Nurse and Real Estate Investing Consultant, Lynn John

[00:00] MIchelle: My guest this week, Lynn John, is a smart, tenacious woman. Deciding in high school to become a nurse, Lynn was told that would never happen. Armed with a prove them wrong attitude, she forged on and obtained her Master's in nursing. But after several years of working under institutional abuse in the form of unsafe staffing and mandatory overtime, she realized she did not want to be boxed into a W-2 job until retirement. So she switched gears and started a real estate investment consulting business. And what she's accomplished in a few short years is no less than phenomenal. She now teaches fellow nurses how to create financial freedom through real estate investing. And no, she is not encouraging nurses to leave the profession. Nurses are coming to her because, like her, they love being nurses, but want more freedom over when, where, and how much they want to work. So, in a way, she's saving the nursing profession. In the five-minute snippet, does anyone have an EpiPen?  Well, hi, Lynn. Welcome back to the podcast.
[01:36] Lynn: Hi, Michelle. It's actually a pleasure to be back.
[01:39] MIchelle: Yes, it is for me as well. So I will tell our listeners that we actually spoke before,  we did a whole interview. We were on the last question, and I looked up and I realized I never hit the record button. Yeah. And I turned to stone, and I panicked, and I think you were still talking. I had to interrupt you and tell you that none of this whole hour had been recorded. And you were so gracious, and I appreciate that so much, and I appreciate you finding the time to come back on.
[02:20] Lynn: Absolutely. It's my pleasure. We were actually having a really great conversation, so I felt like, you know what? It gave us practice, but it also gave us a little bit more insight into what topics we can dig into.
[02:34] MIchelle: Yes, absolutely. And you just have so much great information to share with our Listeners, and so we'll just get into it. Why don't you talk about your introduction to nursing and kind of where you are today?
[02:49] Lynn: Well, I kind of wanted to be a nurse all throughout high school, really, ever since my grandma passed away. And I just remember I kind of helped take care of her in her last few months of life, and I didn't even really help her much. She was pretty independent to the very end. She was just on oxygen. And I remember my grandpa just wanted me to kind of be with her because he wanted to go to a baseball game, and he just wanted someone there because she had oxygen. And again, I didn't really help her with anything, but I remember just feeling, like, so fulfilled and really felt great about that. So I kind of decided from there I wanted to be a nurse. And I did struggle throughout high school with getting affiliated with the wrong crowd, anxiety, PTSD, and I was told I would never be a nurse just because of my anxiety and that it would just make college very hard and nursing school very hard to be accepted into. Long story short, I had this prove them wrong attitude when it came to getting into nursing school. And I think once I really kind of found myself and stood my ground with that, I had this go-get-them attitude where I was like, I'm not going to stop here. If people said I couldn't even get into a nursing program, I'd make sure I get my Bachelor's. I got my Bachelor's. I'm like, I'm going to go get my Master's. I got my Master's. And just this continuous growth is something I needed to fuel my energy. So as my master's was coming to an end, I was like, now what? So I love growing, I love learning, and I feel like it is part of my story to motivate and empower people that they can do things even if it seems impossible or if they were told they can't do it.
[04:48] MIchelle: Well, that is part of your story, and it's a great story, and I thank you for sharing it because I know there's a lot of people out there that may have a similar story and have been told that they can't do something. And for a lot of us, it's like, that's fuel, right? To say, yes, I can, watch me. And you've certainly done that. And so what types of nursing have you done?
[05:16] Lynn: When it comes to the types of nursing I've done, I've done mostly med/ surg, cardiac, Tele, anything really under that umbrella. And I've ranged from level one trauma centers all the way to critical access. So my actual last contract was on a neuro neurosurgery stroke floor of a level one trauma center. But I've pretty much seen it all in regards to the level of acuity that each hospital can bring. I've traveled across several states and was really able to kind of see what nursing can bring to different states. I think one of the biggest drives to what I'm doing today is that in certain states, nurses are treated really well. In many other states, nurses aren't treated so well, and the staffing is super terrible. And I think society has glorified this, making nurses heroes or healthcare heroes. And, oh, we're such sacrificial people. Like, we are selfless, we sacrifice. And I think that is the wrong way, the wrong image that society puts on nurses. I mean, we are that we are all of that. But I feel like it glorifies the injustices that nurses are facing today. With the staffing crisis, it justifies that it's okay to have six, or seven patients because we're heroes, we're selfless and we put others before ourselves. And as much as I love nursing, I just feel like working in states where you are treated right. Kind of opens up your mind to this perspective of it.
