The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

549: Anesthesiologist and Reality TV Star on How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection

May 7, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Tiffany Moon, a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, and former reality TV star, shares insights on balancing ambition, motherhood, and public scrutiny. She discusses overcoming perfectionism and the emotional challenges high-achieving women face. Tiffany emphasizes the importance of asking for help as a strength and choosing presence over perfection in her parenting and career. She also reflects on how her reality TV experience shaped her identity and advocates for authenticity and self-care in today’s demanding world.

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ANECDOTE

Reality TV and Anesthesiology Balance

Tiffany Moon shares her experience being recruited and filming for Real Housewives while working full-time as an anesthesiologist.
She describes the sleep deprivation and scheduled filming that made balancing both roles challenging.

ANECDOTE

Standing Up Transformed Me

Tiffany stood up to bullies on reality TV for the first time despite a childhood of avoiding conflict.
She expressed pent-up anger and used her advanced vocabulary to defend herself effectively.

INSIGHT

Joy Lies in the Journey

High achievers often tie self-worth to outward success, making joy elusive.
Joy is found in the journey and connection, not just reaching external goals.

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Dr. Tiffany Moon isn’t just breaking stereotypes — she’s rewriting the script.

In this episode, Dr. Tiffany Moon — board-certified anesthesiologist, founder of Aromasthesia, and former cast member of Bravo’s Real Housewives — opens up about what it really takes to balance ambition, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and public scrutiny.

From immigrating to the U.S. at age 6 to graduating from college at 19 and medical school at 23, where she finished in the top ten percent of her class, to launching a wellness brand rooted in science and self-care, Tiffany’s story is as raw and relatable as it is inspiring.

We cover:

The culture of overachievement and how it can become an emotional cage
The silent weight of perfectionism in high-achieving women
How childhood trauma shaped her relentless drive and how she’s healing from it
Why asking for help isn’t a weakness — it’s a strategy
The behind-the-scenes reality of being a doctor and a reality TV personality
Why she’s choosing presence over perfection in parenting, career, and business

Plus:

Why even the most “put-together” people struggle with self-worth
How Tiffany balances a medical career with being a mother, wife, and founder
Why her social media presence is as real as it gets and why that matters

Tiffany also shares the surprising impact of being on reality TV, not on her brand, but on her identity, and why she now uses her platform to champion authenticity, self-care, and breaking generational cycles.

This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about legacy, self-awareness, and the courage to define success on your own terms.

Tiffany Moon, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, mother of twins, and author of Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection. She is also the founder and CEO of Aromasthesia Candles, Three Moons Wine, and LeadHer Summit. Tiffany has published over fifty peer-reviewed articles, is one of D Magazine’s “Best Doctors,” and serves as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. She was the first medical doctor and Chinese American cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives. Her story has been featured in Forbes, Variety, Harper’s Bazaar, USA Today, and more. She lives with her family in Dallas, TX.

Get Tiffany’s book here: https://rb.gy/5fvfl5

Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection

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