May 13, 2025 • 43 mins
When Erin Steele saw seniors light up around children, she had an idea for combining a senior living facility and a childcare center into one place! And there's all kinds of benefits for both generations by being with one another everyday. Meet The Heritage Home in Alma, Kansas.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks.
And we continue now with part two of our conversation
with Aaron Steel right after these brief messages from our
general sponsors. So you hawked everything, borrowed family money, and
(00:32):
did child labor and got this twenty six thousand square
foot building in Almah. Yeah, right, and this is in
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, so July of twenty three is when we purchased it,
and then we started renovating. Our plan was to open
the senior living first, just because that's kind of my forte.
But the community really needed childcare, so they kind of
came to us and said, will you do the childcare first,
like we really need it. So we opened everything kind
of in phases. So we opened our childcare facility in
(01:05):
October of twenty three, We opened our first senior living
in January of twenty four, and our second in November
of twenty four. All the same building, but it's kind
of separated by wings.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So the kids have their wing, yes, and the senior
living facility is its own wing.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
They have two wings in the senior and then kind
of in between is the kitchen, the dining room, so
the seniors can come down to the childcare center, they
can volunteer, or we have what we call a combined
area where the kids rotate out each day one of
the classes for a combined activity with the seniors.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
How old are the kids, well, six.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Weeks clear to school age, so clear to fifth grade,
I think is our oldest. So we do before and
after school care, and then in the summer we do
all day and spring break, Christmas break, which that part's
really cool. I mean, all of them are super cool.
But the school age, the relationships is a little bit
different because they obviously have a the ability to remember people,
(02:03):
inform those bonds, and so that parts it's cool.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Okay, So this is young. I mean you're still just
in it, getting it going.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Absolutely we get we are full as of Wednesday of
this week.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Congratulations, thank you full of residence.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, and how many is that?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Twenty four?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Okay. So for me personally serving in a way God
has taught us kindness, compassion, treating others with respect. That's
our big mission. I say it's being God's hands and feet.
I'm going to read that again because those are your words.
For me personally serving in a way God taught us kindness, compassion,
(02:46):
and treating others with respect. That's our big mission. I
found it so interesting that when you were talking about
growing up in a home of eighteen that you use
the word selflessness in respect. It just feels like you
were ruined.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I mean, I definitely.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I mean again, I'm kind of a believer, like this
is what I was made to do. I do feel
that way, and I feel like from the beginning's but
I grew up with great examples.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I mean, my mom was the most selfless person you'll
ever I mean you'll never meet.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Nothing was ever about her, yeah, yeah, her body, her,
I mean, everything was for someone else. So you know,
it took me a long time to figure out what
that purpose was. You know, I kind of wanted it
to be to have eighteen kids. My husband did not,
you know, and as my kids got older, and you know, like,
what is it I'm supposed to do to serve other people?
(03:46):
And then it became very evident and yeah, this is
just what I'm and I think also like inspiring and
calling other people to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So you know, like those words for me.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
You know, the Bible tells us we're supposed to love
and serve others the way that God taught us.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Like, that's what it is to me.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But you know, whatever it is for you, it may
not be the Bible or God, but whatever it is
that inspires you to help other people.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
So I want to say this. This is not a nonprofit.
This is your business. This is what you do to
make your living. And you know, our listeners are so
used to us talking to people who have a job
and then do something else as a way to give
(04:33):
back to their community or frill areas of need. Only
about a month ago I sat across this table from
a guy named Alan Barnhart. Alan Barnhardt owns a business
that will do what was it to a billion in
sales this year? A billion, And at the very beginning,
(04:55):
he and his brother was his partner, decided that they
would live a middle income life, and they have not
given themselves a raise above middle income. And they also
determined that every year they would give away half of
every dime the company made, and they have. And that's
(05:15):
one thing when you're doing two hundred and fifty thousand
a year and self, it's a whole another when you're
doing a billion. And then recently he gave the whole
company away, gave. What that enlightened me to is that
being a part of the army of normal folks and
serving and filling areas and need and making profound differences
(05:39):
in the lives of people around us does not just
have to be philanthropic. It does not just have to
be helping people in the inner city. It can also
be what you do for a living. And Alan Barnhardt
really taught me that. Now I own a business and
there's no way I'm giving it away, and there's no
(06:00):
way I'm giving half about profits away. I'm just telling you,
I'm not that guy. I try to be generous, but
I ain't there. So there's extremes, for sure. And he's extreme.
And when he was sitting here, I also called him crazy,
which he is, but crazy in the most unbelievable way.
But now you're number two after a couple of years
of interviewing people of folks who are doing something for
(06:24):
their living, for their income, but have bound a way
to use their profession to also serve. What was your purpose?
What was your goal in starting this thing?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So it's kind of a little bit of a joke
when we would go to the bank or whatever. And
my husband would say, you should never say that to
a banker because I'd say, I'm not doing this to
get rich.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
He's like, you quit.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Telling bankers that, or you know what I mean, like,
and I mean really like I need to make a living,
but I need to make a purpose.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
And you also have to pay your employees a fair way.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Absolutely, but that's also part of it.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I worked for places that they weren't getting paid fair
or treated fair, or the money was not going back
to the residents the people that are you know what
I mean, Like, it wasn't being invested back into those people,
which to me, paying your employees well and treating them well,
and you know, having reliable employees, consistent employees is giving
(07:24):
back to those seniors that live there.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
I was going to say, I bet the standard of
care improves when you actually pay the employees.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, well, well, it's my frustration kind of you know,
being under that is you know, it should go back
to them and not be patting someone else's pocket.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
And so that's kind of my goal.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Obviously, you know, we put everything we have into it,
so we have to you know, pay that off, but
you know, to give back to those people. I would
love to eventually be able to do charity care. My
husband has a line of when I can.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Do that, it's like no free beds till this day
or whatever. Like I mean, that's definitely a yeah, charity care.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I would love you could do that on both ends
of the generation too. I'm sure there's some needy single
mothers out there that would.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Love absolutely, And there's state programs for people, but certainly
to me, you know, and we do accept Medicaid, which
would be like the program available for seniors that don't
have any resources or income, but most of the time
those people get substandard care, and to me, that's everybody deserves.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
You don't mean to have good care, especially at the
end of your life.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
So I would I would let them all come in
and never charge, But my husband says, I can't.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
We have to eat and pay our bills. Yeah. Profits
are necessary measure of any business of success. The level
of profits is what you can manipulate. Your motto is
loving every generation, which is insane. So the benefits of
innergenerational care, you say, are improved quality of life for
(09:05):
both generation, multiple opportunities for shared activities and celebrations that
bring joy, love, and laughter to each generation. Children provide
an endless source of joy for seniors. Children learn and
demonstrate empathy, character, and acceptance on your website Psalm seventy
one to eighteen. Even when I'm old and gray, do
(09:27):
not forsake me. By God, toll, I declare your power
to the next generation. You're mighty acts to all who
are to come. That's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yeah, And so you know, that's that's what the Bible
calls us to do. And I think if you can
teach children and start, you know, at a young age,
and maybe they'll grow up to do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
You know, and value these you know, value that generation.
You know, maybe my infants will be the ones taking
care of you when you're seventy six, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Home.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
You know, I always tease the infants in our facility.
They just think it's normal to grow up in a
nursing home. I mean, you know what, they started coming
here when they're six weeks old, and they've just grown
up in this environment. I mean, I've only been going
two years, but I'm like, think of those kids when they're.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
In high school or college or an adult.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
We'll be right back. So tell me what a day
looks like I want to understand how it works for
these kids and these seniors hang out together, what they
(10:44):
do together, what they anticipation is what it's like when
they separate. I mean, give me the how do I
get the idea that it's an inner generationial care and
each are really sharing for one another. But how does
it work? What's a schedule?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Looking sure?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
So how we do it is each day on our
activity calendar, at nine point thirty one class rotates out,
so Mondays it's toddlers, Tuesdays it's preschool.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Wednesdays it's you.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Know, a different class, and based on the age of
that class will be what the activity is. The seniors
are invited to that, so it might be Plato, might
be coloring, it might be music, it might be anything.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
But the teachers in.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
The childcare plan that activity and then the class comes
out and the seniors join them or can choose to
join them, because not all seniors want to be around kids,
or maybe you have a day you don't feel good,
so it's definitely a choice thing and so they you know,
I kind of use the example like in a nursing home,
you have activities and you try to get seniors come,
(11:47):
but they think it's childish to color or to you know,
if you put plato on an activity calendar and no
seniors going to show up. But if you do that
next to a kid, it's all a sudden fun. And
we have seen years teach absolutely yeah, how to make
something out of place, and it with them no longer childish.
