The Making Of Her

In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, Dr. Anissa Holmes shares the inner journey that transformed not just her career, but the way she leads, loves, and shows up in the world. While many know Anissa as a dentist, entrepreneur, and marketing leader, this episode goes far beyond titles and professions. It's a raw exploration of what happens when a woman stops shrinking herself to fit expectations and starts leading from truth instead of fear.

Anissa opens up about the unseen forces that shape so many high-achieving women: shame, imposter syndrome, people-pleasing, and the subconscious wounds we carry from childhood and early trauma. She speaks candidly about how these experiences influenced her leadership style, her relationship with money, and her tendency to operate in survival mode rather than alignment. Through profound self-work, surrender, and healing, Anissa shares how she moved from control to trust, from hustle to purpose, and from masculine overdrive into embodied, feminine leadership.

This episode is a powerful reminder that failure is never wasted, that leadership is about creating other leaders, and that true success comes from operating at the highest frequency: love. Whether you're navigating burnout, redefining success, or standing at the edge of your next evolution, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are and gently call you forward. What You Will Learn:

• Why so many women are taught to play small and how it shows up in leadership

• The link between childhood wounds, fear, and imposter syndrome

• How surrendering control can unlock greater freedom, creativity, and growth

• Redefining leadership as empowerment, not self-sacrifice

• Healing money stories and stepping into wealth without guilt

• Why purpose becomes clearer when you stop worrying about what others think

• How love, trust, and authenticity create sustainable success

This is not a conversation about doing more. It's a conversation about becoming more of who you already are.

About Dr. Anissa Holmes Dr. Anissa Holmes – Founder of Digital Floss | Marketing & Growth Strategist for Dental Practices Dr. Anissa Holmes is the visionary founder of Digital Floss, a premier marketing agency dedicated to helping dental practices elevate their brand, attract high-value patients, and maximize growth through cutting-edge digital strategies. With a background in marketing, business coaching, and practice management, Dr. Holmes has been at the forefront of revolutionizing how dentists leverage AI, social media, and content marketing to dominate their local markets. Through Digital Floss, she and her team specialize in crafting high-impact content, running digital ads, and training AI models to enhance engagement on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and X. Dr. Holmes' expertise in brand positioning, storytelling, and data-driven marketing has helped countless dental professionals scale their practices with efficiency and confidence. Beyond her agency, Dr. Holmes is a sought-after speaker and business strategist, empowering doctors with the tools to streamline operations, increase profitability, and create sustainable success. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dranissabroussard/

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this episode, join us as we dive deep into the essence of authentic leadership with Tracy Spears, a powerhouse speaker and author. Tracy shares her profound insights on what it means to lead from a place of wisdom rather than just holding a title. She discusses the common myths about high-achieving women, the importance of empathy and sensitivity in leadership, and the differences between seeking to be liked versus respected as a leader. Tracy also opens up about her personal leadership journey, defining moments that shaped her career, and her core beliefs on successful leadership. We explore the power of knowing your true north in leadership and in life. Understanding your inner wisdom can lead to authentic leadership and a stronger sense of authenticity in all that you do. This journey of self-discovery process can help you align your values and lead with purpose. Don't miss out on this enriching conversation that explores the true essence of leading powerfully with soul.

About Tracy Spears Meet Tracy Spears — powerhouse speaker, best-selling author, and unapologetic advocate for bold, authentic leadership. As the co-founder of the Exceptional Leaders Lab, Tracy has spent decades coaching high-performance individuals, Fortune 500 execs, and next-gen leaders to step into their voice, own their presence, and lead with vision. Her insights on identity, emotional intelligence, and the power of reinvention have transformed teams and inspired leaders across the globe. She's the author of What Exceptional Leaders Know and The Exceptional Leaders Playbook—two must-reads for anyone ready to ditch outdated leadership models and embrace a more empowered, human-first approach. Tracy brings equal parts strategy, soul, and straight talk to every room she's in—and this episode is no exception.

Connect with Tracy Spears: Website: www.tracyspears.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracylspears LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracylspears

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home.

Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this solo episode of It's Not That Deep, Dr. Meghna Dasani unpacks one of the most misunderstood traits in leadership: softness. Not the passive kind. Not the people-pleasing kind. But the strategic, regulated, biologically intelligent softness that makes leaders more effective, influential, and resilient.

We explore why softness is not the absence of strength, but strength without tension. When your nervous system is regulated, your brain shifts out of survival mode and into executive function — improving decision-making, communication, perception, and emotional intelligence. This is the foundation of biologic leadership, where presence carries more power than performance.

Dr. Dasani introduces the Responsive Leadership Loop — pause, regulate, read, respond — and shows how to apply it in real-world situations like team conflict, boundary-setting conversations, and high-stakes decisions. You'll also hear practical, ready-to-use scripts that regulate you first, then the room, allowing you to lead with clarity rather than control.

What You Will Learn:

• Why softness is a sign of nervous system regulation, not weakness

• How a regulated leader outperforms a reactive one in communication and decision-making

• The four-step Responsive Leadership Loop and how to use it in real time

• How softness de-escalates conflict while increasing authority

• Simple language shifts that create boundaries without aggression

• Why presence, not performance, is the most powerful leadership tool

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this intimate and inspiring episode, we explore the journey of Dr. Jessica Emery and the defining moments that have shaped who she is becoming.

Dr. Emery shares her transition from practicing dentist to mentor and coach for women entrepreneurs, opening up about the internal shifts that came before the external change. We discuss navigating imposter syndrome, making courageous life decisions, and learning to trust intuition during seasons of uncertainty, growth, and reinvention.

This conversation is a reflection on self-trust, self-care, and the bravery required to honour your inner voice. We also explore the power of intentional productivity, investing in mentorship, and allowing yourself to evolve beyond the version of you that once felt safe. If you're in a season of becoming, this episode offers reassurance that growth is not only allowed — it's essential. About Dr. Jessica Emery Dr. Jessica Emery is a cosmetic dentist and passionate marketing maven who is all about spreading smiles, fostering community, and having fun! She built Sugar Fix Dental Loft and White Haute Teeth Whitening Bar completely from scratch and through her experience building successful brands, she learned it takes intentional action to thrive in a saturated market. Her love for social media led her to create dental soiree, a boutique dental branding agency. Through her online content membership and in-person workshops, she teaches dental professionals how to harness the power of marketing and branding to grow their practices. Dr. Emery believes in the power of personal development and community, especially in the dental industry. She created and runs Dental Girl Gang and Happy CEO. She also connects with people on her podcasts, Dental Confidential and Happy CEO. Social media links

Website: https://drjessicaemery.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Drjessicaemery/

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this episode of It's Not That Deep, we dismantle one of the most overcomplicated and misunderstood ideas in modern leadership: success. Not the Instagram version. Not the résumé version. But the kind of success your body, nervous system, and life can actually sustain. We explore why so many high-achieving women are doing everything "right" on paper yet feel exhausted, disconnected, and burned out in real life.

We introduce the concept of biologic leadership, a framework that redefines success based on what your physiology can maintain without sacrificing sleep, hormones, identity, or joy. Success is no longer just about output. It's about energy, capacity, recovery, and effectiveness working together. We break down the four critical buckets that determine the true cost of success and explain why focusing on productivity alone leads to depletion, not fulfillment.

Finally, we offer a practical reset. You'll learn how to assess your current success using a simple scorecard, identify where your system is breaking down, and redesign the next 90 days in a way that supports both performance and well-being. This episode is a reminder that success should grow you, not drain you and that alignment, not hustle, is the real strategy. What You Will Learn:

• Why traditional definitions of success fail high-achieving women

• What biologic leadership is and how it changes the way you lead and live

• The four buckets that determine whether your success is sustainable

• How to measure success by both output and physiological cost

• Why women burn out faster under performance models not built for their biology

• Practical ways to redesign success without burning down your life

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this episode of The Making of Her, we sit down with Dr. Laura Schwindt, a dentist turned mindset coach and co-founder of The Mentor Podcast, whose personal experience with burnout became the catalyst for a deeply aligned second chapter. Laura shares how burnout forced her to listen to her body for the first time in years, and how that moment of reckoning led her to embrace coaching, holistic wellness, and mentorship grounded in both science and soul.

