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 preparing caregivers for end-of-life care, creating true partnerships with hospice, and building a company culture that sees death not as a failure, but as a sacred, honored part of life.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Align Care with Client Values, Not Just Tasks: A client's well-being is tied to their passions. Failing to connect care with what brings them joy can lead to client dissatisfaction and reduced hours.

2. Reframe Death from a Loss to an Honor: Shift the internal mindset from seeing a client's passing as a revenue hit to recognizing it as a sacred event your team is privileged to support.

3. Your Caregivers Need to Process Grief: Create safe spaces and rituals for caregivers to express emotion and process grief after a client dies. This is critical for their well-being and retention.

4. Forge Deep Partnerships, Not Shallow Referrals: A true partnership with hospice or a death doula involves joint training and shared values, not just exchanging business cards.

5. Identify and Empower Your "Death Liaison": Not everyone is comfortable with end-of-life conversations. Identify a team member who excels in this area and empower them to be the specialist and emotional support point person.

Timestamps: 00:01 - Introduction to a unique episode on death, dying, and home care

02:18 - What is a death doula? Nicole Sos explains her role as a "one-stop death shop"

05:35 - David on America's death-averse culture and its link to senior loneliness

06:12 - Nicole's personal catalyst: The accident that put her in charge of her best friend's life-and-death decisions

09:41 - The critical gap in advanced directives: Why having a document doesn't guarantee your wishes are followed

13:45 - Gabby's challenge: Should home care agencies make advanced planning a standard part of their assessment?

17:08 - Gabby's journey from avoidance to leaning into conversations about mortality

21:00 - The "inconvenient truth": Confronting the gut reaction of revenue loss when a client passes

24:49 - Nicole's experience: When a hospice provider's policies conflict with a client's desire to end suffering

28:30 - How to practically and emotionally equip caregivers for a client's final days

31:47 - A powerful success story: Matching a client with a water aerobics-loving caregiver to restore joy and purpose

34:20 - Tapping into an untapped resource: Leveraging the cultural strengths of your caregiver team

35:15 - A simple, high-impact cultural practice: Implementing a daily 10-minute team meditation

37:51 - The power of ritual: Creating meaningful ways to honor clients who have passed away

43:00 - The non-negotiable: Creating safe spaces for caregivers to express emotion and process grief

44:44 - The leadership imperative: Framing end-of-life care as a gift and an honor, not a burden

46:30 - How to identify and empower a "death liaison" on your team to lead with heart and expertise

Quotes: Nicole Soares: "I realized I could hold space for people that are dying and that I'm very deeply committed to helping people have good deaths... it was because I didn't get that when I needed it."

Gabrielle Pumpian: "When you hear that you've lost two 24/7 clients... when you hear that two people have died, that makes it really difficult to then be able to support your caregivers. Ask them questions, pause, help them understand grief."

Nicole Soares: "I really challenge caregivers and these home care companies to really look at what is a client's value and how do we align with that."

David Knack: "What a gift that our people are in this business where they get to stand in the gap where family is not able to be there."

Resources:

1. Connect with Gabrielle Pumpian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gpumpian/

2. Connect with Nicole Soares on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-soares-420bb27/

3. Learn more about Nicole's services on her website, Eco Love Transitions: https://www.ecolovetransitions.com/

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

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

6. Watch Episode on Zingage's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zingage

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 operational burdens instead of leveraging their deep expertise.

The conversation also covers how to create "synthetic capacity" for your team, the power of focusing your energy on high-impact human connections (like in-person client introductions), and the simple mindset shift that can make your business and your life 10 times better.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Culture Over Credentials: A team of brilliant individuals who don't work well together will fail. Prioritize culture fit and shared mission over a flawless resume.

2. Hire for Care and Grit: The two non-negotiable traits for Zingage, and arguably for any home care business, are: genuinely caring about the mission, deep desire to win for the people who depend on you

3. Your Expertise is Underrated: Home care owners possess a deep, underappreciated understanding of the care continuum. The challenge isn't your knowledge; it's having the bandwidth to act on it consistently.