(12:11):
You're at And some of our seniors have cognitive deficits
and so the kids are actually mentors to them, are
you kidding? So like our preschool class just a few
weeks ago did an Easter egg where they had to
had to match the colors, and we have a lady
that isn't able to do that anymore, and these preschoolers
(12:32):
go and they're helping her. I mean, it's like completely flipped,
but like that that empathy and compassion and that's they
don't question that because they know her and they know
that she can no longer do that.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
They also know that she has a story where she
used to be able to do that. Do you know
what I mean? She used to be a.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Teacher and I do, I do a lot. Actually, how
could you not watch it? It is and it's natural,
it's very natural. Like a lot of those things I
don't plan. They just happen. And even in my sketch books,
I didn't sketch those things. They just are when you
put people together and they're actually building relationships.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Beautiful things happen. One of our best things, you know,
our school age kids serve or take orders and serve
the seniors like during the summer for lunch once a week,
and you know they're learning so much from doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
You know, it's a basic thing, learning to take an
order and serve somebody, so it seems, but that's a
lesson that I can't teach out of a textbook.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Have you had a real especially with like a seven
eight nine year old kid, because you said that they
go up through like fifth grade, right, have you had
like real relationships develop where they're like a senior and
one of those kids like those two really like.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
That absolutely yeah, And some of them like I have
a lady that likes the one on one and so
that the kid goes down to her room to visit
her because she doesn't.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Like all the but the kid enjoys it absolutely.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
And even like the infants and the toddlers, you know,
they they call them their grandma's and grandpa's. I mean,
you know that's kind of what we coin, you know,
our grandma's and grandpa's. So I don't know. And you
can never have too many people to love a kid,
you know, you never know, maybe they don't have a
grandma or grandpa, maybe they don't many people.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
True, absolutely, yeah, how have you handled that relationship with
death comes?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
You know, it happened sooner than what we anticipated, and
so we have a chaplain who taught them early on.
You know, this is what happens, and it's hard for
all us, you know, but certainly those are natural life lessons.
So our first senior that died, it was fairly early on,
and I hadn't quite I knew it was, you know,
I'd have to teach them.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
But we just did it naturally. You know.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
The Bible tells us that this person's going to have
But that person she was our second resident, and it
was maybe three days before she died, and they took
the infants. So they have this four person stroller and
they'll kind of wheel around the facility sometimes just to
go visit people. And they went in her room and
(15:18):
she said, I didn't know there were angels here, and.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It was the little babies and the joy that brought her.
That was three days before she died, you know, and
not just yeah I can't do that, but a cute
little baby can.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
So Sandy bondsack h This is what she says. She
says she feels spoiled by her Senior Citizens home. We
just talked about people having a senior citizens home where
clinical depression and isolationism and loneliness is one of the
biggest scourges. This lady says she feels spoiled by her
(15:54):
Senior Citizens home, where she gets to spend time regularly
with children. She talked with a Capital Journal on Thursday
the inter Generational Senior Leaving Facility in Chartcare Center. Minutes earlier,
she'd watched thirteen of the senter's children sing songs and
draw with crayons. The Capital interview. The Capitol Journal newspaper
(16:14):
interviewed her in a room and four kids came with
an employee to visit, and her quote was these kids
keep life going. Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Amen, yeah, yeah, and that's really he is Sandy still around?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
No Sandy pass? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Did she sad?
Speaker 3 (16:33):
No longer with us. She was our first, our very
first resident actually.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Did the kids know her old enough kids to know her?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
No?
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Absolutely? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
How did the kids handle that?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
You know, kids are pretty resilient, I think us says
employees struggled with it more than them. They you know,
they have a better understanding too.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
You know, you say they're going to heaven, so why
is this sad you know kind of thing?
Speaker 1 (16:56):
So really that's awesome actually.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
And also I mean it is it is a reality.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
So you know, someday they're going to lose someone, So
teaching them about it early on is the thing.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I couldn't help but think when I read that and
Alex's prep that it gives me to know what's going on.
So all of the stuff I'm quoting to you, Automa
Cup Alex did. But I did read it and study
it and watch videos. But what I felt when I
read that, I stopped when she said the kid's life
keep going, and I just kind of thought about that
(17:30):
for a few seconds. Is this for whatever time she
was in your facility with those kids, it enriched the
end of her life rather than it being lonely, sad
and scary.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And those are all things that that I've tried to
do throughout my career, but I can't always do. But again,
the kids just have a way of bringing joy to
people that is different.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
I mean, you can't, but you're doing. It's a baby, but.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You're doing it because you put it together.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yes, but I'm only as good as the people I'm
surrounded with, you know what I mean. Without all of
the people that make it happen day to day, it
wouldn't be a reality.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I got to believe the parents of these children that
are enrolling them in the daycare and this multi generational
weird thing that you've started that nobody's ever heard of,
they absolutely know what's going on where they're putting their children.
What has been the parents' reaction to the children's stories
when they come home. We've had there's nothing in here
that tells them about that. But I got to believe
(18:34):
these kids are coming home tell them about their day
and the day that they spent with you know, Matilda
drawing or whatever. What is the Are you getting any
feedback from the parents' reactions to their kids exposure?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
We have so much positive feedback from the parents. You know,
in the beginning, people would say, I mean just skeptics.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I guess you know, well, there's going to be people
that think that's weird. And I said, well, then they're not.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
The right people to come to us, you know what
I mean, Like I they can think that, and that's
totally fine, but then this isn't a good fit form weird.
I think there's you know, there's really world of I mean,
they're seniors that we do a background check on everybody
and everything. But unfortunately there are people in the world
that maybe you know, you wouldn't want to trust with
(19:18):
your kid.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
They're never left alone or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
But I think there's people that are just paranoid about it.
But anyway, for the most part, I mean, the parents
are we get so much positive feedback and I think
they're learning things again that they're not going to learn
anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
You know, you can't teach to those.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Things like empathy and understanding and respect.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Kindness, And sometimes it's as simple as what's that tube
in that person's nose and what does that do you know?
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Someone that's on oxygen? You know?
Speaker 2 (19:50):
But those I think if you expose them to that
early on, it's not different.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
We'll be right back. Jimmy Neil, the maintenance man, why
don't you tell us about Jimmy Neil.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
So, Jimmy is actually my oldest brother.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Oh, and he was he was our maintenance supervisor. He
actually moved to Arkansas, but he and Neil is our
maintenance man. And he's the youngest brother, and he has
always wanted to be a maintenance man.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
And so then I.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Have a facility and he does that. He does a
lot of schedules. He hands out schedules to everybody, like
stacks of schedules.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Your whole place is the land, the beautiful land of
the Misfit Toys. You know that. It's gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Though I'm the head of it now, I think that's yeah,
just open door.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
We're going to do this a different way.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Absolutely, And I think, yeah, those are all kind of
things I'm passionate about, which is why I kind of
wanted my own I wanted to be able to in
a corporate world, you can't just bring your brother in
to be the maintenance man, but I can. So he
does a lot of measuring. He has he has his
tape measure that he goes around and measures.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Things and fixes things. He takes call twenty four to seven.
