The Power of Becoming

Featuring Anne Duffy on The Story Project

Somewhere along the way, we picked up a lie: that purpose has an expiration date. That if your calling doesn’t arrive by 30, 40, or 50, you missed it. But the truth? Some of the most extraordinary stories start right when the world stops expecting them.

Consider Vera Wang. She didn’t design her first wedding dress until age 40. Before that, she was a competitive figure skater and a Vogue editor. When she finally stepped into design, she brought two decades of perspective and taste and built a timeless global brand. Not late. Ready.

That same spirit of rising later, with depth and confidence, runs through this month’s guest on The Story Project: Anne Duffy, founder of Dental Entrepreneur Woman (DeW). Last month, we hosted a DeW meetup at Studio EightyEight. Fifteen women from different cities and roles filled the room. A periodontist. A GP associate soon to be an owner. A hygienist. A DSO leader. An editor-in-chief. A dental spouse. I kept thinking, this is the ripple effect of Anne’s yes.

On the episode, Anne tells the origin story simply:“I started it on a phone call that got me riled up… I hung the phone up on July 16, nine years ago, and said, ‘That’s it. We’re going to start something.’ I had no idea it would grow to this magnitude or give me this much joy.”

And she names the heartbeat of the community:“When one woman rises, we all rise.”

It isn’t a slogan for Anne. It’s the way DeW operates—women first, every role welcome, collaboration over competition. “When we’re united,” she says, “that makes us unstoppable.”

My Second Act of Becoming

In 2016, my life broke open in every direction. I turned forty, celebrated twenty years of marriage, and got fired from a role I had poured my heart into. It was one of the hardest experiences of my life. The kind that leaves you questioning who you are and what comes next.

For so long, I believed the first half of my life was the most purpose-driven part. Full-time ministry, leadership, building teams, pouring into people. When that season ended, I thought my purpose had ended with it. It felt over.

But what I’ve discovered since then is the beautiful irony of becoming. Through that loss, and through a lot of intentional growth, reflection, and humility, I’ve learned more about who I am than I ever knew before. The truth is, I’m more fulfilled today than I was then.

That same year, everything else seemed to be shifting too. I went back to school to finish my undergraduate degree, something I had quietly tucked away for years while raising kids and building a career. It was a bold move at forty, equal parts terrifying and empowering, but that crossroads gave me the courage I needed to finally go for it.

I started a new job, found a new church community, and wrestled with health challenges (hello, Celiac). If I’m honest, I cried more than I celebrated. There were days I wasn’t sure I could get out of bed. I had lost my spark.

Then a sentence kept circling in my head: If you never walk through your darkness, you will never find your brightness.

So I started walking, a little at a time. I began sharing my story. I leaned back into what has always driven me—mission, vision, and people—and slowly rebuilt my calling inside the world of dentistry with Studio EightyEight, my husband’s company. The path wasn’t linear. But purpose rarely is.

I’ve spent twenty years in ministry and the nonprofit world, speaking to students, twenty-somethings, and women searching for “the thing.” What I told them is what I had to tell myself: your spark doesn’t come from perfect plans. It comes from persistence, from the people who truly know and love you, and from listening to the right voices—your own included.

For the Woman Who Feels Behind

If you’re reading this and thinking, I’m late, hear Anne’s words:

“I started DeW at 62… People say, ‘I’m supposed to be retired at 62.’ If I can do this in nine years—what are you meant to do?”

Age is a number. Purpose is not a finish line. You can start at 32, 52, or 72, and your experience will only deepen the work.

If you’re looking for a first step, Anne’s advice is beautifully practical:

“Join—and show up. Dip in. Come to a DeW Connect, a meetup, the retreat. There’s someone you’re meant to meet, and someone you’re meant to help.”

Maybe the point isn’t how early we flourish. It’s that we never stop becoming—never stop rising into who we were created to be.

‍

🎧 Listen: Episode 037 — The Power of Becoming: Anne Duffy on Lifting Women in Dentistry
📺 Watch on YouTube HERE.