We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandria Pankoke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandria, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Dr. Mama Bird was dreamed up when I was pregnant with my second child and planning a VBAC. Even though I was already serving women, I realized I really wanted to dedicate a majority of my energy to helping mothers. Oftentimes as women, we try to do “all the things” but without enough OR the right support, we end up pouring from an empty cup. Overwhelm becomes our normal. This is especially true once we have children. There are so many facets and complexities to motherhood and matriesence that often go unspoken, unseen, and underappreciated. Similarly to how we plan for the wedding, but often spend little time preparing to nurture the marriage: society teaches newly pregnant moms to put a majority of their attention on preparing for the birth and nursery, and very little time preparing to actually raise a human. From nursing back to burping elbow to the tantruming two year old head-butt to the face, being a mother can really stretch a woman’s resolve and her body. I wanted to create something that really spoke to mothers and supported women through motherhood.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Dr. Mama Bird is more than your typical chiropractic practice. It is a boutique practice that specializes in serving women, especially mothers. “Nurturing the nurturer” is the primary goal. Have you ever gone to the doctor, waited extra long for your visit, then spent 2 minutes with the provider, after being rushed through by their assistants, and then you still didn’t get to ask all your questions? SO frustrating?! When you are a mama, sometimes you just need to be listened to and seen. This is why in my practice, appointments start at 20 minutes and go up from there. It is so important to me to give mamas the time, space, and attention they deserve after taking care of everyone else everyday. In addition, education and supporting empowered parenting is a huge key to the practice as well. I offer several childbirth education classes, mini courses, and have a weekly wellness “show” on Instagram to help women create a lifestyle that supports generational wellness. I got to where I am today by learning from my own experiences as a woman and mother as well as listening to other mothers. Having been in practice for a little over a year now, and pregnant for most of that time; I would say that I have definitely learned A TON about how important it is to create balance in your life, to ask for help, and how making sure to take care of yourself too is the only way to fully be able to give your best to others. I also know that while I have learned many lessons in this short time, there is even more for me to learn as time passes. I want the world to know that you don’t have to do it alone. In fact, you were not meant to. We were all meant to have support in our lives, and it’s okay to ask for it. That is what Dr. Mama Bird is all about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE good food. Whenever family comes to visit, the first place I love to hit up is Rodeo Goat. Even though I am normally on a fairly plant based diet, I cannot pass up a good burger. When it comes to breakfast though, BuzzBrews and Toasted are where it’s at. Once our meals are squared away, now that I have kids, we spend a majority of our time finding ways to burn off little people’s energy. Some of our favorite spots include the Dallas Zoo, the Tree Fort at Watermark Church,a ride on the McKinney Avenue Trolley, walks around White Rock Lake, or one of the many beautiful disc golf courses and trails around Dallas.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a great number of people who I would say deserve recognition for their mentorship, love, and encouragement; however there is one person who has really made this dream possible. That would be my husband, Paul (Dr. Paul Pankoke, DC). He is not only my rock, he is my biggest cheerleader. He is an amazing chiropractor, and even better husband and father. He is selfless; and is always trying to find ways to support me and make my life easier. Supporting mothers is the primary goal for my practice, and as a mama and #momboss, I know we cannot do it alone. He reminds me it’s okay to ask for and accept help on a regular basis. Other people, friends, books, podcasts that encourage and teach me include:
My Church- Shoreline City Dallas
Pastor/Author- Charlotte Gambill Business
Author- Mike Michalowicz
Author- Jen Sincero
Founder of Aligned Women- Dr. Danielle Eaton
Rockstar #momboss and founder of Push Counseling- Tiffany Wicks
Becoming- Michelle Obama
The Mind Your Business Podcast- James Wedmore
Author/ CEO- Marie Forleo
Chiropractors; Autumn Gore, Shelby Phelps, Lauren Collins, Kristen Hosaka.

At the end of the day, the One who deserves all the praise and glory is God. He is the One who gave me the dreams and desires to create and build this business. All my passion and purpose comes from Him. He has opened all the right doors and closed the wrong ones to make it possible. He is the ultimate Healer, my Champion, and the One who makes all things new. There is nothing I have to do on my own because of Him.

Website: www.drmamabird.com
Instagram: @dr.mama.bird
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/apankoke
Facebook: www.facebook.com/drmamabird

Image Credits
Rianne Roylance