We are Amada

In today’s episode, Marcos Moura sits down with Greg Johnson, owner of Amada Senior Care in Oklahoma City. From surviving tornadoes to surviving career pivots, Greg’s story is all about grit, humility, and leading with heart. After years in medical sales, he realized it was time for something more meaningful, which led him to Amada. 

Greg shares what it was like to leave behind a familiar path, embrace the challenges of franchising, and build trust in a deeply personal industry. This conversation goes beyond business—it’s about reinvention, relationships, and finding meaning through service. 

Key Highlights:

• What football taught Greg about leadership and discipline
• Why he walked away from comfort to chase purpose
• The emotional side of serving seniors and their families
• How Amada’s support system helped him launch with confidence
• Relationship-building vs. lead generation in home care
• Why franchising is not for the faint of heart—but worth it

In today’s episode, Marcos Moura sits down with Matt Ushler, owner of Amada Senior Care in Montgomery and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
After a decorated career in medical sales, Matt found himself burned out from corporate takeovers and constant instability. Just days after getting engaged, both he and his wife were laid off, and that turning point led him to launch a senior care business in the middle of a pandemic, just weeks after moving into a new home. 

Matt shares how betting on himself paid off, and how Amada’s approach to long-term care insurance, VA advocacy, and caregiver-first culture set his business apart. From helping families uncover hidden benefits to doubling revenue through trust and service, Matt’s journey is proof that purpose and profit can go hand in hand. 

Tune in to hear:
• The moment Matt knew corporate life was no longer for him (02:30)
• Why layoffs pushed him into entrepreneurship (05:00)
• Helping families uncover $18,000+ in long-term care benefits (11:00)
• Why staffing — not clients — is the real challenge in home care (16:00)
• Building a culture where caregivers stay and grow (18:00)
• How his business is growing fast, and what’s next (22:00) 

In today’s episode, Marcos Moura sits down with Kelli Staab and Cesar Pumariega, owners of Amada Senior Care in The Villages, Florida. 

Kelli and Cesar share their incredible story of launching their senior care business during one of the most difficult times imaginable — the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdowns in place and families afraid to let anyone into their homes, they faced challenges that would have made most people quit. But through grit, passion, and a mission-driven mindset, they pushed through. 

They discuss the emotional highs and lows of working in senior care, how they learned to build the right team, and why leading with heart — not just focusing on sales has been key to their growth. 

Tune in to hear:

• The chaos of starting a business in a pandemic (00:45)
• Why genuine connection beats sales tactics (06:30)
• Lessons learned in managing expenses and growth (15:00)
• How Kelli and Cesar built trust with clients and referral partners (20:10)
• Their plans for expanding and building a legacy (28:30)

In this episode of the Amada Senior Care Podcast, Marcos Moura sits down with Gwen Smith, co-owner of Amada Senior Care in Charlotte and Lake Norman, North Carolina.

Gwen opens up about what it’s really like running a senior care business with her husband, Brad, and how their marriage, shared faith, and complementary strengths have helped them grow a thriving operation. She shares honest insights about the early challenges, the realities of leadership in healthcare, and what it takes to build lasting relationships in your community.

Key highlights:
● What it’s like to run a business with your spouse
● Why the first 18 months feel like “building the plane while flying it”
● What to expect if you’ve never done “sales” before
● Why Gwen believes this business is more about presence than persuasion
● The power of showing up — in scrubs, with compassion, whenever needed
● The importance of community, support, and franchise collaboration

In this episode of the Amada Senior Care Podcast, Marcos Moura sits down with James
Bernoski, owner of Amada Senior Care Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky.

James shares his inspiring journey from working as a paramedic and nurse to becoming
a successful home care business owner. Learn how he transitioned during the
uncertainty of COVID, scaled his business using digital marketing, and built a
passionate team while maintaining personal connections with both clients and
caregivers.

Key highlights:
● Why more businesses are born in uncertain times
● Challenges of launching a second location during COVID
● How digital marketing now drives 70% of his business
● Tips for reducing caregiver turnover with real connection
● The importance of building a personal brand in home care
● How James balances business with life on his Kentucky farm 

Today's episode continues the conversation with Kimberly Akers, Owner and CEO of Amada Senior Care in Mesa, Arizona.

Kimberly and her business partner Kris were among the first women to own an Amada Senior Care franchise - which is a challenge in its own right. Kimberly notes that many women-owned businesses struggle to survive their first year or reach significant revenue goals. Despite these odds, Kimberly and Chris have run a successful Amada franchise for nearly a decade.

When asked about their secret to success, Kimberly speaks of the fact that you can’t have a plan B. In their case, both partners invested everything they had into the business, even taking out loans to make it work. Taking risks and being 100% committed ultimately led them to success.

Moving from corporate America to entrepreneurship is no easy task. Kimberly highlights the need to become knowledgeable in every aspect of the business, from tech issues to managing staff. Their resilience gets tested frequently, as being a leader in an industry where laws change quickly means you can’t catch a break for too long. The biggest test - COVID-19 - is luckily behind them. (and the rest of us!)

Tune in to the full episode to hear more from Kimberly Akers on the entrepreneurial journey and the rewards of going all in!

