195 Angela Olea: From Nurse to Industry Disruptor: How to Boldly Navigate Your Entrepreneurial Shift

[00:00:00] ck: This is the conversation I had with Angela Olea. She's founder of Assisted Living Locators.

[00:00:06] ck: Starting as nurse, Angela saw a critical need and created a Nation's first senior care placement franchise scaling it to over 160 locations. Angela shared powerful lessons and insights on rapid growth, resilience during crises and navigating pivotal career transitions

[00:00:25] ck: So Angela, there's many different directions, many different things I wanted to ask you. Why don't we start off by, recapping what you learned from the YPO conference that you just came back from

[00:00:38] Angela: Well, I actually had back to back-to-back conferences. I attended the global YPO in Barcelona and I finished that one, February 28th. And then, um. I went to the, um, or I'm sorry, I finished on the 22nd and then on the 28th I went to the YPO that was, um, for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So, so I had two very different, conferences.

[00:00:55] Angela: One was global with over 2,700 people in attendance in [00:01:00] Barcelona, and the second one was 80 people. The farthest one being in Australia, attending, Mardi Gras.

[00:01:06] ck: Okay, so let me ask you this question. I mean, I love conferences. I love to go to retreats. This is sort of my lifestyle. I'm curious, why do you do it?

[00:01:17] Angela: I do it for different reasons. The 2,700 people for the global, that was, only my second international, edge conference. And that really brings people from all over the country and innovations. For those people who are in franchising, like the IFA, their annual conference, it's something that they've got different sessions, different learning tracks.

[00:01:39] Angela: You meet people, you get different experiences. It's very intentional. You have to select because you've got so many things happening, you've gotta really be intentional and set up meetings ahead of time or know that you wanna learn. That was my first time in Spain, first time, out of country for one of their events.

[00:01:59] Angela: [00:02:00] And so that was very different. I didn't know what I didn't know, but it checked all the boxes. It was amazing. Um, and.

[00:02:06] ck: Uh, I actually had a friend who was there and then he would, he, you know, that's how I know, like, oh, he was over there with a white YPO. Uh, in the global conference there as well. Um, very different business than yours, but it looks really cool. So, what any, top takeaways on what are the top trending topics

[00:02:18] Angela: I tell you, the classes that were so full that they had to really open it up was ai. You could not get away from the AI topic and how it's going to, how it's impacting us and what is the future of AI and the workplace and growing one's business and in the vendors that we work with. And then very separate from that were the healthcare sessions.

[00:02:39] Angela: How they can treat your ailments based on DNA and what's happening with, really getting specific with that. So I did pretty much, I did those two. I did the TAC and I did the healthcare. What was really impactful as well is two of the, guests that were there were talking about generational, businesses, and one was, the gun [00:03:00] manufacturer, Beretta and 500 year old company, 15 generations.

[00:03:06] Angela: And the other, was far gamo, who is 15 years, third generation. Very different, and insightful when you get to really peek under the hood of, what families, generational and literally 500 years is amazing.

[00:03:24] ck: that's, that's a lot. And I actually have a guest coming. Shortly. He is officially a account. He is, he is actually a lawyer, a royalty who ha, whose family has basically hundreds of years. They're in the fashion industry. So I can't wait to actually talk to him Less. Less about the business mechanics.

[00:03:42] ck: More about the psychology of what it, what it means to be born into a, essentially a dynasty type of family. But I'm curious, what did You learn about generational wealth and companies and, you know. if you could share, if you don't mind sharing. Mm-hmm.

[00:03:58] Angela: They were very, very [00:04:00] different in how they conducted. I would say fer, gamo, it was very, very specific. One thing they both had in common, and I've heard this in talking with families that the families you have to go to college is kind of a general rule. And then you have to work for other companies for at least two years before you come back to the family business.

[00:04:18] Angela: And I think that has been pretty, the universal thread. Now, other than that, there's so many different dynamics, in the businesses and how they conducted and who they permit and, and you know, if there's a headcount on how many family members can be in it, that really varies. But the universal was get experience, get educated, and bring value back with a set of eyes that is something other than what you're gonna get from being within the family.

[00:04:45] ck: Is that something that you're thinking about passing down your empire down to your kids and next generations and things like that?

[00:04:53] Angela: Well, when I started assisted living Locators, my daughter, she's been officially on the books for 10 years [00:05:00] and unofficially I started 20 years ago. So she, she started working from a young age and doing anything and everything. And so when, I left, I left the company December 31st. I sold in 2022.

[00:05:13] Angela: So I exited, with private equity in 2022. And when I officially left this in December, she stayed on, so she was working side by side with me. Um, you know, and so it was amazing, having her as part of the organization. That was one of the things with, stepping away from a company that I launched 20 years ago was knowing that, I had somebody who had that historical data, and really that it was in great hands.

[00:05:42] Angela: They replaced me. The CEO who took over for me, my daughter is her right hand. And I anticipate that within a couple years, my daughter's gonna be leading the company. I've had a taste of it myself. And for me, it was the best of all worlds having, to be able to work side [00:06:00] by side, with my daughter.

[00:06:02] ck: Well, I mean, that kind of goes against the typical business adage. You don't work with family or things like that. So I'm actually curious, what was it like? Yeah. And then were, were you able to, was it mom and daughter.

[00:06:16] ck: And, and, and CEO founder and you know, right hand person, you know, can you kind of wear different hats easily or is

[00:06:23] Angela: Yeah.

[00:06:23] ck: like all together?

[00:06:23] ck: All the time?

[00:06:23] Angela: Yeah, in the workplace, she addressed me as Angela. Um, and it, from a, right from the beginning, I had to really set those boundaries of don't question, you know, you, when I'm in here, I'm not mom, this is not negotiation. You'll learn. Um, through she became, she started off doing franchise support administration, office manager, and worked herself, all the way up.

[00:06:45] Angela: A VP of business development and strategic growth. So she took every job and earned it and so I was really twice as hard on her, holding her accountable. Just because A, I knew really how far I could [00:07:00] push, in helping her grow and understanding the opportunity in front of her. But secondly, because I knew she was gonna get twice, twice as hard, scrutiny.

[00:07:09] Angela: And did she earn this or was she given this? So there was always gonna be a shadow that I would cast on her capabilities regardless of, what she was doing independent of me.

[00:07:22] ck: Was there any particularly difficult moments as mom slash founder that you had to be, you know, interact with your daughter that you could share with us that maybe you learned some lessons from? Like, oh, okay, don't do that again, or, no, definitely do that again.

[00:07:40] Angela: Yeah, you know, it different. Now again, she's been with the organization for 10 years. So from very young age and when she did first start, I mean there was some immaturity and there was, some testing of the boundaries what the expectation was as far as even, coming into the office on a daily basis, being on time and, [00:08:00] just some wiggle room that she thought she had with that.

