Lose the Race, Stay in the Room: Building a Leadership Path in Nursing with Dr. April Odom

In this episode of Revolutionary Leadership , host Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown sits down with Dr.

April Odom, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, nurse practitioner, and leader of three ventures: Physicals Plus Health and Wellness, Odom Education and Consultants, and the Illinois Nurse Practitioner Network. Most people take one road to a career like this.

Dr. Odom took six.

She worked as a pharmacy technician and a CNA, earned four nursing degrees, culminating in a doctorate, and built a practice that brings care to patients' homes. She and Dr.

Kerry talk about caregiving and career, what it takes to make payroll as a solo practitioner, the fight for full practice authority in Illinois, and why Dr. Odom founded Nurse Practitioner Week.

Key Discussion Topics: Building Your Own Road: What happens when a stable job has no room for your family, and you build something of your own. The Caregiver-Career Collision: Why owning her business lets Dr.

Odom show up for her grandmother's doctor visits, and what those visits taught her about how providers talk to older patients. Care as a Strategic Act: Why Dr.

Odom took her practice into patients' homes at the start of COVID, after her grandmother could not manage a virtual visit. Full Practice Authority: What the Illinois fight is really about, who is still left out, and how barriers to practice become barriers to care.

The Reality of Making Payroll: What no one tells you about being the one who is ultimately responsible, from slow insurance payments to the safety net Dr. Odom built.

The Power of Representation: Dr. Odom lost her first race for the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing board.

She stayed involved, said yes when the seat opened, and became the Society's first Black president. Combating Isolation: How loneliness in a solo practice led Dr.

Odom to start Nurse Practitioner Week in 2023. It is now a nonprofit that funds scholarships and will hold its first fundraising gala this November.

The Blueprint: Dr. Odom's answer to the question every Season 2 guest answers.

Get clear on your purpose, own your power, and understand your position. Where to Find Dr.

April Odom: Website: Instagram: LinkedIn: Illinois Nurse Practitioner Network: Nurse Practitioner Week 2026 runs November 8 to 14. Dr.

Odom is also open for speaking engagements in 2027. About the Host: This podcast is hosted by Dr.

Kerry Mitchell Brown, CEO of kmb Consultancy and cultural architect specializing in revolutionary leadership and organizational transformation, and author of Revolutionary Leadership: A Power Playbook for Black Women (August 2026) . Drawing on her entrepreneurial experience and a career spanning nonprofits, academia, and Fortune 100 companies, Dr.

Kerry equips leaders across industries to thrive in systems not designed for them, amplify their strategic power, and create environments where equity and innovation flourish. Connect with her here .

Join the Conversation: Have you been inspired by this episode? Dr.

Kerry invites you to: Leave an honest review sharing how this episode impacted you Share this podcast with a revolutionary leader in your life - we all know someone who needs to hear they're building tomorrow's blueprints Let's Connect: 🌐: ✉️: DrKerry@ Substack: https://substack.com/@revolutionaryleadership Social Media: @RevolutionaryLead Credits: Intro and outro music: "Feeling Free" by Jesse Lawrence (Epidemic Sound) A Crackers In Soup production