[06:54] MIchelle: Yeah, I imagine as a traveler you've seen a lot of the disparities in nursing. And I was just talking with a guest yesterday. She's a trauma ICU nurse in California, where I live. And we were talking about our ratios here and that we have break nurses and resource nurses. And she's traveled as well and found many parts of the country really lacking in any kind of guess. You know, we think of them as perks, but they should be there for all nurses in all states. And you're absolutely right. What I love about this new generation of nurses is that you're kind of getting away from the stereotypical, the selfless. I'm going to put the institution's needs above my needs. And I think that there's a real freedom in that, that nurses today can still be nurses, but they don't have to put themselves last. So that was a really good message.
[08:05] Lynn: And I actually think the way you put that is even better because you said nurses don't have to put the institution's needs before themselves. Because I feel a lot of the staffing crisis and the injustices that are happening to nurses have partially to do with this justification that we're selfless. We put others before ourselves. And it just creates this false impression on society that, yes, we're putting our patients before ourselves. But in the background, this whole idea, this whole concept is putting the institution before ourselves and for their profits. And it's interesting, like you being in California, you guys do have a lot of perks. I was a travel nurse in Oregon and it's very similar. And I heard Washington's a great state as well because I have some friends who've been in Washington, Oregon, and California and coming back to the midwest in Illinois. My very last contract was in central Illinois and some of the nurses, when I told them, yeah, there are break nurses over there, they're like, I thought that was a thing 20 years ago. They couldn't even believe that that's still even a concept in the nursing field. And just the way that these big systems have wired nurses to think that there's some sort of romance and being selfless and not having a lunch break because you're giving your absolute all to your patients, when in reality, it's all for the institution's profits, and you're actually jeopardizing patients because you're spread so thin.
[09:42] MIchelle: Lynn, the profession is definitely reflecting everything that you said with the mass exodus of nurses really waking up to all of these issues. And I love how you talked about romance romancing us, and it's like, that's so true. We have to be smart, we have to be smarter, and we have to, again, put our needs above the institution's needs. And that's how they've gotten away with getting us to work so much overtime. It's like, oh, we're so short. You don't want your patients to suffer. You don't want your coworkers to suffer. And they know our personality, and that is inherently part of the nurse's personality, although I think today we're breaking out of that, and I'm really happy to see that.
[10:42] Lynn: I think endorsing this and saying, oh, I don't want my patients to suffer because some nurses are still at the point where they're like, oh, I just can't have my patients suffer. I can't do this. I have to give what's best for them. But they're actually indirectly harming the system because they're just basically making it seem like, oh, this is okay, this is just how it is. But it's only going to get worse if we keep allowing these big systems to trample on us, and we, as nurses are endorsing it. We're not even helping our patients at that point.
[11:15] MIchelle: Yeah, there needs to be some serious reform. I agree. So I saw that you just retired from travel bedside nursing and that you have transitioned into a teaching role. Do you want to talk about why you did that and what you're going to be doing in your teaching role?
[11:35] Lynn: Well, actually, I retired from bedside nursing back in December. I did have a part-time job in home health as well as, like, a PRN teaching. So I was, like, teaching nursing students. So I'm teaching nursing students. Like, I'm teaching med/surg clinical just skills and teaching them nursing. But this past week, I realized that my business has been taking off with consulting other nurses, and we could really. I know these are some things we could touch on later, but I decided to withdraw from my part-time home health job. That wasn't really stressful because I needed more time to attend to my consulting business, my real estate business, and then also, if I had to choose between home health or teaching nursing students, I could only do one. So I chose to teach nursing students. And really, I feel I love teaching only because I could teach them the right way to do things and set them up for success. Even though it is a hard profession, I kind of teach them. You don't be a multitasker, you're just going to be a time manager. Just concepts like always, take your lunch. No matter what. Meds can wait an extra 30 minutes. If you need to go refuel yourself, go refuel yourself. Of course, I'm teaching them all the good skills as well, but I'm also teaching them how to protect themselves as nurses because I feel nowadays that's really needed considering the staffing.
[13:12] MIchelle: Well, that's great. I mean, we need more people like you at the level where students are being taught. And I think that's where we're going to be really effective. If nursing schools, nursing instructors start writing into their curriculum things like self-care, things that you were talking about, like getting a break. I mean, there are laws to protect us, too, and I think students and nurses need to be aware of those. So that's great. And congratulations on quitting your part-time job. Yeah, I saw that on Instagram and I was like, yay, that's awesome.
