WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.560
Great.
00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:08.720
So for anyone who is watching this video today, I am interviewing Tony Mao, and he is out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:13.359
He's been a franchisee since 2013 of one single territory, correct?
00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:14.080
Correct.
00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:15.359
Tony, welcome.
00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:17.199
I'm so happy to be interviewing you today.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:18.000
Thanks.
00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:18.879
Nice to meet you.
00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:20.239
Yeah, likewise.
00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:23.120
And I uh love that you're taking time out of your busy schedule.
00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.399
I know you stay busy, so we truly appreciate that.
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:29.039
Um I noticed you're single territory now.
00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:31.600
When you joined, were you a new owner or a resale?
00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:33.280
No, brand new.
00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:34.240
Brand new.
00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:35.119
Okay, great.
00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.119
So tell me a little bit before we dive into some of your why.
00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:42.079
Like what was your background before you became a franchisee?
00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.799
Uh I actually spent 22 years in telecom.
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:49.359
Um so I my my background is more in operations than probably anything.
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.960
Okay, all right.
00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.840
And um, why did you choose to write at home?
00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:56.640
Uh it's actually a really good story.
00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:01.920
My mother-in-law had had kind of a medical event and she ended up in the hospital for quite a while.
00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:07.840
And when she came back home, she lives on a farm um all by herself, north of town, seven miles.
00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:12.400
And uh when she when she got to the hospital, she couldn't go back to her farm right away.
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.159
So she stayed with my wife and I.
00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:16.959
And it it just wasn't long, you know, a month or two.
00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.200
And it was time that she wanted to go back to the farm.
00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:25.040
She was 85 years old and you know, living there alone, wants to go back to her chickens in her garden and all that good stuff.
00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.560
And I said, Well, that's fine, but you know, you're not gonna go home alone, right?
00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:31.439
We're we need to find you some help, you know, at least for a while.
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:32.480
And she agreed.
00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:37.760
And so I met started making some phone calls, and I wasn't impressed with any of their answers.
00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:43.840
So my wife and I kind of did a deep dive on, you know, in home care was fairly new at the time.
00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:48.159
It was uh 2013, 2012, maybe when we started looking.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:59.680
Uh and so we uh started doing some research, and actually a franchise broker called me out of the blue and said, Hey, if you're interested in this, you need to meet with the folks at Red At Home.
00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.480
I went down the next weekend and I don't know, a month later we signed an agreement.
00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:05.280
Wow.
00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:07.120
So uh didn't take you long.
00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:11.280
You because you came in already knowing a little bit about what you were looking for, right?
00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:12.159
Right.
00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:16.719
Um tell me tell us about a typical day for you as a franchise owner.
00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:18.639
Well, it's changed a little bit now.
00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:20.560
Um I'm a minority shareholder.
00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:25.439
My my niece has has bought the majority of it, which is fantabulous, right?
00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.039
She's she's been doing the operational thing for probably two or three years already.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.000
And so I spend most of my day in the back office um billing finance.
00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:40.639
Um, I haven't been to her office in probably a couple of years, um, just because I know that I can't get in the way there.
00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.319
You know, if I'm there, I'm boss.
00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:46.800
And so she didn't like the idea at the at the time, but I think she understood why.
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:48.159
Um, so I don't know.
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:53.840
I I probably am still working 20, 25 hours a week just on the finance piece of it.
00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:54.800
Okay.
00:02:55.199 --> 00:03:02.240
And what part of the support that Ride at Home provides would you say you feel is the most valuable valuable for you?
00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:04.719
Uh I'd say it's kind of a moving target.
00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:08.560
You know, when you first start, I knew nothing about what was going on, right?
00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:22.000
So I relied on the support staff a lot to kind of help me point me in the right direction, get me to do the right things, you know, force me out of the office and go do marketing calls because I am an operationals guy, not a marketing guy.
00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:26.159
Um, but turned into kind of the marketing, you know, the owner has to be the face of the company.
