Meet Kaleigh Talbott | Registered Nurse & Founder of Nurse For That
Article Written by Shoutout DFW
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We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaleigh Talbott and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kaleigh, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have enjoyed being a NICU bedside nurse for 13 years. After my first son was born, I experienced what it was like to be a hospital patient instead of a nurse. I had some severe physical trauma following that delivery that took a year to heal. In that time, my husband and I struggled with a newborn and my physical health which affected us immensely.
As healthcare workers, the choices we make in caring for our patients can quite literally ruin their lives. Had my husband and I not had our faith, community, and financial resources to heal, I honestly cannot say where we would be today.
I had already experienced care from a holistic physician in my early twenties, so the concept of functional or integrative medicine was not foreign to me. Like most mothers, bringing my son into the world made me want to focus more on the health of our family. I am prone to deep dives in research, so I dived in and haven’t turned back. I am persistently reading articles and studying health and wellness information.
During this time of changing our diets and lifestyle, my spiritual and mental health become better than it had been my entire life. I had turned a corner, and I wanted to bring as many people with me as I could.
That was when God put it on my heart and gave me a vision for a wellness epicenter. Though I didn’t know how that would transpire— and after a couple of failed attempts, I never gave up the vision.
After studying Nehemiah with an elder in the summer of 2023, I came across this verse in The Message, Nehemiah 5:14-19 “I had work to do; I worked on this wall. All my men were on the job to do the work. We didn’t have time to line our own pockets.”
After experiencing the volatile money machine that is western medicine and witnessing many innocent patients living the wreckage, this was the “ah hah” moment. Not only did I want people to experience the life changing reward of health and wellness, but I wanted to do it ethically and for a fair price. So, Nurse For That was started with the help of my grandfather, also a hard-working businessman and entrepreneur—Which makes it all the more fun and meaningful.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Nurses used to be mostly relentless caretakers, some still are. Mother Teresa said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” The first half of this quote was in a book I read to stay awake on a long nightshift, Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul. I’m pretty sure my mom gave me the book. That quote stuck with me and changed how I practice nursing. And while I really wish Chicken Soup would have left in the second half of the quote (because that part took me a bit longer to grasp), I’m grateful it stuck with me.
We are not here to be working, money producing machines. And while money can be quite rewarding and fun, our designed purpose is to love others well.
It is not easy caring more about the patient than administration and the computer in today’s hospital, but I’ll never stop. I worry there could be a day when that freedom in practice is no longer an option.
However, the gap will be filled as it always has, with concepts such as concierge, perhaps.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Dallas/Fort Worth is favorite. We live in Fort Worth where we enjoy Dallas amenities with a hometown feel. My college best friend is visiting next weekend. First, we will wake early because my kids are the alarm clock. We will beat the heat and load up with fruits, veggies, raw milk, and Native Beef grassfed meats at the local farmer’s market— the early bird still gets the worm here! By now, it’s only 7:30, so we will grab steak hash and a single shot whole milk and honey latte from Ascension on the river. Next, we will stroll the Botanical Gardens. When the heat sets in, I’ll drop the kids with a sitter and take her for a western experience at Bowie House where we might jump in the rooftop pool. After that, we will swing by Central Market and take turns shopping while the other watches the kids on the playground. (A playground at a grocery store is the best concept of all time). We will head back to my house, so the kids can enjoy the backyard, and my husband will make the best steak ever on the Green Egg. While being out and about is fun, an intentional back porch swing session with a genuine friend and fresh local foods can’t be beat.
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?
God has placed so many incredible people in my path, I could never name them all. It is unendingly humbling. My parents and grandparents worked their entire lives to make sure my sister and I excelled— in fact, my college was mostly paid for by academic and agricultural scholarships which would not have been possible without their guidance. My husband’s family are grit-filled West Texans who have helped fine tune my desire to persevere. My Aunt Kristie, the Chenoweth family and others prayed for me before I knew how to pray. Stephanie led my first in depth Bible study. Frances, the great-grandmother of a patient, became one of my first dedicated mentors. Mary Jane invited me to BSF for 3 years before I started. There is where I met Krista who introduced me to Kara, Michael, Electra, Natalie, Randi, Maria, Eden, and the entirety of our church community, who are now like family and have changed our lives for eternity. And Leanna, my brilliant counselor who quite literally continues to rewire my nervous system.
All this to say, we are the people who love us. And God provides those people in a perfectly orchestrated timeline for His greater good. I will be forever in awe with gratitude.
Image Credits
Eden Williams Photography
