The Successful Nurse Coaches ™

What happens when a nurse stops waiting for permission and starts trusting herself?

In this powerful conversation, Shelby sits down with Canadian nurse coach Courtnie Breit to discuss her journey from burnout, stress leave, and questioning her future in healthcare to building a thriving private practice and helping lead the nurse coaching movement in Canada.

After nearly 20 years as a registered nurse working across Canada and the United States, Courtnie found herself facing a reality many nurses know all too well: exhaustion, frustration with broken systems, and a growing sense that there had to be...

In today’s episode of The Successful Nurse Coach Podcast, Laura tackles one of the most common challenges new nurse coaches face: comparison. From feeling behind in your business to questioning your abilities and worthiness, comparison has a way of stealing confidence and creating unnecessary suffering.

Laura shares personal stories from her own journey, including lessons from mentors, networking experiences, and moments when comparison nearly derailed her confidence. She also breaks down why nurses are especially vulnerable to comparison and offers practical strategies to shift from self-judgment to self-trust.

If you've ever felt like you're no...

In today’s episode, Laura breaks down the real math behind building a profitable nurse coaching practice while cutting through fear and uncertainty to show you exactly what it takes to replace (and exceed) a traditional nursing income.

Real pricing numbers:

In today’s episode of the Successful Nurse Coach Podcast, Laura dives into the power of identity and how the roles, systems, and environments around us quietly shape who we become.

Laura shares personal stories from her nursing career, including the realities of working through exhaustion, pregnancy, and people-pleasing tendencies, while unpacking how many nurses unknowingly adopt identities that leave them feeling stuck, disconnected, and misaligned.

This conversation explores the difference between living by default versus intentionally creating the version of yourself you truly want to become. From nurse to coach, employee to leader, Laura ex...

In today’s episode, Shelby sits down with Kris Christie, a recent graduate of The Nurse Coach Residency program, to hear her inspiring story of becoming a board-certified nurse coach while working full-time as a public health nurse.

Kris became a nurse in her late 40s after working as a caregiver and discovering a passion for healthcare. She holds a Master's in Nursing (Clinical Nurse Leader track) from USF and has spent six years as a public health nurse. She also serves as an administrator for an adult day healthcare program and runs a music-filled, three-dog household.

Melissa Parsons spent more than two decades in nursing, from trauma and cath lab to becoming a nurse practitioner. But after years of feeling increasingly disconnected from the kind of healing she truly wanted to offer, she reached a breaking point. In this conversation with Shelby, Melissa shares the deeply personal journey that led her toward nurse coaching, spirituality, and building a business rooted in genuine human connection.

Together, they unpack the fear of being seen, the vulnerability of inviting people into coaching, and the surprising healing that can happen when nurses finally feel heard themselves.

What happens when you stop waiting to feel ready, and just go all in anyway?

Colleen, a pediatric nurse turned nurse coach, shares her raw and honest journey from certification to building a thriving coaching practice. In this conversation with Shelby, she opens up about fear, visibility, investing in herself, and what it actually takes to go from “thinking about it” to signing paying clients while still working full-time.

This episode is a real behind-the-scenes look at what it means to step into leadership, trust the process, and build something meaningful even when it feels unco...

In this final part of the money consciousness series, Laura uncovers the hidden beliefs that quietly repel money, including judging wealthy people, fearing disconnection from others, and believing money is limited. She shows how these patterns are rooted in identity and the need to feel safe and accepted, not in a lack of strategy.

Through personal stories and coaching insights, Laura highlights how thoughts like “more money means more responsibility” or questioning if it’s okay to earn more can lead to self sabotage and staying small. She also reframes financial freedom as an internal state rather than a...

In today’s episode, Laura takes listeners inside real coaching conversations from the Money Consciousness masterclass, where the focus shifts from theory to the lived experience of money beliefs.

Laura explores how fear, past experiences, and the need to be seen a certain way can create tension around charging, receiving, and even looking at money. From undercharging to navigating a partner’s mindset to avoiding bank accounts altogether, each story highlights how deeply personal and emotional money really is.

The episode reframes financial growth as internal work first. When beliefs shift and safety with money incr...

In this first part of a powerful 3-part Money Consciousness workshop, we start at the root — not with strategies or numbers, but with the beliefs that quietly shape every financial decision you make.

Because money isn’t just money.

It’s security. It’s power. It’s stressful. It’s freedom. It’s energy. It’s something you were taught to fear, chase, avoid, or control… often without ever questioning it.

