We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rickiara Tyson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rickiara, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Risk taking has defined me in many ways in my life. Despite what I was told many times about the difficulty of different things I made sure to use my own discernment and just go for it. Nipsey Hussle says “I bet my life I’m a dice shaker.” That’s me, when I graduated HS I went to college and discovered phlebotomy was a way for me to work in laboratories like I had always dreamed, many people told me things like “it’s hard to find a job” “I’ve had the certification for years and couldn’t figure out what to do with it.” I shook them dice & bet my life for the first time, dropped out of college and took the phlebotomy course anyway. By year 6 I was shaking the dice again & applying for my first teaching job. I had structured my career in a way that gave me so much confidence I believed I could teach the skill of phlebotomy already. Honestly, audacity even though mostly used negatively, is the single most beautiful part of me. I had a natural gift for teaching, I would not have known this, if I didn’t take a risk. 3 years into teaching I turned phlebotomy into entrepreneurship, I founded Mindful Practice Phlebotomy an institution responsible for educating some of Maryland’s best healthcare professionals. The climate of healthcare changed so drastically during COVID, It was my time to shake the dice again, the climate now requires the professionals I educate to be supported in maintaining mental health while pursuing a career. As of January 2025 we are Mindful Pivots a complete mental health clinic to support our students in the way they need. Me a college drop out, now an adjunct professor at the very college I dropped out of, and opening a clinic employing doctors, nurses, and therapists. Life is funnier when you’re audacious.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Everything I’ve done has been fueled by how free I can get. Free of societal rules, financially free, just in every sense of the word. All my passion, comes from the desire to be without what I do not want, and what is not for me. I dropped out of college and went to phlebotomy school because I love science, an I would be able to finish faster, start making money, and have no student loans. The freedom in that was for me, I opened a school because I wanted to use my natural gift of being able to get people to understand something as a means to free myself from working a job until 65. I built on this decision in every way truly just seeking freedom. I am most proud to say that it was not easy because people around me were not doing this so there were no guidelines I had to move unapologetically allot of times as a loner. But I was right and it worked every time, not perfectly but I wasn’t seeking perfection I was seeking freedom. What I am saying here is I got into all these spaces in my life by believing if that’s where I want to be, I’m going to see what it’s about. Don’t limit yourself, you are who you say you are, you belong where you say you belong, and if it’s for you the universe will assist. This is Alchemy. The brands I am building are a product of this I study what I don’t know, I fill in gaps where I see them and I am militant about the goals. I knew my work as a professor was impactful but when something started to effect that impact I knew that couldn’t go unaddressed. The brand is all in all about individuals taking on their roles in their communities so if community members have ailments(burn out, poor mental health, poor work life balance) in order for any of the things I am doing to continue to make an impact I have to pivot and focus, that’s my thought process.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

I purchased a turn key food truck almost 3 years ago. I always wanted to get into food and beverage this was my way, great price, great asset, no brainer. The acquisition was simple there was a price $15,000 I should have negotiated but, i learned that later on. I didn’t know anything about the restaurant business and I am still learning however Hungry Hearts Food Truck is a Baltimore favorite we specialize in smash burgers and our black bean smash burgers have been called the best by some of the food industries best. Buying a business has to be strategic. Study the industry, if you are stepping outside of what your current industry like I did figure out how the skills you already have can be applied to what your getting into. That’s key understanding business is fundamentals first book keeping, marketing, systems, execution.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Books I could go on forever about

Rich Dad Poor Dad changed my life because it revealed secrets kept from little Black kids about money.

Power Vs. Force helped me understand how to navigate rooms where negotiation was crucial.

Contagious helped me with audacious marketing.

The 4 agreements helped me understand that nothing anyone else does has anything to do with me.

Nipsey Hussle’s philosophy across all forms music, interviews, life examples

Rich Paul’s Lucky me

Podcast’s I watch often are for entertainment but David Shands “The Hotseat” can get your business mind turned on every time.

I absolutely love philosophy Adlerian theory, Erikson’s stages of development I love understanding why people do and think some of the ways they do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mindfulpracticephlebotomy.com
• Instagram: @mindfulpracticephleb @Tysonhh92 @Hungryheartsfoodtruck
• Facebook: Mindful Practice Phleb
• Linkedin: Rickiara Tyson
• Yelp: Mindful Practice Phlebotomy

Image Credits

shotby.ue-Destiny NyZhae’