1851 Webinar: Leverage Your Healthcare Background with Right at Home

After spending nearly 30 years as an occupational therapist in post-acute care, Holly Holton found herself at a crossroads during the pandemic — burnt out, reevaluating her path, and searching for a way to make an even deeper impact. That moment led her to launch a Right at Home franchise in Columbus, Ohio, in 2022 — a decision she says has been life-changing for both her and the families she serves.

“My clients are very personal to me,” Holton told 1851 Franchise’s Nick Powills in a recent “Meet the Franchisee” interview. “They chose my company for a reason. That’s when frustration hits — not with payroll issues or paperwork, but when I feel I’ve failed someone we care for.” 

With no resale and no existing client base, Holton started her business from the ground up — and it quickly grew. Her Right at Home office has been named Employer and Provider of Choice every year since its opening, and in 2025, it was also recognized as a Leader in Experience.

“People sometimes ask, ‘Why didn’t you just do this on your own?’ Yes, there are royalties and brand fund fees, but even now that things are running smoothly, I would not have done it differently,” Holton said. “The support Right at Home provides — the resources, my corporate coach — has been invaluable.”

For Holton, success isn’t just about revenue or recognition — it’s about meaningful impact. Whether she’s helping a caregiver teach a 94-year-old how to text his great-grandkids or giving a family member the relief to attend their child’s football game, it all goes back to the same mission: improving lives.

Her motivation? It’s not a single goal or outcome — it’s a constant drive to do more, serve more, and lead with heart. 

A transcript of Holton’s interview with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity, and style.

Nick Powills: Holly, we’re going to start off with what I call the easiest question — the only scripted one — and we’ll see where it goes. What’s your franchise’s backstory? How did you accidentally fall into franchising?

Holly Holton: My background is in therapy. I graduated as an occupational therapist and worked in therapy for 28 or 29 years, primarily in post-acute care with seniors — they’ve always been my passion. My first job was at the VA hospital in Chillicothe, Ohio, so veterans are close to my heart, too.

I moved from staff therapist to rehab manager, regional manager, then VP of operations for a large therapy company. During COVID, everything changed. Outpatient therapy clinics shut down, and seniors were hesitant to go out. The company I worked for started developing an in-home Part B therapy program, and I helped lead that.

As we began marketing the program, I targeted home care companies because their mission aligned with ours — keeping clients at home. Around that time, I was feeling burnt out. I had experience with private-duty care through my grandparents, and I saw firsthand how valuable that kind of in-home support was.

I talked to my husband and said, “What do you think about me doing this?” Both of our kids were out of college, and he said, “Give it a go.” A coworker and I started looking into different companies, including one we used for my grandparents, but Right at Home felt like the best fit. Their values aligned with mine, and I felt like they were genuinely interested in me, not just trying to sell a franchise.

Ironically, a territory opened up near a good friend of mine. It felt like a sign. We purchased the territory in December 2021, and I opened my office in March 2022.

Because of my background, it felt natural to connect with senior centers, nursing homes, and therapy providers. I understand the post-acute process and can be a resource not just for seniors, but for their families too. One of the things I love most is helping families — giving them a break so they can go to their kids’ football games or just breathe.

I think of one client in particular. He took care of his wife with severe Alzheimer’s by himself for four years. After our first visit, he broke down and said it was the first time he got to see one of his kids play high school sports. That’s why I know I made the right decision.

Powills: Thank you for sharing that. I have a lot I want to unpack. That was powerful. You’re clearly making an emotional impact on these families. But I imagine it’s also heavy for you. How do you keep going? How do you stay strong for others?

Holton: Sometimes I think showing emotion is okay — it lets people know we care. I had two very different mentors during my therapy career. One was highly emotional and the other more business-minded. Both were excellent leaders, and I learned from watching how they managed tough situations.

When things get overwhelming, I call my office manager and say, “Why is this happening? How do we handle it?” Then I step back, break things down, and remind myself why I’m doing this. That helps me reset and stay grounded. I try to keep emotions in check, but sometimes they come through — and I think that’s okay.

Powills: It’s real. That emotion, that care — that’s the X factor. I once wrote a column called “Catch the Entrepreneur Before They Catch You,” and it was about how I gave everything to an employer, hoping they’d recognize it, but they never did. You gave so much to others for so long, and they lost you. That passion, that empathy — it’s what separates good businesses from great ones.

Holton: When I get frustrated as a business owner, it’s usually because I feel like I’ve let a client down — like when a caregiver is a no-call, no-show. I remind myself we’re working with people, not machines. We can’t just stop and redo things tomorrow. We have to stay flexible.

My clients are very personal to me. They chose my company for a reason. That’s when frustration hits — not with payroll issues or paperwork, but when I feel I’ve failed someone we care for.

I still go out and do shifts, and my office staff does too. I’m very blessed with the team I have. We started as a brand-new territory in 2022 — no resale — which was a little scary. But we grew quickly and were recognized with Best of Home Care® awards as Employer of Choice, Provider of Choice in 2023, 2024, and 2025. This year, we were also recognized as a Leader in Excellence. Those recognitions confirm for me that I made the right decision.

