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If you’re looking for encouragement to lean into life and seize the opportunity of aging, look no further than this issue of Growing Bolder magazine. We share the legacy of Julia Hawkins, the 108-year-old woman who inspired the world and the story of Jerry Domask, an 84-year-old triathlete, Vietnam Veteran and fine artist who uses his work to advocate for his “foxhole buddies.”
You’ll meet Doreen Ratigan, the winner of Humana and Growing Bolder’s The New 65+ National Selfie Contest. When we met Doreen in person, we learned that the contest judge was right when he told us, “There is something very special about that woman.”
And we’ll take a ride with Christiane Palpant. After a major health scare, Christiane quit her job and traveled around the country in a customized van, stopping in 48 states and flying to Alaska and Hawaii. We met up with Christiane mid-journey and again when it was all over. She shares life lessons learned on her road to discovery.
The message from all is clear. Life’s not always easy and the challenges never stop coming. But we can all find our own way to continue living with passion and loving life on our terms if we keep Growing Bolder.
From the CEO
“Life’s not always easy and the challenges never stop coming. But we can all find our own way to continue living with passion and loving life on our terms if we keep Growing Bolder.”
Photo by Mike Dunn for Growing Bolder
“Faith, family, and giving back. If you got that, there's nothing left.”
- JERRY DOMASK
Photo Courtesy: Jerry Domask
GROWING BOLDER
WITH
Jerry Domask A Man of Many Talents
It’s Sunday morning and a new day is dawning in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The surf is up, and most early risers have come to take a walk. 84-year-old Jerry Domask has come to take a swim. “I am going into the ocean. And there's never a bad day in the ocean.”
Jerry is a member of the Duval Ocean Swimmers, a large group that meets at the pier to swim a mile or two every day, even in the near tropical storm conditions that greet them this morning. “I love it, especially on days like today,” Jerry says. “The ones that are the toughest are the ones you always remember, like anything in life.”
Jerry didn’t start swimming until he was in his late 60s. “I would swim between two buoys, 25 yards apart, and hold on for dear life,” he says. “Eventually, I built up. The ocean is now my refuge. It’s my psychiatrist. The source of my energy and creativity. It’s like plugging into a 20-ton lithium battery.”
Easily the oldest member of the group, Jerry is a constant inspiration to the others. “We all look at him and go, ‘Wow he’s still at it,’” says Giancarlo Bertozzi. “It shows that you can still be really strong, even as you get up there in age. So, that gives us hope!”
Kevin Kenney, a senior executive with a national healthcare company agrees. “I work with a lot of older adults and when it comes to motivating seniors people like Jerry make my life a whole lot easier. He’s living proof that we can still be active and don’t have to stop doing what we love.”
Because the surf is so rough and the tide so strong, the group walks a mile and a half up the beach to swim with the current back to the pier. Jerry secures his cap and goggles, slowly wades into chest-high waves crashing against him, dives in and disappears into the surf.
The group swims out beyond the breaking waves and heads back to the pier. Twenty minutes later, one by one, they begin walking onto the beach. Smiling from ear to ear, Jerry emerges from the surf and celebrates another invigorating swim. “Yeah, baby! I'm getting better as I get older,” he proclaims. “I have more energy and discipline. My
goal is to do triathlons until I'm 90.”
Swimming is only one of Jerry’s passions. He’s a world-ranked triathlete, a fine artist whose paintings and sculptures are widely collected, a proud Vietnam Veteran and a dedicated widower who lost his wife of 60 years, not long ago. “Mary was my earth angel,” he says. “I celebrate our love every day. Yesterday morning I woke up and said, ‘I'm going to stay here for a half hour more with Mary.’ We're still together. There's no question about it. We’re still together.”
