Balancing Parenthood and Purpose in Veterinary Medicine

The Certificate in Veterinary Workplace Wellbeing meets Women's History Month. 

The certificate is hosted by Dr. Phil Richmond and the Florida VMA. Check out the FVMA's Inspire program. 

Looking for an inspiring veterinary career story? These are the episodes referenced in the episode:

• Dr. Linda Rhodes, Breaking Barnyard Barriers
• Launched their own clinics (like Dr. Eva Evans)
• Led biotech companies (like Dr. Linda Black at Gallant)
• Advocated for diversity and wrote powerful books (like Dr.s Kemba Marshall and Cherice Roth)
• Built innovative startups and transformed industry sectors (like Dr. Eve Hanks at MiRNA and Drs. Michelle Schack & Shari van de Pol in dairy health)
• Took on executive leadership roles in global companies (like Dr. Molly McAllister with Mars Veterinary Health and Dr. Sasha Nefedova in Australia)

PERMA assessment: 

Don't forget to follow the Tiny but Mighty wellness tips on social media! And text us (1) what social platform do you spend the most time on, and/or (2) what are your favorite tiny ways to enhance your wellbeing? 

Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to Vet Life Reimagined. It's a solo episode today to kick off March, and I wanna share a few meaningful updates and reflections with you. First of all, March is Women's History Month, and I can't help but think of one of our most recent episodes with Dr. Linda Rhodes. Her story still leaves me in awe.

Utah's first female dairy veterinarian in the 1970s. Breaking into a world that didn't think they were ready for a lady cow vet. Going on to advance medical treatments, lead large organizations, and found the Feather in Her Cap Award celebrating women leaders in animal health. Her journey is a beautiful example of honoring the past

while forging something new. That got me thinking about how many incredible women I've had the honor of featuring on this podcast over the past four years. This is episode 211, and we've highlighted women who have launched [00:01:00] their own clinics, like Dr. Eva Evans, led or leading biotech companies like Dr. Linda Black at Gallant, advocating for diversity and writing powerful textbooks like Dr.

Kemba Marshall and Cherice Roth, building innovative startups in transforming industry sectors like Dr. Eve Hanks at MiRNA and Doctors Michelle Schack and Shari Van de Pol in dairy health. Taking on executive leadership roles in global companies like Dr. Molly McAllister and Dr. Sasha Nefedova, and so many more and all who happen to also be daughters, sisters, moms, aunts, and friends.

These women are redefining what life and career in veterinary medicine can look like. They've faced tough decisions, thought through doubt, and still showed [00:02:00] up to support others, like even coming on Vet Life reimagined and creating a community that reminds us we don't have to and shouldn't do this life alone, and I need that reminder too.

My daughter, Abigail, is almost 18 months old. Being a mom is absolutely incredible. It's also really hard. Lack of sleep, emotional overload, parents, you get it. At the same time, I'm in a season of professional growth. This podcast, building a new startup (launching soon), speaking, networking, and serving in several different organizations.

Some days I feel full of energy and ideas, and others, the anxiety and exhaustion really hit hard. Balancing ambition and presence is tricky. The goal isn't perfection. It's intentional progress with a lot of [00:03:00] personal grace. That brings me to something else I'm excited to share about. I just completed a certificate program in Veterinary Workplace Well-being.

Shout out to the Florida VMA and our amazing cohort and Dr. Phil Richmond, who is leading this. As part of the program, we focused on how workplace wellbeing impacts productivity, retention, and overall job satisfaction. Not just what we do, but how we support ourselves and others along. One of the biggest takeaways for me is self-compassion.

So many in our profession are incredibly hard on themselves. I am one of those, but research shows that self-kindness boosts resilience, reduces stress, and helps us grow. During my pregnancy, my phrase was personal grace. It's still an anchor for me today and what I wanna model for Abigail.

[00:04:00] Another mantra from the program was Tiny is mighty small. Consistent wins are powerful, whether it's a two-minute pause, a single deep breath. a phrase that grounds you. The smallest shifts can spark real change. We also used a tool based on the PERMA four plus framework from Dr. Martin Seligman to assess our own wellbeing.

It gave me language around where I'm thriving and where I may need support. For context, I took this assessment in December while we were still recovering from the move to Florida. I scored high in positive emotions and relationships, but lower in meaning and engagement, which highlighted the impact of the move and our financial stress. What we do for an opportunity.

But knowing this helped me recalibrate, it gave me some clarity, and [00:05:00] connection more than anything is what keeps me going, which is why this podcast matters so much to me. So what does this mean for you? Well, I have three wellbeing gifts that I want to share. Next week's episode will feature a guest from the Wellbeing Certificate cohort.

She's a powerful voice on psychological safety. She's a fellow mom and so much more. Very excited to share her story, so you don't wanna miss that episode. Number two is I'm teaming up with Dr. Phil Richmond to make the PERMA tool available for you, so check the show notes to be able to access it. It's a great way to better understand where you are and what you need.

And then starting today, I'm sharing one tiny but Mighty Wellbeing booster per day for seven days on Instagram and Facebook. So follow along and tell me which social platforms you are on the most. Uh, by clicking that text me [00:06:00] link in the show notes. I would love your feedback and maybe ideas of tiny but mighty wellbeing boosters for you.

I want to thank you for being part of this community. You matter, your wellbeing matters, and your career gets to be reimagined in ways that are meaningful and sustainable. So until next time, keep reimagining what's possible in veterinary life.