Boss Mama CEO Story: A Pulse for Purpose

Sam is a force! Through her love of medicine and helping others, she quickly recognized the need for greater access to healthcare information and education, which inspired her to start her company, Pulse CPR and First Aid LLC.

Not only does she work part-time as an ER nurse and run her growing business on the side, but she recently took on a second part-time job as a patient advocate! When I say she’s a force, I mean it.

Everything Sam does, she does with so much heart. Her passion for providing people with a better healthcare experience is clear, and it shows through everything she does. Not just in her business, but in her work as a nurse and patient advocate, too.

I can’t wait for you to read her story and get to know more about the woman behind Pulse CPR and First Aid LLC. And don’t forget to check her out on social media, too!

YOUR STORY

Tell us who you are!

My name is Sam Schmitz and I’m the owner of Pulse CPR and First Aid LLC and Pulse Safety Prints.

We love a good origin story, but first, give us your short + sweet intro!

I wanted to help families, caregivers, educators, coaches, and everyday people feel confident and prepared in an emergency. Through CPR training and practical safety resources, I make lifesaving education accessible, empowering, and easy to put into action.

Every boss mama has a ‘day one.’ What was yours?

I started Pulse CPR and First Aid LLC in June 2025. We’re still a young company, but I believe we have a lot of promise. I currently work as an ER nurse, where I’ve seen firsthand how quickly emergencies can happen and how helpless people can feel in those moments.

I became a mom in 2022 when I welcomed my first sweet baby girl. Like many new moms, I found those first few months to be a whirlwind. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and constantly questioning whether I was doing things right. I often wondered how anyone without a medical background or training navigated those early days of parenthood.

When my daughter was seven months old, she experienced two anaphylactic reactions and was rushed to the ER. At 18 months, she was hospitalized with an asthma exacerbation. These experiences changed the kind of nurse I wanted to be. I still wanted to care for people medically and physically, but I also wanted to educate them, empower them, and advocate for them.

When my second child was born, he needed surgery at just six months old. Once again, I found myself on the other side of healthcare—as a parent instead of a nurse. Experiencing healthcare from both perspectives made one thing very clear to me: I had to do more.

I started my CPR business with the hope of providing education and awareness that would help people feel more confident in an emergency. My company’s motto is “For moments when seconds count,” and that is exactly what I wanted Pulse CPR and First Aid LLC to provide.

I also knew that taking a CPR class every two years wasn’t enough to truly prepare people for the unexpected. I wanted to create resources that people could turn to when they actually needed them. So, three months ago, I expanded the business by creating Pulse Safety Prints.

Pulse Safety Prints are practical resources designed to be printed and kept around the house or easily accessed from a phone. They cover topics ranging from emergency preparedness and first aid to CPR, choking, child safety, and quick-reference information families can turn to during an emergency.

I’ve genuinely enjoyed the past year of meeting, connecting with, and educating so many people. I’ve had the opportunity to hear their stories and share pieces of my own, and every interaction has reinforced why I started this business.

Experiencing healthcare from both sides—as a nurse and as a parent—has shown me just how powerful education and preparation can be. When people know what to do, they can feel less helpless and more confident when those moments come.

That’s what I hope to continue providing through Pulse CPR and First Aid LLC: practical education, accessible resources, and the confidence to act for moments when seconds count.

Which came first—the business or the babies? Tell us how your family + business journeys intersected.

I began after I started my family

We know it’s a wild ride—tell us how you’ve balanced building your dream biz while raising your crew. The good, the tough, the real.

Thankfully, I have an incredibly supportive husband who believes in me. Sometimes even more than I believe in myself. On late nights, he lets me practice class material on him, helps me get supplies ready for classes, and, most importantly, lugs my equipment up and down the stairs.

My kids are also a huge part of what keeps me going. They push me to keep showing up, even on the long nights and during the times when class sign-ups feel slow.

My biggest goal is to help fewer moms, caregivers, and everyday people feel alone, overwhelmed, or chaotic when an emergency happens. I want people to feel prepared and confident enough to know what to do when seconds count.

My four-year-old daughter knows that my job is to “help people feel better,” and she tells me she wants to help people feel better, too. Of course, she plans to do that by being Elsa—which is also very important. Haha.

What’s one obstacle you’ve overcome?

I’ve loved teaching and advocating for people so much that I recently took on a second job as a patient advocate, helping people navigate the healthcare system and feel more confident throughout the process.

YOUR BUSINESS

Tell us your superpower—what’s your product, service, or special offering?

I provide adult and pediatric CPR, AED, and First Aid classes, as well as practical safety printables designed to help people feel prepared in an emergency. My resources cover topics such as emergency response, first aid, choking, quick-reference information, child safety, and more.

What’s the magic that sets you apart?

My passion for emergency medicine, advocacy, and empowering others through education.

