Meet Brenda Dillon | The Runway Nurse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brenda Dillon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brenda, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After working in healthcare as a nurse for over two decades in traditional scrubs that were not flattering, not suited in style, and lacked function and comfort, I knew that I had to make a change. I love fashion, and I am pretty sure that I’m not the only one. I believe that scrubs are fashionable and wanted to dress the fashionistas across healthcare and beyond in stylish and sophisticated scrub apparel that made a fashion statement. Therefore, the entrepreneurial journey began to design a more comfortable, chic, and sophisticated healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand was born. Scrubsordinaire, The Scrubs Fashion House, was created to bridge the gap between scrubs and fashion in healthcare, designed to provide transitional scrubs apparel for the healthcare professional that is trendy for work yet fashionable for an athleisure lifestyle.

What should our readers know about your business?
Scrubsordinaire, The Scrubs Fashion House is a fashion-forward scrubs online retail destination. A luxury healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand established in Rockwall, Texas, designed to inspire and empower healthcare professionals to rock InStyle with runway confidence. We pride ourselves in offering timeless and trendy scrub apparel suitable for super-fly, modern professionals in healthcare. Our mission is to serve fashionable scrub apparel to healthcare professionals and beyond. What sets us apart from our competitors is the uniqueness of our brand. We have designed transitional stylish scrub apparel for healthcare professionals to wear to work and play. Our motto is, why choose between scrubs and fashion when you can have both? I believe that when you look good, you feel good. I am most proud of the launch of my brand and the introduction of my unique scrub line to the world. I am super excited to give back to my community of healthcare professionals. A profession that has given me unlimited opportunities to mentor, inspire, and nurture the next generation of nurses. In 2019, I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur and focus my time and efforts on building my brand. In 2020, after researching, branding, and developing my brand, I felt that I was ready to proceed with the production of my scrub line, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had to place the business plan on hold. I recognized that we were in a state of emergency. I fully accepted the risks associated with contracting the Covid-19 virus but chose to join my colleagues on the frontline to serve and care for my community during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Working during a pandemic was an experience of a lifetime; nothing in my nursing career had prepared me for what I encountered. The pain and suffering inflicted by the Covid-19 virus on our patients were indescribable. The grace of God and heroic frontliners, provided the strength, courage, and mental support that I needed day-to-day to serve humanity during the storm.
In 2021, after much-needed time off to focus on my self-care and wellness, I continued developing my brand. While on the frontline, I recognized that not all superhero’s wear capes; some wear scrubs. I decided to pay tribute to the past and present heroes in healthcare by creating the I AM THE RUNWAY collection for the bold, extraordinary, and essential frontliners and first responders serving worldwide, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. I am privileged and grateful that I have been chosen by a higher power, to nurse, and be part of a noble profession that fearlessly served the community for over 25 years of my nursing career.
The journey to create, develop and launch my brand amid a pandemic was not easy. There were so many unexpected delays from a shortage of workers, raw materials, production, shipping, and handling along the way but the power of self-manifestation and determination kept me going. Launching a new brand during a pandemic was very risky and challenging. I overcame the challenges that I encountered in my journey to launch my brand from the unconditional love, support, and encouragement from family, friends, and business advice from a network of bold women entrepreneurs.
I want the world to know that Scrubsordinaire The Scrubs Fashion House is a female-owned and operated company made in the USA and exemplifies style and runway sophistication. We pride ourselves on dressing our medical professionals everywhere for a long, successful career in healthcare.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The ultimate Besties weekend Trip itinerary With only 48hrs of nonstop fun, the ultimate bestie weekend begins Saturday morning immediately upon arrival to the DFW metroplex.

The first stop is at the Snooze An A.M. Eatery to grab a bit of delicious breakfast and sip on a light cocktail to set the pace for the rest of our fabulous day. After dining, we would take a short drive to the Dallas African American museum to reflect on our past and celebrate our future. While hanging out in the downtown area, we would next take a trip to Kyle Warren Park to relax and enjoy the great outdoors according to social distancing guidelines. Once we have rejuvenated our bodies, off, we go to the food truck to taste the local dishes and catch a brief respite in preparation for the remaining day’s activities. The next stop is self-care that includes retail therapy at The Shops at Legacy West. The last stop for the evening would be to dine in at Pangia restaurant to savor the taste of dished Afro-Caribbean, Southern and Mexican influences. Hotel accommodations at the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel to unwind for the night.

Day 2 –
Saturday

Day two starts with brunch at The Farmers Market to dine at the Caribbean Cabana. The next stop is to visit the Museum of Illusion to see and experience the impossible.
We would head over to the Bishop Arts District and explore local talent, art & culture and shop at one-of-a-kind boutiques while enjoying the Dallas Skylight in the evening. The Bishop Arts District is a whole vibe. The last event of the day is dinner at Kitchen + Kocktails to indulge in the best of southern comfort food and liquor. The last stop of the evening is Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel to unwind, relax and rest for the night in preparation for travel on Monday morning. Indeed, DFW has the best food, culture, and entertainment.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The journey to my successful career in nursing was made possible by four amazing nurse mentors who provided unlimited guidance, insights, words of support, and encouragement that spanned over 25 years of my thriving nursing career. I would like to thank Debra Jules, Violet Moise, Veronica Jones, and Joan Brown for being my role models, mentor, and inspiration in nursing. The generosity of your time, dedication, and passion for nursing has contributed to my successful career in the nursing profession. I salute you. You are my forever Halo’s! I hope to be an inspiration to future healthcare professionals.

Website: www.scrubsordinaire.com

Instagram: Scrubsordinaire

Image Credits
Photographer ephraims photography Photographer www.dlacyphoto.com