nicole Soares, for a profound conversation about the one thing every home care agency deals with but few are prepared for: death. They explore a common operational mistake: failing to align a caregiver's duties with a client's core values, leading to disengagement and a reduced schedule. Nicole shares her powerful personal journey that led her to become a "one-stop death shop," while Gabby reflects on the costly mindset of viewing a client's passing primarily as a revenue loss. The discussion offers actionable advice...
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The "Frankenstein's Monster" Team That Forced a Culture-First Fix – Victor Hunt
Home Care Hindsight
Victor Hunt, the passionate CEO and co-founder of Zingage, joins host David Knack for a long-awaited conversation. Victor opens up about the critical hiring mistake from his first startup: prioritizing raw technical skill over team cohesion and culture fit, a misstep that almost broke the company. He explains why this "Frankenstein's monster" approach to building a team fails and how it informed his "culture-first" philosophy at Zingage. Victor shares the only two traits he now looks for in every hire and dives into the underrated genius of home care owners, who are often overwhelmed by...
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The $10,000 Mistake That Forged a Stronger Partnership – John "Moz" Mozdzien
Home Care Hindsight
John "Moz" Mozdzien, a Navy veteran and co-founder of Veterans First, joins host David Knack to share a costly hiring mistake—but not of a person. He "hired" a flawed understanding of VA benefits, leading to a $10,000 loss on his company's very first case. He opens up about the specific rule regarding surviving spouses that they misunderstood and how this "hard fail" became the foundation for a 99.9% approval rate today. Moz reflects on how the crisis forged an unbreakable bond with his business partner, built on pre-existing trust. The conversation also covers the underrated power of...
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Hiring the Wrong Person Taught Me About Building a Better Team – Becky Reel
Home Care Hindsight
In this re-released episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Becky Reel, founder and CEO of Reel Home Care Consulting and former owner of a top-rated home care agency. In their conversation from 2024, Becky vulnerably shares the story of her biggest hiring mistake: bringing her nanny into the office during COVID-19. She details how she overlooked numerous red flags, which led to a toxic work environment and significant business disruption. From this experience, she learned invaluable lessons about the importance of thorough reference checks, truly listening to her team,...
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Stop Waiting for January: Strategic Growth Planning – Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss
Home Care Hindsight
In this returning episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack is joined by Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss, founder of Home Care Evolution. Together, they dive into how home care agencies can finish 2025 strong and hit the ground running in 2026. Steve emphasizes the importance of using September–October to audit your business, tighten referral relationships, and prepare for seasonal surges (like elective surgeries leading to more home care referrals). He shares how to create an orthopedic specialty program to stand out from competitors and walks through the patient journey for better...
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The $100,000 Partnership Mistake I Was Too Stubborn to Quit – Clayton Foutch
Home Care Hindsight
In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack is joined by Clayton Foutch, a home care veteran and founder with over 18 years in the industry. Clay opens up about the costly mistake of stubbornly pursuing a major partnership that was a poor strategic fit for his company's "Four Seasons" vision. He shares how his refusal to listen to his team and cut losses earlier resulted in a significant financial and reputational hit. Clay also dives into the importance of revenue diversification for stability, the collaborative nature of the home care industry, and how to thoughtfully...
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What I Wish Every Home Care Owner Knew – Steven Gonzales
Home Care Hindsight
In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack is joined by Steven Gonzales, CEO of HealthView Home Health & Hospice, to demystify the world of home health. Steven breaks down the core function of home health, its role in the care continuum post-hospital discharge, and the critical financial challenges driven by payer mix and Medicare Advantage. He shares invaluable insights on how home care agencies can become essential partners by understanding clinical needs, tracking client payer data, and focusing on true care coordination. Steven also looks to the future, discussing...
info_outlineChristina Chartrand, SVP of Training at Senior Helpers, reveals why companionship is the unspoken "glue" of home care—even if no one pays for it directly. In this episode, she shares:
1. The sugarcoating mistake that backfired with new franchisees (and how brutal honesty builds better owners)
2. Why puppetry skills translate to dementia care (plus her past life as a professional puppeteer)
3. The 3-year rollercoaster rule—why early chaos is normal (and when it stabilizes)
4. Age-Friendly Care certification—how Senior Helpers is redefining senior independence
Lesson Takeaways:
1. Companionship > Tasks: Clients remember Dollar Store trips more than shower assistance.
2. Train ugly truths: Franchisees need reality checks about 3 AM caregiver calls upfront.
3. Delegate or stagnate: Micromanaging owners cap their growth at 20 clients.
4. "What matters most?" Age-Friendly Care flips the script from deficits to purpose.
Timestamps:
00:00 - The companionship paradox ("Nobody pays for $35/hr chats")
02:15 - From kindergarten teacher to puppeteer to senior care leader
05:30 - The franchise training fail: Glossing over the 3 AM emergencies
09:45 - Why the first 3 years feel like "Pong" (client/caregiver whiplash)
13:20 - Fixing cynicism: Scream in your car, then lead with positivity
17:00 - The industry’s image problem ("Stop depicting seniors as helpless")
21:30 - Life Profile: Predicting hospitalizations with 20 years of data
25:10 - Center of Excellence hack: Training in clutter-filled "apartments"
29:45 - Age-Friendly Care certification explained ("Medications + what matters")
33:20 - Plug: Senior Helpers’ risk-assessment apartments (floral couch included)
Quotes
1. "Nobody pays $35/hour for companionship—but it’s the glue of the relationship." — Christina
2. "If you’re the last to know a client’s moving to assisted living, shame on you." — Christina
3. "Delegate like your business depends on it (because it does)." — Christina
Resources:
1. Senior Helpers: https://www.seniorhelpers.com
2. Age-Friendly Health Systems: https://www.ihi.org/agefriendly
3. Connect with Christina Chartrand on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-chartrand-07b3587/
4. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-knack/
5. Connect with Zingage on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zingage/
6. Powered by Zingage: https://zingage.com/
7. Watch Episode on Zingage’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zingage