About Lux Scrubs

MISSION: Provide professionals with comfortable, modern and practical uniforms
VISION: Community of hard working professionals who want to make an impact on each other
VALUES: Building Trust. Creating Connections. Positivity & Authenticity.
Serena Orok, hold a barbie pink scrub top, Serena Orok local registered nurse in Thunder Bay, started Lux Scrubs in 2021

The Story behind Lux.

Serena Orok, Founder of Lux, is a Registered Nurse from Thunder Bay, ON, who first hand knew the struggle of finding an affordable, yet functionally crafted set of scrubs.

Back in 2021, Serena was returning to work from a maternity leave and could not believe the price point to purchase scrubs.

Serena wanted to help other health care professionals like herself, find scrubs that were comfortable for long shifts, flattering and had accessible pricing.

The story of Lux began in 2021

  • Becoming a business owner

    Serena Orok, founder of Lux was a mom of 2 soon to be returning to work from maternity leave on the look out for new scrubs. Serena worked full time in the emergency department in Thunder Bay, ON.

    Serena found it difficult in (2021) to find scrubs locally and online the prices were over $120 a set of scrubs.

    Serena had always had thoughts of starting a business but couldn't pin point where to begin, until one day she had a what if moment...

    "What if I started my own scrub clothing brand for health care workers?"

  • It was a busy time

    Serena was working while on maternity leave as a clinical instructor and casual for our local Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

    With zero experience as a business owner, Serena got busy researching in and outs.

    Designed the logo, created a website, ordered clothing samples, started advertising and getting her brand out there.

  • lux scrubs in 2021

    1-100

    After the logistics were mostly complete and she was satisfied with the sample, Serena ordered 100 sets of scrubs in hot pink, navy and black.

    She packed orders in her living room, delivered packages in between shifts at the hospital with 2 kids in the back seat.

  • Sold out!

    Sold the first 100 sets in the first 3 days! Thankful to the power of social media, reaching people across Canada!

Round 2

  • hunter green lux scrubs

    New Drop

    After the first launch went so well, Serena restocked in August 2021 and brought in a few new colours and another scrub style.

  • lux scrubs pop up table at nexus health and fitness

    First Pop Up

    To help get her scrub brand out there, Serena held pop up shop at a local gym in Thunder Bay. She wanted to give people the opportunity to try on the scrubs!

  • black scrub top, purple scrub top, hunter green scrub top, grey scrub top, navy scrub top, black scrub set, burgundy scrub set, navy scrub set mens and womens scrubs lux scrubs

    Introduced the Mens Line

    The second launch sold out just as quick as the first! Serena introduced mens scrubs and a few more colours to the womens scrub line.

  • Let's throw a puppy into the chaos!

    Meet Rocky our rotti

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2022

  • Embroidery!

    In early 2022, Lux started to offer custom embroidery on scrubs + introduced new products!

    The nightshift, dayshift jackets and compression socks!

  • More Pop Ups!

    Serena attended another pop up in Thunder Bay, at Goods and Co Market.

  • New Job in the Cath Lab!

    Serena took a part time temporary job as a registered nurse in the cardiac cath lab. This was always one of her goals and she shortly after gained a permanent position there in 2022!

  • Bulk Orders

    The growth of Lux really began when bulk orders started! Serena was selling jackets to local hospitals, clinics with customized embroidery and personalized names on the chest or sleeves.

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The fun begins

  • More Embroidery!

    Lux sold customized scrubs to local schools and clinics.

  • Still in the Basement!

    Serena still working her part time job in the cath lab and packing scrubs during any and all free time.

  • Influencers

    Serena started utilizing social media a bit more and hired 2 influencers to work with remotely.

  • Influencer Marketing

    The use of influencers and tiktok really helped Lux grow and meet more people who needed scrubs!

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2023

  • Local Market

    Lux joined a local market and participated in weekly events.

    Unfortunately managing the online orders, kids, life and working as a nurse - the market wasn't the best choice at this time.

  • More photoshoots

    Thankful for good friends!

    Serena would have coffee with her girlfriends and somehow have the girls in scrubs + one of her besties photographing!

  • Mom life

    Running a business, especially starting one from nothing is not exactly giving the freedom you hope to have in the beginning. My kids have been along my side through the thick of it.

  • Always ready for a photo moment

    How cute is the cath lab crew in these scrubs!

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The fun and not so fun times

  • 1500 jackets, yes?!

    For the first 2 years, you could say things were pretty smooth sailing (for the most part)
    The orders were controlled, small and offered on a instock basis.
    Once the bulk orders started, things began to get a bit more complicated and as I was still running a one man show, it got very hectic behind the scenes.

  • Finally out of the basement!

    Officially moved into a permanent office spot in Thunder Bay!

  • Hired an Employee!

