This Nurse is Teaching Life Resiliency - Ep. 62
Dr. Viola Pierce is the CEO and the founder of the VP Nursing Leadership, Training, and Coaching. She is a nurse with more than 25 years of experience. She streams a morning show live on Facebook and YouTube called, “Morning Infusion with Dr. V.” She is an international speaker but mostly loves helping nurses find their brilliance in family, fitness, finance, spirituality, and leadership. Over the past several years, her coaching has equipped healthcare professionals to be spiritually and physically fit, financially stable to create resilience, decreasing error at the bedside and in leadership, and to lead awe-inspiring lives.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Naseema McElroy: [00:00:00] Hey, Hey Nurses on Fire. We are back with Dr. Viola Pierce of VP Nursing and the Nurse Nurturer. Hey Viola.
I'm doing great. And so happy to have you here. So let's just hop right into your story. And I would just want to know about your nursing background. How did you become a nurse? How did you get into nursing?
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:00:27] Well, that's kind of a funny story. So my mama, I was exposed it, you know, I believe that your, you go and you do what you're exposed to.
So I went to student introductory to engineering at North Carolina state university. I'm doing my 11th and 12th grade year in high school. And so I want to be an engineer and I came out of school and my mom was just much smarter than I was. She was like, well, we can't send you to NC state because we don't have enough money.
So we're going to have to send you to the community college. And I said, well, okay, I'll go there for two years. And then I'll go to NC state to finish out. And she said, well, no, we're not going to have that money in two years either. So I need for you to pick a degree. And I was like, well, what am I going to do?
She said, become a nurse. That's how I became a nurse. True story.
Naseema McElroy: [00:01:13] Your mom is smart. She gamed you on that. She really did.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:01:21] That was truly it. So I was like, okay, I didn't know that you like. I had no idea that you even gave Tylenol for a fever. I had no idea any of that. And so it was a huge learning curve. And so at that time you could transition from the LPN program to the RN program. And so I went to the LPN program. And you just couldn't get any further because my GPA wasn't high enough.
And so, I came out and it was because of the type of learner I am. I'm a kinesthetic and I'm a visual learner. So once I came out and I was able to do, I was able to learn it. So 10 years later, I went back to school to get my. Associate degree. And then, through all the children and everything, and then my BSN and 14, my masters in 16 and my doctorate last year.
Naseema McElroy: [00:02:11] Yes, yes, yes. Please put that respect on her name. Dr. Viola Pierce. That is awesome. That is amazing. And so, you've been in there and various areas throughout your career mostly in the emergency room. So what are some things that you saw in the emergency room that kind of shaped, what you're doing right now.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:02:34] So I had this month on the first, the first week of the month. And it was because of the way they might shift child. Well, so I was, I'm very spiritual. And so I like to go to church because that's what my mom has helped me. And so, you know, my shift toggle based on when church was, and so nobody else shifts, toggle them the way in which mine did.
They either weren't straight nights, they weren't straight days. Also. I liked the children between the ages. Two one six, and also like the patriarchs and matriarchs of the family. And it's just the way that it rolled down this particular month. So I came in that first weekend and I had a child that was a fatality due to gunfire that second weekend I came in and it was another child that was a fatality due to an on fire.
The third weekend I had a child that came in and the child was a fatality due to his play because, you know, whenever they walk past the body of water, you don't know that, , they need the skill of swimming in order to be able to survive that they don't know that whenever they walk past grandma's medications, that they, if they take the medications, then it can be toxic to their bodies.
And they don't know that there's a lot of demarcation between the road and the yard , that line is called the curb. Cross over that line, their numbers go up exponentially high. And then, so he was a fatality and then the patriarch of his family came in, and the patriarch of the snail, I had a disease process that had been walking for a fairly long man.
And it was one of those disease processes where the. The patient comes into the emergency department and they're talking to you and you develop that relationship with network core and the patient, you know, he ended up dying. And so they were both it's in the same room. And I remember walking out of the room and yeah, at that time, the emergency department was wide open and there were people that was standing outside the, the rooms and they will stand outside of the runs and they will mad.
They were mad because they were not first when I didn't realize that not being. First was not like being first in the ticket master line, then it realized, and not being first was that like being first in the line of Walmart and black Friday. Right. And I knew I would get blasted when I walked out of those rooms.
