Why I Acted Like a One-Talent Leader (and What Snapped Me Out of It) — Todd Allen

Todd Allen, CEO of AxisCare, shares how a personal caregiving experience led him into the home care technology space and the transformative mindset shift that changed his leadership approach.

In this conversation with David Knack, Todd unpacks what "play to win" means in home care, why AI needs cautious adoption, and how proactive health habits (for you and your caregivers) can transform outcomes.

In this episode, you'll discover:

1. Why AxisCare started as an internal tool—and how it grew into a mission-critical SaaS for agencies.

2. The hidden risk of perfectionism in business and how one CEO called Todd out for playing small.

3. Medicine 3.0 and how the caregivers you manage can be agents of proactive health for seniors.

4. How niche positioning in home care isn't limiting—it's liberating.

5. Why culture beats skills in hiring—and what soft traits Todd prioritizes.

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Lead with your chest. If you're always playing defense, your agency's growth will stall.

2. Caregivers can be health multipliers. Teach them biohacking basics, and you extend your clients' healthspan.

3. Don't DIY everything. Medicaid/VA billing is best left to experts—it's too easy to mess up.

4. Hire for heart. A kind, empathetic team member with less experience will outperform a skilled but toxic one.

Timestamps:

01:40 - Who is Todd Allen?

02:35 - The AxisCare Timeline: A Journey from Internal Tool to National SaaS

04:30 - Contrarian Approach to AI on Leveraging Home Care Opportunities

06:45 - Passion Project: Medicine 3.0 - Proactive Approach to Health

10:58 - Todd and David's Supplement Recommendations & Experiences

12:48 - Fun Fact about Grounding

14:10 - Mentality Shift on Playing to win versus Playing not to lose.

15:15 - The Pitfall of Perfection: A Mistake for Talent Leaders

17:01 - The Power of Calculated Risks

18:25 - Pivot by Listening to the Market to Expand Client Footprint

21:55 - Find the Best Value of Services according to your niche.

27:48 - The Political Stance on Why Home Care Is a Necessity for Seniors

29:50 - Home Care Owners' Focus on User Reviews Through CSAT and NPS Insights

31:05 - Hire for Culture, Skills Follow: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More

33:15 - Successful Home Care Owners: Driven by Core Values

35:33 - Maintaining Focus on the North Star Metric Correlates with Business Impact

36:10 - Plug: Todd recommends Cryotherapy and how it benefits your health

Quotes:

1. "I realized I was playing not to lose. Since then, I've been playing to win." — Todd Allen

2. "Caregivers are an army. If we trained them on wellness, we'd radically improve senior outcomes." — Todd Allen

3. "Hire for heart. You can train skill, but you can't train empathy." — Todd Allen

4. "Home care will kill you if you let it. So take ownership of your health." — David Knack

Resources:

1. AxisCare on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/axiscare-software/

2. Todd Allen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-allen-6122806/

3. AxisCare Website: https://axiscare.com/

4. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-knack/

5. Connect with Zingage on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zingage/

6. Powered by Zingage: https://zingage.com/

7. Watch Episode on Zingage's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zingage