4. Automate the Tedious, Empower the Human: Use technology to offload administrative chores (scheduling, compliance, EVV tracking) so your best people can focus on what only they can do: build trust and create magical human connections.

5. Zoom Out to Your "Why": If you're constantly buried in details, you'll burn out. Regularly reconnect with your original "why." This reframes challenges and helps you deploy your energy on the most impactful activities, like nurturing referral partners and ensuring stellar client-caregiver relationships.

Timestamps: 00:00 - The pressure of running a home care agency

01:16 - Introducing Victor Hunt, CEO of Zingage

02:45 - Victor's "passionate" reason for entering home care tech

04:12 - The story of the emergency call for a New Jersey agency

07:48 - David's "loaded question": What was your big mistake?

08:55 - The "Frankenstein's monster" mistake of hiring for skill, not culture

11:22 - The two essential traits Victor now hires for

13:07 - Why home care owners are smarter than they think

16:31 - The concept of "synthetic capacity" and getting leaner

19:54 - The most underrated thing in home care: the owner's expertise

22:15 - A simple, high-impact fix: Doing in-person introductions

24:38 - The little mistake that costs owners their energy

26:52 - Rapid fire: Letting your team take a workout class guilt-free

29:21 - Victor's recent win: Defining Zingage's culture manifesto

32:08 - What to plug: Zingage Operator for back-office relief

33:40 - Connect with Victor Hunt and work with Zingage

Quotes: Victor Hunt: "We're not building Frankenstein's monster of a bunch of different appendages that all look nice independently, but don't really do well together."

Victor Hunt: "If your whole team is burnt out... If they can't go and get a meal because they're taking three different calls... What are we doing here?"

Victor Hunt: "The underrated aspect of this is that this is an industry that is extremely humane. These people have such deep expertise, and they underrate themselves."

David Knack: "The cumulative impact of not having done [an in-person introduction] you can just start to see the degrading of trust between your clients and your caregivers and your staff."

Resources:

1. Connect with Victor Hunt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-c-hunt/

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

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

4. Watch Episode on Zingage's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zingage

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 genuine listening, the mission to serve veterans and their families, and why treating your caregivers like family is the ultimate key to growth.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Vet Your Assumptions, Not Just People: A hiring mistake can be about a flawed process or understanding. Always double-check the fine print, especially with complex systems like VA benefits.

2. Partnerships Are Forged in Failure: A business partnership built on pre-existing friendship and trust can withstand early, costly failures that would break other companies.

3. Fail Hard to Learn Hard: Your biggest, most expensive mistakes often contain the most valuable, business-defining lessons that pave the way for future success.

4. Your Caregivers Are Your Lifeline: The way you support, pay, and treat your caregivers is the single biggest indicator of your company's health and its ability to grow.

5. Listen More Than You Speak: Check your ego at the door. Surround yourself with people smarter than you and practice genuine listening to understand, not just to reply.

Timestamps: 00:01 - Introduction of John "Moz" Mozdzien and his home care journey with Veterans First

02:28 - The mission of Veterans First and the overlooked "non-service connected pension" benefit

05:34 - Moz's big mistake: Misunderstanding a key VA rule, leading to a $10,000 loss

07:15 - The moment of realizing the error and the reaction from his business partner

08:14 - How a foundation of trust allowed the partnership to survive the failure

09:49 - Moz's philosophy on listening, ego, and filling a room with smarter people

14:11 - Underrated industry practice: Home care as a proactive service

16:02 - The critical role of companionship in combating loneliness

17:45 - A simple, high-impact tip: Conducting in-person caregiver-client introductions

19:27 - Going the extra mile: The power of visiting a hospitalized client

22:13 - The common little mistake: Failing to treat caregivers like family

26:07 - A story about building unwavering caregiver loyalty through trust

28:08 - Win of the week: Veterans First is expanding to Los Angeles

29:25 - Moz on overcoming imposter syndrome by focusing on others

30:45 - How to connect with Veterans First and what makes an ideal partner

Quotes: John Mozdzien: "When you fail in life, that's how you learn. You don't learn when you win, you learn when you fail, and when you fail, fail hard. And we failed really hard on that."

