Think Big. Work Hard. Show Love. Advice for Life and Work from Mark Baiada

Think Big. Work Hard. Show Love.

Advice for Life and Work from Mark Baiada ©2025 The BAYADA Way Institute. All rights reserved.

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Think Big. Work Hard.

Show Love.

Advice for Life and Work from Mark Baiada

I’m on my way to Hollywood.

Wanna join me?

— Kermit the Frog

8

When BAYADA was founded on January 17, 1975, in Philadelphia, I was just a young man, 27 years old, and kind of green. But I had a big dream.

I dreamed that I would have a coast-to-coast business.

I had saved $16,000 to start BAYADA. I was ambitious.

I liked helping people. I was hardworking and energetic, and I had a lot of energy. I had an A+ service mentality.

I wanted to be the best at what I did, and I believed that trust and reliability were absolutely essential for success.

Five years later in 1979, BAYADA had grown to a few offices, but I was struggling to grow the company. I was shy, and I wasn’t accustomed to asking for help, so I tried to do it all by myself. I also thought that people would think my dreams were stupid and outlandish.

About that time, The Muppet Movie came out. Kermit the Frog is just a little green frog in a swamp on the east coast with a big dream of going to Hollywood. He wants to become an actor and make people happy. Yet as positive and hopeful as Kermit is, he realizes that he won’t achieve his dream if he tries to go it alone, so he asks a motley crew of Muppets, all with different talents, to join him on the bus to Hollywood. It’s not an easy trip—they meet all sorts of villains who try to sidetrack Kermit’s dream. But something magical happens: Along the way, they all start to believe in something bigger than themselves. Kermit’s dream becomes their own—a dream even more incredulous than Kermit himself had imagined. And despite all odds, they make it to Hollywood.

9

I was really touched by Kermit’s story, and it seemed like the perfect analogy to the BAYADA story. I was in a proverbial swamp when I started BAYADA, the son of immigrants, with a big dream that I was afraid to share with others—a dream that some people thought was crazy at the time. Like Kermit, I faced all sorts of rejection. Things didn’t always work out. When a nurse wouldn’t show up, people would be mad at me, and rightfully so. It didn’t take long for me to see that I couldn’t do it on my own. Like Kermit, I had to learn to rely on others who had different talents than I did to keep moving forward.

Kermit started out on a bike, then moved up to a car, then a bus. We started in Philadelphia, then Florida, then New Jersey. Despite the challenges, we kept on rolling and getting bigger and finding the right people to get on the bus with us. We shared ups and downs.

We formed personal relationships with our teams and worked together toward a worthy goal.

The BAYADA Way came about to give us all a roadmap for staying on course and being true to our dream. In the movie, Doc Hopper tempted Kermit with money. Lots of money. Kermit considered the offer but in the end, decided to keep doing things his way, the right way. I was also approached by private equity firms and competitors who offered a lot of money to buy BAYADA. Taking their money would have meant giving up my dream of building a company that would last at least a 100 years. And so, like Kermit, I rejected their offers—and I went a step further: I gave BAYADA away by transforming it into a nonprofit organization to give it the best chance of reaching my 100 year milestone.

10

Look at us now—we’re in Hollywood, California!

Celebrating our 50th Anniversary is a huge milestone— but it’s not our destination. Our vision has grown so much bigger, even more incredulous than we could have imagined all those years ago. This is tough work that we do. It is physically and emotionally draining. We have a lot of responsibility. The decisions we make aren’t inconsequential — they affect people’s lives. We have to work daily to earn our clients’ trust and protect the reputation we’ve built.

Hollywood is a pretty good pitstop for our journey. Here in the land where dreams come true, we can recommit ourselves to our vision of serving millions of people as the world’s most trusted team of home health care professionals. One hundred years from now, we want to still be known for our Compassion, Excellence, and Reliability. It is up to each of us to contribute our part in helping people worldwide experience a better quality of life in the comfort of their own homes. We are doing important work. Needed work. It’s God’s work.