00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.199
So uh that kind of moved the needle.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:33.039
Worked a lot with like the web support people when they first came in.
00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:39.360
Um I'm a big proponent of social media and and anything um, you know, electronic uh in the sky.
00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.919
I I think that that's a huge bonus for us.
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:47.919
Um so we we spent a lot of time still on that with Strategic America and and some others to do that.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:53.919
Um now it's probably I'd probably say it's those people that I spend most of my time with.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:03.120
Um I also spent a lot of time with the the gals in finance when we had to put our QuickBooks together and because I didn't really have a background in finance at the time either.
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.520
So, you know, as you know, you wear a lot of different hats.
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.039
And so as the hats shifted, so did my support issues.
00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:17.279
So kind of coming in new like you did, uh that support of having that guidance was extremely valuable.
00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.560
And I love that you were you got out of your comfort zone and you got out there and really learned it.
00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:35.120
So for someone coming in that that was like you, uh or or anyone that's looking to uh possibly join the right at home business, what would a piece of advice you would have for them be?
00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:41.120
Uh you know, you you have to almost be a chameleon, right?
00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.319
So when you own the business, you have to be involved in absolutely everything.
00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:46.319
I mean, you have to at least understand it.
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:52.480
I mean, you can always hire somebody smarter than yourself to kind of take on the task, but you have to understand every facet of the business.
00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:55.759
So I would say that they have to break out of that comfort level a little bit.
00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.600
And so if they don't understand the finance, they need to invest some time in that.
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:06.480
If they don't understand marketing, operations, whatever, they they need to spend more time in the things that they don't understand than they do.
00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:10.720
And so that would be before even joining, just kind of get a good idea there.
00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:11.759
Yeah, I think so.
00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:18.720
You know, I've I've had a lot of calls with people that are looking to become Red-An Homeowners, and I don't really pull any punches.
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.279
I let them know that the first couple of years are a little rough, right?
00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:22.800
You it's it's a new business.
00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:27.040
So you got to kind of strap down and figure out where your priorities are and what you're doing.
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.639
And you have to have a great support staff, not only in the office, but at home.
00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:36.240
You know, you gotta your wife and your family has to kind of support you doing everything too, because you're not around a lot.
00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.480
Um, you're answering the phone a lot.
00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:39.519
Yep.
00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:42.319
So I've got one more question for you.
00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:42.639
Sure.
00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:52.879
And that is like when you think of like a winning moment or a moment that really makes you feel good about what you're doing as a franchise, a right-at-home franchisee, what would that moment be?
00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:56.240
You know, it it's I think I have to split on that issue a little bit.
00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:09.040
The the client uh the client's um uh their appetite for wanting to be alone and in their home and stay there uh really speaks really pretty deep to me.
00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:12.560
I mean, I I find that that's a really high mark to do.
00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:18.800
Um, but really the the biggest thing I ever did and personally is when we hit a million dollars in payroll.
00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.720
I really just felt like, hey, we are moving the needle, right?
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:24.240
We're we're doing something here.
00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:25.920
Making a difference.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:27.120
Yeah, making a difference.
00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:28.959
Well, affecting a lot of lives, you know.
00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.920
We have 150 employees now and they all depend on us.
00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:37.439
So we do whatever we have to do, and now it's probably more like two and a half million dollars in payroll.
00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:41.279
So, you know, you you do what you have to do, but you always have to support them.
00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:47.199
That's interesting that you you talk about making a difference and moving the needle, and you're thinking about your caregivers.
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:48.399
100%.
00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:52.800
Yeah, I love the clients, but the the caregivers are the ones that make this thing work.
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:54.160
That's great.
00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:55.199
That's great input.
00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:56.160
Thank you so much.
00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.839
I'm gonna let you get back to your day, but I really enjoyed meeting you.
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.439
I look forward to seeing you more in the future.
00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:02.079
Thank you.
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:04.720
Thank you very much.
00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:05.600
Nice to meet you as well.
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:06.639
All right, take care.
00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:07.839
Yep, bye.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.560
Great.