[13:57] Lynn: So I'm not even working any sort of part-time job. I just pick up a clinical here and that's awesome. I mean, once a week, once every two weeks, once a month, I really have the flexibility to do that. And I do think it's funny. I wanted to bring up the breaks that you're saying how we're entitled to breaks. The West Coast is so amazing when it comes to taking your breaks and really making sure if you don't get your break that you're compensated for it and that they're trying to be active on making changes, on not taking these breaks. But in other states, it's so different where it's like these laws are in place and these hospital systems have created a culture that when they're audited, the nurses will just go clock out, go back to their jobs, set an alarm for 30 minutes, and go clock back in. It's really like, it's sickening. My last contract did that, actually.
[14:52] MIchelle: Wow.
[14:52] Lynn: Or like, you'd have to take your phone on your break and you'd be answering calls and pulled away from your break. Self-care is a huge thing, and one of the things I did there was just like, no, I'm on my break. If you want me to clock back in early, I will. And the hospital, the charge nurse, is like, no, we get audited for it. So it's just like, there's a way to go about it and be like, okay, someone else can do it, or, I'll be back in 20 minutes, but if you really want me to do it, I'm clocking back in. And I don't think many nurses have the guts to stand up to the system like that, but those who do can make a difference.
[15:33] MIchelle: Yeah, absolutely. That's a great message. So was it your goal when you started your consulting business, your investing business, to retire from nursing?
[15:45] Lynn: Not necessarily. I knew I wanted to have more freedom in my nursing career. I wanted to be able to be a nurse. When, where, and how I say I didn't expect to be like, I mean, I guess I'm not fully, fully retired, but I'm actually retired from having any associations to it. I don't have to hold a W-2 job through nursing. They're not going to provide me any sort of food on my table or roof over my head because the way I've built up my real estate portfolio, I can do that completely by myself. When it comes to teaching, I don't even care about the hourly rate because I'm doing it to fulfill my purpose as a nurse, because it's something that makes me happy as opposed to having to go work this bedside position in a not so nursing friendly state because I have to put food on the table for my family. I wasn't expecting it so soon. I was expecting to maybe have a less stressful nursing job. Maybe it's only part-time. Maybe I could have taken just something that wasn't so stressful and intense for lesser pay because I have the income on the side to take a lesser pay, less stressful job. But absolutely, I did not really expect to retire this early. But my consulting business was taking off to a point where a lot of nurses and healthcare workers who have helped are seeing results, and I'm getting a lot of more people who want to sign up for my program.
[17:21] MIchelle: All right, well, let's talk about it. First of all, when did you start investing in real estate?
[17:27] Lynn: I started almost three years ago, actually, and it kind of happened by accident. Our goal was to do long-term rentals, maybe midterm rentals if we had to. But yeah, no, we did it three years ago and we had an issue where it's like we almost hit rock bottom. We had to almost sell one of our houses. We decided to do a basement renovation of our home, and it just had this flooding issue. We were on a time crunch because we put the renovation on a credit card and we were going to get the home reappraised immediately after, take a HELOC, and pay off the credit cards with the HELOC because the interest rate on the credit cards, 29% versus a HELOC interest rate, significantly different. So we just kind of got nailed. We had flooding. We had issues with the contractor where we're like, could you just get someone to figure it out? I don't want to wait for rain. Time's on our hands. I'd rather you finish it. And if anything happens, we'll go through insurance. But I need this house reappraised. And it just didn't pan out that way. So our construction was done. We weren't really planning on renting it long term as of yet, but we were in such a desperation mode. We're like, well, let's list it on Airbnb and take a contract in our RV to see if we could kind of dig ourselves out of this hole. Long story short, we ended up doing really well on Airbnb. One property turned into two and so on. And we just started to build a lot of wealth and knowledge from it. We learned what to do, what not to do, and the techniques by which my husband and I got our houses, we used just very smart techniques through intense research. And, yeah, so we did. We started about three years ago, and it's just kind of been growing and growing. And as we're on our travel, nursing contracts and having these rental properties, I got all these other nurses being like, how do you do it? How did you do it? And I remember at one of my contracts in rural Oregon, I was giving away how we did it. And one nurse was like man, I would have never thought of that. I would have paid to learn this information. You should go on social media and start helping other people. And at first, I was like, I feel bad making people pay me for the information. It was just something I enjoyed doing for free. But I realized I'm like, you know, wait a second. Because the idea of running a business and having tax write-offs. That was another big thing that my husband and I needed just while we were in our business was like tax write-offs. I'm like, wait a second. I could actually create a program where it's going to help somebody and it could be a tax write-off for them. And if this program takes off, I could actually invest more into helping my fellow nurses make moves with real estate. So three years ago it just kind of grew to this.
