From Nurse to CEO: Embracing Your Identity as a Business Owner

Calling all nurses turned entrepreneurs!

In this podcast, get real talk on embracing your CEO identity. Level up your mindset and biz with tips from someone who's been there.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:35

Hi, everybody, welcome to the Empower Her Entrepreneur, and we're the podcast where we do talk all things business, mindset, and leadership for women blazing their own trails. So I'm your host, Janice, CEO, mentor, nurse, and I'm here to remind you that your journey doesn't have to make sense to anyone else but you. Can we repeat that? I'm here to remind you that your journey doesn't have to make sense to anyone else but you. Today's episode is deeply personal. It's called From Nurse to CEO, Embracing Your Identity as a Business Owner. Whether you're still working the shifts, juggling entrepreneurship on the side, or already full-time in your business, this one is definitely for you. Let's be honest. When you introduce yourself as a business owner after years of identifying as a nurse, a caregiver, or a frontline worker, well, it can feel awkward. Imposter syndrome almost creeps in. You might hear yourself say things like, I'm just a nurse who started a business. I don't have a business degree. Who am I to call myself a CEO? Sound familiar? We often talk ourselves down instead of talk ourselves up. We're maybe in fear, a little bit of anxiety. We left everything that we knew. Maybe we were working long-term care, hospital, community care, we were working for a doctor, we were working at a clinic. We were always under someone else. We were following their rules, their hours, and their time. Well, it all sounds familiar. Let me tell you something. You're not just anything. You're a visionary, you're a problem solver, you're a woman who saw a need and did something about it. That is the very essence of all of this entrepreneurship. It's see a need, fill a need. I actually think it's from one of my I remember my kids were little and my boys would be watching cartoons, and I swear there was this robot, and it was him becoming an entrepreneur. It was see a need, fill a need. That's all we're doing. That's all what this is about. It all starts somewhere with a passion. And here's the truth: your background as a nurse makes you uniquely equipped to lead. Think about it. You've managed chaos in critical situations, you've communicated with patients, families, doctors, and entire teams, often at the same time and under a lot of pressure. We all know what it's been like. You've made hard decisions with limited information. You've advocated fiercely for people who couldn't advocate for themselves. Now tell me, does that not sound like the same skill set a CEO or a woman business leader needs? The biggest shift isn't what you're doing, it's in how you see yourself. Going from nurse to business leader or a CEO isn't about leaving part of you behind. It's about integrating who you've always been into who you're becoming. Let me tell you a quick story. When I first started my business, I still wore my scrubs, literally and figuratively. I felt most comfortable when people saw me as a nurse first. It was safe, it was known, it was respected. And that was hard to pull away from that. It's not, obviously, we wear scrubs, it makes total sense when offering care, especially to clients, but I'm talking about the need to wear them because you felt safe. But as I started hiring people, I grew my business, I started building systems. Next thing you know, I'm negotiating contracts. I had to step into a new version of myself, one that wasn't just serving patience, but serving a mission. You may not be there, some of you on this podcast today. You may be someone who just started your business, but maybe you're like me with a little bit of bubble under your blood that you know is about to burst because you want to do more, build more, have more. You want to offer something to your clients, to your community, and you know you are an upward swing. Well, go for it, girl. I had to unlearn the belief that being nice meant saying yes to everything and starting started to own my own time, my value, and my vision. And that meant saying it out loud. I am a CEO, which I am now, but maybe you. I am a business owner. Say it. Even before it felt fully true, especially before it felt fully true, say it to yourself. I am a business owner. I am a CEO. I am the leader in my industry. So if you're listening right now and you're in that messy middle, you know where you're sticking still, you're figuring it all out. Here are three mindset shifts that I want to offer you today. One, very important, very, stop asking permission. Start giving yourself authority. You don't need someone to validate your business plan or what you've decided to do or your pricing or your dreams. If it aligns with your values and your skills and the community you serve, you don't need a stamp of approval. You are the expert. You have the authority. Number two, shift from helping to leading. As nurses, we're taught to help, to fix, to support. But CEOs and business leaders, ones who are growing our business beyond um just ourselves, you're gonna want more, you're gonna want to hire. We lead, we delegate, and we build. That doesn't mean we stop caring, it means we care strategically, sustainably, and with long-term vision. These are all things that as I shifted to having my first foot care nurse work for me. I am now a team of 18. And we are working all over Ontario with 26 long-term care contracts. Um, we pretty much have all of the business in Windsor-Essex County, except for, you know, maybe some mobile home visits. I think only two homes in all of the county. We are the leading authority. And to grow that, I had to believe into myself that once I was full of foot care clients that I could grow. And that's where I hired. Along the way, did we make a lot of faults? Yes, I didn't have my policies, procedures. Now we have operations manual. I see nurses come and go out of my company. Let it go, let them go. They weren't gonna serve you well. Now I have such a strong team of amazing individuals that we all work closely together. And I have never felt so much camaraderie that I do with my team. So don't feel afraid to think of yourself outside of a nurse. You can be a business owner, you can be a CEO. Three, remember, confidence comes from actions and not waiting to feel ready. If I waited to feel ready before launching, hiring, or expanding, I'd still be dreaming about it. Every confident CEO you see out there started by taking action before they had it all figured out. Here's your affirmation for today. Say it with me. I am not just a nurse turned on entrepreneur. I am a CEO, business leader, building a business with purpose. My experience matters, my vision matters, and I am fully capable of leading. And let that sink in. Before we wrap up, here's your CEO homework. I want you to write three things or three ways. Sorry. How about this? You ex your experience as a nurse makes you a better business owner. And then write one bold CEO move you'll take this week, even if it scares you. Post it, share it, say it out loud. Because this is what it looks like to embrace your identity and lead with purpose. Thanks for enjoying me today on the Unpower Her Entrepreneur. And if you found this episode helpful, inspiring, or just plain real, make sure to hit subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman ready to own her CEO title. Until next time, ladies, stay powerful, stay purposeful, and never forget, you were made for this. We are always here to talk a lot more. You know all of us uh who have joined in on our AFCN uh learning institute, who have taken courses, programs, bought a form, you all have access to our monthly VIP Facebook group where we network once a month. And that means we are all free voices on there to talk, chit chat, offer help, offer advice. Make sure you grab on this group. We've changed it up a little bit this month, so it's gonna look new and more exciting. We are looking to grow all together. Cheers and have a good one.