[00:08:03] Angela: And so that was really the extent of that. She's always been very hardworking and she wants to please me. She wanted to really show me, that she could do it and that she was capable of getting up on that next rung on the ladder. I would say, probably one of the biggest challenges I had, and this wasn't on her necessarily, it was, when we sold to private equity, it was making sure that there was a male counterpart of hers that was, there was some pay discrepancy in it.

[00:08:37] Angela: And, as her role continued to increase, it was. Challenging for me, especially before I exited to try to shorten or tighten up that gap. But again, with having, um, her being my daughter, the optics, we're really challenging with the private equity on, expressing that.

[00:08:54] Angela: Because again, seeing that line, what was I doing? What was she doing? And was she [00:09:00] just getting brownie points? But what I can tell you right now with a new CEO who's in there, she cannot sing enough of my daughter's praises. She is just like, I'm getting you an assistant. How do you do all of this?

[00:09:11] Angela: Like, oh my gosh, I don't know what I would do without you. So, you know, now without me being there, there's no question of, her competencies, her skills, and her visionary ability to really take it to the next level.

[00:09:22] ck: So knowing what you know today, somebody else say, Hey, I want to invite my brother, my best friend, my spouse to join my business. What would you say to that? Do it or don't do it, or it depends, or what would,

[00:09:39] Angela: It's gonna depend because I've had other family members that, were very short lasting in the company, and I was swift to say this would decimate us as a family. We would be bringing that, hostility into the home, or into the family setting. And so those dynamics, it's really recognizing, [00:10:00] what your expectations are of that individual and if you're able to, separate it once you get home. And we were very, very good about, socially it was now we just went right back into mom, daughter, and when we were in the workplace, it was, you know, Angela and addressing me as such, setting appointments, getting on my calendar, things like that.

[00:10:24] Angela: So we really enforced those rules. So I would say that would be, um, if you can, if you, understand some of these work ethic and maybe even doing testing, personality testing and things like that, have a backup, a contingency of a trial just like you would give somebody else, like a 90 day. And if you recognize that it's gonna create a dynamic that is gonna put one person higher than another in the home setting. That could be, very challenging.

[00:10:52] ck: You had mentioned a personality test, so you're a believer of personality tests.

[00:10:57] Angela: I'm, I think they're a great tool. Um,

[00:10:59] ck: any, any specific [00:11:00] type by the way?

[00:11:01] Angela: well in franchising, we used, the first one that we used was Zo for, people that, and it actually just changed, it recently changed names, but the founder of Zu also created this new one. So what we did was took our top 20, performing franchisees that also, had traits that if they were high performing, but they weren't compliant, that ruled 'em out.

[00:11:28] Angela: So they had to check the boxes. So we wanted our highest, performing, but also, those that embodied the franchising, way. And then people coming in test against that one and they get graded. It talks about if they're a fit or not fit. I was not a fit.

[00:11:49] Angela: Yeah, so I use that as a great tool, but I always, would do the interviewing on that and push, really push back on some of the areas. If they had a [00:12:00] lower, you know, I would ask them, did you read that? Did you find that this was an accurate, description of how you are in these different settings?

[00:12:08] Angela: And then how does that translate? So it is a tool, but at the end of the day, interviewing and, putting some weight into that, but, also having, the one-to-one conversations of are they in agreement with it and can they get out of their own way, for this career?

[00:12:28] ck: say a little bit more about that. What, what do you mean by can they get their themselves out of their own way?

[00:12:32] Angela: Maybe their career that they had. You know, in the franchising world, we had people that came from Wall Street. Maybe somebody who was in the C-suite executive, you know, who in their prior life was just an absolute bear in the boardroom. You know, just, um, and. It could be somebody who was actually did bookkeeping.

[00:12:50] Angela: And when they became a franchisee, they had to really meet with families, have that very, empathetic, caring, soul [00:13:00] that connected with, not only the perspective, usually the adult child and then dealing with a family member. But you also had to have your sales hat because we worked with providers to find out, do they measure up, what do they bring to the table?

[00:13:15] Angela: And then for the referral sources, who had clients that were the elderly? Patients to refer to us. So you had, you really had three different areas, and so it was, really making sure they understood. You may have a big heart and you may want to really give back to the seniors, but if you can't put your sales hat on and really spread the word about, this wonderful service that exists to help, seniors and their family and their transition, it's not gonna work.

[00:13:47] Angela: And so, you know, just saying, yeah, the heart is one of 10 objectives that, you know, we're, we're really looking to, um, hit.

[00:13:47] ck: You know, actually, so, so if, if in effect you are essentially like a startup school, I mean, I hate to say it that way, but you're like a fast training accelerator for people who were an employee [00:14:00] to essentially ramp up and transform. So they had to change themselves, to let the job mold and shape 'em in sales, in being empathetic.

[00:14:09] ck: Well, I forgot the third one, but, uh, like, like that, right? Is that what you mean?

[00:14:10] Angela: Yeah. It's an intense, you know, helping them become experts at what they do, getting dementia certified, really understanding all the aspects. So, and that's franchising in general. And franchising. You're really providing a book of business and hopefully you're providing that support so that if people are starting off on an uneven, starting point that we really bring everybody up to speed, when they're at a certain level. And that's what, um, because we, this was an industry where people referred back and forth to one another mom might be in Florida, but daughter might be in New York. So we've got different offices working together and they wanna know that they're referring to somebody who is competent, who is caring, who maintains our four step process.

[00:14:57] Angela: Just like the McDonald's Big Mac, you know, [00:15:00] that two all beef patty, sausage, lettuce, cheese, pickles, hanging on a sesame seed bun. You really need those processes in place each and every time. And then you vary, as needed, but that's part of a franchise is your ability to scale is having consistency of services.

[00:15:19] ck: You know, so there's two different directions I want to go. So I want to like mention both and then we'll dive into one, whichever you choose. One direction is, I'd love to hear your personal transformation 'cause you start off as a nurse and then you know, with a big heart and probably don't have a lot of, you know, sales skills and experiences and so forth.

[00:15:38] ck: So I'd love to hear the transformation of your own. And the second one is around, creating consistent, um, you know, because you mentioned McDonald's. McDonald's, a physical thing, you can look at it like, is this burger the same as this other burger? Whereas yours is intangible as a service. It's a felt experience.

[00:15:55] ck: So I don't know how to, gauge experience one versus experience [00:16:00] two. Do you have a preference? Which direction we go.

[00:16:03] Angela: So, my mother's nurse, my father was an entrepreneur and I kind of had both, both, uh, always ingrained in me from a young age. My parents, we had to earn money and I, I raised my kids the same way. You want money? I have a job. Great. Fantastic. How much do you want, you know, will determine the job that I assign.

