This Franchise Training Mistake That Almost Broke Our New Owners — Christina Chartrand
Release Date: 04/29/2025
What I Wish Every Home Care Owner Knew – Steven Gonzales
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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...
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I Wasted Hiring 7 Salespeople Before I Got It Right – Gregg Mazza
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In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack welcomes Gregg Mazza, former home care agency owner and current coach to home care entrepreneurs. Gregg shares his journey from building a successful agency from scratch to selling it and now helping other owners avoid the pitfalls he experienced. He opens up about his biggest mistake: hiring seven salespeople who failed before he finally cracked the code on building a sales team that drives growth. Gregg emphasizes the importance of hiring for traits over industry experience, implementing clear systems, and holding teams accountable. He...
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Find Someone 2-3 Years Ahead of You (Here’s Why) – Lucas Carroll
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In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Lucas Carroll, CEO of The Business of Senior Care. Lucas specializes in guiding home care startups, change of ownerships, and expansions through the complex world of state licensing and compliance. He shares his unexpected journey from law school dropout to becoming a key resource in the home care industry. Lucas dives into a significant opportunity for agencies: diversifying into private duty nursing to retain clients, offer premium services, and increase revenue. He also emphasizes the profound value of building...
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The Two Jobs I Wish I’d Focused On Sooner – Chuck Bailey
Home Care Hindsight
In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack welcomes Chuck Bailey, founder and CEO of True North Holdings, to discuss the realities of being a small business owner in the home care industry. With decades of experience as a corporate executive, franchisee, franchisor, and now a service provider to franchisees, Chuck shares invaluable insights on the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of financial discipline, and the two critical roles every business owner must master: driving revenue and building a team. He also reflects on his biggest mistake: trying to control...
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Stop Thinking Like a Manager when You’re an Owner – Emily Isbell
Home Care Hindsight
In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Emily Isbell, founder of EI and Company, to discuss her impressive journey from caregiver at 19 to a successful home care consultant and bestselling author. They talk about Emily's early career, the evolution of her business, and the release of her book, 'The 24/7 Solution.' Emily shares valuable insights on correcting mistakes, the importance of consistently executing strategies, and the necessity of looking for talent within your existing workforce. They also explore the challenges of maintaining emotional maturity in a...
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Why I Stopped Trying to Lead Alone – Guy Tommasi
Home Care Hindsight
In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack welcomes Guy Tommasi, a seasoned leader in the home care industry with over 25 years of experience. Guy shares his journey from hospital care to pioneering innovative, data-driven strategies in non-medical home care. He takes us to a discussion of the importance of differentiating your agency by aligning with stakeholders' needs, leveraging data to demonstrate outcomes, and the pitfalls of overemphasizing "scaling" as a measure of success. Guy also highlights the transformative power of collaboration, both within teams and with clinical...
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Blind Optimism Cost Me Two Years (Here’s How We Fixed It) — Randy Platt & Rodney Burris
Home Care Hindsight
Randy Platt and Rodney Burris, co-founders of Care Partners, reveal how blind optimism and over-reliance on culture nearly derailed their home care startup, and the pivotal shifts that turned their $0M mistake into 40% growth. In this transparent conversation, the duo unpacks their early missteps: from chasing unrealistic budgets to hiring for "culture fit" over performance. Discover how they transformed their partnership through radical transparency ("no barnacles"), why EQ now trumps IQ in their hiring, and the surprising metric that proves their team’s resilience. From solving healthcare...
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Don’t Forget Owner Involved Employee Recognition (like I did) – Rachel Gartner
Home Care Hindsight
In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack interviews Rachel Gartner, founder and CEO of Carework. They discuss Rachel's life in rural South Georgia as an Army wife and mother, her passion for hiring military spouses, and the unique challenges in the home care recruitment industry. Rachel shares insights on building effective systems for employee recognition, managing rapid company growth, and the importance of maintaining a caregiver-first mindset. They explore the difficulties of balancing recruitment intentions with execution and the significance of analyzing recruitment...
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I Wasted Two Years on the Wrong Thing (Here’s How I Pivoted) — John Soltys
Home Care Hindsight
John Soltys, founder of Project Senior Care, shares his hard-won lessons from wasting two years (and resources) on an overcomplicated tech vision—and how a pivot to caregiver training and mentorship unlocked explosive growth. In this raw conversation, John reveals how his "big idea" mentality almost sank the business, why 96% of seniors fall into an unaffordable care gap, and the partnerships now helping agencies serve everyone—regardless of income. From rebuilding trust with his team to rethinking caregiver recruitment (hint: stop recycling the same hires), John breaks down the "no one...
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I Overcomplicated Medicare Advantage (And Found a Simple Fix That Worked) — Fady Sahhar
Home Care Hindsight
Fady Sahhar, a disability advocate and home care strategist with decades of experience, unveils how Medicare Advantage is reshaping home care—and why agencies must rethink caregiver training to thrive. In this eye-opening conversation with host David Knack, Fady shares: Why 750+ Medicare Advantage plans now cover home care (and how to tap into this growing market). The "lifetime value" mindset shift that turns clients into long-term partners. How peer coaching solves EVV resistance and caregiver retention challenges. Fady also reveals common cultural blindspots when expanding into new...
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