We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aaliyah Armstrong. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aaliyah below.
Aaliyah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The greatest risk I’ve taken in my nursing journey was relocating to Dallas, Texas from my hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana—a place where my support system was strong and familiar. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern University A&M College in May 2018, and just a year later, I made the bold decision to move to Dallas with little to no family nearby. It was a leap of faith into the unknown, but I knew it was necessary for my personal and professional growth.
Shortly after relocating, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. At that point, I had only been a nurse for about a year and a half. Navigating a global health crisis so early in my career was overwhelming and eye-opening. But it also sparked a deeper sense of purpose. In October 2020, I began working as a travel nurse, taking assignments across different states and cities. That experience expanded my clinical skills and exposed me to a wide range of healthcare settings and patient populations.
During those travel assignments, I began to clearly envision the kind of care I wanted to provide—and the life I wanted to build. I’d always dreamed of becoming a Nurse Practitioner, and I also felt a growing passion for IV hydration and wellness. I saw a real need for personalized wellness services, and I realized I could merge my clinical expertise with this passion to create something of my own.
In August 2023, I earned my Master of Science in Nursing in Family Practice from Texas Woman’s University. The following year, I launched A-LUXE Hydration & Wellness, bringing my vision to life.
Stepping into entrepreneurship has been a new and challenging chapter. As nurses, we’re often encouraged to work within traditional roles—but not necessarily to build our own. Starting a business has required me to grow beyond the bedside and embrace leadership, strategy, marketing, and business operations. The growing pains have been real, but so has the insight. I’ve learned to trust myself, remain adaptable, and keep my purpose front and center.
What started as a personal risk—leaving my home state—became the launchpad for a life of purpose, innovation, and ownership. And I’m just getting started.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and founder of A-LUXE Hydration & Wellness, a brand that’s rooted in compassion, clinical excellence, and a passion for preventive care. I’m originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern University A&M College in 2018. In 2019, I took a leap of faith and relocated to Dallas, Texas, where my personal and professional evolution truly began.
Like many nurses, I entered this field because I care deeply about people and their well-being. After a year and a half of bedside experience, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and it changed everything. Working on the frontlines was challenging, but it also opened my eyes to how much more I wanted to do for people beyond traditional hospital care. In 2020, I transitioned into travel nursing, working in a variety of settings across different states. It was during that time that I saw firsthand how many people were craving holistic, proactive care—especially when it came to hydration, energy, immunity, and recovery.
That insight sparked the idea for A-LUXE Hydration & Wellness. I knew I wanted to pursue my goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner, and I also knew I wanted to create a space that prioritized wellness, self-care, and confidence from the inside out. In August 2023, I earned my Master of Science in Nursing (Family Practice) from Texas Woman’s University, and in 2024, I officially launched A-LUXE.
At A-LUXE, we offer IV hydration therapy, vitamin injections, and wellness consultations that are personalized, evidence-based, and delivered with a luxe touch. Our services support energy, immunity, recovery, skin health, and overall vitality. Whether you’re an athlete, a busy professional, recovering from travel, or just needing a wellness boost, our goal is to help you feel like your most vibrant self—safely and professionally.
What sets us apart is our nurse-led approach. This isn’t just a trendy service—it’s clinical care provided by a licensed Nurse Practitioner who understands both the science and the human side of health. We combine luxury and expertise in a way that makes people feel cared for, not just serviced. I take the time to educate clients, tailor their care to their lifestyle and goals, and follow up with intention.
I’m most proud of the fact that I didn’t let fear—or the limits that are often placed on nurses—hold me back. So many of us in healthcare are taught to follow a path that leads us to work for someone else. I wanted to prove, for myself and others, that we can also be innovators, leaders, and business owners in this space. Every client we serve at A-LUXE is a reminder of that purpose in action.
To anyone discovering A-LUXE for the first time, know this: our mission is to help you reclaim your energy, protect your wellness, and invest in yourself—because you deserve to feel your best, and we’re here to help make that happen.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
Absolutely—without hesitation. If I could go back, I would choose this path all over again. Becoming a nurse and then a Nurse Practitioner has shaped not only my career but who I am as a person. The experiences I’ve had, the lives I’ve touched, and the lessons I’ve learned through both bedside nursing and now as a provider and business owner have been invaluable.
Nursing has given me a foundation built on empathy, resilience, and adaptability. It’s taught me how to care for people at their most vulnerable and advocate for them when they can’t always speak for themselves. Becoming a Nurse Practitioner allowed me to expand that impact, offering more autonomy in decision-making and the ability to guide patients through both treatment and prevention.
If anything, I wish I had embraced the idea of entrepreneurship earlier. Stepping into the wellness and IV hydration space through A-LUXE Hydration & Wellness has shown me how powerful and needed nurse-led care truly is. It’s allowed me to combine clinical knowledge with creativity, vision, and leadership—something I never saw modeled early on in my career.
So yes, I’d absolutely choose nursing and entrepreneurship again. Every challenge along the way has made the journey worth it.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Beyond training and clinical knowledge, I believe the most helpful qualities for success in this field—especially as both a Nurse Practitioner and business owner—are resilience, adaptability, and a strong sense of purpose.
Healthcare can be emotionally demanding, and as providers, we’re constantly navigating change—whether it’s in patient needs, policies, or the systems we work within. Being resilient helps you show up even when things get hard. It helps you bounce back from long shifts, difficult cases, or even business setbacks when you’re building something new like I did with A-LUXE Hydration & Wellness.
Adaptability is key because no two days are ever the same in this profession. You have to be willing to adjust your approach, continue learning, and evolve with your clients and the industry. For me, this was especially important transitioning from bedside nursing to entrepreneurship, where I had to learn a completely new side of healthcare—branding, marketing, business operations—all while maintaining clinical excellence.
But above all, having a strong “why” keeps you grounded. In this field, it’s not just about what you do, it’s about why you do it. When you truly care about people, their wellness, and making an impact, it shows—and clients feel that. That genuine connection is what keeps people coming back and what sets you apart.
Image Credits
Photos were taken by a Dallas photographer named Kesha Sermon