Ep18: New Nurse Coach Entrepreneurship- Darlene Bell, BSN, RN, NC

About Darlene Bell

Darlene Bell OR to EntrepreneurDarlene Bell, BSN, RN 
I have been a nurse for 20 years as this is my anniversary year!  I am a single mother to an awesome 13-year-old son.  I was born and raised in CT and I truly believe that learning is continuous, it should be shared and everyone should be empowered and motivated to tap into themselves and discover their purpose!
I am currently nurturing my entrepreneurial spirit by learning to build my website, my business, networking with other nurse entrepreneurs (we exist!), and taking the steps towards making the next 20 years of my nursing career to be filled with freedom to care for others and myself so that we can live our “Belle Vie,” beautiful life!

Contact

darlene@belleviewellness.com

Darlene Bell jumping into EntrepreneurshipEp18: New Nurse Coach Entrepreneurship- Darlene Bell, BSN, RN, NC Highlights

“There’s an entire world out there, whether you Google, or whether you go on social media, use those hashtags, find keywords, #Nurse Entrepreneurship, or anything in relation to what it is that you want to do. It’s out there. … use technology as best as you can in a way that will empower you.”  ~ Darlene Bell

  • Nursing school doesn’t teach you business classes, but there is a whole world filled with resources to help you, if you look for them.
  • Step outside the ‘normal’ nursing roles to discover the many opportunities awaiting Nurses.
  • Nurse Entrepreneurship is filled with successful Nurse Entrepreneurs who want to see you succeed.
  • Ask for help. Seek out role models you would like to connect with, then send them an email and pick their brain.
  • It is possible to work full time as an RN and begin to work on your business. BUT- set boundaries!
  • Nurse Coaching offers a safe space for people to share their desires, to uncover their passions, purpose, and values.
  • Integrative Nurse Coaching courses help you become more self-aware and help you transform your present life into a life filled with meaning.
  • Nurse Coaches can help you discover who you are, what your goals are, and how to get there.

Belle Vie Integrative Wellness

Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION!

Integrative Nurse Coach Academy

National Nurses and Business Association

Ep18: New Nurse Coach Entrepreneurship- Darlene Bell, BSN, RN, NC Transcript

Nicole Vienneau  00:00

Welcome, everyone, to Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION! My name is Nicole Vienneau. I’m your host and I’m also a Board Certified Integrative Nurse Coach. And today, it is exciting because we are inviting Darlene Bell, who is the founder and owner of the Belle Vie Integrative Wellness. And she is a Registered Nurse who is celebrating her 20th year in Nursing this year. And she is at the beginning of her journey into Integrative Nurse Coaching.

So, we welcome Darlene Bell as she imparts all her wisdom of learning on this incredible journey of her life, and also into Integrative Nurse Coaching. Welcome, Darlene.

Darlene Bell  00:50

Thank you so much, Nicole, I’m so honored to be in this position in this space with you right now. It’s such an amazing opportunity. I’m so happy that you chose me.

Nicole Vienneau  01:00

Well, I’m happy that you chose me because it takes two to tango, girl! It takes two to tango!

Darlene Bell  01:05

Let’s dance! (laughter)

Nicole Vienneau  01:08

Well, awesome. I’m so happy you’re here. I’m glad to feel your excitement as we chat about all things that inspire us related to Nursing and Nurse Coaching. And so, we do have to take a quick journey back in your history to just find out a little bit about why you became a Nurse. What drew you into Nursing?

Darlene Bell  01:29

Well, that’s such an interesting question in the sense that, as a Nurse, as who I am today — and I look back 20 years ago, which I cannot believe it’s been that long — but I was not that girl that grew up and said, “Oh my goodness, when I grow up, I want to be a Nurse.” I actually thought that I wanted to major in business. And it’s funny because, right, everything is in God’s timing. And so, at that time, it seems that God was like, yeah, maybe later, but not right now.

And so, in high school, I took a variety of business classes from marketing to accounting to keyboarding, which is now called like type writing, which doesn’t even exist anymore. But I took a variety of those classes, thinking that that was the route that I wanted to go in my life.

