From Nurse to Entrepreneur: How To Build A Business To Put People Before the System With Ashley Yardley
Release Date: 08/25/2026
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info_outlineWhat happens when you’re a nurse who deeply cares about helping people, but you realize the healthcare system doesn’t always give you the freedom—or the options—to provide the kind of care you believe people deserve? In this episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with Ashley Yardley, founder of Advanced Mobile IV, to unpack the personal experiences that pushed her to build a completely different model of healthcare. We talk about how her background in home health and hospice led her to see the power of bringing care directly into people’s homes and communities, and how that eventually became a mobile IV franchise built around nurses, technology, flexibility, and personalized care.
But Ashley’s story goes much deeper than building a healthcare business. She shares the devastating experience of watching her father-in-law improve dramatically during cancer treatment, only to see his treatment options change after an insurance decision—and the profound realization that followed. That experience helped Ashley understand that she wanted to create more options for patients while also giving nurses a way to build businesses, control their schedules, and have a greater impact on their communities. We also explore the software and systems behind her franchise, the vision of empowering nurses to become entrepreneurs, and the moment I reflected Ashley’s own story back to her in a way she had never heard before. This conversation is ultimately about turning painful experiences into purpose—and building something that gives people more freedom, more options, and more control over their own lives.
Highlights
(01:29) – Why Ashley believes healthcare works better when care happens in someone’s natural environment—and how that insight became “nurses on wheels.”
(03:37) – The surprising reason so many people seek IV therapy, from dehydration and travel to athletes and unexpected moments when they need support quickly.
(05:26) – What makes someone an ideal Advanced Mobile IV franchisee—and why Ashley looks for people who want to invest in their health, future, and community.
(06:26) – Why being a great nurse doesn’t automatically make someone a great business owner, and the business mindset Ashley believes franchisees need.
(08:20) – How Ashley built proprietary software and an EMR to help her franchisees respond quickly, manage nurses, track inventory, and scale.
(09:20) – The business model behind mobile IV: rapid service, recurring subscriptions, community relationships, and the potential for additional revenue streams.
(10:59) – The transformation Ashley is most proud of: giving nurses more freedom while helping them build careers that allow them to spend more time with their families.
(12:42) – The moment Ashley realized the traditional hospital environment was no longer the right fit—and why she wanted to fill the gaps she had seen firsthand.
(13:43) – The painful experience that changed Ashley’s perspective on healthcare, insurance, and the role that financial decisions can play in patient care.
(15:42) – What happened when Ashley’s father-in-law’s cancer treatment was working, but an insurance decision made the treatment financially inaccessible.
(17:51) – Ashley’s philosophy on going back to the basics of health and giving the body the foundation it needs to fight and recover.
(19:12) – The powerful story of Ashley’s son after brain surgery—and the moment he asked to receive an IV because he knew he needed one.
(19:36) – Ashley’s vision for the future: empowering nurses to build their own clientele, choose their schedules, and get paid what they deserve.
(20:47) – How painful experiences can become lessons, and why Ashley believes something that feels like the worst moment may ultimately be protecting or teaching you.
(26:44) – I retell Ashley’s story back to her—and she hears the deeper meaning of her journey in a way she never had before.
(27:39) – Why hearing your own story from someone else can be more empowering than telling it yourself—and how a new perspective can help us move faster.
(28:25) – Ashley’s closing message: trust yourself, seek second and third opinions, and remember that you may have more options than you realize.
(29:30) – Where to learn more about Ashley, Advanced Mobile IV, and opportunities for nurses to get involved.