May 2025

11

CONTENTS

15 Think Big

61 Work Hard

99 Show Love

Think Big

Visualize success and work backwards. Start with the end in mind and work to make it come true.

16 Think Big

What is creative thinking?

Think. Visualize. Connect.

Some of the best ideas come from taking something familiar and then adding to or subtracting from it to come up with a completely new idea or way of doing things.

17 Think Big

With a positive outlook, people evolve to a higher place.

18 Think Big

I want to know more.

I make decisions by not only using the information that’s available, but finding the information that is necessary to make a good decision.

19 Think Big

Walk around the barn with a problem. Gather evidence. Ask. Think. Don’t rush to action before the right answer is obvious.

20 Think Big

Never bet more than you are prepared to lose.

21 Think Big

Shined shoes make you feel good.

22 Think Big

“It was 1970 when I wrote this on the side of the shoebox that I still use to store my shoe polish. My dad was in the Navy and we would have to shine our shoes. I use the same box — I’ve had to repair it quite a few times — but the saying holds true.

Little things can go a long way in making you feel good about yourself.”

— Mark Baiada

I’m always thinking about what I’m doing and if it’s the best way.

24 Think Big

I had to stay in shape.

I had to be strong.

I had to learn as much as I could and spend as little money as possible. I figured the faster I saved, the faster I’d get into business.

25 Think Big

When you get an idea, work it, work it, work it.

26 Think Big

Learning gives you ability.

Ability leads to competence.

Competence creates confidence.

And confidence ultimately leads to success.

27 Think Big

A lot of people live as if they are floating down a river in an inner tube. Don’t let the current just take you along. You need to pick a destination, get power, and head there.

28 Think Big

I’m a party looking for people.

29 Think Big

Paying attention is everything.

When making a decision, my superpower is the ability to shift back and forth between the big picture and the smallest details simultaneously.

30 Think Big

“Companies face major changes in strategy every so often and you want to make sure you take the right fork in the road. Paying attention is everything. You can’t look the other way.”

— Mark Baiada

Looking neat and being polite helped me even in my teenage work.

32 Think Big

People get caught in the here and now, but to think big, you must think beyond five, 10, 20 — even 100 years.

When I started this company, I thought about where I wanted to be in 100 years and now, we’re halfway there.

33 Think Big

As soon as you realize you’re on the wrong train, get off at the next stop.

— A favorite quote that Mark heard from his brother, Mel

34 Think Big

Be in the game.

Not in the stands.

35 Think Big

I take my time, if I have the time.

I prepare, do research, read a lot, talk with people, and figure out the best practices that worked in other situations before moving ahead.

36 Think Big

Start with the end in mind.

37 Think Big

Who you are is not your tomorrow.

It’s not your yesterday. It’s your now.

What is your now?

— One of Mark’s favorite quotes from Jean-Paul Sartre

38 Think Big

“Jean-Paul Sartre wrote of existentialism and freedom. I took that philosophy to heart.

“Only you decide: You have the freedom and the responsibility. Are you taking steps to decide where you want to go and what you want to be? Studying Sartre clarified these questions for me.”

— Mark Baiada

To find compromise, you have to learn how to align your personal goals with the goals of other people.

40 Think Big

The heart informs.

The mind makes the decision.

41 Think Big

For me, thrift is a lifelong habit.

My kids still think I’m cheap.

They drive better cars than I do.

42 Think Big

Everybody has a different superpower.

43 Think Big

Don’t rely on your first reaction.

44 Think Big

I maintain my composure through trials and tribulations. I try to convert trials to positive energy to help others. This keeps me peaceful and moves me forward.

45 Think Big

Set a goal. Plan. Execute. Review.

Loop back.

46 Think Big

I look at problems differently than some people do. Rather than trying to solve a problem with available information, I like to understand a problem and then search for necessary information to solve it.