And I recall being a senior in high school and looking to find classes to fill up my time — electives — in order to graduate. And I looked at a class that was a Nursing, Introduction to Nursing, class. And I said to myself, “Oh, let me just take this class so I can get my credits towards graduation.”

So, I took the class, and I actually found it very interesting. And I recall the teacher telling me, you know, you should consider Nursing, plus the fact that I also did well in my science courses.

So here I was, senior in high school, and I’m like, “Oh, you know what, yeah, maybe I will major in Nursing.” And so, I did.

That is how I chose it. And as an example, my mother was a Nursing Assistant. Growing up, I watched her work in Nursing homes. That was probably the most exposure to healthcare that I had. And I majored in Nursing, and it felt very natural.

I took the classes and went through my clinicals, and it was a very challenging journey, but it taught me so much. It taught me grit, it taught me perseverance. It was just, as I said before, very natural for me to be able to care for others, nurture others, take care of other people.

And so, after graduation, I ended up taking on a job at Johns Hopkins Hospital Wilmer Eye Institute. I went into the OR specialty, and I’ve been an OR Nurse ever since. For the past 20 years, my specialties ranged from ophthalmology to general surgery, I became a travel nurse. And here I am today, my current specialty is sports medicine. So, there was just so many avenues in Nursing, specifically in the OR.

And so now, here I am today to add on to my 20 years of experience being an OR Nurse, and one of the things that I’ve always held on to in Nursing is continuous learning. I feel that it’s something that should never stop, that you should always seek for more information to add on to what you’re contributing to the world, to your patient.

I found that I wanted to tap back into the business aspect of Nursing. And, oftentimes, when you’re in an environment where what you’re looking for isn’t there, you may feel like you’re the only one that has these thoughts, that has these inspirations and has these goals.

So, if I have to tie back to what I was saying about learning, I went and I go on Google, and I’m looking, and I look up Nurse entrepreneurship, and lo and behold, it actually exists. And it was a shocker. It was a game changer for me. There’s actually a group called National Nurses and Business Association. It’s an organization that is filled with Nurses who are either already entrepreneurs, or on the pathway to becoming entrepreneurs. And they have annual conferences every year.

And I recall going to my first conference, probably back in 2014, and it was a two-day weekend conference in Florida. And it was just absolutely amazing to see Nurses who are using their foundation to expand and create businesses from things.

Socks that you can wear every day that will help with preventing embolisms in your legs. We had people who were creating little knickknacks to put on your stethoscopes, people who created different pens. Basically, people who took the opportunity to utilize what they use every single day, or the work that they do every single day, and to turn it into something bigger.

So, it was very inspiring for me, and I always knew that it was an avenue that I wanted to go through, but I was never quite sure what I wanted my niche to be. Through that exploration, I ended up discovering that what I did enjoy having done for me was getting pampered. I mean, who doesn’t?

Not only do I enjoy getting pampered, but it was also something that I wanted to be able to provide to others as well. I looked into becoming an esthetician, I actually did get licensed, and that’s something that I plan to explore later on down the line with my business. But for now, through other discoveries, what I found is Nurse Coaching.

Nicole Vienneau  06:54

So, you have had quite the varied experience in your life, Darlene. You know, many of us have never been exposed to Nursing, but here you are in high school, and your school thought Nursing was so important that they were creating an Introductory to Nursing. And then you jumped into that class, and then all of a sudden, oh my gosh, I’m actually so interested in this, and I’m good at science.

And then you went into Nursing school, but then you always had this little side of you that’s entrepreneurial and wanting to do business. And not only just wanting to, you’re seeking it out, because you discovered this group of Nurses who are also interested in entrepreneurial skills. So then, I’m sure that led you down the path to discovering other things that spoke to you. So, tell us a little bit about — and I’m leading you to this question — so tell us a little bit about how you found Nurse Coaching.

Darlene Bell  07:49

Oh, my goodness. So, Nurse Coaching, that again, I feel like was God working, because I discovered it… it all just completely fell into my lap. 2020, the whole world shut down, and here we were, everyone just kind of wondering what is next? What is going on? What are we all going to do? And I found myself, as a Nurse, completely furloughed.

