The Unicorn Story
From concept —> creation —> meaning
What’s with the unicorn?
In the age old question “If you can choose to be anything in the world, what would you choose?” I’d choose a unicorn (obviously!). The questions is - why WOULDN’T you be a unicorn? They are magickal, mysterious and legendary. There are stories all over the world of unicorns and they are the national animal of Scotland.
My personal story with the unicorn begins by working in a pediatric clinic for 13 years where many staff dressed up for Halloween. For years our department would coordinate our costumes. One year we did 101 Dalmatian's, another Harry Potter and we did Wizard of Oz too. Very fun memories! This was an amazing part of my coworkers as no matter the conflict we would have, we could come together for some fun times.
When we weren’t coordinating our costumes, I needed an easy costume that I didn’t have to put together and create. Due to my depth of burn out, I didn’t have the decision-making capacity or the time to be thinking of costumes weeks to a month ahead. So I chose a unicorn onesie! Always go with a onesie
When I quit my staff nurse job and founded my own business, part of what I do is craft and sell herbal body oils and teas. The third time I did my local Underground Holiday market, I wore my onesie to make it fun and I could layer underneath as the market was in a parking garage and COLD. Great marketing as I sold the most teas and oils that year than I had previously. Now it’s what I do when I’m at holiday markets. Kids love it! Especially the 3 year old crowd. As do the adults-I always get positive comments from them too. And now my friends do it too when they help! Thank you Michelle!
The GI Clinic was the best!
Out of wearing my unicorn onesie to a holiday market, a concept and mascot was born.
Meet the cutest
Unicorn Ever!
When I started working with Laura Buzard, of Front Door Creative, in 2025 to create marketing swag for nurse conferences that year, it came up in a conversation about how triggering and heavy discussing burnout can be for people. And it is. It’s a heavy topic and there’s a lot of emotions weaved into it. So we wanted something cheeky and fun, she had seen me in the unicorn onesie at the holiday market and the concept was born.
The creation of the cutest unicorn ever came from Shawn of Runnels & Rourk (who I was also working with at the time for branding). He was able to make the perfect unicorn not just in the main position you see frequently but also doing different things so she flows across my business. She’s on my burnout bingo card (which Laura created), featured in my Quarterly Webinars on Restorative Sleep and my pregnancy and postpartum herbal product line plus Unicorn Dreams tea.
Find Your Joy
But what is the meaning?
Truly, it makes talking about burnout approachable. I noticed a significant difference in speaking to nurses at conferences from 2022-2024 than in 2025. Suddenly if felt like nurses were more willing to be open about their own burnout symptoms, take an assessment quiz, attend a Get Beyond Burnout workshop and find continued support in Healing Huddles.
They took burnout bingo cards for their own routine self check in’s and also for their coworkers.
Managers took bingo cards for their staff.
Magnets were taken to have at desks and fridges for check-in reminders.
Note pads for the list makers with a reminder TO DO a Ritual of Relaxation for yourself too.
Healthcare workers KNOW burnout is a significant problem. We feel it. We live it. We experience it to our bones. It is soul crushing.
Modern Nurse Fest, Anchorage AK, Sept 2025
The meaning has continued to expand to include how medical practices or hospitals can hire an outside burnout recovery specialist to create change for their staff. The Burnout-to-Recovery Package isn’t just a check box for their staff. If you have your own in-house staff wellness program but your staff aren’t accessing it. That’s an accessibility issue. And trust. Let’s be honest. It’s either not being presented in a way that people feel is safe (what’s going to get back to management?) or in a compassionate way that understands your staff are overwhelmed, exhausted and accessing even helpful things is really hard. Meet them where they are.
My workshop isn’t about deep breathing your way out of burnout and everything will be hunky-dory. Because we KNOW it won’t be. Managers struggle with how to help their staff. I’ve talked to them at length about it. My heart hurts for them, for everyone who suffers. Because suffering isn’t inevitable. This shouldn’t be the norm or the expectation. And it doesn’t have to be.
Having a cheeky and fun unicorn representing my business makes burnout approachable. It means people will access resources they need, at the time they need it, for as long as they need which creates sustained recovery. Whether it’s a nurse, midwife, therapist, OT, MA, CNA, RT…EVERYONE, the chronic exhaustion and overwhelm (or however your burnout - compassion fatigue - moral injury shows up) needs to be discussed in a compassionate, trauma-informed way. And a cute af unicorn has really bridged the gap in caring for the caregivers.