The Speaker Who Traded Stardom for Stethoscopes
In 2012, Tad Worku had a record deal, a funded international tour, and a debut pop album ready to launch. Then he walked away — because the label asked him to stop writing about what mattered most to him. That choice led him into six and a half years as a nurse in the trenches of a Level 1 trauma center.
There, he discovered what leadership looks like when everything is on the line. He learned that hope isn't just a feeling — it's a skill. And he found that the most powerful intervention isn't always medical. Sometimes it's simply showing up with presence.
Today, Tad is a Family Nurse Practitioner and executive mission coach at Inland Empire Health Plan. But his real work happens when he helps leaders and teams rediscover the courage and clarity to lead with purpose.