FEATURE Reaching New Heights
Cheryl White, former district nurse and burnout survivor, reveals how she turned her life around aſter being hospitalised – going on to build Apollo Care Franchising Ltd, a multi- million-pound home care business, and launch Mercury Franchise School.
Having leſt my stressful job as a district nurse in 2011 to set up my own home care services company, the last place I expected to find myself was in a hospital – admitted as a patient. And yet, in June 2014, that’s exactly what happened. Terrifying palpitations and repeated panic attacks had turned into extreme burnout. Physically and emotionally, I had hit rock bottom.
The warning signs had been there. Apollo Care’s workforce had grown to 35 staff members. Aside from my mum Sue, I had no one else to help me shoulder management responsibilities. There were 50-plus service users to care for, as well as a lengthy waiting list that grew by the day.
My six-year-old son Daniel needed and deserved my full attention, but I oſten took him to work meetings. I had another two-month-old son, William, who regularly sat on my knee in the office within a week of being born. It’s all wrong, I told myself – feeling guilty for never being fully present at work or at home.
Even when I got sick during my pregnancy, I had carried on typing with two drips in the back of each hand. Was it really a surprise that, having tried to do it all as a CEO and a second- time mum, I ended up wired up to an ECG monitor at Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead?
Looking back, that health crisis was the wakeup call I needed. Fortunately, I had already put into place a plan that would not only see me survive, but also thrive both personally and professionally.
Back in 2013, my accountant knew I was exhausted and overwhelmed when she asked me a life-changing question: ‘Have you ever considered franchising?’ I laughed – not knowing what she meant – and Googled it in my car.
Franchising turned out to be the answer I was looking for. I could give people the right to do business using my company name and systems under an official licensing agreement. I didn’t have to do everything day to day whilst striving to grow Apollo Care alone.
I could say instead: This is what good looks like, then let others replicate my business model around the country.
My health scare was all the motivation I needed to change our name to Apollo Care Franchising Ltd and roll out the business plan I had shelved for 12 months.
Eight years later, I now have 12 Apollo Care franchisees and am on a mission to take on another eight in 2022. During
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www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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