Mary is buried at The National Cemetery in Jacksonville Florida where Jerry was commissioned to create a Vietnam Memorial welcoming Veterans home. He’s contributed to multiple Veterans exhibits including creating a provocative series of paintings for an exhibit called Reflections, Vietnam War 45 Years Later, in which he used art to deal with his own post-traumatic stress disorder. He not only speaks for Veterans through his art, but he also counsels them in person. “I call them my foxhole buddies. If you haven't been in a hostile environment, if you haven't been there, you’ll never understand. Everybody comes back changed.”
In his mid-80s, despite enduring the trauma of war, losing friends and his beloved wife, despite some serious health challenges, Jerry Domask continues to live a life he loves. He’s determined to make a difference in the lives of others and believes he’s stronger, wiser, and more creative than ever. “I'm fearless and I don't want to be controlled. I don’t want to be repetitive. I want to go where I’ve not gone before. That's the freedom of being 84. All I have to do is please myself.”
Jerry Domask is a man of many talents who says his life has always been guided by three principles that continue to serve him well. “Faith, family, and giving back. If you got that, there's nothing left.”
Photo Courtesy: Jerry Domask
Doreen Ratigan is Leaning into
Marc Middleton
From painting to pole vaulting, puppeteering and playing hundreds of selfies were submitted to The New 65+ Selfie Contest presented by Humana and Growing Bolder, an initiative smashing the stereotypes of aging by telling stories of passion, and possibility.
playing the piano,
Photography initiative that is passion, purpose,
The winning selfie was submitted by 70-year-old Doreen Ratigan, who splits time between homes in Florida and Michigan. Doreen’s winning photo is a selfie of her posing with a colorful plastic butterfly. “It says there's always a little girl inside of me who loves nature and is excited to play,” said Doreen.
Mike Dunn a renowned portrait photographer and the contest judge agrees. “She’s showing so much personality in a single frame,” Dunn said. “I really feel like I know her, and I want to spend some time with her.”
After a career teaching and counseling students, Doreen retired to pursue her many passions. She and her husband are avid sailors and cyclists, she runs in community road races and is working hard on her swimming to improve her triathlon results. Additionally, Doreen is always up for a nice long walk.
Last March, Doreen decided to hike the Ocean to Lake Trail, known as the OTL. Doreen had this to say about her adventure: “You walk 63 miles from the Everglades to the Atlantic Ocean. My friend said, ‘Doreen, there are snakes out there. There are alligators and spiders. There are really frightening things!’ I said, ‘Well, yeah, they live there, but I can go there too.’
“So off I went with a small group of friends. It's all wilderness. I was up to my waist in water at some point, but it was so beautiful. I saw things that I would never have seen otherwise.”
Doreen has not always been this fearless and self-confident. “I was an overweight kid. I didn't know how to
“It's an art form for me – photography with my telephone,”
- DOREEN RATIGAN
take care of my body and my health,” she shared. “It was hard for me to see my friends who were fit do things that I couldn't do. I was insecure and people made fun of me, and that hurt. When I got older, I went to counseling to resolve my own insecurities. Now, if I have a fear, I say, ‘Let's tackle it. Let's learn and grow from it.’”
Doreen, a longtime LGBTQ+ ally, put her fear of performing aside when she heard that the Orlando Gay Chorus was holding open auditions. “I looked at my 14-year-old daughter and said, ‘Anise,
“There's always a little girl inside of me who loves nature and is excited to play,”
- DOREEN RATIGAN
Other Submissions
to The New 65 +National Selfie Contest
Sharon Kurtz is a sand boarder and travel writer who lives to inspire women over the age of 50 to believe they can do more than they have previously thought they could and to embark on adventures, like this photo she shared from the Dunes of El Mogote.
The power of creative engagement is on full display, with puppeteer Jeanne Missey, painter Clara White, or even a couple in their late 80s who put their own satirical spin on an iconic work of art.
71-year-old great-grandmother Benita Warns, after a 45-year hiatus, was given her own radio show in Indianapolis and is back on the air as a disc jockey, fulfilling her lifelong dream.