I was working one day per week, and never in my life would I have ever thought of being in that position as a Registered Nurse, as we are looked upon as one of the careers or professions that it’s completely stable. And the reason that it happened to me is because I work for an outpatient surgery center that is privately owned, that does not have an affiliation with a large organization. And so, you know, they had to make the decisions that they needed to make.

And so there I was, single mom, and it’s the middle of the night, and I’m worried A: about the pandemic, and then B: thinking, you know, what should I do next? And that’s a question that always comes in my mind, regardless, is what’s next? Because of the fact that I do believe, as I said, in the continuum. And so, honestly, I don’t remember how it happened, but I remember going on Google and looking up different avenues in Nursing, what else can I do to sustain myself and to sustain everything?

And then here comes this Nurse Coaching word. And so, I’m thinking, what exactly does this all mean? And so, when I looked up the definition, I thought to myself, this is me, and this is what I like to do for others, which is walk with them, encourage them, motivate them and allow them to see their purpose and their gifts, and what they can be good at, what they can be successful at.

In addition to that, it also said that in that process of learning how to become a Nurse Coach, that it will be a life changer for me. And I thought to myself, well who doesn’t need any type of change or enhancement in their own life and especially being in that position?

I said to myself, well, I don’t really have anything to lose at this point. And so, I enrolled into the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy. I believe when I enrolled, it was June, last year at this time, and the class was set to begin in July. And so, I said, “It’s now or never. I could push it off until September, I have the whole summer,” I said, “No, I’m gonna do this, I’m not going to push it off, and I’m going to start it immediately.” And that’s exactly what I did. And it was a game changer.

Because my whole motivation was to help other people, and it still is, but in that process, it has helped me so much because of the fact that it has taught me so much self-awareness, to be aware of who I am, my purpose, my values, and what it is that I want, and what direction to go.

And when you figure out those things, it’s easier to make major life decisions, to be able to say yes or no, and to be able to get rid of the in-between, which is the I’m not so sure, which is the self-limiting beliefs, which is the doubts. So, it was monumental, and it still continues to be monumental.

Nicole Vienneau  11:19

Would you mind sharing a few of the reasons why you think it was so monumental? Was there anything that stands out for you, within the course, that really helped you?

Darlene Bell  11:30

I think what stood out for me the most was when I was going through the course and talking to my clients during my practicum, and learning how to be still was so major for me, because I’ve always been in a position where people came to me for advice that I’m shooting off and saying, “Oh, you should do this, and you should do that, and do this this way, and do this that way.”

And when you’re coaching someone, your role is to provide them the safe space of being present and letting them know that they are in a place where I’m listening to you.

And the reason that you know that I’m listening to you is because I’m going to listen to the words that you’re sharing with me, I’m going to find keywords that stick out to me, and I’m going to ask you questions back so that I will serve as your mirror for you to be able to look and stop and say, you know, this is why I want to do this this way, or maybe I should do this that way. To be able to make people think twice, but more in a sense of the place that they’re coming from.

Nicole Vienneau  12:45

 

So, you mentioned that the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy course was transformational. What things in particular helped you feel the transformation in yourself?

Darlene Bell  12:56

What I learned most in the course was being still and being able to provide a safe space with the client, for them to be able to express themselves to me, for me to serve as a mirror for them to look at themselves and make new choices, sustain new behaviors, and to be able to be in a place of understanding who they are, what they want, and what their gifts are, who they were created to be. In my business, Belle Vie Integrative Wellness, my whole mission is to help women — such as myself, because I’ve been in that place, too — to be able to identify who they are outside of their roles.

And what happens, as women, we all do this, we get lost in our roles. And when I say roles, meaning our role as a mom, our role as a sister, an aunt, a grandmother, your profession. Those are all things that we do, those are all roles that we interact with others in our lives, but it’s not who we are.

And I found that through even the class, and going through the practicum and having my clients there, that when I asked women, “Who are you?” That they had a difficult time answering that question, because they would answer by saying I’m a mom, I’m an aunt, I’m a grandmother, I’m a Nurse or I’m a businesswoman.

What I did was to allow them to take a test to see what their values were. When you figure out what your values are, which are your beliefs, when you understand what your values are, that is what will help to determine the choices that you make in your life and will allow you to feel a level of wellbeing.

