We were lucky to catch up with Brandy Wilkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brandy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

I was a graduate student at The Ohio State University for my Master of Physical Therapy degree. One year into a two and a half year program, my sister was killed in a car accident. My family lived in North Carolina and I was in Ohio. My classmates chipped in to purchase my plane ticket home to grieve with my family. That was over a decade ago, yet it still makes my heart swell when I think about their kindness. These were broke college students who thought enough about me to help so significantly. I will never forget that.

Brandy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a healthcare quality consultant, career coach, and owner of Defining Point Coaching & Consulting, LLC. As a champion of safe patient care, I am on a mission to make our U.S. healthcare system safer and reduce preventable harm. About 7 years into my career, I realized that I could have a bigger impact on our healthcare system by leaving direct patient care.

With almost a decade of healthcare quality experience and even longer as a physical therapist, I have partnered with 70+ healthcare organizations and hundreds of specialty programs to identify and improve challenges with patient safety, patient experience, and clinical processes. Now I help other healthcare professionals launch their next career move and find meaning in their work.

I also have a podcast called Kairos Conversations: Connecting with Quality, where I share the journeys of professionals who are making an impact in healthcare, away from the bedside. Tune in for some candid conversations about how to make healthcare safer at www.definingpointcc.com/podcast or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

You can find me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brandydpt or on my website www.definingpointcc.com.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

We all have our defining points. Those moments that change everything.

I spent the early part of my career traveling around in different clinical roles. Eventually, I ended up in Atlanta where I applied for a supervisor role I didn’t get. I was heartbroken. I wanted to quit (that job) but due to some advice from one of my best friends, I stayed.

I didn’t know it at the time, but it ended up being my defining point.

After some deep introspective work, I realized I wanted to focus on healthcare safety and quality, not direct care. I realized I could have a bigger impact by not being at the bedside.

Fast forward 6 months and I landed a role that became my launchpad into the career I have now.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The most valuable thing you can do to advance in your career is to volunteer for projects that showcase your skills and expertise and provide an opportunity to learn and connect with other professionals. Even as you take courses and certifications (if required), if you don’t put those tools into practice, it does no good. I know many people who have gotten extra degrees who find themselves struggling to land the next role or to get a pay increase. It usually boils down to lack of experience. So, experience, through volunteering for projects, helps tremendously. It is also helpful to get a baseline and track progress when you start the project so you can quantitatively show how you led improvement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.definingpointcc.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandydpt
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@definingpointcc