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This article was originally published in Franchise Dictionary Magazine on June 2026.
Eric and Brittany Smith's journey to becoming BrightStar Care® franchisees was a homecoming for the couple.
After working as an executive at a K-12 education startup in Illinois, Eric was told in 2021 that his office wouldn't reopen due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that his role would become fully remote. The couple saw this as an opportunity to return to Brittany's hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan, a place that held many fond memories for their family. It was also an opportunity to be closer to Brittany's parents, who were aging.
Brittany had coached volleyball at the collegiate level and worked in nonprofit management before moving to Grand Rapids. Once there, she immersed herself in volunteer work, helping single mothers and utilizing volunteers to provide wraparound services that assisted them and their children.
After Eric successfully oversaw a post-acquisition integration for his company, the couple decided to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning a business together.
"It was just a chance for us to take a step back as a family and say, 'What do we want to do next, and what do we want the impact to be?'" said Eric.
It was BrightStar Care's reputation for high-quality, nurse-led care that initially caught the attention of the Smiths.
"I think the level of care that you can offer when you have that nurse-led care is pretty significant," said Eric. "To be able to say, 'We can conference with your doctor or provider,' and know they're going to receive those notes because they're coming from a nurse - that continuity of care provides a level of care and insight that is outstanding."
The Smiths opened their BrightStar Care location in early March 2026, and two of their early hires are caregivers that Brittany had previously worked with while volunteering. While they're still in the early stages of their business, they've been able to rely on their coach from BrightStar Care and have already started to build a solid client base.
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