We were lucky to catch up with Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alyssa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later
If I could go back in time…isn’t that something we all wish for at some point? Regarding EVT, even though we did our soft launch in October of 2019 and then an official launch 8 months later right at the peak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I wouldn’t change the timing at all. Up until June 2020, I was working full-time as the education & development coordinator at a 40+ doctor, 200+ support team member specialty & emergency veterinary practice. I loved my team, the doctors, and the work we were doing. At this juncture, I’d been working in the veterinary profession steadily – in various roles – since 2004. I knew nothing else. However, I have had 7 knee surgeries – the final one being a complete reconstruction of my left knee to match the right that was reconstructed in 2011. Fractured patellas & femoral heads, torn ligaments & cartilage – I was a mess. Standing for extended periods of time, squatting/kneeling, all were becoming increasingly difficult. This was all before I was in my forties. I also have two incredible children who are now 10 & 15 years old that I was missing, terribly with extended hours and the effects of mental & physical stress.
It all culminated in a perfect storm of a need for a professional creative outlet, personal boundaries, and a gaping niche within my profession. I stepped out of my comfort zone and into the realm of possibility and have zero regrets.
Alyssa, 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 recovering Marine Biologist – graduated 20 years ago and still can’t shake the salt water off! Like most of my colleagues, I’ve always had a love of animals, but I was initially drawn to those in the sea. After graduating from URI in 2003, I spent a year at Newfound Harbour Marine Institute (NHMI)/SEACAMP teaching middle to high school students via interactive wet labs, and snorkel/SCUBA excursions, and also volunteered with MOTE Marine Lab for their Pilot Whale rescues and sea turtle program. It was as awesome as it sounds, and I actually met my husband while I was there – that was NOT in my plan! In May of 2004, I returned to PA as Paul and I were preparing to move to Vancouver, BC – he had been accepted to Simon Fraser University in their Master’s program for Marine Ecology. I was lifeguarding after an early morning swim practice and my coach bluntly said, “What the hell are you doing up in that stand? Do something with your life!” He wasn’t wrong, so I did. Volunteered at the general practice my family took our cats to, and I was hooked.
Prior to moving in August, I contacted the Vancouver Aquarium and was able to secure a volunteer position – not the easiest to get a job in Canada when you’re from the States, but more on that in a bit…as the idea and dream I now had was to be a marine veterinarian. I didn’t then, and I still don’t dream small.
Fast forward to 2005 and I was still volunteering at the aquarium, and at a local mixed animal practice on Bowen Island to get further experience. Another year goes by, and now Paul and I are married so I can get my official work visa we moved to the mainland and I got a position as an assistant at a large specialty/emergency practice in downtown Vancouver. After a few months in wards & ICU, I was promoted to the surgery service and fell in love with the OR. Scrub in for hip replacements, PDAs, and abdominal explores? YES PLEASE! Loved it so much and found such a great mentor I thought, hey why not apply to vet school now?!? So I took the GRE, sent in my application…and got in. The week after I received my acceptance letter, Paul left for his research season in the Broughton Archipelago, and I got really sick. Nothing was wrong though, I was simply pregnant. Many others have successfully done veterinary school while expecting, on their own with no support, and they thrived. I knew enough about myself that that wouldn’t work for me. First pivot.
We moved back to the States in October of 2008, and the great thing about being in #vetmed is that there’s always going to be a job for us – if we’re willing to take it and work for it. The job market being what it was though, Paul wasn’t able to find work and we had a 10-month-old. So I started as an ER Assistant at a hybrid practice outside of Philly and ended up working with an incredible VMD who became – and still is – a dear friend, so when she was opening her own practice & asked me to join I leapt at the chance. 2nd pivot.
I had had a taste of the ER though and a high-energy, fast-paced OR – GP just wasn’t going to be enough for this adrenaline junkie long-term. It was at this point – in 2009 – that I also realized that while I knew WHAT to do, I didn’t know all the whys. I enrolled at Manor College and 2.5 years later (part-time school, full-time work) graduated & passed the VTNE. Around that time we found out that we were going to be parents again, and Paul was commuting on 76 – if you’re from PA/NJ you KNOW how awful this highway is – it was time to relocate. 3rd pivot.
We moved in 2012 and I started working mid-shift in the ER at a 40+ doctor practice in the Philly suburbs. Transferred to the AX service in 2013, then the Oncology service needed an anesthetist for intracavitary chemo so I transitioned to that role in 2014. It was at this time my wonky knees – I’d had my right one reconstructed in 2011 – decided to fall apart, again. I was out as of 2015 and seriously reconsidering my professional choices. To give my body, brain & emotions a break I accepted a position in veterinary pharmaceutical sales – and promptly discovered that I was not good at it. 4th pivot.
