Kelowna Capital News
March 3, 2009
Health service arrives on cue
by JOEL YOUNG, Kelowna Capital News
Our world is ever-changing before us—aging, illness, and distress has many faces.
Entrepreneurs, as I have shared with you so many times over the years, look at the world around them and don’t see problems, they see solutions.
This week, I am pleased to offer you a story of how two childhood acquaintances came together as friends on common ground—creative health services for the Okanagan Valley.
David Russell, moved with his family from England in 1976 directly to British Columbia, where his father became involved with the lumber industry.
This work atmosphere dictated several moves to small town environments where Russell learned the definition of job creation taking on small work tasks to earn extra money.
As a Grade 10 student in 1984, Russell met Scott Jacobsen and his future wife, Tricia, at the high school in Mackenzie in the northern part of B.C.
It was through these early associations that Jacobsen and Russell began the seeds of a lasting social and business relationship and for David, the love of his life, in Tricia.
In 1987, after Grade 12, Russell ventured out on his own to Kelowna to begin a pre-commerce milestone in his educational life and then began his work career in sales in 1989-90 for a water conditioning company.
Russell stated he obtained invaluable skills in understanding the sales world through his employer/mentor.
Then, after a brief diversion to Kamloops, Russell reconnected with Tricia and the couple settled in Kelowna in ’91, getting married in ’95.
Meanwhile, Russell had entered the financial planning and investment industry and added every possible professional credential to his skill pool possible whilst developing a genuine interest and expertise in advising seniors to enhance their wealth pool.
But, as happens in literally every field of endeavour for we mere mortals, we grow tired and weary and long for a change.
David and Tricia, who by now had mastered the completion of her nursing training, reconnected in 1998 with Jacobsen and his wife, Lynn, both of whom had arrived to the Okanagan as a married registered psychiatric nurse package.
Jacobsen, in 2001, embraced a diversion from nursing but, not health care, when he began a journey in pharmaceutical sales, while Lynn advanced her experience and knowledge as a team leader in psych nursing with Interior Health.
And then, the world for these two married couples altered toward the world of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Russell had discovered the creative health care franchise opportunity, Nurse Next Door, simply by chance and asked Tricia if she was interested in change leaning to buying her a new job rather than seeking one.
So, the couple ventured off to Vancouver to meet and learn from the co-founders of Nurse Next Door.
Russell remarked to me that they were almost there, but might have hesitated if it weren’t for his friend and now co-partner Jacobsen, who answered in a heartbeat that he and his wife Lynn were ready to become entrepreneurs with the Russells.
The rest is history dear readers and, effective Oct.1, 2008, the couples launched their Nurse Next Door franchise for the Central Okanagan region.
Nurse Next Door is an innovative home health caregiving multi-faceted solution. I was very impressed with the commitment and level of excitement that I witnessed with the two couples when I met them at the recent Health Show at the Delta Grand.
Check them out people. See www.NurseNextDoor.com.
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