Interview with April Odom: Inspiring Business Leaders at the 2021 Midwest Conference

 

 

April Odom, APRN, FNP-BC, founded Physicals Plus in April 2017 after receiving her Master’s in Nursing at Lewis University and while working in family practice. Her business offers health and wellness services in-home and in-clinic. Read more about her story here. 

Pandemic-proofing her business hadn’t been part of the plan in 2017. But her dedication and business acumen paid off, and she celebrated a successful year, despite the challenges. 

April is Vice President of ISAPN and a speaker on the business owner panel at the 2021 APRN Midwest Conference: Going the Distance. Physicals Plus is a corporate sponsor for the event. 

We caught up with her to hear more about the importance of the conference for business owners. She responded to questions over email; some responses have been very lightly edited. 

 

What do you want business owners to know about the value and benefits of the conference? 

I want every APRN to know that ISAPN is the organization that they should be involved with if they are an APRN in Illinois. This conference will not only have a business owners panel, but also a personal branding session, and if anyone has a business or wants to have one, they should tune in to see how four APRN businesses transitioned through 2020 during the pandemic. This is in addition to the numerous pre recorded sessions that can be watched even after the two-day conference. 

What would you tell a business owner on the fence about attending? 

I know we all are tired of Zoom… I know, but we always need continuing education so for the price that MWC is going, it is to your benefit to register and listen to the pre recorded sessions later. As a business owner, it has been very difficult for me to run a business and find time to set aside for dedicated continuing education, but license and certification renewals will still come so why not have more than enough opportunities to have CEU requirements. 

What are you hoping to share at the business owner panel? 

I am going to share how I first got started in my business and the growth it has had over the last few years. But most importantly, why I was able to pivot during the pandemic and how my business had the most success during this time. I want APRN’s who seek entrepreneurship to know that it is possible, not easy but in my opinion....so worth it. I also want to share how important it is to build a village and surround yourself with like-minded individuals. 

What are you most looking forward to at this year's conference? What do you hope to take away from it? 

I am looking forward to being a part of the APRN business owner's panel to share my story with other APRN’s, especially those who aspire to be business owners. My greatest passion is letting others know "you can do it." 

I always look forward to welcoming in the new members on the board of directors as I love to see more APRN’s involved. I will be serving my second term as Vice President, and I really want to know how this organization can be a resource to our members. 

Lastly, I am looking forward to the personal branding session because I want to know how to grow my brand to enhance my personal and professional goals. 

Aside from the multiple continuing education opportunities which I need for my certification renewal coming soon, I also look forward to the Springfield update as there has been some progress in a few bills, and it’s amazing news for APRN’s. 

Why was it important to you to be a conference sponsor? 

It was important for me to be a sponsor because I want to ensure that this organization receives as much financial support so they can to continue to do the necessary work for the APRN’s of Illinois. There is a lot of work behind the scenes to create and host programs, provide continuing education and especially all the legislative work. I didn't realize how important legislation was until as a business owner certain obstacles created barriers for me. I am glad that I'm in a position to be able to be a conference sponsor because I appreciate and value the work that ISAPN does.

Finally, could you give us a sneak peek into how the pandemic caused your business to pivot? 

Boy did the pandemic change my business and for the better. I have not only been able to continue my in-clinic health and wellness services, but I was also able to provide services to patients in their homes. It was difficult for everyone to transition to a virtual world, especially the elderly population so I was able to continue to take care to them in the safety of their homes. Following infection control practices, not only was I able to keep myself safe but also help in preventing ER visits and hospital admissions. I have learned so much during this pandemic: Not only did I attain a few certificates, but I also gained extensive knowledge on how to manage a business. 

 

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Register for the 2021 APRN Midwest Conference to hear more inspirational speaking from April about how to build a successful business!