Exploring Life & Business with Demetra Davis of Gordavi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Demetra Davis. She and her team shared their story with us below:

Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Demetra Adams Davis a 55-year-old woman who came from strong female stock. Her mother, Janice (Adams) Beard was a single mother as was her grandmother, Vivian Dooley, who was an entrepreneur herself, being the first Black female owner of an automobile repair shop in Chattanooga, Auto-Rebuilders.

These women did not allow their plight to stop them from being their best selves and it is with this same drive and ambition that Demetra has been able to embrace and move into the areas of achievement that she has been able to.

An honorably discharged veteran of the United States Air Force, Demetra comes from a military family with her father, Willie G. Adams I, an Army hero with 2 Purple Hearts, and her older brother, Willie G. Adams, II, also a United States Air Force veteran having served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. Following in their footsteps was only natural.

During her time in the military, Demetra was stationed in San Antonio, TX. It was there that she was blessed with her one and only child, her daughter, Kala Marie. It was also in Texas where Davis obtained her Bachelor’s in Nursing from the University of Texas, Health Science Center in San Antonio. Taking classes at night and then transitioning to a full-time student following her discharge from the military, Davis was able to complete her degree and begin nursing in the ICU. Working with the patients and becoming interested in the way patients seemed to be going home “sicker and quicker”, Demetra became interested in insurance, payment, Medicare, and diagnostic-related groups. Following the patient through the healthcare system became a goal of hers; which, for some may seem quite odd when staying at one job would likely be an obvious goal. Demetra wanted to see what patients experienced when they went home so she ventured into home health, where she began her first management role in nursing.

She then wanted to see what patients experienced in a long-term acute care facilities, so she went there next. Following that, she decided to go into the insurance company itself and all the while, learning more and more about patients transitioning from one facility and treatment level to another. Case Management and assisting patients as they navigate through the healthcare system became my career choice for Davis. Becoming certified as an RN Case Manager through the Commission for Case Management Certification in 2000, Demetra took all of her various experiences in the healthcare arena and began utilizing them to assist patients as they came into the hospital where she was now the Director of Case Management with a team of well over 40 employees, including both registered nurses and Masters prepared social workers. She had finally found her niche.

That is why it was so very unfortunate that while her career was moving up, and Demetra had completed her Master’s of Science from Columbia Southern University in Healthcare Administration, and it seemed all gears were moving forward; she started experiencing severe headaches and seeing white spots quite frequently, and her health was literally going down. The headaches were so bad they became debilitating and made her miss work, made her have to lay down and she became unable to keep her eyes open because the pain was so severe. For some reason, nurses tend to think the worst possible diagnosis so of course, the first thought that Demetra had was that she had a brain tumor. Making an appointment with a neurologist and requesting an MRI, the neurologist was quick to ask “Are you a nurse?” when Demetra attempted to diagnose her own symptoms.  Now come the challenges.

By 2018, Demetra had had over 6 eye surgeries and had lost all peripheral vision.  She had stopped working in the hospital setting and had also had her keys taken away from her by the Ophthalmologist, stating that it was no longer safe for her to drive.  Basically, she had gone from being completely independent to being, in her mind, dependent. 

By 2022, due to Davis’ spirituality, and her strong relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, she was able to overcome much of the depression and perceived setbacks caused by her vision loss. Early in 2022, Davis founded Take20ForLife, Inc., a suicide intervention and prevention initiative based upon the premise of pausing. She believes that, in times of crisis, if people will take some time to think about what they are thinking about, then maybe a different decision about living can certainly be made. Take20ForLife boasts a therapeutic website, www.Take20ForLife.com which includes various ways to assist people to “Take 20 minutes” and pause. While the National Suicide Crisis Line, 988, is highlighted on the website, there is also yoga, meditation, a beautiful art gallery, and a goal to add journaling and music in the future to soothe those who may not be in immediate crisis.

By the third quarter, Tennessee Urban Outdoors, Inc., an initiative to get more of the black and brown population outside to improve their overall physical and mental health and well-being, was founded. Davis selected Tennessee, her hometown, for this specific endeavor as she feels “There are so many beautiful parks, rivers, lakes, and scenery, that being outside in Tennessee is just easy to do.” The goal of Tennessee Urban Outdoors (TUO) is to facilitate and create outdoor activities around the state for collective community health initiatives as well as to encourage individual health and growth. TUO encourages bike riding, hiking, walking, yoga, sitting outside and reading a book, or just going outside for a few minutes to relax.

