Black Business Spotlight: Loving Lotus CNA Training Academy

A nursing school that helps launch healthcare careers

When Keisha Williams launched her certified nursing assistant (CNA) training school during the pandemic in October 2020, most would have predicted that the health education academy would be a failure. At the time, many healthcare workers were leaving the profession, and those who stayed were suffering from the trauma and burnout of treating COVID patients before the rollout of the vaccine. Fast forward almost three years later, and 39-year-old Williams’ Loving Lotus CNA Training Academy has not only survived, but is thriving with two employees in addition to the owner.

MSR: What inspired you to launch your business?

KW: I started out working in health care. I worked in a lot of facilities, doing double and triple shifts, and it still wasn’t enough. I felt like working in the healthcare field was undervalued. It pushed me to go back to nursing school. 

I knew as a kid I wanted to be a nurse and just care for people. I wanted to deliver the kind of support that I wanted to see in health care. That’s what helped me say we’re gonna produce quality nursing assistants that can help care for other people. 

It’s definitely a rewarding career, but it can be trying. We’re caring for people in their most vulnerable state. If you enjoy what you do and you’re knowledgeable, it makes the job so much better.

MSR: How does your business impact the community?

KW: Most of our students are from low-income households. We’re helping provide them with training for a steady income to provide for their family. We’re Black-owned, so we’re helping address those healthcare disparities because representation matters—a lot. We’re helping them with housing stability, because now they can provide for their families and pay bills. We’re helping with the unemployment gap as well.

MSR: What sort of services do you offer?

KW: Well, right now we offer certified nursing assistant training. We teach people how to provide CPR. Right now, we’re in the process of working with the [Minnesota] Office of Higher Education. We’ll be teaching phlebotomy, which is how to draw blood, and train medication aides on how to deliver medication to patients. We’re adding more programs to our school as we get larger.

MSR: What has been your biggest challenge in owning a business?

KW: My biggest challenge right now is funding and also getting financial aid, because a lot of the people who want training can’t afford it. So just getting funding for our programs and getting financial assistance to cover tuition costs.

MSR: What has been the most rewarding part of owning your business?

Keisha: The most rewarding part is being the person who helps someone get their start in health care, and being able to provide a service that helps people understand how important the nursing assistant role is. A lot of people don’t understand that when family members can’t care for seniors or those patients with medical needs, it’s us in the hospitals and nursing homes who are caring for them. 

It’s rewarding for me when I go to different hospitals and I see my students there. You know that they’re working and that they’re employed. I’m still a traveling nurse, so I just enjoy going to different facilities and watching my students interact with the residents. 

And so that’s what’s rewarding for me is that I help someone get their start nursing. Hopefully, I inspire them to just keep going. You know, CNA is that first step. I just want to inspire others to continue their education.

MSR: What’s your vision for your business? What does success look like for you?

KW: Hopefully, we will have multiple locations being able to provide services to those underserved neighborhoods.

MSR: What would you say to a person who is considering a career in nursing, but who’s on the fence about it?

KW: It definitely requires someone who’s patient, flexible, and who can work with others. No two days are ever the same in nursing and health care, so you have to be flexible. 

I think it’s a rewarding career. I’ve met a lot of people who start as nursing assistants and they stay nursing assistants a long time. They love it. So, if you’re looking to change careers, you’re a caring person, and you’re looking to go into a healthcare career, becoming a nursing assistant would definitely be a good fit.

MSR:  What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

KW: I would say, be prepared. Have your things in order. There’s no waiting for the best moment. Just do it. And there’s no right or wrong way. It’s all a learning process, but at least be knowledgeable. Try to be as knowledgeable as you can in your field.

MSR: What would you like to add that has not been covered?

Keisha: Here at Loving Lotus, we want our students to feel comfortable, to feel safe, and that they have a safe place where they can be themselves. They can have a conducive learning environment where they’re not judged and where they’re comfortable. I think that’s the biggest thing. We’re flexible, and we try our best to just make everyone feel comfortable to prepare them for their future in health care.

Loving Lotus CNA Training Academy is located at 2419 Margaret St. N. in North St. Paul. For more information, call 651-321-7500, or go to www.lovinglotuscna.com.