Inspired by their experience caring for their 11-year-old daughter who uses a wheelchair, the Rizks aim to make aging in place safer through trusted home maintenance services.
Dr. Magued Rizk and Dr. Miriam Rizkalla have spent their careers caring for others — Magued as a physician in the prison system and Miriam as a family doctor in an outpatient setting. But after more than a decade of helping patients, the husband-and-wife duo from Bakersfield, California, are expanding their mission beyond medicine.
In December of 2024, the couple opened TruBlue Home Service Ally of West Bakersfield, a franchise focused on home maintenance, repairs and safety modifications to help seniors and families age in place. While launching a business may seem like a sharp turn from their careers in health care, for the Rizks, TruBlue is a deeply personal endeavor.
“Our 11-year-old daughter Mia was born with a severe neurological condition that has left her wheelchair-bound, so we’ve struggled with several things around the house,” said Magued. “TruBlue can help people like us.”
Over the years, the Rizks experienced firsthand how the physical barriers in a home can become emotional ones too, not to mention the difficulty of finding trustworthy, professional services to make their home safer and more accessible for their daughter. From showers to stairs to doorways, everyday obstacles became constant reminders of how homes aren’t always designed for families with mobility challenges. And as they cared for aging loved ones, including Magued’s father, the same issues kept surfacing.
“My father also needed help while he was aging,” said Magued. “Every house has someone who needs accommodations for safety, and there’s no one around in the area to help.”
After seeing countless patients also facing similar struggles, they decided to take action and began to look for a way to serve families like theirs. That search quickly led them to TruBlue.
Although numerous options exist in the senior home maintenance industry, a significant need persists. Many in-home senior care services primarily handle basic tasks like light cleaning, bathing and meal preparation. TruBlue distinguishes itself by offering comprehensive assistance, encompassing both interior and exterior home support, enabling seniors to age securely at home for an extended period. From replacing lightbulbs and raking leaves to implementing significant home modifications for senior safety, TruBlue delivers dependable home maintenance services for seniors and their busy families.
“We liked TruBlue because we thought it’d be a good fit for our area,” said Magued.
With backgrounds rooted in science and service, the Rizks saw franchising as a practical pathway to owning a business with a strong support system.
“We’ve always been employees, so having a business is new for us and we had no idea where to start,” Magued said. “We needed to be with a franchise that would guide us with this type of business.”
Now, through TruBlue, the couple is turning their family’s challenges into community solutions — helping seniors and families across Bakersfield stay in their homes longer, more safely and with greater peace of mind.
Although both still work in their medical roles — Magued full time and Miriam part time — the goal is to grow the business enough so that Miriam can transition to working from home and devote more time caring for their daughter. In the long term, they hope the business will not only bring financial return but also provide lasting value to the people they serve.
The transition from employee to entrepreneur has come with its own learning curve. But Magued encourages others who are considering business ownership to take the leap.
“It’s very easy to stay an employee forever,” he said. “But having your own business and the ability to grow it yourself is worth it. It’s not easy; it’s a risk, but if it works, it’s really going to be worth it.”
Through TruBlue, the Rizks are blending their passion for care with a new kind of service — one that meets people in their most personal space: their home. And as they continue to build their business, their message to other families navigating accessibility challenges is simple: You’re not alone, and help is here.
For more information on franchising with TruBlue, visit: https://www.trubluefranchise.com/.
About TruBlue Home Service Ally:
TruBlue Home Service Ally® provides a unique and affordable approach to helping busy adults and seniors live a worry-free life by offering trustworthy handyman, home maintenance and senior modification services. Helping you maintain your home both inside and out, TruBlue’s services include handyman projects and to-do list chores, preventative home maintenance programs, kitchen and bath remodels, seasonal work, and senior modification services, all handled by professional, bonded and insured Tru-Pro® Technicians. TruBlue franchise owners are required to complete senior home safety certification programs through the NAHB and Age Safe America. As certified specialists, TruBlue franchisees are able to perform aging in place home safety assessments and can make recommended safety modifications as needed.