John Mozdzien: "If you fill a room with individuals that are smarter than you, you bring down egos and you listen more than you speak, incredible things happen."

John Mozdzien: "The common denominator... is the lack of treating caregivers as family members of your company. They are the lifeline of your organization to grow."

David Knack: "The little things are the everythings. An in-person introduction is an easy way to deliver value to everybody in the situation."

Resources:

1. Veterans First: https://www.veteransfirst.us/

2. Connect with John "Moz" Mozdzien on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-moz-mozdzien-8190823b/

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

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

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 outcomes and higher revenue.

The conversation shifts to goal setting, with Steve explaining the difference between bad (vague) goals and SMART, measurable ones — including a real-world success story of a client who achieved a 50/50 payer mix and increased billable hours by 20%.

Finally, Steve and David discuss how to grow VA service lines responsibly, avoid overreliance on government payers, and improve caregiver retention by focusing on higher-hour "total care" clients.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Plan Now, Not in January: The best time to plan for 2026 is now. Use October to audit your last 12 months, set SMART goals, and identify the tools and support you'll need to hit them.

2. Focus on Total-Care Clients: Caregiver retention improves when you prioritize clients with 40+ hours per week. This creates stable, full-time work that caregivers stay for.

3. Be "Five-Mile Famous": You don't need a huge marketing budget—just consistent local presence. Network weekly, host lunch-and-learns, and build referral relationships within your community.

4. Morale Matters: Invest in your office team with regular morale-building activities. A strong internal culture trickles down to caregivers and clients.

5. Decide and Execute: Indecision is a growth killer. Research, sleep on it, then commit—even a wrong decision is better than no decision at all.

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Steve "The Hurricane" Weiss returns to the show

02:30 - The summer slump is over: How to hit the ground running this fall

05:00 - The Q4 opportunity: Why elective surgeries spike and how to prepare

07:15 - Building a specialty program for orthopedic patients

09:45 - The caregiver's role: From PT appointments to at-home exercises

12:10 - Steve's planning mantra: Why you should plan for 2026 now

16:25 - A lesson from the UK: The power of diversifying your payer mix

19:15 - Growing your VA line wisely (and why 20% is the sweet spot)

22:05 - The caregiver retention secret: Focus on "total-care" clients

26:30 - Advice for new owners stuck in the recruitment/scheduling cycle

31:00 - How to be "Five-Mile Famous" in your local market

33:45 - An inspiring client story: Scaling after two heart attacks

38:10 - The "hot list" system for keeping caregivers engaged

41:00 - The office culture fix: Why morale-building is non-negotiable

42:15 - The #1 thing holding owners back: Indecisiveness

43:50 - Steve's win: Invitation to the Home Care Millionaires Bootcamp

Quotes: Steve Weiss: "You can recover from a wrong decision, but you'll never recover—and you'll never grow—if you don't make a decision at all."

Steve Weiss: "Be five-mile famous. You don't need to know everyone in the world—just everyone who can send you a patient."

David Knack: "You've got to create a little FOMO with your caregivers. Share the success others are having so they want to be next."

Steve Weiss: "If you want to grow strong, make sure your office staff culture is strong. It trickles down to everyone."

Resources:

1. Home Care Evolution: https://homecareevolution.com/

2. Connect with Steve "The Hurricane" Weiss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-hurricane-weiss-13996b2/

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

6. Home Care Millionaires Bootcamp (Houston, Nov 19-21): https://homecareevolution.com/houston-2025-boot-camp-page/

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 integrate new technology without losing sight of your core mission: serving caregivers and clients.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Know Your "Lemon Meringue": Identify your core business which is the thing you do best, and avoid cluttering it with distracting "knick-knacks" (like ill-fitting partnerships) that drain resources.

