When Lisa Marie Swiatkowski’s brother was in a serious car accident, she watched as nurses in the hospital worked diligently to save his life. It was then and there that Lisa decided to become a nurse. “I went down the street and got a job in a nursing home and just worked my way up through healthcare. It wasn’t until I became the Director of Nursing at another Brightstar Care that I was introduced to the franchise kind of system, and really started thinking, ‘wow, this could be something that I could do.’”
Before joining Brightstar Care, Lisa Marie would have never considered franchsing. She didn’t have any background in business. But she saw how the company supported its franchisees with a proven business model and reputation for clinical excellence. She and and her husband decided to take the leap and buy two existing Brightstar Care franchises in Florida.
Her experience as a nurse in a senior care facility as well as a former Director of Nursing at a Brightstar Care facility allows her to put herself into her employees’ shoes. She knows that if you treat your employees well, that they will hold their heads a little higher, and feel a sense of loyalty to the brand and its work. “As an owner… I can think back when I was a home health aide or a certified nursing assistant, and what it was like for me on the other side of it. So as an employer, I try really hard to always value and appreciate them and make sure they know how much we really appreciate everything they do.”
She wishes that more people knew the benefits of being a franchise owner, especially other nurses like herself. “I think nurses are highly intelligent people, and I think they would be awesome franchise owners.”
Lisa Marie Swiatkowski is a local business owner, and she is Open for Opportunity.
