We had the good fortune of connecting with Toni Selders and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Toni, how do you define success?
Success (to me) is finding your purpose. Once you’ve reached the point where you know why God created you and you’ve found the power to walk in that purpose then you’ve found success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of becoming a nurse. I always saw my nursing career beyond helping sick people (although I enjoyed that also). As a teenager, I took interest in reading health articles and ways to improve my quality of life (crazy right? a 13 year old wanting to improve her quality of life). At the time I didn’t understand what that meant or why I even cared. Later in my teens, I begin to dig deeper into my caring ability when my grandmother suffered a debilitating stroke and was a newly diagnosed diabetic. No one else in the family would stick her to check her blood sugar so the home health nurse taught me how and when to do it; I did it three times a day everyday, recorded the outcome, and helped her adjust her diet as necessary. I had no idea all of this was grooming me. My actual career as a nurse began in August 2015 after graduating from the #1 nursing school in the state of Louisiana, Southern University and A&M College. Not long into my career I begin to experience burn out; although I loved my career I couldn’t seem to find that work life balance. I started to question whether nursing was for me. I couldn’t give up because I knew this was my calling. Instead, I begin to pivot and try different specialities from ER to urgent care. During this exploration, I discovered my calling was beyond the beside….. so I decided to pursue my Master’s Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner all while starting my Wellness and Aesthetic Brand, Nurse Doll.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Louisiana has the BEST food, so of course we would have to check out some food spots. Starting off with breakfast from the hood, Lillies Kitchen has the best grits and French Toast. For lunch we will hit up this Caribbean spot called “The Bullfish” for food and drinks. Thursday night we have to hit up “Da Hole” for a night of fun! Friday I would kick the day off with some brunch at SoLou, Friday evening we’re catching “Live After 5” Downtown Baton Rouge for some live entertainment. Saturday morning we are heading east for a weekend trip to NOLA. We will enjoy the remainder of the trip in the French Quarter; catching a Saints game, enjoying a live concert at the House of Blues, and finishing our food tour.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my long time friend Antoinette Patterson. Our friendship goes back nearly 20 years and still she is one of the most reliable people I’ve met. I can always depend on her to love, encourage, support, AND hold me accountable in my professional and personal life. I love you Gizzle! Thank you for always being in my corner.

Website: Nursedollbeauty.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nursedollbeauty/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-selders-msn-aprn-09689836/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nursedollbeauty

Image Credits
Crowned Photography

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