This episode opens the conversation by breaking down the most common definitions of money and where they come from — family dynamics, societal messaging, career st...

In this episode, Laura talks all about sales. She shares why so many nurses avoid sales and how that avoidance quietly blocks both impact and income. The truth is, sales is not a personality trait you either have or don’t. It is a skill. And like any clinical skill, it gets stronger with practice. The real issue is not a lack of certifications or knowledge. It is mindset, experience, and a willingness to actually try.

You will hear a powerful reframe on what you are really selling. Not sessions. Not time. Transformation. Outcomes. A version of yo...

In today’s episode, Shelby guides us through a grounding practice designed for nurse coaches to use before taking action in their business. Whether that's inviting potential clients, delivering proposals, or heading into coaching calls, it’s important to regulate your nervous system in preparation for this work.

What You'll Experience:

When to Use This Episode:

In today’s episode, Shelby and Laura break down what actually creates success in private practice and why it is not mystical or reserved for other people. Actual client creation is mathematical and built through repetition, volume, and consistent connecting and inviting. If you are showing up emotionally but not directly inviting people, the numbers will always reflect that.

They walk through clear, real world ratios so you know what to expect, including the idea that 10 clean invites typically lead to 2 calls, and that 2 calls per week can steadily build a sustainable practice. The focus is on do...

In today’s episode, Shelby shares her journey from denying she had anxiety to learning to work alongside it while building a successful business. After being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder while waiting for open heart surgery, she discovered that anxiety isn't a sign of failure. It's often a sign of growth and expansion.

Shelby opens up about her current anxiety triggers as a business owner: making decisions that impact her team, navigating corporate structure for the first time, and the weight of responsibility as the company grows. She shares how anxiety manifested during her six-month wait fo...

In today’s episode, Laura explores the powerful idea of what changes when we stop playing small in our lives and careers. She challenges listeners to examine the subtle ways we keep ourselves safe by choosing reasonable goals, stability, and certainty instead of pursuing the bigger impact we quietly feel called to create. Through personal stories and reflections from her own nursing career, Laura explains how tension, misalignment, and dissatisfaction are often signals that we’re meant to grow beyond our current roles.

She walks through the mindset shifts required to expand, including recognizing where we’re holdin...

In this episode, Shelby and Laura intentionally shift the conversation back toward the wins and momentum happening inside the nurse coach community. After hearing feedback that recent episodes felt a little heavy, they reflect on the importance of sharing both sides of the journey. Entrepreneurship requires discipline, consistency, and hard conversations, but it also comes with powerful moments of growth, courage, and transformation.

As they share real client stories from their residency program, Shelby and Laura highlight what actually happens when coaches commit to the process. From overcoming fear of being visible online to signing first clients...

In today’s episode, Shelby shares an honest reflection on her shift from traditional nursing into nurse coaching, especially after a heavy year filled with personal and collective challenges. She acknowledges feedback from listeners who wanted a more balanced perspective, not just the hard parts of entrepreneurship, but the wins too.

Shelby walks through ten powerful ways her life has changed since becoming a nurse coach, highlighting the freedom, alignment, and autonomy she’s gained. She speaks openly about what it means to care deeply without carrying everything, and how stepping into this role allowed her to reco...

In today’s episode, Laura explores the universal human experience of fear and how our relationship with it impacts our effectiveness as nurse coaches. This conversation reveals why working on your relationship with fear is more valuable than perfecting your website, logo, or marketing materials.

The Five Universal Human Fears:

In today’s episode, Shelby and Laura dive into the identity shift that happens when you step into nurse coaching. If you’ve been second-guessing your prices, or waiting to feel “ready,” this conversation is your wake-up call. Together they unpack what it actually takes to move from free or inconsistent work, into confident, paid leadership. When you decide you’re a professional, everything changes.

Key Takeaways

• Decision creates momentum. When you decide you are a paid coach, your energy, language, and standards shift immediately.

• Free coaching and undercharging often delay growth. Charging creates commit...

In today’s episode, Shelby walks nurse coaches through a very common and uncomfortable conversation in coaching: when a client isn’t seeing results, and must take ownership for the reasons why. Rather than framing this as a failure of motivation, Shelby reframes stalled progress as an issue of identity, capacity, and nervous system tolerance. She explains why trying harder, giving more strategy, or offering pep talks often backfires, and instead teaches coaches how to get curious, name what is happening without shame, and work through resistance at the identity level. Through real client examples, Shelby shows how to scal...

