Dr. Heavenly Kimes embodies the intersection of professional excellence and entrepreneurial spirit. As a distinguished graduate of Florida A&M University and Meharry Medical College, she has transformed her dental expertise into a multifaceted business empire while maintaining a prominent presence on Bravo’s “Married to Medicine.” Beyond her successful Atlanta-based practice, Smiles by Dr. Heavenly, she has built and sold seven dental practices, launched her own product line, and established herself as a respected voice in both business and relationships. In a candid conversation with rolling out magazine’s Munson Steed, Dr. Kimes shares her journey from strategic planning to stunning success.
What aspects of Florida A&M keep you inspired each day?
First and foremost, I was at a school where people looked like me, they acted like me, and we were all there together, pushing each other along to succeed. The things that I learned most is that it’s about the connection of the people. It’s about the relationships you make while you’re in school, more so than the academics. You’re making relationships that last a lifetime, really. And not only the relationships but the business relationships, because I can go back, and I know people from Florida A&M and from Meharry Medical College that I still actually consult with today. So, I think it’s the relationships — the network of people — that’s the main thing.
What can readers find inside your latest book that will help transform their love life?
One thing I found, which is a direct correlation between business and love, is that love is basically a business. The same things that work in your business work in your relationships — positive affirmations, speaking things into existence, those kinds of things, and actually having a plan. I had a plan for my relationship. I wrote it down. I did the vision board. I had a picture on my refrigerator. Just like with my business, I had a plan. So, I think that if you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail.
Title of your book?
The Business of Love
How did you know when you met this gentleman that this was something meant for you?
For me, it was love at first sight. I actually had a vision of the man I wanted, and I had planned. You know, I went through undergrad. I dated in undergrad, but I knew I was going to find my husband in dental school. In fact, I came to school not just to get my DDS — I came to get my Mrs. too and MD, that was my plan from the very beginning. And I knew when I saw my husband — this was the man that was destined to be my husband and the father of my children.
Thirty years later, what are the three things you would say to anyone thinking about starting a relationship that could last 30 beautiful years?
In marriage, I think the main thing is respect. You have to respect one another. A lot of things go on in a marriage, and in any relationship. I tell my children, in any relationship, you’re human — somebody’s going to disappoint you at some time. But you have to have the respect to continue.
Also, I think it’s very important that you allow a person to be themselves. My husband allows me to be me — with my loud self and everything I do. And he’s calm, he’s methodical, he thinks before he speaks, and everything like that. And I love that about him.
A lot of people say communication is key, and I think communication is very important in a relationship. However, I’ve been with my man for over 30 years. Some things we just don’t need to talk about—I already know his position on it, and he knows mine. And to rekindle things over and over again is not healthy. So, communication ain’t always the key.
What are three business skills that have allowed you to move forward and overcome challenges?
I think that, again, you have to have a plan. I had an exit strategy from the very beginning. I had a financial plan — knowing how much money I needed.
It had to be something I really, really enjoyed doing, and something I wasn’t afraid to fail at. Because I think you have to fail quickly, fail forward. I mean, all the things that people say are so very true. If you put money into something and you fail, you’re going to learn that lesson really, really quickly.
So, all the key points that people tell you — when you make your first million, you lose your first million. But it’s easy to make it again because you’ve done it before. And I do believe that if you believe you can, then you can. Everything is a mindset, and I don’t have limiting beliefs.
You’re a sister with superpowers. Describe three of your superpowers.
I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid. I think procrastination and fear are your worst enemies. A lot of people think about doing things and they never get to it. Some people are afraid of success, and those are the main things. With God, I know I can do anything if I set my mind to something and work at it. But I do know it takes time. I know millionaires think in terms of decades. The younger people today want things overnight, but sometimes, you have to work at it until it works.
What would you say is your superpower?
My superpower, I would have to say, is my power of discernment. I think a lot of Black women have it, but I have it at a super level. I can tell when a person is for me. I can tell when a person is against me. When my husband meets people, I’ll say, “You know what? Stay away from him.” “How do you know?” I know. And trust me, I’m right. And over time, he’s learned to just listen to me. So, if you ask about my superpower, it’s got to be my power of discernment.
