From FOMO to Full Circle: My DeWbie Story
I have spent more than 30 years in dentistry and about 20 of those years in the DSO space.
Over that time, I have seen a lot of change, a lot of growth, and a lot of incredible leaders shaping this industry. But I did not fully realize how much my own path would be shaped by one of those leaders until I met Anne Duffy.
Several years ago, I first met Anne at Women in DSO. I was instantly fan-girling over her charisma, her energy, and everything she had accomplished in the dental space. From that moment on, I seemed to keep running into her at industry events like the AADOM national conference and other leadership gatherings. Each time I saw her, I left feeling like my goals had just been upgraded
Every fall, I would find myself scrolling through social media and watching my dental friends attend the DeW retreat with a little bit of FOMO, let’s be honest, it was a lot of FOMO. I knew I was connected to incredible people in dentistry, but I never saw myself as someone who truly fit the DeW identity. I thought DeW was only for entrepreneurs who owned businesses, and that was not my world.
Last year, everything shifted.
Anne was the keynote speaker at the Oklahoma Dental Association Annual Meeting, and she invited me to join a panel on mentorship during a women’s breakfast. I had the opportunity to spend meaningful time with her during that event, and my respect for her deepened even more. My fan girling definitely leveled up.
During our conversations, Anne talked to me about DeW and what it truly represents. I shared my hesitation. I didn’t feel like I belonged because I wasn’t an entrepreneur. I have spent the past several years working for a DSO in Oklahoma that I have been with since its inception, helping grow it from four clinics to 44 clinics in eight years. I had always treated the organization like it was my own, but I still struggled to see myself in the entrepreneur label.
That is when Anne introduced me to something that changed my perspective. She explained the difference between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur. And I immediately knew she was talking about me. I may not own the company, but I have always led it, built it, and protected it like I do. I was leading with the same ownership mindset and drive as any entrepreneur. I had just been doing it from the inside.
Anne poured into me that weekend. She told me I was destined for more than I was allowing myself to believe. She even invited me to join a DeW call focused on the StrengthsFinder assessment she had recently taught. I was completely inspired by the level of intentional leadership and mentorship happening in the DeW community.
Fast forward one year, and my career has completely catapulted.
I was honored to receive the AADOM Office Manager of the Year for Multi-Location. I have been invited to speak at multiple events, share my experience, and support other leaders in dentistry. Somewhere along the way, I realized something important. While I may not have identified as an entrepreneur, I definitely did not have “speaker” on my bingo card. That mindset changed real fast once the invitations started rolling in, and I realized I was accidentally becoming a professional “yes, I can speak on that” person.
Do not ever underestimate what happens when someone like Anne speaks vision over your life. She saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself.
As speaking opportunities started picking up and those 1099s started showing up, I decided it was time to make it official, and launched my for funsies side hustle, Brandi Williams-Catalyst Leadership Consulting. At that point, it became pretty undeniable. I am an entrepreneur. And the first thing on my list was joining DeW.
I am now a proud DeWbie, and I have loved connecting with fellow DeWs who are passionate about leadership, growth, and mentorship. I have attended webinars, participated in a DeW meet-up, and my next goal is to make the DeW retreat happen. Not because I finally fit in, but because I finally understand that I always did.
This journey has taught me that mentorship is not just about guidance. It is about someone seeing potential in you that you have not yet fully claimed for yourself. Anne Duffy did that for me. She did not just encourage me. She helped me step into a new level of leadership.I am grateful for the mentorship, the community, and the reminder that sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come when someone else believes in your future before you do.
About Brandi:
As Chief Growth Officer at Catalyst Dental Allies, a mid-size DSO based in Oklahoma, Brandi Williams, DAADOM, has played a key role in the organization’s expansion from four clinics in 2017 to forty-four clinics today, supporting both general and specialty practices. With more than 30 years of experience in dentistry, her career has been rooted in building scalable systems, strengthening operations, and empowering teams to consistently exceed both clinical and financial goals.
Awarded AADOM’s 2025 Practice Administrator of the Year for Multi-Location, Brandi
Williams, DAADOM, is a respected leader in the dental industry with a passion for
growth, collaboration, and developing strong teams. She is the founding president of the
Oklahoma Society of Dental Professionals, an AADOM-recognized Dental Professional
Learning Network, and a proud member of Women in DSO.
Brandi blends her expertise in group practice operations with a deep commitment to
continuous learning, mentorship, and collaboration, fostering innovation and meaningful
connections within the dental community.