"Don't hold back and be sure to embrace it if it's something you're passionate about," advises Justine Lee, DVM, co-founder and CEO of VETgirl, an online service she started offering "clinically relevant , hands-on continuing education through a state-of-the-art multimedia experience through podcasts, webinars, videos and blogs. Embracing her passions led Lee, the world's only board-certified veterinary specialist in critical care and toxicology, to embark on an exciting, non-stop professional and personal journey. In addition to running her business, she works part-time at an emergency clinic and is a devoted wife and mother, an award-winning speaker, and the author of two laugh-out-loud pet reference books, It's a dog's life...but it's your mat , and It’s a cat world… you just live in it.
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The idea for VETgirl came to her one day in 2003, when the Cornell-trained vet was running out of stress and wanted to be able to learn at the same time. But she never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, so she pushed that wish away for years. In 2012, Lee teamed up with Garret Pachtinger, DVM, whom she remembered as a technologically savvy student when she was a resident at the University of Pennsylvania. “By finding the right business partner and realizing our dreams, we were able to make it happen,” she explains, adding that they self-funded the business with $10,000 each and lots of equity.
When she wasn't starting VETgirl or dealing with veterinary emergencies, Lee, who married at 40, was eagerly pursuing another startup:motherhood. She and her husband "immediately started trying to have children," she wrote in her blog. “Several pregnancies and losses later, we decided to try in vitro fertilization. After learning about the low chances of IVF success for women in their 40s, however, they decided against it.
Justine Lee and her son
Meanwhile, Lee's brainchild was in full swing. She says her original goal was "to enable veterinary professionals to have what I call 'time ownership'...so if you have a long commute, if you're running on a treadmill, you can learn while you're doing it." something else. After about three years of access billing, VETgirl began offering free podcasts to increase brand recognition. "They've been downloaded over 2 million times in 170 countries," she says.
As the podcasts attracted global audiences, Lee's dream of becoming a mother unexpectedly came true. Thanks to what she calls "God's crazy timing", she got pregnant at 43 and gave birth to a son in November 2016.
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Motherhood hasn't slowed Lee down at all. She says her husband "is amazing in that he's very supportive of my career. … I'm a stay-at-home mom two days a week, and he's been very supportive of that as well. ”
VETgirl continues to thrive and grow, recently hiring a “Head of Happiness” to promote the well-being of veterinary professionals, who are often overwhelmed with compassion fatigue.
Lee advises women starting small businesses to consider online options, including social media; not letting perfectionism delay the launch of a product or service that may be revised as it is released; and to schedule time for self-care.
“As women, we often have great ideas, but we rationalize too much,” notes Lee, adding that owning a small business can often provide freedom that ultimately leads to that elusive work-life balance.
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This article originally appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of LadiesBelle I/O magazine. PHOTO COURTESY OF LESLIE PLESSER
