We were lucky to catch up with Sharon Hiatt recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sharon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?

The story of Northern Nevada CPR began with a simple but powerful mission: to equip people with life-saving CPR, First Aid, and BLS training that’s accessible, affordable, and high-quality. As the founder and lead instructor, I saw a major gap in the availability of flexible CPR classes in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and the surrounding Northern Nevada area.

I became certified as a CPR instructor through the American Heart Association, working with an incredible trainer who helped me learn the skills needed to succeed in the field. From there, I focused on the essentials:
-Officially registering the business

-Securing business insurance

-Purchasing high-quality CPR training equipment, including manikins and AED trainers

-Building a user-friendly website for easy class scheduling

-Proactively reaching out to local businesses and organizations, offering on-site CPR and BLS classes tailored to their teams needs

One of the biggest challenges was building trust and credibility. As a new, independently-owned CPR training business, I wasn’t just offering a service – I was asking clients to trust me with their staff’s safety education. To set Northern Nevada CPR apart from national providers, I focus on personalized instruction, flexible class scheduling, and a hands-on, low-stress learning environment that encourages every student to become confident in their abilities.

Starting this CPR training business has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. Every time I teach a class, I know it could make the difference between life and death in a real-world emergency. That’s what drives me – knowing that CPR training saves lives, and that we’re making that education more accessible across Northern Nevada.

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?

I’m the founder of Northern Nevada CPR, a locally owned and operated CPR and First Aid certification provider serving Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and the surrounding communities. My background is in Health Education, and I’ve always believed in the importance of prevention, preparedness, and practical health knowledge.

Over the years, I saw too many people – fitness instructors, teachers, parents, contractors – who felt unprepared for emergencies like cardiac arrest, choking, or job site accidents. Many wanted to get certified, but the available training options were either too rigid, too expensive, or just didn’t deliver useful, confidence-building instruction.

That’s why I created Northern Nevada CPR: to offer CPR, BLS, and First Aid certification courses that are engaging, flexible, affordable, and hands-on.

Our certification courses include:

-CPR & AED classes for the general public

-BLS (Basic Life Support) certification for healthcare professionals

-First Aid training for workplace safety, OSHA compliance, and general safety training

-On-site CPR training for schools, medical offices, construction teams, and community groups

We make it easy for groups and businesses to schedule mobile CPR training at their location. We are flexible with scheduling – offering nights, weekends, and even short-notice bookings when needed.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy we’ve used to grow Northern Nevada CPR has been word-of-mouth referrals. People are much more likely to trust recommendations from colleagues, friends, and supervisors – especially when it comes to something as important as emergency preparedness training.

To continue to grow, we:

-Build strong, ongoing relationships with local businesses and organizations that need regular training to stay in compliance

-Offer custom on-site CPR classes for medical offices, childcare centers, construction crews, healthcare teams, and community organizations and groups

-Stay flexible with evening and weekend classes, making training more accessible for busy students

-Developed a simple online booking system that streamlines the process of scheduling CPR training or BLS certification

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

We’ve built our reputation using three core principles:

1. Consistency – Every student gets high-quality, hands-on CPR instruction. Whether it’s a small session or a larger group, the standard is the same.

2. Community connection – We’re not just another vendor. We’re a local resource that understands the unique needs of businesses, schools, and families in Northern Nevada.

3. People-first philosophy – We make training approachable. Students often come in nervous or unsure, and they leave confident and empowered.

By offering CPR and First Aid classes that are practical, engaging, and community-focused, we’ve become a trusted provider in our region. Clients don’t just see us as a training company – they see us as a reliable partner in safety and preparedness.

At Northern Nevada CPR, we bring American Heart Association certified CPR, AED, First Aid, and Basic Life Support (BLS) training directly to you. Whether you’re a business, school, healthcare facility, or community group, our fully mobile classes make it simple to get certified without disrupting your schedule. Serving Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and the entire Northern Nevada area.​​

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.northernnevadacpr.com/