And I remember having to go with a physician to tell the parents of that child, something that will change the trajectory of their lives forever. And so I left out of there and I was just broken and I was a new nurse. Like I had been nurse and nurse at this time for about 19 years. Okay. And so I'll walk down to the emergency department I got into my truck and I sat down, sat down. I just started to cry, just cry, just letting it go. And normally I toggle to songs that a very mellow and this particular time I talked to him. Awesome. that was, kind of upbeat. And what's the song by Kirk Franklin and Toby Mac.
And it said be still and know that. Right. And what I realized in the moment was that I didn't understand what was going on. I didn't understand . The whole grand scheme of things and it was not for me to understand. Well, what I knew, what I definitely knew was that, okay, had it all in control and I just needed to trust him that spiritual foundation is what kept me in nursing.
And so I knew that at that time that I needed to help someone else in that same manner. And so, you know, and it wasn't just that it was spiritual. You know, it was family fitness, finance, spirituality, and leadership, and that's the five pillars of our company. that gives you the ability to show up and show up fully at the bedside.
Because if you're worried about your car getting repossessed, you're not gonna show up for the president at the bedside.
Naseema McElroy: [00:06:05] Come on. Now. That is a hundred percent true. Yeah.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:06:14] So that is really the, the premise behind the company. I really, at that time, didn't really know that I would be becoming an entrepreneur, but, As time has gone on, I knew that it was something that was needed because in order for us to be able to pour into the patient, we have all these patients satisfaction scores.
I mean, at the end of the day if the nurses are not care for, the patient will not be cared for that's period. And so.
Naseema McElroy: [00:06:44] Yeah. And I think that as nurses we put it on other people to take care of us, to do things for us. And we don't. We don't do the internal work to take care of ourselves.
Listen, nobody is going to take care of you better than you can take care of yourself. Yeah. So let's talk about that transition, right? You sitting in the car hearing that song, knowing that you're being called. Cause that's what happened. Like you were, you were being called to a higher purpose. Not only did you to be a nurse, but to be a leader in the community.
Talk to me about , that transition for you being there in the emergency room to where you are now with your entrepreneurship.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:07:25] Well, there were several things that happened that were really kind of tragic in my life. And, I knew that I needed to, , like you said, do the internal work. You know, I knew that there was a lot of things that I needed to learn for myself and that I needed to invest in myself.
And it's a really the way that it started. you know, and I just have to be very honest with you. I was, You know, and I said that I wouldn't tell this story until I actually was out of the organization. But the re I just didn't see anybody in the C suite that looked like me. I mean, that's just at the end of the day, that's what it was.
And I knew that I had the potential to be amazing. And so I knew that I needed to create if, if, if, if someone was not going to create the position for me, then I needed to create the position for myself. And so that was one of the things, things that I did. And then it was just. You know, I really liked, I mean, literally I was doing it for free.
I was, you know, coaching people for free, loving on people for free and almost like, well, you know, and I love it. I mean, I could do it all day long.
Naseema McElroy: [00:08:37] Yeah. Yeah. So, but you beta tested it, you know, that everything works and now you can charge people for it
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:08:45] that's right so let's talk about,
Naseema McElroy: [00:08:49] what you were able to teach me well, but I want to know what financial journey you had to go on yourself for you to get there first.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:09:00] So, back in 1999, I filed bankruptcy. Okay. Because I was clueless. My "wasband" okay. We were together.
Naseema McElroy: [00:09:08] Okay. Oh, I love that. I love that girl. I'm stealing that
that was been, yes, honey. That is not my ex and that is my wasband. Oh, I love it.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:09:22] So, And we, the thing that really tore us apart to be very honest with you was that financing. And that was because he had a very different, viewpoint of vantage point as it relates to finances than I did. and we just got into a lot of financial debt.
Like we bought a house. Nominal way in a lightness Lake and people were looking at us and they were like, you guys have got it going on with you bought two new cars. We had a fully furnished house. I mean, just looking like we gotta go on, on with the bill collectors calling us all the time. Okay. I'm coming home because the Lake.
you know, it was out in the country and so we would go home. I was one night I went home and I had my child in my arms and, we walked into the house and tried to flip on the light and the light didn't come on. And so we had to borrow money from the house payment in order to be able to pay the light payment.