He gives everybody's business card and says he's on call.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
He's kind of a fan favorite. He unloads boxes. Some
our favorite thing he does is around lunch time. He
usually has to measure the kitchen window.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
To peek in to see what's for lunch. It's like
an open window, so he takes to stay.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Measure, so he's measuring the window. He's quote measuring the
window to see what's going on. To much.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
But he has his own phone line. He yeah, he's
a huge part of this. I have about forty five employees,
only some of those are part time or peer in.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
It started in twenty three. You have twenty six is
that right? Adult? Adult? Twenty four, twenty four adults? How
many kids?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
We're a licensed for sixty six kids?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
And what do you have?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
We have sixty six? I mean we we're waiting list.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
You have sixty six kids, twenty four adults, forty five.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Yeah, and that's including in part time.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And your brother measuring the windows. Yeah, all in two years.
How far away are people coming from to come to
your place?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
We have some from well, we have one from Nebraska,
but they had family.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
They're in Topeka and Manhattan, but most of them, a
lot of them are local.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
How far they're around the area, Wamego, Topeka area and Alma.
How far is that thirty minutes? Thirty miles thirty minutes.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
So I mean this is a regional thing now, it's
not just Almus, it's all in the whole surrounding.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Yeah, which, really, we've haven't done a lot of advertising,
so I mean, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Really, well you better not. You don't have any room
for anybody else?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, true, true, but I think you know, having the
sixty six kids in a waiting list probably speaks for
itself on the parent side, you know. But also we
do provide quality childcare, like that's kind of my thing too.
We're not just an intergenerational facility. We also provide quality
childcare and quality care to the seiors, you know, in
(23:26):
addition to that, which I'm very passionate about.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Does it have your playground?
Speaker 3 (23:31):
It does have a playground. Yes, it does have a
play You're right about the playoff?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah, yeah, and and you let who doesn't want to
see a kid play?
Speaker 1 (23:39):
You haven't done much marketing. I assume locally people know
what's going Yeah, but I don't think you've done a
whole lot of national press or anything around this, right,
I'm probably the closest thing to that.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yes you are.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
I cannot fathom somebody with some sense and business savvy
hearing this story and saying that is a better way
to slay the cap. What are your goals? Because if
your goal only two years ago was to use your
children as child labor, drive your husband crazy, and end
(24:19):
this parents' money and hawk your house. If that was
your goal to build this thing and then fill it up,
you've done that, and you're too young and the business
is only two years old to have reached its pinnacle.
What next?
Speaker 3 (24:37):
You know? I have other you know, local people kind
of cheering. I don't.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
My goal is not to be big. I mean I
want to be able to do the work every day.
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
That's why I only have twenty four residents. I have
a whole other wing. I could add, I don't. That's
not my goal. It never husband.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
So if I can, if I can show someone else
to how to do it, or you know what I mean,
or uh, well, the businessman.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Is coming out well. Two things. One, by not opening
that second wing with a waiting list, think of the car,
you're denying somebody who really needs it. I mean, that
is something you got to consider here's the second thing.
You don't have to run forty facilities to franchise them,
(25:27):
generating income that you can turn around them and not
just stick in your pocket, but also use to enhance
your deal. I challenge you to think about that maybe
in another because what you're doing is revolutionary. It truly
is in my mind. Is there anything else like this
(25:48):
in the country that you're aware of?
Speaker 2 (25:49):
There is, and actually kind of when I started delving
into it. You know, in other countries like Japan, for example,
they all live of inner generationally, you know what I mean, Like, yes,
they're families, so then they're nursing homes. They actually I
watched a documentary where they children are paid to come
(26:10):
to the nursing home.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Like their employees.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
They're paid to come visit this n No, I don't either,
but I'm just saying like that was something that.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
They at least recognized the importance youth.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Yes, that documentary was about the kids getting paid, but
but yeah, I think I think there are some I
don't know you know much about them or why.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Heritage by the name heritage.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
So in the Bible it says we're all the heritage
of the Lord, and so that's kind of where.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
I Yeah, that was one of my little sketches. It
should I be a hare.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, that was it. Uh huh Yeah, I just absolutely
you know, look, I like all of my guests. I
love all of their stories. You know. The entrepreneur in
me is just always there. I started a business, you know,
and that's the way it is. Your concept, I think
(27:05):
in only two years, has been proven and gosh, I
think there's opportunity here. Not to make money, certainly to
make some money. Offens are going to measure very business access,
like I said, but I think there's opportunity here to
change an industry that, to use your words, nobody wants
(27:31):
to go to, doesn't pay well. It's smelly and rot
with depression. An entire industry that is really genuinely like that.
And I know there's some yearly good facilities, and there's
somebody here in us right now that works in assisted
living utilities, like, come on, Bill, we do better than that.
I know I'm painting with a broad brush, but this
(27:54):
concept can add value to two generations of life, and
you're bearing it out and and I just got to
believe there's opportunity gonna come knock it, we'll be prepared.
That may be my.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Well, I'm just this normal person just kind of wanting
to serve other people.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
So I mean, like, to me, that's I don't know,
that's like out here. But also at one point this
idea was out here, You're this dream, you know, and
I just kind of but yes, I'm a very normal
person from Kansas.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
So Personville who's wrestling similar to what you're saying. Erin
this Marva Collins started one of the best schools in
inner city Chicago, and she got approached by this donor saying,
I want you to start one hundred Marva Collins schools
across the country. I'll pay for it, And she said
no because she said, I can't guarantee that those kids
are going to be successful in those other schools because
I'm not there. So I do understand you know where
(28:51):
you're coming from with that. But at the same time,
hopefully somebody picks up this ball and runs with it.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
If it's not Aaron, there's got it.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
It's just too I have people listening to us right now.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Well, I'm just gonna be real candid. I think the
quality of care in a place like wherever Kansas. It's
probably way different than the standard of care and inner
city or Louiville or Memphis or wherever, just because of
(29:26):
the challenges that exist in a living facility in that environment.
And BOI, I just think about how this could enrich
the lives of two generations also anyway.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
No, I agree, and I think too, like when you
talk about kids, just relationships in general, you know, taking
the phones and all the other stuff, just really building
that and if you can do that in your every day,
you know, eight hours a day at school, you know,
because some.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Of those kids don't have that out. I don't have
a person that doesn't know what they're talking about.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
That's an interesting thing.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
But this generation doesn't do that.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
You know, the generation of seniors that I serve, they
don't sit on their phone when you're talking to them.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Love that. We'll be right back, Aaron, I what are
your kids and your husband thing? Now? I gotta be proud,
(30:37):
I think so.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Yeah. I think I think there when we're done with renovations,
I think they'll be prouder.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Oh are you still renovating the.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Whole another wing?
Speaker 2 (30:45):
That our plan for that wing is to kind of
have a chapel in a salon kind of some extra
amenities for our seniors.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
So there's still, you know, some work to be done.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
And my youngest said, his son said, he's only inheriting
it if he doesn't.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Ever have to do it. But in all actuality, I've
worked in this field.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
For a long time and my kids have always you know, hey,
we have something for you. We'll be standing outside. They
don't want to go in. They don't want to, you know,
because it's a nursing home and it's smelly here. I
have to like kick them off the couch, you know,
like this is not your home. Go like you know,
they're very comfortable. They love our people. My son that's
graduating said, can I fight so and so and so
(31:24):
and so our residents at.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
So they're learning that too, just because they're a part
of it. It is a you know, they love the
people there.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
And I was pausing, but I got to ask you
are you profitable? Is this thing not yet? Wow?
Speaker 2 (31:40):
We just we just got our twenty fourth residence, so
or we will wednesday and then you know, will.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Be childcare is not profitable?
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Can it be?
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I don't know in this model. So when you talk
about a business like Kansas.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
I don't know, you know other states, but childcare is
a very dying field because you don't make money and
nobody wants to do it.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
It's hard work.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
So this is kind of a way to elevate childcare.
Also because the seniors pay the mortgage on the building.
We have a full time cook, We have a business officer.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
That's interesting.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
We have a nurse on side, you know, all those
kind of extra things that most childcares can't afford.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
We have all that for ours.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
So they get good food because we have a cook
and seniors want good food. Again, my business office she
does all the billing, all that. Normally the childcare director
has to do that, so that frees her up.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
So there's some economies of scale that elevate the childcare
business as a result of it being attached to a senior.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Living Yes, yes, so, and they're obviously benefiting in other ways.
