Meet Dr. Jaya McSharma, MD | Medical Director of Shed It! Wellness Center; Medical Director and owner of CannaCareofLA

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Jaya McSharma, MD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Jaya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was tired of not being the last word on creative and marketing decisions. I’ve always worked for other people and even though leaving corporate medicine was a huge step in the right direction, I was primed and ready to be my whole self in my personal life and business. No more compartmentalization! I wanted to be 100% me, 100% of the time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a filmmaker, writer, and actress! We have made five short films with our first being the first time an Indian-American writer has gotten into the top 20 at the Louisiana Film Prize, and the first time an Indian-American actress was nominated for Best Actress – and won! – in 2018. We are also working on a feature script. Our short films center around comedy and heart and usually involve my time in medicine as well. The biggest lessons I’ve learned are: 1) You can’t do it alone, nor should you want to; 2) Surround yourself with experts in their fields and let them shine; 3) Tell the story that means the most to you because everyone’s a critic and your voice is unique!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I assume you mean Dallas, haha!!!

Oh my goodness okay well I would definitely hit up XOXO or Uchiba, love those places – always delicious and always a good time. The Alama Drafthouse is one of my favorite places to visit for movies and snacks – drinking a martini while watching the big screen? Yes please! The Perot Museum of Nature and Science has something to look at with a completely new experience everytime you go! I also love the Crayola Factory for kids of all ages (including adults haha), because it’s exciting to play with colors and make your own crayons! And for a daytime snack or hangover recovery food I would visit a Roti Grill because YUM and AUTHENTIC indian food almost as good as mama’s cooking. OH! and the Dallas Yoga Center for Ayurvedic massage and treatments from Kathleen Lohr, she is fantastic and I feel renewed every time! If we need a place to stay, the Daisy Polk Inn is a favorite – a historic bed and breakfast with attention to detail like you wouldn’t believe! And if my friends have a lot of money, we are going to Highland Park Village LOL

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?
MAN, who DOESN”T DESERVE A SHOUT OUT? I am ONLY here because of others. In this particular instance, I would like to shout out: Dr. Tharwat and Mrs. Irina Ghattas – Tharwat is a colleague who has always had my back in medicine and in life. Irina is a trusted friend, fellow toddler mother, and business partner who has never asked me to compromise my ethics or my personality. Both of them have believed in me even when it wasn’t to their “advantage.” It’s incredibly hard to find people you can work with, travel with, and enjoy life with – and they allowed this opportunity to happen for me.

My husband, Jacob, who is my partner in child-making, marriage, filmmaking, and business – he’s a unicorn and helps me in every way a person can help another person.

My childhood principal and teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Barry, who founded the Montessori school in Alexandria, La; and taught me principles of compassion, love, self-worth and kindness that I continue to discover to this day. She just turned 98 in January, and we still write to each other!

Website: www.jayamcsharma.com

Instagram: jayamcsharma / cannacareofla

Linkedin: Jaya McSharma

Twitter: jcstangerine

Facebook: facebook.com/thejayamcsharma

Youtube: youtube.com/jayamcsharma

Image Credits
James LeBlanc Photography – The Creative Magazine