239: Nurse Coach Success Stories: Kris Christie
In today’s episode, Shelby sits down with Kris Christie, a recent graduate of The Nurse Coach Collective's residency program, to hear her inspiring story of becoming a board-certified nurse coach while working full-time as a public health nurse.
Kris became a nurse in her late 40s after working as a caregiver and discovering a passion for healthcare. She holds a Master's in Nursing (Clinical Nurse Leader track) from USF and has spent six years as a public health nurse. She also serves as an administrator for an adult day healthcare program and runs a music-filled, three-dog household.
We talk about:
- How Kris came to nursing in her late 40s and why she was drawn to preventative medicine and chronic disease management
- Her experience hiring a nurse coach in 2022 — and why it changed her life personally more than professionally
- The "victim mindset" and perfectionism patterns she recognized in herself (and now sees in her clients)
- Why she specifically wanted a nurse coach — not just any life coach
- How she managed 8–12 hours per week of coursework on top of a full-time job and a packed personal life
- The moment she realized she was "being selfish" by not offering her coaching services to people who were waiting for them
- Her sliding scale model: charging market rate for 80% of clients, sliding scale for 20% — so no one is excluded
- Breaking through the belief that offering your services = bothering people
- Why her strong community roots led to fast referrals and organic client growth
- Her #1 piece of advice to other nurse coaches: your future self can't emerge if you're blocking her with old beliefs
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y5PjuhmPnXM