The website for Tennessee Urban Outdoors, Inc. www.TNUrbanOutdoors.org, will soon add first aid, tools, and equipment to utilize for outside activities, the specific benefits of being outside (mental well-being, improved sleep, increased vitamin D), and different methods for engaging those in the different socioeconomic classes. Long-term goals for TUO would be to have classes for youth and share the benefits of outside while simultaneously educating them on self-esteem, mindfulness, balanced meals, and first aid and safety. Measuring success for TUO would be in Tennessee health care savings over time with increased use of the state Parks and Recreation around this beautiful state. Come check Tennessee out!

The most recent initiative that Davis has started is The National Institute of B.L.A.C.C. Art and Education. B.L.A.C.C. stands for Building Legacy Artistry Community Culture. This organization, a non-profit, is a K-university goal established to incorporate holistic education – for all cultures while maintaining Black history in the curriculum. Davis knows this endeavor will require sponsors, and support from those with backgrounds in content development, teaching, and the arts of all kinds.

Honors and recognitions for Demetra Davis include the International Association of Top Professionals “Top CEO of the Year, 2023”, and Marquis Who’s Who Legacy inductee 2023. Davis is also a member of Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society of Nursing since 1994, The Inner Circle for Leaders in Healthcare, Business, and Law, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants, U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Veteran Network, and Disabled American Veterans, a grandmother, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and servant to those around her.

Demetra is a published author with her most recent book, “No Rhyme or Reason, just Thoughts for the Season” having come out in March 2023. She has written and/or contributed to a total of 8 books and has a 4-book children’s series scheduled to come out in early 2024. Demetra created the slogan for Take20ForLife, Inc. “Because every minute matters…and YOU matter every minute” and believes that to be true in every aspect of her life. She lives by her mission statement in all things be true to self while focusing on her life verse: Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.”

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
“I remember laughing about that. He said nurses are just the worst patients. They always think the very worst diagnosis is happening to them. I’m sure it’s not a brain tumor young lady.”

It was not. However, he did encourage me to go get my eyes check. I remember laughing while walking to the car. Get my eyes checked? I get my eyes checked every 2 years and I’m not due for that. I almost blew it off but felt a headache coming in. I called and made an appointment. During the eye exam, I had tests performed that I had never had before. The day was long and I was exhausted.

At the end of the test when I finally spoke with the Optometrists and was expecting the answer “Which one is clearer: A or B?” we did not even do that test. She sat down and spoke with me in a very calm and yet urgent voice. I have performed some tests today that I typically perform for patients that have some other diagnosis. Also, these tests are generally performed by an Ophthalmologist. I would like for you to go see an Ophthalmologist ASAP, and by ASAP I mean, she called someone and scheduled an appointment for me for the following day.

Okay, now I’m thinking brain tumor again and maybe the MRI missed it.

I am on time for the appointment the next day and truly go through the same test that I went through the day before. My eyes were very tired. I was physically tired. I did not know what to do at this point because I just wanted to go lay down and close my eyes.

The doctor wanted to do one more test and during this test, I could not take it anymore. My eyes just gave out. I could not keep them open or going. They were hurting and I was ready to leave. The doctor called me into his office and we both sat down. He apologized for the grueling day. Fine. What is the problem? He said, “I’m so sorry to tell you this but you have Glaucoma.”

“Is that all?” Of course, I did not say this out loud because the doctor looks so very sad and I’m just ready to go home. I have patients all the time with Glaucoma – of course, they are in their 70s or 80s and …well, they usually have Diabetes or something like that also but, certainly this can’t mean anything too awfully bad right now. I’m 32 years old. I should be good for 50 years or so. That was my thinking when I left the doctor’s office.

Within the first year following that diagnosis, I was put on several different Glaucoma drops. I had no idea that my life would begin to rotate around eye drops. Also, I had lost a good majority of my peripheral vision. I did not let people know how bad it was because I did not want to recognize how bad it was myself. People would walk up beside me and I would get startled, I would jump, and my heart would start to beat fast. I started running into things. Walls. Corners of things. I bumped into people a lot more. Not on accident – I simply did not see them.

