Ep 52: Megan Brashear - Career Pivots on the Road to Happiness

On today’s show, I’m joined by Megan Brashear. Megan initially went to college as a History major, with the objective of teaching high school students. But quickly realising that, for her, such a career was potentially an act of gross masochism she quickly pivoted. Instead, she found biology, and shortly after, veterinary technology. Fast forward several years and Megan gained a BS in animal science from Brigham Young University, her CVT at Oregon in 2000, and became a VTS in ECC in 2004. During her career she has amassed more than 20 years of ER/ICU nursing, along the way working as a senior leader in both private and corporate practice. Following a period of ‘never-say-no’ induced burnout, Megan took a sideways adventure into online training which was part of her seemingly inevitable 360 back into education, but this time with the right group of students - her beloved vet techs. And so it is that Megan now works as a member of faculty at Purdue University, a place where she has found her ‘home’ combining her skill and passion as a mentor, trainer, and leader - helping to develop the vet technician talent of tomorrow. And if you were looking for any evidence that she’s in her element as an educator, the fact she’s won the coveted VMX speaker of the year award, not just once, but twice is probably as good a sign as any! Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter, or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits, and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show, I loved this conversation with Megan, from the outside she might seem understated and quiet. But make no mistake, this double VMX speaker of the year has seen and done plenty. She’s never shied from opportunity, rebounded from her fair share of knockdown blows and now, in her latest role sounds a lot like she’s finally found her happy place. There are a lot of important subjects covered in this show and I know that wherever you are on your journey in vet med you are going to find Megan’s story helpful. So sit back and enjoy this, my conversation with the much funnier than she thinks she is (occasional sofa-hoarding) and entirely wonderful Megan Brashear.