You've seen him on social media singing to puppies and on Animal Planet's Hanging With The Hendersons - it's Dr. Ross Henderson!  Ross may be a "celebrity" veterinarian but he is real and shares the same real struggles as the rest of us in veterinary medicine whether we are technicians, assistants, receptionists or doctors.  From his seat on the curb outside a mechanic garage, Ross joined us in the kind of conversation you would have sitting on that curb with your best friend.  Just like yours, Ross's life can be messy but he has chosen to see how that makes it beautiful.  We love how Ross is willing to share the things that terrified him the most and how he got through that fear to find some pretty inspiring experiences.  You can get through that fear too- join our conversation for the inspiration you need.  YOU matter.

Dr. Aziza Glass is making a difference with her Dr2Dr Initiative, as she works to bridge the gap from high school to the medical profession for 1st generation Americans and people of color.  Aziza knows first hand what it is like to have to forge her own lane and we are so thankful that she shared her story with us.  Once a gospel singer on the path to Carnegie Mellon, Aziza ended up in Cornell veterinary school on a National Geographic reality show and now has her own mobile and relief veterinary business!  This lane didn't come without struggle and Aziza, like many of us, allowed stress to affect her health before she realized you have to learn to say no.  Aziza has so many lessons to teach us and is actively making a difference.  You will want to listen to this entire episode to learn how you can make a difference too!

Are you exhausted? Does the thought of what you haven't achieved over the last year bring you down?  Our listener, Dr. Saye Clement shares with us what she just recently realized - we have all been swimming upstream.  When you are swimming upstream you are working much harder than normal. Think about that and then give yourself grace - the grace to realize you have learned and applied so many new things this year and that means you have achieved great things. You have a right to be tired and you have a whole year's worth of learning at your back.  Yes, this past year (with all of its work) has prepared you to take on the next challenges with more strength than you had before. You got this - you matter!

We need, now more than ever, as a community of veterinary medicine to be together, to support each other, and to be kind.  As our profession uses social media more and more we find ourselves wondering, does it help or does it hurt?  Join Tracy and Alec as they talk about what's going on in their lives this week and how they feel that social media carelessness is really affecting our profession.  You should always strive to be kind because you never know who is looking to you for inspiration when you are simply being yourself.  Be you, because you matter and be kind because we all matter.

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in your job but don't have any idea what else you can do in veterinary medicine? Tabitha Kucera, RVT shares with us how she stayed in general practice too long.  She found a way to climb her way out when she realized that there are so many opportunities in this field and that we, as veterinary professionals, are capable of doing so many awesome things.  Tabitha spends her days helping pet owners and veterinary clinics save lives and improve quality of life by using the combined tools of behavioral modification and her motto "better living through chemistry". It took realizing that taking care of herself was important too for Tabitha to improve her own quality of life.  Tabitha shares with us how, once she viewed herself as a patient as well, she was able to start learning how to manage her own high functioning anxiety- by getting help.  Tabitha says it best - advocate for your patients AND advocate for yourself.

 "I won't be able to find a therapist who can help me - they don't understand what it is like in veterinary medicine." Have you ever heard or thought those words? How about "I can't ask for help, it will make me seem weak and vulnerable."? Jamie Holms, RVT gets real and candidly shares the battles she faced as she rose from being the tech who believed she could do it all on her own to the tech who practices asking for help regularly.  Jamie's dry sense of humor and wit punctuates this episode filled with information we all need to hear.  In the veterinary field, we treat pets with behavior orders even though we have never been a dog or cat and Jamie helps us understand how to find the right kind of therapy and therapist that can help us even though that therapist has never been a veterinary professional.  Take the time to listen to this episode and you will understand asking for help in a way that may never have crossed your mind before.  As Jamie says, "the willingness to ask for help is a huge step towards mental wellness." So take the first step and listen to this episode today!

Season 4 is focused on "leveling the playing field" in the veterinary profession as we normalize conversations about mental health.  Join our marketing editor, Tyler, as she gets to know more about Alec and Tracy's journey and what cool things are to come in Season 4.  Everybody needs help because working together is the only way for veterinary medicine to be sustainable. #vetyoumatter

Brynn Zittle has created a role in veterinary medicine that fits her passion for filmmaking and storytelling.  Preparation and communication is key to her work - yet Brynn bravely shares with us how she believes that, if she had been better prepared, she may not have lost 2 people in her life to suicide. Suicide plagues the veterinary profession and, by listening to this episode, you can learn more about what is like to seemingly have it all yet feel in a dark place. Thank you Brynn for sharing your story because, as you put it, sharing can be therapy.

In this What Matters Blog, listener Amanda Doran, DVM shares with us the 4 lessons she has learned that enable her to turn difficult situations into beautiful teachings.  Being mindful, creating your environment, embracing your emotions (all of them) and forgiving yourself can be the guidelines you need to find peace on this journey.  Being kind to others starts with being kind to you!

There is so much that is really hard right now, but this episode will hit home, inspire, and make you smile!  Join our co-hosts as they talk about how their practice is handling curbside - you know the conversation won't end there.  Alec and Tracy delve into how to prepare for difficult times and the kind of communication necessary to help each other through what life throws our way.  Just like in life, this episode isn't all about the hard stuff, it's the end of a long hot week and our co-hosts get silly and will have you in stitches ready to recharge by the end of the show.

Veterinarian and relationship coach Ericka Mendez walked the same path as many of us - throwing herself into veterinary medicine, staying late and making clients happy.  Unfortunately, also like many of us, veterinary medicine was robbing Ericka of the happiness she could have found in her relationships outside of work.  Join us as Ericka shares the story of how she learned to prioritize (rather than balance) and now her relationships, both in and out of work, are a major source of joy.