I nearly went BANKRUPT while working as a nurse - now I earn millions as a TikTok star

An influencer has revealed how she went from making nearly nothing as a nurse to raking in millions through her social media platforms.

Avery Woods, from Arizona, decided to address recent mumblings about 'influencers' 'complaining about their jobs' in a new post on her TikTok, where she boasts an impressive two million followers. 

'I wanna give you a little bit of a backstory of how this became my full-time career,' the 28-year-old kicked off a nearly 10-minute speech in a newly shared video.

While she started posting on Instagram casually starting in her late teens, Avery began to use social media more purposefully when she entered nursing school in her early 20s.

Influencer Avery Woods, 28, took to TikTok to express her gratitude for the lavish lifestyle that her large social media following has allowed her to lead

The Arizona resident and her husband, David, struggled financially for years before Avery made it big on social media

Prior to her success as an influencer, Avery's lifelong dream was to become a nurse - which she ultimately achieved in her early 20s

'That was when my social media started to get some traction,' she explained. 

'[Nursing] was truly the only career I ever thought about or considered,' Avery continued.

'I was very, very passionate about sharing my nursing school journey on social media. I felt like there was a lot of negativity around nursing, and it was hard for nursing students to keep going when all we ever heard were the bad parts of nursing.

'And so I wanted to share some positivity in my nursing school journey,' she elaborated.

Not long after, the nursing-uniform brand Cherokee reached out  to Avery, offering her free scrubs in exchange for a few photos. The liaison, Deb, 'is like part of our family now,' Avery added.

That kicked off a six-year relationship with the brand.

All the while, Avery's husband David was working as a patrol officer while the couple split a one-bedroom apartment with two young kids, who 'slept on a mattress on the floor in our bedroom,' Avery recalled.

During her first semester of nursing school, she and David tied the knot at a courthouse, with Avery becoming a stepmom to his two daughters. 

Avery recalled a bare-bones wedding to David, in which he wore is police officer uniform because he couldn't afford a tux, and she wore a second-hand gown

'I wanted to share some positivity in my nursing school journey,' she elaborated of her early attempts at purposeful social-media posting

'I thought it was so fun just to take photos in my scrubs and share on the internet,' she recalled of her earlier, more casual forays into social media

In their wedding photos, David wore his cop uniform because they couldn't afford a tux - while Avery sported a pre-worn gown from a bridal store.

'We always told ourselves we would have a vow renewal when we hit 10 years married, which is exactly what our plan is. But I still would never take back the way that we got married,' Avery swore.

David also eventually insisted that Avery quit her job at Starbucks to focus on nursing school, working six to seven days a week as an officer to cover the family's rent and other expenses. 

All the while, 'I was trying to balance sharing my life on social media, while also making school my number one priority,' said Avery.

Then, about a year before Avery was done with nursing school, David got the news that over in San Diego his grandfather's full-time caretaker 'was suspected to be abusing him as well as taking money from the family's trust,' Avery went on.

'We went to San Diego to go check on him and we found a bunch of drug paraphernalia. And David took a leave of absence from his job to move to San Diego, away from myself and the girls to be his full time caregiver. He was his full-time caregiver until [his grandfather] passed away exactly one year later.

Avery recalled 'every single weekend' she and the girls would make it out to San Diego to visit David to spend time with him and his grandfather.

In the meantime, Avery 'would try to pick up small jobs here and there without David knowing because he was so mad at me for trying to work during nursing school.'

'When I tell you we were broke, we were so f**king broke,' Avery emphasized. 'Our account was in the negative every single month, without even a doubt.'

However, she still kept working at her 'social media career very part time,' she continued, 'because school and my family came first.' 

'Still, I thought it was so fun just to take photos in my scrubs and share on the internet.'

By the time Avery was about to graduate from nursing school in Arizona, her husband had relocated to San Diego to care for his ailing grandfather

As late as last year - prior to signing with an agency - Avery admitted that she and David weren't sure how they'd ever be able to pay for college for their kids

Eventually, David resigned from his officer position in Arizona to keep caring for his grandfather in California.

'At this time, we also thought we might as well just stay in California after his grandpa passes.'

So David started working on transferring his police credentials to California. 

In the meantime, Avery graduated from nursing school in December 2017, also finishing her placement in the ER. 

She then moved to San Diego immediately afterward to be 'all together as a family.'

As she prepped for the nursing exam National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) - which it took her three tries to pass ('yes, you heard that right,' Avery quipped) - David's grandfather passed at 98 years old. 

'Our lives were probably at the lowest they've ever been,' Avery admitted.

'David couldn't even get an interview at Home Depot, I was trying to apply back to Starbucks while waiting to pass my NCLEX. And I found out I was very newly pregnant with Ziggy.

At this point, the family was applying to be on food stamps because they couldn't pay for groceries.