2. Diversify Your Revenue Streams Early: Relying on a single referral source (like skilled nursing facilities) makes your business vulnerable. Explore concierge care, veterans' programs, and other payer mixes before a crisis forces you to.

3. Surround Yourself with Contrarians: Your biggest weakness might be your own stubbornness. Build a team of trusted, objective advisors (like Clay's partner Jeff) who aren't afraid to tell you when your "kid is ugly."

4. Embrace Mistakes as Tuition: View business missteps not as failures, but as paid education. This mindset shift allows for quicker pivots and reduces the emotional cost of being wrong.

5. Lead with Humility Through Change: When implementing new technology or processes, be honest with your team that you don't have all the answers. Frame it as a collaborative journey to better serve clients and caregivers, and be willing to backtrack if you take a wrong turn.

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Clay's background in home care

04:30 - The story of the "Australian pirate" secret shopper call

11:10 - Clay's biggest mistake: The stubborn pursuit of a costly, misaligned partnership

16:45 - The "Lemon Meringue" lesson from The Profit that sparked a pivot

20:15 - How to evaluate partnerships against your core mission and values

25:30 - Underrated or Overrated? Balancing tech innovation with the human element of care

33:00 - The critical need for revenue diversification (and the mistake of not having it)

39:00 - A small mistake owners make: Trying to do everything themselves instead of delegating

43:30 - What Clay is most excited about now: Mentoring other entrepreneurs in the franchise network

46:45 - The importance of finding mentors and building a personal "board of directors"

51:20 - Clayton shares two of his recent successes and the reason behind them

Quotes: Clay: "I get so dug in on maybe not being wrong that I just kept persevering and persevering on trying to make this work... It cost us a ton of money, really reputation."

Clay: "Having some diversification in revenue is really important because things do change. My entire business was built on walking into skilled nursing facilities... and then in one minute that ended."

Clay: "I'm not afraid to just say like, I don't know. I'm not afraid to say I need help. I think when you share that with your team... you can genuinely be humble."

David Knack: "We don't have good change management muscles in this industry... because we move so fast every day, reacting and putting out fires."

Resources:

1. Home Matters Caregiving: https://homematters.com/

2. Connect with Clayton Foutch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-foutch

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

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 the exciting potential of AI and personalized medicine to transform patient outcomes and free up caregivers to focus on human connection.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Home Health's Core Role: The primary goal is to help patients recover after a hospital discharge through skilled nursing and therapy, with success measured by preventing rehospitalizations.

2. Payer Mix is Everything: The biggest challenge isn't getting referrals—it's profitability. Declining reimbursement rates, especially from Medicare Advantage plans, force agencies to be highly selective about which patients they can accept without losing money.

3. Become a Data-Driven Partner: Home care agencies can stand out by tracking their clients' insurance (payer mix) and proactively presenting this data to potential home health partners to see if a business relationship is even feasible.

4. You Are the Eyes and Ears: Non-medical home care is a powerful tool for preventing hospitalizations. The key is to be "woven into the care plan" and act as an early warning system for changes in condition, communicating effectively with clinical partners.

5. The Future is Personalized: Advancements in AI and technology will lead to more personalized medicine and customized software solutions, freeing up professionals to focus on the human elements of care and coordination.

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the "Home Health 101" series and Steven Gonzales 02:30 - Steven's journey from non-medical home care to leading a post-acute continuum company 05:00 - How HealthView differentiates itself through culture in a competitive nursing market 09:15 - The day-to-day of home health: Who gets referred, from where, and why 12:45 - The real challenge: It's a payer mix problem, not a referral problem 18:20 - Why Medicare Advantage plans are squeezing home health margins 22:30 - The metrics that matter: Hospitalization, rehospitalization, and proving value to health systems 28:50 - The critical gap home care can fill in the care continuum 33:40 - How home care providers should approach partnerships with data in hand 38:00 - The exciting future of personalized medicine and AI in home-based care

Quotes: Steven Gonzales: "There's such a demand for home health... but it's not a referral problem, it's really a payer mix problem." Steven Gonzales: "Home care [is] such a pivotal part of preventing hospitalizations as long as... they're weaved into the care plan. They're the eyes and ears." David Knack: "Something to give is something that... takes very little extra work. Just make it part of the intake process." Steven Gonzales: "The reason computers were built was for us to go do life... Freeing up people's time so they can... do the human stuff really well is what I think is pretty cool."

