Dr. Melissa Ivers is from Massachusetts and went to the University of Pennsylvania for dental school. She came to New Mexico for her residency program in 2009 and was asked to remain on the faculty after its completion. She was a faculty member at the University of New Mexico for 15 years and enjoyed numerous academic and medical leadership positions including Associate Chief Medical Officer for UNM Medical Group. During her tenure at UNM, she obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Anderson School of Management where she concentrated her efforts in finance, accounting, operations, and organizational behavior.
Nationally, Dr. Ivers has served on many committees for the leadership and the advocacy of dentistry through ADEA (American Dental Education Association). She also has been nationally engaged in the American College of Healthcare Executives and is pursuing a fellowship with them. In addition to healthcare, she is looking to pursue a law degree and looks forward to broadening her knowledge. She is a passionate, life-long learner who feels honored to serve her community.
In 2018, 2020 and 2021 she won Best General Dentist and Best Public Health Dentist with Albuquerque the Magazine. Outside of dentistry, she can be found on the soccer sidelines and baseball bleachers while she cheers on her three boys, Alex, William and Jackson (10, 10 and 5). She loves skiing, the balloons, and traveling with her family as it allows her to meet new people while celebrating the languages, cultures and food/drink from around the world.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I am an early morning person. I start the day with my three boys – getting ready for school, camp or a sports game typically. Then, I am typically performing clinical dentistry or focusing on my business for the majority of the day. Likewise, I like to end the day with my boys – hearing about their days and planning for the next together. Being a mom is the most important and rewarding role that I have.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I have found that surrounding myself with an amazing, aligned team makes all the difference. Everyone has their contribution and when we work together, we achieve incredible things.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – it excites and scares me. Automation is highly efficiency but taking the human component out of business operations and decision making seems highly problematic.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I always have a robust and dynamic to-do list with due dates. I would also say maintaining consistent sleep patterns is also equally involved in my productivity. I believe that we should put our energies into our passions which makes it easier (and more enjoyable) to be productive.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Surround yourself with people that lift you up and push you to be a better human. Be kind to yourself and learn to forgive yourself for the many mistakes that you’ll make along the way (big and small).
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I don’t have an answer to this question, but I do know that if you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to?
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
The Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Create goals (short and long term) and hold yourself accountable to achieving them. When I feel unfocused, I try something new and spice things up. New relationships (personal and professional) can inspire me in different ways to get out of the same-old routines.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Create and invest in relationships. Create goals and achieve them. Work incredibly hard, learn from your mistakes and try not to make them again. Digest the data: it doesn’t lie. Make decisions with that data. Diversify investments and ask a lot of questions of people who have been doing this much longer than I have.
What is one failure in your career? How did you overcome it, and what lessons did you learn from it?
I believe at times I have been more loyal to organizations and individuals than they were to me. It’s a hard reality to face when things are not reciprocated. Earlier this year, I had to make some tough decisions and decide where my loyalty should truly reside. Change is not always easy, but it’s often essential for success.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Focus on what people need and can’t live without. Then, focus on the scarcity of resources and how to capitalize on this strategy.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I read a lot. It is completely ranges from the best seller fiction novel to a financial text to a wellness book. I am currently reading the 5th book of Harry Potter with my boys. We love to watch the movie (if there is one) after reading a good book.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
See above. Harry Potter. It’s a great connection with my children and something we enjoy doing together. Recently, we went to Universal Studios to visit Harry Potter World and had a blast!
Key learnings
- Treat others as you want to be treated.
- Bosses push. Leaders pull.
- “Every second you dwell on the past you steal from your future. Every minute you spend focusing on your problems y0u take away from finding your solutions.” (Robin Sharma)