Cristy McDowell

In 2000, my husband, Dr. James McDowell, took over a small practice in San Rafael. We had 3 employees at the time. Our first son was on the way. I had a career as a Speech Language Pathologist working with kids (and adults years before), but I wasn't sure what my practice would look like after Davis was born.  However, what was clear was that I was proud of the practice we created, and I loved the community that we served. I wasn't really trained in business, yet I quickly found that a little bit of love and a lot of mentoring from amazing coaches, helped me grow into a practice manager and leader. I saw the vision of creating an office where patients are embraced as part of our family and feel comfortable to let go of the fear/anxiety that is so common in dentistry.  

A few years later, our second on, Brady was born. Working in the practice gave me the perfect balance of work/family life. Most of the time, I spent my days chasing little boys and watching them (quietly guiding them) to fulfill their dreams. I found my outlets in exercise - yoga, running, hiking, swimming, mtn biking, tennis, paddleboarding - really anything that took me outside! Travel has always been our family’s greatest passion, because there is nothing better than immersing yourself in a new environment and culture to give you a world perspective. I find stress relief by dancing in the kitchen to my favorite songs (and you can bet there is a great 70's playlist in there). My creative juices flow with graphic design, interior design, gardening, cooking and photography.