Elisabeth Nassberg, 39

Elisabeth Nassberg doesn’t shrink in the face of a challenge.

Baby in tow, she and husband, Jacob, moved to Naples in 2005 from the east coast of the state and rented a 100-square-foot office for their new business, Just Like Family Home Care.

Today, Just Like Family Home Care, which the Nassbergs started with a partner who's no longer involved in the business, has an army of 700 caregivers in the region to visit with patients who need help at home. Nassberg and her team of more than 15 people focus on getting people help fast, usually within the hour.

But Nassberg’s company doesn’t just have a great name. She’s hired her own relatives to work in the business, including mom and dad. She employs teams of relatives such as mothers, daughters and sisters. “We don’t put everyone in the same room,” she laughs.

The secret to hiring good people is to find the first one. “When you find one good person, they’ll bring you more,” Nassberg reasons. Like relatives, good employees attract each other in a virtuous cycle that continues as the company grows. “They keep getting better and better.”

Nassberg knew this firsthand when she started the business. She had managed another home-care company before embarking on her own venture. “You have to know this business to start it,” she says. “Each year we doubled our business.”

—Jean Gruss

Q&A

City of residence: Naples

Birthplace: Glen Cove, Long Island

Marital status/children: Happily married to Jacob 12 years with two sons, Noah, 10, and Joshua, 8.

Alma mater: State University of New York at Oneonta

Best place to network: For me, it has been volunteering and giving back to the community. I love supporting the local good causes related to health, seniors and children in our own backyard.

The most important business lesson I’ve learned: I think that you should only go into your own business if you truly know how to do it. This means working your way from the bottom up most of the time! I also think that you need to plan on working harder than you ever would working for someone else. If you can handle that, and you know what you are doing, the rest is good service, good timing and good business planning.

One community group you’re most involved with: Most of my recent attention is focused on The American Heart Association & PACE Center for Girls

Best award you ever received: A tie between the SCORE award for Majority Women Owned Business in 2010 and the YMCA of Naples Volunteer of the year award in 2009

Book you’re reading now: “Lean In,” by Sheryl Sandberg

Who would play you in a movie about your life: I have been told I look like Victoria Beckham but I would want to play myself!  I don’t know who else could do me…actually!

If I had a magic wand I’d: Create world peace!!

 
This story has been updated to reflect that Just Like Family Home Care was co-founded by Elisabeth and Jacob Nassberg with Nikole Stillman, who is no longer an owner or employee with the company.