[20:52] MIchelle: Yeah, that's crazy. I mean, you've had so much growth in the last three years. And first of all, I have to say, isn't that amazing that you have your husband as a partner in your business and of course in your life?
[21:07] Lynn: Absolutely. And he is also a nurse. We both did step away from the profession to kind of really grow and help other nurses. But it is amazing. And I think that I'm not a marriage counselor, but one of the biggest things I tell my students is the first thing you have to do is get on the same page with your spouse, first and foremost, because you're more likely to fail if you guys are trying to go different directions. If your minds are on the same road and on the same path, you could use it to kind of hit the gas harder and create success for yourself faster.
[21:50] MIchelle: That's a great message, and I love how you prefaced it with, I am not a marriage counselor, but I see maybe a future business for you, Lynn, for couples. Right. Because you've honed in on that. You need to be on the same page if you're going to succeed together. So that's cool. So how did you learn about finance and investing? Do you have mentors? Did you take classes, talk about that.
[22:24] Lynn: Yes, absolutely. So my husband and I, did invest in a lot of classes, a lot of courses, a lot of educational content to really kind of make this work. And I feel there's no price on education. The value of education is unlimited. And honestly, I feel like when you're investing, your mindset shifts a lot from a W-2 job. You have to think of this, you have to not only think of it as how much is it going to cost. Because you almost have to stop thinking, how much is it going to cost? You have to start thinking, is this what it costs? Is it going to bring me 100 times the return of that? From a standpoint of education, I feel like, for example, one of the businesses my husband and I opened up was a cleaning business because our Airbnb was getting so many bookings, we had a need for sometimes five or six cleanings in one certain month. And we're paying a cleaning service $160 a week plus tip, and we're like, well, what if we could somehow make a cleaning business where our Airbnb is paying our own business to do the cleanings? It's just like a full circle there. So, yeah, we invested in a $1,000 program to actually launch a cleaning business, and we saved more than $1,000 within a month of buying it. And now, months down the line, we're saving even more thousands of dollars. We're making some money off of it. So that $1,000 piece of education has actually given us probably at least ten times the return by now. We just had to put in the hard work and implement it. But really, I feel like there should be no value on education because it's going to create your mind to brainstorm and think in ways that are not a traditional nine-to-five job worker who comes home and watches TV every night with their family. And I'm not bashing that lifestyle, but if you're looking for something more, you have to get out of that mindset. So education is key.
[24:40] MIchelle: I agree. You guys have been educated in kind of two different ways, right? It's like you took the courses, you have the mentors, you did all that kind of bookwork, and then you also experienced some failures of your own, which really taught you, I'm sure. So you got kind of two different schools of education. Why did you guys choose Airbnb?
[25:10] Lynn: Well, the Airbnb was. It was more of like a freak desperation type of thing from all that flooding because we realized if we were going to rent out our house, we still wouldn't get enough profits to dig ourselves out of the hole we were in. And really we just did it as a last resort, last-chance effort to make it work. And I have this saying that winners never quit. They might fail, but the real winners don't quit after they fail. So even if we were getting to the point where we would have to sell the house and Airbnb didn't work, we would have tried to figure out another way. And my husband's saying is, always find a way. Whatever barrier you have, there's a way around it. You just have to crack that code at what that solution is. So you kind of shift your mind to not focus on the problem, focus on the solution and you'll win. You'll find a way. And we saw that Airbnb might be a solution. Let's try it out. Let's list it out of desperation and our bookings started filling up and we started making double what we ever anticipated on making on one of our properties. So yes, it really took us pretty far and that's kind of how we got into this whole Airbnb.
[26:35] MIchelle: Well, I think that's great. I think I was listening to one of your Instagram lives and I think I asked you a question about Airbnb arbitrage because there's so much hype about that right now. And what's your opinion on that?
[26:54] Lynn: If you could own think? I think arbitrage, is a great method if you have reached all the roadblocks to buying an actual house. But as far as arbitrage, there are a lot of limitations on Airbnb lately, and I feel like you're signing a twelve-month lease. The money that you're spending on rent is going down the toilet. So if you're going to get approved for a home and have relatively a similar mortgage, or even if it's slightly higher, then do that instead. I feel like arbitrage is what I need for cash flow so I can get my first property. It's going to be a gateway to get to your first property or your second property, maybe if you don't have the credit to get a second property yet, or the funds or the down payment. But I absolutely feel like it should be a last resort if you've reached all other barriers. And I like to think of paying a mortgage as putting money into a savings account indirectly.
