Seniors Helping Seniors Franchisees Love Serving Community

Larry and Brandi Stephens, up until now, have had very different careers but always shared a passion for giving back to their community. Larry was a leader in the telecommunications field for over two decades, and when he recently noticed the industry was starting to dwindle, he decided it was time to take the leap into business ownership to build something for himself and his family.

His wife, Brandi, had a successful career in social work. In fact, she was hesitant to venture into business ownership because she found her current job so fulfilling. When Larry suggested business ownership with Seniors Helping Seniors, however, Brandi could see the value in making the transition.

“I have a servant’s heart. I love helping people,” said Brandi. “At first, I didn’t want to leave my job because I loved what I did. But when my husband presented the idea to me, I could see that it would allow me to provide a great service to seniors on a larger platform.”

The couple looks forward to serving as many seniors as possible with their Seniors Helping Seniors territories in Savannah, Georgia, and Beaufort, South Carolina.

Larry was a leader in the telecommunications industry where he had been working since the late 90s. Through the changes in the industry and after seeing a lot of downsizing, he saw an opportunity to go out on his own and start his own business.

He looked at several franchise opportunities, but he came across Seniors Helping Seniors and immediately saw it as an opportunity to not only give back but also to help people.

Another really important aspect to him was that this is something he can do with his wife. Their work always took them in separate directions but now they get to do something meaningful together for their community.

Brandi did social work for almost 11 years. She worked with people from all different backgrounds, seniors down to young kids. She's gone from a case manager up to supervision and then over to the state level as a field program specialist.

Seniors Helping Seniors gives her a chance to serve on a higher level. She has a servant’s heart. She loves helping people. Now she has a chance to do some networking and help on a wider scale.

Larry's initial perception of franchising was that it costs so much and it wasn’t affordable. Now, he knows there are so many different concepts out there. He didn’t realize some of these brands were franchises.

You can choose a concept that suits your needs. It actually is affordable because there is funding available and the costs really vary depending what path you want to go down.

Brandi at first didn’t want to leave her job because she loved what she did. But when her husband presented the idea to her, she could see that it would allow her to provide a great service to seniors on a larger platform.

Larry in the community sees so many older people who are not happy because they’re either no longer active in the community or they need someone to take care of them and there’s no one there. With this business, they can help seniors who are currently looking for something to do. They are retired but they want to stay active.

Those individuals have the chance to help their less active counterparts who want to stay in their home rather than go into a care facility. Many seniors feel as though facilities kind of degrade them or they feel stuck in a corner, and they can offer a better alternative.

They are looking forward to creating a business that is going to support and take care of people.

Larry plans to grow. They’re starting out in Georgia and a few months down the road, they will move into South Carolina.

Beyond that, they may look at an additional territory or two. They definitely want to create an environment that allows seniors to enjoy their lives.

The other day in Walmart, Larry saw a senior who needed to get something off of the shelves and she could barely get out of her little cart to get there. He approached her and asked what he could do to help and got her what she needed. Those small exchanges and gestures are so important because you never know what might happen to you when you’re older; you might need that additional support too. Taking care of others is the most important thing. They just want to give seniors the opportunity to continue to enjoy their life.

Larry when he saw so many doors closing in the telecommunications industry, he found another door. He found a new avenue.

When you go through a layoff in your career, you have a constant fear of, “Are my days numbered here?” Building your own business allows you to become your own boss. You get to determine your own day and future. It takes a lot of drive to see that. Many people won’t think beyond the nine-to-five and they just go back into that workforce.

He wanted to create something he could develop and grow, that he could pass down to his children and that he could celebrate because it’s going to produce positive results in the community and have a lasting impression.

Larry advises others to evaluate the situation and don’t be afraid. There was a time when he was afraid to venture out and try things, and he was content with where he was. It took a push for him to lose that fear to get out there and take on the next adventure. He wanted to see what he could do in order to be successful.