Sunny & Shelley Reed
Having the desire to add to her professional profile, Shelley Reed took it upon herself to enter the franchise industry and help grow the Right at Home brand in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Shelley obtained her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising and minored in business administration at Kent State University. Spending 10 years in retail management with the Kmart Corporation allowed her to relocate to Illinois, where she held different positions with Kmart stores in Chicago and throughout the suburbs.
In 1998, Shelley began looking into different opportunities, specifically in business sales. She and her husband Sunny relocated to Wisconsin when Shelley took a job with Universal, now known as Clear Channel Outdoor.
Shelley moved up the ladder of success with the company from Account Executive to Vice President of Sales to Branch President to General Sales Manager. In August 2010, Shelley and Sunny picked up their things again and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where Shelley was promoted to Branch President of the Indianapolis branch and then again in October 2011 when Shelley was offered a subsequent promotion as General Sales Manager at the Chicago branch. When Sunny was offered a higher position with his company back in Wisconsin, Shelley realized he moved so many times for her career that she wanted to support his career, so the two relocated one last time to Wisconsin.
After 27 years in the corporate world, Shelley contemplated the next best step for her career. A franchise consultant sparked her interest in multiple concepts.
Shelley researched different industries and looked at how her background could relate to future business endeavors and which franchise had the most potential to grow in the next 10-15 years. Right at Home’s mission “to improve the quality of life for those we serve” and the company’s potential were the two factors that stood out to her the most. She soon decided to venture down a new business path and signed on with Right at Home.
How did you find out about Right at Home?
I was contacted by FranChoice and they introduced me to many different concepts. Right at Home stood out to me, and I liked what I saw in the business plan.
Why did you choose an opportunity with Right at Home?
I saw the growth and the potential in the company. Not to mention, I met the corporate team, and the amount of support they provided throughout the entire process was so appreciated, I knew this was an ideal opportunity for me.
What personal experience do you have in your own family with caring for a senior?
My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and both her and my grandfather lived together about an hour away from my parents. My father became their caregiver, but it was not always obvious things were changing, and it was difficult to see the changes in her health because we were not seeing them as often. After knee surgery, my grandmother was in a nursing home and eventually moved to an assisted living facility. It was difficult, but it was something that opened our eyes to the need for in-home care.
Please list any nonprofit organizations, community groups, volunteer activities, etc. you are/have been involved with:
Currently, my husband and I are volunteers at our local Humane Society. We are greeters one night every week.