TULSA, OK, May 22, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Jewel Smay has been featured on the Marquis Masters Podcast. The podcast celebrates leaders and innovators who have shaped industries and inspired generations. Each episode features an intimate conversation with a Marquis honoree, uncovering the personal stories behind their professional success. The show reveals what it truly takes to lead with purpose, resilience, and authenticity.

Marquis Masters Podcast host Nick Franck recently welcomed Jewel Smay, anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, and president and CEO of Montgomery Anesthesia Service, for a wide-ranging conversation about medicine, business leadership, innovation, and personal growth. During the episode, Dr. Smay shared insights from her journey through medical school, the challenges of building a business in healthcare, and her evolving philosophy on leadership, authenticity, and success.

Dr. Smay explained that while she always knew she wanted to become a physician, her path into anesthesiology emerged during medical school when she discovered the specialty aligned naturally with her personality, talents, and values. Describing her first exposure to anesthesiology during a fourth-year rotation as a moment where she "came home," Dr. Smay emphasized the importance of finding work that feels authentic and personally fulfilling. In addition to her work in pediatric and clinical anesthesiology, she also discussed her experience in obstetric anesthesia and the rewarding role anesthesiologists play in helping patients remain comfortable during significant life moments such as childbirth.

The conversation then shifted toward entrepreneurship and leadership within healthcare. Reflecting on the growth of Montgomery Anesthesia Service over more than a decade, Dr. Smay spoke candidly about the challenges of transitioning from physician to business owner. While she initially attempted to model herself after traditional leadership styles she encountered during medical training, she eventually realized that authentic leadership was more effective than trying to fit into someone else's mold. According to Dr. Smay, her success as a leader has come from building businesses and pursuing projects that align closely with her values, interests, and strengths.

When asked whether medical school or starting a business was more difficult, Dr. Smay acknowledged that medical school presented the greater challenge. However, she explained that entrepreneurship required an entirely different mindset, one centered not on individual productivity, but on strategic delegation and long-term vision. Over time, she learned that building a successful organization meant stepping away from doing everything herself and instead empowering others to help execute her ideas. Dr. Smay credited business education and mentorship with helping her understand the importance of delegation, noting that learning to trust others with responsibilities ultimately reduced stress and allowed her to focus more on strategy and innovation.

One of the episode's highlights centered on Dr. Smay's newest entrepreneurial venture: a longevity and wellness brand called Beacon. Inspired by her own commitment to healthy aging and maintaining energy while balancing family life and a demanding career, the brand focuses on simplified supplement protocols designed to support cellular repair, energy, skin health, and overall longevity. Dr. Smay explained that the idea emerged from her own frustration with managing multiple supplements and her desire to create an easier, more organized wellness system for consumers.

In addition to running a medical practice and developing new products, Dr. Smay revealed that she is currently writing her first science fiction book series. The ambitious project, titled "IMO," is planned as an eight-book series with an additional two-book conclusion. Inspired by her longtime love of fiction, medical innovation, and ethical questions surrounding technology and law enforcement, the series explores futuristic healthcare and neuroimaging advancements that create complex societal and legal conflicts. Dr. Smay described the story as examining themes similar to those found in "Minority Report," including free will, predictive intervention, and the ethical implications of preventing crimes before they occur. She also discussed how modern AI tools have helped streamline the outlining and creative process, making it possible to pursue writing alongside her many professional responsibilities.

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Smay repeatedly emphasized the role family has played in shaping her success and values. Reflecting on her family history, she shared a deeply personal story about her father's ancestry being traced through genealogical research, revealing generations of resilient entrepreneurs and formerly enslaved ancestors who ultimately gained freedom and ownership of land. Dr. Smay described these discoveries as powerful reminders that entrepreneurship, resilience, and determination are deeply embedded in her family legacy.

Outside of work, Dr. Smay shared that she enjoys yoga, fitness, audiobooks, spending time with her children, and participating in community organizations such as Jack and Jill of America. She also discussed her ongoing commitment to philanthropy and mentorship, including supporting youth education initiatives, advising healthcare startups, and investing in emerging companies focused on innovation within healthcare and wellness.

Toward the conclusion of the interview, Dr. Smay reflected on the most important lesson she has learned throughout her personal and professional journey: the importance of authenticity. She encouraged listeners to stop trying to conform to external expectations and instead trust their own instincts, values, and abilities. As she explained during the episode, "Be authentic. Don't try to fit into someone else's mold."

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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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