But that's kind of the part that I've kind of
with legislation and stuff like this might be your ticket
to getting childcare, you know, working in Kansas.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Well, no, that's a whole it is a whole other aspect. No,
it really is very it's very true. Because it is.
It's a very big struggle.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
There's a whole other reason somebody should want to be
interested in scaling this idea. Yeah, yeah, that makes so
much sense because when you're just doing childcare and you
have to pay your people and facility and light bill
and heat and air, how do you also have a
kitchen and how do you also have some of these amenities?
But when it's attached to the senior living facility that
(33:22):
has to have these amenities, you get them by default,
which elevates.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
The level of childcare absolutely.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
So, I mean that's a big that's kind of a
big thing I've been kind of chatting about because people say,
how can you make childcare sustainable? And on the business
side of it, it's not, I mean without the other Well, what.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Is a So there has to be levels of childcare.
There has to be the kind that stay there all day,
and then there's before and after school care. What does
that cost? What is a parent have to pay?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
So in Kansas where I mean we're our facility and
infants one hundred and ninety dollars a week and then
the pre one hundred and a day.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Yep, that's that's full time a week. Six forty five
am to five thirty pm.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Holy smokes.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah, but that's I mean, that's cheap compared to No,
get that's almost.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Eye hundred a month. But I get that one hundred
and ninety. Frankly, I get both sides. One hundred and
ninety does not sound like a lot of money. I
mean it's you said five win forty.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Five dollars six forty five am to five thirty pm.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Okay, so that's that's eleven hours. Right, So at one
hundred and ninety dollars one ninety divided by eleven, you're
only getting seventeen dollars and twenty seven cents an hour
for the carreer. How much you have to pay the
person watching the baby?
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Well so there might well I pay our starting wages
sixteen dollars an hour, which.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
But there's probably one higher than most three kids.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Yeah, so the ratio is one to four.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Wonderful.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
It used to be one to three. They just change
that because.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Okay, so one to four at sixteen an hour, that's
that's what taxes and all. That's five bucks. So now
you're down to twelve twenty seven per hour after the
labor of profit to cover facility, maintenance, insurance, everything. I
can absolutely see how it does not work from a
(35:25):
business perspective that I can also see at one hundred
ninety dollars a week, at eight hundred dollars a month,
which is ten thousand dollars a year now, charging anymore
only makes it almost impossible for someone to actually send
their kid to child career. I mean, if you make
forty dollars forty thousand dollars a year, you're paying twenty
(35:47):
five percent of your total income for your kids. So
it's also really difficult to pay that. It is.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, and when you're like when I was a parent
paying child care, I find I'm like, God, these people
are getting rich off me, but they're not.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
I mean, when you really put all the numbers into it, it's.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
What about before care and aftercare school?
Speaker 3 (36:07):
So we charge like fifty dollars a week for them
to come.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I mean they're only there a couple hours, four hours,
but still, but yeah, I mean, and that's and it's.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Your twelve dollars an hour you're getting for that. If
they're two hours before, two hours after fifty bucks a week,
that's forty eight twelve. It's twelve dollars and twenty five
cents an hour you're making on that before labor.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Yeah, but also you're asking a twenty year old kid
to get paid sixteen dollars an hour to come take
care of three in things.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
That's a big responsibility.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Nikes. Yeah, yeah, I guess childcare doesn't work, does it.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
It's hard, it's yeah, So you know, again it's a
that field. I don't I don't know how anyone just
does that. And it's hard work. It's not easy work.
The kids yeahs all day.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Yeah, and they don't get a break. A lot of
those people you can't leave the room to go to
the bathroom.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
You can't leave.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I mean, you don't get any break in ours. I
mean are people we do because that is kind of
my business for a lot. You wrote right, I want
them to have a lunch break. I want them to
be paid. Well, I want them to be you know.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
So what you're saying is the income from the senior facility,
the supplements, the child care to make it all work.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Yeah, because again the seniors, you know the business model.
You know, they're paying the mortgage on the facility and
all of those things. And if you have a cook
cooking for twenty four seniors. Then they just also make
food for the children, and and you know, there's a
nurse on site. There's kind of extra bodies in the building.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
I am such a dope. I'm sitting here twenty minutes
ago talking to you about what's next, and this whole
concept and ideas just great for senior living business to
look at things a different way, way, a different way
to kill the cat. But what I completely missed is
what you've just taught me is that what really is
(38:08):
is a great way to look at it, a way
to actually fund childcare in a way that it could
be impactful and lasting and have a really high quality
of air. It's actually really is a twofold answer absolutely,
the two different problems combining them to make a solution. Yeah,
for sure, man, somebody's gonna call you. I know they are.
(38:30):
Hell I might call you. I don't know. I think
it's I think it's really really a creative, cool, inspirational idea.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Like I said, I ah, it's it's all God driven,
a lot of a lot of prayer, a lot of
you know things that came to me and I have
a really really good team, and I have really good
leadership team. I've kind of through my career, you know,
handpicked people that have that art, you know, kind of
are doing it for the right reasons and love their
(39:04):
people and have.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
A few sisters that we're creating. My dad picks up groceries.
I mean, yeah, my mother, mother in law works there.
My father in law helped with all the renovations. I
mean it's definitely a family business. You know.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
I don't know how your relationship with your husband is,
but I'm just going to speak up and say, Joe's
gotta be insight.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Well, yeah, yeah, it is a lot. It is a lot.
He probably just gets sick of hearing me talk for soon,
but he is. I think he just he he's just always.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Been supportive of my dreams and my passion and kind
of got drug along the way. And he is very
talented when it comes to like the renovation side, Like
he's very good at stuff like that, and so he
was able to so he works his full time job too. Yeah,
and then he goes and does this, So all of
his vacation the first year is doing renovations.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
What right, Aaron, I am. I'm so pleased to come
to a story story and it really is an honor
to meet you. And I really hope somebody out there
either calls you or somebody who knows somebody will say
you got to hear this story. If anybody wants to
(40:22):
get in touch with you, how do they reach you?
Email or whatever?
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Yeah, my email is E steal s T E E
L E at Heritage Homefamily dot com or my cell
phone this seven eight five four five eight.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
Eight four seven three.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Well you just screwed up.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
But I.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
You know, I give my cell phone to all the
families all that. I just feel like, I don't know,
I want to be accessible to people and if I
can help one person.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
Is there a website?
Speaker 3 (40:48):
We do have a website.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
It's www dot Heritage Homefamily dot com. And my sister
in law built my website. I mean it's all very
like I said, we we kind of Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
Well, when you have a when there's eighteen of you
got your own small army.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
My dad's plan was to have a doctor, a lawyer,
a mechanic. You know, he's like and they'll never pay
for anything.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Yeah, it did not work work out.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
He has a hairstylist. Hemissage there.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Well, he's got somewhere to go when he gets to
OLDA Walt.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
That is true. I have his room for it.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Thank you. It's a great story, and I really honestly
don't be surprised if you don't get some people emailing
you and calling you after this, because this is really
a phenomenal thing.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
And I.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
You know, I love it that you found a way
to make your living and serve people in need and
come up with a creative idea that could really change
two industries. I think it's phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
And I.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Promise me if someone does reach out and things to
start developing a different way, you'll just email me and
let me.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
I absolutely will. Yeah, and thank you.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
It is a pleasure to meet you. And I loved
your story too, and yeah, you're an inspiration as.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Well, So thank you, thank you, and thank you for
joining us this week. If Aaron Steel has inspired you
in general, or better yet, to take action by starting
an intergenerational senior living and childcare center in your community
or something else entirely, please let me know. I'd love
(42:23):
to hear about it, y'all. You can write me anytime
at Bill at Normalfolks dot us, and I guarantee you
I will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, share it
with friends and on social subscribe to the podcast, rate it,
review it. Join the army at normalfolks dot us. Consider
becoming a Premium member there any and all of these
(42:47):
things that will help us grow an army of normal folks.
