It Takes a Village

Success is something that everyone desires, but not everyone achieves. The journey toward success is often portrayed as glamorous, with an end goal of wealth, fame, and recognition. However, the reality is that the road to success is often a rocky and challenging one with many obstacles and setbacks. It can be dirty, lonely, and full of moments where one may question his choices and abilities. Consequently, the path toward success may often be lonely, as it may require stepping away from the crowd and going against the norm. It can be daunting, as it may mean leaving behind familiar faces and places. However, the willingness to take this leap of faith and trust oneself sets the successful apart from the rest.

Moreover, while the road to success may require some level of independence and self-reliance, it is essential to note that the feeling of not belonging can also be limiting. When we feel like we do not fit in a particular group or environment, it can create a sense of self-doubt. It can also prevent us from reaching our full potential. We may hold ourselves back from opportunities because of fear that we are good enough. It is essential to recognize that success does not require conforming to a particular mold or fitting into a specific box. Instead, success is about embracing one's unique strengths and qualities and using them to achieve one's goals. As Dr. Burgess believes, "Life will try you, and every day, you can completely second guess even your knowledge and ability to perform." Thus, we must push through the challenges and remain focused on the end goal of success. 

Dr. Rebecca W. Lauderdale is a speaker, southerner, and physician at Hattiesburg Clinic Comprehensive Care, providing care for patients with complex medical conditions. Dr. Rebecca has been a board-certified internist in south Mississippi since 2007 with Hattiesburg Clinic. This 300+ physician multispecialty professional association is physician owned. She started in hospital medicine, but in 2016 launched a new adventure in the outpatient setting focused on care for medically complex Medicare patients in their ACO. She's also an inspiring podcaster at Belonging in the South: A Guide for Misfits.

In this special episode with Dr. Derrick Burgess hosted by Dr. Rebecca Lauderdale, we will learn about the passion of an inspiring man who broke the stereotypes and found his calling in helping minority athletes strengthen their mindset, grow their assets, and accomplish the level of success they aim to achieve for their lives. Be encouraged as he shares with us his passion for sports and medicine, which drives him to fulfill his dream of becoming a first-generation orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician. 

"The road to success is usually not a pretty path. It's sometimes dirty and lonely, but you have to fight for it. You have to be willing to go the extra mile sometimes and willing to do an extra amount of work or study to do what it takes to achieve what you want." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

Topics Covered:

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:01:14) Dr. Derrick's first podcast episode with his grandfather

(00:03:11) The Emphasis on Education: Education is the key.

(00:04:15) Being intelligent isn't always the popular choice.

(00:06:00) Family support: Being present for each other.

(00:07:05) When does Dr. Burgess realize he wants to be a surgeon?

(00:08:43) What drew Dr. Burgess into sports?

(00:10:26) From Alabama to Xavier: How was it different?

(00:11:53) The culture of building black doctors

(00:12:26) Living outside the South

(00:15:48) Confidence and Belongingness

(00:16:42) How Dr. Burgess became a team physician for Jackson State University.

(00:17:52) You must be prepared for when chance knocks.

(00:18:50) Mentoring athletes: What are your plans after high school?

(00:20:15) The primary role of being in sports

(00:22:06) Sport is debate. 

(00:22:48) You can learn from anyone.

(00:23:11) The Power of Collaboration

(00:24:22) Quick Reminder: Are you enjoying this episode? Please share it, leave a five-star review, and give feedback. Go to TimeOut with the SportsDr website.

(00:24:49) A memorable story: An episode with Jeffrey Holst

(00:25:18) There's no bad day: Focusing on the good side.

(00:26:04) Habits that help Dr. Burgess to stay true to who he is.

(00:27:37) A guarded time to come together as one family.

(00:29:28) How does Dr. Burgess teach their children to stay grounded?

(00:31:15) We all have struggles we have to overcome.

(00:32:04) Share your failures just as you share your success.

(00:32:55) The value of work ethic

(00:33:57) Inborn talent almost means nothing.

(00:35:08) The road to success is usually a challenging path.

Key Takeaways:  

"My grandfather would always emphasize education even though, as you learned from his story that he wasn't able to go far into his formal education as a child." – Dr. Derrick Burgess 

"Sometimes being smart is not always the popular thing to do." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Sometimes you could get singled out is if you were too smart, and it's a fine line that you have to walk, especially in that middle school, high school era where we were the minority." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"If we feel like we don't belong in a certain place or group of people, it can limit us." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"My father would coach our teams not because he was big into sports, but he wanted us to have a fair chance of having the best of everything." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Early exposure allowed me to see that orthopedics is something that I want since I like medicine, science, and sports. I thought it was a perfect marriage even though it's not as much as I thought it would be, but it's enough to spark interest." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Sports was always a part of growing up in the south, always a part of our lives, and team sports I feel are so important to build different things in kids." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"The culture of building black doctors was very prominent, and it was okay to be smart. That was one of the first times that I was able to identify with that." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Life will try you. Every day is a new day, and every day; you can completely second guess even your knowledge and ability to perform." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"When opportunity knocks, you have to be ready." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"I believe if you aren't able to see something, many times you can't believe it." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"I get exposure to a lot of minority athletes, and I'm able to talk to them and have conversations that maybe they never had before and helped hold them to a level of accountability that maybe that no one's ever held them to." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"My three pillars are to strengthen your mindset, help you grow your assets, and help you achieve whatever level of success you want for your life. Whatever success means to you, you have to define it, and then you can achieve it." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"I might walk out of the house, and it's raining, but it doesn't mean it's going to be a bad day simply because it's bad weather." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"One of the blessings and curses of being in sports is just so wild because you're always on the go, fun, but it was exhausting." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Don't forget the things that got you where you are, and you always have to keep those a part of your daily routine and truly building strong daily habits as one of your main success points." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Dinner time is a protected time. One thing when you have people going in multiple directions that can fall short sometimes, but we try to come together and eat all at the dinner table." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"You cannot expect anyone to give you anything; you still have to earn for yourself." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"You're not any better than anyone else simply because your car might be nicer." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"We try to keep our Children grounded, but at the same time, empower them to know that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Share some of your failures just as much as you will share your success. Because many times on social media, people are only showing what they do well at; they don't show what they struggle with." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"You're often going to deal with setbacks, but that's not the end of the road. If something is important to you and you want to achieve a certain goal, then you have to push forward for it." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

Connect with Dr. Rebecca Lauderdale:

Website: https://www.belonginginthesouth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.lauderdale/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.lauderdale/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.lauderdale

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-lauderdale-md-facp-65771393/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gzINV5jkDIKCVLqRxGECS?si=48e689af9d37455b

Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:

Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHGDu1zT4K_X6PnYELu8weg

Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com

This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.