In this episode, Laura explores why Nurse Life Coaches are uniquely positioned to thrive in the future of healthcare and coaching. As information becomes increasingly accessible through AI and technology, she explains that knowledge alone is no longer the differentiator. Real change comes from supporting identity shifts, nervous system regulation, and human behavior change. Laura shares how traditional health coaching often stalls at education and accountability, while nurse life coaching works at the deeper levels where transformation actually happens. This conversation reframes coaching as relational, embodied, and outcome driven, and invites nurses to step into a model of care...

In this episode, Shelby and Laura take listeners behind the scenes of what it actually means to become a professional nurse coach. This is not a conversation about hype or shortcuts. It is a real, nuanced discussion about capacity, confidence, identity shifts, and why being new can feel so disorienting in leadership and entrepreneurship. They unpack why nurse coaching is inherently pioneering work, why confidence can never come before action, and how repetition, community, and regulation are what allow nurse coaches to stay in the game long enough to succeed. This episode normalizes the discomfort of growth and reframes...

In today’s episode, Shelby reflects on graduating 28 clients and experiencing her first week without active clients since 2022. She delivers a candid reality check about building a coaching business: no one is special or exempt from the fundamental rules of business. Success doesn't come from passion, manifestation, or good intentions alone—it requires consistent action, discipline, and a willingness to do hard things repeatedly. Shelby emphasizes that feeling too comfortable in your business is actually a warning sign, and entrepreneurs must constantly find their growth edge to keep their businesses alive and thriving.

Shelby outlines five non-negotiable rule...

In today’s episode, Shelby revisits a crucial topic for nurse coaches: how to confidently transition your pro bono clients into paying clients. Whether you’re a Nurse Life Coach Academy student, a graduate of another nurse coaching program, or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable advice, real talk, and step-by-step strategies to help you grow your coaching business.

What You’ll Learn

In this episode, Laura kicks off 2026 with a candid and insightful solo discussion about her new approach to life and business: “The Year of Giving Medium Fs.” She explores the pitfalls of all-or-nothing thinking, the value of finding balance, and how embracing “medium Fs” can lead to more peace, consistency, and sustainable growth in both personal and professional life.

Key Topics Covered:

Connect with us:

Instagram: @successfulnursecoaches

Website: www.thesuccessfulnursecoaches.com

Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesuccessfulnursecoach

As the year comes to a close, Laura and Shelby introduce a powerful framework they have been using behind the scenes for years to help nurse coaches move through fear, uncertainty, and stagnation. In this episode, they break down the L.E.A.P Framework, a practical and deeply human way to understand why change feels so hard and how to keep moving anyway. Whether you are considering nurse coaching, building a...

Connect with us:

Instagram: @successfulnursecoaches

Website: www.thesuccessfulnursecoaches.com

Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesuccessfulnursecoach

In this solo episode, Laura delivers one of the most honest and confrontational conversations the Successful Nurse Coach Podcast has ever held. After a behind-the-scenes moment with mentors that shook her perspective, she unpacks a core issue holding nurses back from real impact: the inability to receive. This episode explores how nursing culture conditions martyrdom, why under-earning is not ethical, and how learning to receive money, praise, and support is essential for...

After the excitement of becoming a Board Certified Nurse Coach, many coaches hit an unexpected wave of uncertainty. In this episode, Laura and Shelby break down the messy middle that happens right after certification: the “am I doing this right,” the fear of visibility, and the pressure to suddenly have everything figured out. They share what actually matters in these early stages, why slow and steady progress builds long term success, and how to create momentum without burning out or expecting perfection. This conversation is grounding, practical, and a permission slip to breathe, soften, and take the next small step...

In this week’s episode, Shelby is interviewed by the lovely Meghan Ruttan, sharing all about the inner workings of the successful nurse coaches, and learning some fun facts about Shelby’s personal life.

Shelby shares what she endures behind the scenes every day: the patterns, the breakthroughs, the wobbliness, the resistance, and the moments when everything finally clicks. Her perspective is both grounding and validating, especially for anyone who is in the messy, uncertain, or stretchy season of becoming a nurse coach.

In this episode, you will hear:

In today’s episode of The Nurse Life Coach Academy edition of the podcast, Laura and Shelby dive into why nurse coaching is the fastest-growing holistic specialty in nursing, and why now is the perfect time to join the movement. They explore the impact of AI on healthcare, the urgent need for emotional support in nursing, and how Nurse Life Coach Academy is leading the charge to create innovative roles that transform both patient care and nurse well-being.

Throughout the episode, they discuss:

What if introversion isn’t a limitation in coaching, but instead, a superpower that makes you extraordinary?

