Latest / Home Health Revealed (+Palliative and Hospice) / Building While You’re in the Air: The Reality of Starting a Home Care Agency from Scratch

Transcript

Building While You’re in the Air: The Reality of Starting a Home Care Agency from Scratch · Home Health Revealed (+Palliative and Hospice)

• 0:03
  Speaker A: Welcome to Home Health Revealed, the podcast for home health and hospice leaders who want to stay connected to the industry and ahead of what's next.
• 0:10
  Speaker B: Yes, my name is Mecca Abdulaziz and I am with E M Home Care. I'm the owner of the business.
• 0:16
  Speaker A: Ken. Yeah. Here in Columbus, you said. All right. So local. And how long have you been with that company?
• 0:24
  Speaker B: Yeah. So started at the end of 23, so it'll be three years this year.
• 0:28
  Speaker A: Did you start it from scratch? Did you purchase?
• 0:30
  Speaker B: Started from scratch.
• 0:32
  Speaker A: How was that? I want to hear all about that.
• 0:35
  Speaker B: You know, God is. Is for sure leading. Leading the pack. So. Yeah, so I actually started in education.
• 0:44
  Speaker A: Same.
• 0:45
  Speaker B: Yes, yes. Higher education. Started. Started there and. Well, I guess I'll back up a little bit more. I was in marketing, communication, then education, and then going into my own business. I always wanted to have my own business. I just wasn't sure exactly what it would be. But I knew if I was going to do it, it had to be with advocacy and being able to help people. Even in education, I'm very much of a bridge builder or trying to connect people to resources. And so that's how I wanted to lead. But I went through so many different business ideas that, like, back in 23, when I was originally starting it, because I will say what really propelled me to want to do it was when I got laid off from my education tech role. And so I was just in a space of like, okay, I knew that I was going to start a business, but I thought that I would wait till like, 24. And so I was going through different, like, business ideas, but it didn't feel good. But my mom has always been in. She's always been in home care.
• 1:53
  Speaker A: Okay. You had some connection. You had an idea of what it was. It wasn't just like, you pulled it out of thin air.
• 1:59
  Speaker B: For sure.
• 2:00
  Speaker A: For sure.
• 2:00
  Speaker B: So she was. She was the. For sure the connector. And me knowing about home care. And I decided I was just doing some research one day and I literally looked up how to start a home care business in Ohio and took it away from there.
• 2:16
  Speaker A: Wow, that's incredible. Because that's a huge leap of faith.
• 2:19
  Speaker B: Yes.
• 2:20
  Speaker A: But you were kind of in a place that sounds like, with your life where decisions had to be made.
• 2:24
  Speaker B: Yes, yes.
• 2:25
  Speaker A: And so you start going down the path. Sometimes research takes you to click on that thing and double click on that and do the next thing. Before you know it, you filed an LLC and you're like, it's 4pm and I'm starting a Business.
• 2:36
  Speaker B: Yes. That is so true. And I think too, I was pregnant at the time, so I have a two year old. And so that also kind of put fuel under my fire of like, I need to make a change and I want to do better and I want to have better and I want to make an impact in the community.
• 2:56
  Speaker A: So you started the business, you make the decision, you go to sleep at night. Did you wake up the next day and think, like, all right, I'm really doing this. And then what was your first course of action?
• 3:07
  Speaker B: Yes, so I would say so I got licensed when I did, when I went through the licensing process after I started the marketing. But then after that I was like, okay. I told myself, because I had my little checklist, I was like, okay, once you get your website done and once you do, you sign up for a place for mom. Because that was one of my other first stops. Okay, so what do I do after this? But it wasn't until I got my first consultation with a family and mind you, I mean, I'm very much of a peaceful people person.
• 3:37
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 3:38
  Speaker B: But I, I was like, wow, I don't, I don't even know what I'm saying. I'm going to literally fake it till I make it. But you using my, you know, just my personal skills and so I didn't have to do, like, thankfully, like, I will say I felt blessed in that moment. I didn't have to do a whole, whole lot, but I think it was because of the urgency that they needed care.
• 4:00
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 4:01
  Speaker B: But I, you know, I really try to show them and try to show them that they can trust me overall. And so it, I think from there I was like, really nervous about, oh my gosh, okay, like, I gotta get the caregivers, I gotta get all this stuff. But I was, it's like you're doing things simultaneously when you're starting because you do have to, like, you start in the marketing, but then you're also hiring, so you're, you're kind of doing it too.
• 4:25
  Speaker A: You're building it while in the air. Sometimes that plane and, and you.
• 4:29
  Speaker B: And I remember trying to ask people and trying to ask like mentors and stuff, like, okay, so which step do I go first? And, and everything. But it was like I only was going to learn it if I did it. And I think that's what's so hard, is the best thing I can tell someone is do it simultaneously, you know, in an odd way.
• 4:45
  Speaker A: But yeah, it's, it's almost like I've thought about it this way, with any kind of business which you have such a rich background in communications, marketing and education, I mean truly, that set you up for success. Any level of business is going to require some of those things and the people skills. You're the face of the business. You're out there, you're talking to people. So I'm sure that lent itself really well to that growth that you needed. But there's a part of this business, in any business that I feel like I almost put together words in my mind of like it's a meaningful struggle. And when I, when I think through that, it's that you learn so much when you're having those sleepless nights when you're really digging deep into the heart of who you are to think about problem solving, who you want to fulfill the mission of your business. Yeah, you're hiring people and you're talking to them from a place of care and compassion and you're sharing your vision for who you want to be because they ultimately become your brand and your little legs and feet in your mission field, in your market, in where you are.
• 5:51
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 5:51
  Speaker A: So right.
• 5:52
  Speaker B: Yeah. And I think that's what's so hard to at times, like especially right when you're hiring people because everybody's not going to do it like you do it right. And when you're trying to find people that fit up to that like mission or your, you know, standard in a weird way. But yeah, it's all in all you're, you're trying to like my biggest thing is I try to talk to people of like, hey, like listen, I want you to know like why I started this business and like where we are in my vision and I try to give people as much background as I can because I want them to see like my passion and I want that to come through the agency as a whole. Like hey, listen, like we're not, you're not just a caregiver. You're not just this, like this is, this is big here in this agency. Like I appreciated the work that you're doing and being able to provide this care or being able to help take us to the next level. Like it's not just adjust of a position.
• 6:49
  Speaker A: Right.
• 6:49
  Speaker B: Is you're. We're changing. Our goal is to change lives, you know, people's, people's families and being able to help them out internally in their home and out in the community overall.
• 7:00
  Speaker A: Now are you also skilled care or is it.
• 7:03
  Speaker B: We're just non medical. Yep. So technically we are a skilled business. But I have not Touched that side of the business.
• 7:12
  Speaker A: Okay. So that's a growth opportunity.
• 7:14
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 7:15
  Speaker A: If you want to take it.
• 7:16
  Speaker B: If I want to take it, yeah. Yeah. It's only because my biggest hesitation is because I'm not a rn, I just get nervous that, say, if we don't have the staff at all, even if you're hiring, like, say we don't have the backups. At a backup, I can't call upon anybody, you know, because if I was an rn, it would be different. I would just go and do it. But at least on the caregiving side, I can say that, like, I'm the backup to the backup, you know, kind of a thing. So that's my only hesitation.
• 7:43
  Speaker A: You know what, it's interesting. I was talking to somebody recently about this, and they were sharing with me their perspective of the best home health agencies tend to be the ones that are owned by non RNs, because they know they can't be the backup of the backup, and so they plan differently.
• 8:05
  Speaker B: Right. Yeah.
• 8:06
  Speaker A: Knowing that.
• 8:07
  Speaker B: Well, and as I just said that I was thinking about. I was like, you know what, Mecca? But you can have a RNA who is like the director, you know, and they literally. Yeah. And we could work together. So, you know, I mean, you just made me think about it. Maybe I should in the future.
• 8:22
  Speaker A: Yeah. Why not next year?
• 8:24
  Speaker B: Go.
• 8:24
  Speaker A: That's right. We got 2027 coming down. She's gonna be adding on some skilled care.
• 8:30
  Speaker B: Just wait. You just.
• 8:32
  Speaker A: And you know, it's so needed. And maybe now that you've built kind of this relationship, this funnel, if you will, for your marketing, home care really lends itself into that next step. Because a lot of times, a lot of times your same people, your patients do also need skilled care or are going to.
• 8:48
  Speaker B: Right.
• 8:49
  Speaker A: We're all on that journey, too.
• 8:51
  Speaker B: Yeah, you're right. That's a good. That's a good point. You did just make me take a step back and think about it in a different way too. So.
• 8:57
  Speaker A: Yeah, why not? Some people say why and some people say why not. So also, I mean, your little girl is getting to watch you.
• 9:06
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 9:06
  Speaker A: As. As a mom, as a leader. Like, how does her being able to see you drive what you do every day?
• 9:16
  Speaker B: Yeah. I think for me, it makes me think about legacy building. And my partner is also. He's a general contractor, so we don't do business together yet. But we are going to. And that is our goal. We have goals, but I think it just pushes us, like, to look at things a lot different of like, we gotta. We have to build for her and her kids and our future kids. And, you know, just being able to have this, like, ripple effect of, like, a strong legacy and being able to have continued businesses. And it's not even about, like, I don't want to, like, force them into, like, oh, you have to do. But I think it's important for her to see what we do. And I do like to take her along when I can.
• 10:01
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 10:01
  Speaker B: Sometimes it just doesn't make sense, but as she gets older, I'm so. I'm so excited to take her along with me, like, in meetings and networking events. And her being able to see, because it is super important that she also sees that she can do this one day as well and that it's not out of reach. Even when I felt like this was like, you know, like, can I do this? But I think it just will show her and discipline her in different ways. She still has to work for, you know, what she. She has for sure. But we're building legacies where we're trying to change, you know, generational curse or just generational things overall. And so I hope that this start of what we're doing, my partner and I, is showing her that, yeah, it's
• 10:46
  Speaker A: going to empower her that next generation. I do love the word legacy because I think even if it's not the business that you hand off. Right. It's the wisdom that you got building the business. She's heard these conversations. She's heard you talk about patients in a certain way, about your caregivers. Like, she's watching you.
• 11:04
  Speaker B: Yep.
• 11:05
  Speaker A: Build and do and be. And so that alone is going to give her the sky's the limit kind of opportunities, so. Well, anything I haven't asked you that you want to share about maybe the OCH or your experience with them,
• 11:21
  Speaker B: I would say that this is. This has been a nice opportunity to be able to be connected to och. I went to my first. I think that was back last year or so, one of my first events. And I like the smaller, like, intimate events that they also have.
• 11:36
  Speaker A: Yeah. The regional ones.
• 11:37
  Speaker B: The regional. Or even I try to be a part of, like, some of the committees. I know I can't do every. All of them, but I think I like the opportunities and the learning that they also have and just like the networking, like, even if it isn't someone who's any. Is who is not in your town, but being able to have these people as connections and learning from them, like, so that's. I'm super grateful to be a part of this group and, you know, having those education, that networking community.
• 12:04
  Speaker A: Yeah, it's. It is so great. And coming to events like this, I think just really gives you that time to kind of step away, realize that you have an entire community of people who really are here to support you, connect you, talk to you about it. And you don't have to feel alone in maybe some of the things you're working through in your mind. There are ideas that surface that are so for some people, you know, kind of a duh moment. And other people kind of that aha moment, like, oh, you've been doing it that way. Well, I hadn't thought about that. Like, just some of these organic things that happen in the room, I feel like are the biggest takeaways.
• 12:37
  Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right. Yes. Because you. I want to go to conferences or going to networking events. I go to learn, to observe, to understand, you know, or to be able to take a step back in where I am at and being able to engage because I'm a lifelong learner. Like, I feel like if I even 20 years down the line, when I'm 20 years into business, I still don't know everything. Like, I'm gonna always be a learner. I never want to get like complacent or just feel like I'm know it all or anything. Because you just don't.
• 13:08
  Speaker A: No. I feel like the minute you lose your curiosity, you're dead in the water.
• 13:12
  Speaker B: Yeah. Yep, Yep. I agree.
• 13:14
  Speaker A: 100.
• 13:15
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 13:16
  Speaker A: Well, hey, it's been so good talking to you. Thank you so much for coming up here and I wish you and your business all the best. I can't wait to hear about the growth and the possible add on of skilled care as well. That's just such a great opportunity.
• 13:28
  Speaker B: Y.
• 13:29
  Speaker A: Yes, thanks.
• 13:30
  Speaker B: Thank you so much.