Who are a company’s customers and prospects?

Why do they buy from a particular company?

Why do they buy from the competition?

47 Think Big

Learn the rules well to win the game.

48 Think Big

“When I was in kindergarten, my teacher held a coloring contest with only two criteria: Stay within the lines and apply color evenly. It was a mountain scene, and I just knew I was going to win — but this other kid got first prize. He colored his mountain brown, but I had never seen a mountain. I colored my mountain purple because we sang about “purple mountains majesty.” Technically, my drawing was much better. Looking back on that experience, I learned an important lesson: Don’t lose because you don’t know something.”

— Mark Baiada

There are no guarantees that we will pass on BAYADA to future generations. It’s one thing to be here in 100 years. It’s another to be here with our culture alive and strong. We also want to preserve and protect our entrepreneurial spirit.

50 Think Big

If we set our minds to something and don’t give up, we’re unstoppable.

Each of us has more power than we can ever imagine, if we just focus and go with it.

51 Think Big

It’s never been about money first— it’s about vision, mission, and values and the commitment of people working together to make something great happen.

52 Think Big

The drive to measure, adapt, and never stop learning is crucial in any endeavor.

53 Think Big

The Ugly Duckling story inspired me to be more. I set a goal to be a swan and work in earnest to improve myself in every way and every day. And I’m still doing it.

54 Think Big

Determine your destination then start the journey.

55 Think Big

I wasn’t the fastest kid on the playground, but I was the fastest kid in the classroom. There was an early self-awareness that I could solve problems and figure out how to do a lot.

56 Think Big

No money, no mission.

57 Think Big

The BAYADA Regatta gives hope, health, friendship, accomplishment, and fun to everyone, including me. I respect and admire all the participants. Oars up!

58 Think Big

“Few people realize the huge impact of the BAYADA Regatta. It is the premier paralympic rowing event of the season and the athletes, many of whom are disabled, look forward to it and train for months. It has launched so many people in big and small ways simply because of their ability to participate.

“Few people also realize how generous Mark is in supporting the Regatta and these athletes for the last forty years. However, what stands out the most to me is Mark’s deep respect and appreciation for the athletes as full human beings. He sees beyond their disabilities and that means the world to them.”

— Gavin Kerr, BAYADA Board

Work Hard

Excellence is a journey, not a destination. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. Be a lifetime learner and find ways to do better tomorrow than today.

62 Work Hard

If nothing gets better, what are you contributing?

63 Work Hard

Find the best and copy what you see.

64 Work Hard

Figure it out.

65 Work Hard

Whether time or money, do things efficiently with no waste.

66 Work Hard

Always show respect. Always.

67 Work Hard

WD: We Deliver!

68 Work Hard

“The late David Roarty, my colleague and friend who worked with us for 31 years, was so obsessed with BAYADA keeping our promises and being reliable that he thought we should change the company’s name to “WD Homecare: We Deliver.”

— Mark Baiada

Have a goal and work toward it.

70 Work Hard

Because we’ve always done it that way is not a reason.

71 Work Hard

Everything is hard until it’s easy.

— A favorite quote that Mark heard from his brother, Mel

72 Work Hard

If you have patience and improve little by little, over a long period of time, you’ll double everything you have, including your relationships, your success, your skills, and your character.

73 Work Hard

I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

74 Work Hard

It can be a struggle to overcome obstacles and get everyone to pull together, but when you achieve something great, it’s worth the work.

75 Work Hard

Let’s not take people around the block when they can get to the same place by crossing the street.

Keep it simple.

76 Work Hard

“I had an idea for a new procedure, so I shared it with Mark. He said, ‘Let’s not take people around the block when they can get to the same place by crossing the street.’