We explore the tension many high-achieving women face after reaching traditional markers of success while still feeling unfulfilled. Laura explains how mindfulness, somatics, positive psychology, and neuroscience intersect with her science-based background, and why sustainable leadership requires moving beyond the "push through it" mentality. She introduces the concept of anti-fragility, reframing stress and challenge as opportunities for growth rather than sources of depletion.

This conversation also dives into perfectionism, identity, and the courage required to step into a new chapter without needing everything to be perfect first. Laura highlights the power of coaching, intentional pauses, and aligned living as tools for clarity and fulfillment. This episode is a reminder that success is allowed to evolve, rest is productive, and you already have everything you need to begin again. What you'll learn:

• Why burnout can be both a breaking point and a turning point
• How to integrate science with soul in leadership and life
• The biggest misconceptions high-achievers have about success and well-being
• The power of anti-fragility: using challenges to grow stronger
• Progress over perfection — why taking imperfect steps creates real transformation
• How coaching provides space, accountability, and the freedom to simply be seen

About Dr. Laura Schwindt

Laura specializes in soul-led, science-fueled rebellion against burnout. She works with the humans behind healthcare, especially visionary women, daring business owners, emerging leaders, and high-performing teams, who are ready to ditch the grind and rise rooted in purpose, power, and clarity. At the core: Heroic Performance Coaching, a bold system that fuses ancient wisdom, modern science, world-class behavioural tools, and daily practices designed to close the gap between potential and embodiment. Blended with somatics, mindfulness, positive psychology, and trauma-informed tools, Laura helps high-achievers unlearn the hustle and trade burnout for brilliance so they can reclaim their radiance and spark a rhythm of rebellion-from the inside out.

Connect with Dr. Laura Schwindt

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraschwindt/https://www.instagram.com/drlauraschwindt/ https://www.threads.com/@drlauraschwindt

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this episode, we explore one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal growth and leadership: clarity. We discuss why so many women chase confidence, when in truth, confidence is simply the byproduct of something far more foundational. We examine how clarity originates not from mindset work alone but from the state of our biological systems, and why our nervous system determines the quality of every decision we make.

We walk through the two primary states that shape our choices — reactive and responsive — and explain why dysregulation makes even the smartest, most capable women question themselves. Together, we break down the three biological pillars that govern clarity: the state of our nervous system, the identity we operate from, and the next intentional step we choose. We also highlight how clarity emerges through motion rather than rumination and why overthinking often signals a biological, not psychological, disruption.

Finally, we introduce the exact three-minute reset that helps bring the nervous system back online and restores access to clear, aligned decision-making. We offer a practical clarity checklist designed to help us slow down, observe what is true, and take the next right step with intention. Through this framework, we learn how clarity becomes the source of leadership while confidence becomes its natural echo.

What You Will Learn:

• Why clarity drives progress more than confidence

• How your nervous system influences decision-making

• The difference between reactive and responsive leadership states

• The three biological pillars that determine your access to clarity

• A three-minute reset to quickly regulate your body and mind

• How to use a practical clarity checklist before making any decision

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sheila Samaddar, a powerful yet deeply relatable voice in modern dentistry and advocacy. Sheila's story is one many women will recognize — growing up different, navigating spaces not built with her in mind, and slowly discovering that the traits she once tucked away were actually the roots of her leadership. From her early years as an immigrant child learning to belong, to becoming a respected clinician, mentor, and advocate, Sheila shows us what it looks like to lead quietly, intentionally, and with conviction.

We explore Sheila's evolution from introverted observer to confident policy voice, her commitment to uplifting young women in dentistry, and the personal journey of finding clarity and boundaries as a high-achieving woman balancing career, community, identity, and rest. She opens up about the moments she almost quit, the systems she relies on to create ease in her life and practice, and why mentorship and representation are the foundations of her legacy.

Sheila also shares candid insight on being a Key Opinion Leader, the value of integrity in partnerships, the realities of clinical fatigue, and what her next chapter looks like as she continues stepping into a bigger, more expansive version of herself. If you've ever felt "too quiet," "too different," or unsure whether your voice matters, this conversation will remind you that your power is often already there — it just needs space to rise.

