My mother, who is a physician as well, taught me the value of self-reliance and hard work. She made me understand from a very early age that I needed to learn to take care of myself and stand on my own two feet. She set the bar high, and I tried to hit it. Rather than ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, she would ask, “What kind of doctor do you want to be?” Every success I have had comes from her expectations of me and from the example she set. —Dr. Madhavi Kandula, dermatologist
My mom, Deloris ‘Dee’ Burchyett, died nearly 20 years ago from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). She was a wonderful singer and sang in a women’s trio most of her life. The best advice she gave me was to leave the world better than I found it, and to sing from my heart all the time. She was a great storyteller when she talked and when she sang. I hope that I am half the storyteller she was! —Christine Brewer, soprano
The best advice my mother ever gave me was to “just be yourself.” It’s the one thing she would say before any big project or challenge when we were growing up, and she still says it today. My brother and I thought it was strange advice to give before a test or a track meet, but it’s something I think about as I build my business. It’s much easier and more rewarding to navigate life and business just being my authentic self, instead of trying to be something I’m not. —Emily Brady Koplar, Wai Ming founder/designer and Saint Louis Fashion Incubator designer-in-residence
My mother, a devoted Catholic, always advised me that there is nothing more powerful than prayer. I am a ‘worrier’ to the nth degree. She always told me to put my problems in God’s hands and stop worrying. It didn’t matter if it was the tiniest problem or my bigger and more recent battles. In the past 12 months, I gave birth to a micro preemie and went into kidney failure. I was on dialysis and subsequently had a kidney transplant. In my darkest hours, my mom’s advice gave me great comfort and strength. —Anne Allred,KSDK anchor
My mom rarely gave me advice because she always demonstrated her convictions with her actions. She taught me that absolute honesty is of utmost importance and that many circumstances call for mercy rather than justice. When she did give advice, however, it was always rooted in Scripture—that God’s ways are better than our ways. Oh, and her most frequent piece of advice every time I left the house: “Don’t forget to wear your seatbelt!” —Ericka Frank,owner of The Cakery Bakery and The Cup
