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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

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

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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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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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