What you will learn:

• How introverted women can lead, influence, and advocate without becoming someone they're not

• Why representation matters and how Sheila supports the next generation of women in dentistry

• The role of cultural background, identity, and belonging in shaping leadership

• How to simplify advocacy and make your voice heard in policy spaces

• The systems that create clarity, reduce stress, and support sustainable success

• What it means to build a legacy rooted in mentorship, passion, and purpose

• Where Sheila is headed next and how she's redefining her evolution as a clinician and leader

About Dr. Sheila Samaddar

Dr. Sheila Samaddar comes from a long line of medical professionals and found her passion for dentistry early, helping in her mother's dental office at the age of seven. She earned her undergraduate degree from DePauw University in Indiana, where she participated in a dental mission trip to Sierra Leone, and later contributed to dental aid efforts in Peru and Grenada. She is currently developing bi-annual dental aid services to Haiti with the humanitarian group Archangel Airborne.

After graduating from Howard University College of Dentistry, Dr. Samaddar completed an Oral and Maxillofacial Internship at DC General Hospital and an Implant Residency at Howard University before opening the South Capitol Smile Center in 2008, where she has proudly served her DC community ever since. She is an active member of the American Dental Association, the DC Academy of General Dentistry (President, 2017–present), Greater Washington Women Area Dentists, Renaissance Study Club, and the DC Dental Society. She has also been chosen as a national spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.

A lifelong learner, Dr. Samaddar earns hundreds of continuing education hours annually and holds numerous professional certifications. She is recognized as Washington, DC's #1 Solo Practitioner for Invisalign, a Gold Plus Provider, and part of the Bethesda Invisalign Store Preferred Providers team. A long-time Capitol Hill resident, she balances her career with family life, raising two children and two rescue dogs. Outside of the practice, she enjoys dance, water sports, musicals, travel, and connecting with her local community. Website: https://www.southcapitolsmilecenter.com/meet-your-dentist-washington-dc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drshesam/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamaddar/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshesam/

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

Today on The Making of Her, we sit down with a woman who exemplifies grounded, strategic, radically honest leadership. Dr. Meghan Darby is a powerhouse in healthcare — known not only for her clinical excellence, but for her ability to build high-performing teams, lead with clarity, and champion women in medicine.

This episode goes far beyond dentistry. Dr. Darby opens up about the identity shifts women clinicians face, the biology and behaviors that shape how we lead, and the courage it takes to rewrite patterns we inherited. From people-pleasing to boundaries, motherhood to military service, burnout to high performance — this is a conversation that invites every woman leader to examine who she is becoming.

Dr. Darby shares the pivotal experiences that shaped her, including her years in the U.S. Air Force, how misalignment shows up even when you're "doing everything right," and why leadership often requires disappointing others to do what's best for the whole.

She also opens up about whiplash between roles — clinician, mother, wife, leader — and how women in healthcare often carry invisible loads no one talks about. From fitness habits that keep her grounded to her annual dental missions in Nepal, Meghan's story is equal parts grit, heart, and purpose.

If you're a woman in healthcare, a woman leading anything, or a woman trying to build a life that feels like your own, this episode will feel like sitting with someone who gets you — and challenges you to rise.

• The identity shifts women clinicians navigate — and why clarity often comes through discomfort

• The myth of people-pleasing in leadership, especially for women in predominantly female teams

• How biology and behavior shape high-performance habits

• The hidden emotional labor of being a clinician, leader, mother, and partner

• Daily systems that keep Meghan grounded (and why there's no silver bullet)

• Dental mission work in remote Nepal and the power of service

• The financial, clinical, and emotional pressures facing the new generation of women dentists

• Designing a life and career on your own terms — without guilt

• What leadership really looks like when we drop perfectionism

Learn more about Dr. Meghan Darby

Dr Darby began her career in the USAF, serving four years as a Captain after dental school graduation. She opened a humble new practice from scratch in 2011. Service to the local community and greater world has always been a core value of her practice and family life. Dr Darby annually travels to Nepal to provide dental care in hard to reach places. She is active in her church, community and local book club. Dr Darby is mom to two teenage sons and married to Anthony for 23 years.