And wellbeing meaning a level of comfort and not a comfort of “Oh gosh, this is, you know, my day to day” but a comfort of feeling content and fulfilled. Those are all the things that I learned for myself in that class, because I had to figure out, what is your purpose, Darlene? What is it, outside of being a mother and being a Nurse, that makes you feel content?

And because of that, it made it an easier process for me to be able to relate to these women, and that is how I ended up determining that this was my mission for my business, is that I want to be able to help women to grow in their personal development, and to also find ways and strategies of managing stress of daily life struggles. And the ability for them to find new behaviors, choosing new behaviors, and sustaining those new behaviors, once that they are discovered.

That they’re not things that you find for a certain period of time, and then they fall by the wayside, but that it becomes embedded, and it becomes part of your lifestyle, so that you are able to reach your optimal level of health, and living your “Belle Vie”, which is your “beautiful life.” And everyone has their own definition of what their beautiful life looks like.

Nicole Vienneau  16:12

Yes. Belle Vie. Beautiful life. And it’s so true, everyone does have a different definition of what a beautiful life could be for themselves. And I always appreciate the opportunity to explore that with people within coaching.

And, you know, it’s so different than being a Nurse in the hospital system. And you mentioned this about, you know, it was before, as an OR Nurse, you’re really telling people what they need to know and what they are going to be doing, and that’s it. They don’t have an opinion. They may have one, but we don’t offer them enough time, right? There is no time, right?

We have certain things that need to be accomplished, and onwards and upwards into the healthcare system the patients go. And now this new role of Integrative Nurse Coach, and specifically in Belle Vie Integrative Wellness, you have created a safe space where women can come and see what this purpose is, what their purpose is, have these meaningful discussions to uncover things that they have maybe buried for years, because they are a mom, because they are a Nurse, because they are an aunt.

So, I can’t help but think, and I know our listeners are wanting to know this too, because this is the beginning of your journey in this entrepreneurial, you know, coming back to your roots. In high school, you were taking business courses, thinking this is what you wanted to do. So, tell us a little bit about your journey into entrepreneurship.

Darlene Bell  17:55

Well, this is an exciting question. So, my journey is absolutely amazing in the sense that it is so up and down, up and down, because my foundation is I am a Nurse, and what do Nurses do? We study, we research, we find evidence, we gather all this information, and then we go.

And so, the beginning of my journey, that’s exactly what I did to the extent where I reached a point where I said, “Oh my gosh, what did I get myself into?” But it’s been such a huge learning experience, and I basically feel like I am that person that is in the middle ground, right?

So, I completed my Nurse Coach program, and my end goal is to get my business off the ground. And then there’s that in between, right? And so, in Nursing school, what they do not teach you is entrepreneurship, you do not learn business. And so, don’t think that I have a background in business, in website building, even in networking, which is a very major part, as well. I have zero backgrounds in all of that stuff.

What I have been doing, and what I plan on continuing to do, is to challenge myself and push past all those fears because it’s the only way for me to get to that end point. And so, since completing the program, I have been working on building my website.

And so, I utilize all my resources, I call the 1-800 number probably two to three times per week. I’ve built it from the ground up, it has taken me months, but I have to say that during this time, I have put so much on myself, but I have to remind myself to take the time, at least weekly, to look back to where I have come from. I am very, very proud of where my website is today. It is belleviewellness.com. And I must say, that yes, I built that myself.

I have learned networking, I’ve joined the National Nurses and Business Association group, so any Nurses out there who are considering entrepreneurship, they are an excellent resource. They have conferences every year, and they also have vast amount of information on their website that will teach you networking. They also have coaches, business coaches that are available to you to be able to sign up and be able to teach you how to set up your business, as well.

And what I’ve also done is establish a social media presence, which is major for me, as well. I’ve always been on social media, but never that active, so that is something else that I’ve stepped outside of my comfort zone, is being vulnerable and putting myself out there and saying, “Hey, this is me. Hey, this is my business. Hey, this is my mission.” And putting out posts that relate to my business, which is empowering women, working on their personal development, as well as stress management.