Spill the tea — any big milestones, press shoutouts, or launches on the horizon? 

We just celebrated our 1 year as a company!

Give us a Day in the Life of being both Mom and CEO!

The two things that keep me organized are my Google Calendar and my wonderful husband! I work part-time as a patient advocate, usually 2–3 days a week during the day while my kids are in school. I also work part-time in the ER overnight, about 2–3 nights a week while they’re sleeping. Most of my CPR classes are about once every two weeks and are scheduled at the end of the day, either after my day job or before my night shift.

I intentionally chose jobs that would allow me to spend as much time with my kids as possible while still being able to provide them with the life and experiences they deserve. My husband is also in the military and has an unpredictable schedule at times, so having flexibility is really important for our family.

Some weeks, my calendar is packed with work, and other weeks I intentionally leave it open so we can fill it with fun family things, like a trip to the beach.

I’m incredibly thankful to have the flexibility to do work that I love while still being present for my kids and making memories with them.

ADVICE FOR MOMPRENEURS

What’s the single best piece of advice or favorite tool you’d share with other mamas building their businesses?

If you’re going to start a company, make sure you’re doing it for a cause or purpose you truly love. Being a mom is hard. Starting a company is hard. This economy is hard. There will be plenty of challenges, and your passion and love for what you’re doing will be what keeps you moving forward.

And celebrate every milestone. Your first sale, your first follower, your first client, your company’s first birthday. Make it all a big deal. Celebrate the little wins because you’re going to be your own biggest cheerleader, and you’re worth cheering for.

What’s been your biggest challenge juggling motherhood and running a business?

It’s hard to excel in one area of life without sometimes feeling like you’re falling short in another. I try to make my kids feel special a few times a week, even if it’s something simple like putting fun-colored soap in the bathroom, getting new flashlights for a dance party, or surprising them with a new blanket for their bed.

They are my reason for everything, and I always want them to feel just how special and loved they are.

What’s your approach to balancing business and family? We love the real, unfiltered stories!

My kids will always come first. I try to work as much as possible while they’re at school or asleep so that when they’re home, they know that’s our time together.

If I do have to work on the weekends or while they’re home, I try to make it feel special for them. I’ll set up something fun for them to do, like a water slide outside, a bounce house, or even an indoor fort.

For me, it’s about making sure they know that even when I’m working, they’re still my priority.

Looking back, what’s something you wish you had known before starting your business?

I genuinely underestimated how much time it would take to figure everything out in the beginning. Learning how to do things correctly and legally took a lot of time and research, even with resources like AI and Google to help along the way.

What tool, resource, or habit has completely changed the game for you?

Honestly, Canva and ChatGPT have helped me so much. Not in the sense that I let ChatGPT create all my ads or content for me, but it has been an incredible tool for brainstorming, researching opportunities, discovering places to advertise, and coming up with ideas for who I can reach out to. It’s helped me think outside the box and find opportunities I may not have considered on my own.

What mindset shifts have helped you keep going during hard seasons?

I don’t want other parents or caregivers to ever feel helpless in an emergency. I want them to feel empowered and confident in knowing what to do and how to respond, because I know firsthand that emergencies can happen at any moment.

What words of encouragement would you give a Mom tempted to give up on her business dream?

Remember your why. Write it down. Put it on your phone’s background. Tattoo it on yourself. Whatever you have to do. Set reminders to pause, appreciate how far you’ve come, and remember why you started in the first place.

Sam moves through life with so much intention and a whole lotta heart. Not just in business, but in her family life, too.

Being a mom is hard. Building a career is hard. Running a business is hard. Doing all three? Whew. A whole different level of hard. Sam has learned how to prioritize what needs her attention in each moment while making sure her family never feels like they’re getting the leftovers.

And then there’s AI.

I love how open Sam is about using AI in her business. Give me a business owner who says, “Yep, I use AI!” without treating it like a dirty little secret.

AI isn’t here to do all the work for us, but it can help us work smarter, save time, and grow faster. If something that used to take two months can take one with the right tools, that’s some insane math.

The more openly we share how we’re actually using AI, the more comfortable small business owners will become with it. We don’t need to fear the robots. We just need to learn how to make them work for us because that’s what they were built to do!

I’d love to feature more Boss Mamas like Sam. If you know someone who deserves the spotlight, please reach out and send me their info at ashley@bossmamaceo.com or via my contact page here. And hey, if that’s you, I love a little self-brag too! Send me your details so we can shine the spotlight on you as well.

Here’s to all the incredible Moms juggling a million things—keep shining bright, cheering each other on, and building the life you love!

Ashley

Friendly Note: I’m simply sharing my journey, experiences, and lessons learned as a Mom in business. This isn’t legal, financial, or professional advice. Always check with a qualified pro for guidance tailored to you.