You know, nobody ever warns you that a single Facebook post could reroute your entire career. One minute Tammy was busy being a worker bee, doing her best in the bustle of a healthcare facility. The next minute, she found herself waking up at 3 a.m., heart hammering with excitement and anxiety, about making a business leap she never knew was possible. Her story with Black Nurse Entrepreneurs (BNE) is not a flawless hero’s journey. In truth, it’s messy, driven by faith, fueled by passion, and full of moments where she questioned entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, maybe you’ll recognize bits of your own story here or maybe you’ll just enjoy her ride.
From Nurse to Entrepreneur
Hey there! I’m Alvionna Brewster, CEO of Black Nurse Entrepreneurs (BNE). We help Black nurses launch and grow their businesses globally. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tammy Marshall, who runs La Lueur Health and Wellness and is one of our Elite members. I wanted to share her story because, honestly, representation matters so much in our community.
Tammy’s BNE journey is pretty unique. She credits our community with completely transforming her life, and get this, it’s even trickled down to impact her whole family!
Before entrepreneurship, Tammy was your typical nurse working herself to the bone for someone else’s dream. The breaking point? She calculated her employer made $1 million off her work in just three months while she got practically nothing after maternity leave. Ouch.
Everything changed around January 4, 2021. After a tough conversation with her husband about just wanting to help people, she reconnected with our BNE Facebook community. A post about CLIA waivers for lab testing caught her eye. That night? She couldn’t sleep. Too busy researching and dreaming.
She took the plunge and invested into a CLIA class. Was she mad about spending that much? Yep! But that investment changed everything.
I noticed her getting super active in our community, and we started connecting more and more.
The results?
In her first year, her business hit multiple six figures! She later launched a med spa through BNE connections, created a course that made $16K on first release, and introduced “Lady Bird,” her mobile medical unit to the world.
Through one of our classes, she learned about business credit strategies for nurse entrepreneurs, and how to leverage credit for business growth. This was huge! Instead of self-financing everything, she could use other people’s money to grow. Smart financial strategies for nurse entrepreneurs make all the difference.
Has it been easy? Nope. She’s wanted to quit several times. But the mentorship for Black nurse entrepreneurs through our community kept her going. The support system we’ve built provides exactly what’s missing for so many Black business owners.
Looking ahead, Tammy’s building a healthcare empire “for us, by us” while addressing the critical needs of our community while creating pathways to health equity.
I started BNE in 2015 and never imagined how far we’d come. The success stories of Black nurse entrepreneurs like Tammy remind me why this work matters. Every entrepreneur is the MVP of their vision. Don’t let anyone tell you different!
Wanna join us? Check out https://blacknurseentrepreneurs.org. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling your nurse-led social entrepreneurship venture, we’ve got your back. That’s what our community is all about.
TL;DR: If you take nothing else: representation matters, action trumps overthinking, and the right community can shift your entire trajectory. Find your support, listen for those “whispers,” and don’t be afraid to pivot when the game changes.