[00:16:20] Angela: And I grew up with that mentality.

[00:16:23] ck: I love that you run your household like a company.

[00:16:25] Angela: From day one,

[00:16:26] ck: that.

[00:16:27] Angela: fantastic. I got these five jobs. Terrific.

[00:16:29] ck: I love that. I'm gonna think, in my future family, when I have kids, I'm gonna do it that way.

[00:16:34] Angela: Yeah, every dollar has an activity that you can kind of pick and choose. It has a weight. But, um, so growing up, I, from a young age earned money, earned my own money for spending. And so, my parents both worked. So I learned from a young age too, if I did sports or did anything, I lived on an island in Savannah, Georgia.

[00:16:53] Angela: Getting to and from these activities, I had to dial for dollars, get on the phone and call, and [00:17:00] really network and, make it happen. I have always, and I'm the youngest of three. I think that when you've got siblings, that gives you, your strategist, you learn all kinds of life tools.

[00:17:13] Angela: But I started out in the nursing and I worked, on a cardiac unit, a level one trauma center. And I just took every opportunity for every class that they offered, you know, really thinking. And I happen to be one of the youngest on that unit. But I wanted to fast track and, be in charge and go to administration and work down that career path.

[00:17:34] Angela: But what I quickly realized in working with the elderly, especially in a state like I had moved and had went to college in Arizona, so transplanted from Savannah, now I'm in, Scottsdale, Arizona, and a very transient state where we had a lot of winter, um, what they call winter visitors that would come, but their family members, the adult children would be in other states.

[00:17:58] Angela: And so, that's [00:18:00] where I really saw where we would discharge, seniors and they would come immediately back to the hospital or come back within a week, come back certainly within 30 days, a very high percentage. And just really frustration and seeing that, like what is the safety net that we have in place for these people?

[00:18:18] Angela: And that's what, sitting down with a social worker and getting in her business because mine was admitting and discharging, taking care of the patient and then discharging them and you've got a certain number of beds, but, what happens after discharge? And so really getting in that space and finding out, and that's when the whole world of assisted living was opened up to me that there's homes that are licensed.

[00:18:42] Angela: It could be licensed for four people, and then there's buildings that have. You know, uh, 200 beds, and take care of their apartment style. And so trying to determine how she was making the selection she was making, and she had a handful of brochures and I said, well, boy, you've got about 15 [00:19:00] brochures.

[00:19:00] Angela: Are there 15 properties? 150, a thousand properties? Have you ever been to one? What qualifies? Boy, every question that I asked, I was just very sad that there was no satisfying answer. She did the best that she could with what she had. And there really wasn't anything set up for, ensuring that the people are being discharged to the appropriate places with the proper credentialing and, being taken care of in the manner that you would expect.

[00:19:31] Angela: And so every question I just kept asking kept moving me further and further. Then I wanted to see what some assisted livings, and then how did they fill their beds? How do people learn about these properties? Is there the state ranking? And, and I just kept asking more and more before, I realized it. I knew that that was a passion and mission, that everything I'd done up to that point, that that was setting me up for really creating this advocacy for seniors and their families and providing [00:20:00] that support to, healthcare people so that we could safely transition families, um, seniors in their time of need.

[00:20:09] Angela: And, um, so it, it was a mission. I wasn't looking for it. It just kept taking me further and further and further. And before I knew it, I just knew 100% was certainty without any question that, that this was something that I was called to do. And so, I launched that business Local.

[00:20:27] ck: pause real quick. Pause real quick. 'cause the way you're describing, it's like, oh Yeah.

[00:20:31] ck: this just kind of came to me. Then I just did it. Right. But normally any kind of new entrepreneurs, especially from someone who's nine to five, to starting something, there's usually a lot of doubts, a lot of like uncertainty.

[00:20:46] ck: I don't know if I could do it. Did you ever go through that period at all?

[00:20:50] Angela: The only thing I questioned at that time was, you know, being in the hospital, I would always have a job and it was golden handcuffs like I knew, you know, but I think at the [00:21:00] time I was making, maybe $80,000. But in that time, that was a lot of money. That was my family's money, that was security.

[00:21:10] Angela: I just, in my mind, you know, that was my only thing is I wanted to make sure that I did not put my family at risk, for launching it. This was over several months of these questions and kind of dipping my toe, but I kept circling back to it. When I finally decided, I knew with certainty that,

[00:21:29] Angela: it wouldn't take that many seniors to help to replace my income. And um, so I just leaned right into it. And, um, then I founded the first senior placement franchise in the US that was 20 years ago. Um, because I knew after I launched locally in Scottsdale that I was getting calls from other places from

[00:21:45] ck: Whoa, whoa, whoa. So you already knew from the get go, this is gonna be a franchise from the

[00:21:51] Angela: Within two years. I launched franchising, I actually tried to get employees in some of these other states. This is where it gets into standards, but it was like herding [00:22:00] cats. I couldn't maintain that consistency and ensuring that they were following each little step in the process that I wanted to follow.

[00:22:07] Angela: There really wasn't the teeth and supervision. I researched what is the path for really maintaining the consistency of upholding these standards that I took from nursing into the senior placement, world. Franchising was the key, but there was nothing that was founded that I could follow in the footsteps.

[00:22:28] Angela: So. With an attorney, a franchise attorney, we created a hybrid that took the knowledge of some different franchises and then created an algorithm of what we needed to create a territory and,

[00:22:44] ck: So, Andreas, pardon me. 'cause I don't really know the franchise more at all. So, you know, how is it different? So I'm assuming, I'm projecting, correct me, right? So if a franchisee, they're incentivized to follow the rules, the regulation that you set from the [00:23:00] franchisor. Whereas employees, their incentive, the motivation is basically keep my job right.

[00:23:06] ck: So is, is that the reason why? The franchise model works better in terms of adherence to the standards that you set is much higher. Is that, from your perspective,

[00:23:17] Angela: Yeah, they've got a buy-in. So the franchisees are paying you money to be part of your process

[00:23:24] ck: Mm-hmm.

[00:23:24] Angela: to learn from you. So they've really got a vested interest in, getting that, fast track to understanding, learning and launching their business, whereas employees, it's a very different model.

[00:23:39] Angela: They're, you know, and our franchisees have employees, so I'm not saying all employees, but I'm saying the core, the person has to be local. Our model. Works best where you've got that local person who is really supervising and running their team, but they started it feet [00:24:00] on the street themselves.

[00:24:01] Angela: They knew it. And so their employees are now their responsibilities, to maintain it. For me, again, I wanted to grow fast and trying to hire employees and grow fast and do these other things. Like I said, herding cats is probably the best analogy that I can give it.

