Hi, I'm Robert Mandle, the founder of Grandson To Go.

I've spent much of my working life in customer service, technology and telecommunications. Over the years, I've managed teams, helped launch new services, trained employees, solved problems, and spent countless hours helping people navigate products and services that can sometimes feel unnecessarily complicated.

But the idea for Grandson To Go didn't come from my corporate career.

It came from my grandmother.

As she got older, I began to see how much the world around her had changed. Technology was certainly part of it, but it went far beyond phones and computers.

So many everyday things had become more complicated.

Appointments were booked online. Bills and statements went paperless. Customer service moved to apps and automated phone systems. Buying a television or cell phone suddenly meant choosing between dozens of models, plans and add-ons. Subscriptions renewed automatically. Passwords multiplied. And scams became increasingly sophisticated and convincing.

Unfortunately, some of those things had real consequences for my grandmother.

She was scammed and sent money to a stranger because she believed the situation was legitimate. She ended up paying for duplicate subscription services without realizing it. She was also sold computer security software and services she didn't need because she trusted that the person selling them was looking out for her best interests.

On another occasion, she needed some help with her existing phone. Instead, she came home signed up for a brand-new mobile line and a new cell phone that she didn't need.

After she passed away, I found that phone still unopened in its box in her closet.

That one really stayed with me.

None of these things happened because my grandmother wasn't intelligent or capable. She had spent an entire lifetime learning how to navigate the world.

The world had simply changed around her.

So I became the person she called.

Sometimes that meant fixing something on her phone or figuring out why the television wasn't working. Sometimes it meant going through subscriptions and helping her understand what she was actually paying for. Sometimes it meant explaining a bill, researching a product before she bought it, helping her deal with a company, or simply being there to make sure she understood her options before making a decision.

I was doing what grandsons and granddaughters everywhere already do for the people they love.

After she passed away in 2026, I found myself thinking a lot about those experiences. I kept coming back to one question:

What happens to the person who doesn't have someone they can call?

That's where Grandson To Go came from.

What Does a Grandson Do?

Grandson To Go isn't just about technology.

It's about having someone you trust to call when you could use an extra set of hands, another set of eyes, or someone who knows the right questions to ask.

Maybe your new television needs to be set up.

Maybe you're buying a new phone and want someone to come along who understands the plans and can help make sure you're getting what you actually need.

Maybe there's a strange charge on a subscription and you don't know where it came from.

Maybe you received a suspicious text message and want someone to look at it before you click anything.

Maybe you need help setting up your printer, connecting to Wi-Fi, learning how to video call your family, or figuring out why your remote suddenly doesn't work.

Or maybe you have an appointment and would feel more comfortable having someone drive you there and come inside with you.

There are plenty of situations where you don't need a caregiver, a technician, or a contractor.

You just need a grandson.

Someone patient who will help you figure it out without making you feel rushed, embarrassed or talked down to.

That's what I want Grandson To Go to be.

Protecting People From Scams

Because of what happened to my grandmother, scam prevention is especially important to me.

Scams today can arrive through a phone call, text message, email, social media account or even a convincing-looking website. They're constantly changing, and recognizing them isn't always easy.

That's why scam education will be an important part of Grandson To Go, including free community workshops designed to help older adults recognize suspicious messages and understand what to do when something doesn't feel right.

Sometimes the best help I can provide is simply saying:

“Before you click that, let's make sure it's real.”

More Than a Business

Community service is already an important part of my life.

I'm also the founder and President of The Opening Act Society, a Vancouver Island nonprofit created to help children who might otherwise miss out on music because their families can't afford instruments, lessons or other opportunities.

Starting that organization reinforced something I already believed: I want the work I do to leave my community a little better than I found it.

Grandson To Go is a business, and I'm proud for it to be one. But it's also something deeply personal to me.

It's about patience. It's about independence. It's about trust. And it's about making sure people have someone in their corner when everyday life gets unnecessarily complicated.

I can't be there to help my grandmother anymore.

But I can be there for yours.

That's Grandson To Go.