Dr. Emily Taylor, 34, finds joy in helping others hear better.
After growing up in Owings Mills, Taylor decided to become an audiologist. When she graduated from Towson University, she opened her own practice right away. Now, the Taylor Listening Center helps people with hearing loss throughout the community.
When the pandemic began, Taylor used TikTok to destress. After discovering a fellow audiologist’s page, she decided to start posting her own TikToks. Her account, @dr_ear_wax, now has 1 million followers.
Taylor and her husband Ross Taylor, along with their two children, belong to Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation.
Did you always know that you wanted to be an audiologist?
No. I knew I wanted the health field so that was kind of my starting point. I took an intro class in college, and we kind of found each other. I think it was just a perfect mix of the science that I wanted and the patient care. I found audiology challenging, but it was so interesting that it was like a joy. It didn’t feel like hard work because I enjoyed learning about it.
How did you decide to open your own practice so early on in your career?
I probably just didn’t think hard enough and jumped into it. I didn’t think about the risks involved, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done … other than meeting my husband and having my babies. I honestly felt like Towson prepared us to the point where I could do that. It wasn’t something I expected would happen so soon. It was always my goal, even in undergrad where I knew I wanted private practice. I knew I wanted my own practice and I shared the idea with my husband and he was my biggest supporter along with my family. They really encouraged me to go for it. I was planning my practice while I was planning my wedding and the Taylor Listening Center was born.
What has happened with your practice during COVID-19?
So, like so many other small businesses and especially in health care, we were closed for a few months and there was a lot of uncertainty. Obviously, it was a scary time as a small business but I feel like the community rallied behind us. The day we opened our doors back it was like a madhouse. We’ve made modifications to the practice of course during COVID-19.
What do you love about what you do?
I would say the most important thing is I really actually enjoy helping people hear better. It sounds so basic, but after learning the importance of that sense of the body, giving people back the ability to hear really brings me joy. I enjoy owning my own practice. It allows me to be the mom that I want to be. The main reason I opened my practice was I wanted the practice to focus on patients and not on business. I think these things turned out to go hand in hand but I just felt like I understood what the patient wanted and deserved. This is a model that I’ve been following since day one. I truly believe reputation is everything, especially in our small town and I’m really proud to say we have a great reputation.
What advice would you give people who are struggling to juggle parenthood and their careers?
The first thing is to have a really good support system. We’re lucky enough that we were born and raised in this area and both of our sets of parents live nearby so we lean really hard on our tribe. That helps us stay balanced. They help with carpool and give us date nights. Finding a job that allows you to be flexible is probably the biggest hurdle. Prioritize your time and understand what makes you happy because I feel like the mom or the parents know they have to take care of themselves to take care of others.
