I’d always felt that I was meant to do something great, so, armed with confidence and my parents’ inherited humor, resilience and intelligence, I decided to turn my dream into reality. Today, my goal has materialized because I relied on my spiritual faith and chose to believe in myself. I am a single mother and I’ve been able to provide for my four children as well as send my siblings to college and give my mother a comfortable place to live. I succeeded because I did more than just want it. I believed. And now, my family doesn’t have to worry about food anymore.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Gorder. Mary is a dynamic business woman and healthcare entrepreneur who has been building successful companies for the past 16 years. Mary is the Founder and President of DrsOnCalls (www.DrsOnCalls.com), a telemedicine platform that uses modern technology to connect patients with a global network of physicians; providing patients who have distance, mobility or financial constraints with timely, world-class care in a simple and dignified manner.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path as a doctor or healer?
I grew up in a large family that endured the constant struggles caused by financial insecurity. I also suffered the loss of my father and sister, whose passing were the direct result of lacking funds for proper health care. These personal losses are what fueled my desire to prevent others from experiencing similar tragedies, and they were also the driving force that prompted the creation of DrsOnCalls. The struggles that defined my youth made me the resilient and passionate healthcare provider that I am today and have allowed me to reach a great number of people with kindness and compassion, thus fulfilling my lifelong goal of making healthcare accessible to all.
How have your personal challenges informed your career path?
The struggles that I experienced while growing up had a notable impact on my determination to provide easy-access healthcare for the underprivileged, which is why I created the DrsOnCalls platform and have been committed to partnering with multiple worldwide non-profit organizations to help spread positive change.
Can you share your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Healer”
- Stay positive no matter what. The pressure to succeed often comes with criticism and envy from friends and family. As hurtful as this can be, it’s important to remain positive and stay focused on your goals. Tears and heartache may be unavoidable, but in the end, perseverance will overcome stress and pain.
- The joys of having a pet. Because I grew up without toys or television, I bonded with my family’s farm animals. As I got older and had children, I realized how much an animal’s unconditional love and companionship can provide mental and emotional support in the most difficult times. My pets are incredibly valuable to me, offering me solace and joy in sad or stressful moments. Running my own business while raising strong-willed, independent teenagers comes with some pretty significant challenges, but everything melts away the instant my pets greet me at the door and cuddle with me. When I look into their eyes, I see understanding, and this helps renew my energy and my resolve to keep going.
- Success won’t come without hard work. My schedule is packed to the brim. When I’m not pulling major hours at the office, I’m home taking care of the daily chores. This doesn’t leave much time for leisure. But I’ve learned that prioritizing friendships and hobbies is crucial to reducing stress. Getting together with a friend over coffee or binge-watching a favorite show might seem like minute activities, but those are the things that make life truly precious. It’s also important to surround yourself with people who are supportive, loyal and have your best interests at heart because in the end, life is too short for drama or toxicity.
- Exercise regularly. Building a consistent workout routine into my daily life has been incredibly beneficial. Besides its obvious health gains, I have found that exercise is shockingly good at focusing the mind and providing boundless energy.
- Save every penny you get. When it comes to starting a business venture, saving money is hugely important. Being financially wise is the absolute best way to establish security and independence. Friends and family might offer to help, but when push comes to shove, the responsibility falls on your shoulders. There is freedom in the ability to invest in business strategies and pay for your own expenses.
Social media and reality TV create a venue for people to share their personal stories. Do you think more transparency about your personal story can help or harm your field of work? Can you explain?
I value privacy, but I understand that in today’s technology-heavy world, it is often better to be honest and transparent. I think that sharing my personal story with others is useful for my philanthropic work because it reveals experiences and emotions that people can connect with.
And while some won’t see the value of my personal story and may even criticize it, I choose to focus on the flood of positivity and inspiration that have resulted from it because in the end, all we can do is accept ourselves for who we are and push forward with our passions. My intentions are pure and come from a place of love, compassion and empathy, and I am confident that the right people will see that.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant to your life?
“You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe”
I grew up in a large family of 13 that struggled with extreme poverty. As a child, I witnessed my parents’ daily efforts to put food on the table. Lacking the basic essentials, we resorted to borrowing from relatives, friends and acquaintances. And when they couldn’t help with money, we asked for rice, which helped satiate our desperate hunger.
Our home was without running water, so when it rained, we collected the rainwater and rejoiced at being able to shower and do laundry without having to pay our neighbor for it.
We had no electricity and no toys. My friends were too humiliated to be seen with me, and I quickly learned that poverty rarely exists without loneliness.
But the hunger was the worst. We went to bed with those familiar hunger pangs nagging at us for relief, and we went to school with empty bellies. On one particular day, my siblings and I used our bus fare money for lunch and as a consequence, had to walk 15 miles to get home. Our two-and-a-half-hour trek ended with a punishment from our father for our disobedience. I understood then, that hunger can turn logic into feral desperation.
My parents tried their best to provide, but their jobs never seemed to stick. My father, who was a law graduate and a captain in the army, often found himself unemployed and began shining shoes to help feed us.
I got my first glimpse of entrepreneurism at the age of 7 when my mother recruited me and my brother to sell food door-to-door. At 10 years old, I started cleaning my neighbor’s houses and shopping for their groceries. Every penny that I earned was put toward feeding my family.
I hated seeing my parents’ failed efforts to provide and I couldn’t stand watching my siblings fight for food, but my frustration soon turned into determination. My dream was to give my parents the life they deserved, and I knew that I could make it happen if I believed in myself.
I eventually suffered the loss of my father and sister, whose deaths were the direct result of lacking funds for proper health care. It was after these tragic losses that I resolved myself to preventing others from experiencing similar fates.
I’d always felt that I was meant to do something great, so, armed with confidence and my parents’ inherited humor, resilience and intelligence, I decided to turn my dream into reality.
Today, my goal has materialized because I relied on my spiritual faith and chose to believe in myself. I am a single mother and I’ve been able to provide for my four children as well as send my siblings to college and give my mother a comfortable place to live.
I succeeded because I did more than just want it. I believed. And now, my family doesn’t have to worry about food anymore.
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. 🙂
The childhood years are supposed to be joyous and carefree — a time for children to experience fun and create positive, lasting memories — but for millions of children dealing with abuse and poverty, this is a time filled with fear, insecurity and trauma. These children’s environments are void of stimulation and emotional support, and as they grow into adulthood, they find themselves at a great disadvantage, facing the world with limited skills and a vulnerability to drugs and alcohol addiction.
Because I believe that all children deserve the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives, I founded a non-profit organization that encourages community involvement and helps support underprivileged children through social, musical and cultural programs. These types of programs help children develop the necessary social skills for them to become healthy, productive members of society.
My own experience with poverty inspired me to make a difference in the lives of these children, and I am tirelessly and passionately devoted to their cause.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Readers can follow me on Twitter (@MaryGorder) or on Instagram (AsianBugatti). My presence on social media is limited because of my work, but my followers are a treasure I can’t have enough of.
Originally published at medium.com