Right at Home Franchise Owner Tony Fenno To Share Journey in Upcoming Webinar

Following a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, Tony Fenno, co-owner of Right at Home Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, joined his wife, Terri, in the in-home care business. Now, 20 years since Terri began her journey with Right at Home and over a decade since Tony joined her, the pair has built a thriving business that serves a wide range of clients.

Tony will join 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills on Tuesday, January 28th at 11 a.m. ET to discuss his transformative journey in the in-home care industry and insights from his experiences for prospective franchisees.

Tony’s path to Right at Home is a powerful narrative of personal and professional reinvention. While he continued his career in pharmaceuticals, his wife was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. As the two navigated the diagnosis and treatment, all while looking after two young children, in-home care services provided invaluable support. So, when Terri had multiple successful follow-up visits and her doctor encouraged her to shift her focus toward a passion, rather than ongoing concern about the possibility of the cancer returning, Right at Home entered the picture.

“We had a conversation after that, and she said, ‘I don’t want to get a job, but I do want to give some more thought as to what I want to do.’” Tony said. “I told her that was great before heading off to New Jersey for work for a week. She had been speaking with Allen Hager, a lifelong friend of mine and the founder of Right at Home, and she decided it was something she wanted to pursue.”

Tony notes that, because he and Allen had been close long before the business came into conversation, he intended to stay somewhat removed from operations. “What was most important for Allen and I was to keep the business separate from our personal relationship,” he said.

Terri launched the business on her own, investing in just one Cincinnati territory to begin with. About a decade into operations, Tony decided it made sense to join her, and the pair began growing together.

“I started helping out, and in doing so, I was learning about both myself and the business. I soon came to realize that I was talking to folks who were a lot like myself,” Tony said. “In their past, they were all put together. They had a plan and were very in control until they had an accident or received a diagnosis. I realized they were me, and I was looking at what could potentially be my future. That has a way of rewiring your brain and forcing you to take a different perspective. I became less tactical in the business and more engaged. That was a big moment for me.”

While Tony and Terri continue to take a strategic approach to operating the business, they have also placed an emphasis on culture and quality within their network. In just the past five years, they have quadrupled employee count and obtained multiple service certifications. The Fennos have expanded their reach and are now able to serve more individuals in need of home care by working with various channels, including Medicaid for the developmentally disabled, workers’ compensation, the U.S. Veterans Affairs and the Southwest Ohio Council on Aging Elderly Services Program (ESP).

"I believe that home care businesses will continue to do well," Tony said. “But as industries mature, what usually happens is a bifurcation of industry participants into one of the following categories: small niche oriented providers or larger providers with heavy organizational support structures, including nurses, that focus on caregivers and clients. We've chosen to have a larger business that serves many channel populations and that is supported by nurse-supervised caregiving employees. I believe those agencies are going to be the ones that continue to scale.”

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities who want to live independently. Most Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff. Each caregiver is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured before entering a client’s home. Right at Home’s global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S. and five other countries.

From pharmaceuticals to in-home care, Tony Fenno shares how he and his wife, Terri, built a thriving Right at Home business and offers advice and insights to prospective owners.