Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
At one point in the past, Dr. Jay Feldman was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, but he was also young, ambitious, and a medical doctor. He thought his dream had been fulfilled, until he realized that it hadn’t. Not truly, anyway.
For Dr. Feldman, the path into the medical field seemed logical. He had a strong passion for helping others, which is a necessary fundamental value for the most well-minded physicians looking to improve health patterns to possess. As he considered the debt and the path forward, however, something clicked — he did not want to continue this path. So, he started weighing his options.
The common phrase “failure is not an option” rings true. Each one of us has options in regards to our career, personal growth, and professional success. For Dr. Feldman, continuing his career in medicine was one option, and a good one, at that. A second option was doing something different. As Dr. Feldman explains, this is the tricky part. “For most, it’s easy to realize that there are multiple options or opportunities available,” Dr. Feldman says. “The barrier to progress is realizing which options are meaningful, practical, and align with one’s personal existence.”
For Dr. Feldman, doing something different meant leaving the medical field to pursue brand-building in public relations. On the surface, these two worlds are polar opposites, where one typically considers PR to be riddled with damage control and crafty excuses by a company spokesperson. Nevertheless, Dr. Feldman found the connection between these two sectors: people.
Leaving his debt and dream behind, Dr. Feldman ultimately decided pursue another. The common theme he found between the medical and PR industry was a lasting connection with people, using active communication to formulate relationships that were mutually beneficial. He explains that following a dream leads to outcomes. “Many will struggle along the way,” he says. “Some will need to re-shift and re-focus, trying nine different options until one actually sticks. Following a dream indicates pursuing goals, and there is nothing more important than being goal-oriented, regardless of the field, professional environment, or broken dreams of the past.”
Dr. Feldman is an exemplary tale of how a new dream emerges from the rubble of an old one. His experience shows how, with the right mindset mixed with the proper amount of focus, anyone can pursue goals, create dreams, and commit to a passion.
“I didn’t abandon medicine,” Dr. Feldman clarifies, “I just wasn’t happy with my current path. I wanted something different.” Now, he works as co-founder of a company that is worth $10 million, but more importantly is a dream coming to fruition. “Pursue your dreams until they are reached,” he adds. “That is my philosophy.”
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