For Caring Transitions franchise owners Carrie and Alan Dueck, no two days look exactly alike — but a few things stay constant: strategic planning, referral relationship-building, team leadership, and deeply personal work with families. Their story, recently featured by 1851 Franchise, offers a real look at ownership in the senior relocation and estate services space.
The couple didn't set out to buy a franchise — they found the business through lived experience, after caring for Carrie's mother, who had dementia. That firsthand look at how much families need support during a loved one's transition, paired with their professional skill set, led them to build a business that could make a bigger impact.
Their days start with an hour of planning and prioritizing before any client work begins, with strategy conversations continuing throughout the day. From there, time is split between nurturing referral partnerships with real estate agents and senior living communities, managing operations like estate auction production and shipping logistics, and — most importantly — meeting directly with families. That might mean walking a client through "rightsizing" her home ahead of a move, or helping a 96-year-old client and her son decide it's time for a senior community.
For the Duecks, it adds up to more than a task list — it's the chance to guide families through some of life's biggest decisions while building a business with real room to grow.