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

Alright, Tiara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

Prior to the pandemic, I never thought entrepreneurship was for me. I always was okay with having a 9-5, PTO, and great benefits. Being an entrepreneur was just something I had no desire to do, but then the pandemic happened. It was during that time that all had changed. I can remember back in December of 2021, it was 3 days before Christmas and my daughter at the time was 8 months old and she had tested positive for COVID. So here I was in quarantine during the holiday with my 8 month old. Two days later I ended up testing positive for COVID as well and I can remember being terrified, unsure of our outcome, and just not feeling well. Then I got a text message from my supervisor asking if I knew when I would be back to work. It was something about this that angered me. I did not fault my supervisor because I know she was just doing her job, I just was already fed up with working throughout the pandemic being underpaid, undervalued, and burnt out. So it was at that moment that I decided I wanted to move on and do something else, but I had no clue what I would do outside of being a nurse. With nothing but time on my hands I spent a lot of time on social media and it was then that I discovered nurses starting their own businesses. I began to go down this rabbit hole for hours and found all these cool things that nurses like myself were doing and it was then that I knew this was it. Starting my own business would be the way back to my passion of nursing and helping my community. So I started joining Facebook groups that consisted of nurses in business and starting networking.

I had no clue how to get started, but I knew the key to my answers would be networking and being in these Facebook groups would lead me to where I needed to go to get started. During this time I faced many challenges because I had no clue who could really help me. There are a lot of people who show business success, but in reality they are barely making it in their business so I had to be sure I was seeking out the right people for guidance.

In the beginning it was rough because I did not know what I was doing. I just figured things out as I go. It was not until about 6 months after I opened my medspa that I actually hired a business coach. This was the best investment I could have done because having a business coach who was in my industry helped me understand not only the business side of my industry, but the importance of changing your mindset to run a business. I had to get away from imposter syndrome, which I still deal with today from time to time. It was my business coach who helped me recognize this as an issue and figure out ways around it.

If I had to do it again I would have started with a business coach on day 1. It was a lot of things that I learned later about business in my industry that I spent a lot of time cleaning up and working backwards. This not only cost my lots of money, but also hindered me from expanding like I needed to because I needed to catch up. I was so behind. Having my business coach has put me in rooms I never thought I would be in.

My advice to any young professional who may be considering starting their own practice is to first work on their business plan and complete market research to be sure there is a need for your industry in your area. Next, set forth a plan on what it is you want to do and how you will do it. Then network, network, network with people in the industry you planned to pursue. Lastly, get a business coach who is successful in your industry and know that it is okay to research that person as well to be sure they are the right person to get you to where you need to go to get started.

Tiara , 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?

I am the proud owner and founder of Serene Beauty and Wellness, a thriving medspa in Akron, OH, that integrates health and aesthetic services to enhance holistic care. I decided to get into the medspa industry because during the pandemic I recognized that women were starting to focus on health, wellness, and self-care. It was at that time that women wanted to get to their better self and I wanted to be a part of helping them do that. I love being a part of helping women focus on their inner beauty and health while tackling the outer beauty and health as well. Making women feel at their best is what keeps me going.

At Serene Beauty & Wellness we offer wellness and aesthetic services. The services offered are women’s gynecological health services, medical weight management, hormone replacement therapy, iv hydration, vitamin injections, non-surgical body contouring, non-surgical lipodissolve, microneedle, and hair restoration. Each service we offer is complementary to at least one or more services allowing us to focus on a holistic self-care approach. Majority of our clients have issues with weight loss which are related to medical conditions like PCOS or thyroid disorders that hinder them from losing weight. After they lose the weight they still deal with body image issues because they have unwanted body fat in areas that are difficult to get rid of so this is where non-surgical body contouring and non-surgical lipodissolve is introduced. Some clients may also have hair thinning with the weight loss due vitamin and nutrient deficiency so hair restoration is considered for these clients along with add-on supplements, iv hydration, and vitamin injections.

This is what sets us apart from other medspas in our area because we really try and focus on what services compliment each other and how that can benefit our clients. We also offer women’s health gynecological services which are not being offered at any other medspa. Our goal is to service our clients with a holistic approach.

I am most proud of having this idea of starting my own business and really taking the leap to do so. I have overcome so much on this journey thus far and I am excited to see where my business goes. I want my potential clients to know that Serene Beauty & Wellness is my vision brought to life, a place where every service, from IV hydration to my comprehensive weight loss program, is a step towards true health and wellness. Here, I am able to treat my patients like family; consultations are heartfelt conversations, and every treatment is part of a larger journey toward self-discovery and optimal health. My mission goes past the here and now—wellness is not a quick fix but a lifelong journey of education, understanding, and practice.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I would go back, I absolutely would choose the same profession because nurses are superheroes. We are resilient, genuine, caring, and dedicated human-beings. Being a nurse is not easy, however it’s a fulfilling career because we wake up everyday knowing that our job is to save lives.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A story from my journey that illustrates my resilience was back when I first graduated from The Ohio State University. I had just graduated and two weeks later I found out I was pregnant with my son. It was at that time that my plans for my life had to change quickly. Prior to finding out I was pregnant with my son I had received a job offer in the Neuro ICU at the hospital I had been working at and my plans was to stay in Columbus, OH for a year and then travel nursing. Well after finding out I was pregnant my life plans changed. I decided to move back home to Akron, OH with my family. My number one goal was to take my NCLEX and start working as soon as possible, but that would not go as planned because I took my test 3 weeks after graduation and failed it.

I was devastated and very much embarrassed. The reality was I could not work as a nurse until I passed that test. Months passed and I had my son and decided to take the NCLEX again and I failed for a second time. It was at that point I decided I needed to reconsider a career in nursing. So I went on to find different jobs for the next year until I got the courage to retake the NCLEX again. Took it a third time and failed again. That was it. I was not taking the test again and I decided to give up on nursing. It was hard to think about because I loved the idea of being a nurse. I had graduated from one of the top nursing schools and I could not pass the NCLEX.

I was going into year 2 from when I had graduated and I still had not passed the NCLEX. One day I woke up and decided this would be the last time I take this test and this time I would pass it. I was tired of working the deadened jobs and I just honestly was not happy. With the help of my mom she contacted the Dean of Nursing at OSU and told her the issues I had over the years. She gave my mom every resource I needed to study to pass the NCLEX. I had got a job as a home health aide because I knew I would need a job that would allow me time to study in between taking care of my clients, and I had structured my schedule for study time every day for 2 months. The goal was to study until I was sick of looking at the material. I literally went into hiding at that time and all I did was work and study.

I needed to restore my confidence because I still had doubts that I could pass so I read positive affirmations daily and I wrote a letter to myself with words of encouragement and signed it as I was a RN. I literally started to speak it into existence every day. That letter was posted all over my house so every room I walked in I read it throughout the day. When I finally decided to take my test again I decided not to tell anyone. Only I would know if I didn’t pass. On test day it was so much different than the other times I had taken the test. I was confident and in a better headspace than the other times. I took the test and I PASSED! It took 2 years and after four times I had finally became a Registered Nurse. This is only one of my stories of resilience and this one makes me so proud to share. It shaped the kind of nurse I went on to be and I love to share this story because I have helped so many other nurses who had almost given up on their dream of being a nurse after failing the NCLEX.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.serenebeautywellness.com
• Instagram: serenebeauty_wellness
• Facebook: Serene Beauty & Wellness
• Linkedin: Serene Beauty & Wellness
• Youtube: Serene Beauty & Wellness