And then we had to charge, it would charge the extra $35 at that time in order to have them come out and do that. And I just, you know, and at that point I wanted to change my financial future. So I remember going to this financial consultant and at that time we didn't have, GPS at that time. Right? And so we went to this, the city, the city, actually that I live in now, and there was a bunch of one way streets. And so we didn't know exactly how to get to this place. When we got there, the lady was. So rude. I mean, she was, she was like, you got here late. I mean, we were frantically doing whatever we could to get there on time.
And, I had, again, I had my baby in my arms and I said, you know, I just, I just cried. I cried because I felt hopeless and helpless and I couldn't, you know, I just, I didn't know what to do. Can I say, I can't, I can't keep living like this. I just can't. And so, when we, me and my wasband actually separated at one point in time and I was determined at that time to be on my, my credit score up.
And then, of course I got introduced to Dave Ramsey. And I'm thinking that maybe I don't need a credit for what we're gonna do we're going to build a future that we can walk on the car lot and we can purchase that car outright. And so that is what our goal is.
Our goal is to build wealth period. I have this thing where my Alexa speaks back to me like all these affirmations and, you know, we're going to be millionaires we have a time period.
And so I go to Alexa and I say, Alexa, what is lesson one for today? Alexa, what is lesson two? I have five lessons and one of them is that I'm going to be a millionaire by 2025.
Naseema McElroy: [00:12:14] That's right, honey. Okay. Yes.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:12:21] Not a millionaire. I will be making millions by that time. It's just a matter of time.
Naseema McElroy: [00:12:27] Yeah. Yes, yes, yes. And you're going to have to teach us how you, taught Alexa that skill.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:12:34] So you go into the Alexa app and you enable the questions. And you just write the questions out. And so I say, you know, it's fine. I have five, you can add as many as you want. And, I just, literally, every morning I go in and that is one because consistency separates one hit wonders from all time greats.
Naseema McElroy: [00:13:00] I love it.
I love it. I'm here for all of this. All right. So you went on your own financial journey to build wealth starting from you thought that you needed to build your credit and that's where so many people start. They think that credit is King for some reason. and I think a big has like, historically we've just been denied credit and a lot of different places.
And so that's like the first thing that we go to, but really it's about. Money. Cause if you have cash and access, forget about credit, nobody cares about credit, but on the backend, you know B until you get there, you still need to have that good credit, but really that's like, that's the side effect.
Right. And build wealth. And then the credit comes up with it, right? So you went on that journey and, Now your goal. I love it. Your goal is to be a millionaire and to be making millions by 2025. So how did you get yourself out of that position of having to pay that extra money?
Just to get your lights turned on, recovering from a bankruptcy to, in this position to where you are well on your path to, entering into that double comma club.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:14:15] I think that the, the pain of staying in that place. Was was bad for me. You know, I didn't grow up like that. I didn't grow up where creditors will calling my home.
I didn't grow up where people were leveraging, you know, whatever over me. And because I didn't grow up with that, that was not something that I knew. I knew I was not going to be for the rest of my life. And so I'm very intentional about how I, You know, and very strategic about how I do things. And so, for example, like with my time, I'm very specific about my time.
Cause that's the only thing I tell my son all the time. That's the only difference between Oprah Winfrey and the man in the jail. They just did two different things with their time. That's all. Okay. So I'm very specific as it relates to my time. And so I made sure that, you know, I'm spending time doing things that will progress me forward to that next stage in life.
And so, and one of the things that I did that I knew that. You know, because the reality is that I could make, you know, millions by 20, 25 without it, but it was all in my mindset. And so for me, I needed to get my doctoral degree in order to do that. Now, could I have done it without it? Absolutely. You know, and the more that I think about that do that, I mean, I probably kept, but it is what it is. I'm glad it's done,
but it's taught me. It's just really, really taught me a lot, you know? It's taught me a great deal. I mean, it was the pain of being where I was and I could not stay there and I was not going to stay there.
Naseema McElroy: [00:17:17] That's how you're very, you're very spiritual. And, how was it making that transition?
Cause I'm assuming a big part of that transition was you getting out of that relationship? How was that because a lot of people are where you're at,
where they're in relationships that don't serve them. even, they're even going through some kind of financial abuse, like. From being in that position where, you know, especially I know in Christian community divorce and stuff is frowned upon and all that kind of stuff how did you navigate that?