00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:08.720
So for anyone who is watching this video today, I am interviewing Tony Mao, and he is out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:13.359
He's been a franchisee since 2013 of one single territory, correct?
00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:14.080
Correct.
00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:15.359
Tony, welcome.
00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:17.199
I'm so happy to be interviewing you today.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:18.000
Thanks.
00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:18.879
Nice to meet you.
00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:20.239
Yeah, likewise.
00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:23.120
And I uh love that you're taking time out of your busy schedule.
00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.399
I know you stay busy, so we truly appreciate that.
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:29.039
Um I noticed you're single territory now.
00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:31.600
When you joined, were you a new owner or a resale?
00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:33.280
No, brand new.
00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:34.240
Brand new.
00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:35.119
Okay, great.
00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.119
So tell me a little bit before we dive into some of your why.
00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:42.079
Like what was your background before you became a franchisee?
00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.799
Uh I actually spent 22 years in telecom.
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:49.359
Um so I my my background is more in operations than probably anything.
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.960
Okay, all right.
00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.840
And um, why did you choose to write at home?
00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:56.640
Uh it's actually a really good story.
00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:01.920
My mother-in-law had had kind of a medical event and she ended up in the hospital for quite a while.
00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:07.840
And when she came back home, she lives on a farm um all by herself, north of town, seven miles.
00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:12.400
And uh when she when she got to the hospital, she couldn't go back to her farm right away.
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.159
So she stayed with my wife and I.
00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:16.959
And it it just wasn't long, you know, a month or two.
00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.200
And it was time that she wanted to go back to the farm.
00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:25.040
She was 85 years old and you know, living there alone, wants to go back to her chickens in her garden and all that good stuff.
00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.560
And I said, Well, that's fine, but you know, you're not gonna go home alone, right?
00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:31.439
We're we need to find you some help, you know, at least for a while.
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:32.480
And she agreed.
00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:37.760
And so I met started making some phone calls, and I wasn't impressed with any of their answers.
00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:43.840
So my wife and I kind of did a deep dive on, you know, in home care was fairly new at the time.
00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:48.159
It was uh 2013, 2012, maybe when we started looking.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:59.680
Uh and so we uh started doing some research, and actually a franchise broker called me out of the blue and said, Hey, if you're interested in this, you need to meet with the folks at Red At Home.
00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.480
I went down the next weekend and I don't know, a month later we signed an agreement.
00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:05.280
Wow.
00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:07.120
So uh didn't take you long.
00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:11.280
You because you came in already knowing a little bit about what you were looking for, right?
00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:12.159
Right.
00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:16.719
Um tell me tell us about a typical day for you as a franchise owner.
00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:18.639
Well, it's changed a little bit now.
00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:20.560
Um I'm a minority shareholder.
00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:25.439
My my niece has has bought the majority of it, which is fantabulous, right?
00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.039
She's she's been doing the operational thing for probably two or three years already.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.000
And so I spend most of my day in the back office um billing finance.
00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:40.639
Um, I haven't been to her office in probably a couple of years, um, just because I know that I can't get in the way there.
00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.319
You know, if I'm there, I'm boss.
00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:46.800
And so she didn't like the idea at the at the time, but I think she understood why.
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:48.159
Um, so I don't know.
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:53.840
I I probably am still working 20, 25 hours a week just on the finance piece of it.
00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:54.800
Okay.
00:02:55.199 --> 00:03:02.240
And what part of the support that Ride at Home provides would you say you feel is the most valuable valuable for you?
00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:04.719
Uh I'd say it's kind of a moving target.
00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:08.560
You know, when you first start, I knew nothing about what was going on, right?
00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:22.000
So I relied on the support staff a lot to kind of help me point me in the right direction, get me to do the right things, you know, force me out of the office and go do marketing calls because I am an operationals guy, not a marketing guy.
00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:26.159
Um, but turned into kind of the marketing, you know, the owner has to be the face of the company.
