We recently connected with Dr Duane Frisby and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Dr Duane with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I got my work ethic from my God-Father who would later on adopt me. He was a mentor to my biological dad that fathered me when he was still in high school My God-father was a community social worker in Downtown Baltimore when he met my biological dad at the age of 14. My biological dad would have me when he was 16 and then he decided to go into the armed forces at the age of 17 to support his family. He would later come back home and conceive another child as well start to engage in self destructive behaviors. My God-father decided to adopt me at the age of two and take on being a full time parent.. We would have to move around a lot because he was constantly trying to find better ways to take care of us. Finally landing in Bronx , NY in the late 80s, my dad made sure that i was constantly engulfed in the community. he sent me to private school, i had to do community service every week and we attended church every Sunday. The harsh realties of growing up in an urban jungle of NYC made it a difficulty sometimes with my dad being a single parent to always keep me sheltered. Instead, he decided to show me how harsh life was and made me understand that we have choices in life. He provided a solid understanding of how to establish boundaries but also have a follow up plan. My dad would make me read the New York Times every week and he would ask me to provide a summary of things. He gave me life building skills at a young age and would always teach me something new weekly about being a better version of myself. My dad want just my parent, he was a role model to many Black and Latino youths in the community who didn’t have a male “father” figure within their households. My dad always taught me to be humble and treat people with respect. He empowered me with confidence as well as compassion. My dad would work early moorings and late nights to make sure we were taking care of. He made me understand that you have to make sacrifices early on to be successful later. He had a saying… “the party is almost over…” I never fully understood that statement until i became a dad myself to a daughter. It meant that once the fun is over, what will you do…..? That you need to work hard to play hard. That you need to put in the work effort when no one is watching…that makes you legendary. He would pass away in 2011 when my daughter was three and I was 28. He was able to talk to me right before passing away and we enjoyed a joke….its great that he saw me brought into this world and I saw him gracefully leave.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a owner of a medical firm that specializes in Preventative Wellness. I also own a mental health & substance app focusing on therapeutic modalities for Unions, EAPs, and Veterans/First Responders/Law Enforcement I have just created a new company focusing o Wound Care and Virtual Health in rural areas. I’m also a huge philanthropist. I want to provide free healthcare to families in rural and urban areas.. My team has a nonprofit called Help House that provides community based services to Women and Children in low income communities. We are currently working with other nonprofits to build orphanage’s in several countries (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and The Philippines). We have partnered with World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders to help bring supplies and services to those countries who are in need. We have partnered with entities outside of the states to combat Human Trafficking and providing a haven for those who were affected.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My three skills was being a highly optimistic, being outspoken, and unorthodox. All three of these attributes allowed me to step outside “of the box” and set high standards for those to follow. I always prefer to be the person who is highly logical and challenges those around me to work harder. The best way for a person to improve themselves is to surround yourself with people that will keep you accountable.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“Invisible Man” …I read this book when i was 12 and it gave me the blueprint to what will happen to me in life and ways for me to overcome it It showed that people will see you but not “SEE” you…..People will only see what you give them….STAND OUT! You control the narrative so be great!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.linkedin.com/in/duanefrisby