I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time, do it you can
Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks.
And we continue now with part two of our conversation
with Aaron Steel right after these brief messages from our
general sponsors. So you hawked everything, borrowed family money, and
(00:32):
did child labor and got this twenty six thousand square
foot building in Almah. Yeah, right, and this is in
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, so July of twenty three is when we purchased it,
and then we started renovating. Our plan was to open
the senior living first, just because that's kind of my forte.
But the community really needed childcare, so they kind of
came to us and said, will you do the childcare first,
like we really need it. So we opened everything kind
of in phases. So we opened our childcare facility in
(01:05):
October of twenty three, We opened our first senior living
in January of twenty four, and our second in November
of twenty four. All the same building, but it's kind
of separated by wings.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So the kids have their wing, yes, and the senior
living facility is its own wing.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
They have two wings in the senior and then kind
of in between is the kitchen, the dining room, so
the seniors can come down to the childcare center, they
can volunteer, or we have what we call a combined
area where the kids rotate out each day one of
the classes for a combined activity with the seniors.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
How old are the kids, well, six.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Weeks clear to school age, so clear to fifth grade,
I think is our oldest. So we do before and
after school care, and then in the summer we do
all day and spring break, Christmas break, which that part's
really cool. I mean, all of them are super cool.
But the school age, the relationships is a little bit
different because they obviously have a the ability to remember people,
(02:03):
inform those bonds, and so that parts it's cool.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Okay, So this is young. I mean you're still just
in it, getting it going.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Absolutely we get we are full as of Wednesday of
this week.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Congratulations, thank you full of residence.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, and how many is that?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Twenty four?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Okay. So for me personally serving in a way God
has taught us kindness, compassion, treating others with respect. That's
our big mission. I say it's being God's hands and feet.
I'm going to read that again because those are your words.
For me personally serving in a way God taught us kindness, compassion,
(02:46):
and treating others with respect. That's our big mission. I
found it so interesting that when you were talking about
growing up in a home of eighteen that you use
the word selflessness in respect. It just feels like you
were ruined.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I mean, I definitely.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I mean again, I'm kind of a believer, like this
is what I was made to do. I do feel
that way, and I feel like from the beginning's but
I grew up with great examples.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I mean, my mom was the most selfless person you'll
ever I mean you'll never meet.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Nothing was ever about her, yeah, yeah, her body, her,
I mean, everything was for someone else. So you know,
it took me a long time to figure out what
that purpose was. You know, I kind of wanted it
to be to have eighteen kids. My husband did not,
you know, and as my kids got older, and you know, like,
what is it I'm supposed to do to serve other people?
(03:46):
And then it became very evident and yeah, this is
just what I'm and I think also like inspiring and
calling other people to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So you know, like those words for me.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
You know, the Bible tells us we're supposed to love
and serve others the way that God taught us.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Like, that's what it is to me.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But you know, whatever it is for you, it may
not be the Bible or God, but whatever it is
that inspires you to help other people.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
So I want to say this. This is not a nonprofit.
This is your business. This is what you do to
make your living. And you know, our listeners are so
used to us talking to people who have a job
and then do something else as a way to give
(04:33):
back to their community or frill areas of need. Only
about a month ago I sat across this table from
a guy named Alan Barnhart. Alan Barnhardt owns a business
that will do what was it to a billion in
sales this year? A billion, And at the very beginning,
(04:55):
he and his brother was his partner, decided that they
would live a middle income life, and they have not
given themselves a raise above middle income. And they also
determined that every year they would give away half of
every dime the company made, and they have. And that's
(05:15):
one thing when you're doing two hundred and fifty thousand
a year and self, it's a whole another when you're
doing a billion. And then recently he gave the whole
company away, gave. What that enlightened me to is that
being a part of the army of normal folks and
serving and filling areas and need and making profound differences
(05:39):
in the lives of people around us does not just
have to be philanthropic. It does not just have to
be helping people in the inner city. It can also
be what you do for a living. And Alan Barnhardt
really taught me that. Now I own a business and
there's no way I'm giving it away, and there's no
(06:00):
way I'm giving half about profits away. I'm just telling you,
I'm not that guy. I try to be generous, but
I ain't there. So there's extremes, for sure. And he's extreme.
And when he was sitting here, I also called him crazy,
which he is, but crazy in the most unbelievable way.
But now you're number two after a couple of years
of interviewing people of folks who are doing something for
(06:24):
their living, for their income, but have bound a way
to use their profession to also serve. What was your purpose?
What was your goal in starting this thing?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So it's kind of a little bit of a joke
when we would go to the bank or whatever. And
my husband would say, you should never say that to
a banker because I'd say, I'm not doing this to
get rich.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
He's like, you quit.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Telling bankers that, or you know what I mean, like,
and I mean really like I need to make a living,
but I need to make a purpose.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
And you also have to pay your employees a fair way.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Absolutely, but that's also part of it.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I worked for places that they weren't getting paid fair
or treated fair, or the money was not going back
to the residents the people that are you know what
I mean, Like, it wasn't being invested back into those people,
which to me, paying your employees well and treating them well,
and you know, having reliable employees, consistent employees is giving
(07:24):
back to those seniors that live there.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
I was going to say, I bet the standard of
care improves when you actually pay the employees.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, well, well, it's my frustration kind of you know,
being under that is you know, it should go back
to them and not be patting someone else's pocket.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
And so that's kind of my goal.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Obviously, you know, we put everything we have into it,
so we have to you know, pay that off, but
you know, to give back to those people. I would
love to eventually be able to do charity care. My
husband has a line of when I can.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Do that, it's like no free beds till this day
or whatever. Like I mean, that's definitely a yeah, charity care.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I would love you could do that on both ends
of the generation too. I'm sure there's some needy single
mothers out there that would.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Love absolutely, And there's state programs for people, but certainly
to me, you know, and we do accept Medicaid, which
would be like the program available for seniors that don't
have any resources or income, but most of the time
those people get substandard care, and to me, that's everybody deserves.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
You don't mean to have good care, especially at the
end of your life.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
So I would I would let them all come in
and never charge, But my husband says, I can't.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
We have to eat and pay our bills. Yeah. Profits
are necessary measure of any business of success. The level
of profits is what you can manipulate. Your motto is
loving every generation, which is insane. So the benefits of
innergenerational care, you say, are improved quality of life for
(09:05):
both generation, multiple opportunities for shared activities and celebrations that
bring joy, love, and laughter to each generation. Children provide
an endless source of joy for seniors. Children learn and
demonstrate empathy, character, and acceptance on your website Psalm seventy
one to eighteen. Even when I'm old and gray, do
(09:27):
not forsake me. By God, toll, I declare your power
to the next generation. You're mighty acts to all who
are to come. That's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yeah, And so you know, that's that's what the Bible
calls us to do. And I think if you can
teach children and start, you know, at a young age,
and maybe they'll grow up to do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
You know, and value these you know, value that generation.
You know, maybe my infants will be the ones taking
care of you when you're seventy six, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Home.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
You know, I always tease the infants in our facility.
They just think it's normal to grow up in a
nursing home. I mean, you know what, they started coming
here when they're six weeks old, and they've just grown
up in this environment. I mean, I've only been going
two years, but I'm like, think of those kids when they're.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
In high school or college or an adult.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
We'll be right back. So tell me what a day
looks like I want to understand how it works for
these kids and these seniors hang out together, what they
(10:44):
do together, what they anticipation is what it's like when
they separate. I mean, give me the how do I
get the idea that it's an inner generationial care and
each are really sharing for one another. But how does
it work? What's a schedule?
