Oct 6, 20234 min read

Surround Yourself with other AMAZING Women (Part 1)

I have been so lucky to have found some amazing women to surround myself with. I feel it is so important that we raise each other up vs. tearing each other down. I want to spotlight some of these amazing women in my little world. As a woman, you can do whatever you want to do in life. We need to hear all the amazing stories that women are doing to change the world.

The first woman that I want to talk about is Dr. Bekah Anderson. Dr. Anderson is an Orthodontist who owns a practice on Johns Island, SC. She was my Orthodontist and now I can say turned friend. When I talk about divine timing, she was it. She is one of the most caring and supportive healthcare providers I know. She was meant to be on this earth healing and helping others. I had the most amazing lunch with Dr. Bekah the other day. We caught up on life, and talked about our babies (we were pregnant at the same time). I was also able to ask her some questions about her journey to where she is now. The goal is so other women can hear and know they can do anything they put their minds to.

Without further ado, let's learn more about Dr. Anderson's story.

Hi friend, I am so happy we are meeting to do this! Thank you for sharing your story. The first question I have is, what made you want to be an orthodontist?

I had braces for what felt like forever when I was growing up and even ended up having jaw surgery to fix my smile. I had a wonderful relationship with my own orthodontist throughout the process, and when I saw how much my experience changed my life, I knew I had to be able to do this for others.

This is so amazing. So, once you were on your path, how much schooling was required?

I did 4 years of undergrad, 1 year of a Master's, 4 years of dental school, and 3 years of orthodontics residency. That school journey is so long but well worth it! When did you know you wanted also to be a business owner?

My mom was a business owner, so I watched her in a similar role as I grew up. I was always so blown away by her productivity and confidence, and definitely wanted to emulate her as much as possible. I was also attracted to the fact that I could build a practice that

would allow me to treat patients exactly the way I wanted to. Ultimately, when my husband and I were deciding where we wanted to live after residency, opening my own practice made the most sense.

And now you are a momma! yay! How has it been balancing being a mom, business owner, and doctor?

It has been a challenge! My office was still fairly young when I got pregnant, so it was taxing to be in growth-mode while feeling all of the physical and mental strain that comes with pregnancy. Even more challenging was figuring out how to strike a balance once my son was born. I'm actually super grateful for the timing of his arrival, though, because I think he forced me to slow down in some areas, learn to be hyper-productive in others, and draw healthy boundaries between my professional and personal life. I finally feel like I have a great handle on the balance of these important parts of my life. The next challenge will be to maintain a balance when we hopefully grow our family further!

I think the next couple of questions are my favorite! What would you want to tell your past self knowing what you know now?

This sounds cheesy, but I'd tell myself to enjoy the ride. The path to where I am now has been long and definitely tough at times, but also so incredibly rewarding. I've made so many lasting friendships in my different stages of life and feel like I've been able to experience so much. I wouldn't trade any of it! It's easy to get caught up in stressful seasons, but I think finding the joyous parts of every stage is what life is all about. What advice would you give other women pursuing your field, or entrepreneurship, or both?

Stick with it! Like I mentioned before, it's a long road. There will be tough times and there will be wonderful times. If it's really what you want to do, make it happen. I still have so much more growing to do, but DANG I feel proud of myself for what I've accomplished so far. I promise that investing in yourself is worth it!

You are so awesome, Dr. Anderson and I know other women will read your story and feel so inspired! Thank you for making my teeth look beautiful, sharing our pregnancy journey together, and just being an overall amazing human!

You can get more information on Dr. Anderson and her practice at Holy City Orthodontics Instagram @holycityorthodontics