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Mick Unplugged

Aging with Dignity: Isabelle Guarino Redefines Senior Care

26 Jan 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 22.402 Mick Hunt

So, amazing episode with Isabel Garino. If you are someone who has family members that are in assisted living facilities, close to age to being in them, or if you're an entrepreneur looking for a business to get into, like this episode, we go deep into assisted living, residential assisted living.

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Chapter 2: What is the main focus of residential assisted living?

22.422 - 39.218 Mick Hunt

We're going to break some myths on how you could and should get into that business. But this episode, we go deep on entrepreneurship. We go deep on senior living. And it's just a pleasure to talk to my good friend, Isabel Garino. So ladies and gentlemen, here we go.

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41.24 - 64.876 Rudy Rush

You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged.

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64.896 - 65.937 Mick Hunt

Isabel, how are you doing today, dear?

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66.098 - 68.361 Isabelle Guarino

I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on the show.

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68.729 - 87.171 Mick Hunt

Thank you for being here. You know, I was telling you offline, I'm so honored and excited about the work that you're doing in the assisted living space. Having a mom and my mom isn't assisted living ready or anything like that. But but seeing what my grandparents went through and how my mom, aunts and uncles cared for them.

87.932 - 97.921 Mick Hunt

It now has put me in a place where these are things I need to care about, whether my mom is ever going to need assisted living or not, whether my relatives were ever needed or not. I need to look around.

Chapter 3: How does Isabelle Guarino redefine senior care?

98.542 - 122.462 Mick Hunt

And it's about what I've seen is that these assisted living facilities and this is not a knock on anyone. I think it's just day and age and time. They seem like institutions. You walk in and it's like, I don't want to put a relative here. I don't want to come visit here for longer than an hour if I need to. And again, it's not a knock. I just think these institutions, as I'm calling them,

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123.505 - 143.775 Mick Hunt

were built at a time when that was okay. And today it's not. So I applaud you for taking this step into one, changing the viewpoint, but honestly, making sure that people, when they need them, it feels like home. And that's what I've really been so proud of you, following you as much as I have, that the work you're doing

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143.755 - 168.818 Isabelle Guarino

letting people live with dignity so thank you for that i think you're right on the money what has been in the past is not what we want for the future and it's not acceptable and i think things like covid shined a nice bright flashlight on what's happening in what i call the big box communities right the big commercial facilities with long hallways and impersonal staff

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169.203 - 190.506 Isabelle Guarino

COVID let people understand and know what's actually going on there. And all of a sudden, adult children started ripping their loved ones out of those care homes looking for alternatives. And we've kind of always been over here saying, hey, smaller is better. And there are other options. But we just don't have the big billboard and the big sign.

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190.606 - 212.871 Isabelle Guarino

But that started to kind of rise and come into more public knowledge that there are options. staying at home one-on-one being isolated isn't always the best fit and a facility isn't always the best fit. There's something in the middle called residential assisted living and it's just a much better option for everyone involved.

212.891 - 226.986 Isabelle Guarino

So I'm grateful for COVID and I am grateful to be in this space with the coming silver tsunami of seniors because people are looking for something different and better and they should. We all deserve to age with dignity.

227.253 - 246.139 Mick Hunt

Absolutely. And, you know, again, following you and having this this groundbreaking aha moment for me. And I was telling you, you know, I've got a friend I'm helping on the board with with starting an assisted living facility. And again, touring all these is like institution, institution, institution.

246.199 - 264.836 Mick Hunt

Talk to us about your breakthrough with the residential side, because I don't think a lot of people understand that that is a thing that could happen. You know, following your research, I realized, oh, all 50 states allow zone residential to also be assisted living. And I don't think a lot of people understood that.

264.956 - 272.363 Mick Hunt

So talk to us about, one, the research that you and your companies have done, and then two, how you're bringing this insight forward.

Chapter 4: What are the benefits of residential assisted living over traditional facilities?

331.601 - 354.649 Isabelle Guarino

She passed before we could move her, but it really sparked something in my family to kind of dive all into this industry because we realized we're not the only ones going through this. Everyone is. And if they're not, they're going to one day, right? 70% of us will need daily care for an average of three and a half years. So we wanted to be a part of that change and kind of bringing this forward.

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354.789 - 374.632 Isabelle Guarino

So yes, in all 50 States, residential assisted living exists. It's typically zoned residential six to 16 seniors, 24 seven care and What we show people how to do is not be the caregiver and work in the home or live in the home. We show them how to own the real estate and kind of do it as an investment play.

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374.672 - 381.004 Isabelle Guarino

But it's still really cool because then it's an option for your own family members if and when they need it.

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381.355 - 398.356 Mick Hunt

Yeah, and so I wanna talk to you just for a moment on the entrepreneur side. So I know you're doing it from the investment side, but let's just say you are that person that's like, I have this vision of a 66 or 70 bed facility, you know, the traditional mindset.

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398.817 - 420.79 Mick Hunt

How do you switch that into, okay, let's do this through properties, whether you're leasing some of your properties or you're going through your program and you own it, you're gonna operate. How could that how does that work on the health care side? So, again, you've got a home six to 16 residents that are living there 24 seven provider.

420.91 - 429.165 Mick Hunt

Is it just, hey, you've got to staff each home as if you were going to do the big box facilities you're talking about. Talk to me a little bit about that.