[27:52] MIchelle: Well, that was a good delineation that you made about arbitrage. You're not forbidding it, but use it as a way to gain more money to be able to buy an actual property and then use that as an Airbnb.
[28:08] Lynn: Absolutely. Like if you're going to be making $2000 to $3,000 a month in profits on your arbitrage, you're not using that for anything else besides putting it in a savings account for your next property.
[28:20] MIchelle: Well, who are your clients, Lynn? And what are they coming to you for?
[28:25] Lynn: So a lot of my clients, I'm realizing they're just ones who have had just, they're done. They are just so much in pain when it comes to thinking about working this bedside job all the way to retirement. So they almost come to me as like, I've had enough. Real estate is very nitty gritty. There are a lot of concepts you have to apply to even get it started. When you're setting up an LLC or doing a market analysis on what properties will be best for you. Or everybody has a different situation. Like, some have kids, some cannot house hack, or some only have this amount of money. There's just so many different situations that the person might have, and there's so many ways you can go about it. And I get a lot of clients who are just like, you know what? I've had enough. I am not wanting to do this my whole life into retirement. Nursing is hard work anyway. So if I spend a few extra years working hard to build wealth through real estate, the time is going to pass anyway, and it's going to shave decades off of my bedside career so I could have a little bit more freedom. So really, people who are at that point, but it doesn't matter if they own a home, it doesn't matter if they rent a home. I've coached both people, both types of clients, and it just kind of adjusts my approach a bit on what I guide them to do.
[30:00] MIchelle: So would you say that most of your clients are nurses, physicians, like medical people?
[30:07] Lynn: Most are nurses. Actually, everybody's been a nurse so far.
[30:11] MIchelle: Okay. Why do you think nurses make good investors?
[30:16] Lynn: Well, nurses make great investors because we have a big shovel. We have the capacity to make a lot of money, whether it's overtime, travel, nursing. We could really choose how much money we make. I mean, of course, there's a cap, but we do have a big shovel when it comes to the amount of income we can make. Now, nurses are great investors for that reason. Nurses are also sometimes not the best investors because that income actually creates this source of comfort where you go in circles and you're confined to this job that burns you out. But you make a good income where you can afford a decent house and decent things, and then you just kind of get trapped in this circle. So I think the income potential that we have makes us great investors. And then also, it's not like if we retire. Me, for example, I have my nursing degree as my shovel, so I could always go back to it if I had to. So I really think that makes us great investors when it comes to being willing to take risk because we do have that shovel that we can always get back out. It's like if your snow plow stops working, go back and get the shovel. But do you have to build up to the point of a snow plow? Do you have to be able to afford it? Yeah, but the amount of work your shovel can do can buy you that snow plow, and you'll have that on the side if that snow plow stops working. I'm using this analogy, but I'm like, you could buy multiple snow plows and you'll still have that shovel always. Yeah.
[31:50] MIchelle: Those are great analogies, and I think a lot of people learn by analogies, so use as many as you want. I think that's great. Well, you touched on risk, so I think that's a real thing. And for the reason that you stated, like nurses, generally, they make a good income and they get really comfortable. And I know for myself, it's like, I like having the 401 investment and the insurance from my institution and all of that stuff. And then to think about leaving that and investing, it could be risky. So how do you think risk kind of inhibits us from investing? And what can we do to mitigate some of the risk?