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:17:57] Well, I think, it's very interesting because I didn't leave my ex husband, my ex husband left me. Okay. But it was very much because I was very, I was not nice. Like I, you know, I mean the more money, the more the angrier I got, you know, I was just, it was just, and so he left me and so I had no choice because I did feel like that I did feel like I had to stay with him because I was married to him because I was Christian, because that was way, I mean, my parents were married for 62 years.
Before my father passed away, you know? And so, you know, I felt like I needed to be there, but the reality is that I didn't and he left. And when he left, I said, okay, Lord, this is what you have handed me, you know? And so he handed me and so about five years ago, I met the love of my life.
And literally he is on board with everything as it relates to. I mean, we, we rarely argue he his own more with. The journey that we're on. Like, we have a little, little white board as you go into the bathroom, like you see all I did. And I'm like, and so every time I paid the bill, like add, tick it off. I'm like, okay.
You know, this is where we are right now, because I want you to see it. We also have a vision board as you go into the bathroom also. And so that vision board has what our goals and what our aspirations are, you know, a beach house on the beach. And so, you know, I used to always think. Because we have five children all together.
We're a blended family, right. And so we have one home now. Well, we will have another home in two years, we're going to purchase another home at the beach. And so I told my husband, I was like, I don't understand. I was like, I'm struggling with this because we have five children. How do we split up two houses?
Right. And so I went on, it was one show on, I forgot what's his and her money. And it was the zone lady. She was. she was making $22,000 a year at being a single mom with young children. She took the income tax money and she bought a house and now she has 18 doors. Okay.
Naseema McElroy: [00:20:16] That's Ashley? Yeah, I know Ashley.
I love her. Yeah. Oh girl. This is a small world.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:20:30] So when I saw that, I was like, Oh, and so I tell my husband, I said, so we're going to buy that house. But then, and I have five houses, one to give to each child, at least that much we'll have more, but we'll have at least that much in order to be able to gift it to each child so that we can build generational wealth .
This is his game over here, Mike. Okay. It's almost choke up. When I say this, my parents were loving. They were absolutely the most phenomenal parents, but I am not only a first generation college graduate. I am a first generation high school graduate. My mom went to the ninth grade.
And my dad went to the third grade and yes, and. Always harped, harped, harped on education. That's probably the reason why I went back and got my doctorate degree. But I mean, because of that, you know, I'm just, I'm super thankful for them. I'm super thankful for who they are. And, Just kind of how, and I wouldn't tell you a story, but that's not to do with, well, you go, you go, Hey, you asked me to tell
Naseema McElroy: [00:21:43] no I'm loving all the big girls giving me chills because the thing is, is that, I don't know if you hear it, but I hear it all the time. I can't because. I can't because, and time and time again, stories like this, just move me from how far we can come from nothing. So when people tell me that they can't, because I like to share stories like this, because all odds were against you and you are doctor Viola Pierce. Okay. So go ahead and say what she was going to say, girl, cause you got it.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:22:28] I think it's, I think there's two things I think is important for what you say to your children. Okay. And my mama always said. She had six children. Stairsteps is a crook story, six children's stairsteps. She had five miscarriage. She had one stillborn and she had that stillborn. She got pregnant with me and when she got pregnant with me, they wanted her to abort me because she was over the age of 40.
She had had miscarriages and won't do a, she was a high risk pregnancy. They said, I want you to abort her. She said, no. She said, this is going to be my miracle baby. And I said, Okay. And so I was born and I walked across the stage. With my doctor degree on her 89th birthday.
Naseema McElroy: [00:23:13] Wow. Oh, .
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:23:16] That representation means everything because when I was there, the reason why I felt like I could, because I used to, you know, I was one in 72, so I was one on the outside of the civil rights movement. So I used to always think it's white man, white woman, black man, black woman. I used to think that I was at the bottom of that totem pole and I had to climb my way to the top.
Well, I remember rounding little, little circle at the hospital and they said that Oprah was a billionaire. And I was like Billionaire with a B,
let me go back and see whether she had a silver spoon in her mouth. And is, she told a story about the fact that, you know, her mom and her dad was at the, at the Oaktree or something and that he just wanted to see what was on the skirt. And I was like, Oh, they weren't even together and that have had my parents who were married for 62 years.
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I'm going to do this every day. It is.
