FROM THE DESK OF Kelsey Stone

BY SLOANE WICK

Kelsey Stone started her financial career with a $500 check she received from her high school for graduating early with a high GPA. She took the check to Austin Community College where she enrolled herself in a math class. From there, she continued her trajectory as a selfstarter with the determination to overcome whatever adversity life threw at her: unsupportive parents, being the first person in her family to attend college and a period of homelessness. She transferred to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance. After graduation, she went on to marry her high school sweetheart and had a son, who is now 2 years old. Her professional life evolved as well, as she co-founded two companies: BAD DEVL, a real estate development service, and WMBE, a construction contractor specializing in asbestos abatement, mold remediation, lead-based paint removal and demolition services.

Stone shares five key pieces of advice she has for other women who might be a bit nervous to step foot inside the business world.

Do not see that as your weakness. You need to see that as your strength because it’s unique. It should drive your success. It should drive your journey, and it should help define it as well. You are a woman, a minority out here trying to play with the “big dogs,” the males, but it’s totally okay to be a woman. In fact, it’s so cool. It is so badass, and you should embrace it. You don’t have to be a man to be successful. You just have to be a human with drive.

Confidence is really just the courage to be uncomfortable. After all, you just have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and put yourself out there by saying yes to all these opportunities, whether you know anybody who’s going or not. You never know what could come out of it, and your courage shines through [and shocks people]. In my own personal experience, I have found I get the most shock from peers and others in the industry. So, whenever you show up, and you’re uncomfortable, you have some positive shock value that can help drive your success.

You don’t have to play any part, other than your true authentic self. The more authentic that you [are], you’ll feel that you’re more aligned with your success, which will help with your decision-making and your direction for everything going forward. Whenever you show up to the table, just come exactly as you are. You don’t have to be anybody else but yourself.

I never take one person’s word for [everything]. Always get a second, third, fourth opinion. That couples with you doing your research and with looking into exactly what you’re trying to solve or accomplish or gain. Whatever it might be, you need to be doing your own research because that is what will field some questions for you personally or [for] whoever you talk to. It helps with being prepared. I always say surround yourself with experts and you’ll be an expert. You don’t have to be the engineer, the actual contractor or the banker. No, you just need to play with the best.

A lot of women play small because we think we have to. We’ve been conditioned, all these years, especially the generations before us, that we should show up to play small. We show up as too subtle. No! Don’t show up just to be subtle! You are just as deserving and you are just as welcome. And you have just as much of a place as a man does in any capacity, in any way, shape or form. Don’t shrink yourself just because you’re a woman.

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to develop. Eons ago when our diet was much different and dental crowding was common, the third molars came in or “erupted” and provided another set of functional teeth. With today’s softer nonabrasive diet and the relative rarity of dental crowding, most often there is not enough room for the wisdom teeth to erupt into place and be functional teeth that the patient can maintain. This is what is meant by “impacted,” simply that the tooth is not able to come into a functional position. There are patients who have the space for wisdom teeth, and in these cases the teeth may be functional and beneficial.

In cases where the wisdom teeth come in appropriately it is common later in life to develop decay or gum disease around these first. They are difficult for some to maintain, and your dentist may suggest removal rather than a filling or crown when or if this happens.

While your family dentist may remove erupted or exposed wisdom teeth, many regular dentists do not. Furthermore, impacted wisdom teeth, more complex teeth or higher-risk teeth will likely result in referral to an oral surgeon. A visit with your dentist or a look at your X-ray would likely answer that question best. Most patients having multiple wisdom teeth removed at the same time will prefer sedation rather than being awake. Oral surgeons have extensive hospital-based training in anesthesia to make this procedure pleasant and astonishingly safe. The facility is almost as important as the surgeon, and board-certified oral surgery offices are inspected and certified for anesthesia safety by both the state of Texas and their surgery certifying board. Certification ensures that the monitoring and safety equipment mirrors that in the hospital environment.

In general, younger patients are very low risk as the teeth are typically less difficult to remove. For this reason, the recovery is commonly smoother and faster. The best approach is to image and consult at a young age, typically teenage years, and make an assessment on whether the wisdom teeth will likely ever need to be removed. If removal is necessary, earlier surgery generally is easier and more predictable. This assessment might happen with your family dentist, orthodontist or directly with an oral surgeon.

Most insurance plans cover wisdom tooth removal. At consultation, each wisdom tooth will be evaluated and coded depending on how it is positioned within the mouth and whether it is exposed or impacted. Likewise, anesthesia choices are usually discussed and the level of sedation agreed upon. The costs will vary depending on these factors, and you can generally explore your insurance prior to the procedure. The best way to discover costs and insurance coverage, as well as discuss the procedure, is to set up a consultation visit with your provider.

A LEGACY OF EXCEPTIONAL CARE