We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Even recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Six months after launching my business, I was considering all the different ways I could get my message out there and reach my nurses. I had lunch with a friend of mine and when he asked me about my business, I launched into a 7-minute stream of consciousness. He patiently listened, nodding his head. When I had finished, he simply replied, “Yeah, you’re going to need to cut that down to a few sentences.” Hear me when I say this- keep the ones that will tell you straight close- they are priceless and hard to find. He was absolutely right. There were a million things I could say, but what was I going to say? Not long after this lunch, I ran across an Instagram ad for a program to write your first “Punchy Book”. The stars aligned as my cousin had also recently been diagnosed with a cancer he had no business having and as a previous life coach, I felt as though he was telling me “Nothing is promised. If you want to do something, stop thinking and just take the leap.” The way I saw it, I needed to hone my message. What better way to do this than writing a book that I could share with the world. I put my money down and promised myself and my cousin that I would do what I needed to do to cross the finish line. Little by little, faithfully setting aside an hour each morning to write, asking a lot of questions and learning as I went, my first book was officially written 6 months later and debuted as a number one best seller on Amazon.

Committing to a goal that I knew absolutely nothing about was one thing. Putting my words out there to the general public for all to read was the part that really set my mind spinning. As soon as it was officially published the self-doubt started in. What would people think? Who am I to write a book anyway? What if people didn’t like it? The entire experience taught me so much. It taught me, once again, how breaking large goals into smaller, more manageable ones isn’t as hard as you think. It taught me that in this day and age, when you post something for the general public you really shouldn’t freak out because let’s be honest- how many people are actually reading it anyway? I hope if you are reading this, you go on to read my book or share it with anyone you know is looking for some career clarity. If nursing has taught me anything, it is that there is endless opportunities and no need to settle.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always been driven and goal oriented. From playing volleyball in college, to writing my first book, I love a lofty goal. From there I work backwards, chopping it into smaller, manageable chunks and let’s get to work. Sometimes though, as we get older and check some of those big goals off of our list (college, marriage, career, dog, kids, etc.) what is next may not seem so obvious.

Life is complicated. We are busy and distracted.

And sometimes we don’t even know why we are unhappy. Is it our job? Is it our co-workers? Is it our boss? There are so many options as a nurse, but which one is right? When is it time to make a change and what does that look like?
If you are a nurse who is wondering “Is this what I signed up for?! Is this it?!” If you are someone who is unsure how they will get through a 12-hour shift only to have the next one waiting for you, I am here to help.

First of all, I understand. I have been there. I have made the leap a time or two and have learned along the way. During my time in leadership, I would meet with hundreds of nurses and was shocked at how little time and effort any of them put into future career goals or professional development. It is time to change that! As a career coach, I meet nurses where they are. We will walk though your situation to try to get to the root of the issue before we then tackle how to move on to the next step of reclaiming your life as a happy nurse again! As a certified change agent, I will arm you will the knowledge, confidence and motivation you need to take the small step or giant leap you are ready for. Want to know more? Pick up a copy of my book that debuted at a best seller on Amazon last year entitled “Shift your mindset, your job, your life!” Life is too short to waste it on a job you hate. https://a.co/d/4U9p8LE

Or come visit my website and drop me a line! https://straighttalkrn.com/

I would love to hear from you.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Relatability, honesty, and patience. The combination of these three things also result in truly magical networking. In any type of coaching relationship, there has to be a connection of some sort in order to be successful. Your clients need to feel as though they can talk to you and trust you. This is a skill I have honed over 20 years as an ER nurse meeting complete strangers who have to trust me and the rest of the medical team with their most private and vulnerable information. Secondly, although they may not always want to hear it, clients need my honesty in order for them to move forward and truly make a change. They are not paying me to be their friend. They are paying me to listen to them and to understand what they need and then help them take the necessary steps to move forward. Finally, patience and meeting clients where they are cannot be overstated. Knowing when to wait and when to push. Knowing when it is simply not the right time for something and when it is absolutely the wrong time for something else. Life may be a marathon and not a sprint, but it will also pass you by if you are sitting on the sidelines too long waiting for the “perfect” time.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I am happy to say that I would and that I almost didn’t choose it at all. It was my sophomore year in college. I was a science major and my best friend and I were sitting on a hill trying to figure out what I was going to do with my degree. After spending a considerable amount of time thinking about it and coming up empty handed, I started asking a few of my professors for their thoughts and advice. My biochemistry teacher’s wife talked to be about the time when she was a nurse and how much she hated it, but after talking with her I thought “I can see myself doing that” and applied for the program weeks before the start. Thankfully I love something that I got into on a bit of a whim and an educated guess. I am happy to say that the longer I have been in the profession the more I appreciate it along with the numerous opportunities it affords to learn, grow, explore, and shift.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://straighttalkrn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/straighttalk_rn/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-even-straighttalk/
• Other: https://a.co/d/bhIiRcw