My world was changing drastically and I did not know what to do. I was raising a child by myself. I could not let anyone know how afraid I was or what was going on inside of me. How did this happen? I started casually asking around in my family about Glaucoma – if anyone had it – because I knew it was hereditary. No one. The eye drops were taking a toll on me. One morning I put an eye drop in my eyes before driving to work. I fell asleep at a red light. The eye drop made me sleepy. I did not realize that. It was a new one and we just didn’t know the effects with all of the drops. My world was changing.

Fast forward 15 years. My daughter is out of high school. I’ve gotten married. I’ve endured several eye surgeries and have severe body dysmorphia. I do not recognize myself some days when I look in the mirror. Going to work is one of the most difficult things that I have to do. In the mornings when I get up, I sit on the side of the bed for about 10 minutes just to allow my eyes time to acclimate. They hurt every morning so very badly. I have lost all of my peripherals at this point. I could not practice nursing in the way I was familiar with and accustomed to doing it. Therefore, I decided to return to school and get my Master’s in Nursing Education. What’s the saying…” Those who cannot do, teach”? I completed my Master of Science in Nursing Education from Drexel University in 2016.

I thought I would be able to get a job teaching nursing in a remote situation as that was also the year that I had my car keys taken away and could no longer drive. I was not even 50 years old. I felt I had gone from a highly flourishing career with great independence to being completely dependent, using the local transportation system and learning how to ride the bus system to get to and from. It was humbling and looking back on it now, I realize God allowed me to learn so much during those days of “perceived brokenness” but there is always, in the life with Jesus Christ, beauty from ashes.

My story may seem sad; however, it is truly a testimony. I have been able to help women who have struggled with losing their vision. I have been able to counsel people through the years who have gone through life changes and from experience been able to say, with certainty, that God can make a way. He does every single time.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Gordavi, LLC?
In 2018, the flagship business, Gordavi, LLC, was birthed. This is a business development consulting firm. Davis helps people start their businesses, for-profit or non-profit alike. Additionally, for those who already have businesses. that may not be functioning to their peak performance, Gordavi, LLC can provide process improvement, strategic planning, policy and procedure development, and other measures to help assist with that with turning those businesses around.

After the first 2 years of business, Gordavi added government contracting to its portfolio and became certified as a woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and, recently in 2023, a certified minority enterprise business.

The solicitations that Gordavi pursues are in line with the functions that are performed regularly but also include research, executive administrative functions, leadership development and training, 360-degree assessments, individual personality, and team assessments as a certified Wiley Everything DiSC and 5 Behaviors professional, and some IT consulting and website design and development. Gordavi, LLC can function as a prime or as a subcontractor and is always looking for government contracting opportunities and partnerships.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned that people are resilient. We are resilient individually and collectively.

I have learned that people can endure pain and trauma on a catastrophic level with families losing multiple loved ones due to this horrific disease process who have been able to keep pushing. I have learned that what I have endured, in hindsight, is small comparatively speaking.

I have also learned that our education system is quite broken. We did not have measures in place for our children in a crisis such as this. There were discussions back and forth about whether or not plans were in place for a pandemic of this nature and as a society, I am certain we will never really know the ins and outs of what was really in place. However, for our kids, it is obvious that their education during that time of crisis did not have a plan.

We did not think about how to maintain a sense of normalcy for our children and we know that is extremely important for them. We did not think about the impact of long-term isolation and removal from THEIR social scene. In that age group, their social interaction is a big part of who they are, and losing not only that mere activity but the validation and experiences that come along with those interactions – well, I think we are seeing the impact of that with increases in mental health concerns, and even suicides.

As a coach, mindfulness is extremely important to me. Speaking with young people is something that I want to do so that I can help them understand how very important they are – even without other people saying it. Self-worth, positive affirmations, validating one’s self and body, well, that has become even more important because we see that our children need to know how to do it ON THEIR OWN and we need to ensure they know how to do it to understand how valuable they are without anyone else being around to tell them.

Of course, this goes for the loss of athletics as well. The time and so much energy that our young people put into their athletic careers only to have missed opportunities for scholarships and other achievements. Those things can have lasting impacts on children. Our society is seeing the results of that now. That is one reason why Take20ForLife, Inc. was born.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Gordavi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gordavi_llc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GordaviLLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordavi
• SoundCloud: https://www.TNUrbanOutdoors.org
• Other: https://www.Take20ForLife.com