Business & Tech
SCORE Helps Nurse Make Impact with Primary and Aesthetic Center Hybrid
La Lueur Health & Wellness was a finalist in SCORE's 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition.
Tammy Marshall was frustrated with her 65-patients-per day caseload as a nurse practitioner.
“I didn’t see how I was going to make a change or impact on someone’s life in two minutes,” Marshall said. “I just wanted to help people.”
In 2021, she turned her frustration to action, opening La Lueur Health & Wellness. She saw her first patient in March of that year and provided more than 6,000 services during the first year of operation.
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The primary and aesthetic services care hybrid features postpartum support, medical weight loss programs, med spa treatments and more.
“It’s a different type of health care for Desoto that’s not typically seen,” she said, adding that some clients come from as far away as Waco, making a 90-minute to two-hour trek to the center.
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The center also operates a 45-foot mobile medical bus to help increase access to care and provide health care services at community events.
Unlike her 16 years working in healthcare prior to launching her business, Marshall feels she’s able to make a difference in people's lives.
“I didn’t get to see the whole picture. I see you when you’re at your worst,” she said of her work in the hospital. “I didn’t get to see you at your best. Now we actually get to be a partner in your care. We get to see what’s working and what’s not working. We get to empower you to become an active participant in your care.”
In an effort to introduce her business to a wider audience, Marshall competed in SCORE’s 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition. SCORE is a national nonprofit organization that supports small businesses through free mentoring.
More than 2,200 small businesses applied to compete in five pitch events. Contestants were pared down to 60 contenders who presented their pitch live before panels of judges. Participants were matched with SCORE mentors to refine their pitches, strengthen their presentations, and hone their business plans. Marshall, who was one of 45 finalists, teamed with SCORE Houston mentor Dr. Jeffrey Ricken.
“He knew healthcare, which was invaluable in the input he was giving me,” Marshall said. “His input about a publicist was just what we needed.”
Ricken, who owns three medical clinics, immediately saw the positive impact she and her team were making.
“She’s got great credentials,” Ricken said. “She’s already got a thriving business. I have no doubt she’ll be exceptional in what she’s doing.”
Looking ahead, Marshall hopes to open another location in Houston before “spidering out” to Atlanta or Washington D.C. She had been contemplating franchising but has since switched gears to just opening a second location and seeing where La Lueur Health & Wellness evolves from there.
“We have such good brand identity and culture,” Marshall said, recalling advice she was given by Gary Kusin, founder of Gamestop. “The quickest way to lose it is to franchise. You have to be very specific with the franchises.”
To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit score.org.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow, or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources, and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at score.org.
