Today we’d like to introduce you to Toyia Straughter.
Hi Toyia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I graduated from nursing school in 2007 and have had the opportunity to work in many facets of healthcare, including med-surg, primary care, leadership, and nephrology. It was through my work as a nephrology nurse that I discovered how deeply I connected with my patients and developed a true passion for caring for the whole person.
In 2014, I decided to return to school to pursue my Master of Science in Nursing and become an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. I knew I wanted to continue working in nephrology while expanding my ability to educate, advocate for, and provide comprehensive care to my patients.
Over the years, I became increasingly passionate about health, wellness, prevention, and functional approaches to care. In 2021, I stumbled across a YouTube video featuring a Nurse Practitioner who owned and operated a med spa offering IV vitamin therapy and wellness shots. I remember being intrigued by the idea of combining my clinical experience with my passion for wellness and creating a business centered around helping people feel and function their best.
I began researching the industry, learning everything I could, and saving toward my vision. In 2024, that vision became a reality when I launched **TruLux IV Hydration & Med Spa** in Ferndale, Michigan.
As a board-certified Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Life Coach, and healthcare professional with more than 17 years of nursing and leadership experience, I have always believed in the importance of education, prevention, and building meaningful relationships with the people I serve. My experience in nephrology taught me that healthcare is not just about treating a diagnosis—it is about connecting with people on a personal level, understanding their individual needs, and empowering them to make better decisions about their health.
Our initial brick-and-mortar location in Ferndale came with its own challenges. Business was slower than anticipated, while the cost of maintaining a traditional location created significant overhead. Rather than allowing those challenges to stop us, we decided to pivot. We transitioned TruLux into a fully mobile concierge wellness business, bringing our services directly to our clients.
That transition has allowed us to create a more personalized, convenient, and intimate wellness experience while remaining true to the vision that inspired TruLux from the beginning: making luxury wellness medicine accessible while helping our clients take a more proactive role in their health and wellbeing.
I am also the owner and founder of **TruLux Royal Wellness, LLC**, a consulting and staffing company dedicated to educating and empowering nurses to create businesses, think beyond traditional career paths, and utilize their degrees to their highest potential.
At the heart of everything I do is my passion for people. As both a Nurse Practitioner and entrepreneur, I am passionate about creating strong relationships, educating my community, and building support systems that empower people to take control of their health and their lives.
I am excited about the continued growth of TruLux and the opportunity to bring luxury wellness medicine throughout the Metro Detroit area while helping my clients achieve their individual wellness goals.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not. One of my biggest challenges has been marketing and educating people about the value of investing in their health and wellness.
Unlike traditional healthcare services, many of the wellness therapies we provide are not covered by insurance. That means clients have to make a conscious decision to prioritize wellness and include it in their personal budget. Getting people to see preventative and proactive wellness as an investment rather than an expense has been one of the biggest hurdles.
Building awareness and trust has also taken time. People are naturally more familiar with traditional healthcare, so introducing services like IV hydration and wellness therapies requires education. I have had to learn how to communicate the value of these services while also building a brand that people trust.
The journey has definitely challenged me as a healthcare professional and as an entrepreneur. However, those challenges have also taught me the importance of persistence, creativity, and being willing to pivot. Moving from a brick-and-mortar location to a mobile concierge model was one of those pivots. It wasn’t necessarily part of the original plan, but it allowed us to reduce overhead, meet clients where they are, and continue building TruLux in a way that makes sense for our business and our clients.
I’ve learned that entrepreneurship is rarely a straight path. Sometimes the obstacles force you to rethink your approach, and those changes can ultimately lead you closer to the vision you had from the beginning.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Life Coach, entrepreneur, and the founder of TruLux IV Hydration & Med Spa. With more than 17 years of nursing and leadership experience, my background includes med-surg, primary care, and nephrology. My work has always centered around caring for people, educating them, and helping them become more intentional about their health and wellness.
Through TruLux, I specialize in concierge wellness services, including IV hydration and wellness therapies designed to support clients in reaching their individual health and wellness goals. What makes TruLux different is the personalized experience we provide. As a mobile concierge business, we bring wellness directly to our clients, creating an environment that is convenient, comfortable, and focused on their individual needs.
My years in nephrology have also shaped the way I approach wellness. I understand that healthcare is about much more than treating an illness after it develops. It is about education, prevention, building relationships, and empowering people to take an active role in their health. I truly enjoy the opportunity to journey alongside people throughout their healthcare journey and to be someone they can trust, educate, and encourage along the way.
I am also the founder of TruLux Royal Wellness, LLC, a consulting and staffing company focused on educating and empowering nurses to think beyond traditional career paths, create businesses, and utilize their education and experience to their fullest potential. Helping other nurses recognize their potential has become another important part of my purpose.
What I am most proud of, however, is my resilience. My journey has not always been easy. I have experienced divorce and the loss of both of my parents—experiences that have changed me and challenged me in ways I could never have anticipated. Yet through it all, my faith has carried me. God is still good.
I am healthy, my children are healthy, and I am incredibly grateful for the life I have been blessed with. I have learned not to take those things for granted. Instead of focusing on what I have lost or the challenges I have faced, I choose to focus on what I still have and the opportunities in front of me.
I believe that resilience is one of the qualities that sets me apart. I keep going. I continue to grow, learn, pivot, and pursue the vision even when the road becomes difficult. Whether I am caring for a patient, serving a wellness client, or encouraging another nurse to pursue entrepreneurship, I want people to leave an encounter with me feeling empowered, educated, and supported.
Ultimately, I am proud that I get to do work that I love while making a difference in the lives of others. For me, TruLux is more than a business. It is an extension of my passion for healthcare, wellness, education, and helping people recognize that their health is worth investing in.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My biggest piece of advice is simple: **don’t stop.** Building a business is not as easy as some people make it look. There is so much that happens behind the scenes that people don’t see. You have to find clients or customers, but more importantly, you have to provide an experience and a service that makes them want to keep coming back.
I’ve learned that success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistency, patience, relationship-building, and a willingness to learn from your mistakes. There will be times when things don’t go according to plan, and that’s okay. You may have to pivot, change your strategy, or take your business in a direction you never originally imagined. **Pivot if you need to, but don’t give up on the vision.**
I also wish I had learned earlier not to worry so much about the opinions of other people. When you decide to step outside of the traditional path and build something of your own, everyone will have an opinion. Some people will understand your vision and others won’t. That’s okay. Their opinions don’t determine your success.
You have to be willing to believe in yourself, even when other people don’t see what you see yet. Stay focused, keep learning, remain open to change, and keep moving forward.
Most importantly, don’t confuse a difficult season with failure. Some of the hardest moments in my journey have taught me the most. **You can change the plan without abandoning the dream.** Keep going. Your journey may look different than you expected, but that doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path.
Pricing:
- IV vitamin drips range $150-$200
- Wellness shots range $30-40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cuxyz.myaestheticrecord.com/online-booking
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trulux_medspa/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ToyiaStraughter
