From Sports Executive to Entrepreneur: How Michelle Rankine Built a Multimillion-Dollar Home Care Franchise

My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

My guest for Episode #290 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Michelle Rankine, Ph.D., a trailblazing entrepreneur in the health space who built a multimillion-dollar home care franchise business to address disparities in Black and Brown communities.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

A former sports executive with roles at major organizations like the U.S. Olympic Committee, Michelle found her calling in senior home care after her brother’s tragic car accident left him paralyzed. Driven by a strong sense of purpose and community, she now owns three Right at Home franchises in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, prioritizing quality care and bridging critical gaps for aging adults.

In this episode, Michelle and host Mark Graban explore her biggest lessons learned: why trust is essential when building a business, how data-driven KPIs can spark growth, and where home care fits into the spectrum of healthcare services.

Michelle shares her personal story of shifting from the security of collegiate sports administration to the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, revealing how she discovered resilience, the importance of coaching, and the power of focusing on the right goals.

Key themes include fostering health equity, measuring what matters, and creating supportive networks—whether for Olympic athletes or for families needing respite care.

Questions and Topics:

• Could you share your “favorite mistake,” and how did you learn from it?
• Was your realization about needing to trust others gradual, or was there a clear wake-up call?
• Which key KPIs helped you decide to step away from handling sales yourself?
• How did your team respond when you began delegating more, and did you get any feedback about micromanaging?
• What led you from a career in sports management to launching a home care business?
• How do the resilience and focus you gained in athletics translate to entrepreneurship?
• What are the biggest health disparities you aim to address, and how do your franchises help bridge those gaps?
• Could you clarify the difference between ‘home care’ and ‘home health,’ and why does that distinction matter?
• Why do some families wait too long to seek help, and how can people avoid that mistake?
• What advice would you offer to adult children who find themselves caring for aging parents, especially when roles reverse?