We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr. Michael Rasmussen. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Michael, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think almost everyone struggles with comparison and the anxiety of “not getting ahead.”
I had a quote hanging above my desk in residency that said “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and I’ve never read a truer quote. Our society struggles deeply with comparison and therefore contentment.
What I find is that so much of that struggle is self-imposed because we never talk about it. We assume others are doing well and we’re the only ones struggling because we’re so scared to be vulnerable with one another. But, vulnerability is the way to community, and community is the pathway to joy. It just takes one moment of honest bravery to break through. Some out there needs to hear this. Be brave! It’s so worth it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Michael Rasmussen, but my patients know me as Dr. Razz. I’m the orthodontist and founder of Razz Orthodontics in Flower Mound, TX.
Our tagline is “Crafting Confidence,” and that’s what my practice is all about. We are a family-owned, faith-oriented practice that serves our patients with the best the industry has to offer. We use advanced technology and a decade of experience to bring confident smiles to life. The smiles we build as we love on the hearts of our patients are just different, and the body knows. When that day comes and we take off a patient’s braces, there is a moment of change in the heart of the person. I believe that first moment of “Wow!” a patient experiences, and the genuine smile that comes to their face because of it, is their true self coming out. It’s the confidence that was hiding inside all along, and that is such a rewarding moment.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was a new doctor, something really sad happened that shaped the kind of doctor I wanted to become. I was treating a young, teenage patient who committed suicide. It rocked my world.
I kept thinking to myself, “What if I had done something different or spent more time asking him how he was doing? What if I was more supportive? What if he knew how much I cared? Could it have saved his life?”
That moment changed how I view my profession. An orthodontist has a unique glimpse into the heart of our patients, especially the teenagers, as they are figuring out who they are. I decided I wanted to lean into that as much as I can.
Now, I make it a point to tell patients how proud I am of them. I look them in the eye as I tell them how I care about who they are. And, it’s made a difference in their lives! I’ve had patients open up about their struggles, and I’ve had the immense joy of helping them find the resources they need to fight the mental and spiritual battles they are struggling with.
I don’t know if I could have changed things for that first patient, but I do know that I’m working as hard as I can to honor the heart inside of each patient that comes into my office.
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
I had an incredible friend and pastor named Barrett when I lived in Memphis for residency. This man changed my life and my perception of what life was all about.
I didn’t grow up thinking much about spiritual things, the purpose of life, or how our souls relate to the world. But, this began to bug me quite a bit as I got out of school and into the “real world.” I felt like a leaf in the wind drifting through life without a destination.
I met with Barrett many times, often for 2-3 hours at a time asking the big questions like, “Is God real and does He really care about me? Doesn’t science show God is made up? If evil exists, how could a good God exist? Why is Jesus so exclusive when He says the only way to heaven is through Him? Isn’t that just mean and restrictive? How could Christians be so arrogant to believe that?”
Barrett was so patient with me. He sat back, listened intently, and never made me feel foolish for asking a question. He would answer each objection with well-reasoned answers, and if I was intellectually honest, he had strong evidence for believing in Jesus. As he likes to say, “God is big enough for our honest questions.”
At the end of it, I was left with no meaningful objections, just a sense of head knowledge that this whole Jesus thing was real and very well supported by legitimate, non-Christian sources and logic. That’s when he asked me a question. “So, Michael, if we’ve answered your questions, and you have no reasonable doubts that this stuff isn’t true, then what is it you don’t want to give up? What is it you need to set down in order to follow Jesus?”
I didn’t have a good answer right away, but the more I thought about it, the more it came down to me just wanting to be in control. I didn’t want to live my life for others, let alone for God. But, what I didn’t know is that I would soon do just that. I’d lay down the control and gain a heart knowledge of God’s love for me. And, on the other side of that decision was a life filled with selfless joy and the peace of knowing I was right with my creator.
When you find someone that truly listens, you have found a gem of profound worth. Don’t ignore that gift.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. It’s a simple and short answer, but I believe it’s the only way to go through life. It’s just too difficult and exhausting otherwise!
Integrity comes from the word integer which means a whole unit. It means we are whole and the same regardless of the situation. That’s why I define integrity for my team as doing the right thing, at the right time, even when no one is watching.
You’d be amazed how much simpler this makes life. It often costs you things, but the sense of peace and the reputation you gain are worth everything it costs.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Sit ups!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RazzOrthodontics.com
- Instagram: @RazzOrtho
- Facebook: @RazzOrtho
- Other: TikTok: @RazzOrtho
Image Credits
Lauren Reaves Photography
