Portia Wofford, BHA, shared her experiences as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) as well as her ventures into other fields such as content marketing.
Q: Please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story isn’t very different from anyone else’s. I’m a small-town girl. For a short time, my brother, sister and I were placed in foster care, and then we were raised by a single father with the support of our grandparents. I’m the oldest daughter of five siblings, and I feel like I’ve always been a natural-born leader. I’m the person everyone calls when they have questions and can’t find the answers.
I graduated from high school as an honor student and set off to college. I just knew my life was planned. But you know the saying, “Tell God your plans, and he’ll laugh!” And boy did He laugh at me.
In my freshman year in college, I went through a lot: depression, anxiety, rage.
Fast forward five years, I was a mom, graduated from nursing school, and a nurse in a long-term care facility. It was then that I realized there was no way I could spend the next 20 years working for someone else. I knew that I wouldn’t retire as a nurse, in the traditional sense.
If you read my bio today, it says: “Portia Wofford is an award-winning nurse, writer and content marketer.”
Out of everything, being a mom to such a kind and intelligent son is my greatest accomplishment.
Q: Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been easy. As a Black woman breaking into the content marketing field, I felt like I had to kick down the door. It is a very white, male-dominated field. I feel like a lot of my strategies are very unorthodox. I’ve made my own lane, and it’s worked for me.
I also think people try to put you in a box when you’re a nurse, especially as an LPN. Being told what I couldn’t do or that something wasn’t possible, or that I needed to earn this certification or that degree are some of the things people said in an attempt to defer my dreams.
Just knowing who I am, what I’m capable of and having a whole lot of stubbornness has helped me to overcome those obstacles. I never let anyone tell me who I could or could not be. I’ve never let other people’s fears stop me from pursuing my dreams.
Q: What inspired you to start a freelancing and copywriting business while you were still working as a full-time nurse?
I’ve always loved to write, and I was tired of working two nursing jobs. I’ve always created curriculum and developed educational programs throughout my nursing career. For example, as a home health nurse, I helped my patients understand the brochures and educated them by breaking down the information to be easily digested.
One day I just googled if nurses could make money writing and stumbled across freelancing. It was the perfect combo of my two passions — nursing and writing.
I set my mind to making freelancing my full-time career, and here I am!
Q: Can you tell us more about The PW Agency, The Write Nurse?
The PW Agency is a content marketing agency. We support nursing and health brands with content strategy and inclusive content such as blog posts. Our team includes nurse writers, editors and SEO specialists.
The Write Nurse is my personal brand. I teach nurses how to get paid to write through my courses, VIP Days and workshops. I also support brands by consulting on being inclusive with their content marketing. Additionally, I speak to nursing and medical professionals, teaching them how to incorporate content into their practices to better serve their patients.
Q: How has your freelancing business changed your life?
It’s given me freedom. When working as a nurse, I felt I needed permission to live my life. Building my freelance business has given me options to create a business and build a personal brand. I’ve grown as an expert and speak on national stages. I’ve been able to diversify my income and support other nurses to do the same.
In 2021, I created the Healthcare Influencer Network (HIN) as a subsidiary of The PW Agency. It’s taken off on its own, allowing me to bring in a business partner, Sarah Warren. With her support, we’ve grown HIN into a whole other business. Our mission is to diversify the health influencer space, and we’ve been able to match diverse influencers with brands to promote health equity. I’m really proud of the work we’re doing. We’re using social media to influence healthcare, create social change and help health influencers get paid fairly for the amazing content they create.
Q: What are some BIG goals you have personally and professionally?
- Build the HIN into a multimillion-dollar health tech brand
- Complete my master’s program
- Learn Spanish and American Sign Language
- Learn how to invest and grow my net worth by $100k
- Grow The PW Agency into a million-dollar agency
- Write a children’s book
My business partner and I are working on a health tech solution that we know will improve patient outcomes, and we want to bring it to market this year and to investors.
It’s given me freedom. When working as a nurse, I felt I needed permission to live my life. Building my freelance business has given me options to create a business and build a personal brand.
Portia Wofford
Q: Congratulations on being named one of the Top 15 Nurse Bloggers and Influencers! Any advice for other women who may be interested in pursuing copywriting, blogging and content marketing?
- Choose a profitable niche
- Find your ideal client
- Create relevant samples
- Build your brand to increase visibility
- Stay consistent
- Consider taking one of my courses or workshops
Follow Portia on Instagram and Twitter @thewritenurse. Also, check out this guide and this course for freelance writing as a nurse.
