Comfort Keepers is a licensed home care agency that helps individuals live independently in their own homes. They provide a variety of care services including medication set-ups, bathing, transferring, meal preparation, and light housekeeping among many other necessities. They employ over 100 special Comfort Keepers (caregivers) that provide the care in people’s homes, facilities or hospitals for as little as one hour a day up to 24 hour care. Comfort Keepers also supplies Lifeline Personal Response Systems with the new Auto Alert pendant that automatically contacts emergency personal in case of a fall. Rick Magill is the owner of Comfort Keepers.
How did you get started in the business? – I had been checking out business opportunities and my brother gave me a call and told me that he had been looking into Senior Care industry. We started doing research and visiting franchise systems, including Comfort Keepers. My brother happened to buy three franchises in North Carolina and was in the business for about six months before I jumped on board. Ten years later, we are still providing care for those that need it most.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – Starting a business, even with a franchise system, is a constant learning curve. Every decision affects not only me but my clients and my employees. It is the everyday challenge that makes owning a business fun and rewarding.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Our Comfort Keepers office was just recent recognized as one of 25 offices nationwide (out of 650) for Operational Excellence. This measures how we do business by evaluating our client and caregiver process and their satisfaction.
Tell me a little about your family. – I have 2 children, Spencer (14, freshman at Creighton Prep) and Sydni (12, 7th grader at St. Vincent de Paul). My wife Denise and I are both from small towns in Iowa. My wife is very active in the community, along with working with me at Comfort Keepers and our other business, Quality CNA/CMA.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I love to cook and my wife says I am awesome!
What are you the most proud of? – I, of course, am proud of my family. But in the business sense it is the care that we provide our clients. We use an outside source to survey our clients and it truly shows that our clients are not only happy with our services, but they are raving fans about how and what we do.
Which talent would you most like to have? – The ability to quickly grasp numbers. My wife is an accountant and loves to get into the numbers that I usually have to study to understand.
If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? – Coaching. I coached collegiately for years before switching into the business world and it was a very rewarding career. I use my coaching every day in our business!
What is your favorite book or the last good book you read? – Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard
What is your favorite movie? – CaddyShack
What is your favorite TV show? – Shark Tank
What is your favorite local restaurant? – lot 2
If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? – Mario Batali, but he would need to cook it!
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – Please call (402) 991-9880 or send me an email at Omaha@comfortkeepers.com.