Sylvia Greenway is 88 years old, and shared this selfie of her passion for piano, which she says has been her constant companion through the ups and downs of life, but now she lives to share her gift with her community by leading sing-alongs.
See photos of masters athletes in action, like 70-year-old world champion pole vaulter Kay Glynn, 66-year-old hockey goalie Rick Reed and cyclist Elaine Cardwell, who still rides more than 80 miles a week in her late 70s.
The New 65+ celebrates life’s little miracles like a simple meal shared between a father and daughter, a night out between friends of 40 years, and a lifetime of love between Jane and Martin Chenevert, who have been married for 66 years and still call each other best friends.
SEE MORE INSPIRING STORIES AND UPLOAD YOUR OWN SELFIE!
Farewell Julia
The Lasting Legacy of Julia Hawkins
We lost a friend and inspiration when Julia Hawkins passed away recently at the age of 108. Julia’s passing was reported by nearly every major news organization in the world – not because she lived to 108 but because of how she lived to 108.
Julia gained fame when she started running at the age of 100 and promptly set new world age group records in both the 50 and 100 meters. At 105, on a cold and windy day in Hammond, Louisiana, she became the oldest woman in history to compete in a sanctioned track and field meet.
Standing on the track moments before the race began, Julia confided in Growing Bolder that her eyesight was failing and “keeping your balance is hard when you’re 105. Just standing still is hard.” She understood the risk of running and admitted to being afraid. “At my age you could fall, have a heart attack or a stroke. But I choose to look fear in the face and run,” she said. “I have had so many people say, ‘You are what I want to be when I grow up.’ If I'm being left here in life just to set an example for a lot of people, that would be good enough. If that's what I'm doing, I'd like that.”
Julia overcame the many infirmities of advanced age with passion, purpose, the support of loving family and friends and a never-ending desire to enjoy each moment. “I believe when you get older you should have magic moments and passions,” she told us. “Older people need something to look forward to, something to be ready for, something to care about. And I do care about a lot of things. I care about flowers and birds and sunrises and sunsets.”
“I
choose to look fear in the face and run,”
- JULIA HAWKINS
Photo Courtesy: NSGA
Julia was endlessly curious. She kept her body and her mind moving. She wrote letters to friends all over the world and wrote an autobiography at age 100. We visited Julia at her home in Baton Rouge where she shared her passion for gardening. Her yard was an official Louisiana Certified Habitat with over 75 native plants, all of which were tagged with labels. She was especially proud of her Bonsai trees, some of which were nearly as old as she was.
According to her family, Julia arranged to donate her body to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, which is studying longevity. The Pennington may learn something biomedical that contributes to longevity but the real keys to happy and healthy aging are in the life that Julia lived and not the body she leaves behind.
Her long and happy life was not the result of a unique genetic blessing. It was the result of daily lifestyle choices made over decades. The kind of choices we can all make in our own lives. We all have the ability, in our own way, to look fear in the face and run. We can all become collectors of magic moments. Julia Hawkins represents the potential that we all have. That, not a 100-meter run, was what made her so special and her legacy so powerful.
Photo Courtesy: USATF
Save for a Longer, Happier Life
Prepare for the Longevity Paradox
The fastest growing age group in America is now 85-to-95-year-olds. Simple lifestyle choices like exercising, eating healthy foods, and maintaining social connections are making it possible to live longer, happier, and healthier lives than in decades past.
Having extra years can also mean having extra challenges, especially when it comes to our finances. Actuaries are now calculating what they call “longevity risk” — the rising risk of outliving our money. It sets up the “longevity paradox”; the one thing that we most aspire to in the future, longevity, is the greatest threat to that future. A financial plan that includes safe and regular saving can help ensure that we don’t run out of money before we run out of time.
