After 13 grueling years as a nurse, one woman decided to quit her job and pursue an entirely new career path as a laundromat owner—and she couldn't be happier.
Cami, 37, worked as a bone marrow transplant nurse for more than a decade. Her work involved three 12-hour shifts every week. Her days started at 5 a.m., and she usually wasn't back home until after 8 p.m.
While she loved the value of nursing, she told Newsweek that she "knew there was a better way to make a living." She could do the long hours as a young 20-something, but the idea of still having to do that in her fifties and sixties was a daunting prospect.
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"I distinctly remember looking at other nurses I worked with who were my mom's age, and I refused to be doing this job when I was their age. Working as a nurse is too hard, stressful, and hard on your body to do it for a long time," Cami said.
In 2020, she became serious about finding a new venture, knowing that she wanted something that didn't require returning to school for a new qualification. She started looking into mobile home parks and storage units for a business she could buy, but when she found her laundromat space, she knew it was for her.
Days later, she bought the laundromat for $300,000 and started making it her own.
"I remained working as a nurse for the next three years while owning it, so it was very difficult to manage both schedules at the same time," Cami said.
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"I also started pickup and delivery services six months after buying it. This is where we drive out into the community and pick up laundry, and bring it back to the laundromat, where my employees will wash, fold, and then return it a few days later. This side of the business now brings in more revenue than the original self-serve does."
It was a monumental shift to make in her life, but Cami says she "never regretted" her decision to buy the laundromat.
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She continued working as a nurse until 2023, which meant 12-hour shifts at the hospital and then trips to the laundromat after work. It was a challenge to juggle both careers simultaneously, but she knew it would eventually pay off.
"The pickup and delivery took a long time to grow and was a leap of faith that it would work," Cami told Newsweek. "During the time of growing it, I was at my laundromat every day and was often helping fold laundry to make sure the deliveries would get out on time.
"Some days after working at the hospital, I would go straight to my laundromat and fold laundry and wouldn't get home until midnight. Since my business has grown and I've been able to hire a really great team, I now work about 10-15 hours a week. I go to my laundromat twice a week to collect quarters, pick up the cash and check in with my employees."
Now that she can focus on the laundromat, Cami says her work-life balance is "so much better" than it was before. Despite working fewer hours, she's also making three times more than she did as a nurse, including a $25,000 profit some months.
She's been documenting her new way of life on TikTok (@laundromatgirl) which has helped her gain plenty of support from followers. A video posted on August 31 about "the best decision [she] ever made" has gone viral with over 7.7 million views and more than 844,200 likes to date.
It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience to date, and Cami hopes to encourage others to take risks and embrace new challenges.
"Take a chance on yourself. I took a huge chance on myself when I bought my laundromat, when I started the pickup and delivery, and when I started my TikTok," she said.
"Had I not made the first move to buy my laundromat, I would still be working as a nurse and doing the same thing over and over again. Bet on yourself because you'd be surprised where it could lead."
With over 4,700 comments on her recent viral video, plenty of TikTok users have praised the former nurse for quitting her job and prioritizing her happiness.
One comment reads: "Owning a laundromat is my dream!"
Another TikToker wrote: "I would love to do this. Congratulations on getting out."
While another person added: "I have always wanted to do this. Thats amazing."
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