We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Janelle Davison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Janelle, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
All my life, even as a young teenager, I have been intentional about building my confidence and self-esteem. I learned at an early age to block out nay-sayers and negativity. Everyone is not going to like me, everyone is not going to like my clothing style, how I wear my hair, or the tone of my skin, and that is alright!
How someone feels about me doesn’t impact how I move in this world.
I try to focus on being the best version of myself, speaking positivity, paying it forward, and surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. Over the years my circle has gotten smaller.
Things I do to boast my confidence.
– Praying for strength and a sound mind
– Reciting daily affirmations that are inspiring and uplifting (bible verses, Poems, and quotes).
– Taking time out for myself each day. I have a nightly routine and skincare regimen which allows me to spend 15-20 minutes alone in front of a mirror pampering myself.
– Monthly anti-aging facials with a professional esthetician. If you look good, you feel good.
– Pay it forward- I spend a lot of time mentoring and counseling young women of color interested in becoming an optometrist.
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 an optometrist (eye doctor) with a love for all things eyes, however, I have a true passion for diagnosing and treating dry eye disease. Millions of Americans suffer daily from symptoms of dry eye disease, it is a multifactorial, chronic, and progressive condition.
I started my private practice 15 years ago in Metro-Atlanta, I am the only minority female-owned private eye clinic in my county. As a solo practicing optometrist, I grew my practice from zero to over 12,000 patients in less than 10 years. According to a 2012 survey conducted by the American Optometric Association, Solo owner optometrists reported an average of 6,261 active patients. I am well ahead of the curve.
The most exciting part of my job is helping people restore their sight or reduce debilitating eye symptoms (pain, burning, or watery eyes) so that they can return to their daily functions and recreational activities.
I am also the co-founder with my sister, Dr. Joya Lyons, of a 501c3 STEM non-profit S.C.O.R.E, Inc. My organization allows me to use our story as an example of how unwavering faith, perseverance, and determination can make any life goal attainable and achievable. My organization provides young women with the tools, skills, and confidence needed to empower, encourage, and expose them to STEM-Related careers. Her goal is to decrease the disparity gap among young minority women pursuing STEM degrees and careers.
I recently stepped into the tech arena, in 2019, I cofounded with my husband, a cloud-based optometry technology software that allows optical retailers to bundle all frame and lens options. Paradeyem Optical Software Solution is the first and only to allow “bundled” frame + lens options for both private pay and vision care plans. Also, the software pulls in patient copays and seamlessly calculates all patient out-of-pocket charges reducing the patient optician transaction time by 50%.
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?
Looking back on my journey three character traits have gotten me past several obstacles and challenges- faith, perseverance, and determination.
As the eldest child of a Baptist minister, faith has always been my foundation. My unwavering faith in God has been my secret weapon. If it is his well, what is for me will be for me.
Faith without works is dead so, I always dig deep and keep pushing forward in the direction of my goal. Lastly, I don’t take no for an answer, I am always thinking of a way to bring my own table or chair to the boardroom.
My advice for others on their journey is don’t wavier, keep the faith, and keep moving toward your goals.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As I stated, I recently stepped into the tech arena. I developed and launched the software in the optical retail space. The software is a game changer in modernizing the patient shopping experience for frames and lenses in the private retail optical landscape as well as it helps to generate better profit margins for business owners.
As a black woman in tech in the optical field, my resources and financial support are limited. My partner and I won an inaugural Eyes on Eye Care Innovation Grant in 2022, however, we are looking to collaborate with companies interested in supporting technological advancement in the field of optometry; support including both mentoring and financial opportunities.
To learn more about Paradeyem Optical Solutions, visit our website at www.paradeyem.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.paradeyem.com, www.thedryeyementor.com
- Instagram: @drjanelleOD
- Facebook: @drjanelleOD
- Linkedin: @drjanellod
Image Credits
Images Headshot taken by Cat Harper Photography
