ReviveBOX Duo: Grant & Sam Young
The definition of revive is to activate, set in motion, and to restore to life or consciousness. We do it for our patients everyday, and now Grant & Sam are making it super simple to do it for ourselves. Travel nurses, parents, and true nursentrepreneurs, they’re co-founders of ReviveBOX. We get the DL on how they do it all! What kind of nurses are you? How does this fit your personalities?
Grant: I work in ICU. I’ve always been super active and enjoy a fast paced, adrenaline-filled day (as is most ICU nursing!)
Sam: I am a PACU/Pre-op nurse. I love the constant, fast-paced work flow and attention to detail. This is literally my personality, lol.
We are both travel nurses and love the traveling lifestyle.
What are some advantages and disadvantages to having a spouse that is also a nurse?
The advantages are they we can always relate to one another, and understand what the job entails physically and emotionally. The disadvantages are that we sometimes compete and challenge each other with our knowledge base. We’ve actually given each other transfer report on many occasions, which has been very interesting!
“The definition of revive is to activate, set in motion, and to restore to life or consciousness.”
How did you think up ReviveBOX? What ultimately made you pursue it and turn it from an idea and hobby to a passion and a project? ReviveBOX came to us while we were discussing ways we could help our fellow healthcare professionals. In traveling, we’ve been to so many hospitals across the country and have seen a huge commonality: compassion fatigue and burnout are everywhere. We’ve experienced ourselves at some point. The reason we turned it into a passion project is because we realized that the people who dedicate their lives to caring for others often don’t take time to care for themselves and could often use a little pick me up. We wanted to take the work and effort out of finding self-care/wellness products and deliver a box full of items intended to help restore an individual’s wellbeing right to their door. We’ve recently talked a lot about building a personal and professional brand as a nursing professional, what’s your take on this? How do you do this yourself? How does your own personal brand align with the brand of ReviveBOX?
We think it’s incredibly important! Nurses are held to such a high standard, being that we are one of the most trusted professions, and people are trusting us to care for them during some of their most vulnerable moments. We do this by pouring our heart and soul into what we do. We are compassionate in work and in our lives. We are always looking for ways to help others and make a positive impact. It is for this same reason we created ReviveBOX.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? What gives you energy?
Literally, our 20 month old son gets us out of bed in the morning! Getting outdoors is so incredibly energizing to us. Gotta love that Vitamin D! And, of course, the morning cup of coffee!
What do you most enjoy about nursing? What about being an entrepreneur?
We love knowing that we can make a difference in someone’s life. We also love the critical thinking aspect and knowing that everyday is going to be a new learning experience. We can say the same for being
entrepreneurs. Every day we have something new to learn. Building a subscription box is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle; we love the challenge!
What do you think is the most difficult part of being a nurse?
Definitely the tough patients. It’s the ones that you were unable to help even though you tried everything you could. Also the ones who don’t want your help despite your best efforts.
Do you think it’s important to identify with other aspects of life in addition to “nurse” or “nursing?
Yes. In fact, we believe that having balance is vital to your (our) well-being. We need to take time to enjoy being a husband/wife, friend, daughter/son, parent, rock climber, runner, etc., in addition to being a nurse.
What do you wish the world knew about nursing? What have been some major learnings in your early explorations as an entrepreneur? Anything you totally didn’t expect?
Nursing isn’t just taking care of sick people. We often struggle with the stresses of long hours, being a liaison between providers and other disciplines, and the emotional impact of losing patients can take a toll on us mentally and physically.
Every single aspect of being an entrepreneur has been a learning curve. Neither of us have any background in business, so building ReviveBOX from the ground up all by ourselves has been quite an experience! We knew it would be a lot of work, but have an entirely new appreciation for people who are starting up a new business.
What do you think is in store for the future of nursing? How will our profession change in the next 5 years? 10 years?
We think there will be more tech-based approaches to nursing. We think features like the e-ICU and video based triage are a few example of where nursing/healthcare is headed in the future. Also, if someone can come up with wireless EKG, pulse ox, and blood pressure monitors, we would be forever grateful!
Healthiest habit for work days: WATER! We start the day with drinking a liter of water. Make sure you get a water bottle that holds 32 oz and drink at least 2 of them during your 12 hour shift. It’s amazing how much of a difference this can make not only in your energy levels but also your cravings for sweets! (of course, indulge in moderation)
My work mornings usually start with…WATER! Breakfast is also super important to us. It’s easy for healthcare workers to skip breakfast, but it really does help with energy levels throughout the day. The easiest solution: while your putting dinner away the night before, mix steel cut oats, nut milk, and a scoop of your favorite yogurt in a mason jar. Let it sit overnight then add fruit and nuts in the morning for a tasty breakfast!
Go-to meal that I pack for work: Last night’s dinner of course! We always make enough dinner for lunch the next day. Cafeteria food is typically over-priced and pretty limited. Now, don’t get us wrong, we have been to some hospitals where their food options were ON POINT! But mostly, we pack a lunch.
Favorite thing to do on a day-off: Having a toddler really directs us to do things a toddler would love to do! So, we wake up early, go outside, eat, and nap! But, you might also find us on a local hiking trail or at the pool!
Favorite app: Grant: You could probably find me scrolling through the feeds on Strava. It’s an app that tracks your outdoor activities but also has a social media aspect.
Sam: Napster. I always have music on in the background, so there are definitely daily family dance parties in the living room. Plus, Napster has every genre, song, and artist I love
Clogs or sneakers? Grant: You can catch me wearing my retired running shoes with new insoles.
Sam: Clogs. Once they actually form to your feet they are great!
If I wasn’t a nurse, I would probably be.. Grant: I would probably be in finance. I worked as a bank teller for 3 years while I was in pre-nursing and in nursing school. It was really fun and I loved the customer interaction, but nursing seemed like a better fit.
Sam: A practical jokester. Haha Just kidding. I would be a nurse practitioner.
Compression stockings, compression socks, or neither? Definitely compression socks. ReviveBOX knows a few awesome brands ;) ;)
Puke, poop, sputum, IV starts in babies, we’ve all got our aversion, what’s yours?
Grant: Puke-ok. Poop-ok. Neither of us have any baby (hospital) experience so we can’t speak on that. But sputum, thick sputum, no thank you!
Sam: I get extremely squeamish at the thought of seeing someone with a broken bone!
Go-to choice of caffeine? Coffee in the morning. Our mid-day suggestion might just be something that ReviveBOX will deliver to your door!