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Looking sure?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
So how we do it is each day on our
activity calendar, at nine point thirty one class rotates out,
so Mondays it's toddlers, Tuesdays it's preschool.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Wednesdays it's you.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Know, a different class, and based on the age of
that class will be what the activity is. The seniors
are invited to that, so it might be Plato, might
be coloring, it might be music, it might be anything.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
But the teachers in.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
The childcare plan that activity and then the class comes
out and the seniors join them or can choose to
join them, because not all seniors want to be around kids,
or maybe you have a day you don't feel good,
so it's definitely a choice thing and so they you know,
I kind of use the example like in a nursing home,
you have activities and you try to get seniors come,
(11:47):
but they think it's childish to color or to you know,
if you put plato on an activity calendar and no
seniors going to show up. But if you do that
next to a kid, it's all a sudden fun. And
we have seen years teach absolutely yeah, how to make
something out of place, and it with them no longer childish.
(12:11):
You're at And some of our seniors have cognitive deficits
and so the kids are actually mentors to them, are
you kidding? So like our preschool class just a few
weeks ago did an Easter egg where they had to
had to match the colors, and we have a lady
that isn't able to do that anymore, and these preschoolers
(12:32):
go and they're helping her. I mean, it's like completely flipped,
but like that that empathy and compassion and that's they
don't question that because they know her and they know
that she can no longer do that.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
They also know that she has a story where she
used to be able to do that. Do you know
what I mean? She used to be a.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Teacher and I do, I do a lot. Actually, how
could you not watch it? It is and it's natural,
it's very natural. Like a lot of those things I
don't plan. They just happen. And even in my sketch books,
I didn't sketch those things. They just are when you
put people together and they're actually building relationships.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Beautiful things happen. One of our best things, you know,
our school age kids serve or take orders and serve
the seniors like during the summer for lunch once a week,
and you know they're learning so much from doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
You know, it's a basic thing, learning to take an
order and serve somebody, so it seems, but that's a
lesson that I can't teach out of a textbook.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Have you had a real especially with like a seven
eight nine year old kid, because you said that they
go up through like fifth grade, right, have you had
like real relationships develop where they're like a senior and
one of those kids like those two really like.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
That absolutely yeah, And some of them like I have
a lady that likes the one on one and so
that the kid goes down to her room to visit
her because she doesn't.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Like all the but the kid enjoys it absolutely.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
And even like the infants and the toddlers, you know,
they they call them their grandma's and grandpa's. I mean,
you know that's kind of what we coin, you know,
our grandma's and grandpa's. So I don't know. And you
can never have too many people to love a kid,
you know, you never know, maybe they don't have a
grandma or grandpa, maybe they don't many people.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
True, absolutely, yeah, how have you handled that relationship with
death comes?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
You know, it happened sooner than what we anticipated, and
so we have a chaplain who taught them early on.
You know, this is what happens, and it's hard for
all us, you know, but certainly those are natural life lessons.
So our first senior that died, it was fairly early on,
and I hadn't quite I knew it was, you know,
I'd have to teach them.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
But we just did it naturally. You know.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
The Bible tells us that this person's going to have
But that person she was our second resident, and it
was maybe three days before she died, and they took
the infants. So they have this four person stroller and
they'll kind of wheel around the facility sometimes just to
go visit people. And they went in her room and
(15:18):
she said, I didn't know there were angels here, and.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It was the little babies and the joy that brought her.
That was three days before she died, you know, and
not just yeah I can't do that, but a cute
little baby can.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
So Sandy bondsack h This is what she says. She
says she feels spoiled by her Senior Citizens home. We
just talked about people having a senior citizens home where
clinical depression and isolationism and loneliness is one of the
biggest scourges. This lady says she feels spoiled by her
(15:54):
Senior Citizens home, where she gets to spend time regularly
with children. She talked with a Capital Journal on Thursday
the inter Generational Senior Leaving Facility in Chartcare Center. Minutes earlier,
she'd watched thirteen of the senter's children sing songs and
draw with crayons. The Capital interview. The Capitol Journal newspaper
(16:14):
interviewed her in a room and four kids came with
an employee to visit, and her quote was these kids
keep life going. Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Amen, yeah, yeah, and that's really he is Sandy still around?
Speaker 3 (16:29):
No Sandy pass? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Did she sad?
Speaker 3 (16:33):
No longer with us. She was our first, our very
first resident actually.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Did the kids know her old enough kids to know her?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
No?
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Absolutely? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
How did the kids handle that?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
You know, kids are pretty resilient, I think us says
employees struggled with it more than them. They you know,
they have a better understanding too.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
You know, you say they're going to heaven, so why
is this sad you know kind of thing?
Speaker 1 (16:56):
So really that's awesome actually.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
And also I mean it is it is a reality.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
So you know, someday they're going to lose someone, So
teaching them about it early on is the thing.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I couldn't help but think when I read that and
Alex's prep that it gives me to know what's going on.
So all of the stuff I'm quoting to you, Automa
Cup Alex did. But I did read it and study
it and watch videos. But what I felt when I
read that, I stopped when she said the kid's life
keep going, and I just kind of thought about that
(17:30):
for a few seconds. Is this for whatever time she
was in your facility with those kids, it enriched the
end of her life rather than it being lonely, sad
and scary.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
And those are all things that that I've tried to
do throughout my career, but I can't always do. But again,
the kids just have a way of bringing joy to
people that is different.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
I mean, you can't, but you're doing. It's a baby, but.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You're doing it because you put it together.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yes, but I'm only as good as the people I'm
surrounded with, you know what I mean. Without all of
the people that make it happen day to day, it
wouldn't be a reality.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I got to believe the parents of these children that
are enrolling them in the daycare and this multi generational
weird thing that you've started that nobody's ever heard of,
they absolutely know what's going on where they're putting their children.
What has been the parents' reaction to the children's stories
when they come home. We've had there's nothing in here
that tells them about that. But I got to believe
(18:34):
these kids are coming home tell them about their day
and the day that they spent with you know, Matilda
drawing or whatever. What is the Are you getting any
feedback from the parents' reactions to their kids exposure?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
We have so much positive feedback from the parents. You know,
in the beginning, people would say, I mean just skeptics.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I guess you know, well, there's going to be people
that think that's weird. And I said, well, then they're not.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
The right people to come to us, you know what
I mean, Like I they can think that, and that's
totally fine, but then this isn't a good fit form weird.
I think there's you know, there's really world of I mean,
they're seniors that we do a background check on everybody
and everything. But unfortunately there are people in the world
that maybe you know, you wouldn't want to trust with
(19:18):
your kid.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
They're never left alone or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
But I think there's people that are just paranoid about it.
But anyway, for the most part, I mean, the parents
are we get so much positive feedback and I think
they're learning things again that they're not going to learn
anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
You know, you can't teach to those.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Things like empathy and understanding and respect.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Kindness, And sometimes it's as simple as what's that tube
in that person's nose and what does that do you know?
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Someone that's on oxygen? You know?
Speaker 2 (19:50):
But those I think if you expose them to that
early on, it's not different.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
We'll be right back. Jimmy Neil, the maintenance man, why
don't you tell us about Jimmy Neil.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
So, Jimmy is actually my oldest brother.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Oh, and he was he was our maintenance supervisor. He
actually moved to Arkansas, but he and Neil is our
maintenance man. And he's the youngest brother, and he has
always wanted to be a maintenance man.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
And so then I.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Have a facility and he does that. He does a
lot of schedules. He hands out schedules to everybody, like
stacks of schedules.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Your whole place is the land, the beautiful land of
the Misfit Toys. You know that. It's gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Though I'm the head of it now, I think that's yeah,
just open door.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
We're going to do this a different way.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Absolutely, And I think, yeah, those are all kind of
things I'm passionate about, which is why I kind of
wanted my own I wanted to be able to in
a corporate world, you can't just bring your brother in
to be the maintenance man, but I can. So he
does a lot of measuring. He has he has his
tape measure that he goes around and measures.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Things and fixes things. He takes call twenty four to seven.
