Breaking Boundaries: A CNA's Journey to Health Insurance Entrepreneurship

Wakanda's Wrld

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Have you ever wondered what life is like for CNAs beyond the nursing home? In this eye-opening conversation, Elena Torres shares her remarkable journey from working as a CNA for 13 years across multiple healthcare settings to building her own thriving health insurance brokerage.
Elena's candid storytelling takes us through her experiences in long-term care, trauma ICUs, endocrine surgery, and the notorious "wild west" of med-surg floors. She doesn't hold back when describing the stark realities of healthcare—from reporting a negligent nursing home to state authorities after finding untreated stage four pressure ulcers, to witnessing the dramatic difference between units where nurses collaborate versus those where CNAs are left to struggle alone while nurses scroll through Instagram.
What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Elena's unique perspective on how clinical experience translates to entrepreneurial success. Now licensed in 27 states as a health insurance broker, she explains how her years at bedside give her an edge in understanding clients' medical conditions and anticipating their insurance needs. When a client mentions casually that their mitral valve prolapse "went away," her clinical background alerts her to the potential seriousness of their condition and helps her guide them toward appropriate coverage.
The transition from healthcare worker to business owner wasn't without challenges. Elena speaks honestly about the mental health struggles of commission-based work and the importance of resilience, support systems, and knowing your "why." Her advice for anyone considering a similar path is refreshingly practical: "Don't stop, just keep going, just keep swimming."
Whether you're a healthcare worker considering career options, someone interested in health insurance, or simply curious about what happens behind the scenes in our healthcare system, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone who's navigated both worlds successfully. Find Elena on Instagram at Taurus and Co Health Plans or visit her website through the link in her bio.

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Chapters

1. Introduction to CNA Guest Elena Torres (00:00:00)

2. Early CNA Career and Moving to Denver (00:02:30)

3. Reporting Nursing Home Negligence (00:05:09)

4. Starting a Health Insurance Brokerage (00:10:46)

5. The Mental Challenges of Entrepreneurship (00:16:52)

6. Hospital CNA Work: ICU Experience (00:21:30)

7. Med-Surg: The Wild West of Healthcare (00:26:24)

8. Finding Business Success Through Healthcare Experience (00:31:58)