Fund Your Next Chapter of Life
Putting your money to work as early as possible is important, but it’s also never too late to begin. Whenever you begin your savings journey, there are countless online resources available to help you maximize your returns such as Raisin. Raisin is not just another interest rate comparison site — it's an allin-one savings tool designed to help you take control of your funds.
Cetin Duransoy, CEO of Raisin, highlights the platform's consumercentric approach: “Raisin brings together over 75 banks and credit unions, offering savers nationwide access to some of the most competitive rates with just one login. We've simplified the process of finding high-yield savings options by partnering with institutions that previously served only local markets. Now, consumers can easily compare and select from a wide range of attractive savings rates without the need to search multiple websites or manage numerous accounts.”
Raisin has no fees and it only takes a $1 deposit to get started. Duransoy, a former senior executive with Capital One and Visa, says the Raisin platform was designed from the ground up to be user-friendly for savers of all ages, especially those in the 50+ demographic.
“We made the platform extremely easy to navigate. You can safely move your money from one account to another to take advantage of special rates that have been unavailable to you until now,” Duransoy said. “My recommendation is not to just take my word for it, but put in a small amount, such as $100, and see how easy it is to use it yourself.”
The Health-Wealth Connection
Extra years of enjoyable life should be considered a major goal and one of life’s greatest blessings but without sufficient resources to fund a longer life, those years can be filled with stress, anxiety, and unnecessary struggle.
An important part of a Growing Bolder lifestyle is preparing for the challenges of aging because we will all face hardships of one kind or another as we age. That’s life. One of the most important keys to protecting our financial future can be found in the health-wealth connection.
We can’t improve our overall health and well-being without also improving our overall financial health. That means that one of the best investments we can all make is simply improving our daily lifestyle choices because rising healthcare costs are the most serious threat to our financial futures. Studies show that more than 80 percent of our healthcare dollars go to treating preventable chronic diseases. Regular exercise, a nutritious diet, plenty of sleep, and strong social connections are an investment in our future that we can make.
Despite our best efforts, health setbacks can still happen to anyone, especially as we age. “Serious financial hardship is almost always the result of some kind of health problem,” Duransoy told Growing Bolder. “You don't want to borrow from your credit card for those expenses. You want to borrow from a planned account for that day. And if that day never comes, that’s a nice surprise. But for many, a health challenge will come, and it’s important to have a plan in place by growing your money now.”
• Simple, secure, one-stop savings marketplace
• One login
• Access to 75 banks and credit unions
• Select from some of the nation's top interest rates
• No Raisin fees
• $1 minimum deposit
“Financially successful people turn savings into a habit and it’s never too late to start.”
- CETIN DURANSOY, CEO OF RAISIN
Having principally-protected investments, like those made available through Raisin, in our portfolio, helps ensure that our money is available when we need it most.
Don’t ever say that you can’t afford to invest in your future because we can leverage the health-wealth connection.
Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is
Raisin isn’t simply a marketplace to select the best interest rates. It provides data that allows you to “save with a purpose.” A simple dropdown menu enables savers to filter for banks that support small businesses, are family-owned, minority-owned, environmentally conscious, and more. “We found that consumers appreciate the ability to save their money where the mission of the bank is aligned with their own,” Duransoy said.
It’s Never Too Late
Raisin removes barriers to saving and provides investment options to make it simple and safe to grow your money.
“When it comes to the question of ‘when is the right time to save?’, the answer is, ‘all the time,’” Duransoy says.
“Financially successful people turn savings into a habit and it’s never too late to start. It is all about consistency and once you get started, it becomes so much easier ahead.”
Sign up today at Raisin.com/GrowingBolder, and use the code BOLDER to earn $50 in bonus cash with a qualifying deposit of at least $5,000. Terms and conditions apply.
