Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Sarah Vidal McMurtry.
Hi Dr. McMurtry, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story starts from humble beginnings, but the main takeaway from my story is the level of impact and empowerment that comes from humble beginnings. I started out as a young girl from Madison Mississippi, excited about life and ready to live life to my greatest potential. During my journey, I experienced many hardships that would discourage me from my goals. However, it were these hardships that motivated me and molded me to become who I am.
As I studied and trained to become a psychologist, I met many people with similar journeys as I served as their supervisee, therapist, coworker, and mentor. I saw the similar rise in resilience in the face of so much trauma and pain. I saw many people work through and overcome trauma through my work and this also impacted me in my life. I know that being a psychologist allowed me exposure to incredible strength and vulnerability and change in a variety of ways. Working with families and children was my way of giving back while also striving to create a life that I was proud of.
During this period, I built a psychology practice. At the time, it was my lifeline. I was a single mom who valued being a mom just as much as I valued making an impact and growth in my professional and personal life. Though these moments were very challenging, My story as a mom is the highlight of my life and my story. I was able to have a flexible life through entrepreneurship to ensure that I was always in the mom role as a priority. This means the most to me. As I began to build my team, I also have overcome mental and emotional challenges with increased leadership and management of the business.
Now that I am CEO of two companies and a brand, I am learning to continue life choices that allow the platform for mental health and wellness while granting myself the opportunity to remain well and healthy. These choices led me to a different season in life where I am currently living bicontentially and creating well spaces the contribute to the mental health and wellness across international lines through my retreat services, Airbnb well spaces, and continual mental health and psychological services through the practice.
This was actually a challenging exercise in writing “my story.” I am at the point where my story has shifted. The struggles of yesterday has passed and I am now leaning in the wisdom of today to go deeper. My energy and tenacity has shifted more towards peace and gratitude and receiving the goodness that God has placed in my life. I hope that as I transition, I continue to learn more and take away more from the beautiful gift of life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At this point, I have learned to lean on my resilience from these obstacles moreso than clinging to the challenges. I’ve learned to release them just as I am learning to release the victories so that I can move on to newer, fresher opportunities and experiences. My shift has taught me that every obstacle was an opportunity to fail forward.
The lessons and wisdom that still stick with me today is my intersection of identities as a single teen mom, an educated doctor/psychologist, a person with significant financial concerns that led to homelessness the same year as attaining my doctorate degree and starting my career, and significant and multiple loss and traumas all while managing business.
Now that my daughter has graduated, I’ve married, actually become a homeowner, and am currently managing multiple businesses, I see that my past helped me arrive to this point. However, I can’t hold on to it. There are moments where fear of homelessness and financial burdens from the past rob me of my current peace and trust in God for what is happening in my present. The past pains from past obstacles rob us of our future hope. Thus, anytime I am reminded of those struggles, I am sure to focus on the protection, provision, and great potential I have because I made it through not just surviving those experiences but with the opportunity to thrive after those challenges.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Most people know me as Dr. Sarah Mac, owner of Perspectives, mother of Mikah Lynette, and as an incredibly dedicated businesswoman who specializes in closing health disparity gaps for treatment and diagnosis of child trauma, autism, and ADHD. However, I am blessed to be at a moment in my life where I can reconnect to who I really am…which is an incredibly creative being.
My life as a businesswoman was built out of surviving the challenges of my life. I had to create a way to raise my child and operate in my gifts that aligned with my values and skills. But now that my daughter is safe and on her own journey, I see that I have an opportunity to go back to me 🙂 This means that my gifts and desires are now my focus. I have been able to practice design and art and music and dance in a way that I never expected. Due to my work in Cartagena, Colombia, I have the opportunity to create retreats for health and wellness leaders that embody art, music, design, culture, and beauty. I also have the opportunity to design well spaces through Airbnb retreat rentals in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, I am just beginning to lean into my love for the creative process, and am seeing how my experience in business and psychology makes this new season much more exciting.
I am most proud to be the owner of an internationally operated Black and Brown company that provides wellness retreats to leaders and caregivers who need rejuvenation and revitalization to live a life of love and legacy. I’ve always been different and by really leaning into the things that God has placed in my heart, I’ve found a way to honor myself and also impact both Colombians and Americans through service, wellness and health and also provide my family with exposure to life beyond our current circumstances.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Atlanta is great for Black enterprise and enterprise in general. Growing up in and around Jackson Mississippi, I learned early on that business, ideas, and efforts can be redlined or blackballed through exposure to the experiences of various business owners as I grew in Mississippi. I didn’t realize I harbored fears of my own business being taken from me until I was well into the development of my team and I had a conversation with my dad about the growth of a company. He discussed the many strategies that he used to protect and grow his business in Jackson, Mississippi, which eventually dissolved despite success, skill, and talent. The impacts of the cultural environment, along with resource management at the time, limited the success of his company. Growing up with the realities of what it “felt” like as a child when a business rupture is something that I carried with me in fear of doing the same for my daughter. However, Atlanta (as well as the cultural and generational progression) proved to be a bit of a safe haven for me. It allowed me space to fail forward and to learn and grow and access resources and mentors and opportunities to grow and develop.
What I like least? Well honestly, I really like our city. I think there are challenges just like all cities, but I appreciate seeing the growth and development and enterprise of people within our communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drsarahmac.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_sarahmac/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perspectives.psy.resources
Image Credits
Photos are property of Vidal Magnolia Enterprises, LLC and show various retreats hosted by Dr. Sarah Mac
