Crazy Is As Crazy Does: A Nurse’s Bold Step Into The Digital World

Taking the Leap of Faith

With knees trembling, I slowly stood up, letting my gaze sweep across the room as the applause faded. It was my very first business conference, held in Maryland a few years ago, and it marked the beginning of my journey into the digital world.

I was in a room full of people I had just met, many exploring their own paths in the digital space. The unfamiliar faces at my table lit up with encouraging smiles.

My coach, Sue, beamed with pride. For days, she had been urging someone from our group to speak up. It was already the fourth day of the five-day business conference, and so far, no one at our table had dared to—until now.

Everyone at our table preferred to sit back, listen, and observe. Unlike some of the more outspoken participants, we were content being spectators, absorbing information about business and the digital world, rather than actively engaging.

But that day, something inside me shifted. I raised my hand and decided to take a leap of faith, to speak up when no one else would.

Overcoming Self-Doubt

Everything seemed to slow down as I reached for the microphone.

A gazillion thoughts raced through my mind, zigzagging like a heart monitor.

The room was filled with strangers, all looking at me expectantly—or was it just my imagination? I swallowed nervously and glanced at my coach again. She was looking at me like I was a hero or something. 

I took a deep breath, so deep I feared half the room would be sucked in.

“That’s fewer people to feel shy around,” my mind quipped. I let out a big sigh, humorously picturing those sucked in by my breath being gently puffed back out.

“Come on, Len. Open your mouth and speak,” my mind commanded. My mouth obeyed.

Facing the Fear, Finding My Voice

I began speaking: “When I told some of my friends and family I was going to a business conference, they thought I was joking. I was assessed, probed, and grilled about this “business thing”.

At first, the words stumbled out, like a patient taking their first steps after surgery. I could hear the tremor in my voice, betraying the nerves I was trying to control. 

But as I spoke, something surprising happened. The room seemed to shrink. The intimidating faces blurred into the background. My focus narrowed to just the message I wanted to convey- the ideas that had been swirling in my mind for days.

I continued, “A friend asked if I  had a loose screw in my head, or if I was sick or something. Another asked who I’ve been talking to, who put ‘those ideas’ in my head.”

“I had a feeling they were looking for someone to blame for this crazy thing happening to me.”

The audience smiled, some even chuckled, and I began to feel a shift. The words started to come out more smoothly, each one building on the last, gaining momentum. I saw a few nods—a sign that maybe, just maybe, I was making sense.

“Alright, this isn’t so bad,” I thought, feeling my confidence rise like a patient’s blood pressure after 10 mg of Midodrine. 

My voice steadied, and I felt like I had something worth saying for the first time since I stood up.

“The day I told some of my coworkers that I was going to a business conference, one of them asked if last night was a full moon,”

“An older coworker said bluntly that I was not built to be a business person.”

“Another colleague,” I continued, “put her hand on my forehead, checking if I was delirious.”

The crowd chuckled, and I smiled, feeling lighter. I was no longer speaking just to fill the silence; I was sharing a part of myself that had been waiting for this moment. 

It was the first time I felt like I had stepped outside the box I had been placed in—nurse, caretaker, “the practical one.”

Embracing the Crazy

“I told them this, and I’m repeating it to you now,” I said, scanning the room of strangers who were now leaning forward, eager to hear the rest. 

“I was called crazy for coming here. But I’d rather be called crazy and ridiculed than live with regret later, knowing I could have pursued something worthwhile”

“This is the way I see it:

“I COULD EITHER LIVE MY LIFE BY DESIGN OR BY DEFAULT.“

“If I am to be labeled crazy for doing what I want, then so be it.

With a deep breath, I ended with my battle cry: 

“Crazy is as crazy does.”

“Let the crazies rule!”

An Unexpected Response

The room erupted in applause. The sound washed over me like a wave, and I realized how significant this moment was. It wasn’t just about speaking at a conference. It was about claiming something new for myself.

To my surprise, people began queuing up to give me hugs. Strangers wanted to welcome me, to tell me they resonated with what I said, that they were proud of me, or just to show they cared. 

It was overwhelming. 

I never imagined that I’d be rubbing elbows with wealthy business people—some of whom were millionaires—but there they were, offering their support. 

It smashed the picture I had of money-grabbing, snub, rich people. Instead, I found myself surrounded by people who genuinely wanted to help and were willing to extend their kindness to someone like me, just starting out.

These folks welcomed me into this strange, new world of entrepreneurship, where taking risks was celebrated, not feared. 

As I stood there, I realized how wrong I had been about this crowd. They weren’t distant or opportunistic. They were warm, open, and ready to help a stranger who dared to speak her truth.

I sat back down, heart still racing, and felt an undeniable shift inside me. 

For the first time, I wasn’t just a nurse. I was something more—an entrepreneur, someone willing to risk being called crazy to chase after something bigger. 

That moment changed everything. It was the start of a journey I never expected to take, but one I couldn’t walk away from now.

A World Outside of Healthcare

I didn’t know it then, but this moment marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. One where I would learn how businesses were built, join communities of like-minded individuals, and stretch myself in ways I never thought possible. 

It was like learning a whole new set of vital signs—instead of blood pressure and heart rate, I’d be monitoring conversion rates and ROI.

The conference was an eye-opener. 

It made me realize I could do something entirely different—build my online business, create my logo, and be my own boss and do so many other things I never, in my wildest imagination would do or be a part of. 

It introduced me to a world that exists outside of nursing—the business world—something I never, in a gazillion years, would have expected to be in. 

The only world I knew was healthcare, and suddenly I saw a whole new world of possibilities.

The E-commerce Journey Begins

When I attended this conference, I was completely clueless about business- I hadn’t started any side hustles, had zero knowledge about marketing, creating a Facebook page, or even the basics of entrepreneurship. 

I couldn’t tell you about the world of side gigs and hustle if my life depended on it- nothing, zilch!….. just a desire to learn and find a way to create a better future for my aging and sick parents.

Some of my friends and family thought I was making a huge mistake. My sister was worried that I might be getting involved in a cult.

She made me send pictures of the hotel I was staying in, the conference room, and anything else that could prove I wasn’t caught in some kind of scam. 

I had to reassure her that I did not join an underground movement or was going to come back home brainwashed.

After the conference, the real work began. I went home and dug deep into the ecom world. 

I learned about building an online store, creating a logo, setting up a Facebook fan page, running ads, and understanding marketing concepts. It was all new to me, and I was starting from scratch. 

It wasn’t a walk in the park.

It felt like I was going to college but instead of nursing, decided to take Egyptology with Hieroglyphics as my major.

It was bonkers, full of head-scratching and what-in-the-world-am-I-doing? and how-in-Harry-Potter-am-I-going-to-do-this? moments.

But the thrill of learning kept me going. I felt a sense of control and freedom I had never experienced before…

I wanted to learn more.

I still want to learn more.

Beyond the Bedside

A lot of things have happened since that day. There were twists and turns in my -ecom journey – like an action-packed love story that suddenly turned to sci-fi.

I would love to share my online adventures with you. 

If you love my story so far, watch out for my next posts. I’ll tell you more about this adventure that has changed the way I think about things and life.

As they say, those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

And if that’s true, then I say bring on the crazy.

LET THE CRAZIES RULE!