[00:24:19] Angela: It just wasn't a fit for where I was at with what I was trying to accomplish.

[00:24:23] ck: So question, why did you want it to grow fast? Is it just more ambition or is this like a window of opportunity that's closing?

[00:24:31] Angela: I knew I was getting calls from, from all over the country. Is there somebody like you in my backyard? I need help. I need help. And I knew that the volume, in my own backyard, that this was something anywhere where their seniors were people were gonna experience this need. And so, being able to really fill that void and fill that gap that, that it was urgency only in the sense that, people [00:25:00] needed.

[00:25:01] Angela: Or if they knew that a service like this was available, boy, they just were like, oh my gosh, I needed this so badly. And I feel like we save lives. So I was on a mission to really, help enhance, prolong, and make it as smooth as possible, this final phase of transition, to assisted living or to, support that they needed.

[00:25:24] ck: So you were really responding to the market, so to speak, responding to the help that people demand or, but just couldn't get. And then that was still the heart of your desire to scale, not so much the, oh, here's the great opportunity. I mean, there's obviously that, but what I'm getting from you is, you know, you were a nurse, you wanted to help, so then you change yourself and then the model is a way to adapt to the, the people's requests.

[00:25:53] ck: Is that an accurate,

[00:25:53] Angela: Yeah. Yeah, that's a hundred percent accurate.

[00:25:54] ck: Beautiful. So we veer away from your transformation. We get into the business model and [00:26:00] stuff. 'cause I'm a curious person, but let's come back to your, like, what did you have to shift about yourself in order to. Grow into this new role, this new, CEO effectively, that, you know, thanks to the circumstances.

[00:26:15] Angela: One of the things I took advantage of early on pre franchising is, there's an organization called SCORE and it's retired executives. And so I again, really leaned into, the professionals that were there and, and that's what kind of steered me towards franchising. And then, really coming from a place.

[00:26:35] Angela: Once I, embraced and recognized I was gonna be in the franchising world, the International Franchise Association, I really took advantage of, of all the learning that they did. And Arizona, was a hotbed for other franchises. Massage Envy, was one of it. Uh, the big franchises that had some really explosive growth.

[00:26:57] Angela: And I met with their CEO [00:27:00] right when I was launching franchising. And, and I found that others in franchising, other CEOs and founders, et cetera, we're willing to share. If you came in, really? You did your homework. I went in there with very intentional questions.

[00:27:13] Angela: You know, I called up and basically said, you don't know me. This is who I am. This is what I'm gonna do. Conquer the world, and I would love your assistance and really learning what you would've done differently, what you've learned, you know, about your growth. I'm thinking of this or this. And it was like right, left, right, left.

[00:27:30] Angela: Oh, and very clear. So my acceleration, I was able to really take these learnings from very seasoned franchisors, in the industry who are really willing to, lift up the hood and let you see and openly acknowledge, things that tanked. Absolutely. Went, terribly wrong.

[00:27:52] Angela: Or mistakes that they made and things that, they learned along the way to help me, learn. And so that's, that is [00:28:00] how I, really led my company, is always being in a place of learning and, trying to insert myself with people that could enhance and grow my knowledge.

[00:28:12] ck: I can see the through line now. You are always being a very learning, growth oriented person. You are very caring about the people That you serve. And then you are not afraid to ask for help. Like, hey, you know, how did you do it? I'm young and eager to learn. Hence why, also, I'm assuming, let me know if I'm wrong.

[00:28:32] ck: You are also very generous with other people calling you for, like, Hey, I don't know how to do this. Can you show me how you did it? is that accurate.

[00:28:39] Angela: That is accurate. And that's why I do, I participate, um, try to be a mentor, and leader to people that are considering embarking on an endeavor, or if they've hit roadblocks, make myself available. Not exclusively for women but, letting people understand that you can be a young mom, have circumstances, but really be the architect of your [00:29:00] life and design the life that, you want to have.

[00:29:03] Angela: The only restrictions you have are your imagination. Um, and so hopefully I inspire and.

[00:29:07] ck: Well, I mean that's, that's one of the reasons why I do this Noble Warrior podcast. So I can talk to people who live very different lives, who, you know, took a chance, who took a risk, and then manifested their dream, whatever path it may be. Maybe a franchise of a nursing home, assisted house living, maybe a coach, maybe a tech entrepreneur.

[00:29:30] ck: So, you know, there's, this is really the heart of this podcast. Was there any specific mistakes that these seasoned people help you avoid? Like, oh, I'm so glad I've listened to them. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't go down that path. 'cause I would've made a huge mistake.

[00:29:47] Angela: They did in the beginning help me critique my book of business so that it, avoided really. Changing throughout the years, subtle changes, but it was so solid in the beginning that what it looks like [00:30:00] today, it, really is 85% of what it was, when I launched. But, there were huge mistakes on the way.

[00:30:06] Angela: When you're pioneering, a whole new industry, you're learning the rules and the regulations. So I created the pathway for all the other franchisors that came after me that were in the senior placement. They learned, you know, so mine was really how, what, what each rules and regulations were in each state.

[00:30:27] Angela: You know, there were some tough things that slowed me down, in, you know,

[00:30:32] ck: you mind sharing maybe one or two? Like what was, what was the particular tough thing?

[00:30:36] Angela: Yeah. My first plan, that I thought I was gonna grow in was gonna be in Florida. Florida had a rule that my book of business couldn't work there. It changed, two years after I launched. In my, my scheme of, you know, my whole, strategy, I am like, boy, Florida, of course, Florida, Arizona, two states that have, really the highest, number of seniors and especially seniors that [00:31:00] are, traveling away from their family members.

[00:31:03] Angela: Um, and I. You know, had an error where, um, you know, I put my trust in somebody who was helping with franchise sales and I ended up having to buy back a franchise. 'cause Texas was a whole new rule. And, and even to this day, Texas is a different, um, it's a different model than it is for us in all the other states.

[00:31:22] Angela: And, you know, I, and put my trust in somebody that they did the homework on it, and they didn't. And you know, we really had to own that and give that franchisee an opportunity to exit because our model, we had to go back to the drawing board and kind of recreate, how it was going to work there.

[00:31:38] Angela: And so that was a painful, early lesson, and they're like, no, buy back my franchise. And that was not the answer that I wanted. So I had big pivoting points. That person was no longer who, I entrusted. So you've gotta have people on your team that you really, when it's that serious and you're dealing with laws and [00:32:00] regulations, not everybody really goes deep and you have to learn.

[00:32:05] Angela: And what I learned in franchising is that trust but verify. And that some people absolutely will make up things because they don't do the work or maybe they don't have the capacity in that situation. They assured me, I trusted in it and completely moved forward with that. And so, it was painful.

