Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Anais Avery.
Dr. Avery, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My very first love is dentistry. It was a dream I chased the majority of my childhood into adulthood. I would be lying if I said it was easy and the path was straight and narrow for me. It was hard work. It was many failures and lessons learned along the way. It lead to my blog, Dr. LoveYourSmile. I started it my last year of dental school, but I’ve really focused on it within the past year. I created it mainly because when becoming a doctor most people only see the final product. They don’t see all of the hard work, long hours, and denials that come with it. People that claim they want it, get one denial and then change what they want in life. That was not me at all. It made me more determined to reach my goal and accomplish my dreams. I wanted people to see it, to see someone’s failures, but also see that I was still able to place DR. in front of my name like I’ve always wanted.
Also within the last year, Cake Flare was born. Cake Flare is my family-owned bakery. My is GREAT in the kitchen and she has always loved baking. Her hand skills are impeccable when it comes to decorating these cakes. The intricacies of certain ideas and her ability to replicate them kept me in awe, so when she wanted more for her business, so did I. She mentioned multiple times how she wanted to turn her side hustle into a profitable business. So, as a family, we all sat down and started Cake Flare. There are learning curves and mountains we’ve climbed like any other business, but the progression that I see tells me we are doing a good job and it makes me very excited for our future.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. Specifically, becoming a dentist was extremely hard and trying. Many people don’t realize that the majority don’t get into dental school on their first apply-that was me. I also had to retake my licensure because I failed a portion of it my first time taking it. There were MANY other failures along the way, but these are the things that happen so frequently to other students and no one ever outwardly speaks of them. No one wants the world to know of their failures, as if it’s toxic to admit or for anyone watching for motivation. I was once that person that thought I had to be perfect to become a doctor. It all turned out to be false. My advice to other people is that if you fail, then don’t be afraid to say it. I had no problem sharing these things because that’s how I obtained help. Who can you get help from if no one ever knows you need it?
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My 8AM-5PM job is a general dentist. After work and on the weekends, I create content for my blog, Dr.LoveYourSmile, and work on what needs to be done with Cake Flare–this can range from creating marketing strategies to baking.
I think the biggest thing that sets me apart from others is authenticity, my yearning to know more, and organizational skills. Many people want to be entrepreneurs or own a business, but don’t want to put in the work for it. Being organized is also extremely important because I have three ‘titles’ and the only way I can manage it all is by keeping a strict calendar and/or check a list of things that need to be done or places I need to be. And my need to know more is helpful during any given time I am watching videos or doing research on dentistry, researching marketing tools for Cake Flare, or researching blog content. If there are obstacles that I can avoid by listening to others say ‘don’t do this’ or ‘don’t do that’, then I want to know about them. My ability to learn from other people’s mistakes definitely sets me apart.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I am a huge Myleik Teele fan. She has a podcast that I definitely try not to miss. She seems to be a very straightforward person, she’s shared her struggles and her success with no problems. She’s extremely blunt, helpful, but not an enabler.
The one book that I keep on my nightstand is, You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. If ever I need to be reminded that I can do something, even if it seems hard, that’s my go-to read. It lights a fire in me every time.
Contact Info:
- Website: Cakeflare.com, drloveyoursmileblog,wordpress.com, hiramdentalgroup.com
- Email: cakeflare@gmail.com, loveyoursmiledds17@gmail.com
- Instagram: @cakeflare, @drloveyoursmile
Image Credit:
Warren Borders
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
