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How Chasing Growth Nearly Broke My Business (And the Process That Saved It) — Dr. Greg Sanchez Jr.

Release Date: 06/10/2025

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

Dr. Greg Sanchez, a former pharmaceutical scientist turned Home Instead franchise owner, shares how rapid growth nearly derailed his business, and the policies that saved it. From evacuating bedbound clients during wildfires to securing $400K in training grants, Greg reveals how to scale without sacrificing stability. Learn why overtime below 2% is possible, how to hire schedulers who thrive on chaos, and why the "gray market" of private caregivers threatens the industry.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. The hidden costs of growing "at all costs" and how to avoid bankruptcy.

2. Why wildfires exposed the fragility of caregiver housing (and how it impacts retention).

3. A simple policy change that reduced overtime from 15% to under 2%.

4. The "puzzle solver" trait that makes schedulers successful and how to spot it.

5. Why private caregivers pose legal risks to families and how agencies can educate clients.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Sustainable growth over rapid growth: Infrastructure matters more than revenue milestones.

2. Policies prevent burnout: Document processes (like overtime allocation) to protect margins and morale.

3. Disasters reveal gaps: Housing and transportation barriers for caregivers are business risks.

4. Educate on the "gray market": Private caregivers may cost less upfront but carry legal and quality risks.

5. Grants fuel workforce development: Partner with nonprofits and unemployment offices to fund training.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome to Home Care Hindsight

01:23 - Dr. Greg Sanchez’s Background: From Pharma to Home Care

04:20 - Wildfire Crisis: Evacuating Clients & Caregiver Housing Challenges

11:00 - The Big Mistake: Growth Without Sustainability

16:30 - How Policy Changes Slashed Overtime from 15% to 2%

20:35 - Hiring Schedulers: Look for "Puzzle Solvers" & Over-Communicators

23:55 - The Overlooked Threat: Risks of the Caregiver Gray Market

27:40 - Little Mistake: Assuming Your Team Understands (Without Verification)

32:03 - Sales vs. Operations: How Cross-Training Aligns Teams

35:10 - Interdepartmental Collaboration: Breaking Down Silos

38:20 - Proud Moment: Securing $400K in Workforce Grants

40:00 - How to Find Grant Opportunities (Start with Your Unemployment Office)

42:55 - Plug: Home Care Association of America’s National Conference

Quotes:

1. "Cancer is uncontrolled growth. Going from $1M to $5M without infrastructure is a house of cards." — David Knack

2. "Sustainable growth through innovation—without that caveat, we’d repeat our mistakes." — Dr. Greg Sanchez

3. "The gray market gambles with families’ legacies. We need to educate on the risks." — Dr. Greg Sanchez

4. "Hire schedulers who love puzzles. The job is a dynamic puzzle where pieces keep disappearing." — Dr. Greg Sanchez

5. "Trust but verify: Assume nothing when communicating expectations." — Dr. Greg Sanchez

Resources:

1. Dr. Greg Sanchez Jr. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-sanchez-ph-d-4003a6162/

2. Home Instead Pasadena: https://www.homeinstead.com/home-care/usa/ca/pasadena/479/home-instead-about-us/

3. California Department of Aging Grants: https://www.aging.ca.gov/

4. Home Care Association of America: https://www.hcaoa.org/

5. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-knack/

6. Connect with Zingage on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zingage/

7. Powered by Zingage: https://zingage.com/

8. Watch Episode on Zingage’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zingage

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