He gives everybody's business card and says he's on call.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
He's kind of a fan favorite. He unloads boxes. Some
our favorite thing he does is around lunch time. He
usually has to measure the kitchen window.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
To peek in to see what's for lunch. It's like
an open window, so he takes to stay.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Measure, so he's measuring the window. He's quote measuring the
window to see what's going on. To much.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
But he has his own phone line. He yeah, he's
a huge part of this. I have about forty five employees,
only some of those are part time or peer in.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
It started in twenty three. You have twenty six is
that right? Adult? Adult? Twenty four, twenty four adults? How
many kids?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
We're a licensed for sixty six kids?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
And what do you have?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
We have sixty six? I mean we we're waiting list.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
You have sixty six kids, twenty four adults, forty five.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Yeah, and that's including in part time.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And your brother measuring the windows. Yeah, all in two years.
How far away are people coming from to come to
your place?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
We have some from well, we have one from Nebraska,
but they had family.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
They're in Topeka and Manhattan, but most of them, a
lot of them are local.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
How far they're around the area, Wamego, Topeka area and Alma.
How far is that thirty minutes? Thirty miles thirty minutes.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
So I mean this is a regional thing now, it's
not just Almus, it's all in the whole surrounding.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Yeah, which, really, we've haven't done a lot of advertising,
so I mean, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Really, well you better not. You don't have any room
for anybody else?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, true, true, but I think you know, having the
sixty six kids in a waiting list probably speaks for
itself on the parent side, you know. But also we
do provide quality childcare, like that's kind of my thing too.
We're not just an intergenerational facility. We also provide quality
childcare and quality care to the seiors, you know, in
(23:26):
addition to that, which I'm very passionate about.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Does it have your playground?
Speaker 3 (23:31):
It does have a playground. Yes, it does have a
play You're right about the playoff?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah, yeah, and and you let who doesn't want to
see a kid play?
Speaker 1 (23:39):
You haven't done much marketing. I assume locally people know
what's going Yeah, but I don't think you've done a
whole lot of national press or anything around this, right,
I'm probably the closest thing to that.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yes you are.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
I cannot fathom somebody with some sense and business savvy
hearing this story and saying that is a better way
to slay the cap. What are your goals? Because if
your goal only two years ago was to use your
children as child labor, drive your husband crazy, and end
(24:19):
this parents' money and hawk your house. If that was
your goal to build this thing and then fill it up,
you've done that, and you're too young and the business
is only two years old to have reached its pinnacle.
What next?
Speaker 3 (24:37):
You know? I have other you know, local people kind
of cheering. I don't.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
My goal is not to be big. I mean I
want to be able to do the work every day.
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
That's why I only have twenty four residents. I have
a whole other wing. I could add, I don't. That's
not my goal. It never husband.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
So if I can, if I can show someone else
to how to do it, or you know what I mean,
or uh, well, the businessman.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Is coming out well. Two things. One, by not opening
that second wing with a waiting list, think of the car,
you're denying somebody who really needs it. I mean, that
is something you got to consider here's the second thing.
You don't have to run forty facilities to franchise them,
(25:27):
generating income that you can turn around them and not
just stick in your pocket, but also use to enhance
your deal. I challenge you to think about that maybe
in another because what you're doing is revolutionary. It truly
is in my mind. Is there anything else like this
(25:48):
in the country that you're aware of?
Speaker 2 (25:49):
There is, and actually kind of when I started delving
into it. You know, in other countries like Japan, for example,
they all live of inner generationally, you know what I mean, Like, yes,
they're families, so then they're nursing homes. They actually I
watched a documentary where they children are paid to come
(26:10):
to the nursing home.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Like their employees.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
They're paid to come visit this n No, I don't either,
but I'm just saying like that was something that.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
They at least recognized the importance youth.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Yes, that documentary was about the kids getting paid, but
but yeah, I think I think there are some I
don't know you know much about them or why.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Heritage by the name heritage.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
So in the Bible it says we're all the heritage
of the Lord, and so that's kind of where.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
I Yeah, that was one of my little sketches. It
should I be a hare.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, that was it. Uh huh Yeah, I just absolutely
you know, look, I like all of my guests. I
love all of their stories. You know. The entrepreneur in
me is just always there. I started a business, you know,
and that's the way it is. Your concept, I think
(27:05):
in only two years, has been proven and gosh, I
think there's opportunity here. Not to make money, certainly to
make some money. Offens are going to measure very business access,
like I said, but I think there's opportunity here to
change an industry that, to use your words, nobody wants
(27:31):
to go to, doesn't pay well. It's smelly and rot
with depression. An entire industry that is really genuinely like that.
And I know there's some yearly good facilities, and there's
somebody here in us right now that works in assisted
living utilities, like, come on, Bill, we do better than that.
I know I'm painting with a broad brush, but this
(27:54):
concept can add value to two generations of life, and
you're bearing it out and and I just got to
believe there's opportunity gonna come knock it, we'll be prepared.
That may be my.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Well, I'm just this normal person just kind of wanting
to serve other people.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
So I mean, like, to me, that's I don't know,
that's like out here. But also at one point this
idea was out here, You're this dream, you know, and
I just kind of but yes, I'm a very normal
person from Kansas.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
So Personville who's wrestling similar to what you're saying. Erin
this Marva Collins started one of the best schools in
inner city Chicago, and she got approached by this donor saying,
I want you to start one hundred Marva Collins schools
across the country. I'll pay for it, And she said
no because she said, I can't guarantee that those kids
are going to be successful in those other schools because
I'm not there. So I do understand you know where
(28:51):
you're coming from with that. But at the same time,
hopefully somebody picks up this ball and runs with it.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
If it's not Aaron, there's got it.
Speaker 4 (28:59):
It's just too I have people listening to us right now.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Well, I'm just gonna be real candid. I think the
quality of care in a place like wherever Kansas. It's
probably way different than the standard of care and inner
city or Louiville or Memphis or wherever, just because of
(29:26):
the challenges that exist in a living facility in that environment.
And BOI, I just think about how this could enrich
the lives of two generations also anyway.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
No, I agree, and I think too, like when you
talk about kids, just relationships in general, you know, taking
the phones and all the other stuff, just really building
that and if you can do that in your every day,
you know, eight hours a day at school, you know,
because some.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Of those kids don't have that out. I don't have
a person that doesn't know what they're talking about.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
That's an interesting thing.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
But this generation doesn't do that.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
You know, the generation of seniors that I serve, they
don't sit on their phone when you're talking to them.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Love that. We'll be right back, Aaron, I what are
your kids and your husband thing? Now? I gotta be proud,
(30:37):
I think so.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Yeah. I think I think there when we're done with renovations,
I think they'll be prouder.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Oh are you still renovating the.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Whole another wing?
Speaker 2 (30:45):
That our plan for that wing is to kind of
have a chapel in a salon kind of some extra
amenities for our seniors.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
So there's still, you know, some work to be done.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
And my youngest said, his son said, he's only inheriting
it if he doesn't.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Ever have to do it. But in all actuality, I've
worked in this field.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
For a long time and my kids have always you know, hey,
we have something for you. We'll be standing outside. They
don't want to go in. They don't want to, you know,
because it's a nursing home and it's smelly here. I
have to like kick them off the couch, you know,
like this is not your home. Go like you know,
they're very comfortable. They love our people. My son that's
graduating said, can I fight so and so and so
(31:24):
and so our residents at.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
So they're learning that too, just because they're a part
of it. It is a you know, they love the
people there.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
And I was pausing, but I got to ask you
are you profitable? Is this thing not yet? Wow?
Speaker 2 (31:40):
We just we just got our twenty fourth residence, so
or we will wednesday and then you know, will.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Be childcare is not profitable?
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Can it be?
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I don't know in this model. So when you talk
about a business like Kansas.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
I don't know, you know other states, but childcare is
a very dying field because you don't make money and
nobody wants to do it.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
It's hard work.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
So this is kind of a way to elevate childcare.
Also because the seniors pay the mortgage on the building.
We have a full time cook, We have a business officer.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
That's interesting.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
We have a nurse on side, you know, all those
kind of extra things that most childcares can't afford.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
We have all that for ours.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
So they get good food because we have a cook
and seniors want good food. Again, my business office she
does all the billing, all that. Normally the childcare director
has to do that, so that frees her up.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
So there's some economies of scale that elevate the childcare
business as a result of it being attached to a senior.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Living Yes, yes, so, and they're obviously benefiting in other ways.