[00:32:24] Angela: It was very painful because I had to meet on my internal team that I had to let go. You know, and then I had to go back and look at other things. And then really when, having people in those positions, really having test with them to assure that, that they really were doing what they were saying they were doing when I put my trust in them.

[00:32:47] ck: I mean, trust and verify is one of those biggest lessons. It is so simple, like three words, trust and verify. But it has explosive growth and you're just trying to keep up with the demand [00:33:00] anyways, I think this is worthy of double clicking on. Is there any other things you would like to share and highlight?

[00:33:09] Angela: Yeah. Well.

[00:33:09] ck: way and then now because of this, I. Blessing this growing business I had to change because I wanted to serve my mission. Is there anything else like that?

[00:33:16] Angela: Yeah, being in that role again, when I started and, and then midway through my journey, to this day, I still am super close with the nurses that I worked with, and they were part of, this is what I think I'm going to do. What do you think? Here's the names. And so there were like a board of directors, for me.

[00:33:33] Angela: And to this day they're just super proud of, and have always supported that. And I grew into, a board member and really had to self. Put myself in situations where I was going to be taught on what is the, code of conduct and how to read the p and ls and do all of those things.

[00:33:54] Angela: It didn't just happen I was very intentional with being, trying to be the [00:34:00] best leader and like you said, manifest, every day that I was, really the best captain for the ship and that I could really steer, the company where I wanted it to go. Um. And, um, so when I sold the company in 2022, I knew even before I sold, I thought I was gonna sell it in 2020.

[00:34:18] Angela: And then Covid, you know, happened. I thought, well, boy, when I get to a hundred franchises, because only 14% of all franchisors ever hit a hundred franchises plus. So I just thought, boy, I'll sell it. And I thought, my gosh, you know, I'm having such a great time. Like, I love, I love this. Like, I'm just not ready.

[00:34:37] Angela: And then, I thought, I'll sell, you know, um, and then Covid hit and I obviously that wasn't gonna be the right time and went back. But I knew I wanted to be part of a platform with sister companies bought by a company that I could stay on for a couple years and make sure that the transition was good.

[00:34:53] Angela: I wanted to also roll over. Funds and to still maintain ownership [00:35:00] in within the investment, you know, as it continues, for seven, you know, whatever the years, five to seven years. And so the Riverside Company was the company that was the best fit for us. And so the companies we have, it's care in the home, transitional care, which was mine when they're ready to move out in a state cell company, and then service brands that help people stay independent at home.

[00:35:23] ck: Mm-hmm.

[00:35:24] Angela: So, it checked all of those boxes. And so when I exited in December, it was after literally 20, you know, um, uh, 22 years of starting my own company and, stepping away. But like I said, I felt so comfortable and confident that, it's on the right path and is gonna continue to do what it needs to do.

[00:35:46] ck: Your baby is in good hands.

[00:35:48] Angela: And there's thousands now. I can't even, I don't have a finger toe count on how many thousands and thousands of families and seniors that we've helped throughout the years because [00:36:00] not only from launching my company assisted living locators, but all of the franchisors that came after me that are in senior care placement.

[00:36:10] Angela: And so following that roadmap and really creating that whole industry and that whole space, so that's like a legacy that I'm like so proud of. I'm not gonna get acknowledgement and I'm not looking for that. I just personally know that, um, you know, so many seniors are being helped, because I chose to,

[00:36:29] Angela: you know, make that first, put that flag in the ground and, you know, create these standards. And I'm so glad it was me because I set those standards so high in how to conduct it and created that roadmap, for others to, you know, do so.

[00:36:47] ck: Was there, well, I'm sure it's very satisfying to know that, these seniors are in great hands because of the standards that you set. Is there any particular moments when, or [00:37:00] particular senior or story that you hear that just brings a smile to your face, that help you persist even when you're, trial by fire when there's a lot of stuff happening, you're like, Oh yeah, I remember this one.

[00:37:12] ck: This is the reason why I'm gonna keep going. You as El Musk will say, you know, no staring to the bits and chew glass, or something like that. Right. So is there some, is there, is there some Yeah,

[00:37:24] Angela: I had a story. Yeah. One of, one of my first, um, one of my earlier clients was a lady named Lila. And Lila. Um, she had memory care issues and, um, back in the day, again, my daughter, um, my daughter always, if it was a weekend she was with me, you know, she would go with me on tours, doing wellness checks, doing all that work because I had my own local franchise.

[00:37:41] Angela: And then I launched franchising for others. We went to go check, we'd moved Lila into, her assisted living and we always do a wellness check within 72 hours after they move in, lay eyes on them, make sure that they're doing good in their transition. We showed up at the assisted living and I said, oh, I'm here to check up on [00:38:00] Lila.

[00:38:00] Angela: They said, Lila's missing and I. Said, I don't even know what that means. Can you define what this means? We're in Arizona, it's 118 degrees in the summer. They said that, um, literally she walked away from the assisted living I said, well, I don't see any police.

[00:38:19] Angela: You know, have you called the police? And they hadn't called. And I, you know, just lost it. I mean, boy, I was like, some shrieking Mary, because this was like crisis, like the urgency. And I think too, because understanding dehydration, being elderly, like there, there were so many things why this was so, should have, the reaction should have been panic mode.

[00:38:43] Angela: So my daughter and I go out. And, and not to be dismissive, but almost like a dog where you're yelling for your dog that's lost out there. And we were screaming, going up and down the street screaming Lila. I was like, you need to call the police. And um, oh my gosh. It [00:39:00] was just heart wrenching, you know that.

[00:39:03] Angela: Bottom line is I found Lila somehow, some way she made her way back to her original house. Which was all the way across town. And, um, she made it there. She really wasn't able to talk complete sentences, but somehow, some way she made her way back there. That was the last place that I looked.

[00:39:24] Angela: We hunted her down. Meanwhile, her family was driving from California. They were gonna go to the original place that they lost her. So I had to move her to the small home that was licensed for, I believe it was licensed for six or eight people, versus one that was 150 people. I was calling the family and say, Hey, we've gotta change.

[00:39:45] Angela: Got good news and bad news. No, that the bad news is the place that I thought was gonna be appropriate for Lila is absolutely not a good fit. And I said, the good news is, is I've already found her another place. She's getting all tucked in. [00:40:00] We have a new address where to meet. And um, they were just like, oh my God, we're so grateful to you.

[00:40:05] Angela: And I'm like, oh, you have no idea. Like, you're grateful. Like I am. Like I was entrusted to care for this person and they lost her, you know? After that, like I said, Lila really couldn't talk, speak because her dementia had progressed so much. But I would go to visit her because when we had a, a client, when we placed them, we placed them for life.

