Libsyn Directory

Hiring the Wrong Person Taught Me About Building a Better Team – Becky Reel

Release Date: 10/08/2025

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

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,...

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

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, and the critical difference between "checking in" and "checking on" your employees.

The conversation also covers underrated business practices, such as the power of professionally responding to all online reviews, good and bad, to humanize your agency and build trust. Becky emphasizes that the key to caregiver retention isn't just money, but human connection and proactive support.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Dig Deeper When Hiring: Always conduct thorough reference checks, even for people you know personally. Pay attention to red flags in their work history and personal interactions.

2. Check On Your Team, Not Just In: Move beyond tactical updates in one-on-ones. Ask how your team is really doing and how they are getting along with colleagues to uncover issues early.

3. Humanize Your Business Online: Respond to all reviews—positive and negative. A professional, empathetic response to criticism can build more trust than a perfect 5-star rating.

4. Listen to the Cues: Caregiver turnover often has early warning signs. Proactively check on their needs, availability, and challenges instead of waiting for them to quit.

5. Plan Your Exit Early: If you want to sell your business someday, start planning years in advance. Brokers will want 3-5 years of solid growth data, so the time to build value is now.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Becky Reel’s home care journey and successful exit

02:30 - Becky’s current obsession: The emotional connection of live music

06:00 - The big mistake: Hiring her nanny and ignoring the red flags

09:45 - The aftermath: A toxic office environment and a hostile work environment claim

12:10 - Hindsight: The specific red flags that were missed

16:25 - The fixes: Improving reference checks and deepening one-on-ones

21:00 - Underrated Practice: The power of responding to online reviews

26:17 - A little mistake with a big impact: Not listening to caregiver cues

31:00 - Win of the Week: Helping a long-time agency owner step out of her comfort zone

33:45 - Home Care Hot Take: Overlooked referral sources, reducing turnover, and exit planning

Quotes:
Becky Reel: "I ignored so many red flags because I trusted her. But hiring someone you know personally isn't always the right move for your business."

Becky Reel: "I truly believe the key to retention is humanizing what we're doing and connecting with our caregivers on a level that they feel supported."

David Knack: "At the end of the day, home care is a people business. If you're not connecting with your team, it's going to hurt in the long run."

Becky Reel: "If you care, if you have good customer service and you're doing this for the right reason, there is no reason why your agency would not be successful."

Resources:

1. Reel Home Care Consulting: https://reelhomecareconsulting.com/

2. Connect with Becky Reel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyreel

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

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

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

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