We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Larson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My business future was born of my teen years in the hospitality industry. I was, and often still am, a poster child for the First Aid Box. If there was something to slip on, trip over, or a way to cut myself, I found it. I also found that the nearest First Aid Box was almost always empty.

This was my life as I bumped, bruised, and hacked my way through college. But when you need someone to help pop a bandage on your finger, you make a lot of friends. One who knew my foibles well, told me that I should own the First Aid company by now.

And that was that. I started buying and stocking first aid supplies. Then I became an expert on OSHA compliance and helped a lot of business owners who had no clue as to their liability. I started small, grew slowly, stayed true to my customers, and eventually reached a point where my clients preach safety with me to others as they open shop.

I always remind everyone that in the event of an emergency, you are the first responder. But beyond that, the First Aid Box is a statement of how much you value your employees and your patrons.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that I chose the right business. I am compassionate and empathetic to a fault. If I can help, I will. A few years ago, we stopped in to one of our normal businesses and the owner said the AED was making a noise, we hurried back to change the pads and batteries. Two days later, it saved someone’s life. Wildly, that’s happened to me more than once. I think of these things as signs that I’ve chosen the right path in life.

It’s been a challenge at times, but always rewarding. I am now a certified WBE and my client roster is bigger than ever. But no matter what, I’ll always stop what I’m doing to welcome smart, safety-conscious clients into the Larson’s Medical Supply family.

Nicole, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

First Aid seems pretty straightforward. In fact, the number of very specialized products that are put to work every day would surprise you. Consider the needs of a restaurant. A bartender might need bandages while chef might need burn cream.

A smart businessperson will have a three-shelf metal first aid box crammed full of supplies. It’s not just a nice thing to do, it’s the law. OSHA will identify and fine non-compliant businesses to the tune of thousands, so having a good first aid supply is not just a smart thing to do, it is required!

My job is often to help a business choose their safety stock so that’s it’s most relevant for their operation. A barge operator has very different needs than an accounting office. And my job is not just to show up at the door with a list of things and say, “Yeah, I have First Aid supplies.” My job is to help explain why they are needed and more importantly how a simple metal box with a red cross on it can save a life.

For instance, I make sure that business owners have an eye-wash station and an AED. Consider that vision loss is usually permanent. And the odds of surviving a heart attack drop as every second passes by.

I check on everyone to make sure they’re up to date on supplies. I take my work seriously. It’s impact is meaningful. When I come to restock an empty first aid box, that means someone I know experienced pain. When I service an AED, someone I know has had a health emergency.

I ask everyone to call me and invite me over. I’ll not only explain what you need, I’ll hang it on the wall!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In the early weeks of March 2020, chefs and restaurateurs started asking me if I stocked N95 medical masks. I didn’t, but if my clients needed them, I was going to do my very best to get them. Little did I know that for a horrible long while, masks were just about my only business. I was fortunate to find a source within my network.

Then world shut down. And my supply was weeks away from reaching STL and shipping was a nightmare. Those few weeks were literally the longest days of my life. A younger worker at a senior care facility got COVID while we waited. A first responder got COVID while we waited. A nurse, my in-laws, people I knew. All the while we waited. And when they finally arrived, my life and business wouldn’t return to “normal” again for a year.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I was determined to open my business to the world of larger city, state, and federal contract opportunities. To do that, I had to be certified as a Woman-owned Business Entity. Many governmental organizations work to fill a quota of doing business with a minority or woman owner, and as I have come to find out, many more do it because it’s the right thing to do.

The process is detailed and arduous. Forms and questionnaires, and interviews and fiscal background and on and one for months and months. But finally, I was Certified. I put the phone down after the call came to inform me of my certification and told my colleagues and business mentors the big news.

We all celebrated and hugged and cried and joked that of course, the phone is going to magically start ringing off the hook.

And seven minutes later, I took a call from a prospective new customer, informed them of my new WBE status, and was awarded a rather large contract on the spot.

Effort creates luck, everybody. Stick with your dream!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.larsonsmedicalsupply.com
• Instagram: @larsonsmedicalsupply
• Facebook: facebook.com/LarsonsMedicalSupply
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nicole-larson-67571429

Image Credits
WFC-World Food Championships