From Personal Mission to National Impact: How Shelly Berkowitz Built and Sold a $750M Care Empire with Shelly Berkowitz

What if the key to building a thriving, multi-million-dollar company was rooted not in chasing profits, but in honoring people, purpose, and relationships?

In this episode, Kevin Thompson talks with Shelly Berkowitz, founder of BrightStar Care and now CEO of Founder 2 Founder. She shares how a personal struggle to find quality home care for her grandmother in 2001 inspired her to create BrightStar Care, a company combining medical and non-medical services under one roof.

Over two decades, Shelly grew the brand to more than 400 locations, serving thousands of families weekly while navigating the challenges of single motherhood, rapid franchising, and leading through COVID-19. When it came time to sell, she discovered that 80% of the process was emotional. Her insistence on finding a buyer who valued culture and quality over just money led her to Peak Rock Capital, where she remains a shareholder and board chair.

Today, through Founder 2 Founder, Shelly helps other entrepreneurs prepare for scaling or selling, offering the kind of empathetic guidance she wished she’d had. This conversation is about vision, grit, and the relationships—from mentors and early franchisees to her husband that helped shape every step of her journey.

 

[00:00 - 02:30] Introduction: Kevin Sets the Stage

• Kevin introduces the Million Dollar Relationships podcast and its mission

• Shoutout to the Quoted platform for connecting him with Shelly

[02:31 - 10:55] Founding BrightStar Care

• Personal experience seeking better home care for her grandmother in 2001

• Creating a company that offered both medical and non-medical care under one roof

• Commitment to paying caregivers above market rates

[10:56 - 15:50] Rapid Growth and Franchising

• Success in the first three years leads Shelly to franchise BrightStar Care in 2005

• Expansion to 450+ locations, serving 10–20K families weekly, employing 25K caregivers and 5K nurses

[15:51 - 20:36] Navigating COVID and Shifting Roles

• Balancing business demands with raising twin boys, one with autism

• Decision to step back from day-to-day operations and focus on family

[20:37 - 28:13] The Sale Process — and Walking Away

• Near-sale to a buyer who didn’t align with her values

• Choosing Peak Rock Capital for cultural fit and quality focus

• Lessons learned: most of the sale process is emotional, not just transactional

[28:14 - 41:18] Relationships that Shaped the Journey

• Mentors like Julie Beachy and Gloria Jean Ko

• Early franchisees who took a chance and helped shape the brand

• Key employees who continue her mission

• The personal relationship with her husband Sean that gave her strength during tough decisions

Key Quotes

• “It’s never been about money. It’s been about doing the right things for families, caregivers, and franchisees.” — Shelly Berkowitz

• “Eighty percent of selling my company was emotional, not transactional.” — Shelly Berkowitz

• “If you’re not ready to be done, don’t sell. There are other ways to take chips off the table.” — Shelly Berkowitz
  
  

Connect with Shelly Berkowitz
Website: founder2founder.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shellys