We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cindy Earl. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cindy below.

Cindy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I became a caregiver in 2011, when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s type Dementia. My responsibilities were mostly part-time, supporting my mother who is the primary caregiver and power of attorney. However, in March 2020 my grandmother’s adult daycare facility shut down due to the COVID-19 closure mandates. At the same time, I lost my job as a Territory Sales Manager for a local furniture manufacturer. Fortunately, because I was unemployed, I was able to step up for my family in a larger capacity. My grandmother’s health began to decline and she could no longer perform daily tasks, so I became her full-time caregiver during the pandemic. In navigating the new world of elder care, I started to realize that my grandmother had experienced various forms of elder abuse from neglect at the hands of home health aides to financial exploitation by relatives and friends. I then took my frustrations with the maltreatment of my grandmother and combined it with my passion for helping people, my skills in writing and research, and my desire for entrepreneurship. That is how and why I founded Proof Please, a licensed private investigation firm that focuses on elder abuse.

Cindy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I obtained my private investigator’s license through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services in 2020. I also studied Criminal Justice in college and I am a member of various investigation associations to stay abreast of the trends in the industry. Our services at Proof Please are centered around helping older adults and their families protect their independence and seek justice by way of proof — proof of neglect, financial exploitation, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. We do this by performing wellness checks, conducting background investigations, and covert surveillance. We can come onboard to work with your legal team, or you can hire us independently to conduct private investigations.

What sets Proof Please apart from other private investigations firms is that we are advocates for elder justice, and in that we offer a new collaborative way of handling elder abuse cases by partnering with elder law firms, businesses, and organizations that assist and empower our older adult community. This collaboration helps us both better understand, identify and treat elder abuse, and determine more efficient ways to successfully prosecute elder abuse cases and support the prevention of elder abuse through greater awareness and education.

I’ve cultivated relationships with my clients and the way I’ve been able to make a real difference in their lives by providing proof, advocacy, and support is what I am most proud of.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

Proof Please offers a variety of investigative services beyond elder abuse investigations. Other services we offer include pre-employment background checks to which we offer to small businesses. We offer tenant screenings to property management groups. We are process servers, as in, we serve court papers (subpoenas and summons) for law firms.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being a caregiver helped build my reputation within my market. My experience as a caregiver made me realize the importance of having a strong legal framework in place to protect the rights and interests of older adults. That’s why I work with attorneys. I know how easily vulnerable older adults can fall prey to financial exploitation or become isolated from the support and care they need. I am constantly attending professional development seminars and conferences within the aging community and for those who support and empower them. It not only helps me stay informed on the issues and the changes in the demands for public services, but I am able to build a strong network and gain the trust of the older adults and senior community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.proofpleasepi.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/proofplease
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/proofpleasepi
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/proofplease
• Other: https://calendly.com/proofplease