Libsyn Directory

Why I Acted Like a One-Talent Leader (and What Snapped Me Out of It) — Todd Allen

Release Date: 05/20/2025

How I Stopped Caring About “Tech” And Focused On What Works — Shauna Sweeney

Home Care Hindsight

Shauna Sweeney, founder and CEO of Tender Care, joins host David Knack to discuss the pivotal mistake that reshaped her approach to building technology for families navigating aging and care. Shauna, a former Facebook executive who entered the care space while caring for her father with Alzheimer’s, opens up about how she initially overlooked a simple, physical solution, the Tender ID, because it didn’t fit the “tech founder” mold. She shares how clinging to the vision of a complex, all-in-one digital platform delayed solving a critical, immediate need: giving first responders instant...

My Fear of Risks Slowed My Career Down — Michelle Cone

Home Care Hindsight

Michelle Cone, SVP of Industry Engagement at HomeWell Franchising, joins host David Knack for a conversation that spans from marathon running to mission-driven leadership. Michelle opens up about the career mistake that shaped her trajectory: playing it safe early on and not taking enough risks. She explains how saying “yes” to an unfamiliar role in home care as an inexperienced mom became the turning point that led to a 27-year career. Michelle dives into the underrated core of home care: delivering exceptional quality care as the ultimate growth engine. She unpacks why a strong intake...

My Misaligned Entrepreneurship Approach Burned Me Out — Jessica Nobles

Home Care Hindsight

Jessica Nobles, co-founder of Home Care Ops, joins host David Knack for a powerful conversation about the two mistakes that have defined her 20-year journey in home care. Jessica opens up about the entrepreneurial identity crisis that left her burned out and unfulfilled, living as an “empire builder” when she’s truly a “lifestyle entrepreneur.” She reveals how this misalignment drained her joy and impacted her team, and shares the framework to help every business owner define their own path to success. The conversation then dives into the tactical hiring mistake she’s made “over...

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...

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...

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...

On Death and Dying in Home Care Part 1 – Gabrielle Pumpian and Nicole Soares

Home Care Hindsight

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...

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...

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,...

More Episodes

Todd 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

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