I reached out to my advisor and mentor at Manor College and was offered a position as an adjunct professor – yessss!!! It was only part-time so I also reached back out to the practice I left in 2015 and they had an opening as a Customer Service Representative (CSR) – I took it. LOVED teaching, still do. DIDN’T love being on the phone, but I learned a LOT; I developed a newfound respect for the patience & dedication of those individuals who hold down the front desk & are the buffers for the rest of the veterinary team on the phones. I still do, and refer to anyone in a CSR position as the faces and voices of the veterinary profession – the reason we all have jobs.
After about a year in the CSR role, a position for Education & Development was created at this practice and I immediately jumped at the opportunity – it was PERFECT, teaching AND being a veterinary technician helping others learn & grow?!? I was thrilled & so grateful to be selected and put my heart and soul into building a training team, crafting a robust training program, and working with everyone on the team to ensure everyone felt seen, heard & supported. And then, I broke, again. My left knee was in need of a complete reconstruction – it’s not just labradors who get matching TPLOs! – so I was facing another prolonged recovery and being off the floor, again.
It was at this point in 2019 that I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, my body was trying to tell me something. I was in my 30’s and felt like I was physically falling apart. My kids were growing up and I felt like I was missing it, and there was this inner fire that just kept burning and churning – I needed to do something, something big, but what?
Enter my best friend and travel buddy of over 20 years. In a different industry, but with the same inner turmoil. On a sun-soaked stoop, drinking bubbly and blubbering a bit, the idea that would eventually become Empowering Veterinary Teams was born.
Empowering Veterinary Teams (EVT) is a woman-owned and operated business, that is committed to empowering individuals and teams within the veterinary industry. We know that a lack of commitment to our colleagues and employees can hinder success, so we’ve curated training programs that are accessible to ALL industry providers.
Our groundbreaking content is designed to enrich veterinary teams and practices, ensuring the longevity, happiness, and well-being of everyone involved. With our personalized approach, we meet you where you are and provide the support and resources you need to thrive. You’ll have access to RACE-approved continuing education and our unique take on how to evolve your veterinary practice for a sustainable future.
Our team provides comprehensive multidisciplinary veterinary training from the clinic to the boardroom with a focus on empowering individuals, teams, and practices for care providers, as well as developing content and training programs for industry providers and solutions developers.
Our clients can work with us on their own time, either virtually or in person, through webinars, group skill training sessions, 1:1 training, customizable training packages, or ordering direct content/products via our store. With EVT, you’ll have the tools and resources you need to take your practice to the next level and stay ahead of the curve.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Caitlin and I met over 20 years ago on a plane heading to Nassau. We were both students participating in Semester at Sea and the ship was heading out from this port prior to our 100-day voyage around the world. Caitlin’s family was on a separate flight, so my mom instantly “adopted” her for the start of the trip. Caitlin and I then reconnected after the flight during the semester on a trip through India that culminated in sitting on the steps of the Taj Mahal at sunset. It’s impossible to be in that country, on that historic and iconic structure, bathed in golden and amber hues, and not feel connected. Upon our return home, we stayed close. After graduation, I headed to FL and Caitlin headed to NY and while we didn’t see each other as much, the bond remained. She was the MC at my wedding, our children are close in age, and our husbands are avid cyclists & craft brewing aficionados – suffice to say, the relationship was & is tightly knit.
Caitlin is an engineer and has her MS in leadership/management bringing a much-needed external perspective and keen insights to the work we do. I could not do the work that I do, nor would EVT be who we are without her, .
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
The beautiful and sometimes eerie thing about the veterinary industry is that there are about 1-2 degrees of separation from one individual to another. In any industry, a big part of anyone’s success is about who you know – that is exponentially true here!
I was very fortunate to have worked with incredible people in this profession throughout my career, and I was very intentional when it was time for me to move on that I did so respectfully and mindfully. It was also a time when the industry is poised for change and the programs & products EVT was developing fit right in this niche.
It was through my connections, the caliber of work I had produced when in practice, me taking a risk and pushing the envelope at networking events, and those who didn’t know me yet taking a chance on me that got us started.
Once I had a toehold, I dug in and got busy – and loud. Those of you that know me know that I’m not a shy person, and when there is something I am passionate about, everyone’s gonna know why. I believe in this incredible profession, and even though there is a LOT of work to do to enact change within it, I believe even more strongly in stepping up and speaking out to get this done.
What you see with me is what you get, so I make sure that my energy, commitment and authenticity shows up when I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://empoweringveterinaryteams.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/empvetteam/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/empvetteam.1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acmcvt2019evt/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsLMDaXCdp76OZSD1NZPHQ
- Other: Personal IG: https://instagram.com/Lyss_EVT/
Image Credits
Photo Credits: EVT Professional Headshot: Krista Patton