[00:40:25] Angela: We were connected. We would check up with the family every six months until, you know, they pass. And every time I would go to go visit Lila, she would just clap and, you know, just so excited, but yeah, that was horrible. And my daughter got to watch me. Absolutely lose my cool then think methodically about okay, step into action, like we've gotta do this.

[00:40:49] Angela: And then going forward, that place instituted, all kinds of policies, on how to conduct, from pictures of their residents to their process of calling the [00:41:00] police. Like, boy, they, they put in all kinds of systems after that, but Lila was the sacrificial lamb their first lost resident.

[00:41:08] Angela: And thank God that nothing bad happened. But, when you're dealing with, the elderly especially with dementia and these things, I don't have enough fingers and toes for stories, but with my franchisees, because I ran my own local business first. There was not a story that they could share with me that I probably hadn't already experienced, which made it so I was able to live vicariously through the franchisees and their shenanigans that were not quite Miss Lala, but I would say, somewhere in that realm of, mishaps that, in real life can happen.

[00:41:48] ck: Well, God bless you for finding Lila and uh, do you believe in karma, by the way?

[00:41:52] Angela: Yeah.

[00:41:53] ck: Okay, Well, I mean, I'm Chinese and we deeply believe in karma, and [00:42:00] so, you know, I hope that all the goodwill, all the lives that you change, touched, inspire, you know, come back to you. That's a beautiful story. thank you.

[00:42:09] ck: for sharing that.

[00:42:09] Angela: Well, thank you.

[00:42:11] ck: Are there, since you are at a very unique place, 'cause you help people, basically live the rest of their life, the end of their life in a graceful, dignified way, are there any kind of lessons that you learn? What are some things that really help these elderlys, thrive at the end of their life?

[00:42:32] ck: Is there anything that you know, you hadn't shared or any you care to share for audience members who may have Asian parents and who is thinking about these type of things?

[00:42:40] Angela: Yeah, you know, it is, about, a lot of it is about respect and people are fearful. They're fearful of moving away from what they're familiar with. And so, you know, just be patient. Try to meet them where they're at and give, um. Uh, not that this is the end of the world, you know, try to dip their toe into change.

[00:42:58] Angela: So if they're moving [00:43:00] to assisted living, try, you know, suggestion is try to try it out for 30 days. Try it out for 90 days. Let's see how this works out. And when they get that human connection, human connection could be even, they're just watching people in their day to day. That could be their full activity because before they've been isolated in their own home, you know, with maybe a telemarketer calling or, or.

[00:43:17] Angela: You know, something like that, but they didn't have that social lubrication. And so now just even seeing all the activities that are, happening, um, so it's sometimes you have to parent your parent. So when safety is an issue, you know, sometimes you have to take some necessary moves. Nobody wants to be in that situation where they have to parent their parent.

[00:43:41] Angela: But you might be forced into it and it's, it's try to get that contingency plan in place. It's better to have a plan and not need it, than need it and not have it so.

[00:43:49] ck: There you go.

[00:43:51] Angela: Yep. And then from that, the elderly standpoint, they genuinely do not see themselves, regardless of how old [00:44:00] they are or how many wrinkles they might have inside.

[00:44:04] Angela: They still feel like they're 20 something. And so when they go, almost all the time when, um, we would tour the elderly person to the assisted living, they would say, oh my God, everybody here is old. And you can look at them, look at the other people, look back at them, and you're seeing no, they fit right in.

[00:44:20] Angela: But to them they don't. And so that is something that, so you know, internally I think we all hang on to, you know, having that spirit of being younger, I. You know, that young, our young self. And so, but that was a universal kind of comment that I would get that, that would always amuse me, for that.

[00:44:43] Angela: But the other side of it is, you know, really don't live with regrets. Try to, be a yes person and experience the joy and have opportunities, take advantage of the opportunities that you have. And so it's, those are the only regrets. Worked too [00:45:00] much. Didn't take that vacation. Didn't do that trip.

[00:45:03] Angela: Waited until, they thought they would travel when they hit a certain age and then something happened. And so it's, really leaning into, being that yes person when opportunity presents it.

[00:45:15] ck: I see, there may be a reason why you travel so much now. You're taking their lessons. Yeah. That's

[00:45:22] Angela: I do, I do, I take it to heart. Because that mobility and, and your physical, health and agility, especially if you're going to other countries, where sidewalks and transportation and all of that, I mean, it really is the, the, to get in, embrace some of those, you know, real experiences. You've gotta be physically, agile to, to do it.

[00:45:47] Angela: So, not that I plan on not being physically agile, but yeah. Now, I'm enjoying it now.

[00:45:53] ck: Oh, beautiful. Well, one of the things that I was going to ask you, is there's a little bit [00:46:00] different model, of assisted living in Taiwan. That's where I'm from. So the way they do it is very much like a college campus, but for older people. Right? So there's lots of programs for learning, for athletics, for all kinds of things.

[00:46:18] ck: I haven't really visited assisted living spaces here in the United States, Japan, the vibes a little bit different. So from your perspective, do you see that kind of community building type of activities be helpful for these elderly population thriving in them?

[00:46:35] Angela: I think that the younger generation who are aging up are demanding more. They want more amenities, they want more focus on health and wellness, not, supportive living. The average age of somebody going to assisted living is 84, 85. So they're typically really waiting, until something, you know, the assisted livings are now what the nursing homes used to [00:47:00] be.

[00:47:00] Angela: There used to be more 55 and, older communities that were super active. I do think that, the facilities, the communities now are adding in a lot more, like balance. Classes and yoga classes and doing different physical activities, getting more restaurant style, having more, community campuses, that it's independent living.

[00:47:24] Angela: You can age in place, do assisted living, really wanting more of those amenities and activities. But, um, there's, it's not there yet. There's only select that offer what you're offering and I think that, it's so important. Usually most communities have one or two activity directors. Um, and it's kind of your general, what you think about, but what you're describing, I think that that's gonna be more of a shift.

[00:47:49] Angela: And as the future to be more competitive and keep people healthier longer.

[00:47:55] ck: So speaking of shift, let me shift into your new thing. I'm curious [00:48:00] though, 'cause you went from assisted living, taking care of the elderly and to influencer marketing, which is very, very different space. I'm curious, why did you shift away from taking care of the elderly, hospitality, that kind of space into this totally brand new thing?

[00:48:19] Angela: Yeah, well, it is actually a couple different things. So one is, being in the role that we were in we're heavily influence influencing the families that we're working within and referral sources and things like that. How do people hear about us? So there's a lot of building trust and authenticity and, and what we do.