In this episode, Laura opens up about what it really means to be an introverted nurse stepping into entrepreneurship, visibility, and leadership. Far from the stereotypes of being shy or quiet, introversion is about energy, attunement, depth, and the ability to create a grounded presence that transforms people from the inside out.

Through personal stories and years of coaching experience, Laura reframes introversion as a powerful advantage in private practice, especially in one to one nursing coaching, where de...

Nurses do hard things every single day. So why does entrepreneurship feel harder?

In this solo episode, Shelby breaks down the truth about why nurse coaches freeze when it is time to build a business, even though they are some of the most capable, resilient humans on the planet. She walks through her own history of doing hard things, the uncomfortable lessons that shaped her capacity, and the real reason your confidence seems to evaporate the moment you sit down to work on your business.

This is not a pep-talk episode. It is a grounded...

What happens when the universe puts an opportunity at your door—but fear tells you to close it?

In this heart-opening conversation, Laura sits down with Alana Beittel, NICU nurse turned Master Certified Life and Performance Coach, author of Elevate Your Frequency, and now one of Nurse Life Coach Academy’s newest lead learning coaches.

Alana shares her powerful journey from bedside nursing and burnout to finding her voice, reclaiming her energy, and stepping fully into her purpose as a coach and leader. Together, she and Laura explore how fear disguises itself as logic, how to t...

In this episode of The Successful Nurse Coaches podcast, Shelby discusses the challenges and transformative power of selling nurse coaching. She reframes sales as a deep service to humanity, emphasizing the importance of ethical selling and advocating for clients' potential. Shelby shares personal experiences and insights on how to approach sales with confidence and integrity, encouraging listeners to view selling as a form of leadership and transformation.

Shelby emphasizes that selling is fundamentally about helping clients make decisions that honor their potential, rather than merely closing a transaction. Ethical selling is likened to advocating for a patient's...

Can you grow a private practice while also navigating depression, anxiety, or trauma? In this heartfelt episode, Shelby sits down with Amy Frame, Director of Education at Nurse Life Coach Academy, to talk openly about the reality of mental health and entrepreneurship.

Amy shares her journey with lifelong depression, military service, and a misdiagnosis that kept her stuck until coaching helped her face the root causes. Shelby opens up about her own experience with anxiety, birth trauma, and the messy middle of being a coach, mom, and business owner. Together, they break down how to show up...

In this episode, Laura dives into one of the most common misconceptions in both life and business—the idea that you need to feel motivated before you take action.

After recovering from a two-week illness that left her feeling drained and unmotivated, Laura began reflecting on how easy it is to equate motivation with success—and how dangerous that belief can be for entrepreneurs and coaches alike. What happens when you lose your spark? When the excitement fades? When you simply don’t want to do the work?

Laura shares honest insights from her own experi...

In this week’s episode, Shelby gets real about the state of the coaching industry—the good, the bad, and the downright feral.

The coaching world has often been compared to the Wild West: full of opportunities, but also riddled with landmines. From overhyped promises and overpriced systems to heartbreaking stories of coaches being scammed out of thousands, Shelby pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on.

But this isn’t just a vent session—there’s a clear path forward. Shelby explains why nurse coaches are uniquely positioned to bring ethics, credibility, and standard...

In this episode, Laura discusses the importance of presence over education in the nurse coaching process. She emphasizes that patients often do not need more information but rather a supportive presence that acknowledges their experiences and feelings.

This conversation explores how curiosity, trust, and understanding can lead to better health outcomes, and how a focus on vision, energy, skill set, and strategy can facilitate transformation in clients. Laura also highlights the significance of mindset and the placebo effect in the healing process, advocating for a more personalized and empathetic approach to patient care.

TIMESTAMPS:

In this episode, Shelby sits down with nurse coach Honey Hull, who turned job loss into a powerful pivot. What started as chronic pain coaching has evolved into something bold: helping clients reclaim intimacy and sex in the face of pain.

Honey shares how she retrained her own nervous system, why rest was the hardest medicine, and what she’s learning as she leans into a taboo (but deeply needed) coaching niche.

We talk about:

Stop Overthinking. Just Do the Reps.

You want to get better at coaching? Faster? The truth is way less glamorous than Instagram makes it out to be: you’ve got to put in the reps. Period. Your brain will try to talk you out of it. The personal development world will sell you the idea that it’s an energy or manifesting problem. But if you want to sharpen your skills, grow your business, and actually feel confident as a coach—you have to coach more.

In this episode, Shelby breaks down why the antidote to alm...