Duration: 13m 14s
Description
Pete Morrissey, a Right at Home franchise owner for six years, discusses his journey and experiences with Melanie Amore, Franchise Development Director. Initially, Pete acquired two territories and later added a third. With a diverse background in engineering, corporate roles, and military service, Pete chose Right at Home for its mission and franchise structure. He highlights the support received, particularly in marketing and operations. He emphasized the importance of hands-on involvement, noting a 400% revenue growth over five years. Pete also shares a personal impact story about helping a veteran secure benefits. His advice to prospective owners includes understanding the business and having grit for success.
Intro & Background
Pete Morrissey describes his background as an eclectic one, having an engineering degree from West Point, flew helicopters for Uncle Sam, and after military service, working in larger corporations such as IBM and Pfizer. He was also a vice dean at Columbia Business School. He got to a point in his life and career where he wanted to be closer to home so he and his wife started looking for a business to own. There were several operating businesses he researched, and Right at Home was one of them. With a military background, he notes that you always talk about the mission. Pete said, “With Right at Home, it has been easy to internalize our mission. Our lives are devoted to helping those around us, and so this is an easy mission to internalize.” He continued that he and his wife have now made their business into a generational business as his older son joined the business as director of operations last fall.
Why Choose Right at Home
In their search for a business, they looked at the healthcare vertical. He had past experience with IBM in their life sciences division and with Pfizer, but didn’t have home care experience. Pete and his wife liked the structure of the franchise approach so you can focus on growing the business, and he really liked the corporate team that he met at Discovery Day. He felt they would be well supported.
Most Valuable Support
Pete notes that each owner comes in with his/her own set of skills. He felt he could operationalize a business for growth, but was not a strong marketer. He continued that he received great corporate team support from a marketing perspective and the team was easily accessible. They were there to answer any questions that came up from billing to payroll or anything we had because we acquired an operating business. They also got assistance from corporate as they went through an acquisition. He says, “The experience continues to be very, very good and positive.
A Typical Day
In the beginning, Pete wanted to understand every piece of the business. He has done every role except caregiver, but his wife, Amy, was a caregiver when they first started. She helped him understand the rigors of the job. They now know that being a caregiver is the most critical job in the company. Amy is our CPR-certified instructor so it keeps her engaged deeply with the caregivers on a continuing basis. Initially, any new owner is going to be involved in the day-to-day nuts and bolts. But as we’ve grown over time, Pete has taken a step to the side, working more on the business as opposed to in the business. He is working on what is his next growth vector or future acquisition and optimizing strategies for better integration from a back office perspective.
Impactful Moment
As a veteran, Pete takes particular interest in their veteran services. He speaks at a lot of veteran organizations such as VFW, legions, and assisted living facilities. He talks a lot about veteran benefits and how he engages with the VA. At one speaking engagement, there was a fellow in the room who had heard him talk a few months prior, and he said the fellow followed his playbook and helped his brother in Nashville get HHA benefits that they could never have afforded. It’s nice to know he is getting the help and care that is really critical to him. It resonated with Pete on a personal level as he provided the resources and information necessary to get the right care.
Advice for a Prospective Franchisee
If you’re an owner who’s willing to roll up your sleeves and get involved in the day-to-day, it’s a fantastic opportunity. If you want to operate at a distance, it’s probably not a good recipe for success.
Visit our available territories, or you can click the link if you are interested in franchise opportunities in Georgia.
If you would like to listen to other franchise owners’ stories, click the links below
Meet the Family – Brian Braggs
Meet the Family | Suraj Kumar Kairamkonda
Meet the Family | Christine Blum
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