Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Farah Laurent . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Farah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My mission is to empower all nurses globally, to pursue careers that are fulfilling and make a significant impact. Nurses are powerful and are unstoppable! As a Nurse Career Coach and Business Start up Mentor I expand nurses’ mindset and let them see the endless opportunities that exist in the nursing industry! I recently wrote a book entitled ” Nurses Making Money Moves: A Nurse’s Guide to Starting a Business” to empower nurses to start their own business which can be found on my website at Nursefarah.com. I am shattering old nursing narratives and a game changer in the nursing world!
As a nursing student, I was told by my clinical instructor that I would “never be an emergency nurse” because I was too “unorganized”. I did not listen to that foolishness and said to myself, “just watch me lady!” I got hired in the Emergency Department as a nursing student and before I took my board licensing exam!
I went on to be one of the most Badass Emergency Nurses! I was awarded numerous awards, scholarships and became a nurse educator. I promised myself I would become a fun educator and empower nursing students to pursue their dreams and support them. Although I endured many hardships with racism, discrimination and bullying, I was able to rise to the Director level of Nursing with determination and grit. I am an advocate for new graduate nurses and believe that representation matters.
In my early life, I immigrated to Canada at age 9 and did not speak english. First in my family to graduate from university and soon to graduate from a Doctoral program as a DNP!
I then founded my Nurse Career Coaching business to provide top notch nursing guidance, career advice, interview preparation and mentorship. I am today what I needed as a new nurse! I do more than just teach nurses how to level up in their careers and land their dream position. I am a part of nurses’ transformation as they become more confident and eliminate self limiting beliefs.
I teach nurses how to put themselves first, be bold and go after what they want so they can live their best life!!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Farah is a dynamic, powerful Speaker, Writer, Educator and Nurse Career Coach with over 20 years of experience working in both Canada and the USA. Farah has a wealth of experience in emergency medicine, education and leadership. Farah is the proud CEO and Founder of Farah Laurent International Nurse Coach. She is the author of “Nurses Making Money Moves: A Nurses Guide to Starting A Business”. She is a Career Advancement and Professional Development Expert. Farah is known for creating strong connections and inspiring nurses globally.
Farah has been featured in Sigma, Becker’s Healthcare, Daily Nurse, National Nurses in Business Association, The Nursing Beat and nurse.org, to name a few. She is a contributor for Minority Nurse.
Farah’s authenticity and bubbly personality has landed her on many different podcasts, LinkedIn live shows, magazines and Nursing Media. Farah is the host of her own Linkedln live show entitled “The Nursing Dose with Farah ” where she has interviewed many nurses and famous guests to share strategies for career success. Farah is full of energy and joy, in fact, her name means Happiness! She loves traveling, music, photography, concerts, stand up comedy and eating spicy food!
Not your average nurse! Bold and always keeping it real! From ED nurse to CEO and founder! Farah likes to stir the pot and does not have the traditional views that some Nurses have. She believes that New Nurses can start where they want! She does not believe the old school thinking that new nurses must start in Med Surg! Nothing against Med Surg, however Farah encourages nurses to pursue what their heart desires. Empowers nurses to ask for more and negotiate for a higher salary.
Strong advocate for education, mentorship and supporting all nurses, especially our novice nurses. 6 Times board certified baddie, in Emergency Medicine, education, leadership and patient experience. Farah has a passion to serve nursing students and new grad RNs and elevate their careers to new heights.
Farah works with clients on mindset and confidence! Teaching Nurses how to promote themselves and how to create a memorable pitch! She encourages nurses to highlight their skills, knowledge and accomplishments.
New Nurses are nervous, afraid, not sure if they are enough or how they will transition into the “real world of nursing” so Farah can help with that transition. Farah facilitates the transition of nursing students to nursing practice. Farah covers real workplace issues. She coaches nurses how to navigate the healthcare environment and deal with things such as bullying and discrimination. Farah is an expert in profession development and career advancement.
Farah works with all nurses. Many nurses are not sure what direction to go or what their next career move should be. Farah helps with that clarity, providing a crystal clear plan and a healthy dose of transparency.
Farah has coached numerous new graduate nurses and students to land high demand positions like the ICU, ED, OR, L&D, NICU, PICU and many more. She also works with experienced nurses to transition to education and leadership roles.
Services provided:
1-1 Coaching/Group Coaching
Career Guidance
Resume/Cover letter
Interview Preparation
Business Start up Mentor
Corporate Training
International Speaker
Farah’s experience as an educator and Director of Education has made her a sought after speaker and trainer for corporate events and nursing conferences. She is an expert in emergency medicine, education, leadership and patient experience which makes her a well rounded speaker. No matter what Farah does, she brings the fun, energy and keeps the audience engaged and laughing!
“I am so happy to have coached over 100 Nurses to success and find their dream roles in positions they never thought were possible, and the majority of them are new graduate nurses! When my clients get a win, it is just like I am winning as well”.
