From Bedside to Boardroom: How Grief Turned My Pain into Power
If you had told me years ago that my career in nursing would lead me to entrepreneurship in a high-risk, male-dominated industry, I would have laughed. Nursing was my calling, my passion—a career built on caring for others. But life has a way of redirecting us, especially when we least expect it.
A Life of Service & a Sudden Shift Nursing taught me resilience. It showed me how to stay calm in chaos, how to advocate for the vulnerable, and how to navigate life-or-death situations with clarity. But what it didn’t prepare me for was the personal loss that would shake my foundation. Grief arrived at my doorstep, uninvited and relentless. It didn’t just take—it transformed.
Losing someone I loved was a before-and-after moment. The kind that forces you to re-evaluate everything. I could have let it break me. Instead, I let it rebuild me.
The Unconventional Path to Entrepreneurship Stepping away from the familiar comfort of a stable career was terrifying. But I knew I had more to give, more to create, and more impact to make. I took my experience in health, safety, and leadership and entered the world of business—a world that wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for women like me.
I built my company with the same core values I carried as a nurse:
Advocacy – but now for workplace safety and equity.
Compassion – but now through mentorship and leadership.
Resilience – because entrepreneurship is its own form of triage.
The lessons from the hospital floor followed me into the boardroom, reminding me that leadership, in any industry, is about service.
Turning Pain into Power Grief has a way of revealing who we are at our core. It strips away the unnecessary and forces us to confront what truly matters. For me, it ignited a fire. I channeled my loss into purpose, my sorrow into strength. And in doing so, I discovered that the best way to honor the past is to build a future that lifts others.
To anyone standing at a crossroads, wrestling with loss, or questioning whether they have the strength to pivot—know this: Your pain is not your ending. It’s your beginning.
I didn’t choose grief, but I chose what to do with it. And that has made all the difference.
Your Turn Have you ever taken an unconventional path in your career? Has grief or adversity shaped your journey? Let’s talk about it. Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your story.
#Entrepreneurship #CareerPivot #Resilience #Leadership