An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Realizing Your Worth. Competition: Having a competitor. Denied Access. Engaging Pain to Use as Fuel. Learning to Get Back Up and Pivot.
As a part of my series about “Grit: The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success” I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kamika Baylor, PharmD.
Dr. Baylor, Is a Pharmacist, Functional Medicine Professional, and Goal Chaser.
Successful in her weight loss journey with a 170-pound weight loss since 2002. Driven by a positive weight loss surgery experience; she aims to help others attain their weight loss goals as she has done, with dedication, discipline, and accountability. Ultimately, Dr. Baylor’s desires to function solely as a weight loss surgery consultant. Focusing on coaching and providing guidance to individuals on weight loss journeys, while striving to be the go-to functional medicine professional in the bariatric community.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what events have drawn you to this specific career path
I studied Pharmacy at Loma Linda School of Pharmacy. Upon completion of Pharmacy school, I went on to work for CVS Health, the largest drug chain in America. I was a successful Pharmacist In charge but after years of service I became burnt out and had to leave retail. I am now a Clinical Pharmacist with CVS Specialty. Still, I was in search of something different and more geared towards wellness. I began researching more holistic medicine and genomics. As a result, I became very interested in Functional Medicine. I was looking to learn more about wellness and root cause of illness. I saw in this area a way I could help people change health outcomes by examining the factors that caused the issue to begin with and at the root.
Can you share your story about “Grit and Success”? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
I was born and raised in the inner cities of Los Angeles; CA. I was brought up in a Christian home with a pastor for grandfather. From a young age I dreamed of being either a doctor or minister’s wife. The latter did not happen but by the grace of God and support of my family. I went on to become the 1st doctor in my family. I had to overcome so many disadvantages to reach my goal, gritting down by shear will.
As a child, I was overweight and consistently gained more and more weight until 2002. I don’t remember a time when was not on at diet. Growing up the fat kid was not easy in school and at home. Kids and adults were mean sometimes. I would try out for sports and would not get picked. I made the dance team but could not fit the costumes. Being denied access to basic activities. However, I credit that mean treatment and being denied for fueling my drive to lose weight and graduate college.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
At the age of 22, I made the best decision of my life regarding my weight and health. I had bariatric surgery. It was the tool I needed to maximize weight loss, change bad eating habits and understand portion control. I also developed a relationship with fitness and exercise. My weight loss journey was not an easy one. My own body was fighting against the changes. I craved carbs desperately and felt a physical withdrawal from sugar. This pain started a fire in me that spilled over into every issue in my life. I had to retrain my body and mind, bear down and resist returning to the old way of eating. That was one of the grittiest periods in my life.
So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?
Childhood obesity was rough to say the least. Treatment from my peers and elders could be abrasive at time. However, I credit that ill treatment for fueling my drive to lose weight, and graduate college. Without the drive of proving the naysayers wrong I probably would not have had the grit to forge through.
Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop Grit? (Please share a story or example for each)
- Realizing Your Worth
- Competition: Having a competitor
- Denied Access
- Engaging Pain to Use as Fuel
- Learning to Get Back Up and Pivot
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped you when things were tough? Can you share a story about that?
I will be forever grateful to my friend and classmate John for helping me through a tough time in school when my father became ill and passed away from cancer. I felt alone and alienated at the time being the only black American in my class of 70. I debated dropping out. He noticed when I missed class to visit my father in Hospice. So, he would get the assignment for me and study with me for exams. John was kind to me. His kindness in studying with me until I got the material down taught me that I could get up from this great loss. I could now pivot my focus back to my education. Little did I know he was facing his own health battle. John had kidney failure and was a transplant survivor. John become my inspiration and competition. Through his everyday battle with his health, he continued to show up every day and preform at a high level. His example determination in the face of adversity become my lever to reach. His dedication to finish pharmacy school ignited my tenacity to do the same. John had grit.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
It is my desire to use my skill sets as a pharmacist and functional medicine professional to make an impact on the bariatric community. For a long time, I was ashamed of how big I was before surgery. I realized that was a selfish mindset. It was time to get uncomfortable and share my story. Once I started to share my story so many people began to reach out to me for advice. Being I’m, a pharmacist people have easier access to me than their medical doctor. I thought why not help people. I pride myself on being a goal chaser because I’m at my best when I am working toward a goal and helping others meet goals. Applying this mentality to weight loss journeys is something I am driven to do.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Currently, I am working to launch my own functional medicine practice. It will provide virtual coaching and consulting for members of the bariatric community both pre and post op. I found over the years there’s a gap in care between when someone meets their goal and moving on to maintaining results. I want to fill that gap, so that people won’t experience weight re-gain.
What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive?
Level up to where you belong. You know you better than anyone else, what’s inside, and the awesomeness you are capable of. Do not let fear, circumstance or people stop you from achieving your goals. Focus on your vision, set deadlines, network, develop strategies and pivot if need be. Just don’t give up or let go.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Inspiring overweight youth to know their worth. Many of the kids in this group struggle with self-esteem issues which causes them to mask their true self. The movement would be to drive this message home. Getting to their hearts a loud “You are worth it!” Eventually they will know it and own it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Eating for Fuel, not eating to Feel” Far to often we use food as a coping mechanism, for enjoyment, and sometimes it can be a friend. We even call the good stuff comfort food. A big cultural change and mindset change must happen to put this lesson into effect. I had break cultural expectations, customs and change how my thinking to develop a health relationship with food.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
http://linkedin.com/in/kamika-baylor-pharm-d-9b9a8b1b9
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Dr Kamika Baylor Of Be Dynamic: Five Ways To Develop More ‘Grit’ was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