How would you advise young people to develop their own power of discernment?
I think you have to listen. I think that so much is going on, and there’s so much noise in the world. Sometimes, you have to be silent and just listen. God speaks to you. You hear it, and you just have to take heed to those notions—those little things that tickle your spirit and make you say, “Oh no, that’s not right.” That voice in the back of your mind — you have to listen to it.
In all the moments that you were in dental school, what really made you know that being a dentist would also allow you to be a mom and a wife?
Oh, from the very beginning, when I used to shadow dentists, I saw the hours they worked. In the medical profession, my husband does what he does, and he has a heavy responsibility. Meaning that if there’s a war, he has to go to work. If there’s a patient in the ER and the doctor doesn’t show up to relieve him, he has to stay there. I felt like dentistry was different. Yes, I’m doing medical work in a sense, but I still have my life. Meaning that I’m not on call. I can still fit my schedule. That was very important to me because, first and foremost, I wanted to be a wife and a mother.
How do you make the hard choices of saying “no” when people are asking you to say “yes”?
That ain’t never been a problem for me, Munson, really. I mean, “no” comes very easily. Sometimes, God puts it on my heart to do certain things, but if I don’t want to do it, I have never had a problem saying no. So, no — it’s easy. That’s pretty easy for me. If it’s something I don’t want to do, something that’s not going to benefit me or my community — no. It’s very easy.
And now, you’re not only known in Atlanta, you’re known across the world. How has fame affected Dr. Heavenly?
It hasn’t. I really don’t think it has affected me at all. I don’t really consider myself famous. I know when I’m at the airport, people recognize me, and people ask me for pictures, but I’m still humble. I don’t feel famous. I feel like that same girl from Miami — the one with thick glasses, the one who went to class, the nerd. I feel like that same girl. I’m happy, I’m healthy, and I’m so grateful for everything that’s going on in my life. But I don’t take fame as something real.
Women’s History Month — you go to an institution, your lighthouse. Those young rappers, other HBCU women — if you were going to give a speech to all the young Black men and women at HBCUs, what would the title of the speech be, and what are three things you’d want them to take into life?
The title would probably be something like “A Letter to My Younger Self.” In that letter, I would explain different things I’ve learned throughout my lifetime:
The Power of Compound Interest – If you understand the power of compound interest, you understand that saving early and investing early is so, so important — and not touching that money.
Understanding Your Role in Relationships – I get a lot of backlash for saying this, but I believe a woman has to know her role. I mean, you have to let the man lead. If you have two heads, it becomes a monster. If you have the right man, allow him to lead. And, yes, I said allow him to lead, because we control everything. But you have to allow the man to lead, and that’s the only way I see a relationship working. It cannot be two leaders. If you don’t trust your husband to lead, should you be married to him?
Live Your Life for You – It took me a long time to realize this. I was living my life for my children, doing everything for them. But when I reached a certain age, I realized — you better live for today because tomorrow isn’t promised. I’ve seen so many things happen in the world. Anything I want to do, anywhere I want to go, anything I want to get — I do it for me. I do for me first. Because, like they say, I have to take care of myself before I can take care of you.
Trusting a physician and having a dentist is huge in life. If you could offer advice to people about taking charge of their health, what would you say, and what would you encourage them to do?
As a dentist, first and foremost, I would encourage people to see their dentist — twice a year. I don’t think people realize that we catch a lot of diseases early in your mouth. There’s a lot of bacteremia that can lead to heart problems, diabetes — those types of things. I don’t think people realize a dentist needs to know these things because we’re not just about cosmetics, which is very important, but we’re also about overall health.
You’ve been on TV, and you have a great friend, Dr. Jackie. You two share sisterhood. What is the power of sisterhood?
I think the power of sisterhood is strong. Dr. Jackie would say, “You are the sum of the five people you hang around, and the five people they hang around.” And I think that’s so true. We push each other along. The things I don’t know — she knows. The things she doesn’t know — I know. And we’ve been able to do some amazing things together, talking to each other. We’ve been through some amazing — or not so amazing — situations in our lives that we pushed each other through. We’ve had some ups and downs. But I think sisterhood is so important. Jackie, for me — I trust her with my life. And I think it’s important to have a friend like that.
