We’re looking forward to introducing you to My-Huong Elsa Bui. Check out our conversation below.
My-Huong Elsa, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Now that Elderwheels is 5 years old and my kids are both 5+, I’ve gone back to a couple things that I used to enjoy! I used to sing in a choir when I was in my 20s, I stopped singing when we moved to Austin and I didn’t quite find the right spiritual community after several tries. My husband and I opened a business (Eastside Yoga), it was our first child and after that 2 human kids, so I lost my me time. I never did find my choir and I was teaching yoga, helping with teacher trainings, raising a kiddo AND working as a physical therapist. OBV, no time! We closed the business, I gave birth to a baby girl, the pandemic happened, kids got bigger, I started Elderwheels, we moved to a bigger house and AGAIN — no time!
But things have settled enough that I started teaching a free yoga class in my neighborhood, women talking, practicing yoga and just finding our place again. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed teaching because I was in the thick of running a business, raising our son and working as a PT. So when we closed down to make room in our lives to potentially have another child, I got pregnant fast (literally the next week!) and my brain and heart remembered the stress of running a yoga studio and forgot that how much I enjoyed the connection.
The same thing happened with choir, I stopped singing, I was in mom and business world, always prioritizing taking care of other people and situations rather than caring for myself! I became the cliche exhausted mom, so teaching yoga again and singing on my own with bluetooth headphones (like a nut!) has helped me find Elsa again. I feel invigorated, everything is elevated and I am grateful! It’s funny how supporting our yoga community took the place of singing, kids and Elderwheels took the place of yoga and being a PT, and now singing and yoga are back and I am using my PT brain to run Elderwheels, but this time … on my terms.
I also started painting again, but that’s another story!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As a Texan, born and raised by immigrant Vietnamese parents, I have with 20+ years of healthcare experience. I have evolved into a champion of elders in Central TX. I started Elderwheels during the pandemic to elevate and assist elders in having a better quality of life in their latter decades.
Elderwheels is a concierge (private pay) assisted, accessible transportation service owned and operated by an Asian woman, wife, mother of 2, retired physical therapist and forward thinking Austinite! Our service and quality are a reflection of me, a creative, out-of-the box problem solver. Our highly intelligent, hand-picked team of 6 has over 90 years of elder experience. We fill gaps between healthcare, senior services and what elders and their families actually need, so they don’t slip through cracks and end up worse off. Think of us as highly flexible spackle, sturdy but customizable to each elder’s needs.
Every day (and sometimes wee hours of morning and evenings), we are assisting our elders for medical and leisure outings using 4 ramped vehicles and a compact SUV that is just the right height for an elder to get in/out of. We have a versatile fleet that matches the skill sets of our transport specialists. We won’t be doing – healthcare – as is our work experience, but your beloved elders should benefit from our elder-focused braininess, and the “CARE” part is a given.
Our solutions also include declutter services for safer elder function at home AND respite care in East Austin for when elders’ families go on vacation (elders can have a mini-vacay too!) We serve clients living in their personal homes, senior facilities and hospitals, all over Central Texas and we do out of town/overnight trips also!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child of immigrant parents who came here at the end of the Viet Nam war and settled in Corpus Christi, Texas, I stood out as a child (and not in a good way). My culture taught me that I should be subservient, not speak my mind, study hard and work hard and that’s exactly what I did (most of the time). The rest of the time I got in trouble for being loud and not like a girl should be when playing outside, talking to much in class — but that was a small percentage. There rest of me loved learning and doing projects, so as I went from elementary school to a middle school in a bigger city and then a large high school, becoming a leader in every club was so much my thing. I still was a pretty good student too, so when I finally flew the coop at 20 to go to grad school to become a physical therapist, I experienced the world like I never had when I lived at home during undergrad, and all those years as a child, constrained and taught to stay in the box, in the lines, follow the rules.
Fast forward to age 43, a wonderful career with vast and varied experiences, leaders and bosses who I questioned and limits I pushed to make a larger and more correct impact of patient’s lives. I walked away from my profession but took with me life experience and was able to build a small business from scratch. At 48, my company is riding the silver wave and a leader in what it means to be an impactful source of making the latter stages of elder life, simply … BETTER! I’m ready for the next level!
When did you last change your mind about something important?
Faced with difficulty finding quality team members for Elderwheels while business was slow in the long winter of 2025. I was going to sell off our oldest wheelchair van and just simplify and downsize. The economy was not good for a while, politics was (is still) volatile domestically and globally and we had to bid farewell to more of our clients in a short period of time than even before (many long time clients passed away or transitioned to hospice care). This should be a given for any elder-facing business, but I was not mentally or emotionally ready to lose them and our schedule was more bare than I was comfortable with. I was grieving them so hard but didn’t realize it, and I lost some of my mojo. But I rallied, made some new business plans, reminded my team members of how much I appreciate them amd decided to keep going. The growth has happened as a result and we totally needed the 5 vehicles. Fleet vehicle #6 is on for 2026!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
I believe elder needs should be at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. I think people express this if asked, but in action, it just doesn’t happen. Culturally, many people in the world put elders first in thoughts and actions on a daily basis as a given. In Asia, Africa, Central and South America this may still be mostly the case. But, in the more developed parts of the world, I’m not sure it is.
Thought I can’t speak fully for those areas of the world, I CAN tell you that in The West (where I was born, raised and live), the culture of not thinking about elders is more prevalent. When movie and television stars get older, they have to practically re-invent themselves to keep working. Elders in the general workforce may get laid off or asked/forced to retire when someone younger (cheaper) can be hired. Often the world of technology and impersonal services leaves elders behind, maybe not purposely, but indirectly in the way that life has become more technology, internet and transaction based.
One thing is true, most of us will live into elderly years and life will have changed around us as well. We may be frustrated and feel that the world doesn’t care about us, or that we are a burden on our families. We may accept that our families don’t have as much time for us as we would hope, and we may not be as large a priority on a daily basis. My hope is we elevate elders by helping them to be more present in the world, rather than at home idling. Hope that they are applauded for the wisdom they bring to the table and what guidance they can give us younger generations. Yes, my business if for profit, but the profit is based on providing the highest quality, dependable and caring service that all people would be happy to pay for.
The truth is, elders should be revered and consulted upon. Even though I may be behind the wheel and our elders may be the passengers, we support and advocate for them so they can stay elevated in society for all the things they have accomplished. I ask their opinions every day on how to run my life, raise my kids, better the world … and they give great advice!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I’m raising my son (9) and daughter (6) to respect elders and learn valuable small and large life lessons. It may be a day-to-day challenge because everyone gets frustrated sometimes, but when they reflect as I become an elder, I hope they will see those connections I tried to make when they were younger. As a family we celebrate our elders on our family altar. My children see my father, who passed away before they were born. They see their great aunts and uncles who they didn’t get to meet, as some left this earth young. When my mom visits for a 1-2 months at a time, 2-3 times a year she is a dominant force in the household. She makes them the snacks dinner when they get home from school, she helps them with their laundry, and they help her with her electronics! When they need something, I guide them to ask her, so she maintains a purpose/job in the house. She thrives on this, she enjoys being the matriarch and teaching them. I hope that when she is no longer with us, they can count many things on a list that they learned from her and miss her for. Hopefully we will see that when they become teenagers and ultimately, when they transfer that to their own families as adults, that will be the long-term payoff.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elderwheels.care
- Instagram: elderwheels
- Linkedin: My-Huong Elsa Bui (personal), Elderwheels (business)
- Facebook: Elderwheels
Image Credits
All photos by Elderwheels
Logo original (logonerds.com)
Logo with cape (Emily Gunn, designer)