50 States, One Van: Christiane Palpant’s Bold Adventure Turns Dreams into Reality
Amy Sweezey
Many people dream of quitting their jobs and traveling around the country, but very few actually do it. For Georgia resident Christiane Palpant, that dream wasn’t just a fleeting thought; she defied expectations and made it a reality. Aboard a modified sprinter van she named Millicent, Palpant embarked on a cross-country journey stopping in all 50 states. Well, she drove across 48 and flew to the other two, since Millicent wouldn’t float to Hawaii or Alaska.
It all began with a health scare. As she neared her 50th birthday, Palpant thought she “had it all.” She loved her career in business and finance and traveled extensively for a Fortune 200 company in a high-powered job.
At a dinner with clients, her life took a dramatic turn. “It was very sudden and literally blindsided me,” Palpant shared. “I had chest pains at dinner and then collapsed at the hospital door.”
She flatlined and nearly died before doctors discovered she needed open-heart surgery. An unknown virus had attacked her heart. Surgery was followed by two years of bed rest, during which Palpant knew she needed to make a major change.
“After my near-death experience, I had a divine epiphany that I needed to change my life,” Palpant said. “It was a really awful experience, painful, and isolating… but I would never have made a career shift without it. I would never have taken this Millicent journey, and I never would have started painting. So, that’s the silver lining.”
When the doctors said she couldn’t get her heart above 60 beats per minute, Palpant went down a trail of “Why me?” But she quickly realized she needed to stop asking “why” and start asking “what?”
“What can I do to keep mentally strong and keep my heart rate low?” Palpant asked herself. “Painting came to mind, but I was never an artist. My mother was a professional artist and I didn’t realize I’d had 50 years of art lessons from her.”
“After my near-death experience, I had a divine epiphany that I needed to change my life,”
- CHRISTIANE PALPANT
Art Explosion
Palpant created 60 works of art in that first year, with many ending up in the trash. But the act of painting became part of her healing journey. And once she began posting her work on social media, people took notice. An art gallery in New York City contacted her with an initial request. “Since then, I’ve had exhibitions in New York, Sacramento, Scottsdale, Miami, Paris, Lisbon, and Portugal.”
After two years of painting while on bedrest, Palpant returned to her corporate job and stressful lifestyle. She soon knew she needed a bigger change. Combining her love of painting and her desire to explore America, Palpant devised a plan. She would turn a van into a mobile art studio and paint in all 50 states.
Millicent’s Birth
The process of transforming Millicent into a fully functional art studio on wheels took an entire nine months. “Customizing this van took way longer than I thought,” admitted Palpant. “There were about a hundred times during that time that I thought, ‘I’m done. I’m going back to my job. This is awful.’”
Eventually, Palpant realized that building Millicent was part of the journey to be embraced. The name came from her favorite board game as a child, Masterpiece, which mimicked a Sotheby’s fine art auction. “My persona in the game was always Millicent Friendly, and I thought, ‘What a fun name for the van.’”
Travel Challenges
Life on the road wasn’t always easy. Palpant said she considered giving up more than once. “Gas prices went up. Everything that could go wrong with the van, physically and technologically, went wrong. I had shingles at one point. I had a sudden root canal at one point. I was being challenged on so many levels and there were many times when I thought I was just going to get rid of the van and move on with my life.
“But I had to take a deep breath and think, ‘Okay, if I just take the next step, can I do that? Yes, I can.’ So, I’d take the next step. Then I’d get a little more courage and take the next step.”
It was that persistence that kept her going, even when the path was tough.
“Take the risk to Be really intentional the growing bolder because it’s - CHRISTIANE
The Final Countdown?
2025 and the Scheduled Estate Tax Sunset
Vanessa J. Skinner
The start of a new year always provides an opportunity for new beginnings. 2025 may also provide a unique window of opportunity for estate planning.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 overhauled the federal tax code, including significant changes to the federal estate and gift system. Notably, the landmark law more than doubled the maximum amount that families can transfer to their beneficiaries – either during lifetime or at death – without paying any federal gift or estate taxes. Further, the estate tax exemption amount is indexed for inflation. As a result, in 2025, the amount is $13.99 million per individual or $27.98 million per married couple. Any assets transferred above this lifetime
Vanessa J. Skinner is a shareholder with the firm of Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman, P.A., where she chairs the firm’s Wills, Trusts & Estates Department. She was recently named one of the Best Lawyers in America in the area of Elder Law for the fourth consecutive year. She is the host of The Power of Planning Podcast anchor.fm/thepowerofplanning
exemption will be subject to a 40% tax.
