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Name: Samantha Loy
Brands: Always Best Care Senior Services
Units: 11
Years in franchising: 9
Parent name(s) in franchising: Joanne Pizzuto
Brands: Always Best Care Senior Services
Years in franchising (currently active?): 2011 - 2017
I did not grow up thinking I would one day own a senior care franchise. I grew into it by watching my mother build something that truly mattered. Always Best Care was never just a business in our family. It was families calling during some of the hardest seasons of their lives, caregivers needing leadership, and seniors needing dignity, safety, and compassion.
Over time, I realized the impact a strong local owner can make. We are not selling a product. We are helping families make decisions about care, independence, safety, and quality of life. That responsibility pulled me in. Once I understood both the mission and the opportunity to grow the business the right way, I knew I wanted to carry it forward. The Always Best Care system gave us the infrastructure to do that at scale.
My mother was my predecessor in the business, and that relationship has been both a gift and a challenge. Working with family is personal. There is no way around that. You do not always get to leave the hard conversations at the office when the person who trained you, challenged you, and occasionally drove you crazy is also your mom.
There were moments when the mother-daughter relationship and the business relationship collided. I had to learn how to receive feedback as an operator, and not just as a daughter. She had to learn how to let me lead, even when I did things differently than she would have.
That transition was not always easy, but it made both of us stronger. What I appreciate most now is that she gave me a foundation. She built trust in the community, taught me the value of doing things the right way, and showed me that reputation is everything in this business. That foundation is what made it possible for me to grow.
The biggest advantage is perspective. I was able to see what worked, what did not work, and what it really takes behind the scenes. People often see the polished version of business ownership, but I saw the long days, the difficult calls, the staffing challenges, the family meetings, and the constant responsibility that comes with caring for vulnerable seniors.
Another advantage is that I inherited wisdom, and not just a business model. My mother understood the importance of relationships, trust, and community presence. In senior care, that matters. Hospitals, rehab centers, elder law attorneys, senior living communities, families, and caregivers all want to know that you are going to do what you say you will do.
At the same time, I bring a different lens. I am focused on scaling systems, strengthening leadership, using technology more effectively, and creating a company that can grow without losing its heart.
The biggest challenge is earning credibility while stepping into something someone else built. There can be a natural assumption that the next generation was handed an opportunity. The truth is, an opportunity may open the door, but it does not operate the business for you.
I had to prove that I was not just “the daughter.” I had to become the owner, the leader, the problem solver, and the person people could trust when things were difficult. That takes time. It takes consistency. It takes making hard decisions and being willing to be accountable for them.
There is also pressure in taking over a business with a strong legacy. You want to honor what was built, but you also must be honest about what needs to change. The hardest part is knowing when to preserve tradition and when to modernize.
Credibility comes from execution. You cannot talk your way into respect. You must show people that you understand the business, that you will make decisions, and that you will stand behind your team while also holding them accountable.
With employees, I try to be clear, consistent, and present. In home care, the work is emotional and operationally complex. Under my watch at Always Best Care, our caregivers, schedulers, nurses, care coordinators, marketers, and leadership team all need to know that we have standards and that those standards matter.
With the franchisor, credibility comes from being engaged, asking smart questions, using the resources available, and continuing to grow responsibly. I respect the franchise model, but I also believe strong operators must bring ideas, local insight, and leadership to the table. Always Best Care has been a strong partner in that they bring the model, the tools, and the experience, and we bring the local leadership and execution.
Yes, I still go to my mother for advice. Sometimes I need her perspective as someone who has lived through the difficult parts of ownership. Sometimes I need her to remind me not to overcomplicate things.
One of the biggest lessons she taught me is that your reputation follows you everywhere. In senior care, you cannot fake trust. Families remember how you made them feel. Referral partners remember whether you followed through. Employees remember whether you treated them fairly. She also taught me that you must do the right thing even when it costs you money. That is not always easy, but it is the kind of leadership that builds a company worth having.
Franchising has changed dramatically. The pace is faster, the technology is more advanced, the labor market is more challenging, and customers expect immediate communication. In senior care specifically, families are more informed, more overwhelmed, and often looking for guidance long before they are ready to make a decision.
My generation is better equipped in some ways because we are used to technology, digital communication, online reviews, data, automation, and constant change. We can move quickly, measure performance, and scale systems in ways that were not as accessible years ago.
But I also think our generation has to be careful. Technology is a tool, not a substitute for relationships. My goal is to combine the best of both generations: the relationship-driven, reputation-first approach my mother built with the systems, strategy, and innovation needed to grow in today’s market.
Yes, it has changed the family dynamic. There is a shift that happens when you move from being the child watching the business to being the person responsible for it. I have a deeper appreciation now for the weight my mother carried. Ownership is rewarding, but it is also constant. The phone rings, people need answers, and the responsibility does not turn off at 5 p.m.
It has also changed the way we relate to each other. I understand her decisions more now because I have had to make my own. I also think she sees me differently, as I have stepped into leadership and taken on more responsibility.
At the end of the day, the business gave us some hard moments, but it also gave us a shared purpose. That shared purpose is what drives me to keep growing, because every territory we expand means more families in more communities who get the kind of care we've always believed they deserve.