Why I Acted Like a One-Talent Leader (and What Snapped Me Out of It) — Todd Allen
Release Date: 05/20/2025
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info_outlineTodd Allen, CEO of AxisCare, shares how a personal caregiving experience led him into the home care technology space and the transformative mindset shift that changed his leadership approach.
In this conversation with David Knack, Todd unpacks what “play to win” means in home care, why AI needs cautious adoption, and how proactive health habits (for you and your caregivers) can transform outcomes.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. Why AxisCare started as an internal tool—and how it grew into a mission-critical SaaS for agencies.
2. The hidden risk of perfectionism in business and how one CEO called Todd out for playing small.
3. Medicine 3.0 and how the caregivers you manage can be agents of proactive health for seniors.
4. How niche positioning in home care isn't limiting—it’s liberating.
5. Why culture beats skills in hiring—and what soft traits Todd prioritizes.
Lesson Takeaways:
1. Lead with your chest. If you’re always playing defense, your agency’s growth will stall.
2. Caregivers can be health multipliers. Teach them biohacking basics, and you extend your clients’ healthspan.
3. Don’t DIY everything. Medicaid/VA billing is best left to experts—it’s too easy to mess up.
4. Hire for heart. A kind, empathetic team member with less experience will outperform a skilled but toxic one.
Timestamps:
01:40 - Who is Todd Allen?
02:35 - The AxisCare Timeline: A Journey from Internal Tool to National SaaS
04:30 - Contrarian Approach to AI on Leveraging Home Care Opportunities
06:45 - Passion Project: Medicine 3.0 - Proactive Approach to Health
10:58 - Todd and David's Supplement Recommendations & Experiences
12:48 - Fun Fact about Grounding
14:10 - Mentality Shift on Playing to win versus Playing not to lose.
15:15 - The Pitfall of Perfection: A Mistake for Talent Leaders
17:01 - The Power of Calculated Risks
18:25 - Pivot by Listening to the Market to Expand Client Footprint
21:55 - Find the Best Value of Services according to your niche.
27:48 - The Political Stance on Why Home Care Is a Necessity for Seniors
29:50 - Home Care Owners' Focus on User Reviews Through CSAT and NPS Insights
31:05 - Hire for Culture, Skills Follow: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More
33:15 - Successful Home Care Owners: Driven by Core Values
35:33 - Maintaining Focus on the North Star Metric Correlates with Business Impact
36:10 - Plug: Todd recommends Cryotherapy and how it benefits your health
Quotes:
1. “I realized I was playing not to lose. Since then, I’ve been playing to win.” — Todd Allen
2. “Caregivers are an army. If we trained them on wellness, we’d radically improve senior outcomes.” — Todd Allen
3. “Hire for heart. You can train skill, but you can’t train empathy.” — Todd Allen
4. “Home care will kill you if you let it. So take ownership of your health.” — David Knack
Resources:
1. AxisCare on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/axiscare-software/
2. Todd Allen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-allen-6122806/
3. AxisCare Website: https://axiscare.com/
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