What I’ve also been doing is networking through social media and finding other Nurses, such as myself, that are entrepreneurs that are already at their peak, from my perspective, they’re at their peak, but for them, you know, they’re not even at their peak and they’re doing absolutely amazing.

A lot of these Nurses provide webinars, they provide Zoom conferences, and they basically teach you how to set up your businesses and how to succeed in them. And they teach you this based on the mistakes that they made, in order to prevent you from doing the same. So, there’s an entire world out there, whether you Google, or whether you go on social media, use those hashtags, find keywords, #NurseEntrepreneurship, or anything in relation to what it is that you want to do. It’s out there.

If what you want is not necessarily in the same room as you, it is out there in the world. You need to use technology as best as you can in a way that will empower you, that will motivate you and keep you inspired. And that’s basically where I am with it, is networking, building the website.

And so now my next step is the marketing aspect and learning how to recruit these clients and how to find them. I’m actually taking a course right now, it is ran by a Nurse who is an entrepreneur, who does the same thing. She’s actually a business coach. And so, I’m learning how to be able to market my clients and step outside of my box and keep pushing through. I’m so, so excited about this.

Nicole Vienneau  22:55

We can tell you are excited. Oh, it’s a great feeling to feel this excitement.

Darlene Bell  23:05

It is!

Nicole Vienneau  23:05

Yes, it propels you forward, as you say. And coming from the space of an OR Nurse, and never really having done this, you make a wonderful point about looking back and doing this on a weekly basis to say, okay, like, what have I done this week? And what can I celebrate for myself?

Darlene Bell  23:27

Yes, and to add to that, to look back with kindness. Be kind to yourself. Don’t have the tendency, which it is very easy to do, which is to look at what needs to be done. And that is important, it is very important to look ahead and to have a vision and to have a goal and to know where it is that you want to be.

But what’s also important is to be able to break down the destination, break down how it is that you’re going to get there. And when you get there, when you make it to these stops, you need to stop, pause, re-evaluate, look to see, you know what, maybe I should try this this way. Or, hey, this worked, let me keep this going. And then to also say congratulations to yourself, congratulations.

And going back to the Nurse Coaching and the self-awareness and the evaluation, to be able to look at yourself and be proud of where you’ve come from and what it is that you’re doing, I think is a major part of what keeps me inspired for those moments where, you know, I can’t figure out how to add PayPal to my website.

But, you know, it took me a week to figure that out. It’s like, you know, it’s okay. It’s okay. There’s someone out there that can help me do this. And there was someone that helped me, and I got through it. And so, here I am.

Nicole Vienneau  24:52

I wonder if you might share a little bit of inspiration for fellow Nurses who have been, perhaps, thinking about starting their own business or thinking about creating a program for their community, or just in that incubation stage of a vision that they have, but yet, they haven’t taken the steps forward.

Darlene Bell  25:16

That’s an awesome word that you just said, the incubation stage. That is absolutely perfect, because it’s true. And I am that person. I am the one that is in that middle stage. And if you have any thoughts, any beliefs in your mind of where it is that you want to be, something that has popped into your head, but it continues to pop in your mind and in your heart, and it just never dies? That is your thing. Whoever you are out there, whatever it is that you’re thinking about, and it won’t go away, that is your thing.

And what you need to do, the first step that you need to do, is explore it and ask yourself, what is it about this thought that keeps popping in my mind, that keeps resurfacing, whether it’s days later, months later, and it could also be years later. What is it about this that is making me wonder, and explore that. Try to gather information, go online, do your research, one. Two: find someone who is where you want to be.

And you can reach out, whether you know the person personally, whether you know the person through social media, it doesn’t hurt to send an email, introduce yourself, and let them know, “Listen, this is something that I’m considering, I see that you’re doing this. I am inspired by you. What steps did you take? What is that world like?”

Get all the information that you can get and figure out if it matches. Does it align with you? Does it align with your values? Does it align with your purpose? And trust me, you will know. It’s this exciting feeling that you get in your heart that will not go away.

Nicole Vienneau  27:09

Thank you, Darlene.

