Meet Carolyn Dean MD ND

We recently connected with Carolyn Dean MD ND and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?

My approach to risk is deeply rooted in my upbringing. More specifically, it’s rooted in a philosophy I learned from my dad: ‘Never say no, and never give up.’ It’s a mentality that transformed his life and, by extension, my own.

He exemplified this something special during his time serving in World War II. His commander in the war asked if he knew anything about ‘caterpillars’. My dad, imagining the insect, confidently replied, ‘Sure thing, sir.’ That ‘sure thing’ landed him in charge of a fleet of heavy-duty Caterpillar tractors! You can imagine the degree of shock and discomfort one could feel to discover what was really being asked of them. What I learned from my dad, though, was his ability to boldly adapt and excel at whatever he was asked to do.

My Dad had just a ninth-grade level of education growing up, but he was wise and courageous beyond his years. Years later, after the war, his mettle was again tested with another life situation. A local business owner needed an accountant for his welding company. My dad, despite his limited level of education, didn’t hesitate. He said ‘sure thing’ once more, then immediately took it upon himself to sit in on bookkeeping and accounting classes at the local university. He taught himself everything he needed to know, and, would you believe it, he eventually bought the company!

I’ve learned through my dad that the key to risk-taking isn’t an innate talent; it’s a learned skill. The best way to develop that skill is through willingness to figure it out, call upon help when it was warranted, and lean on your own audacity to say yes!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Dr. Carolyn Dean developed her diverse medical education by researching nutrients, homeopathy, and other alternative therapies almost 5 decades ago while studying to be an MD at Dalhousie Medical School, Halifax, Nova Scotia. After she graduated, Dr. Carolyn Dean began to integrate her application of alternative therapies alongside traditional allopathic medicine as she became one of the first functional medicine doctors in Canada. Her credentials included training as a certified dietician-nutritionist, naturopath, and Chinese Medicine herbalist and she used those modalities in her private practice and subsequent work in Canada, the United States, and in the international communities to which she traveled and served.
In 2004, Dr. Dean continued her remarkable career when she became a best-selling author of her landmark thesis on magnesium supplementation, The Magnesium Miracle®. Published by Random House and revised in 2017, The Magnesium Miracle® has become the most highly referenced publications on magnesium by both health care practitioners and consumers alike providing insight and application in the role of magnesium in health and the remedy of magnesium deficiency through supplementation.
In 2023, after being a lifelong advocate of fresh food and organic farming, Dr Dean founded ParaGenius Foundation–a Maui-based public charity committed to build a healthier community by supporting sustainable organic agriculture. The charity empowers local farmers and communities with resources and education, fostering resilience and curiosity across the food value chain.
ParaGenius is excited to launch two important initiatives for the community, both involving wellness education. Learn more at parageniusfoundation.org.
And if you’re ever on Maui, you can find her volunteering for her weekly community farmers market and offering a monthly wellness lecture on a range of important health topics.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’d say my three qualities are all related:

1-Keep a good attitude. Our attitude is ours to cultivate and steer, amidst the unknown and sometimes turbulent seas.

2-Adding to #1 is my working motto right now: BUILD YOUR BLISS.
Be the CEO of your own joy, not just your business!

3-Finally, get to work!
Over the course of my life, I’ve found myself less about the talk and more about the walk. I see a need, and I plug myself in to help.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents connected me to wellness by growing food and flowers in their simple backyard garden. It felt so good to get my hands in the dirt, to help, to watch things grow that would feed us or bring beauty to our environment. My lifelong journey through medicine, through becoming a key volunteer and advocate to a family farm enterprise, and now through founding ParaGenius Foundation, can all stem back to that first, sweet invitation–to connect with the land and together create something life-affirming.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://parageniusfoundation.org
• Instagram: @drcarolyndean
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarolyndean
• Youtube: @drcarolyndeanmdnd4601