With the assistance of FranNet of Houston and the Gulf Coast Region, Chad & Stormie Caldwell became two of the newest Oasis Senior Advisors franchise owners. According to Stormie, who shares the couple’s journey, it was the right move at the right time.
Background
“Chad spent more than 15 years as a petroleum engineer/scientist for an oilfield service company, while I held various jobs ranging from management to self-employment and everything in between. Chad’s job got us transferred from Colorado to Texas. I had some previous entrepreneurial experience with a small-town dry-cleaning operation and several years of training and work in the residential property appraisal business. I also worked my way up to management roles in both dental and optical offices. We have three children and two grandchildren. We have been married for almost 19 years and after relocating to Texas fell in love with all that this state has to offer.”
On Becoming an Entrepreneur
“After Chad’s position was eliminated, we were still in good shape thanks to his severance package and our savings. I think we were both tired of the oil & gas market’s volatility and, with the confidence I had in many entrepreneurial ventures, decided the time was right to become business owners. The proven business models that owners need to follow was the most attractive feature of going the franchising route.”
Why Franchising?
“I think Chad is more of a risk taker and I prefer the safer route—which is what franchising seemed to be. As far as a business to own, we both wanted a concept that had a good reputation and an opportunity to give back to the community.”
How FranNet Helped
“We met Diana [Trondsen] through Chad’s outplacement program. He met with her first, then I joined him. We took the assessments and were presented five concepts, which we narrowed down to two choices. Her help was phenomenal. She just made everything so easy for us with consistent and knowledgeable advice. Yet, the final decisions were always left up to us.”
Where Do You Stand?
“We settled on Oasis Senior Advisors. We were impressed with how long they’d been in business and how well consumers took to the business model. It was idealistic and it was community based—both of which were important factors for us. Getting used to the administrative duties of the company have been a bit of a challenge, but we’re both enjoying the networking side of it. We’ve had some memorable meetings and interactions with our clients—one of which clinched it for us. After an in-home visit, as we were walking back to the car, we both looked at each other and just knew that we’d make the right choice!
We started off a little behind, but the other franchisees in the system have helped us through validation. We’re starting to gain traction and are on the verge of real success. Oasis Senior Advisors has a value proposition that the bigger players in the industry don’t have. To us, it’s both rewarding and fulfilling work. We’re hoping to own this business right through to retirement.”
For more information, please visit Chad & Stormie’s Oasis Senior Advisors North-Houston site.