What the Fire Couldn’t Take

There are moments when everything shifts.

You wake up with a plan, a to-do list, maybe even a full week mapped out. And then, in a matter of hours, the foundation you built your life or work on is gone.

That’s what happened to Dr. Cerisa Clouse this past January, when the wildfires that swept through Los Angeles reached the medical building that housed her dental practice. In a matter of hours, the life she and her team had carefully built in the Palisades was reduced to smoke, ash, and uncertainty.

But this is not a story about destruction. This is a story about what the fire couldn’t take.

Cerisa is a Navy veteran, a believer, a daughter of immigrants, and a woman who has made service and purpose the through-line of her life. She served with the Marines, ran dental humanitarian trips in her 20s, and built a thriving fee-for-service practice grounded in biomimetic dentistry and genuine relationships.

So when the fire came, she did what she’s always done—she led. Not from a place of certainty, but from a place of deep conviction and care. She made sure her team was safe. She reached out to her insurance. She figured out how to keep paying her people. She said, “I have no building, but we still have a business. The Palisades Dentists still exists.”

I sat across from her for an episode of The Story Project podcast and listened as she told the story with humility, grit, and grace. What struck me most wasn’t just her faith or leadership—it was her quiet courage. The kind that shows up when there’s no roadmap. The kind that says, “I don’t have boots or bootstraps, but I’m moving anyway.”

Rebuilding doesn’t always look like a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s just showing up for your people. Making one phone call. Sending one email. Picking up the pieces, brick by brick.

Whether you’re a dentist, an entrepreneur, or simply a human who’s lost something this year—this episode is for you. Because we all reach moments where something burns down. A dream. A relationship. A life we thought was secure.

But the fire doesn’t get to take everything.

Not your purpose.Not your voice.Not your ability to begin again.

👉🏼 Watch the full episode of The Story Project featuring Dr. Cerisa Clouse on YouTube, or listen on Spotify or iTunes.And be sure to follow Cerisa on Instagram @drcerisa and her practice @thepalidentist to see what rebuilding with purpose really looks like.