Bio
I was born and raised in El Paso, TX. I went to UTMB Galveston for PT school. From 1998 through 2005, I had the opportunity to work in outpatient clinics, a hospital, home health, and a SNF. I am currently a franchisee with Caring Senior Service with locations in El Paso, TX and Galesburg, IL. I am also the Vice President of Caring Senior Service Headquarters.
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Q&A with Ian Klaes
What is your story behind the first sense of awareness that things weren’t quite right with your rehab career?
I actually never felt that my rehab career was “not right.” I did recognize that I was working long hours and devoting all my time and attention to the benefit of my employer and began investigating opportunities for business ownership.
What was the specific moment you realized your rehab career wasn’t for you? What was your decisive moment to transition to something else?
I attended a “Discovery Day” with Caring Senior Service in January 2005 where I learned about their franchise opportunity, how their business model worked, and the long-term growth opportunities in the senior care industry. After that meeting, I knew I would pursue becoming a franchise owner.
What are some personal struggles you went through while finding and then transitioning to an alternative career (or your business)? How did you overcome them?
Aside from the fear of the unknown and fear of failure, getting the capital in place to open and fund the start-up phase of the business. I knew that I could get another job if my business failed, so that helped me overcome the fear of failure. As for funding the business, we downsized our living arrangements to keep our costs of living as low as possible, borrowed money from family, and found part-time work that would still allow time to build the business.
What made you decide to pursue your current career? Why this specific one?
Opportunity. I would still be able to serve others. The aging population meant there were many years (decades) of growth for businesses serving the older population. The fact that my clients would pay for services privately so that I didn’t have to deal with third party payers.
How would you describe the journey or mission you are on? What’s the destination you are working towards?
The more time I invest in helping others maximize their potential with Caring Senior Service, the more rewards I receive. This is true for my employees as well as other franchise owners within our system. I am working to help build independence for our franchisees. When they achieve this, they are delivering a great service in their community, their business is thriving, and they are evangelists for our brand.
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