Meet an Owner: Harley Cohen

For the past 17 years, Harley Cohen has been at the helm of the Right at Home in north Dallas, Texas, and he’s still just as passionate about it as the day he signed his franchise agreement. In fact, the highlight of his year was attending corporate’s Home Improvement event, which was held in-person for the first time since the pandemic. The event, which is held annually, brings together Right at Home franchise owners from across the country for a week of learning, engaging, and networking.

“We’re all together as an organization, as a family—we are the Right at Home family—and it’s so cool to see everyone together there,” said Harley. “We’re all aligned as a strong brand and especially after going through the pandemic, it’s very much needed. It’s so great to connect with other people who have experienced what we’ve all gone through.”

Pursuing a Purpose

The concept of being in alignment with Right at Home is something that was important to Harley when he first started researching homecare franchise opportunities back in 2005 as an alternative to his career as a financial planner. 

“I was doing some soul searching to figure out the next stage of my career, and I wanted to see what was out there that could be more meaningful. All my research pointed back to homecare because it had everything I was looking for: making a difference, investing in an industry with longevity, and an opportunity to have more work/life balance, and support my family at the same time.”

During the research process, Harley was also talking to three other homecare agencies in addition to Right at Home. In fact, he made it all the way through to Discovery Day before settling on Right at Home for a franchise partnership.

“After meeting with the executive team in Omaha on Discovery Day, I felt like Right at Home was different because it was clear that everyone was in it for the right reasons,” Harley recalled. “It was very much in alignment with what I was looking for.”

Learning to Go with the Flow

After all these years in business, Harley understands that no two days are alike, and you simply must learn to constantly adapt to whatever new situation arises.

“I have no idea what I’m walking into each day,” he said. “I don’t know if a new family might need care, or if I’ll have to make a site visit to determine how to personalize that care. I don’t know if my operations will have a question about something that’s occurring in the home and am not sure how to address it. My job is to roll up my sleeves to do whatever I can to support our caregivers, and make sure that we’re highly responsive to the families we serve.”

Harley recognizes that while it is not always easy to problem solve on the fly, the key is just doing your best to have a smile on your face and be a great listener. When it’s your job to help others, Harley believes you must find a way to turn every day into a great day regardless of what is thrown at you.

“Being willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that outcome is how we’re fulfilling our mission to improve the quality of life for everyone we serve,” Harley said. “And that’s what drives me.”

Depending on Your Network 

Part of what helps Harley get through difficult situations that arise is knowing he has a network of support to lean on, no matter what. As a Right at Home franchise owner, you have access to all the other franchise owners nationwide, and there’s a pretty good chance someone will be able to help you troubleshoot your issue.

“The biggest advantage of the corporate office is their ability to get me to the right people when I have a question about anything,” said Harley. “They’ll always be able to point me in the right direction. They are there to support the franchises, and they really care.”

Since none of the franchise owners are required to have prior experience in the healthcare field (although it is a bonus), having a seasoned network of professionals to reach out to is invaluable when you’re getting started as a franchisee. And Harley can testify to the fact that someone will always pick up your call.

“Since 2006, I’ve had unyielding support from the other franchise owners, which is incredibly helpful since they’re on the front lines too, doing whatever it takes to run their business well,” he said. “Running things by other owners is really critical to your success.”

He paused briefly before adding: “It’s also your own blood, sweat, and tears that will make you a success too, though. You must have a huge ‘why’ behind wanting to be in this business, and then you’ll always be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

To learn more about the Right at Home Franchise Opportunity please visit: rightathomefranchise.com/

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