Have you ever wanted to live and breathe your Purpose every day?
In a post-pandemic world, many of us seek to find more purpose in our personal and professional lives where we can make a positive impact on society while also enjoying the fruits of our labour.
For Fiona Johnstone, this was exactly what motivated her to build a business with heart that is filled with Purpose and Possibility.
After over 12 months of operation, we sat with her to reflect on the journey that was and how Nurse Next Door Home Care Services Brisbane is pioneering the future.
What has been your biggest achievement this year?
While I have seen some incredible results as far as my business growing in the last year, for me my biggest win would have to be my own personal growth from embarking on this journey.
The things that I’ve learnt on the way about myself as a business owner and as a leader have been incredible. But, the ultimate for me is the impact I’ve left on my local community knowing that I’m Making a Difference in people’s lives every day.
This is what motivates me every morning. It’s not just about the business it’s about my core why; Making Lives Better and really living with Purpose.
What is your favourite Making Lives Better moment?
We had a palliative client whose dream was to see dolphins, so we decided to organise a surprise trip to SeaWorld to help him realise this dream.
Dolphins held a very special place in his heart and by giving him the opportunity to not just see dolphins but have a close encounter with these magnificent creatures was such a highlight for me.
Seeing his smile, hearing his laughter and just being able to give him that empowering and positive moment was really special.
Describe what it’s like to see one of your Bold Pink Cars on the road.
I love it!
Seeing all these pink cars on the road is amazing, they’re so bold and people are always talking about them. It always makes me smile when I see one drive past because I just think to myself,
“Wow! We are portraying such a strong image and really challenging the status quo around home care.”
Now that my business has grown, in my local area, more and more people, and other business owners, recognise the bold pink brand! Whether I’m at an event or on the road they know that it’s Nurse Next Door. It’s such a great feeling!
What has been the key to your success so far?
I can definitely owe my success to two key factors:
The first is being passionate about everything that we do, from the care of our clients all the way to how we care for each other as a team. We all share the same vision and the same passion which has really been a true testament to our success.
The other key factor is constantly working with the system and with HeartQuarters; regularly checking in with our Business Performance Coach and collaborating with the greater team to ensure that we continue to go from strength to strength.
I believe that’s what makes this business a success.
Where do you see yourself and Nurse Next Door Brisbane in the future?
This time next year I really want to have my own office space that is more homely, welcoming and makes my team feel like they are part of something bigger.
Having two territories has sometimes felt a bit fragmented and I’m always ambitious to improve the connection between myself and my two large teams. Without my amazing team, I couldn’t provide the WOW Customer Experience that I do for my clients.
I want our new office to be a safe space where anyone can pop in because my doors are always open and I can continue to build that strong sense of community across both my teams. By giving my carers and nurses the opportunity to pop in and connect with me and everyone else is really important to me.
The ongoing rapid growth of my business is something else that I can see for the future of Nurse Next Door Brisbane. In my last meeting, my accountant actually said that based on the growth of the business in the last 12 months, we could be one of the top 7% of businesses in Australia and that really shocked me! So I can definitely foresee more exponential growth coming through in the future.
How has Nurse Next Door HeartQuarters helped you achieve your success?
At the very beginning, knowing that I was able to have regular contact with my business coach was really reassuring because I always had so many questions and being able to have those clarified really helped me with my decision-making process.
The Care Services team is another amazing support that I’ve had which has been integral to my business’ success, the team are just amazing! Every time I call they are always personable and willing to go above and beyond to not only support our clients and staff but, also us the Franchise Partners.
Can you imagine what your journey as a business owner would look like if you were not part of the Nurse Next Door Franchise System?
I can’t even being to explain how different my journey would have been if I didn’t join the Nurse Next Door system. I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here today and have employed so many people who are able to make such a strong and positive impact on so many people’s lives. It would definitely be more of a boutique and I’d still be trying to work out policies, procedures, and marketing strategies rather than focusing on delivering quality client care, which is what I’m truly passionate about.
In the beginning, people did ask me “why would you join a franchise?” I knew where my strengths laid and where I would need support so it was a no-brainer for me. I wanted to make a positive impact on my community and knowing that I had a proven system that can take care of other aspects meant that I had one less thing to worry about. This really gave me that sense of confidence to launch a business in the home healthcare industry.
The fact that my clients will experience the same level of love and care as the clients of my fellow Franchise Partners really makes me feel like I’m part of a bigger mission.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering becoming a Franchise Partner with Nurse Next Door Home Care Services?
Do it, in a heartbeat. I had the opportunity to speak with so many different types of Franchisors in the home healthcare industry, and they didn’t even compare to Nurse Next Door.
While many offer similar support, the fact that Nurse Next Door actually take the time to sit with you, go through thorough training to set you up for success, and provide ongoing support even after you launch really shows that they care about not only your business but really ensuring we can help as many people as possible.
This business really is built with a heart that is filled with Purpose and Possibility.
With a core purpose of Making Lives Better, Nurse Next Door, under the leadership of Melbourne-based Master Franchisors Matt Fitton and Amber Biesse, provides in-home aged care and disability support services built on our philosophy of Happier Ageing® focusing on possibility rather than disability.
