In this episode of The Optimized Mind, Dr. Kate talks with Sheila Buswell. The discussion focuses on Sheila's journey from the military to entrepreneurship, her creation of an upward mobility device, and the challenge of overcoming imposter syndrome. Central take-aways include the importance of not comparing oneself to others, recognizing and celebrating small wins, and trusting one's intuition. Sheila emphasizes how embracing her individuality and focusing on her strengths led her to solve real-world problems in innovative ways, despite the self-doubt and societal assumptions she faced along the way.

Sheila Buswell is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buswell Biomedical, a group that focuses on achieving physical mobility through technology. In 1997, Sheila joined the army, and in 1998 a generator fell on her foot in Bosnia; 20 years later her Mom fell and broke her hip, and when she saw her mom battling the same problems she had it bothered her profusely. Her mom was in a rehabilitation hospital in Arizona for 3 weeks and went from 110 Pound to 99 pounds; she had to be accompanied for all the activities of daily living like toileting by a healthcare worker. She realized that it had been 20 years since her own accident, and nothing has changed in how people are treated in rehabilitation hospitals.

After receiving a medical discharge in 2001, Sheila moved to Missouri to continue her education, earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 from Missouri University of Science and Technology (then UMR). Sheila also holds an MS in Biomedical Engineering from Saint Louis University.

Sheila developed the concept for the Upward Mobility (UPMO) in 2018 to help improve quality of life at rehabilitation centers. Sheila’s goal today is for people to start thinking of AI as a way to solve problems and a tool at our disposal, instead of fearing it. Sheila is also the author of Is This Seat For Me? which shares the stories of a diverse group of accomplished individuals who struggled with self- doubt and found ways to overcome it.

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