New Jersey is home to many ambitious and talented women who juggle family, career, and home. A select few of these women are also extremely busy building their own companies to help better manage the balance of work and family. At NJMOM, we want to highlight these extraordinary women who build businesses in New Jersey, and learn the secret to their success.
Everyone’s Favorite OB/GYN & NJMOMpreneur:
Dr. Angela Jones
When considering the importance of a woman’s relationships with her obstetrician and gynecologist, it’s no wonder that Dr. Angela Jones is “Everyone’s Favorite OB/GYN.” Why? With Dr. Angela, no topic is off limits. Through Ask Dr. Angela, women around the world are able to indulge their curiosity and have important health questions answered by tuning in to her podcast, reading her blog, and watching informative videos on YouTube. As a valued expert, she has been featured in countless magazines and major networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Self, and Shape. It’s her infectious personality and ability to make anybody laugh paired with practical knowledge and a fearless voice that keeps her local patients and extensive social media following coming back visit after visit, video after video, and blog post after blog post. With topics like, “Tampons: The Lost and the Found,” “What’s That Falling Out of My Vajayjay?,” and “How Periods Affect Our Skin,” who wouldn’t be curious?
NJMOM had the opportunity to learn more about Dr. Angela’s story (starting at age four when she realized her dream to become a physician!), how she developed her brand into a multimedia resource for women in all stages of life, and her family’s favorite things to do in New Jersey.
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field?
Dr. Angela: My fave tag line, “Everyone’s favorite OB/GYN” is well-earned. I am a combination of BFF/girl next door/medical expert all in one. During the course of a visit with me, whether it’s an online consultation or an in-office visit, we talk life, family, relationships, fashion, all the while sprinkling comprehensive medical care in the mix. I provide an environment where nothing is taboo, all topics are fair game, and you generally know that there is never any judgment and that you are not the only one that a particular situation has happened to. While medicine can typically be dry or boring, it’s anything but that with me.
NJMOM: What inspired you to come up with the idea for your business?
Dr. Angela: Ask Dr. Angela is a dream come true. Once upon a time, for my admissions essay for medical school to be exact, I stated that one day I wanted to be editor-in-chief of my own magazine. The Ask Dr. Angela brand is the realization of that dream. It’s the podcast, blog, YouTube channel, and of course, strong social media presence all in one. Ask Dr. Angela provides me with that creative outlet that I so desperately need. Not being one that likes to operate within set boundaries, the Ask Dr. Angela brand allows me to serve the world. I communicate with and serve women all over the world. Our reach is as local as New Jersey, and as far reaching as South Africa. While woman near and far benefit from the resource that is Ask Dr. Angela, it provides both an innovative, and fun way for me to continue to find the joy and passion in what I do.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Dr. Angela: Writing the blog, recording the podcasts, shooting the videos, and interacting with women all over the world. Social media and the internet certainly makes the world a much smaller place. If nothing else, I have found that we as women are more alike than we are different. We share the same issues and concerns, no matter where we are located. I love covering topics and sharing information that folks are afraid to talk about. I love being able to share my outrageousness, silliness, and knowledge in such a way that oftentimes is taboo, making complicated topics become more fun and relatable.
NJMOM: What is your background in your business expertise?
Dr. Angela: Approaching 12 years experience, I am a board certified OB/GYN with credits as an expert in many national publications ranging from Women’s Health and Parents Magazine to Teen Vogue, Self, and Shape. I completed my residency at Christiana Care Health System, where I served as chief resident and earned multiple awards for clinical excellence. I received my undergraduate degree from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and my medical degree at The Medical College of Ohio. In addition, I received certification to perform Da Vinci Robotics during my tenure at Barnabas Health System, and remain one of a handful of female, board-certified, robotic surgeons in New Jersey.
NJMOM: What are you most proud of in your career?
Dr. Angela: I believe Frank Sinatra said, “I did it my way.” Well, I’m doing it my way. I have always known, since about the age of four, that I wanted to be a physician. I am living proof that hard work, dedication, and perseverance pay off. I love what I do. I’m blessed not only to practice obstetrics and gynecology at a premier group in New Jersey (Healthy Woman OB/GYN), but being the managing partner of Ask Dr. Angela has allowed me to practice medicine without boundaries. I can set up shop anywhere in the world. I have an amazing team that has been beyond instrumental in helping to make this happen. Ask Dr. Angela is the realization of me doing all things Angela: medicine, parenting, marriage, laughter, fashion, music, friendship – the list goes on and on. Ask Dr. Angela is a few of my favorite things all wrapped into one. I don’t know that it gets any better than that.
NJMOM: What is something few people know about you?
Dr. Angela: I’m a closet introvert. I play guitar. I am a published poet. I’m secretly very sensitive.
NJMOM: What can we expect from you in 2017?
Dr. Angela: I will continue to expand the Ask Dr. Angela brand. We are growing by leaps and bounds. I am certain we will forge more partnerships with brands both locally and nationally. We are hopeful to have the Ask Dr. Angela pregnancy book published. I’m hopeful to join a mom band in New Jersey where I can provide guitar leads and background vocals. I am hopeful to continue to be the best version of myself, all the while being of service to the community at large via the Ask Dr. Angela brand.