Beyond that, she loves a hobby! Travel, weightlifting, hiking/trail running, and reading are all a huge piece of her life. Dr Darby loves to work hard, but she believes life should be enjoyed and savored. You can find her on instagram (she is boycotting Facebook) @flintriverdental or @drmegdarby. She also runs a very silly instagram just for books @darbyreadsdarcy where she lives her best Jane Austen loving life.

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

In today's episode of The Making of Her, Meghna sits down with the brilliant and fiercely grounded Dr. Aditi Agarwal — dentist, innovator, and co-founder of Practice by Numbers, the all-in-one analytics platform transforming dental practices into high-performance businesses.

Aditi has built her career on two fronts: in the operatory as a seasoned clinician and in the tech world as a solutions-driven entrepreneur. In this conversation, she opens up about the journey behind both roles — the evolution, the grit, the overwhelm, the breakthroughs, and the mindset that keeps her moving forward.

Together, Meghna and Aditi dive into: • How identity shifts as women take on multiple roles throughout life • Why data isn't just numbers, but clarity, time, and freedom for dentists • The origin story behind Practice by Numbers and how it began in a startup practice with a toddler at home • The leadership season she's in — and why your why changes as you grow • KPI-driven team culture and how she motivates her people with ownership, not pressure • The resistance she faced bringing tech into dentistry and how she overcame it • Her mindset anchors — optimism, breathing, and letting her "cup refill tomorrow" • How she navigates imposter syndrome, especially as a woman in male-dominated tech • What the phrase "the making of her" means to her on a deeply personal level

Whether you're a dentist, a founder, a clinician-turned-entrepreneur, or a woman trying to build something bigger than the hat you currently wear, this episode will meet you right where you are.

This is for the woman ready to lead with clarity, control, and freedom — and for the woman who needs the reminder that the journey is what makes her. Learn more about Dr. Agiti Agarwal

Dr. Aditi Agarwal is a practicing dentist, multi-practice owner, and co-founder of Practice by Numbers. She originally built PbN to solve her own operational pain points—and now helps practices across the country gain control, improve efficiency, and scale sustainably. A respected speaker and clinician, Dr. Agarwalbrings a grounded, operator-first perspective to dental technology, bridging the gap between patient care and performance. Whether running her thriving practice or advising on product strategy, she is a true champion of growth-minded, system-driven dentistry.

Social media links: www.linkedin.com/in/aditi-agarwal-85774322 https://www.facebook.com/aditi.agarwal.94402

About Dr. Meghna Dassani

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a high-performance strategist, biologically-driven leadership expert, and award-winning dentist who helps women stop living overwhelmed and start leading with clarity, strategy, and science.

For over two decades, she built and scaled a thriving dental practice, became a nationally recognized airway sleep expert, and trained thousands of clinicians across the world. But her deeper calling emerged in the conversations happening behind closed doors — with women doctors who were exhausted, overextended, and silently questioning whether this version of success was worth the cost.

Meghna saw a pattern:

Burnout wasn't a mindset issue.

It was a biology issue.

And leadership wasn't a personality trait — it was a learnable system.

That's when The Making of Her was born.

Today, Meghna blends neuroscience, physiology, business strategy, and real-world leadership to help women doctors and leaders operate at their highest level — without grinding themselves into the ground. Her frameworks support women in making better decisions, executing at a higher level, and reclaiming ownership of their time, energy, and results.

Through her mastermind, The Expansion Collective, her newsletter The Audacity Edit, and now The Making of Her Podcast, Meghna is on a mission to give women the tools, language, and systems to rise without burnout — and build the kind of lives they don't need a vacation from.

This isn't self-help.

This is science-backed leadership for women who are done settling.

Meghna lives in Houston with her husband and their two daughters who are her greatest reminders of legacy, courage, and possibility.

The Making of Her is where strategy meets real talk.

Where biology meets leadership.

Where women stop shrinking and start becoming the version of themselves they always knew existed.

Welcome home. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani

Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani