The Circuitous CEO Journey
I am committing to writing more blog posts on topics that relate to interpersonal violence, because I think it’s a nice way to stay informed about some of the subtleties of my chosen world and what we can do to address it. To start, I thought I would take a little time to introduce myself, the (somewhat) fearless CEO of IPV Educators, LLC.
If there is one thing that I have discovered about my life, it is that the circuitous journey is the journey worth living. I started my professional career in theatre, ironically with a specialty in moulage and injury special effects make-up, with not even a clue that I would one day be exposed to the real things. It wasn’t until a moment in my life that I fondly call my “quarter-life crisis” that I realized there was another calling for me.
That calling came from my volunteer work, as a rape crisis advocate, and it became clear to me that I was dedicating far more energy and time towards this work that I identified with so closely than I was to my professional career.
Several more serpiginous turns later, I found myself, a newly minted PA, sitting in an introductory meeting to run the marathon for the organization that I used to volunteer for. And believe me, nobody was more surprised than I was - I wasn’t even sure I remembered how to walk, much less run long distances (PA school is a lot of sitting, we’ll just leave it at that).
Then, in walks my old supervisor from being a rape crisis advocate, she makes a beeline towards me, we get to talking, and I leave with a job as a forensic examiner and still uncertain if I will survive the marathon. (Spoiler alert - I survived the marathon).
Of course, it wasn’t all as easy as that. There were administrative hurdles to overcome introducing PAs to a team that had been exclusively NPs and RNs…and I experienced those hurdles again when I moved to a different organization. But I’m living proof that it’s possible, and furthermore, that it only brings diversity, inclusion, and passion to the team.
I’m now three years into my career in forensic medicine, always with more room to grow and learn and flourish, but I’m so happy with the world that chose me. There is a lot of work to be done, especially with education and empowerment. That’s how this whole company got started, and that will always be its mission: provide opportunities for education, empowerment, and growth for healthcare professionals in interpersonal violence.
Read this? Liked it? Want to see more blog posts? Leave your comment below!