“That stayed with me. A good example of this was when Medicare released new conditions of participation. These conditions had not been changed in 30 years, so when we approached the problem we almost got turned inside out about new processes, policies, and procedures, thinking that what we needed to do was something new. Finally, we paused and said, ‘Wait a minute. Let’s not assume that we aren’t meeting this.’ In fact, for pediatrics and adult nursing, we were already completing a comprehensive chart in the client’s home that the clients have access to. So we ended up tweaking the form. Keeping it simple doesn’t mean doing something fast or over-engineering the answer; it took a lot of meetings and review for us to arrive at this outcome. It does mean doing ordinary things with extraordinary consistency and execution.”

— Anne Johnson, Division Director

Everyone wants the respect of others. Showing respect costs nothing, but it’s the most valuable gift.

78 Work Hard

Accept responsibility and get the job done.

79 Work Hard

Trust, but verify.

80 Work Hard

I look to all religions and spiritual practices for guidance. For example, Jesuits reflect multiple times a day. Muslims pray six times a day. Different faiths, same purpose: They’re about constantly trying to keep yourself properly aligned in a busy and distracting world. That’s the same overriding purpose as The BAYADA Way.

81 Work Hard

Do what you need to do to get it done. Make it a ‘have to,’ not a ‘like to.’

82 Work Hard

When you focus on what has to be done, who has time to worry?

83 Work Hard

Fill it fast and you’ll last.

84 Work Hard

The next best thing is better than nothing.

85 Work Hard

It is not enough to do good.

It must be done well. ­— St. Vincent de Paul

86 Work Hard

“The BAYADA Way’s version of this is our second value, Excellence, which means that we do our work to the highest standards.

We can do good things, but it doesn’t matter if we don’t do them with excellence.

We must be excellent at what we do because clients, employees, and the world deserve it.”

— Mark Baiada

Not having money made me want to have money.

88 Work Hard

There’s never a dull day in home care. This work is a daily adventure.

89 Work Hard

It’s hard to run your restaurant if you spend all your time in the kitchen.

90 Work Hard

Strive to continuously improve.

Seek opportunities for education and self-reflection.

91 Work Hard

Follow up and follow through.

92 Work Hard

Improve a little on all areas of your life today. When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur.

93 Work Hard

I don’t give up. I just keep working.

94 Work Hard

Curiosity drives improvement, progress, and success.

95 Work Hard

I don’t feel no ways tired.

I’ve come too far from where I started.

Nobody told me that the road would be easy.

And I don’t believe He’s brought me this far to leave me.

— One of Mark’s favorite spirituals

96 Work Hard

“Working with love gives boundless energy.

Life is hard work for everyone. Working with purpose is energizing and makes the work worth it.”

— Mark Baiada

Show Love

A successful business involves more than transactions: It means improving lives.

100 Show Love

Humans connect with the same kind of ‘hive energy’ as bees by working on a common goal with clear roles.

101 Show Love

You can be compassionate and excellent, but if you don’t show up, you’re neither.

102 Show Love

Dance them to the door.

103 Show Love

To be successful in life, there are two rules: Show up and do what you say you’re going to do.

104 Show Love

If you’re just responding, you won’t make progress.

Think. Be intentional about where you want to go and how to get there.

105 Show Love

Our clients come first.

106 Show Love

“I had a sense of The BAYADA Way before it was formalized in 2005 because I had been living it for 30 years. The one idea that pulled it all together for me is when we finally decided that our primary belief was ‘Our clients come first.’”

— Mark Baiada

The purpose of health care is to help others. If you don’t start there, you’re in the wrong business.

108 Show Love

Assume that people come from a place of positive intent.

109 Show Love

The work is a calling. You have to have the spirit on the inside that responds and adapts quickly and professionally to the needs of our clients.

110 Show Love

We’re loyal, even to knuckleheads.

111 Show Love

Double the feeling and send it back.

112 Show Love

Tune in to other people.

Everyone has wants and needs.