[32:40] Lynn: Well, I think the concept of knowing that your shovel is always there if you're going downhill and you need to get yourself your benefits because there are private benefits. I know it can be expensive, but sometimes you're making so much money that the private benefits don't even really make a difference to you. But as well. As well as thinking about that risk, I can go one of two routes. Like, the first route is like, yeah, this is risky. This is financially risky. You can lose a lot of money in it. I'm not going to lie. You can lose a lot of money in it, but you could also make a lot of money as well. But let's say you do go on the route of losing money. The way I think of it is that knowledge is everything, and most millionaires actually have lost everything, and they built themselves back up because they knew how to do it. So kind of just going back to the knowledge part of risk is that if you take something and you know how to build it, even if you lose it, you could build it ten times faster than someone who doesn't know how to do it. So, like, if my husband and I lost all of our houses, all of our Airbnbs, and we had to start from scratch and go back to our W-2 nursing jobs and start renting and then get into homeownership again, I can do that ten times faster than when I did it three years ago, only because I know the game. I know what to do. I know what not to do. So there's that part of the risk where I'm like, if you did it once, if you did it twice, if you did it three times, and you know how to be successful with it and you're experimenting with it still, and one of your experiments causes you to lose it all. Well, can't you just build it back up? Absolutely. I mean, look at Dave Ramsey. This guy was bankrupt. One of the biggest reasons that he was able to restart again was because he knew what he was doing. He gained so much knowledge. Another one of my inspirations, Alex Hermosi, has a multi-million dollar business, and he did have a really good business at first. Lost it all, but it didn't even scare him because he knew what to do. If he did lose it all, he's like, okay, I could build it back up again. And really, that's what I tell most nurses. You're going to learn the game of it. And also, if you're putting money into a house, there's a lot of reassurance in it. It's like, let's say you are getting an investment property and you put 2020, 5% down into the house and it's not working out, or it's too overwhelming. Even after my find-a-way attitude goes away, you sell it and you're going to get your money back, if not more, because it does appreciate in value. The second part of that risk would be we as nurses, are playing with human life every day. So really, with real estate, you're playing with money; as nurses, you're playing with human life. So what's more scary? Taking risks, you know?
[35:45] MIchelle: Yeah, that's a good point. I like how you mentioned Alex Hormozi, I've been a fan of his for a while, and I've heard him talk about having millions and then losing it all and then building it back up again. And I think there's certainly something to be said for that in terms of experience. Right? It's like the second time around, I'm going to know what not to do, or I'm going to know a lot more strongly what to do, or even.
[36:18] Lynn: Just at the speed at which you build it, too. Because I can tell you, my first property, it took me almost a year to get a good flow with it. But for my other properties, I was setting it up and listing it in a day without even thinking.
[36:39] MIchelle: I'll make an analogy now. So let's say that you're a new nurse and you're starting IVs. You're learning how to start IVs. The first one, the second one, the third one, the fourth one, the 10th one, the 15th one, you're all over the place, you're blowing them. You don't know what the heck to do, but then you start getting it right. And then for every one you get, it adds to your confidence bank, and pretty soon you're like, getting every IV and starting IVs for coworkers and other units are calling you because they've heard about your IV skills. So, yeah, absolutely. It's like you're going to build on all those successes because whenever you have a success, it's really a confidence boost into like, hey, I can do this. I'm good at this. And I think in the beginning when you're first starting, you have a real lack of confidence. Right?
[37:49] Lynn: Yeah, I don't know.  It's like, I don't know if this is going to. So that's, that's my we.
[37:54] MIchelle: I know you're a mentor and you're a mentor to your clients, of course, and you're a mentor to your students. And we talked about Alex Hormosi, but who are some of the other mentors that you learn from?
[38:11] Lynn: Myron Golden is another inspiration in my career just because my husband and I were Christians. So he just takes business concepts and faith concepts and puts them into a similar category, and it just gives me so much motivation. It kind of helps me to have faith that even if I do lose it all, there's a way to get it back, there's a way to rebuild it. And just like applying all these concepts, Myron Golden has been a big inspiration in my investment journey.
[38:56] MIchelle: Well, let's talk about financial independence. So what does that mean to you? And do you think it means different things to different people?
[39:05] Lynn: Yes. So financial independence? Yes. I think it's just to each their own. I think financial independence to me is when I reach a point where I don't need any job to provide for me and that I can provide for myself in the way in which I want to. As far as other people, that might mean something different to them, this might mean financial independence. I make $20,000 a month no matter what, through my investments or whatever, for me, I don't put a number on financial independence. For me, it's more of like, what is going to get you the lifestyle you want? I know I'm consulting people and I'm helping other nurses build wealth, but that's something that I enjoy doing. And if I choose to go a different route with it, I absolutely can. It's just, to me, everybody needs money. Everybody needs to put food on the table and have a roof over their head. But the biggest thing is financial independence you have the ability to make money in the way you want to make money. And not what other people tell you to make money through.
[40:21] MIchelle: I think absolutely, it's different to different people. Right? Like, some people, financial independence is having a certain amount in the bank account at all times. And to others, it might be just like, oh, I can go to the store and I can put anything in my cart when I'm grocery shopping, and I don't really have to look, know how much it costs. So there are a lot of different pictures of financial independence. So where do you think this passion for helping nurses comes from, Lynn?
