From Nurse to Entrepreneur: Year 2 Lessons and My Year 3 Vision

Two years ago, I never imagined I would be running my own business.

If you had told me while I was working bedside, or managing a unit that I would one day be a nurse entrepreneur, I probably would have laughed.

And yet, here we are.

This episode marks the end of Year 2 in business for me. And instead of sharing polished highlight reels, I want to pull the curtain back.

What does it actually look like to build a business as a nurse?

What really happens behind the scenes?

What worked in Year 2?

What did not?

And what am I focusing on in Year 3?

If you are thinking about starting a business as a nurse, building a nurse side hustle, or just curious what nurse entrepreneurship really looks like, this is for you.

What Running a Nurse Coaching Business Actually Looks Like

Let’s start here.

I work on my business every single day.

Not in a hustle culture way. Not in a glamorous influencer way.

But in a consistent, disciplined, deeply committed way.

Even during hard weeks.

For example, last week was a very hard week and looked like this:

• My dog died on Monday

• I had a migraine for three days after my sweet Finn passed

• I had to teach clinical Tuesday and Wednesday 

• My kids had flu A, flu B, and strep over the weekend 

And still, every single day, I opened my laptop.

That is what building an online business as a nurse looks like. It is not overnight success. It is not viral moments. It is daily, steady effort.

The beauty is flexibility.

I can work at dance practice.
I can work at soccer.
I can work after school drop off.

That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons I love being a nurse entrepreneur.

The Revenue Truth: Growth Without Paychecks

Here is the part no one glamorizes.

In Year 2, I more than doubled my revenue compared to Year 1.

That is huge.

But I have not paid myself in a traditional sense.

Every single dollar I made went right back into the business.

Course platforms.
Software.
Education.
A virtual assistant.
Tools to improve my programs.

This is something I think more nurse entrepreneurs need to hear.

Revenue does not equal profit in the early stages.

Growth often means reinvestment.

And right now, I am okay with that.

Because this is not just income for me.

It is a mission.

Rebuilding My Digital Courses From the Ground Up

One of my biggest investments in Year 2 was spending two thousand dollars on a course about how to build a better digital course.

Two thousand dollars.

That felt terrifying.

But I did it.

And then I completely refined:

• Application Advantage ⬅️ Click to check it out!
• New Grad Nurse Interview Blueprint ⬅️ Click to check it out!

They were good before.

Now they are gold.

That investment in myself made everything stronger.

If you are building a nurse side hustle or online course, let me tell you something important.

Your nursing degree does not teach you business.

Your clinical experience does not teach you marketing.

You have to learn it.

And sometimes that means paying to learn it faster.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant Changed Everything

In Year 2, I hired a virtual assistant.

At first, it felt uncomfortable.

Delegation is hard.

Even in nursing, delegation is hard. Now imagine delegating in your own business.

I had to learn how to:

• Give clear feedback

• Let go of control

• Communicate preferences

• Think like a CEO

At first, I would hesitate to ask for edits.

But I realized something powerful.

The clearer I became, the better the results became.

Delegation is a skill.

And it directly translates from nursing leadership into entrepreneurship.

If you are stuck in the weeds of your nurse coaching business, ask yourself this:

Are you spending time in your zone of genius?

Or are you doing everything yourself out of fear?

The CEO Moment: Saying No

In Year 2, I had an opportunity to collaborate on something exciting for nurses.

Initially, I said yes.

Then I paused.

It did not align with my core mission.

It would have pulled me off course.

It would have been time-consuming.

And it would have diluted what I am known for, which is helping new graduate nurses land their first job.

So I did something uncomfortable.

I told the truth.

I said no.

That was a CEO moment.

Not because I rejected something.

But because I protected my lane.

If you are building a business as a nurse, this is critical.

Stay the course.

Reputation is built slowly.

If you pivot constantly, you become known for nothing.

Word of Mouth: The Real Validation

In Year 2, something finally started happening.

Word of mouth referrals.

A nurse emailed me and said she was referred by another nurse I helped.

That moment meant more than any metric.

It confirmed something important.

Reputation takes time.

Credibility takes time.

Building a nurse coaching business is not a sprint.

It is a marathon.

Investing in Education as a Nurse Entrepreneur

This year, I invested in:

• A digital course creation program

• A podcasting course

• A Pinterest marketing course

• Messaging education

Why?

Because I did not go to business school.

I am a nurse.

And if I want to build a sustainable online business, I need to learn new skills.

Entrepreneurship stretches you.

It forces you to become a student again.

Shoot Your Shot

This year I attended an Indeed’s Careers in Care event in New York City.

The Head of the Job Search Academy, Matt Berndt, was there.

I was nervous.

But I walked up to him and pitched him to be on my podcast.

He said yes.

That episode became one of my favorites.

Closed mouths do not get fed.

If you want to grow as a nurse entrepreneur, you have to get comfortable asking.

The Power of an Accountability Partner

Entrepreneurship can be lonely.

I have a friend building her own business.

We voice memo constantly.

We challenge each other.

We unpack mindset blocks.

We call out shiny object syndrome.

We celebrate wins.

If you are building a nurse side hustle, do not do it alone.

Find someone who understands the language of business.

My Year 3 Vision as a Nurse Entrepreneur

Year 3 is not about doing more.

It is about doing more of what matters.

Here is what I am focused on.

1. Staying in My Lane

Helping new graduate nurses land their first job.

That is the mission.

No distractions.

No dilution.

2. Facing My Fear of Visibility

Yes, I post content.

Yes, I have a podcast.

But visibility still feels scary.

Year 3 means leaning into video.

Leaning into YouTube.

Leaning into growth.

Even when it feels uncomfortable.

3. More In-Person Networking

I love in-person events.

I want:

• More conferences

• More networking

• More real conversations

Especially with nursing students.

4. Workshops for Nursing Programs

This is my big goal.

I want to bring job readiness workshops to nursing schools.

Resume workshops.
Interview workshops.
Career navigation workshops.

I believe nursing students deserve structured support in landing their first job.

That is where my heart is.

What Entrepreneurship Has Taught Me

Entrepreneurship has stretched me more than nursing ever did.

But nursing gave me resilience.

Bedside gave me grit.

Management gave me communication skills.

Clinical instruction gave me teaching confidence.

Every part of my nursing career built the foundation for this.

If you are considering starting a business as a nurse, hear this:

You are more equipped than you think.

Final Thoughts

Building a nurse entrepreneur business is not glamorous.

It is steady.

It is intentional.

It is uncomfortable.

It is rewarding.

Year 2 was about refining.

Year 3 is about alignment and expansion with intention.

If you are building something, stay the course.

If you are thinking about starting a nurse side hustle, start small.

Protect your passion.

Invest in learning.

Shoot your shot.

And remember:

Reputation and credibility take time.

As always — I have one hand for me, and the other for you. 🤍

Signing Off…

Caroline

PS. Want more on this topic? Listen to Life After Nursing School    Podcast  Ep 54