But you talk about compound interest — why is it important to build wealth?
I’ve learned that, even in HBCUs and other universities, the curriculum is controlled. It’s controlled in the sense that we’re not supposed to learn how to make money or how to work for ourselves. In fact, we’re supposed to learn how to be great clinicians, how to be great workers for other people.
That’s one of the reasons I started Dr. Heavenly University — because I noticed that a lot of doctors were making decent money, but they didn’t know what to do with it. They didn’t know how to run a business. We knew how to do the work, but they didn’t know how to work on a business. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on my financial education, and I made a lot of mistakes. So, I thought — if I could just help some doctors avoid the same mistakes I made, I’d be helping somebody.
I bought distressed dental practices, and I realized why some practices succeeded while others failed. The main difference was marketing. The main thing was marketing and branding yourself. A lot of doctors wouldn’t invest in that. That was just a very important part of it. Then, of course, we get into overhead, keeping our overhead low, and things like that. But first and foremost, you have to learn your craft and be great at it.
When it comes to health and heart, you mentioned that going to the dentist can reveal a person’s heart health. What do you mean when you look in someone’s mouth and say this could lead to an internal issue?
Yeah, I think people don’t know that dental caries — a dental cavity — is an infectious disease. When you eat food and leave it there, that plaque turns into an acid and eats away at the bone around the teeth. I don’t think people realize how dangerous that can be. That bacteria actually goes through your bloodstream and can cause bacteremia, which can affect your heart. It can contribute to diabetes and other serious health issues. But I think people just look at teeth as just teeth. I can tell you — an infection in your mouth can cost you your life. So, it’s really important to see your dentist.
When we think of motivation, how do you set up a dream board?
I think everybody says the same thing. You follow the rules. You find the things you really want in life. A lot of people don’t even know what that is. So, you have to sit in silence and determine what you really, really want in life. Like they say, you write down 10 things. You write down those 10 things and then look at them. Which one is most important to you? Find the top two things. Look at those things, and then create a specific, very detailed way of getting to those top two things. Put the other ones to the side for now. But those top two — work diligently on them.
Why is having a spiritual life important to you?
I don’t know any other way to live. I mean, there’s so much going on in the world. To me, if you don’t have a spiritual life, if you don’t believe in something — how are you even living? I would be afraid to live in this world without a God I know that’s protecting me. So, I think having faith is a decision. Anything you tell yourself over and over again becomes fact to you. And yeah, you have to have religion in your life. Because without it — this world is scary. If you don’t have God over you? Yeah, that’s terrifying.
For those who believe in grind culture but never take a break, why is taking a break important for healing and health?
I think you need time. You need to take a break to reset. You have to reset and refresh. We talk about this as women all the time. Women will run themselves down — cleaning up, cooking, washing clothes, making sure the family is okay, still having a job, being a wife, being a mother — all of that. And we lose ourselves in that. So, it’s very important that we take time for ourselves. And I don’t just mean vacations with your husband. I mean vacations with your girlfriends. Maybe even vacation by yourself. But you need that time to reset and refresh. Mental health is key. I know a lot of women who are on different medications, and really, all it is — that stress, that anxiety. Eating right, exercising, taking time for yourself, being silent, reconnecting with nature — those things are very important. And if you don’t do it, your body will tell you. Your mind will tell you when it’s time.
If you had to write one more book, what would the title be?
I Did It. That would be the title — I Did It. I’ve done everything in this world I’ve ever wanted to do. Anything I think about that I want to do — I’ve done it. I’ve been a wife for years. I’ve been a mother for years. I’ve run businesses for years. I’ve taken risks. I’ve failed. I’ve succeeded. I can’t think of anything I haven’t done. And then — I jumped into reality TV. Don’t ask me how that happened! But 10, 11 years on reality TV? I think I’ve lived an amazing life. And my book title would be I Did It.
Photography by Jay Productions Agency