People sometimes ask, “Why didn’t you just do this on your own?” Yes, there are royalties and brand fund fees, but even now that things are running smoothly, I would not have done it differently. The support Right at Home provides — the resources, my corporate coach — has been invaluable. Even if I’m making the right decision, it’s helpful to have someone to call, to talk it through, to hear a different perspective. Franchising was 100% the better option.

Powills: Let’s say you do a million in sales with a 10% royalty. That’s $100,000. For that, you get websites, hiring models, support systems — you couldn’t hire two people to build all that internally. People treat royalties like a negative, but if you’re with the right brand, it’s really just part of your infrastructure cost.

Holton: Oh, absolutely. 100%.

Powills: I talked to a franchisee recently who had a restaurant background but bought a flooring franchise. He went to the restaurant’s Discovery Days and just felt like they only cared about the P&L — not about him. That’s why he changed industries. You mentioned culture was a big factor for you. How did you know Right at Home was the right fit? Was there a moment that solidified it?

Holton: I grew up not far from where I opened, so that felt right. But when I spoke with other franchise options, I didn’t feel like they cared about me — just what I could produce and how fast I could scale.

With Right at Home, I felt aligned. Seniors have always been my passion. It wasn’t just that home care was right — I knew Right at Home was right. I never got the sense that they were pressuring me with revenue targets. From the very first conversations with franchise development, I had no doubts. When the territory I wanted opened up, and I could go through the process with a close friend, it just confirmed it. I knew this was where I belonged.

Powills: You gave the example of how emotionally tough it is when you can’t deliver for a client — like a no-call, no-show. If I were buying a franchise in this space, that would be one of my biggest fears. The caregiver is such a critical asset, and I don’t think the industry as a whole has fully figured out how to transition them from hourly workers into part of a true culture. That starts with leadership. So, how do you apply guardrails when hiring to avoid those situations?

Holton: We have very specific interview questions. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. We’re always willing to give someone a chance, but we also make sure they know the expectations up front. If they don’t, they won’t align with our goals.

We go over our mission statement — Right at Home’s mission to improve the lives of those we serve — in every orientation. We ask specific questions to screen for alignment. One tool we use is a video created by CEO Margaret Haynes called “Welcome to Your New Career.” It’s short, but powerful.

My recruiter watches the applicants’ reactions during the video. If they smile, get emotional — great. If they’re distracted or on their phones, we don’t move forward. We also ask about comfort with dementia care or hospice care — we won’t place someone in a situation they’re not prepared for. It’s about setting expectations from the start and staying within our scope. If we can’t meet a need, we refer clients elsewhere.

That mindset applies to both caregivers and clients. Not every client is easy, and we’re upfront with caregivers about what to expect in each case. Our goal is to get the best outcome for everyone involved.

Powills: I think winning in business comes down to expectation setting more than anything. And I also think this industry has evolved significantly. I remember my grandparents being placed in facilities when their families could no longer care for them. That’s shifting — maybe not fully — but more caregivers are turning jobs into careers. As the industry matures, people are starting to return to real community care.

Holton: Absolutely. The elderly population is living longer, and there’s a bigger push for services in the home. I saw this even during my therapy days. Some European countries are piloting hospital-at-home models. In the U.S., we now have in-home Part B therapy, home health therapy — all part of that trend toward staying at home.

Our caregivers often become part of the family. That happened when we had caregivers for my grandparents. Some came and went — my grandma wasn’t always easy — but there were a few who stayed the full three years. One of them is still in contact with us, ten years after my grandmother passed.

I had one caregiver teach a 94-year-old client how to text so he could connect with his great-grandkids. She even helped him build a memory book. One day she said, “I made a mistake — I gave him my personal number.” Now he texts her at 2:30 a.m. with ideas for the book!

Just last week, I got a photo from one of my veterans in his late 90s. He was a chaplain and wanted to wear his uniform to a service. His caregiver helped him put it on. He was so proud.

Every week, something like that happens — a text, a thank-you call. No matter how bad the day is, those moments remind me I’m exactly where I need to be.

We try to bring that same culture to our staff. We’ve done bowling nights and family-friendly picnics. It’s about creating a family feel — not just in clients’ homes, but throughout the whole franchise.

Powills: Weird question, but everything you’re doing — building a culture, creating impact — feels like it’s driven by something deeper. Is your North Star the fact that in your past career, something was missing? Is that what’s pushing you now?

Holton: I don’t know if there’s one single North Star. I’m pretty competitive and never satisfied. I’m always asking, “What can I do better?”

Maybe it’s not one star, but a whole galaxy — all the ways we can grow and make an impact. And I don’t mean growth as in more clients or more territories. I mean growing our communities and the lives we touch.

My territory spans everything from rural farmland to inner-city metro areas. So we get to work with a wide range of people and needs. That’s what motivates me — not just one goal, but an ongoing effort to evolve and do more.

Powills: Last question — when you first told your husband you wanted to do this, what does he say now?

Holton: He knows seniors have always been my passion. He’s very supportive and happy for me. Sure, there are days I come home frustrated — we all have those — but he sees how much happier and more fulfilled I am. I’m passionate about this work, and I’ve been very blessed.

Watch the full interview above or on YouTube.

If you’re interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit https://rightathomefranchise.com/. 

If you are interested in franchise opportunities, visit our available territories map. 

If you want to read about other Right at Home franchise owners, visit us at Franchisee Interviews.

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