429.297 - 451.218 Isabelle Guarino

Yeah, so staffing is very different. In the smaller homes, you don't have a doctor or nurse on call or they're a part of the monthly salary. You have a licensed administrator who is licensed through the state. And in the real estate world, we kind of call them the property manager, right? So they might do the hiring, firing, scheduling of the caregivers.

451.659 - 472.558 Isabelle Guarino

They do the marketing and the tours of the new families coming in and they take care of all the day to day. You can be that person, right? Become a licensed administrator. It's just a quick license you get through the state. But that is one role that you'd be hiring if you're not going to do it yourself. They're hiring those licensed caregivers who, again, are not nurses.

472.638 - 492.417 Isabelle Guarino

They're actually typically LPNs or CNAs, but licensed caregivers, again, through the state. And they're doing the 24-7 care of the seniors. They might be in charge of cooking and cleaning as well if you don't have a private chef. uh, in the home, but that's really kind of how staff is structured versus in a large community.

Chapter 5: How can entrepreneurs enter the assisted living business?

843.663 - 861.047 Isabelle Guarino

It absolutely changed my perspective of why I'm here on earth. And I think that I am here to help people create businesses, whether it's RAL or any other type of business. Yeah. To become financially free and get time freedom so that they can go do whatever God put them on earth here to do.

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861.227 - 873.521 Isabelle Guarino

You know, when we're breaking free of those chains and we can live in abundance, the whole world opens up to us. So I feel like my because is because I want to make as many people financially free as I can.

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873.561 - 894.951 Mick Hunt

That's why I love you, Isabel. That right there. That's the ticket, right? The impact to change lives and impact lives. Like that's, you know, my because is a promise that I make to people to do those same things, to impact and change lives. And if I give you a promise, I'm always going to deliver. Like that's always been my mission. Let's talk about RAL a little bit.

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895.051 - 919.924 Mick Hunt

So, you know, you're helping people become entrepreneurs. You're helping people understand this game. And we have a lot of viewers and listeners that are just that. They're like, how do I take something that I'm passionate about, turn it into an actual career, into a business for me? And you've done that really well. And I think that RAL, like what you're doing is something that

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919.904 - 941.743 Mick Hunt

Everybody that's watching or listening should consider because you are actually making impact. And that's what I love about businesses that are designed to make impact. To me, it's fulfilling. Right. It's not about joy. It's not about happiness. It's fulfilling. So talk to us a little bit about RAL, the academy that you have, and just feel free to go wherever you want with that.

942.01 - 962.655 Isabelle Guarino

Yeah, I love that because our motto is to do good and do well, because in the reality, like you can make money so many different ways. That's what's so cool about our world nowadays. It's not cookie cutter. There are people making, you know, millions of dollars on YouTube that didn't even exist 50 years ago, you know? So it's beautiful. There's so much opportunity.

962.715 - 986.912 Isabelle Guarino

So finding what suits you is the best thing. And if you do love seniors and you do understand, you know, this coming silver tsunami and you're like, oh my gosh, timing's never been better, then it's a great way to have impact investing. Because not only are you providing a better community for that senior, you are allowing the daughter or son to be a daughter or son once again.

986.972 - 1009.615 Isabelle Guarino

Many times people try to do in-home care where they care for their own loved one for a while. And I talk to people who do that every single day. It is tough, man. It is so tough. And it strips away your ability to be that daughter or son. You are now a caregiver. You grow a lot of resentment, a lot of anger. There's a lot of guilt that even got you started doing that.

1009.635 - 1029.951 Isabelle Guarino

There's so many emotions bottled into these moments of life. And to be able to kind of burst that bubble, pop that bubble and say, we've got mom. We're going to love her the same way you do, if not even better, because we're trained professionals. You get to be the son. Like you just come and love on her and hang out with her. And that's all you need to do from here forward.

Chapter 6: What role does staffing play in residential assisted living?

1673.558 - 1691.667 Isabelle Guarino

Dang, I can't think of the name of it. Oh, I know. I know the song, but I don't know the name of it. But it's like it's like it's actually lame. It's a Katy Perry song, but it's like it says I'm grateful and like all this stuff. I'm grateful. I'm thankful. Like it's just a really positive song.

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1691.687 - 1700.882 Mick Hunt

Yeah. Good stuff. Good stuff. All right. Last question. If you were not doing this, you're not doing what you do today. What would you be doing?

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1701.132 - 1705.622 Isabelle Guarino

I would probably be doing something with young kids. I love kids so much.

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1706.303 - 1730.899 Mick Hunt

Good stuff. Good stuff. Isabel, I'm so honored to have you on. This has been an amazing episode. Thank you for answering my questions. Thank you for the insight that you gave to the guests. For everybody, again, remember, message me, R-A-L, you're going to get this book. And you know what, Isabel, you do have some good business books. What's your second favorite book?

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1730.919 - 1734.003 Mick Hunt

What was the release before this one?

1735.225 - 1749.675 Isabelle Guarino

Living Legacy, which is about my story when my dad passed and these businesses being passed to me. So it's sharing how You know, you should create these businesses to pass a blessing to your kids instead of a burden. So that's a good one, too.

1750.416 - 1760.046 Mick Hunt

So so the 10 people that want that book message me legacy. So RAL for the latest book, legacy for the legacy book. And I'll make sure I get those.

1760.487 - 1762.208 Isabelle Guarino

Thanks for your generosity, Mick. I love it.

1762.729 - 1768.635 Mick Hunt

You got it. And to all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

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