Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Allegiance Aging Care Services for answering a few of our questions.
Congratulations on being named a finalist for Health & Wellness Business of the Year!
The 24th Annual Loudoun Small Business Awards will be on November 1, 2018 – Tickets/More Info Here

1. Tell us your story of how your company got to where it is today?

Allegiance Aging Care Services was founded in 2013 by myself (Pam Reynolds) and Dr. Rahel Yirga. We both came from a background of working in senior care communities. Through our experiences, we witnessed time and again that seniors were forced to move out of their life long homes and into such communities because of challenges that they were unable to overcome in their home settings. And while there are many great senior living community options for those who truly need it, our vision was to create a company that would support aging adults who wanted to remain in their homes. While home care was becoming more and more available, the traditional “non-medical” home care model simply wasn’t enough in many cases to support these individuals. This was heartbreaking for us and we knew there had to be a better solution for these individuals. Dr. Yirga identified that the patients she would see in senior communities would have been able to stay at home if they had the added level of medical support that they needed. Through my interactions with these seniors it was apparent that with the right support at home, they would not have had to make this choice. We launched Allegiance with the goal of providing a service that truly makes successful aging in place possible. Allegiance has served over 250 clients in four years, we have an administrative team of five and a staff of 50+ Care Professionals that all work as a team day in and day out to support our clients. Dr. Yirga, our Medical Director, leads a team of six providers who go to our clients’ homes to meet their medical needs. We are beyond humbled to see both our dream and that of our clients become a reality through what we do.

2. What would it mean to you and your company to win a Small Business Award?

To win this award, would be validation of all our hard work and that what we are doing is truly making a difference in our community. It would reward my team who I am humbled to lead for their tireless efforts serving our clients and their families, recognizing them for their sacrifices and dedication. They inspire me day in and day out and they truly deserve it.

3.  If you weren’t running your own business/working at this business, what would you be doing?

If I were not running Allegiance, I would be working in a social work/case management capacity serving seniors. This industry is where I belong and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

4. What book are you reading right now? / What is your favorite book?

Right now I am reading Traction by Geno Wickman (for professional growth) and The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood for enjoyment.

5. If you have 24-hours off, and your family was out of town, what would you do?

Probably just relax- I am on the go all the time so I would likely just curl up on the sofa, read a good book or catch up on Netflix!

6. What is the smallest thing that has made the largest impact on your business?

A lesson I had to learn was that I can’t do it all! In 2016 I was struggling to keep our business afloat – I was working so hard but couldn’t quite put my finger on why we were floundering. At that point, it looked like we wouldn’t make it another year. So I decided to hire a business consultant to come in and help me evaluate things. This was a hard decision for me because cash flow was low and the business consultant cost money! HOWEVER, it was the most impactful thing I have done to date. Having no business background, I started my own home care business because I love seniors, not because I knew how to run a company! And when you are working so hard “in” the business it can be very hard to work “on” the business. This consultant taught me what I needed to know, helped me evaluate everything from a different perspective (the outside looking in) and we got back on track and back to doing what we love most – helping seniors!

7. What did you want to be when you grew up as a child?

As a child I wanted to be an FBI agent. I have always been fascinated by CSI and criminal profiling. True crime documentaries are still my favorite!

8. Who is the one person that has influenced you the most in your career?

My partner, Dr. Rahel Yirga, has been the greatest influencer on my career. She has inspired me since the day we met 10 years ago and continues to do so daily. If not for her, I wouldn’t have had the belief in myself to start this company and make the vision I had a reality. I strive to be like her and follow her lead in everything I do.

9. What is your favorite thing about running a business in Loudoun County?

Loudoun County has been so supportive of my business. I love working with and supporting other business owners that I have met through the Chamber. I can honestly say that almost every single person wants to know how they can help me and my business grow, they aren’t just looking for what I can do for them which is refreshing. Every business owner I know gives back to the community in some way, and I love the altruistic manner in which Loudoun County does business.

10. If you’re not in the office where can we find you?

You will rarely find me in the office! I am a road warrior. Usually I am out in the community with a client or doing outreach. But on off hours I can usually be found out and about finding ways to entertain my two toddlers!

11. What is your favorite weekend activity in Loudoun County?

I love that there are always family friendly events in Loudoun County. Most recently, I have discovered polo in the park and it is one of my new favorite things! I also love that we have some of the best wines in the country right here in Loudoun. You can often find me hanging out at one of the award-winning local wineries!