Darlene Bell  27:12

I get so excited… (laughter)

Nicole Vienneau  27:13

That’s good! It’s so good. Yeah, because there are fellow Nurses out there who have had that voice that’s in their heart. And it does keep creeping back in, and it does keep talking to you, but sometimes you just don’t have the means, perhaps, at that time to go forward. And then I just can’t help but think that you’re an OR Nurse and you’re still practicing as an OR Nurse.

Darlene Bell  27:44

Yes.

Nicole Vienneau  27:44

And you are creating this new business through the entrepreneurship process. So, tell us a little bit about that. Like, how are you aligning these two worlds?

Darlene Bell  27:57

Oh, man. Oh, that is definitely… that’s also something else that is a challenge for me, because that is my full-time job, in addition to being a mom, and exploring my business avenue. For now, what I do find myself doing is utilizing my coaching in the first few minutes that I have the opportunity to spend some time with my patient while they’re awake. And when I say a few minutes, it really is a few minutes, you know, just interviewing your patient and gathering all the information that you need from them prior to going into surgery.

There’s probably a minute in between where I take the opportunity to provide that safe space for them and ask them questions so, in a way, to make them feel good and to minimize the fear that they’re having prior to surgery. And there’s been many moments where I’ve had patients who are petrified, no matter what type of surgery that they’re getting, and that they’ve turned to me and they’ve said, I’m so happy that you’re here with me right now. And this is a person, or people, who I’ve only spent a few minutes with.

Nicole Vienneau  29:14

So, taking a few moments to create a safe space with that patient before they go under anesthesia. Tell our listeners, what is the difference now versus before you took Nurse Coaching? And is there a difference?

Darlene Bell  29:32

To be quite honest with you, I think the difference now is that I’m aware of it. Because this is something that I’ve always done with others, is providing that safe space. It’s very natural for me to be nurturing.

And one of the things that I find very important in life is it’s important for me that when someone is in my space, no matter how long or no matter how short the time is, that when they walk away from me, they walk away from me feeling good. I strive to be that person. And the reason that I strive for that is because that’s how I want to feel when I’m around others. I want to feel welcomed; I want to be able to feel safe, and I want to be able to feel acknowledged.

And I think that, oftentimes, you know, if you think about anyone who’s ever going into a situation that scary, they want to feel those things, even if it’s for a few minutes, as opposed to coming in and asking you a bunch of questions and feeling like they’re in a factory, and “Come on, let’s go, let’s get this done.” You know, it’s very important, for me, for that person, or people, to walk away from me feeling that they are important, that they are cared for.

Nicole Vienneau  30:51

And you mentioned the difference is that, you know, you had been doing that all along…

Darlene Bell  30:56

Yeah.

Nicole Vienneau  30:57

But now you are very aware.

Darlene Bell  31:00

Aware. I am aware, and now that I’m aware, I feel like it really feels good to me. It feels even better. It feels even better, because it’s a gift. It’s a gift that I know now that I am aware of.

Nicole Vienneau  31:17

Awareness is so important. And I can’t help but think, as you say this, just the tone of your voice, it just reminds me of at the beginning of our conversation when you spoke of being content.

Darlene Bell  31:30

Yeah. That content. Being content. And that word can be very tricky, right? Because a lot of times people think, because your content, that this is your cap, this is it, the end, you’re full. It does, but it’s for a time. Just like when you eat, you eat, and you say to yourself, okay, I feel content, I feel full, that’s enough, but for now. It’s important to be aware of being content, but also know when you’re ready for more, when it’s time to eat again, when it’s time to fill your cup again.

Because, sometimes, when you stay in that place, and you don’t realize it, and you do not have that self-awareness, that’s where stagnancy can set in. And again, we talk about women and falling into roles and doing, you know, your regular day-to-day and falling into the repetitiveness and getting bored and not feeling like you’re contributing to yourself, not being able to give to yourself. So, it’s important to constantly be aware of how content are you? How content are you today? Are you full? Do you think you need more? Do you think you need to add more?

Nicole Vienneau  32:48

And speaking of more, touching back on, okay, you’re a full time OR Nurse, and you’re creating this business, how are you finding the time to do all the more?

