Author: Ebony Escalona

James Greenwood optimises stay go and diversify. A proud GP vet and some! However, his journey towards fulfilling his childhood dream hasn’t always been smooth; he’s had moments of doubt about whether it’s truly the best vocation. As a founding member of VSGD, he’s openly discussed how embracing various identities revitalized his passion for the profession.

Come and hear how flexing his creative side in pottery and the media has been fused with general practice work. For those seeking to infuse their true selves into their careers, this Q&A is a must-attend. Plus, we’re thrilled to offer book giveaways celebrating the launch of his book ‘For The Love of Animals.’ Don’t miss out!”

Follow his journey on Instagram

Watch his TED style talk from VSGD Live 1.0 2018! (below) Still full of timeless advice

Get a copy of his book here

Hamish Morrin MSc RVN FHEA

Hamish is the Animal Collections Development Manager at Writtle University College. His path to this role looks more like a scribble than a straight line, and includes such roles as postie, zookeeper, veterinary nurse, driver, radiographer, lecturer and more. Starting out as a university dropout, he has since managed to graduate with distinction from Edinburgh University with an MSc in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, and has just enrolled in a Professional Doctorate in Education at UCL. He currently lives in a zoo with his wife and two cats, and is frequently baffled as to how he got there.

Hamish will also be exploring the link between Ethics and Welfare at his talk at London Vet Show. Ethics can seem abstract, and yet ethics and values underpin everything that VNs do. Watch back and listen to hear his approaches to making ethics more applicable, and how ethical decision making can support both animal and human welfare.

#VNPassport

Why not join us and Hamish in-person at London Vet Show in November! We have partnered to create the VSGD Experience at the show. A curated career trail full of inspiration, support and connection. Keep updated here and why not check out some great ticket options for all budgets!

Do these thoughts sound familiar?

“Feel lost and don’t know what the next step is”

“To be able to understand what is important to me, what work makes me feel happy and fulfilled and how to begin on the road towards a better career.”

“My confidence holds me back and what other people would think of me. The idea of doing something different and it not working out for me”

During this session, Adrian shares powerful tools and strategies to help you gain clarity and direction in your professional journey. You’ll discover how to break free from the overwhelming sense of uncertainty and isolation and connect with a supportive community of like-minded veterinary professionals.

Additionally, for those seeking more personalised guidance, you can book a one-on-one career call with the VSGD team to share your specific concerns and see if group coaching is for you or signpost you to develop an action plan. You can book in your call now here.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to transform your career outlook. Get ready to unlock your full potential with VSGD community coaching!

If you haven’t already, sign up for our 5 day free coaching prompts series. You’ll get an email a day for 5 days with a simple question designed to get you thinking to get clarity on your next step as a veterinary professional and leader.

Redundancy can be hugely distressing, with emotional and financial impacts on employees and isn’t undertaken lightly by companies.

VMGs Navigating Redundancy Series has provided an overview of redundancy from the employer’s and employee’s perspective so far. In this live discussion, two personal coaches,  Adrian Nelson-Pratt from VSGD and Carolyne Crowe from VDS Training help you start to look ahead.

Using coaching exercises in a workshop format, we help you reframe redundancy and create some progress towards your next step. It might not feel like it initially, but this cloud may have a silver lining with opportunities for personal growth and career development.

Our aim is to send you away with a simple roadmap using the following steps

• The importance of acknowledging the initial reaction
• Reflecting on achievements, skills and areas of expertise
• Identify opportunities for personal development and leveraging skills in a VUCA world
• Exploring new possibilities and career paths
• Making the most of support systems and your network

Reframing redundancy isn’t easy, but there is a way through it and there will be opportunities even if you can’t see them at present. If you can approach it with a degree of resilience, positivity, and an open mind, it might just be the catalyst you need for a career squiggle!

If you’re facing redundancy, feeling lost or stuck and looking for support, then consider joining the VDS Training Group Career Coaching programme starting September 2023

See if it is a fit for you here

Book a free coaching exploration call with Adrian 

Rewatch this fascinating career path with VSGDer and human doctor Claire Merrifield as we chat through her medical roles as a post grad in animal sciences to a successful entrepreneur putting her squiggly career to use with C-19 testing and Selph. 

Listen back to hear about the power of 

• reaching out to organisations before they advertise
• doubling down on your strengths and collaborating on your “weaknesses”
• making decisions on excitement over happiness
• self compassion when moving through career transitions 
  realising there are many right decisions for your career
• AND SO MUCH MORE

Thank you to the crew that stayed in the zoom room after for a really helpful natter – we realised we were all at similar career crossroads. Claire shared this quote which resonated with us all 🙂

‘I saw myself sitting in the crotch of the fig-tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest. ‘ -Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

And if you have been looking for accountability and support to help reset your mind and body then join Selph beta 12 week health and coaching programme by emailing claire@selph.co.uk

BIO: Claire is an entrepreneur in the medical industry working on creating a new way to approach healthcare and wellness and has co-founded a company called Selph. She is a trained General Practitioner and prior to her medical training she completed a PhD looking at the impact of nutrition and probiotic supplementation on metabolism and the developing immune system. 

She is fascinated by the interaction between the microbiome and health and was a past member of the science translational committee for the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics as well as a founding member of the International Cancer Microbiome Consortium. 

During her clinical training she became excited in the importance of the mind in physical health and vice versa and so trained as an accredited mindfulness teacher specialising in mindfulness for stress and mindfulness for chronic pain. Right now she is working on how to support people to become the healthiest version of themselves. Her company Selph, they are developing a coaching course to help people prioritise and improve their health. Selph are looking for people to join our pilot course now, so if you are feeling, tired, stuck, burnt out, demotivated, or just not enjoying your day-to-day life get in touch.

Find out more here