When Your Job, Unexpectedly, Becomes Founder, CEO, and Caregiver

In 1996, Dave Nassaney's wife, Charlene, suffered a massive stroke that left her severely speech impaired and paralyzed on her right side.  Dave, a USC graduate, entrepreneur, and service station owner, had no one to turn to and few resources to help him handle the tricky navigation he faced. Like that of thousands of other entrepreneurs who each year find themselves in similar situations, Dave's challenge was not merely how to manage for a couple of weeks or even months. That's hard enough. He soon realized his new family responsibilities would be with him for years, even decades to come. Indeed, it's now nearly 25 years later, and Dave remains Charlene's primary caregiver. Dave turned his family's misfortune into a business, CaregiverDave.com, that instructs other caregivers — especially entrepreneurs — how to handle unexpected caregiving duties. Dave is the author of "It's My Life Too: Thrive and Stay Alive as a Caregiver." He is also a much-in-demand public speaker, a radio host, and a frequent media guest. Dave's insights, says host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, are especially valuable as we continue to struggle with COVID-19, which has spawned more first-time caregivers over the past six months than in any era since the scourge of polio. "Even if such a crisis never comes knocking at your door, there are some valuable lessons that we can all learn from how Dave was dealt a truly awful hand, and yet, using ingenuity, dedication, determination, and persistence converted his experience into an invaluable service for others," Dean notes. Photo: David Nassaney, CaregiverDave.comPosted: September 28, 2020Monday Morning Run Time: 36:30