Filling a void is a proven way to create an effective business, and nurse-turned-entrepreneur Stephanee Beggs seems to have mastered the art. By creating handwritten study notes for herself, she inadvertently tapped into a market hungry for accessible, engaging and effective study resources in the healthcare industry.
The 28-year-old Beggs has transformed her Etsy side hustle into a booming business, earning $2 million in profit in the first year. Since opening her shop RNExplained three years ago, she’s had almost 73,000 sales.
Beggs' journey to becoming a nurse was not typical. Despite graduating from college with a degree in business marketing and working as an operations assistant at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., she ultimately discovered her true calling. Drawing on her childhood fascination with science and anatomy, Beggs boldly pursued an accelerated nursing program.
When studying for her nursing board exam in the early days of the pandemic, she had no one to study with, so she recorded herself reciting her notes and posted the videos on social media. Little did she know that these videos would turn her into a TikTok sensation with over 600,000 followers.
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"I never expected to become an accidental influencer," Beggs told Fox News. "But when people started asking to buy my notes, I figured I might as well give it a shot."
And that gamble pay off. With her meticulous notes and engaging teaching style, Beggs has become the go-to guru for nursing students and healthcare professionals alike.
People were hooked and clamored for more. Soon, she started selling her study sheets on Etsy for $2 a pop — and bundles for $30 to $40. For those who wanted the ultimate study package, there was a mega-bundle for $150.
Her study sheets gave nursing students what they needed: a comprehensive study guide at an affordable price. As she told guest host Ashley Webster on Varney & Co., "I fell right into it. It was very unintentional." Nevertheless, her happy accident underscores the importance of meeting a need and providing a solution when starting a business.
Despite the success of her Esty shop and TikTok influencer status, Beggs still works as a full-time nurse, putting in 12-hour shifts before coming home to work on her content. It may be a second full-time job, but Beggs finds a balance between educating her followers and excelling in her day job.
For her incredible achievements, Beggs was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2023.
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