Darlene Bell  33:01

Oh, boy. So, the word more. Yes. So, what I’ve learned through this incubation — because I like that word that you used, the incubation — is the more is setting boundaries and setting the boundaries with others as well as myself. So, being in a place of saying no, and with conviction, and knowing that the no means that I need to take time and create time for myself, child, and my home life. I have learned to be able to create monthly goals, and weekly follow ups on these goals. And also, to be able to set up daily tasks for me to be able to check off, and if I can’t check them off, that is okay.

I have been the kind of person where I’ve juggled and I’ve done a million things, as you can see, you know, a million things going on at multiple times. And when you do that, you become overwhelmed, and things become too much, and so what ends up happening is you put things aside, you end up procrastinating, and whatever it is that you’re aspiring to do, it may not necessarily get done.

And it could be the laundry, the dishes, it could be setting up a business banking account, you know, a variety of things or even just taking the time to spend with your family or with your child. So, I’ve learned that the word more is good, but it’s pretty useless if you’re doing a bunch of million things, but nothing is getting done.

I’ve learned to just be kind to myself in the process, as I continue to keep saying, and, again, to set up those goals, set up those tasks, to make sure that they are complete, and when they are not done, that I give myself the grace, you know, 48 hours to get it done (laughs). Not necessarily that streak, but to give myself room, to give myself room, to be able to laugh, to take the time to do what pleases me and to do it guilt free.

And all of it goes down to setting those boundaries, and saying no when I really cannot, and being okay with that.

Nicole Vienneau  35:15

Yes! Which is the opposite of no. (laughter)

Darlene Bell  35:21

And that’s when yes feels good. You know, like, when you’re really, really good with your noes, don’t yeses feel so good? Because you know, you really, when you’re like, “Yes!” you really mean it. You have to mean it. You have to mean those yeses and those noes.

Nicole Vienneau  35:34

Ah, that is a good little nugget right there. When you feel, “Yes!”, you know… that is know, not an N-O, but K-N-O-W…

Darlene Bell  35:46

Yes, yes!

Nicole Vienneau  35:48

You know it is a good yes. It feels good.

So, we are almost up with our time together today, and I’ve so enjoyed chit-chatting with you about your journey through Nurse Coaching. I’m looking forward to seeing more, more about what you are going to do moving towards. And I just wanted to ask a final question, which is, is there anything else that you’d like to share before we say our goodbyes?

Darlene Bell  36:18

Yes, I just wanted to let people know about self-care. That’s like a very popular term that is floating around, and self-care is super important. But there’s multiple levels to it. You know, there’s the self-image level, which is getting your massage and getting your facials and getting your nails done, your hair done. And those things are absolutely wonderful and I’m all for it.

But what I do also want women to know is that there’s other levels to it, such as your relationships, the environment that you’re in, the people that you surround yourself with. Make sure that you surround yourself with people that will pour into you, environments that nurture you, that inspire you, that motivate you, that align with where you want to go, and the best version of yourself, who you want more to be.

And also, your spiritual life, and knowing God, and having that relationship with Him. And having a prayer life or meditation or whatever it is that allows you the time to be filled and to meditate, and to be able to recharge, those are all just so, so, so very important. And I encourage all my fellow Nurse entrepreneurs out there to keep going. Whatever that thought is in your mind, do it, do it, do it.

Nicole Vienneau  37:43

Yes, let’s do it. Let’s all do it! But remember to say no, so that you can say yes!

Darlene Bell  37:51

Yes! With satisfaction, ladies! Yeah!

Nicole Vienneau  37:57

Well, wonderful, Darlene. Now let us know where we can find you. If we want to reach out, how do we find you?

Darlene Bell  38:03

Okay, so I’m on Instagram at bellevie_integrative_wellness. And my website is belleviewellness.com. Look me up!

Nicole Vienneau  38:22

I’m sure many people will be looking you up to check in and see what’s going on and how they can connect with you. We’ll also share all of these links on our show notes so people can easily find you. And I just wanted to thank you, once again, for sharing your wisdom with us and for agreeing to jump on to Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION, because you are certainly in action, Darlene.

Darlene Bell  38:46

Thank you so much, Nicole, for this opportunity. Once again, I’m so, so honored to have had this opportunity.

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