From Nurse to Founder: How Ali Stokes Took the Leap into Health Tech

In this episode, Gavin chats with Ali Stokes, a former nurse and Johnson & Johnson exec who left behind the safety of corporate life to build Beyond the Clinic — a virtual care platform reshaping how patients manage joint and muscle pain.Ali shares her raw, honest journey of going from a well-paid healthcare role to bootstrapping a startup with zero income for two years. From burnout, imposter syndrome, and relationship strain to building a team of 12 and finding product-market fit, this episode pulls back the curtain on the real cost (and joy) of taking the leap into startup life.Expect a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a B2B SaaS company from scratch - completely bootstrapped.Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at [email protected] you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps us reach more people!In this episode, we cover:Why Ali left corporate life at Johnson & JohnsonThe early struggles of bootstrapping a SaaS in health techBuilding Beyond the Clinic with no external capitalNavigating burnout, imposter syndrome and relationship strainFinding purpose and building something with real impactWhy self-belief is more important than external validationThe slow, iterative approach to product and business developmentWhat it really takes to build a startup while raising a familyThe power of mentorship and finding your founder tribeHow to survive when your business tests you every weekChapters:00:00 Welcome to The Leap 01:09 Meet Ali Stokes 03:42 Growing up in a small business family 06:18 Building Beyond the Clinic 07:20 Vision vs market direction 10:23 Disrupting healthcare without burning out 11:41 Life before becoming a founder 13:22 Making the leap and setting boundaries 16:10 Bootstrapping and early traction 19:08 The moment Ali knew she had to start 21:45 Navigating fear and self-doubt 25:40 Learning quickly and building capability 28:03 Facing the unknowns and pushing through 30:22 How Ali has changed through the journey 33:06 Endurance and motivation through hard times 36:25 Weekly habits to avoid burnout 39:08 What Ali wishes she knew earlier 42:52 The capital question and bootstrapping mindset 44:00 Where to find Ali 🔗 Links- Ali Stokes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-stokes-66a464193/ - Beyond the Clinic: https://beyondtheclinic.io/ About Founders CollectiveFounders Collective is a community built to connect like-minded founders, creators, and builders who believe in sharing the real stories behind the journey — not just the highlight reel. Our mission is to spark honest conversations, build meaningful connections, and help founders grow through collaboration, courage, and shared experience.- Substack: founderscollectivecommunity.substack.com - Gavin Tye on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gavintye