113 Show Love

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

— A favorite prayer that has guided Mark, written

by St. Francis of Assisi

114 Show Love

“St. Francis of Assisi was an early role model because I was taught by Franciscan sisters in grade school. As young students we knew him as humble, peaceful, kind, loving, and of course as the patron saint of animals. Later we learned about his teenage years, when he was the spoiled son of a wealthy silk merchant who infuriated his father when he rejected materialism and started to give away his money to help others. Devoting himself to service to the needy, he drew followers who shared his values, the same way I approached recruiting at BAYADA. St. Francis of Assisi founded several religious orders that continue to this day. I examine my life through this prayer regularly to make sure I am doing God’s work.”

— Mark Baiada

Place people where their strengths lie.

116 Show Love

A successful business is more than transactions. It’s meeting people’s needs.

117 Show Love

Treat others the way they wish to be treated.

118 Show Love

Compassion is empathy in action.

119 Show Love

You have permission to be human but when you make a mistake, apologize and fix it fast.

120 Show Love

It’s important to connect with the community beyond the job and responsibilities we have.

There is a lot of need around us.

121 Show Love

The underlying premise of providing health care is that you want to help others.

122 Show Love

“Mark’s example of doing the right thing and putting our clients first by providing the best service possible is contagious. When you make a difference in someone’s life, it’s a great feeling.”

— Carole McMahon, Division Director

We are doing important work, needed work. It’s God’s work.

124 Show Love

Serve where you live and work.

125 Show Love

I believe that people like me with average backgrounds and ability can do extraordinary things.

126 Show Love

Learn more to care more.

Care more to learn more.

127 Show Love

Reputation is like fine china, easily broken and difficult to mend.

— A favorite quote that Mark’s mother often said

128 Show Love

Lead with your heart.

129 Show Love

Take care of the lost sheep.

130 Show Love

“I went on a school field trip, and there was a boy that nobody liked. Because Pat was a little awkward, he spent most of the day walking alone. The next day, my teacher, Sister Mary Edmund, pulled me aside and told me that she was disappointed in me and had expected more of me. She said that I should have noticed that he was alone, that it was okay for me to hang out with friends, but that we have a responsibility to watch out for those who might not be included.

It was an important lesson that really stuck with me. We must look around for people in need; they don’t come to us. And sometimes, they might be a little hidden.

— Mark Baiada

Let your smiles be seen and felt.

132 Show Love

We have to deal with the world as it exists, not as we’d like it to be.

133 Show Love

Respect is the foundation of good relationships. Respect is humility.

Respect is love.

134 Show Love

Leaders have the power to move people. I have always felt this great responsibility to be careful where I’m leading people. It’s like the Pied Piper; I don’t want to lead anyone off the cliff.

135 Show Love

Family first.

136 Show Love

Big hearts. High standards. Everyday.

137 Show Love

Showing respect to all people at all times is a non-negotiable for me. Often it’s the littlest things that have the greatest impact.

138 Show Love

Building a life is like building a tall building. You need a strong foundation. Put down a strong stone every day.

— A favorite quote that Mark’s mother often said

139 Show Love

Oh, here we go.

We’re at it again.

We’re moving out.

We’re moving in.

140 Show Love

“Much to our chagrin, when we were growing up, every time we left to go somewhere, Mark would always exuberantly start singing this marching song and expect us to sing our line in response with equal energy. It has now become a tradition with the grandkids.

This cadence is one he learned in the army.

The drill sergeant would sing a line, and the company would repeat it. Now, whenever Mark sings the first line, sometimes we all go along with it, sometimes not, but the point he’s trying to make is that you should start every venture with great zest and positivity.”

— Janice Lovequist and Jaclyn Kirchhoff, two of Mark’s daughters

Am I doing God’s work?

142 Show Love

I love to talk with people.

There is always something new to learn. I’ll take a little piece of knowledge from every person and interpret it in a way that makes sense to me.

143 Show Love

Remember, your life’s legacy is not found in material wealth, but in the positive impact that you’ve had on others.

