Meet Liz Bouma | Nurse Practitioner & Content Creator

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

Hi Liz, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance has been the goal from the start; it’s exactly what lead me to start my business. Prior to starting, it was the height of covid. I was working as a nurse practitioner 1.5 hours away from home, while my husband was putting in 80+ hours a week as a medical resident. We had a newborn and 18 month old. At that point, I knew things needed to change if I was going to follow my desire to put my family first. I decided to leave my office job and stay home with my two babies, during that time, the idea to start a “side hustle” was born. That side hustle quickly turned into a small business that has allowed me to work from home when it works best for my family and I. It has been the most beautiful gift and one that has provided me “work life balance”.

I think of balance as anything that allows me the freedom to enjoy my life, but remains in line with my needs. I refuse to succumb to this idea of “survival” during my kids’ young years or getting my husband through residency. My business has brought me the privilege of balancing my life as a mother, providing for my family and nurturing my passion of educating women. By no means was or has it been easy, but the balance I desire is the root of what I provide through my business: empowering women to be well, educated, and hormonally balanced.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am nurse practitioner who left mainstream medicine to make it my goal to educate and empower women about their bodies. I felt that medicine in large part was doing a disservice to women treating their systems independently rather than the whole person. I started a business that utilizes the DUTCH test to assess hormones and give objective feedback as to how a women’s body works. I work specifically with hormones and women’s health, but hormones touch every other system in the body: reproductive health, fertility, weight, mental health, gut health, endocrine health, liver health, musculoskeletal health, etc. I have built a business on the foundation of educating and empowering women on how their bodies work, why and what they can do to optimize every aspect of their wellness. Outside of the DUTCH test, I work with women one on one, create content (courses, digital products, social media), and speak at local events or other small businesses.

I am the only medical person in a long line of successful business men and women. I am here today because of an intense amount of grit and discipline that I learned from them. I am here because this is where God wants me to be.

It was difficult to get here in terms of the “how to”. I had absolutely no idea how to start much less run a business. I chose a few mentors, read a couple books, made some rookie mistakes and asked for help. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

The biggest lesson I have learned since starting is what I thought I would be doing (my career) is only 20% of the job now. Through this, I have embraced personal refinement, building relationships, a healthy respect for other businesses and the joy of doing things on my own time.

I want every woman to know that If they have been told from a healthcare perspective that they are “fine” or “normal” but they feel suboptimal or not themselves, then advocate. We deserve better and better is out there.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would head back to Holland (where I was born and raised). Most days would be spent at Macatawa beach then driving downtown Holland or Saugatuck for coffee (Uncommon Grounds – always), good food + wine and shopping. It would include lots of walks – beach walks, dune walks, South Shore Dr. and along the docks.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would never of started a business if it were not for my now close friend, Emma Wassink. Emma boldly came to me and told me what I had to teach was something that all women needed to hear. I had no idea how to take my career as an office nurse practitioner and turn that into something I could do from home and share with others. She volunteered her time to get me started and a large part of the success that has lead other women to learn was her pushing me out there. Not often do you find a selfless, hard working, young mother willing to give her time to nurture someone else’s success, she’s a gift.

Website: lizbouma.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-bouma-183247197/

Image Credits
Julia Gomez Photography @juliagomez.photo