[00:48:39] Angela: And, um, so that's been a part of the DNA. In that. Um, but what I can tell you is I was inspired by a gentleman, his name is Andrew Steele. And, um, Andrew, I met him on a plane. I've met the most amazing people on planes. He just, you know, amazing. And he was one of these people, that I met in January of 23.

[00:48:56] Angela: And he asked me what I did and I [00:49:00] gave him a little spiel on assisted living locators. He had never heard of that and asked him what he did, and he said he was an influencer. And I said, I've heard of that, but can you define what, what that means? And, he described his very specific target audience that was not my audience.

[00:49:15] Angela: His audience was, you know, affluent males, 45 and older. And I'm like, yeah, ours is, are the female same age bracket, but his, you know, the males aren't typically the ones in that were trying to get their attention. And so we really had some in-depth conversation and we stayed in touch and um, I loved.

[00:49:34] Angela: What he shared about, you know, what he did. And, so the following year I met with the, this chief marketing officer of Yum Brands, which is Kentucky Fried Chicken Taco Bell. And he, again, at the International Franchise Association, he was on a panel. All I wanna know is, do you guys use influencers? And how I, so I sat through this whole course, but itching just to see that were they gonna cover this topic and.

[00:49:59] Angela: Um, [00:50:00] basically they fell into, influencers when one of their sandwiches went viral and then they reverse engineered, and now it's a huge part of what they, you know, their budget goes for. And, um, so I go to tons of franchise conferences and, and that have a lot of franchisor friends and associates.

[00:50:16] Angela: And so I did research for those two years just, you know, asking do you use influencers? Do you, you know, you know, and I just got this look. No, no. Yeah, the big Kentucky Fried McDonald's, they do, but the other companies that are moderate to smaller size absolutely not have no idea how to effectively use that.

[00:50:36] Angela: And so, taking my matchmaking skills and, authenticity is wanting to help franchisors, and their franchisees matching with, influencers that can, bring them candidates or bring their franchisees more business uniquely based on where they're at. [00:51:00] And so, it's been something that's been brewing for behind the scenes for two years.

[00:51:04] Angela: My research has been, an overdrive.

[00:51:08] ck: So was It kind of like a pixel loading on a browser, you know, a little bit more clarity at a time and aha, you know, I'm going to create this next thing. Influence our marketing. Specifically serving franchisees. Franchisees. Was there over time or was there like a light switch moments?

[00:51:23] Angela: When I sat down to Andrew, I was so inspired by what he did that my research began immediately. Because I knew in my own world that that had never even been on the menu. And so I thought, my gosh, I can disrupt this whole other, industry again.

[00:51:45] Angela: Second bite at the apple of being a disruptor, because I enjoy it. It's hard, it's really hard. But I love, when you see your visions just so clearly, that being able to share that [00:52:00] enthusiasm and pivot. And in the franchising world, I've really built, a lot of respect out there with my colleagues and, in that franchising as a general rule, you know, I'm not somebody who's just a fly by night.

[00:52:13] Angela: I've been around for over two decades. I've achieved, in franchising, hitting over, 160 franchises. There's different things that I've been around for a hot minute. So I really understand, what it is and that matchmaking,

[00:52:28] ck: Okay. So on this podcast we nerd out about aha moments quite a bit. We nerd out about pivotal moments, his difficulties, the lower points. How do you, stay resilient coming out of that, dark net, the soul, that was what I was looking for, right?

[00:52:44] ck: And then, then we also learned about the aha moments. 'cause once we let go of whatever we are holding onto limiting beliefs, traumas, and otherwise, usually a whole world open up, right? Spaciousness, energy and then creative ideas come. So [00:53:00] if you don't mind talking a little bit meta about how you engineer the aha moments, or was it just purely divine accidental serendipity, synchronicity,

[00:53:12] Angela: I think it was serendipitous that my path. Crossed with Andrews and another big moment for me was, you know, I wasn't quite sure how the missing pieces, I just saw the big picture and then it was gonna be reverse engineering. And I intersected with a gentleman at YPO that had 16 patents and, he created the Rapid Ramen cooker and used influencer marketing to blow up his brands and, you know, had the Walmart and was Amazon and all these different things and sold those off.

[00:53:46] Angela: So I consulted with him and he's a part of my team right now because he's already has those pieces together. The influencers, the contracts that backend operations [00:54:00] of how do you find the right influence, how do you do the measurement of the micro macro, you know, those. The details of that. And that level that he's already been viral with, you know, what he did and successfully accomplished this.

[00:54:17] Angela: And so taking his knowledge and bringing that into my franchise, franchisor world, was somebody who's already done it. I don't need to. I learned, you know, it's not that fun, you know, paving the way and

[00:54:31] ck: Well, you think you like it?

[00:54:33] Angela: Well, if somebody's already created something, you can get there faster and more knowledgeable through what they've already done.

[00:54:41] Angela: So, do I need to go and get, learn about all these contracts? You know, having him on board, bringing that institutional knowledge of what he's done and done successfully and things he learned. Again, that's one of the things that, I love about, and you know, the opportunities, they're all [00:55:00] around us. You just, have to open yourself up and, be unapologetic and your conversations that you have.

[00:55:06] Angela: And if it connects, you know, if you put it out there and you connect, then it's a beautiful thing.

[00:55:13] ck: Well, let me ask you this. Is that optimism that open-mindedness gifted? Have you always been that way? Have you cultivated that over time and you train yourself to be stay, you know, open and talk to someone right next to the plane? Because most people, most people, they close their, they look at their phone, they go to sleep, they watch movies.

[00:55:33] ck: They don't talk to that, the person right next to them. Right. But there lies the missing opportunity. Have you always been. Open-minded and, you know, wanting to grow and, you know, look at, look at the world through, you know, clear eyes and mind

[00:55:48] Angela: I do, I love hearing people's stories, and when I hear people's stories, it just makes my mind start to work and, and gets, get things energized. Either I'm like, boy, can, can I offer them some, you know, how can I take this knowledge of what they're [00:56:00] sharing? Or is there another, and sometimes you just file it and then you pull it back out.

[00:56:03] Angela: Oh yeah, I remember why I learned this. I do have to clarify. I don't talk to every single person on the plane. Um, I kind of lay it out and sometimes if I'm just tired and I'm not gonna be engaging then I don't. I can tell you, I've got a whole list of people,

[00:56:17] Angela: at least 10 people, and they're in my phone by airplane. That's their first, their before their name. It's airplane, mic, airplane, Andrew Airplane, you know, yeah, Netflix producer, head of the lab core for, you know, the Northern America. Somebody who is in Hawaii, who, who creates custom air blowing, or not air blowing, what is it?

[00:56:40] Angela: The, uh, makes glass, um, custom glass that is for custom houses and things like that. Just, just such a wide variety of, of, innovative and, and, very unique people that for whatever reason, you know, I intersected with.

