Becky Reel, the founder and CEO of Reel Home Care Consulting, shares the story of how she made a major hiring mistake by bringing her nanny into the office during COVID-19.

She overlooked red flags, creating a toxic work environment. She reflects on how she learned from that mistake, along with advice for home care business owners on hiring, culture-building, and managing caregivers.

From improving business practices to creating strong team dynamics, Becky’s insights offer valuable lessons for anyone in the home care industry.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Always dig deeper when hiring, even for trusted individuals. Check references thoroughly and pay attention to red flags.
2. Foster a culture where people come first, and the results will follow.
3. Don’t just check in with your team—truly check on them and understand how they’re feeling about the work environment.
4. Engaging with both positive and negative reviews can humanize your business and showcase your commitment to improvement.
5. If you want to sell your business in the future, start planning years or even decades in advance.

Timestamps:

[00:00:01] Becky on the heaviness of home care and making it lighter.

[00:01:05] Introduction of Becky Reel and her home care journey.

[00:03:02] Becky’s current obsession: her emotional connection with live music.

[00:06:00] Becky’s big mistake: Hiring her nanny and overlooking red flags.

[00:09:48] Decisions that Becky would do differently if she started over.

[00:12:51] The importance of one-on-ones and creating a positive work culture.

[00:17:00] Underrated industry practice: Responding to reviews.

[00:21:00] David and Becky discuss responding to negative feedback and reviews.

[00:26:17] Win of the week: Becky’s success in getting a long-term client out of their comfort zone.

[00:29:00] Plug for Reel Home Care Consulting and Home Care Hot Take

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: "It's important to humanize what we’re doing. Caregivers are people, and they need to feel supported beyond just their schedules."
• 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."

Resources:

1. Connect with Becky Reel on LinkedIn
2. Learn more about Reel Home Care Consulting
3. Ava
4. Ava on LinkedIn
5. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn
6. Subscribe to Ava on YouTube