With decades of combined experience in health care, education, antiques and logistics, the Browns are building a business that brings dignity and ease to families during life’s difficult transitions.
When G.G. and Dub Brown first learned about Caring Transitions through CTBids, the brand’s online estate sale platform, they thought they were just shopping. What they didn’t realize was that they were about to discover a franchise that perfectly blended their shared passions, skills and desire to give back.
G.G., a former Air Force officer turned nursing professor, and Dub, a longtime logistics professional turned antique dealer, saw how the brand’s mission aligned with their values — and jumped in. Now, as the 400th Caring Transitions location, they’re serving the San Antonio Northwest community with a personal, purpose-driven approach.
1851 Franchise spoke with the Browns about their franchising journey with Caring Transitions. Here’s what they had to say.
1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?
G.G. Brown: I was a logistics officer in the Air Force, and then I went to nursing school. I’ve done over 15 years in teaching, research and education in nursing as a registered nurse. Most recently, I was a college professor for almost a decade.
Dub Brown: I come from a background in construction logistics - I did that for about 20 years. Recently, I started a business of my own selling antiques and collectibles, and that’s actually how we found Caring Transitions. I was buying some of my inventory through a local CTBids auction in San Antonio. My wife was looking to transition out of health care and she mentioned how she loved what I was doing. We started talking, and then we talked to our local Caring Transitions owner over lunch - she gave us the full rundown.
G.G.: During that lunch, we found out that CTBids was just a small portion of what Caring Transitions actually does. We had been shopping with her for about a year and really enjoyed it. The more we talked, the more intrigued and sold we became on the concept.
Dub: We realized it was a great way to bring both of our backgrounds together - hers in health care and mine in business and logistics.
1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you’re in it?
G.G.: What was attractive to me about franchising was that it’s a tried-and-true formula. When we started our own LLC a few years ago, we didn’t know all the things we had to do. After going through all the training the brand provides, it’s clear that if you follow the recipe, you can be successful.
Dub: As a small business owner, you can learn it all the hard way, or you can do something like this. At this point in life, finding things out the hard way is for 25-year-olds. What I also liked was the branding. We’re stepping into something that already has recognition. It’s not quite a household name yet, but it’s getting there. And being the 400th franchise? That’s really exciting.
The brand is growing fast.
1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?
G.G.: We really loved that this is a full-package service, and I loved that it focuses on seniors. My research and my doctorate work focused on transitional care for people living with dementia. So when I saw what Caring Transitions does, it completely appealed to me. I’ve taken care of patients like that, and I’ve taught and mentored students about this specific population. This is really a service-oriented company. It lets you interface with seniors and their families throughout different stages of their journey - as they age, downsize and transition. The idea of offering them a smooth process at such a sensitive time is very gratifying. I’m looking forward to getting to know the seniors and families in our territory. It’s exciting, and also really humbling
work. Every time we tell people about what we’re doing, they say: “We could have really used you.”
1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?
Dub: We’d like to expand in and around our area. That’s definitely a goal.
1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?
Dub: Our territory is just north of the medical center in San Antonio, and there are 28 senior living communities right there. We’re trying to determine if we’ll buy a truck now so we can do inter-community moves. We’re uniquely positioned to serve all those facilities.
1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?
G.G.: We really did our research. This business is a lot more work than people might think. You’ve got to have really strong people skills - and you have to love helping seniors and their families. They give you enough of a blueprint to succeed, but it really depends on your knowledge of your market and your skill set. You can’t walk into this franchise without having a grounded idea of
your strengths. If your heart’s not in it, I don’t think you’ll be successful. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of business.
Dub: You have to wear a lot of hats. I’m the business development representative — I go out and get the jobs. She handles the staffing and the execution. I find the business and she delivers the services. I remember when I was 20, I worked for a business owner who told me how he got started. He had one truck, and he’d drive and go do jobs, then when he needed, he would park it, change into a suit and then go into meetings to sell the business. I can see that happening with this. It’s that kind of hustle.