144 Show Love

Fairness and consistency are paramount.

145 Show Love

Everyday, we try to keep a sense of humor, positive spirit, and a spirit of appreciation for each other so that our team and our clients have a happy, positive experience.

146 Show Love

Employees are our greatest asset.

Without them, there would be no BAYADA.

147 Show Love

BAYADA is the world’s most trusted and compassionate team of home health care professionals.

148 Show Love

“One thing about BAYADA ... I never gave up on the idea of our long-term vision.

I always saw us going coast to coast and helping millions of people worldwide and building a lasting legacy as the world’s most trusted and compassionate team of home health care professionals. Now, my vision is millions of people worldwide and aiming for 100 years. I don’t know what I’m going to think up next!”

— Mark Baiada

EPILOGUE

For many years, my family, friends, and colleagues have asked me to write down some of the quotes I am known for repeating. As I started compiling them, I realized that they can easily be categorized in three sections: Think Big, Work Hard, and Show Love. These are the values of The Baiada Way, which guides our family, but they also inspired Compassion, Excellence, and Reliability, the values expressed in The BAYADA Way, which guides BAYADA Home Health Care. Some are quotes that I made up. Some are quotes that other people said, but that really stuck with me. A few are quotes from people I admire. I hope that after reading through the collection, you have a better understanding of who I am as a person and the values that shaped me. I also hope you’ll make some of them your own.

Our Mission BAYADA Home Health Care has a special purpose — to help people have a safe home life with comfort, independence, and dignity. BAYADA Home Health Care provides nursing, rehabilitative, therapeutic, hospice, and assistive care services to children, adults, and seniors worldwide. We care for our clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Families coping with significant illness or disability need help and support while caring for a family member. Our goal at BAYADA is to provide the highest quality home health care services available. We believe our clients and their families deserve home health care delivered with Compassion, Excellence, and Reliability, our BAYADA core values.

152

Our Vision With a strong commitment from each of us, BAYADA Home Health Care will make it possible for millions of people worldwide to experience a better quality of life in the comfort of their own homes. We want to build and maintain a lasting legacy as the world’s most compassionate and trusted team of home health care professionals.

We will accomplish our mission and achieve our vision by following our core beliefs and values.

Our Beliefs • We believe our clients come first.

• We believe our employees are our greatest asset.

• We believe that building relationships and working together are critical to our success as a community of compassionate caregivers.

• We believe we must demonstrate honesty and integrity at all times.

• We believe in providing community service where we live and work.

• We believe it is our responsibility to strengthen the organization’s financial foundation and to support its growth.

153

Our Values

Compassion Key result: Our clients and their families feel cared for and supported.

Key actions: • Work with a spirit of universal faith, hope, and love.

• Demonstrate exceptional care and kindness to others. Be led by our hearts.

• Be respectful. Treat others the way they wish to be treated.

• Listen closely, show empathy, and respond to the needs of others.

• Be friendly. Let our smiles be seen and felt.

154

Excellence Key result: We provide home health care to our clients with the highest professional, ethical, and safety standards.

Key actions: • Consistently demonstrate the highest level of skill, competence, and sound judgment in our work.

• Demonstrate honesty, commitment, and loyalty to our clients and their families, fellow employees, and our organization.

• Strive to provide the very best service to our clients. Set specific goals and work hard and efficiently to achieve them.

• Continuously improve our work through evaluation, education, and training.

• Recognize and reward those who set and maintain the highest standards of excellence.

Reliability Key result: Our clients and their families can rely on us and are able to live their lives to the fullest, with a sense of well-being, dignity, and trust.

Key actions: • Keep our commitments as promised.

• Consistently deliver expected services.

• Fulfill our clients’ needs promptly and thoroughly.

• Be creative, flexible, and determined — get the job done for our clients.

• Communicate clearly and consistently with clients and fellow employees.

155