[40:58] Lynn: I think it actually came from being on my travel contracts, and I was feeling so it was kind of like a step-by-step process for me, realizing this is what I can be doing because I remember feeling like, oh, my gosh, this is a lot. Do I really have to do this until I'm retired? And I remember once I started getting that success for myself, and as I was talking to others about it on my contracts, I didn't even realize how much it was helping nurses. And I'm like, you know, this is amazing. I love that I feel like I've helped other people, and maybe everything happens for a reason. And even though I'm not really actively bedside anymore or any w two nursing job anymore, this is what that bigger picture was. Working as a bedside nurse was just a stepping stone to what was to come, which is nursing is a very tired out profession. It does have a lot of burnout involved with it. And I feel like right now our nurses need more help than our patients. And I feel like if I could contribute to making a difference in the profession, that's just kind of where this calling came from. I feel if I could get more nurses to become financially independent and not have to depend on a job that burns them out, these systems are going to start making changes. And I feel it's from my perspective that I was just given this gift to move the masses and be able to. The words I speak can become very powerful in the nursing profession because I guess I realized as a bedside nurse and me going and saying, this is wrong. Hospitals shouldn't be treating us like this. I can't change a whole system, but I could influence several nurses to take a stand, and become financially free. And I feel like one day, if enough nurses are taking that stand and building enough financial freedom, it's like, think of so many nurses leaving bedside because the conditions are horrible and they're leaving bedside because they're financially free, these organizations are bound to make a change, and I do. I feel like our nurses are hurting more than our patients, and hurting nurses creates hurting patients. So I just feel like if I could even make a slight difference in contributing to that change, maybe in the far future, then that's just something that was my calling.
[43:32] MIchelle: Well, I feel like it is, too. And I love how you describe that because you said I can't change a whole system, but you actually are changing systems by helping other nurses realize their potential for financial independence. And it's going to cause institutions to stand up and take notice because other nurses are taking notice. And once nurses start saying no, these institutions, these systems are going to have to start changing. So you are doing that. What's in the future for you?
[44:16] Lynn: I kind of really just take it as it comes. As of right now, I'm coaching people. I do have Airbnb launch services where I will launch it for you and host you for the first month. As far as the future, I am hopefully going to get into motivational speaking for nurses, hosting large events, and large nursing conventions, and just really building that financial independence. And I feel like there's a stepping stone to everything. So I'm not going to stop here. I'm just going to see what other doors open. Because like I said, when I was going to nursing school, people were saying I couldn't do it. So just like becoming a nurse, I was like, you know, maybe being a nurse is a stepping stone to something bigger, to something better. I started a successful Airbnb business and I'm still running it. But was it a stepping stone to something even bigger and better with this consulting business and teaching other nurses how to do it? Absolutely. And my mind is completely open to, like I said, my mind is always like, what else can I do? How can I grow? How can I help others grow? And I feel like even if this consulting business, it might very well be a stepping stone to something bigger. And my goal is to contribute to society in a positive way. And for every penny that I make, I want you to make back 100 times that amount. So really, I'm just seeing where this goes. And if it is the stepping stone to something bigger, then so be it. Because I did get a lot of comments like, you earned this nursing degree. Where is it now? It was a stepping stone to something bigger, so I don't even feel bad.
[46:06] MIchelle: Well, I love it. And I think you have a really bright future ahead of you, and I think you're a voice for so many nurses and just so many people, in general, to really advocate for themselves if something is not working in their life to look to something else. Like, you do not have to be stuck in a job that you don't enjoy, whether that means leaving it altogether or whether that means going part-time or per diem to pursue other things. I think that's a really good message. So where can we find you if we want to get in touch with you?
[46:48] Lynn: You can find me on Instagram. My username is @bossnurseLynn is how that is spelled. And you could just DM me. I do complimentary consult calls and no obligation to get into my program. I just like to give out those free consults. And if my program is something that would benefit you, then join it. But no, I do give out those complimentary calls where I'm not even talking about my program. I'm analyzing your situation and telling you these are your next steps. And that's literally where you could reach me. And I respond personally to my private messages. I have nothing on automation, so just makes it more personal.
[47:33] MIchelle: Well, I love your Instagram, and you have a very strong presence on Instagram, and I love seeing your posts. They're always really positive, and they always make me jealous because they're always, like, somewhere outside in this beautiful setting and traveling. And I've really enjoyed your Instagram lives. So, yes, I'll definitely put all those contacts in the show notes for anybody who wants to find you. So, gosh, I'm so glad that we got to reconnect and actually do this interview where it's recorded.
[48:11] Lynn: Yeah.
[48:12] MIchelle: Thank you so much for being my guest and for being so gracious about all the flub-ups that I did. So I appreciate that a lot.