00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.199
So uh that kind of moved the needle.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:33.039
Worked a lot with like the web support people when they first came in.
00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:39.360
Um I'm a big proponent of social media and and anything um, you know, electronic uh in the sky.
00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.919
I I think that that's a huge bonus for us.
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:47.919
Um so we we spent a lot of time still on that with Strategic America and and some others to do that.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:53.919
Um now it's probably I'd probably say it's those people that I spend most of my time with.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:03.120
Um I also spent a lot of time with the the gals in finance when we had to put our QuickBooks together and because I didn't really have a background in finance at the time either.
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.520
So, you know, as you know, you wear a lot of different hats.
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.039
And so as the hats shifted, so did my support issues.
00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:17.279
So kind of coming in new like you did, uh that support of having that guidance was extremely valuable.
00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.560
And I love that you were you got out of your comfort zone and you got out there and really learned it.
00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:35.120
So for someone coming in that that was like you, uh or or anyone that's looking to uh possibly join the right at home business, what would a piece of advice you would have for them be?
00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:41.120
Uh you know, you you have to almost be a chameleon, right?
00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.319
So when you own the business, you have to be involved in absolutely everything.
00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:46.319
I mean, you have to at least understand it.
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:52.480
I mean, you can always hire somebody smarter than yourself to kind of take on the task, but you have to understand every facet of the business.
00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:55.759
So I would say that they have to break out of that comfort level a little bit.
00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.600
And so if they don't understand the finance, they need to invest some time in that.
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:06.480
If they don't understand marketing, operations, whatever, they they need to spend more time in the things that they don't understand than they do.
00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:10.720
And so that would be before even joining, just kind of get a good idea there.
00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:11.759
Yeah, I think so.
00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:18.720
You know, I've I've had a lot of calls with people that are looking to become Red-An Homeowners, and I don't really pull any punches.
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.279
I let them know that the first couple of years are a little rough, right?
00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:22.800
You it's it's a new business.
00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:27.040
So you got to kind of strap down and figure out where your priorities are and what you're doing.
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.639
And you have to have a great support staff, not only in the office, but at home.
00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:36.240
You know, you gotta your wife and your family has to kind of support you doing everything too, because you're not around a lot.
00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.480
Um, you're answering the phone a lot.
00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:39.519
Yep.
00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:42.319
So I've got one more question for you.
00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:42.639
Sure.
00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:52.879
And that is like when you think of like a winning moment or a moment that really makes you feel good about what you're doing as a franchise, a right-at-home franchisee, what would that moment be?
00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:56.240
You know, it it's I think I have to split on that issue a little bit.
00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:09.040
The the client uh the client's um uh their appetite for wanting to be alone and in their home and stay there uh really speaks really pretty deep to me.
00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:12.560
I mean, I I find that that's a really high mark to do.
00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:18.800
Um, but really the the biggest thing I ever did and personally is when we hit a million dollars in payroll.
00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.720
I really just felt like, hey, we are moving the needle, right?
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:24.240
We're we're doing something here.
00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:25.920
Making a difference.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:27.120
Yeah, making a difference.
00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:28.959
Well, affecting a lot of lives, you know.
00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.920
We have 150 employees now and they all depend on us.
00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:37.439
So we do whatever we have to do, and now it's probably more like two and a half million dollars in payroll.
00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:41.279
So, you know, you you do what you have to do, but you always have to support them.
00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:47.199
That's interesting that you you talk about making a difference and moving the needle, and you're thinking about your caregivers.
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:48.399
100%.
00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:52.800
Yeah, I love the clients, but the the caregivers are the ones that make this thing work.
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:54.160
That's great.
00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:55.199
That's great input.
00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:56.160
Thank you so much.
00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.839
I'm gonna let you get back to your day, but I really enjoyed meeting you.
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.439
I look forward to seeing you more in the future.
00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:02.079
Thank you.
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:04.720
Thank you very much.
00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:05.600
Nice to meet you as well.
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:06.639
All right, take care.
00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:07.839
Yep, bye.
