What I’ve Learned from Working With Over 20 Nurse Entrepreneurs: Lessons from the Founders Launch of HNEP

A Dream Realized

As I sit down to reflect, it's hard to put into words how honored and grateful I feel. We've officially wrapped up the Founders Launch of the Holistic Nursing Entrepreneur Program (HNEP), and the full course is now live. Seeing over 20 nurses and nurse practitioners step into their next chapter with courage, vision, and authenticity has been one of the most inspiring experiences of my nursing career. Watching them launch practices rooted in functional and holistic care—practices that reflect their deepest values—has been nothing short of extraordinary.

When we gathered over Zoom during the Founders Launch, we would dedicate time to celebrate wins. Big wins. Small wins. First marketing posts, discovery calls booked, first clients scheduled, new referral connections in our communities, and finally getting full practice authority for one of our NPs. It wasn't just about business milestones; it was about witnessing nurses reclaim their purpose, realign with their "why," and build careers that honor both their patients and themselves.

The Power of Alignment: Building a Practice That Reflects Your Heart

One of the most beautiful lessons I've learned through this journey is how transformational it is when a nurse builds a practice that aligns with their true values. Many of the nurses in our program shared that finding functional nursing and holistic entrepreneurship didn’t just change their career paths—it saved them from leaving nursing entirely. They weren't burned out from the work of nursing; they were burned out from practicing in ways that felt misaligned, incomplete, and out of step with true healing.

When nurses are empowered to design services that reflect root-cause healing, whole-person care, and partnership with patients, they light up. That light is contagious. Patients notice it. Communities notice it. And most importantly, the nurses themselves feel it—a reconnection with the very reasons they chose this path in the first place.

Community Over Competition: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Another powerful theme that emerged again and again was the importance of community. In traditional healthcare, holistically-minded nurses are often isolated—both emotionally and professionally. Entrepreneurship, when approached through the lens of collaboration rather than competition, creates the opposite experience.

Throughout the Founders Launch, the nurses in our group cheered each other on, shared ideas, celebrated breakthroughs, and even brainstormed solutions to challenges together. There was no gatekeeping. No "every nurse for themselves" mentality. Just genuine support and excitement for one another's growth. This is the future of healthcare entrepreneurship: a rising tide where we all rise together.

Courage Looks Different for Everyone (And That’s Okay)

Working with these nurses also taught me that bravery doesn’t always look like fireworks and grand announcements. Sometimes, courage looks like quietly hitting "publish" on a website you've been agonizing over. Sometimes, it's telling your first potential client about your offerings even when your voice shakes. Sometimes, it's just taking the next right step, even when the path feels unfamiliar.

Every win, every small act of bravery, matters. The nurses in the Founders Launch reminded me that entrepreneurship isn't about perfection—it's about persistence, heart, and staying anchored to your "why."

A New Chapter for Nursing

Being part of this movement—watching nurses create practices that honor holistic health, evidence-based care, and entrepreneurship—has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life. I truly believe that functional and holistic nursing will be the catalyst that transforms healthcare from the inside out.

And I believe that nurses, especially those stepping courageously into independent practice, are the heartbeat of that change.

If you are a nurse who has ever wondered if there’s a different way—a way to practice with more autonomy, more meaning, and more alignment—know that it’s possible. You are not alone.

To every nurse entrepreneur in our Founders Launch: Thank you. Thank you for trusting this process, for sharing your wins and your fears, and for reminding me every day why this work matters so deeply. Helping nurses create the practices and careers they were born for isn't just a job for me—it's a calling.

This is only the beginning. The future of healthcare is holistic, functional, and nurse-led.