Meet Ena Hull

We were lucky to catch up with Ena Hull recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ena, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

For much of my career, I thought success was about climbing higher and achieving more. I spent three decades in executive roles within higher education and finance, helping organizations grow and navigate complex challenges. On the outside, it looked like I had everything figured out. But on the inside, I often felt a quiet tug that I was meant for something more—something that blended my professional skills with a deeper sense of service and impact.

The turning point came when I began mentoring women in executive leadership who were struggling with wellness, balance, and purpose in their own lives. I recognized parts of my own story in theirs—the sacrifices, the burnout, the quiet questioning of what’s next? That experience lit a fire in me. I realized my purpose wasn’t just to build companies or manage successful exits, but to use my gifts of strategy, growth, and leadership to elevate people and organizations in ways that change lives.

That clarity carried me into the next chapter of my life. Today, as CEO and Owner of Ultimate Health School, I have the privilege of combining my business acumen with my passion for education and community. Training the next generation of nurses and healthcare professionals isn’t just a business to me—it’s a legacy. It’s about leaving the world better by empowering students, many of whom are first-generation learners, to step into careers that provide dignity, stability, and service.

I also found that my purpose extends beyond business. My daily rituals of meditation, journaling, and prayer keep me grounded and aligned. They remind me that purpose isn’t a destination, it’s a practice—a way of living with integrity, courage, and faith.

Finding my purpose wasn’t about a single moment of discovery. It was a journey of listening to the whispers, paying attention to where I felt most alive, and having the courage to redesign my life around what matters most. And what matters most to me is building, leading, and inspiring others to reach their own version of greatness.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am the CEO, President, and Owner of Ultimate Health School, a career-focused nursing and allied health institution in Manassas, Virginia. Our mission is simple but powerful: to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals with the skills, confidence, and compassion to meet one of the most urgent needs in our country…the nursing shortage.

What excites me most is the transformational impact education has on our students’ lives. Many of our learners are first-generation college students or career changers. For them, becoming a nurse isn’t just a job, it’s a doorway to financial stability, generational change, and the ability to serve their communities in meaningful ways. Seeing our graduates walk across the stage and step into careers that change lives, both theirs and their patients’, is the most rewarding part of what I do.

I also believe what sets us apart is our focus on quality, innovation, and legacy. We’ve been serving students since 1999, and as the new owner, I am committed to carrying forward that legacy while taking the school into a new era. This includes expanding programs, modernizing our curriculum, and investing in cutting-edge simulation labs and technology so our students are prepared for the realities of modern healthcare.

Looking ahead, we are preparing to launch an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in 2027, which will allow us to train even more registered nurses at a time when the need has never been greater. We are also building stronger partnerships with local hospitals, healthcare systems, and community organizations to ensure our students have pathways from the classroom to meaningful careers.

For me, Ultimate Health School isn’t just a business, it’s a legacy project. It represents my passion for education, my belief in the power of community, and my commitment to building something lasting that will serve generations to come.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that shaped my journey the most have been integrity, resilience, and relationship-building.

Integrity has been my north star. In leadership, you will face difficult decisions and moments where the easier path may be tempting. I’ve learned that being honest, transparent, and doing what’s right, even when it costs you in the short term, builds credibility that compounds over a lifetime. My advice: practice integrity in the small things first. Keep your word, follow through, and treat people with fairness. Those habits will carry you when the stakes are high.

Resilience has been essential. My career has included incredible opportunities, but also moments of setback, disappointment, and reinvention. What carried me through was the ability to adapt, to get back up when things didn’t go as planned, and to see challenges as temporary rather than defining. To anyone early in their journey, I’d say: don’t fear failure! It’s often the doorway to your next chapter. Focus on what you can learn, not what you lost.

Finally, relationship-building has been my greatest asset. I believe your network is your net worth. But networking isn’t about collecting business cards or quick wins. It’s about cultivating genuine, authentic relationships over time. I’ve always approached people with curiosity, kindness, and a “farmer’s mindset”, planting seeds, nurturing connections, and allowing trust to grow. For those just starting out, I recommend listening more than you speak, looking for ways to add value, and remembering that the strongest relationships are built on mutual respect, not transactions.

These three qualities: integrity, resilience, and relationship-building, have not only shaped my career, but also how I live my life. Developing them is a practice, not a one-time effort, and the earlier you start, the stronger your foundation will be.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I believe in going all in on your strengths. We live in a world that often wants to “fix” us, highlighting weaknesses or areas we’re not naturally gifted in. But in my experience, true success and fulfillment come when you double down on what you do best and surround yourself with people whose strengths complement yours.

For me, my strengths have always been in strategy, growth, and relationship-building. When I leaned into those, opportunities multiplied. For example, in my career in higher education, I wasn’t the best at the technical details of finance or compliance, but I knew how to build teams, design growth strategies, and foster partnerships that opened doors. By owning those strengths, I was able to help institutions grow, raise capital, and navigate complex transitions, all while trusting others who had expertise in areas I didn’t.

That doesn’t mean you ignore your weaknesses. Self-awareness is key. You need to understand where you aren’t as strong so you don’t blindside yourself. But instead of pouring endless energy into becoming average at something, I’ve found it far more powerful to cultivate excellence in the areas where I naturally thrive.

My advice for anyone early in their journey: know your strengths, own them unapologetically, and put yourself in positions where those strengths shine. Then, build a circle around you. Mentors, colleagues, and team members who fill the gaps. That combination is where the magic happens.

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Image Credits

Credits – Marketing Team at Ultimate Health School

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