[48:22] Lynn: No, absolutely. It was such a pleasure to be able to be on this podcast, and I do enjoy talking about this content anyway.
[48:30] MIchelle: I know, I can tell. I hear it in your voice. So, are you ready for the five-minute snippet?
[48:36] Lynn: Absolutely.
[48:38] MIchelle: Five minutes of pure fun. Would you rather accidentally walk into a snake pit or a wasp nest?
[48:50] Lynn: Oh, jeez. I guess a wasp's nest.
[48:57] MIchelle: Yeah. Not a big fan of snakes.
[49:00] Lynn: No, but I mean, what if they're poisonous?
[49:05] MIchelle: So true.
[49:06] Lynn: I could just give myself some epi.
[49:11] MIchelle: Typical nurse, right?
[49:13] Lynn: Yeah.
[49:14] MIchelle: Okay, this is this or that. Shoes or slippers?
[49:18] Lynn: Slippers.
[49:22] MIchelle: Would you rather have ugly artwork on your walls or no artwork at all? 
[49:35] Lynn: Ugly artwork, yeah.
[49:36] MIchelle: At least you could imagine it's beautiful, right? Swimming pool or beach?
[49:39] Lynn: Beach.
[49:41] MIchelle: Yes. Would you rather find a four-leaf clover or a really old penny?
[49:50] Lynn: Four-leaf clover.
[49:53] MIchelle: I'm with you, Lynn. There's something magical about that. Right. Ever since I was a kid, we're always searching for four-leaf clovers.
[50:01] Lynn: I'm not superstitious, but just the fact that they're really rare.
[50:05] MIchelle: Yeah.
[50:06] Lynn: And we hike the redwoods all the time. And my husband's like, why are you looking down? I said I'm looking to see if any of them are four leaves.
[50:13] MIchelle: I love it. Okay. Summer or winter?
[50:17] Lynn: Summer.
[50:18] MIchelle: So much fun in the summer. Okay. Would you rather watch baby owls or baby penguins?
[50:26] Lynn: Oh, penguins.
[50:31] MIchelle: Cash or cards?
[50:34] Lynn: Cards. I'm a business owner.
[50:38] MIchelle: Yeah. Cash is, like, old school, right?
[50:43] Lynn: Yeah.
[50:44] MIchelle: Would you rather communicate only in emojis or never be able to text again?
[50:50] Lynn: Emojis.
[50:52] MIchelle: That'd be fun. We should do a whole day of emojis. Okay. Text or call?
[51:00] Lynn: Call.
[51:02] MIchelle: Really? You're like my daughter. She's 37. Are you guys around the same age?
[51:09] Lynn: I'm in my 20s.
[51:11] MIchelle: You're a lot younger. Yeah, well, when she sees me texting, she's just like, mom, why didn't you just call? I'm like, no, because that's so intrusive.
[51:22] Lynn: Yeah.
[51:24] MIchelle: Would you rather star in a reality TV show that documents your life or be the host of a popular podcast?
[51:33] Lynn: Podcast, for sure.
[51:35] MIchelle: I see that in your future.
[51:38] Lynn: Yes. We're starting one.
[51:41] MIchelle: All right. I think you should keep that on your horizon. New phone or new clothes?
[51:47] Lynn: New phone.
[51:50] MIchelle: Techie.
[51:52] Lynn: Have to be.
[51:53] MIchelle: Yes. All right, last question. Would you rather be a backup dancer for a famous singer or a news reporter?
[52:03] Lynn: Oh, jeez. Well, I don't watch the news, so probably a backup dancer.
[52:09] MIchelle: Oh, I love that. So you don't watch the news? Do you know how smart you are? You're so smart because all the pros say to get your life going on the right track, like, stop watching the news.
[52:24] Lynn: Absolutely.
[52:25] MIchelle: Yeah. I'm trying to break that habit. Lynn. You got to tell me how to do it because it is a habit. It's a bad habit.
[52:34] Lynn: Real deal.
[52:35] MIchelle: You've been amazing. I know. You've given our guests so much to think about, and you just come off as so hopeful for the future, for nurses, for the profession, and just such an advocate and an activist. And you're really an activist for nurses, right? For those people out there that say, she's encouraging people to leave the profession, it's like, no, you are encouraging people to stand up for themselves, to advocate for themselves, and you're an activist in that regard. So I really admire you, and I thank you again for being my guest.
[53:20] Lynn: Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to be on your podcast.
[53:24] MIchelle: Well, have a great rest of your day.
[53:26] Lynn: Thank you. You too.