Resources:

1. HealthView Home Health & Hospice: https://healthviewhomehealth.com/

2. Connect with Steven Gonzales on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegonzalez/

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

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack welcomes Gregg Mazza, former home care agency owner and current coach to home care entrepreneurs.

Gregg shares his journey from building a successful agency from scratch to selling it and now helping other owners avoid the pitfalls he experienced. He opens up about his biggest mistake: hiring seven salespeople who failed before he finally cracked the code on building a sales team that drives growth.

Gregg emphasizes the importance of hiring for traits over industry experience, implementing clear systems, and holding teams accountable. He also discusses the dangers of "no-one-can-do-it-better-than-me-itis" and how empowering your team can free you to focus on strategic growth.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Hire for Traits, Not Just Experience: Look for drive, resilience, and heart—these are often more important than industry background.

2. Build Systems, Not Dependencies: Document your sales and operational processes so anyone can step in and succeed.

3. Delegate to Scale: You can't grow if you're the bottleneck. Trust your team, empower them, and hold them accountable.

4. Let Go of Perfection: Good enough often is. Focus on progress, not perfection, and build feedback loops to maintain quality.

5. Trust Your Gut: If a hire isn't working, don't wait. Cut ties early to save time, money, and stress.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Gregg Mazza

02:00 - Gregg's journey from home care owner to coach

07:20 - The burnout trap: Why owners get stuck in the weeds

11:30 - The sales hiring nightmare: 7 fails before success

18:40 - The 3 keys to sales hiring: Right person, system, accountability

22:15 - Why "good customer service" isn't a differentiator

27:50 - The disease of "I can do it better myself"

32:10 - How to break the open-door policy habit

36:45 - Gregg's win: Trusting his gut to fire fast

40:00 - Plug: Gregg's mastermind group for growth-minded owners

Quotes:

Gregg Mazza: "I hired 7 salespeople who failed before I got it right. I wasted over $200,000—but I didn't give up."

David Knack: "If you're the bottleneck, you can't scale. It's that simple."

Gregg Mazza: "Hire the hunter with a heart. Drive and compassion aren't mutually exclusive."

Gregg Mazza: "No-one-can-do-it-better-than-me-itis is a rampant disease in small business. It will keep you stuck."

Resources:

1. Gregg Mazza's Mastermind Group: https://homecarebreakthrough.com/

2. Connect with Gregg Mazza on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-mazza

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

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack sits down with Lucas Carroll, CEO of The Business of Senior Care. Lucas specializes in guiding home care startups, change of ownerships, and expansions through the complex world of state licensing and compliance.

He shares his unexpected journey from law school dropout to becoming a key resource in the home care industry. Lucas dives into a significant opportunity for agencies: diversifying into private duty nursing to retain clients, offer premium services, and increase revenue.

He also emphasizes the profound value of building relationships, even with competitors, and the importance of seeking mentorship from those just a few years ahead in their journey.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Explore Private Duty Nursing: There's a growing niche between non-medical home care and full home health. Offering services like medication setup, injections, or wound care privately can be a significant revenue driver and client retention tool.

2. Your Network is a Lifeline: Actively build relationships with other agency owners. They can be collaborators, not just competitors, providing support when you're short-staffed or need advice.

3. Leverage Your Experience: Don't overlook starting a business in the industry you know best. Your existing knowledge and network are invaluable assets.

4. Delegate to Accelerate: The biggest bottleneck for many owners is trying to do everything themselves. Identify the highest and best use of your time (often sales and marketing) and delegate or outsource the rest.