But that's kind of the part that I've kind of
with legislation and stuff like this might be your ticket
to getting childcare, you know, working in Kansas.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Well, no, that's a whole it is a whole other aspect. No,
it really is very it's very true. Because it is.
It's a very big struggle.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
There's a whole other reason somebody should want to be
interested in scaling this idea. Yeah, yeah, that makes so
much sense because when you're just doing childcare and you
have to pay your people and facility and light bill
and heat and air, how do you also have a
kitchen and how do you also have some of these amenities?
But when it's attached to the senior living facility that
(33:22):
has to have these amenities, you get them by default,
which elevates.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
The level of childcare absolutely.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
So, I mean that's a big that's kind of a
big thing I've been kind of chatting about because people say,
how can you make childcare sustainable? And on the business
side of it, it's not, I mean without the other Well, what.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Is a So there has to be levels of childcare.
There has to be the kind that stay there all day,
and then there's before and after school care. What does
that cost? What is a parent have to pay?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
So in Kansas where I mean we're our facility and
infants one hundred and ninety dollars a week and then
the pre one hundred and a day.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Yep, that's that's full time a week. Six forty five
am to five thirty pm.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Holy smokes.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah, but that's I mean, that's cheap compared to No,
get that's almost.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Eye hundred a month. But I get that one hundred
and ninety. Frankly, I get both sides. One hundred and
ninety does not sound like a lot of money. I
mean it's you said five win forty.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Five dollars six forty five am to five thirty pm.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Okay, so that's that's eleven hours. Right, So at one
hundred and ninety dollars one ninety divided by eleven, you're
only getting seventeen dollars and twenty seven cents an hour
for the carreer. How much you have to pay the
person watching the baby?
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Well so there might well I pay our starting wages
sixteen dollars an hour, which.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
But there's probably one higher than most three kids.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Yeah, so the ratio is one to four.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Wonderful.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
It used to be one to three. They just change
that because.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Okay, so one to four at sixteen an hour, that's
that's what taxes and all. That's five bucks. So now
you're down to twelve twenty seven per hour after the
labor of profit to cover facility, maintenance, insurance, everything. I
can absolutely see how it does not work from a
(35:25):
business perspective that I can also see at one hundred
ninety dollars a week, at eight hundred dollars a month,
which is ten thousand dollars a year now, charging anymore
only makes it almost impossible for someone to actually send
their kid to child career. I mean, if you make
forty dollars forty thousand dollars a year, you're paying twenty
(35:47):
five percent of your total income for your kids. So
it's also really difficult to pay that. It is.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, and when you're like when I was a parent
paying child care, I find I'm like, God, these people
are getting rich off me, but they're not.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
I mean, when you really put all the numbers into it, it's.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
What about before care and aftercare school?
Speaker 3 (36:07):
So we charge like fifty dollars a week for them
to come.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I mean they're only there a couple hours, four hours,
but still, but yeah, I mean, and that's and it's.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Your twelve dollars an hour you're getting for that. If
they're two hours before, two hours after fifty bucks a week,
that's forty eight twelve. It's twelve dollars and twenty five
cents an hour you're making on that before labor.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Yeah, but also you're asking a twenty year old kid
to get paid sixteen dollars an hour to come take
care of three in things.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
That's a big responsibility.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Nikes. Yeah, yeah, I guess childcare doesn't work, does it.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
It's hard, it's yeah, So you know, again it's a
that field. I don't I don't know how anyone just
does that. And it's hard work. It's not easy work.
The kids yeahs all day.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Yeah, and they don't get a break. A lot of
those people you can't leave the room to go to
the bathroom.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
You can't leave.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
I mean, you don't get any break in ours. I
mean are people we do because that is kind of
my business for a lot. You wrote right, I want
them to have a lunch break. I want them to
be paid. Well, I want them to be you know.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
So what you're saying is the income from the senior facility,
the supplements, the child care to make it all work.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Yeah, because again the seniors, you know the business model.
You know, they're paying the mortgage on the facility and
all of those things. And if you have a cook
cooking for twenty four seniors. Then they just also make
food for the children, and and you know, there's a
nurse on site. There's kind of extra bodies in the building.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
I am such a dope. I'm sitting here twenty minutes
ago talking to you about what's next, and this whole
concept and ideas just great for senior living business to
look at things a different way, way, a different way
to kill the cat. But what I completely missed is
what you've just taught me is that what really is
(38:08):
is a great way to look at it, a way
to actually fund childcare in a way that it could
be impactful and lasting and have a really high quality
of air. It's actually really is a twofold answer absolutely,
the two different problems combining them to make a solution. Yeah,
for sure, man, somebody's gonna call you. I know they are.
(38:30):
Hell I might call you. I don't know. I think
it's I think it's really really a creative, cool, inspirational idea.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Like I said, I ah, it's it's all God driven,
a lot of a lot of prayer, a lot of
you know things that came to me and I have
a really really good team, and I have really good
leadership team. I've kind of through my career, you know,
handpicked people that have that art, you know, kind of
are doing it for the right reasons and love their
(39:04):
people and have.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
A few sisters that we're creating. My dad picks up groceries.
I mean, yeah, my mother, mother in law works there.
My father in law helped with all the renovations. I
mean it's definitely a family business. You know.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
I don't know how your relationship with your husband is,
but I'm just going to speak up and say, Joe's
gotta be insight.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Well, yeah, yeah, it is a lot. It is a lot.
He probably just gets sick of hearing me talk for soon,
but he is. I think he just he he's just always.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Been supportive of my dreams and my passion and kind
of got drug along the way. And he is very
talented when it comes to like the renovation side, Like
he's very good at stuff like that, and so he
was able to so he works his full time job too. Yeah,
and then he goes and does this, So all of
his vacation the first year is doing renovations.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
What right, Aaron, I am. I'm so pleased to come
to a story story and it really is an honor
to meet you. And I really hope somebody out there
either calls you or somebody who knows somebody will say
you got to hear this story. If anybody wants to
(40:22):
get in touch with you, how do they reach you?
Email or whatever?
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Yeah, my email is E steal s T E E
L E at Heritage Homefamily dot com or my cell
phone this seven eight five four five eight.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
Eight four seven three.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Well you just screwed up.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
But I.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
You know, I give my cell phone to all the
families all that. I just feel like, I don't know,
I want to be accessible to people and if I
can help one person.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
Is there a website?
Speaker 3 (40:48):
We do have a website.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
It's www dot Heritage Homefamily dot com. And my sister
in law built my website. I mean it's all very
like I said, we we kind of Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
Well, when you have a when there's eighteen of you
got your own small army.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
My dad's plan was to have a doctor, a lawyer,
a mechanic. You know, he's like and they'll never pay
for anything.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Yeah, it did not work work out.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
He has a hairstylist. Hemissage there.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Well, he's got somewhere to go when he gets to
OLDA Walt.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
That is true. I have his room for it.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Thank you. It's a great story, and I really honestly
don't be surprised if you don't get some people emailing
you and calling you after this, because this is really
a phenomenal thing.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
And I.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
You know, I love it that you found a way
to make your living and serve people in need and
come up with a creative idea that could really change
two industries. I think it's phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
And I.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Promise me if someone does reach out and things to
start developing a different way, you'll just email me and
let me.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
I absolutely will. Yeah, and thank you.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
It is a pleasure to meet you. And I loved
your story too, and yeah, you're an inspiration as.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
Well, So thank you, thank you, and thank you for
joining us this week. If Aaron Steel has inspired you
in general, or better yet, to take action by starting
an intergenerational senior living and childcare center in your community
or something else entirely, please let me know. I'd love
(42:23):
to hear about it, y'all. You can write me anytime
at Bill at Normalfolks dot us, and I guarantee you
I will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, share it
with friends and on social subscribe to the podcast, rate it,
review it. Join the army at normalfolks dot us. Consider
becoming a Premium member there any and all of these
(42:47):
things that will help us grow an army of normal folks.
I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time, do it you can
Host
Bill Courtney
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