Once she passed her NCLEX, she was able to work on a 'temporary license for about 11 months before my license fully transferred from Arizona to California.'

That made getting hired as a nurse in California all the more challenging for Avery, 'so I took the first job I got in my first trimester of pregnancy,' which was in a skilled nursing facility (SNF).

That was a six-month stint - but Avery 'always knew' she wanted to work in pediatrics.

She finally achieved her goal when, after her son Ziggy was born, she was hired at Rady Children's Hospital.

'The only job they had was full time night shift, but I didn't give a s**t because it was a full-time job and we could pay the bills!' Avery triumphantly recalled.

While Avery was pregnant with her first biological child, the family was down to just one car

Avery was working full time at a pediatric ICU before quitting to do influencing full time

There was a still a lag before David was able to find work as a police officer in California, however - and the family ultimately had to sell one of their cars.

'We were down to one vehicle until I was nine months pregnant with Ziggy,' Avery emphasized.

Right before Ziggy turned one, the family decided to move back to Arizona.

'We had no friends, no family in San Diego. So after his grandfather died, we were just super lonely. And my license was still good in Arizona. And David's police department gave him all of his years of service back,' Avery explained.

Back in Arizona, Avery found work at a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

At this point, Avery also landed her 'first-ever paid collab' with Cherokee, who offered her $500 a month to post photos in their scrubs.

'And I about s**t my f**king pants,' said Avery of the opportunity, also added that she 'started getting into Amazon a lot.'

'We couldn't afford for me to wear brands like Free People, so I would find dupes on Amazon and that's when I started linking stuff.'

She also made a little bit of money selling on Etsy.

All the while, Avery continued working full-time until she returned from maternity leave with her second biological child, Stevie. 

'I got a couple brand deals here and there on the side. Even if it was $50, I would take it. Because I was honestly just honored to make extra money to contribute to my family.

'And then I got pregnant with Stevie. I worked five days before my scheduled C section. And this was in the middle of the pandemic, so I was really tired. I was exhausted. 

'Five days later, gave birth to Steve. I was able to take a 14-week maternity leave.' 

Avery concluded by expressing how 'thankful' she is 'for the people that give you this career, which is you guys,' she said, addressing her viewers

On returning, she cut back her hours to two days per week, thanks to the extra cash she was bringing in from Cherokee, who had bumped up her rate as well.

Around then, Avery explained, 'My Instagram and TikTok were picking up pretty rapidly, and the corporation I worked with did not like that,' she admitted.

From there, she transferred to doing 'nurse injecting.'

'I always had an interest in aesthetics and skincare, and that's what I want for my future businesses.

'So I was working both jobs. I was working two days a week in the PICU, two to three days a week as a nurse injector, while also having four kids at home and trying to balance social media at the same time.'

By December 2022, she was able to quit the PICU, transitioning to 'full-time injecting' and 'full-time influencing.'

And, in July 2023, Avery 'finally signed with a management team.' 

'When I tell you that changed my life, that's very much the understatement of the f**king year. I did not know the opportunities and amount of money you can make as an influencer,' Avery exclaimed.

'Obviously, working as a nurse full time, that's all I ever compared it to. It is the biggest privilege of a job you can f**king imagine,' she exclaimed.

'I'm already getting emotional talking about it, because I went from seeing the worst in the world - putting babies in body bags, watching moms hold their child while they take their last breath - things that will change you forever. I will never be the same person, and I will never forget that.

'To being at home with my kids, getting my husband off the street so we can start a business and he can be home with them full time,' she gushed.

She added that 'for three years straight' she and David 'did not have one overlapping day off together.'

By fall 2023, she left her nurse injecting job as well.

'It has opened so many doors in my life and my career that I only ever dreamed of. And I didn't imagine this life for myself. 

'I'm not gonna sugarcoat the fact that I worked my f**king a** off in multiple jobs,' she emphasized.

'Bedside nursing, nurse injecting, trying to be an influencer while balancing my family all at the same time, was not easy. And it took a lot of work.

'But what my life is now, is not anything that I'm going to complain about, compared to what I came from,' she gushed.

'Of course there's things that come with it, like hate and people that make up lies about you and your family. 

'But that's on them, that's fine. I know who I am, I know who my family is. 

'But this life that I get to live, everything else that comes to the territory, is worth it. I'm so f**king privileged. 

'My kids are so lucky to get their parents home all the time with them, be able to travel all over the world, not have to worry about clothes on their back, or roof over their head.

Earlier this month, Avery and her husband were even able to attend the Grammys.  

She went on to say that as late as 'last year,' she and her husband weren't sure they would ever be able to pay for their kids' college tuitions.

Avery concluded by expressing how 'thankful' she is 'for the people that give you this career, which is you guys,' she said, addressing her viewers.

'You have given me this platform, you have given me this life. And truly, thank you would never be enough. I love you!'