5. Learn from Those Ahead: Find mentors who are 2-3 years ahead of you. Their recent mistakes and lessons learned are a shortcut to avoiding frustration and saving time and energy.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome to Home Care Hindsight

02:12 - Introduction to Lucas Carroll and The Business of Senior Care

02:41 - Diversifying service lines and payer sources

03:59 - The opportunity in private duty nursing

07:40 - Lucas on being a middle child and his personality

09:22 - The big mistake: Not leveraging his home care experience sooner

12:14 - The moment the idea clicked: A call from the health department

14:59 - The emotional journey of a new home care owner

17:08 - The entrepreneur's constant doubt: "Have I made a mistake?"

18:46 - The most underrated thing in home care: Relationship building

22:53 - A small mistake with big impact: Trying to do everything yourself

26:28 - A recent win: Helping agencies expand into private duty nursing

Quotes:

Lucas Carroll: "If you can talk to somebody who's two to three years ahead of where you want to be... they usually are like, man, I made so many mistakes. I would do this... and you just save yourself frustration, time, energy."

Lucas Carroll: "Why can't I leverage the experience and expertise and the mentors and the knowledge that I gained throughout this home care journey?"

Lucas Carroll: "The true value [is] in relationship building in the industry... developing relationships with other home care agencies who could be considered competitors."

David Knack: "Home care does not attract people who are looking to delegate by virtue of who they are as people... The buck stops with me. I'm gonna take care of it."

Resources:

1. The Business of Senior Care: https://thebusinessofseniorcare.com/

2. The Business of Senior Care on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-business-of-senior-care/

3. Lucas Carroll on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucascarroll/

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

In this episode of Home Care Hindsight, host David Knack welcomes Chuck Bailey, founder and CEO of True North Holdings, to discuss the realities of being a small business owner in the home care industry.

With decades of experience as a corporate executive, franchisee, franchisor, and now a service provider to franchisees, Chuck shares invaluable insights on the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of financial discipline, and the two critical roles every business owner must master: driving revenue and building a team.

He also reflects on his biggest mistake: trying to control everything, and how learning to delegate and trust his team transformed his business.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. The Two Core Responsibilities of an Owner: Focus on driving revenue and building your team. Everything else can be delegated or outsourced.

2. Avoid Overcontrol: Holding onto tasks too tightly limits growth. Delegate early and trust your team to execute, even if their methods differ from yours.

3. Financial Cadence is Key: Regularly review your finances, regardless of whether you're struggling or thriving. Consistency in financial oversight prevents surprises and fuels growth.

4. Hire for Vision Alignment: Prioritize hiring bright, adaptable people who understand and embody your mission, rather than just industry experience.

5. AI as a Tool, Not a Miracle: While AI can enhance consistency and efficiency, it requires training and alignment with your business's core values to be effective.

Timestamps:

02:24 - The challenges of being a small business owner in home care

07:25 - Chuck's biggest mistake: Trying to control everything

12:44 - The importance of mission and vision in team building

19:18 - Financial cadence: Why it's critical for business success

24:41 - Overrated in home care: Exotic marketing solutions

29:50 - The role of AI in home care and maintaining message consistency

34:31 - A small mistake with big consequences: Delegating sales too soon

40:41 - Chuck's win of the week: Launching My Franchise Bookkeeper

Quotes:

Chuck Bailey: "The two jobs of a business owner are to drive revenue and build the team. Everything else can be outsourced."

David Knack: "The rub of leadership is holding the vision tightly but the execution loosely."

Chuck Bailey: "People buy from people who care. That's the foundation of home care."

Chuck Bailey: "80% of AI is crap. The 20% that works can change your business—if you train it right."

Resources:

1. Chuck Bailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbailey/

2. True North Holdings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/true-north-holdings/

3. True North Holdings website: https://www.true-north-holdings.com/

4. My Franchise Bookkeeper: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myfranchisebookkeeper/

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