We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Miles. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.

Hi Stephanie, 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.

In 2021 I had been a practicing nurse practitioner for two years, in internal medicine/pain management. I had heard of IV vitamin hydration many years before and had contemplated opening a clinic but always put if off because it wasn’t well known in my community. January of 2021 I could not stop thinking about it and decided to jump all in and start the business, while working full time. It was up and running by the end of March 2021 and it did very well, leaving me with the scary decision of pursuing IV hydration full time. 7 months in, I bet on myself, took the risk, and went full time with IV SMiles Hydration and Wellness, and have never looked back since. The risk is part of the journey and excitement. I would not be as successful as I am today if it weren’t for stepping out on faith and taking a risk.

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 am Stephanie Smith Miles, Nurse Practitioner, Wife, Mother, BOSS friend. I became a registered nurse in 2011 after attending one of the best nursing programs at Winston Salem State University. Becoming a nurse was a calling, first noticed by my father, the late Rev. Charles H. Smith Jr., who began calling me “his nurse” well before nursing was even on my radar. He suffered from multiple health issues and I spent many days caring for him and taking him to appointments. He passed right after my acceptance into nursing school as I started my first summer clinical rotation, but was a major part of my motivation to keep going and finish strong. Upon graduation I began my nursing career in the emergency department of Wake Forest Baptist Health, a level one trauma center and spent the next nine years as staff nurse, triage nurse, sexual assault nurse and charge nurse.

While working in the ER I began wanting to be involved more with my patients and witness the outcomes of interventions. To do so I enrolled at Walden University to obtain my masters degree as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, graduating in 2011. I spent the next two and a half years working at an internal medicine and pain management practice where I developed such great relationships with my patients, but the ultimate goal was to always have my own primary care practice. I opened IV SMiles Hydration & Wellness, PLLC in March 2021, where I administer IV vitamin drips to help with hydration, energy, immune boost and so much more. The business was low cost, low risk, and low overhead, which is just what I needed in order to experience entrepreneurship and prepare me for my primary care practice. One year after successfully running IV SMiles, I opened Smith’s Primary Care and Wellness, PLLC. I know that opening my own direct primary care practice would not have taken place as early as it did without having my ER, primary care, and IV business experience first.

What sets me apart from anyone else in my city is that I paired IV hydration with primary care. Most others pair IV hydration with aesthetics. I have a unique population of clients who seek me out specifically because I provide alternative/holistic services while focusing on primary health and wellness also. I am most proud of the people in my community having trust and faith in me to experience and try concepts that they’re not familiar with. IV hydration is still not well known to the majority of the population in Winston Salem, NC. So, I love that as people see it in bigger cities while on vacation or on television, that they look locally and give it a try through me. Smith’s Primary Care and Wellness is the first direct primary care clinic in Winston Salem, NC. It is membership based where patients pay a low monthly subscription of $65-$85 each month for direct access to me as their provider. I offer unlimited visits, no copays, significantly discounted labs, in house prescription dispensing and same day appointments. Insurance is not required or billed at Smith’s PCW because the monthly subscription covers their access and care.

Everything I offer and do is for the patient/client, for the convenience, for their individual health and wellness goals, and puts them first. It is a great feeling to be able to provide exceptional and compassionate care to people in my community and surrounding areas and I’m so glad I started this journey.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

What is most helpful in succeeding in the nurse entrepreneur field is being available and genuine. As more nurses are leaving the bedside and forming their own businesses, there will be an influx of providers offering the same services. What helps me to continue to grow as well as retain current clients is the experience I provide. Many others can do my role but they can’t do it like me. I provide clients with an amazing experience each day. I talk to them, I educate them, I listen to them, I relate to them, and that goes a long way.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

At the start of my freshmen year in college, I discovered I was pregnant. I was enrolled at the University of North Carolina- Greensboro, as a nursing major. My son was due April 15th and I had made arrangements to take some of my exams early before my due date. Some of my professors were encouraging and set early dates for me, others told me to just drop my classes and restart after I deliver. My placenta abrupt at 33 weeks and I delivered him prematurely on February 28th. That itself is an emergency and can lead to death in me or the baby, but thankfully we both were okay. I withdrew from UNCG, moved back home with my mother, and enrolled at Winston Salem State University that fall. Many in my situation may have stopped or postponed enrolling back in school but for me, my then 5-month-old, was all the motivation and push I needed to keep going. I didn’t look back, I didn’t let pregnancy at a young age stop me, I didn’t become a statistic, and I am one of the best nurse practitioners my city has to offer.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ivsmileshydration.com; www.smithspcw.com
• Instagram: @ivsmileshydration; @smithspcw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivsmileshydration; https://www.facebook.com/smithspcw