Key Insights: 
00:25 Women in Business and why it’s difficult 
04:40 Entrepreneurship is NOT easy
08:44 The true benefits of being your own boss 
12:03 Growing from Amada’s foundation

Today’s episode continues the conversation with Jonathan and Cherie Burrough, owners of Amada Senior Care San Diego North.

In the previous part of this interview, Jonathan mentioned that 98% of their referral sources happen to be women, which is due to the fact that most of those who have a network of elders are current or ex social workers, case managers and nurses. This makes selling home care a very difficult task for those who have an “executive presence” and are used to selling ROI-driven solutions to businesspeople, as the sales process is completely different when you’re trying to build and nurture relationships where caring is the number 1 KPI.

The sales process doesn’t end there. Even when you’ve convinced a nurse that your home care service is up to par, your actual client is the family of the elder. Jonathan says that when you get to the family, you can’t treat it like a regular sales process. Your main goal is to show that you genuinely care about the elders in your care and that you’re not just pushing your agenda. The best way to do it is by becoming an impartial source of information, detaching yourself from the outcome and advising others on the best next step - even if that step is not entering into a business agreement with you. 

In a world where everyone is out for themselves - your best bet to stand out in the sales process and show that you truly care is to become an unbiased source of information for your potential client. Cherie recalls a recent scenario where they went up against a couple of competing agencies, and the way they stood out is by treating their prospect like family, which boils down to putting their interests above your own - even if it doesn’t directly lead to gaining revenue.

Tune into the full episode to learn more on Jonathan and Cherie’s approach to growing their franchise!

Key Insights:
00:00 Why most of your referrals will be women
01:47 Do corporate sales translate over to home care?
03:54 What it takes to become the number one choice
05:12 The recruiting part of the home care business
08:14 Will the kids join the family business?
09:36 Should you acquire an Amada franchise?
11:45 Why go with Amada?
14:36 How Jonathan and Cherie help other Amada owners

Today’s episode welcomes Kimberly Akers, Owner and CEO of Amada Senior Care in Mesa, Arizona. 

In 2015, Kimberly opened up the 38th Amada Senior Care franchise with her business partner and longtime friend Kris Patmos. When asked about her thoughts back when she began her Amada journey, Kimberly recalls feeling like a maverick - taking on a new challenge that hasn’t been established to the point where success is a guarantee. While the idea of franchising into a newer business model is scary to some, Kimberly saw the potential in the business model and welcomed the challenge ahead.

Before moving into Healthcare, Kimberly had a long and esteemed career in the education space. She taught math for 18 years before moving on to Pearson to sell math textbooks. During that time she went through an unfortunate and life changing divorce and had to make a ton of sacrifices to make ends meet. She was a single mother of 3, which made shopping for discounts and scrupulous spending a part of everyday life. Kimberly knew that something had to change and opportunities to recover wouldn’t appear out of thin air. She took it upon herself to make a huge life change and regain control of her own destiny.

Tune into the full episode to learn more on how Kimberly Akers took control of her own destiny!

Key Insights:
00:31 The 38th Amada Senior Care Franchise
02:23 From Corporate America to Entrepreneurship
04:43 Taking Control of Your Destiny
06:53 Self Awareness is a Superpower
08:34 Finding Your True Self
11:13 How Kimberly and Kris Found Amada

Today’s episode welcomes Jonathan and Cherie Burrough, owners of Amada Senior Care San Diego North.

Jonathan and Cherie have been in the senior care space since 2008 - 4 years before Amada Senior Care franchises even existed. Jonathan had met the founders Tafa Jefferson and Chad Fotheringham through coaching football years ago. When Jonathan was making a career transition he met up with them and they proposed the idea of joining Amada Home Care - to which he said yes.

Back then Tafa and Chad wanted to open up a facility in San Diego, but the logistics wouldn’t allow them to tackle it singlehanded. The chance meeting with Jonathan allowed him to take a new career step, and for the founders to open the San Diego office with someone at the helm. Even though Jonathan's only home care experience stemmed from his mothers job as a nurse, this initial lack of experience didn’t stop him from taking the leap. 

Tune into the full episode to learn more on Jonathan and Cherie’s journey with Amada!

Key Insights:
01:09 How the Burroughs began their home care journey 
02:52 Jonathan’s previous career
04:32 Cherie’s initial thoughts about joining Amada
05:13 The challenge of being a one man show
07:15 Jonathan’s road back to Amada
09:48 What did it take to succeed in San Diego?
12:02 Building a self sustaining referral network 

Welcome back to We are Amada!

After a short break, we have returned to bring you more interviews with We are Amada franchisees, partners and team members.

Back in 2012 when we had just started franchising, there were two franchise partners that were 
crazy enough to take our business model and create their own version of Amada Senior Care.

Fast forward, we’ve grown to over 200 locations across the United States - and we are incredibly proud of all the entrepreneurs that have created the Amada Senior Care ecosystem. 

It’s time for us to get them on the show and hear their stories. We’ll be interviewing our partners on how they found Amada, why they decided to take the chance and how it changed their lives - as well as internal team members that run the Amada HQ.

Each episode will get to the bottom of what makes a successful franchisee, so if you’re looking at either starting an Amada franchise or hearing the stories and strategies of your peers - this show is for you.

I am incredibly thankful to have you along for the ride!