How Optimal IV Hydration founder Roxy Selzer is helping the Upper Cumberland rethink preventative wellness
From Southern Roots to the Upper Cumberland
For Roxy Selzer, founder of Optimal IV Hydration, the path to entrepreneurship began long before opening her doors in Cookeville.
Originally from Southern California, Selzer spent her childhood visiting Livingston, Tennessee, where her grandparents would eventually retire. Years later, that connection would bring her back to the region.
“My husband and I moved to Nashville in 2015 when I went to nursing school,” Selzer shared.
Her medical career started even earlier. More than 20 years ago, she began working as a phlebotomist and quickly discovered she had a natural talent for IVs. That skill followed her through nursing school and into her work in the ICU and surgical settings. While living in Nashville, Selzer also began working as an IV hydration nurse on the side, an experience that sparked her deeper interest in functional wellness and preventative health.
“Of course I believe in western medicine. I’m a nurse,” she said. “But functional wellness has its place too.”
Turning Recovery Into Purpose
The idea for Optimal IV Hydration was born during Selzer’s own recovery journey.
In 2023, she faced a life threatening medical emergency that required surgery and a blood transfusion. During the long road back to health, she searched locally for IV hydration options that included higher doses of vitamin C and glutathione. None existed at the time.
“I jokingly said maybe I’ll start my own IV business,” Selzer recalled.
That offhand comment quickly became reality when, just a few months later in February 2024, Optimal IV Hydration opened its doors in Cookeville.
A Different Approach to Wellness
For Selzer, wellness is about balance, prevention, and understanding how the body functions on a comprehensive level.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how the body works at the cellular level,” she explained. “For me, wellness is asking what I can do to support my body before I get sick.”
That preventative mindset is one of the most common misconceptions she hopes to change.
“People think they only need an IV when they are sick,” Selzer said. “But consistent hydration and vitamins can make a huge difference in how you feel and how your body functions.”
At Optimal IV Hydration, the goal is not only to help clients recover but to support them in everyday life. Busy professionals, athletes in training, pregnant mothers, and individuals focused alike benefit from the services provided by Selzer and her team.
Building Wellness in Cookeville
Opening a wellness-centric business in a smaller community came with some uncertainty, but Selzer says the response has exceeded expectations.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the community has been,” she said. “People are curious and open to learning how this can fit into their lives.”
The clinic was designed to reflect that same spirit of acceptance and openness. Selzer intentionally created a space that feels comfortable and inviting while still maintaining the professionalism clients expect from a medical environment.
One of the most rewarding parts of this approach has been supporting pregnant mothers throughout their pregnancies and then meeting their babies afterward.
“That connection is really special,” she said. “You really build a relationship with those families along the way.”
Looking Toward the Future
As Optimal IV Hydration continues to grow, Selzer’s vision is expanding as well. Her long term dream is to develop a larger wellness center offering additional services and modalities such as peptides and other treatments.
More than anything, she hopes the business will be appreciated for something simple.
“I want people to know that we truly care about them,” Selzer said. “This is not just a business for me. My nursing heart is always going to come first.”
By Chelsea Dartez edited by Andrew Buckner, Photos by Emily Armstrong
