We recently connected with Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT and have shared our conversation below.
Alyssa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Buckle up, because this story is a long ride!
Empowering Veterinary Teams – EVT – was the brainchild of Caitlin Keat, MSM, and myself. We have been friends now for over 20 years, and in 2019 we were both getting to the point of burnout in our respective careers. I had been in clinical practice in veterinary medicine since 2004, had 7 knee surgeries, and was physically & emotionally drained. Caitlin was an engineer and program manager in the defense sector and was hitting a similar breaking point. At a summer BBQ, we sat on her front porch, with tears in our eyes and dreams in our hearts, and started the conversation of what if we did this thing…and the initial idea of EVT was born.
In my years in the veterinary profession, I have worked in various roles and disciplines. I was a kennel worker, veterinary assistant, customer service representative (CSR), veterinary technician, shift-lead, lead veterinary technician, adjunct professor, and salesperson, and my last position before launching EVT was as an Education & Development Coordinator. Within this last role at a large emergency & specialty veterinary hospital, I truly discovered my passion for teaching and the other often overlooked parts of this job that include coaching and training.
Caitlin and I felt that by combining my knowledge and experience of veterinary medicine with her IT, leadership, and organizational savviness we could develop training programs and materials that were far from the norm. We were focused on building the teams up from within, not directing them from the top, down. While there were and are many other training and consulting companies in existence, our approach was and is unique – we identify existing leaders within the teams and involve them in the process. For even though we are called Empowering Veterinary Teams, we know that no one can truly empower anyone. What we can do, and do well, is to provide the tools, support & guidance for people to empower themselves. Essentially acting as a mirror for them to see how valuable and vital they are to not only their practice’s, but this profession’s success.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
EVT is a woman-owned and operated business, and we are committed to empowering individuals and teams throughout 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 evolving your veterinary practice for a sustainable future.
We provide comprehensive multidisciplinary veterinary training from the clinic to the boardroom. With a dual focus on clinical and human skills that empower 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.
We’re very proud of the robust training programs we offer where we are working side by side with practices and the training materials we make to supplement these. We have partnered with MedDimensions to build interactive training models and manikins for phlebotomy & IV catheter placement, CPR, Anesthesia, cystocentesis, and much more. All at affordable prices and utilizing sustainable materials.
Our motto is we meet you where you are with what you need, and we stand by it.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Caitlin and I met in the spring of 2002 while on a study-abroad program called Semester at Sea. This was a 100-day, 10-country adventure in which we circumnavigated the globe and it quite literally changed our lives. I recognize now how privileged I was and am to have had this opportunity, and am beyond grateful to my parents for making it happen! Our official meeting occurred in India, where we spent literal hours touring the Taj Mahal and watching the sunset. A lifelong friendship started that day, and we’ve shared so many other life-changing moments since – weddings, births, and deaths – we’ve been by each other’s sides through it all, and I couldn’t ask for nor imagine a better person to have launched into the sea of entrepreneurship with.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When I left clinical practice in June of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I spent the next 6 months cold-messaging people an organizations on LinkedIn. Shamelessly name-dropping, and honing our elevator pitch as best I could. In between this, I was steadily working on building our content library and the structure of our training programs with Caitlin, so that if one of these calls led to another, we’d be ready.
In July, it happened. A mutual friend got me connected with the producer of the ScrubChat podcast at Zoetis, Garnetta Santiago, MA, LVT, and she graciously invited me to be a guest. When this dropped, I was contacted by Dr. Jill Lopez of VetCandy who asked me to do an interview and subsequent filming work, I met new colleagues at GetMotiveted who quickly became friends and we co-authored a guidebook, ClinLife-21, together. We were then introduced to the team at DVM360 who asked us to speak/present at the 2021 Fetch conferences, and the rest, as they say, is history!
All this being said, one of my core values is authenticity. When I show up, I show UP, and I will always follow through. I am a work in progress, and I make mistakes, often. I learn from them, unlearn old & bad habits, and learn new & relearn again when needed. Caitlin is very much the same and we recognize that we’re not experts in everything, that’s why we strive for collaboration over competition. For we truly are stronger, together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://empvet.team
- Instagram: empvetteam
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empvetteam.1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowering-veterinary-teams-evt/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsLMDaXCdp76OZSD1NZPHQ