Today we’d like to introduce you to Melyssa Allen.
Hi Melyssa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From the time I was little, I was always fascinated by the human-animal connection and the special bonds that could be created through interacting with animals. Many of my college jobs involved working with animals – from being a barn assistant to a dog trainer – while studying biology and psychology to pursue my childhood dream job as a marine mammal trainer. I had also been involved with UCF’s Pre-Veterinary Society and made many connections and friendships in that organization since we all shared a mutual passion for caring for animals. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in internships that later led me to live out that childhood dream job as a marine mammal trainer for almost seven years. While I worked in animal training, I had the unique privilege of working alongside the veterinary teams that cared for the animals around the clock. I’ve also stayed connected with many of the pre-Veterinary students and former colleagues through social media and watched their journeys in veterinary medicine from afar. When I left the animal training industry, I began pursuing my graduate degree in clinical psychology to enter the mental health field. During my clinical internship and professional experiences, I worked with populations of first responders, cancer patients and survivors, inpatient and outpatient substance use disorder patients, and healthcare workers. As the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding, I primarily worked with healthcare professionals but noticed on my personal social media feeds that many of my friends and former colleagues in the veterinary industry shared their unique struggles and challenges. After doing some quick searches, I noticed a significant discrepancy in the number of support resources available for veterinary mental health and well-being. This discovery led me to expand my well-being coaching company to have a specialized focus on creating programs and offering services that support veterinary professionals in the unique challenges they face within the veterinary industry. Now that I have expanded as a Veterinary Well-Being Coach, I have been able to extend evidence-based interventions that support human healthcare providers’ well-being and tailor them to veterinary professionals.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I pivoted my business into the veterinary space, I was worried that I would encounter some resistance since I haven’t worked directly in the veterinary industry. I took a leap of faith and applied to the Start-Up Circle to get a chance for a discounted booth to exhibit at VMX2022, which is a large veterinary conference held in Orlando each January. I was surprised when I was accepted and during my time exhibiting at the VMX2022 conference, I received such a warm welcome from the attendees and other exhibitors! Given my background in animal training and working with large (human) healthcare systems, it seemed to provide credibility for my experience and my potential to bring value to the veterinary industry. Even though I didn’t have any products to showcase or programs launched yet at VMX, I had so many veterinary professionals sharing kind words of support with me like “We need more people like you…thank you for what you’re doing…we appreciate you supporting our field!” It was extremely meaningful to receive that kind of encouragement and validated my belief that I was on the right path. The struggles I’ve faced are mostly around running my business on the side as a “solopreneur” while continuing to work a full-time job. Since I don’t have support in my business yet – I am my own admin assistant, video editor, graphic designer, marketing department, etc. – it often limits my reach and services. However, I have been able to collaborate with many other veterinary businesses, like Relief Rover, Vet’s Best Friend, and Love Huvet, that strive to promote veterinary well-being.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about the Mind-Body-Thrive Lifestyle?
With my background as a mental health counselor, fitness instructor, and lifestyle medicine professional, I provide a variety of presentations that focus on creating positive health habits that support mental, emotional, and physical well-being. My catchphrase has always been “Healthy living doesn’t have to suck” – which is also the title of my first book set to be published on 11/11/22 – so I try to bring supportive energy and a positive approach to habit change. I created the Mind-Body-Thrive Lifestyle for sharing educational information to empower healthy lifestyle change in an entertaining and engaging way.
When it comes to my pivot as a Veterinary Well-Being Coach, I am proud to have been invited to speak at the US Vet Shows in Chicago and Reno this year on topics related to mental wellness. Public speaking is my favorite way to share information and connect with the audience to discover realistic ways to support well-being. My primary veterinary well-being services include presentations, well-being coaching, and digital resource packages for individuals and practices. One of the most recognizable parts of my branding is my digital mascot, the “Veterinary Well-Being Buddy,” who was inspired by my own 12-year-old golden lab mix, Buddy! Since Buddy was a certified therapy dog for many years, I wanted to leave him a legacy and help inspire veterinary professionals through our well-being resources – so you will see the digital Well-Being Buddy featured on our social media, on our presentations, and throughout our digital resources!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was interested in animals from the time I was 4 years old when I took my first trip to SeaWorld San Antonio and was fascinated by the human-animal bond during the training presentations. I’ve never been hesitant in front of an audience either, which has served me well with performing in shows and now with public speaking engagements! When it comes to acting goofy or making people laugh, that has always been a specialty of mine that has carried over into my style of delivery for my presentations – I want people to enjoy themselves while learning about ways to take better care of themselves!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veterinary-wellbeing.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mbtlifestyle_veterinary
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MBTLifestyleVeterinary
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Living-Doesnt-Keeping-Real-ebook/dp/B0B4BHC5TF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ULZFM9IC5S85&keywords=healthy+living+doesn%27t+have+to+suck&qid=1655759365&sprefix=%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1&pldnSite=1
Image Credits
Jessica Bosshardt
Timothy Brown
