How Liquivida is Supporting Business-Minded Firefighter Paramedics and Nurse Practitioners

(Liquivida CEO Sam Tejada with the A-Shift crew of Oakland Park Fire Rescue in South Florida)

Considering the number of ads for “Side Jobs for Firefighters,” it is safe to say that many professional firefighters work second and even third jobs on their days off to supplement their income. Choosing a second job can be tricky when your primary one is physically and mentally strenuous. If both firefighters’ jobs are physical in nature, they’ll experience burnout fast.

Samael Amaury Tejada, who goes by Sam, understands this dilemma, and has a solution to help firefighters use their skills on their off days in a less strenuous and dangerous way: opening a Liquivida Wellness Center or Liquivida Lounge franchise.

The Background

Sam started Liquivida because he, too, was a firefighter-paramedic in Florida, and he wanted to maintain a job on his days off from the fire department. Sam would work 24 hours on and 48 hours off at the fire station, giving him considerable downtime to pursue other business ventures. After starting his first company, Rescue 101, at 19, Sam gained experience in running a CPR, AED, and Lifeguard training certification business. When he was 26, he founded his second successful business venture, Liquivida. 

Liquivida was born while Sam worked as a paramedic when he would meet with patients from the West Coast as part of his side hustle. They told him that in California, there were facilities where people could receive vitamin IV therapy to improve their health exponentially. After researching further, Sam realized that he could do the same thing as the facilities out west with his own twist. “I started seeing what some other people in the game were doing, and I said, you know what? I can do what they’re doing, only better.” With $500 in his back pocket, he opened Liquivida and started administering vitamin IV infusions out of a single room in a busy doctor’s office. Within months, Florida residents were traveling for miles to receive IV therapy. With a ton of confidence and some faith, Sam took out a $10,000 loan to develop his business further and take it to the next level.

Nine years later, Liquivida is a multimillion-dollar business with over 20 franchise locations spread across states such as Florida, Texas, New Jersey, and Arizona. What started in a single room in South Florida with only a singular therapy offered now delivers additional services such as medical aesthetics, hormone replacement therapy, facials, skin repair, age management strategies, and telehealth treatments. 

The Benefits of Franchising with Liquivida

As a retired firefighter-paramedic, Sam understands that many firefighters and nurse practitioners are looking for ways to supplement their income. Some may be retired and looking for a new career, and others may simply want to put their days off to good use. Regardless, with the right support, former and current firefighters and first responders have the experience to succeed as exceptional entrepreneurs. For that reason, Sam and his team at Liquivida offer first responders, veterans, and military personnel a 15% discount on their initial franchising fee. 

The First Responder discount lowers a major barrier in starting a franchise: the cost. With a portion of the fee waived, the firefighters and paramedics can build a crew that believes in health and wellness as much as they do, beyond the torment of the gear and flames. The beauty of working with a franchise system is that a large portion of the work has been done for you. Sam mentioned that the franchise fee aids in a lot of the heavy lifting, especially in the startup phase. They get immediate access to Liquivida’s training resources, industry knowledge, consumer research, and license to use the brand name. “Everything is ready for you to go ahead and take it, run with it, and start making money.”

Liquivida appeals to first responders as well because there is an overlap between their work as a paramedic and their work in a wellness center. At Liquivida, they believe in healing from the inside out by using personalized therapy plans. Paramedics and nurse practitioners can use their knowledge of the human body to perform IVs, draw blood, and implement therapies for clients. By franchising a Liquivida Wellness Center, first responders can use their skills on their days off and continue to help people feel better. 

Owning a Liquivida Wellness Center is also a less physically demanding form of employment for firefighters and paramedics if you have a passion for running a business. Many firefighter paramedics work days on end with one department and spend their days off as a paramedic in another location, like in the Emergency Room at a hospital. With 24-hour shifts, the two overlapping professions can trigger little to no sleep and tons of stress. However, Liquivida locations run regular business hours! No more “up all nights” for work or multiple emergencies just as they are drifting off. With a Liquivida franchise, firefighters and paramedics can go home to their families and pets on their nights off. They can sleep in their own beds and get actual rest without an alarm blaring every few hours announcing a call they need to take. 

Beyond the financial allure of owning a franchise, franchising with Liquivida promotes a culture of health and wellness for the overworked firefighters and paramedics. If they are run down from the constant physical demands and life-threatening situations, they can spend their days off in a relaxing, spa-like environment. Firefighter franchisees can still help people feel their best while working in a welcoming environment that they can call their own. A Liquivida franchise can offer financial independence for the franchisee and health and wellness for the community. It’s all of the rewards of saving lives with less danger involved. 

The Steps to Opening a Liquivida Lounge or Wellness Center

Regardless of your current position: firefighter, paramedic, nurse practitioner, veteran, retiree, or something in between, opening a Liquivida franchise is an excellent entrepreneurial opportunity. Liquivida offers a franchising fee discount and a less stressful environment for a second job, allowing firefighters and paramedics to maintain a second job and sleep in their own beds. By opening a Liquivida franchise, owners can promote health and wellness with the backing and resources of a multimillion-dollar company. Sam Tejada understands the needs of firefighters because he was one. He hopes to fuel the entrepreneurial fire in our country’s heroes with a rapidly growing health and wellness franchise. 

Contact Liquivida today to learn more about the two franchising options available and begin your entrepreneurial journey.