    Finally hired an employee to help out in the Lux office and attend some local pop ups

  • In house embroidery

    Lux was receiving so many orders for customization. Serena was having an impossible time finding anyone local to do the embroidery so she purchased an embroidery machine and taught her self (with YouTube) how to do it.

    It was a nightmare, but eventually she figured it out!

  • New Scrubs for the Cath Lab!

    Somehow convinced my manager to order Lux for the staff in the Cath Lab in Thunder Bay!

  • The biggest restock + biggest mistakes

    Decided to try out a new supplier in 2023, this lead to tons of returns and exchanges with customers needing new sizes.

    (A learning moment)

  • Custom School Scrubs

    Once the sizing error was figured out, the custom embroidery turned out really good!

  • Kept on going

    Trialed out embroidering some cute christmas t shirts!

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Hello 2024

  • Another round of disaster happened

    Just as things were really starting to pick up. I just received a new shipment of scrub colours in hunter green and pink - I had over 150 packages stolen or lost...(Still unknown what happened).
    I had a pick up booked with UPS and Canada Post, without knowing about 3 weeks later I started receiving a ton of emails of people not receiving there scrubs... when I looked up the tracking they all said "label created, no further update"
    I was actually away on vacation at this time, pretty helpless.
    I had to replace, refund and reship out all the missing packages basically leaving me with no inventory and at a loss from the last restock.
    Another lesson learned the hard way.

  • Obviously I had to keep going

    I decided to use the learning curves and lack of inventory as motivation to continue learning the logistic side of running a business. Up until this point (March 2024), I basically was learning on the fly and figuring things out as I went along.

  • Had a girls trip

    A fun weekend getaway..

    until another disaster hits

    (I could not make this up if I tried)

  • The phone call you hope to never receive

    My boyfriend has had a cardiac diagnosis of Wolf Parkinson's White (since birth) with no previous episodes.
    For some reason, his life almost got taken on Easter Sunday 2024. He had told me he was feeling unwell that morning and his heart was "not beating normal"
    He drove himself to the hospital (I was out of town), and didn't make it. He had cardiac arrest - crashed his truck through a hydro pole, a by stander broke his truck window and started CPR.
    I raced home from Arizona (as fast as one can to little Thunder Bay). He was intubated for over 24 hours.
    He is 100% perfectly fine now. We had to spend over 1 week in Thunder Bay hospital and almost 2 weeks in Toronto hospital (16 hours away from Thunder Bay).
    He received 2 ablations and was monitored very closely afterwards.
    We are so thankful to everyone involved in his care.

  • Making the best of it

    Unfortunately, as a business owner, there are no sick days and when you take time off, you have a mountain of to do's when your back.

  • Transparency

    Serena does her best to be transparent with her customers. As a small business owner and also a human, she tends to share (and maybe overshare), but wants her customers to understand and feel apart of the journey.

  • Back to it

    Still no restock, trying to get life back in order, keep up with the emails, take care of the kids, and yes work as a nurse still.

  • Something New

    Since Serena had a rough year (and no inventory), she kept working on learning the logistics side of running a business.

    She joined Paro, a Womens Entrepreneur Centre.

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Learning New Things

  • Started a Business Course

    Joined a 12 week course with Paro called Elevate.
    Met a group of other women business owners

  • The longest restock wait

    Finally as the months went on, issues occurred with my supplier, shipping delays, customs and trademarking issues, popped up. I couldn't catch a break, but I continued to learn and work on my business behind the scenes.

  • Bulk Orders

    Finally, received a new (huge) order from 23 clinics in Southern Ontario.

    I had no idea this is the route my business was taking, but I truly love the idea of helping hospitals managers and clinics get rid of the square cardboard box shaped scrubs - and get their employees feeling good and into comfy sets of Lux!

  • Go for the Greens

    With the help of Paro, I attended a trade mission in Orlando Florida! I had received a government grant to attend.
    Super amazing, eye opening experience.
    Met a ton of outstanding business professionals from Amazon, Walt Disney, NASA (to name a few), and made friends with a group of amazing girls who are also small business owners.

  • Family is #1

    Spending time with the most important ones as much as I can

  • New Product!

    The dayshift jacket was loved so much by you, I decided to bring in a mini version!

    My daughter is in gymnastics and it's the perfect jacket for her!

  • New Pop Up! Nov 2024

    New employee! New Pop up!

    Trying out Goods and Co Market for a 1.5month period to see if a retail location would be worth while in the future!

  • Looking up!

    Finally starting to receive my new restock just in time for Christmas!

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What's Next

  • Growth

    Currently, my plan with Lux is to continue to bring in fun new scrub colours and introduce more sizing and style options.
    I am 100% a women owned business and working on my certification in Canada and the We Connect International Certification.
    I have a plan to attend more trade mission conferences in 2025. Hopefully I can connect with the right supplier diversity managers and introduce them to Lux for their employees!
    Thanks for reading and being apart of my journey.