We recently connected with Macie Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Macie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

Well, I never thought I would actually be my own boss and run my own company, but God and my husband knew. You see, other people had more confidence in me than I had in myself; but that has definitely changed. I’ve learned during the past few years to bet on me, not some of the time, but all of the time; and when it wasn’t considered appropriate or popular.

So, in establishing my Geriatric Care Management Company, I had to first master the art and the craft of person-centered care and dementia-competent care. Working with people can be challenging, in and of itself; but, working with people with significant medical and cognitive conditions can be even more so challenging. But, lucky for me, I love a good challenge.

Once I was confident in the work I was doing and I was able to actually see that lives were changed as a result of my interventions; I needed to seek validation from recipients of my services. I know I’ve heard some entrepreneurs say that you don’t need validation, but I beg to differ, you DO need validation, but it’s all about from whom you receive said validation that’s of the utmost importance.

I sought written validation from my clients and from conference attendees who had the opportunity to hear me speak. It’s always good to refer back to what people are saying and thinking about your work (you always want to get evaluations in writing). And then, I just went for it! I got all my legal paperwork in order, and I was in business.

My transition to entrepreneurship was fairly seamless, especially since I had already made a name for myself in the industry as Dr. Macie, affectionately known as “The Dementia Lady”. Although opening was fairly seamless because I am a healthcare practitioner, I lacked the marketing acumen to effectively and efficiently market my business. I spent a lot of money on traditional marketing (i.e. radio, television, etc) and digital marking (i.e. social media, google ads, etc) with no real plan in sight.

So, I would recommend to young professionals who are considering opening up their own practice, as they are developing their business plan, please please incude a marketing plan, as well. And don’t be afraid to seek assistance where necessary and watch tutorials to build capacity in unfamiliar territories.

Macie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a licensed social worker, gerontologist, television personality, a public speaker, a social media influencer, and the owner and operator of a Geriatric Care Management and Training company, Diversified Training Consultants Group, LLC. I began building my brand after attaining my Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership with a specialization in Adult Education. My first job in the industry was working with adults with intellectual, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. I loved what I was doing, and I was good at it. I was good at seeing people more for their abilities and less for their inabilities, as we all have them. My passion has always been to activate the fight in people and help them to see their worth.

As a leader in Alzheimer’s and dementia care, I provide support to caregivers who are caring for those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia through individualized and group education and training and family consultations. The information that I provide to caregivers is simple, tangible, relatable, and applicable; they can take what I teach and apply it to their caregiving journey that day.

Caregivers have shared with me, and others, that the information they receive through my training and care consultations has reduced their stress and has afforded them the ability to be patient, compassionate, and empathetic to the needs of their loved one living with dementia. And because the caregiver is now less stress, so is the person living dementia; thereby, promoting quality of living for both the caregiver and their loved one.

Because of my success providing real-world information in a way that is not stigmatized or “heavy,” I’ve landed a spot on the Saltbox TV streaming channel, available to watch on Roku and Amazon FireTV. My health/wellness show, Just Ask Dr. Macie, provides support to caregivers 24/7. My YouTube Channel, Just Ask Dr. Macie, The Social Gerontologist, also is blossoming with caregiver training and education.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I had to go back, I still would want to work with the senior population, but I think I would want to be a journalist who covers all the great things that seniors are doing, while also providing information on things they need to know. All too often stories aren’t centered around seniors, unless it’s a tragedy or it’s their birthday. Seniors have so much to offer, and I would want to be sure to highlight that, often. Although I am not on traditional media outlets, now, I am a core component of the new media movement, and I will continue to use my platform to uplift seniors and their families and address real world issues that not affect older adults, but everyone with a brain.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I think that building relationships are just as important and building your skillset. Maintaining meaningful and intentional relationships help build your brand and afford your customers/clients a broader range of support services; but you want the relationships to be mutually beneficial so the benefits can be reciprocal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bookdrmacie.com
• Instagram: @drmaciep
• Facebook: @drmaciep
• Twitter: @drmaciep
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/justaskdrmacie

Image Credits
Terrell Maxwell Photography, Studios