Scale DSM Helps Owner Reimagine Business and Life
It might seem unthinkable now after winning multiple industry and community awards, but there was a time when Sue Hudson wasn’t sure if her business was going to make it.
In 2022, she opened an Ankeny location for IV Nutrition, a nationwide wellness company with locations across the country. A personal health struggle a few years before had led her to try IV therapy with strong results, and she wanted to provide an avenue for those in her community to create a healthier future.
But by 2024, she had run into roadblocks that caused her to question whether she could be successful. Hudson was building a business in a new and unfamiliar industry, and was struggling to communicate IV Nutrition’s value to potential customers and the surrounding community. She discovered systems, strategies and business fundamentals that she hadn’t encountered before as an immigrant entrepreneur.
Hudson felt exhausted and stretched thin.
“I knew I needed direction, clarity and a community that understood the challenges of building something from the ground up,” Hudson said.
Turning to the Scale DSM Business Accelerator
She learned about the Scale DSM Business Accelerator, a six-month program where participants meet every other week to learn about topics including business strategy and leadership, financial management, sales and marketing, talent and capital resources and developing a strategic growth action plan.
“I truly didn’t believe it was possible for someone like me to participate,” Hudson said. “As an owner-operator in a retail business that is open seven days a week, taking four hours away each week felt impossible. At the time, I thought passion, long hours and sheer determination would have to be enough.
“But I eventually realized that passion alone wasn’t going to carry me through.”
Under the direction of course instructor Ryan Bhattacharyya, Professor of Practice in Management and Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University, Hudson learned more about the practical skills needed to run a business, skills including managing finances, marketing and human resources.
The most important lesson, though, went beyond the basics. Scale DSM didn’t only give her the tools. It gave Hudson confidence, perspective and a framework to make stronger decisions, even during some of her most difficult moments. Hudson not only learned how to be a business owner, but how to be a leader and inspire others.
“I learned how to trust, how to delegate, and how to lead with intention,” she said. “I became a better leader and a better person. I gained clarity, confidence and the ability to make decisions that truly move my business forward.”
The results since graduating from the program have been transformational and life-changing.
In July of 2025, Suriya Chindawongse, the Ambassador of Thailand to the United States, visited IV Nutrition in Ankeny. Hudson, a Thai native, described this as a moment of deep pride and emotion.
In August of 2025, Hudson’s location was named Franchisee of the Year by IV Nutrition, which has more than 50 locations across the country. And in February of 2026, Hudson was named the Small Business Person of the Year by the Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce.
“When I was going through Scale DSM in 2024, I was not in a good place. I was facing challenges on every level, and I was tested in ways I never expected,” Hudson said. “Looking back now, I am so grateful that I didn’t give up during those hard days. Scale DSM and the people behind it gave me the strength, perspective and confidence to keep going.”
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