“I know the struggles that nurses face and I have been there first hand, which is why nurses are attracted to me, my story and why they work with me”
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I had Linkedln for many years, however I was never active on the platform. I only used it as a job search platform. In June of 2021 after I started my Nurse Career Coaching business, I quickly realized the power of Linkedln and other social media platforms. I knew that I had to change my perspective and take content creation seriously to promote my business and create my brand.
Many people will tell you that you should be on all social media platforms, however it is very difficult to maintain. I highly recommend focusing on 1-2 social media platforms. You have to figure out where your people or potential clients hang out the most. I decided to focus my efforts on Linkedln and learn as much as I could about the platform. I grew my Linkedln profile from 0 to 10 000 followers in less than 2 years! I did this by creating value content consistently. I dedicated myself to creating weekly content, to sometimes posting content daily.
How did I know what content to post? I was not too sure what to post when I first started. I focused on nursing student content study tips and career guidance. I sometimes would post random content and realized that it would have to be more focused. I started asking nurses what type of content they would be interested in.
Although it was not easy to create video content, that is what helped me build a bigger following. I got an overwhelming amount of positive feedback when I created video content from nurses all over the world. I had nurses messaging me to tell me how much my content has helped them in their careers, nursing school and during their interviews.
Creating consistent video content allowed me to get approved for hosting my own Linkedln live show entitled “The Nursing Dose with Farah”. This Linkedln live platform has been a tremendous game changer for me in business and to highlight me as an industry expert in Nursing. On this live show, I interview different nurses and other guests where we discuss different nursing topics, wellness, business and career strategies for success. My plan is to turn “The Nursing Dose with Farah” into an official video podcast very soon! So look out for that!
Collaborating with other industry experts is also important to demonstrate your authority and build your brand. I often highlight other professionals on the platform and support their content. It is crucial to connect with others and engage with their content as well. I also try to reach out to other professionals who are from other industries because I believe you can learn so much from everyone!
One of the biggest tips that I can give is to be yourself and be real. People love stories and love authenticity. You have to be a great storyteller.
Here are some tips that I recommend:
-select 1-2 social platforms to focus on
-diversify your content including, writing articles, written posts, short form content, long form content, videos
-cover industry trends and hot topics
-share your unique perspectives
-stand out with professional photos
-Keep your content fun, fresh, creative and educational
-speak to your audience as if you are speaking to 1 client
-focus on your audiences’ pain points and offer solutions
-don’t be BORING!
The biggest advice is to just start and not overthink it! I take myself out of the equation and focus on how my content can make an impact. If my content helps a few nurses then that is what I truly care about. You do not have to look all made up and perfect. yes you should look presentable, however, remember people connect with realness!! Speak to your expertise and real life experiences!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was working in my dream role as the Director of Education, until I got laid off in a matter of a 1 minute. I quickly realized that there is no job security in any job! This is when I really went full on, in my nurse career coaching business and creating more content on Linkedln. I stayed positive and took that negative experience as a learning opportunity. I have shared that story to empower other nurses to start their own business and realize the only way towards true financial freedom is entrepreneurship.
As a former Emergency nurse I have built an exceptional amount of resilience and can adapt to any situation. I am not easily taken off track, I am determined to succeed. You have to have grit and believe in yourself even if no one else sees your vision. You have to be grounded in your purpose and values in order to move forward. You brush off your shoulders and keep it moving! I look at all experiences as a lesson and have a growth mindset. I think being a spiritual person and having faith has helped me throughout my life. You will always face challenges however there is always a way to figure it out.
I am currently working as the Director of Nursing, however I am on the journey to full entrepreneurship. Although it is tough to make the transition, I urge nurses to start now. Business success does not happen overnight, it is really a long game. You have to be fully committed and bet on yourself. I do not recommend quitting your job unless you are financially well off to focus on your business. I would have a reserve of at least 6-9 months before quitting a job.
This experience has led me to write a book for aspiring nurse entrepreneurs and new nurse entrepreneurs. The book is entitled “Nurses Making Money Moves: A Nurses Guide to Starting a Business”. This workbook covers an entrepreneurial mindset, how to set up your business structure, pricing, marketing and all the basics that you need to start your business. The book allows you to write down ideas and prioritize your next money moves!
The main goals of my business is to keep coaching Nurses and providing career guidance/interview skills. After working with me, nurses think differently, are more confident and go through a transformation! It is such a joy to see nurses thriving and being bold while pursuing their goals! The message is that they are unstoppable and make a powerful impact in the nursing world!
I now also mentor and coach nurses how to start their own coaching and consulting business. I am very excited about what is to come in my business and feel that I am just getting started. My goal and mission is to keep empowering nurses globally to pursue their dreams, make money moves and live their best life!!
I am currently booking speaking engagements/Corporate training for 2024 and accepting new nurse coaching clients.
Thank you
Farah Laurent MSN, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CPXP, TCRN, CPEN, CEN
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nursefarah.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nursefarahinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Farah-Laurent/pfbid02odqVunmSXCSbyhRxVQpB3S44KHmMvPLR95qiDcCtXueH6YvSGAE53ANdk2K6RGBjl/
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nursefarah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@farahrncoach1442/streams