Naseema McElroy: [00:24:25] That's awesome. That's awesome. So from coming from parents who did not graduate from high school first in your family to do all of those things, to now being a doctoral nurse in leadership and being able to work your way out of financial strife, what are you doing now to encourage other people,
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:24:49] so, like you, which, I'm super glad that you have this platform because it, it really, you know, I found it after the fact actually, because I started, I actually.
stream live on Facebook and on YouTube. And I do, I guess it's not a podcast specifically, but it's kinda, it's kind of set up like what is where I interview people, right. who are actually nurses, or in the healthcare profession. and that's the one thing that I do . My goal is to equip healthcare professionals, to be spiritually and physically fit, financially stable, able to lead with integrity to decrease errors at the bedside in leadership and to lead a full empowered life. And so, I do coaching. , you know, just inspiration, trying to be an inspiration to every person that I may, because you don't know, you know, who you don't know. Your impact. You don't know how your words, you know, come to them.
And so every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:30 8:00 AM. Eastern standard time. We stream live on Facebook and on YouTube, with someone. And so we'll have a special edition next week with, one of my good friends, Ashley and her husband who was in public service. My husband's a police officer and I am a nurse and he is a firefighter and she is a nurse.
And so I wonder when we met, we were all in the ER together.
Yeah. Yeah. So we're, just really, really being intentional about, pouring back into the healthcare community because I really need it now, you know, COVID has presented a great amount of challenges. And so there's two ways that, two things that I do, I teach you the how to be wealthy, our five pillars, or I teach you how to go into business for yourself because apparently, sometimes nursing is just not working.
So you can leverage your knowledge of nursing that you've had in nursing. So.
Naseema McElroy: [00:26:49] Yes. Yes. Yes, yes. And I love what you said when we were offline, that a lot of people say that we signed up for this COVID situation. just for the simple fact that we're nurses. but no, we didn't sign up for this. We didn't sign up.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:27:07] Nope. Nope. It signed up for this at all. Okay.
Naseema McElroy: [00:27:13] So you stream live, Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:27:17] Monday was isn't Friday 7:30 AM, Eastern standard time, Facebook and on YouTube. And then I upload it to LinkedIn during the weekends.
Naseema McElroy: [00:27:26] Like, where's it at on Facebook or on YouTube? What's the channel.
So I have a, group on, on Facebook. Call the nurse nurturer group.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:27:35] And so they're able to watch it on that platform. My page of course is open. So they are able to watch it on that. my personal page is public and yeah, and of course the nurse nurturer is the, platform on YouTube. They can watch it all. Also they, so go Dan subscribe so that you get the videos every time they come out.
Naseema McElroy: [00:27:56] That is a lot of work. And how do people reach out to you as far as coaching and what kind of coaching services do you provide?
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:28:03] So I have a website. I, what side is VP nursing? V as in Victor, P as in Paul nursing.com. you can go there. and then, we can put a calendar link in the bottom, too. just sign up for free, free coaching call because you know, everybody is not, you know, I may not be your fit, right.
I mean, that'd be forward you so you can sign up there, but one of the best ways to, it's just a contact me from my website, VP nursing.com.
Naseema McElroy: [00:28:32] And it's amazing. It's awesome that you have, all these platforms where you go live. Cause people can then see like, is she for me or not? That's what I tell people.
If you really want to work with me first, I need you to like access my free material. Cause I'm not for everybody. And I know that and I don't need to be for everybody. So if you're not feeling me, don't sign up for a call.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:28:57] Yeah,
Naseema McElroy: [00:29:02] well, by all, it has been my extreme pleasure, to talk to you to learn more about you, your story is phenomenal. Your background is just, I'm just. I'm really inspired with how far you've been able to come. And I just know the impact that you're having on your family. You are truly a blessing and you continue to pour into other people, which is super amazing.
And so super honored to have you here. if you want to share anything else, feel free, but yeah, you know, I am like.
Wow. I'm super impressed. Thoroughly, thoroughly impressed by you.
Dr. Viola Pierce: [00:29:40] I'm super impressed by you also, because I mean, you know, I just it's really, really, again, representation is important and, to, see you as a nurse and to see you, On this platform to see you have a podcast because I listened to your podcasts, is that right?
I was like, well, let me contact her. She smells like it's I, what I want it's out too.
So I love your podcast. I love, I love what you do, so thank you. Thank you. Thank you for putting them out there
Naseema McElroy: [00:30:16] and thank you for joining me and sharing your story. You're amazing.
Hey there I’m Naseema
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