This historically high exemption amount is not permanent. It is currently scheduled to expire, “or sunset,” on December 31, 2025, unless Congress acts to extend it or make it permanent. The new administration has indicated that the extension of the TCJA is a priority. However, if no Congressional action is taken, the exemption amount will revert to its pre-TCJA level of $5.6 million per individual, adjusted for inflation from 2017. Projections estimate the exemption, also known as the unified credit, could fall to $6-7 million per person or $12-14 million per married couple in 2026. This significantly increases the number of estates subject to federal estate tax and causes a higher estate tax liability for those estates that are already subject to the estate tax.
If you currently have a taxable estate, or will have a taxable estate following the sunset, you may want to consider utilizing certain gifting strategies in 2025 to take full advantage of the current higher exemption. The IRS will not impose a tax on the prior gifts or claw assets back into your estate if the exemption amount drops in 2026. Your taxable estate includes cash, securities (both nonqualified and retirement), real estate, insurance, revocable trusts, annuities, business interests and other assets such as tangible personal property (vehicles, boats, artwork, jewelry, etc.).
Please note that many states have their own estate or inheritance tax. This article focuses solely on federal estate tax. Outlined below are some estate planning strategies that are frequently used to maximize the transfer of wealth and minimize the amount of federal gift or estate taxes paid.
Direct Gifts
Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)
The simplest gifting technique is making a direct gift of cash, securities or other assets. The annual gift tax exclusion, which is currently $19,000 for an individual and $38,000 for married couples, allows you to make gifts in these amounts to as many people as you like without paying gift tax or reducing your unified credit. Although direct gifts can be made in an amount up to the lifetime exemption, it may not be appropriate to transfer millions of dollars to one or more individuals without any guardrails in place. Irrevocable trusts are a popular alternative because you can control how and when the beneficiaries receive distributions.
A SLAT is an irrevocable trust that enables one spouse (the donor spouse) to make a gift for the benefit of the other spouse (the beneficiary spouse) while still maintaining some access to the gifted assets during their lifetime. The beneficiary spouse can receive distributions of trust income and principal from which the donor spouse may receive an indirect benefit. The SLAT can also include children and grandchildren as beneficiaries. Gifting assets to a SLAT removes those assets from a couple’s combined taxable estate even though the couple is not giving up complete control of the assets.
Intentional Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT)
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT)
An IDGT is an irrevocable trust created by an individual (the grantor) during life that provides a variety of tax benefits. Assets transferred to an IDGT are removed from the grantor’s taxable estate, but the trust is “defective” for income tax purposes. Any income on the trust assets is taxed directly to the grantor, and not the trust. The grantor’s payment of the trust’s income taxes is akin to a tax-free gift to the trust and further reduces the grantor’s taxable estate while allowing the trust assets to appreciate.
An ILIT is an irrevocable trust that is created during the insured’s lifetime and funded with one or more term or permanent life insurance policies. The proceeds from the death benefit are not subject to estate tax. If properly drafted, payment of insurance premiums can qualify as annual exclusion gifts. Ideally, the ILIT is established first and then it purchases the life insurance policy. If an insured transfers an existing policy to an ILIT and dies within three years of the transfer, the entire policy proceeds are included in the insured's gross taxable estate.
The above referenced strategies are complex and require time and skilled professionals to implement. There are many legal, tax and financial factors to be carefully considered, including capital gains tax considerations. Be sure to closely monitor the fate of the current legislation and give yourself sufcient time to do proper planning.
