Meet Cameika Gregory

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameika Gregory and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cameika, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When it came to starting my own business, my thought process was wanting to do things my own way without limitations. The industry in which I work, occupational therapy, is often limited in the kind of services I can provide to my patients when having to work with insurance companies and the different settings in which those services are provided. One of the things I’ve assessed amongst the pediatric population is that there is a greater need for community based services and in-home services beyond what insurance companies can cover. Especially, post COVID. A lot of the families that I worked with have acknowledged how far they may have to drive for services, not being able to get their kiddo qualified for services, or just have a limited understanding behind the purpose of occupational therapy services. So essentially, it was about analyzing the needs of a particular population and finding a way to implement my services in a way that better fits a lot of the clientele I’ve served.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an occupational therapist who works with children by enhancing their foundational skills in order to be as independent as possible in settings they most likely will navigate such as their home environment, school, or in the community. I enjoy meeting my kiddos where they are at and helping them excel to that next milestone or phase in their development.
I’m most proud of accomplishing what I set out to do. It was not an easy journey as I faced challenges in undergrad with some of my courses while managing the life of a student-athlete. Then experiencing similar setbacks in graduate school with my course work while opening to life in the big, great city of Chicago.. However, my challenges with my course work created that realm of self-doubt. Questioning if I was smart enough or if I’d even be accepted into an OT program, comparing myself to those around me and just simply being hard on myself.
My support system got me through these challenges. At each phase of the journey. I genuinely have people around me that believe in me. They pulled me out of the self-doubt on many, many occasions. And with the constant reference and keys to life that my parents have always said to me is, “only focus on the things you can control, everything else will work itself out.” I’m just now starting to get a hang of that concept!
I think the main thing I want people to know is that my journey was not easy, it wasn’t handed to me. I had to really put in a lot of work. I’ve never been the top of my classes or anything like that but I’ve always had a passion and have always seen the bigger picture to life. I’ve always been passionate about helping others, helping those less fortunate, and creating spaces where everyone feels like an equal. My journey hasn’t always felt like that in certain spaces which is why I love what I do and go so hard for what I do, especially if it means it’s going to help the next person.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite places in the city to frequent include anything within the Atlantic Station. It’s one of my favorite places to walk around and shop. One of my favorite stops to eat there is Yardhouse. I would take them to Ponce City Market on the Rooftop to play some mini golf and maybe have a drink. Or I would take them to the food hall that’s in the area. A couple of my favorite breakfast spots include The Flying Biscuit Cafe, Folk Art Restaurant, and of course a quick pick up at Waffle House. For nice music and food, Rock Steady has become a top favorite along with Blu Cantina and Teranga City. Ipic for a movie and lunch/dinner vibe and The Battery for drinks and fun!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my family, my boyfriend, and my graduate program. My family is my core. They are the people I look up to the most. From my parents to my siblings, they are some of the most intelligent people I know and the most supportive people I know. I’ve never had to look outside my home for a role model growing up because they were it. They have helped cultivate me into the person I am today. My boyfriend also deserves a shoutout because he’s seen me through my undergrad and graduate school years. The years that I say have been some of the most challenging. He’s seen how bad I’ve wanted to succeed and accomplish my goals. He’s witnessed the ugly side of it, my worries, my stresses, my lack of confidence. However, he’s always been there to reassure me, encourage me, and has helped me improve my faith in God. And I’m forever grateful for the staff and friends I met at Chicago State University. I have to simply thank them for giving me the opportunity to embark on my post grad journey of becoming an occupational therapist, especially after so many rejections. For having great professors that allowed me to feel confident in this career once I graduated and to the friends I met along the way who spent countless hours with me in the library studying and sharing notes just so we could make it through!

Website: https://www.cmptherapy.com

Instagram: @meikadarling_ and @creativeminds_ot

Other: TikTok: @meikadarling_ and @creativeminds_ot