[00:56:54] ck: I love that. So I also love that you already are part of YPO and you know, [00:57:00] this huge network of doers and achievers and, you know, innovators in the world, and you are still open to talk to right people, right next to you. You're on the airplane, you know, that's pretty awesome. How do you use this network of, entrepreneurs, innovators?

[00:57:16] ck: How do you leverage, how do you use this network of beautiful people to create something even more beautiful in the world?

[00:57:23] Angela: It is still a work in progress for now that I'm shifting, but I can give one example. There is a founder, CEO, her name is Danielle, who's got a whole skincare line. And she's based outta California. And, she's got a thousand influencers under contract for her, her brand, and for that. So, you know, really finding out from her getting again, what's the good, the bad, the ugly type of things for that.

[00:57:51] Angela: I've got three things that I, I wanna get accomplished in this lifetime. And, and so the, um, the influencer suite influencer is one of those. But I also am creating, an [00:58:00] app that is a beauty app, that's like a bestie in an app, and it's called Slay Mate. And so I was working on my logo.

[00:58:07] Angela: And so when I was in, um,

[00:58:08] ck: Wait, wait, hold on one second. So you're not a serial entrepreneur, you are a parallel entrepreneur, so you already have some of this stuff, the bubbling up, that you're kind of working on as a hobby.

[00:58:18] Angela: I use this app. And so when I'm traveling it's like mirror, mirror on the wall, how do I look today? And then it'll rate me on a one to 10 and then it tells me what improvements that I can do, what's working and what I could do to improve if I choose to.

[00:58:31] Angela: And even coordinating of, of some different outfits and things like that. So it's almost ready for beta testing. I had the people that were in New Orleans that I was able to say, Hey, what's your opinion on these different logos? I've got it narrowed down to four logos.

[00:58:46] Angela: Really? One of 'em is really strong. That's a strong contender, but I'm able to email out Danielle and, get great feedback from people. And that even add on one more thing. Well, what if you added this? And so it's not being [00:59:00] afraid to, put it out there and be humbled again, because we're working with people that work Fortune 100 companies that are just like, you know, billionaires all over in the spectrum that are in YPO.

[00:59:13] Angela: It's such a mix of that and, being okay with where you're at and your journey that you're on. But if you don't put it out there, I wouldn't have known Danielle if I wouldn't have mentioned that. She wouldn't have been able to share it. Well, I've got a thousand influencers. Let's talk. Um, and, um, so Slay Made is my second, that, and that'll be automated.

[00:59:32] Angela: It's ai, that is in progress right now. And then I wanna do a nonprofit that combines Slay Mate and Sweet Influencers, and it's called Slay It Forward, like a play it, play it forward, pay it forward, but it's slay it forward. And it's, um, I wanna work with, foster children in creating a suitcase that is curated for that.

[00:59:55] Angela: And it could be products from influencers, it could be people donate when they buy [01:00:00] certain products. But slay mate, creating curated, suitcases for children in foster care that, um, to help them look and feel their best. So those are my three things, and if I can accomplish and be semi-successful in any one or all of those, then check that box.

[01:00:17] Angela: Like I'm, I'm a happy day.

[01:00:19] ck: I see a great feature in these ideas.

[01:00:23] Angela: Well, thank you.

[01:00:25] ck: So if you look at these dreams that you.

[01:00:27] ck: have, what would you say is the underlying purpose? If there is any? Like what's a direction, right.

[01:00:33] ck: You know, 'cause I'm sure you hear people, especially in the YPO space, you know, legacy and purpose, and how would you put words to something that's very esoteric and hard to describe?

[01:00:47] Angela: All of these align with things that give me joy, and give me purpose. The sweet influencers is really, that one is probably gonna be the heaviest lift. I already use Slay Mate. I love it and [01:01:00] I am just overjoyed with that. It's not for everybody, but it's something that, especially for people that travel and do things by themselves, it truly is your bestie in an app.

[01:01:09] Angela: And, if I screenshot it, like it'll tell me, okay, well today, maybe not today specifically, 'cause I didn't rate myself today, but it might say at the end, I may have started at a seven and a half and, and I finished at a nine and I'll screenshot it and send it to, one of my good friends and I said, today's gonna be a good day, and I'll do it.

[01:01:24] Angela: Anything I hit over at eight and a half, I'll just screenshot it. It requires no words. And she's like, good day. Thumbs up. You know, and, and so, just little, I think you find joy, in that, and then the giving back with, how do I take what, right now I have been more exposed with, with foster children and it, it's become aware I'm moving from Alzheimer's and, that has been my foundation that I've gone to for years. But as I transition to this new, this has become something that, now I feel like this is something [01:02:00] that really is near and dear and true that I feel, I can bring what I'm currently doing overlapping and, bring me joy and, and that

[01:02:09] ck: I love that. Well, Angela, we cover a lot of ground today. Is there any questions that you hoped that I ask but I didn't ask?

[01:02:20] Angela: no, I think you covered such a wide, gamut and you interview such interesting wide background, of people. So, now I feel like you touched on, the highs, the lows, the fun, the, sadness or, kind of all of those.

[01:02:35] ck: Actually there is one thing I forgot to ask. One topic that we'd ask quite a bit is similar to purpose, which is spirituality. You had mentioned a few words. I'm assuming you're pretty spiritual person. Is there any spiritual practices that you have to ground yourself in? In the moments of uncertainty, in the moments of doubt, in the moments of insecurity, in the moments of [01:03:00] fear, that just grounds you. So, then you can keep going, keep believing, keep having that faith in yourself in the greater universe.

[01:03:07] Angela: You know, I'm Christian, I'm Catholic, but more important than that, I do think you talked about karma and you talked about those things. So I do think, that. Power of positivity and spirituality of, just hanging on to knowing nothing too good or too bad, lasts for too long, and anchoring onto my faith when something is just rotten, knowing nothing too good or too bad's gonna last for too long and, you know, the path is in front of me.

[01:03:38] Angela: So stay the course and that mantra, will help remind me, of just keeping on that path.

[01:03:49] ck: Beautiful. Well, I want to take a moment to acknowledge you, Angela. Thank you for how you're showing up here. I know that, I'm a total stranger, and yet you share so generously your life stories, [01:04:00] your wisdom, your experience from being a nurse to a franchisor to 160 franchisees. Is that right? Yeah.

[01:04:09] ck: Okay, great. Perfect. I just wanna make sure I remember correctly and then sharing your dreams with us. Um, Thank you. so much for being here on Nobo. I'm sure a lot of people are very inspired as I am about, this beautiful thing called life.

[01:04:19] Angela: Thank you Thank you very much.