Caring Transitions: Looking for a Career with Purpose? Become a Franchise Owner and Support Families Through Life’s Transitions
Inspiration can strike at any moment. For the Moreiras it was in 2020, in the middle of the global pandemic, when the father and son decided to make a career pivot and go into business together with a mission that hit close to the heart.
“We were thinking of business ideas that were consistent and not affected by economic downturns and the uncertainty ahead,” said João Moreira, 76. “At the same time, we recognized there was going to be a lot of pain in the world, and wondered how can we support others?”
The crossroads of these two key core values led João and his son John, 53, to become owners of the Caring Transitions franchise serving Rockville, Bethesda, and Annapolis, Maryland just one year later. Caring Transitions is an organization that specializes in senior relocation, downsizing, estate sales, online auctions and home cleanouts, helping older adults and families during times of life’s transitions to have a stressfree and labor-free experience during a move.
“We were familiar with the need for this type of supportive business,” John said. “My father and I had gone through it with his parents, so we knew not only were we meeting a demand, but we could help people through these times.”
“When helping my family, we were driving out of state, filling up
dumpsters on the weekend, moving furniture with little to no help,” João shared. “It was very labor intensive and a difficult process.”
João and John are both proof that it is never too late to make a career change. Gone are the days of a rigid, linear career path that meant going to school with one focus, working in one career for 40+ years, and then retiring to withdraw from life to sit on a couch. There is now an entirely new life stage available to all of us, offering more healthy and active years to embrace change, try new things and pivot in our careers in our 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
João has worked on nuclear power plants, created IT systems, and worked in the government in Washington D.C., supporting the treasury department. He retired from these roles, but was excited at the opportunity to stay active and engaged in his 70s, working alongside his son running their Caring Transitions franchise.
For John, who still works as a political consultant, the opportunity to get into franchise ownership was a perfect fit, knowing he was sharing responsibility alongside his dad.
“I am very lucky. Trying to do all of this on my own seems very daunting. It's just so nice that you have one person you can absolutely count on,” John said.
“It was especially helpful to split the workload,” João added.
“Getting to see the relationships of other families, it reinforces that giving back to the community is very important.”
-
“I handle the backend operations, the financials and infrastructure of the franchise, while John handles the day-to-day operations, managing our team of employees and helping our customers with an individualized plan for their move, estate sale or downsize.”
This family venture, launched in 2021, has blossomed into a steadily growing and financially rewarding business. While they admit the work is challenging, they are fueled by the opportunity to work a job that makes a difference in the lives of others.
“There is a big emotional aspect to what we do,” John said. “Some clients you are getting hugs from them and it is so rewarding, and they are so happy for your help while their family moves or downsizes. For others, a life transition can be a really difficult time. We’ve helped family members who have dementia or have a hard time transitioning to a new location, and it can be really emotionally challenging for us.”
“Getting to see the relationships of other families, it reinforces that giving back to the community is very important. It makes me feel fortunate for the kind of family relationships that I have, too,” João said.
“It really reinforces that things are things, and people and relationships are what is important,” John shared. “You can have a house full of every single thing that you would want, but in the end, they're just things. It's really important to have people that you love and trust in your life in order for you to continue through these types of transitions into your next phase.”
Reflecting on the characteristics that have made them successful, the Moreiras recommend a Caring
Transitions franchise as a great fit for someone who isn’t afraid of hard work, who is good at problem solving, managing people, an avid learner and great with customer service. They want others to know that as a franchise owner, you have the support of the Caring Transitions corporate team every step of the way, but with the freedom and autonomy to run your business in your own style.
Are you ready for your own “What’s Next” in life? Consider a career that cares. Learn more about becoming a Caring Transitions franchise owner by visiting CaringTransitions.com/Franchise
are more than 350 Caring Transitions franchises located across the country. To find the team nearest you, visit CaringTransitions.com