NJMOM: What is a cause you are most passionate about?
Dr. Angela: The Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Scholarship Fund. Education is key. I am living proof of this. Annually, the aforementioned church, for which my father happens to be pastor, gives scholarships to young adults who will be attending college. This is a cause that I have supported for a long time. It’s a way for me to give back to the community from which I come. I am also passionate about any charity that has to do with the promotion of women’s health, youth and women’s empowerment and education.
NJMOM: Who is your role model?
Dr. Angela: My father is my role model. He is love, in all its embodiments. Lots of hugs, kisses, words of encouragement and support, and discipline when I needed it most. Kind, generous, funny, fair, compassionate. Strong, sensitive, God-fearing. He is true to his word. I am everything that I am because of the good Lord above, and the man known as Donald E. Jones, Sr., who happens to be my father. My father has never made a promise to me that he didn’t keep. He told me a long time ago that he would do everything in his power to ensure that I achieved my goal of becoming a physician. It is through his sacrifice, love, support, that I have realized those dreams. It is because of him that I am who I am today, and am able to be who I am to those that know me: a mother, wife, sister, friend, physician, Ask Dr.Angela. Because of him, I know the meaning of love; I know how to love.
NJMOM: What is the best piece of advice a role model ever gave to you?
Dr. Angela: Believe in yourself. Belief in self evolves from love of self, which in turn means knowing your own worth, which of course translates into showing others how to treat you based on the examples that you give. Believing in yourself means doing so when others don’t and won’t. It’s trusting that little voice inside of you which really is the voice of God or the universe, based on what you believe in, leading you on your correct journey. It’s having faith and knowing that what is for you will be for you; in other words, whatever will be will be. I don’t believe in coincidences. It’s trusting the process.
NJMOM: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?
Dr. Angela: One of my all time favorite quotes is from the late Maya Angelou:
When people show you who they are, believe them.
This quote is important to me because it has saved me a lot of heartache, worrying, wasted energies, and most importantly, time. I have learned to accept people exactly where they are in life. I’ve learned to accept people for who they are in life; not what I want or expect them to be.
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Dr. Angela: Being from the midwest, moving to Jersey instantly made us beach folks! We love walking on the boardwalks and going to the beach – my daughter loves the beach. We love Asbury Park with all its quirky boutiques, great places to eat, and artsy vibe.
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Dr. Angela: The best part of being a mom is being able to experience childhood for a second time. I love being able to experience the excitement of Christmas all over again, everything from the magic of Santa to all the over-the-top decorating involved with all of the holidays. I love the journey of parenting and all the lessons I’m learning along the way. It is truly an honor and a blessing being one of Francesca’s moms. And while being a mom is really hard, it’s also fun. My little girl has personality for days and has provided us with more laughter, happiness, and joy than I ever thought possible.
NJMOM: What are your favorite businesses in New Jersey?
Dr. Angela: We are addicted to Broad Street Dough Co. doughnuts and we love Rook Coffee! While both places serve amazing products, part of the reason I also love them is because they are run and owned by women! I believe in supporting our sisters. Being a gamer, as well as old school, I love Yestercades in Red Bank. While my wife is not much of a video game person, even she enjoys playing some of the games we grew up with, and we love introducing Francesca to a few of the things we enjoyed as children. Sunset Diner is our favorite diner to eat at in Jersey, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s right around the corner from where we live. Asbury Park is one of our fave places to hang out. One of our favorite vintage/consignment shops in town is Rebel Supply Co., and we love Hold Fast Records – yes, I do own a record player and still listen to albums. We also enjoy dining at Toast, a fun breakfast spot also in Asbury Park.
NJMOM: Where do you reside and vacation in New Jersey?
Dr. Angela: I live in Ocean, New Jersey. We love living in Ocean as it has great proximity to everything! We’re close to the beach, Asbury Park. It takes me literally seven minutes to get to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where most of the action happens for me these days. This is a God send, especially when you’re on call and have to go deliver a baby at some ghastly hour in the morning (say 3 AM!) Cape May is fun; we love the Cape May County Zoo, and as a complete aside, Cape May has one of the best Home Goods in Jersey.
Dr. Angela: Follow your passion! Even when things get tough and it appears that you have no idea how to get from point A to point B, I have found that with continued forward progression, things eventually fall into place. Believe me, there have been, and I’m sure will continue to be, numerous occasions where I want to throw in the towel because I don’t feel like I’m making a difference or because I feel like I’m putting so much into my brand – personally, financially. But just when I think it’s not worth it, I get asked to form a new partnership or receive an email from around the world letting me know that we are making a difference or positive change in someone’s life.
Believe in yourself. Believe in your business. Believe in your brand. If you don’t, why should others?
Dr. Angela: My wife and I love being NJMOM’s! We’ve embraced New Jersey and all it has to offer, whether it’s the beautiful beaches (who knew?!), to all the amazing restaurants and diners, to beefing up our print game (I now know that it’s ok to wear more than just a splash of animal print). Moms and women in Jersey are strong, beautiful, amazing! I am beyond ecstatic to not only be a part of this community but also to serve this community. I would like to thank the moms and women in New Jersey for accepting and embracing not just me, but my family.
To learn more about Dr. Angela, listen to her podcast and watch her videos, visit her blog, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
