RVT Career Spotlight of the Month – January 2021
Lucie Langevin-Neil, RVT, ECPC
Where did you go to school and what made you decide to take a Veterinary Technology
program?
I was working as a receptionist at a veterinary hospital and started helping out more and
more in the back. A co-worker recommended I pursue my veterinary technician degree and I
looked into it. Shortly after, I applied and was accepted at St-Clair College where I graduated
with honors.
What is your current job(s)?
Currently, I own my personal business called Covet Coaching. I offer mentoring, consulting
and coaching for veterinary professionals.
Tell us a bit about your business. When did you start it? What services do you offer?
I made the leap and started my own business in 2018. After training as a coach, I started
offering my services to individuals who needed an ear to listen. I helped them get back on
track. I also offered consulting to practices who needed guidance. I paused my business to
pursue another opportunity but I am now ready to take it to the next level. I am offering
Manager for hire: a service where managers, owners or teams can delegate projects/tasks,
they cannot get to or for which they need assistance. I also offer mentoring for new and
existing managers or anyone looking for some guidance.
What was your inspiration for starting your business? Did you find there was a need for this
type of service?
My inspiration started while I was a manager at a small animal practice. Daily, I saw
employees who struggled with work/life balance, who carried the weight of their emotions
and stress on their shoulders and tried to hide it from the rest of the world. I was part of a
field where mental health was becoming more and more of a concern. I wanted to be there
for my fellow veterinary professionals but we were all so overwhelmed with work, there was
no time to take care of ourselves. I decided to start this business because I think most of us in
this field are very empathetic and caring and we have a true passion for animal well-being. I
want to keep that passion alive by keeping us all happy and fulfilled with our vision and goals
at the forefront of all we do. I saw so many people leave the field because it was all too
much. Covet Coaching was founded to coach, mentor and offer any help I could give in the
hopes of re-engaging people and reminding them why they chose this amazing career. I want
people to know that at Covet Coaching, we genuinely want people to flourish and be their
best self while keeping their uniqueness alive.
Do you consider yourself an RVT entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur by definition operates their own business. Some characteristics of
entrepreneurs are: determination, leadership skills, tolerance of risk, creativity, self-reliance,
motivation to excel and adaptability to name a few. Based on this definition, I would agree I
am an entrepreneur. I wanted to take a chance on myself and pursue a dream I had despite
the fear and the doubts. I had to demonstrate these above qualities to succeed and I’m proud
of what I have accomplished.
COVID-19 has amplified stress in everyone’s lives. Do you find that your services are more
important now than ever? And if so – what specific tools are you focusing on when helping
individuals or teams through the stress of COVID-19?
Covid-19 has changed everyone’s lives in one way or another. In our field, it definitely upped
the ante so to speak. Many hospitals and clinics were already at full capacity with not enough
support staff and now the demand has increased even more and everyone, employees and
clients, are tired, frustrated and concerned. It makes for some difficult and challenging days.
That being said, there are some very positive results too: we have shown initiative,
perseverance, and true team-work. I certainly feel that it is a good time for people to turn to
Covet Coaching whether for an extra hand accomplishing the million tasks on your list or by
investing in yourself, your team or your hospital and taking the time to refocus your energy
on what is the most important: yourselves, your patients and your clients. My focus for my
clients in these trying times is to keep things positive, explore their visions and make sure
that all goals are aligned with that vision they have for their lives professionally and
personally. When the answers come from a place deep within you, your true self, you know
you are making decisions that will get you the life you not only deserve but will cherish.
It’s January – the start of a new year. If you could encourage other RVTs to focus on ONE
thing in 2021 to improve their mental health and wellbeing, what would it be?
Considering the year we have had and how fragile some people are, the best piece of advice I
would give at this time is this “Seek not your worth extrinsically, but intrinsically”. I myself
am guilty of doing this. I have measured my success by the opinions of others and let myself
be guided by society pressures. In a world where social media plays a vital role in our daily
lives and we are surrounded by millions of opinions telling us how to behave, think and act, I
say stand tall, clear the noise around you and inside you and fill the silence with positive
affirmations of how worthy you are. Worthy of success, worthy of accomplishing your goals,
worthy of having the dreams you wish will come true. Step into confidence even if the fear
overwhelms you at first, for soon, you will be standing tall and proud and realize you did it all
because you believed in yourself and knew you were worthy. Be kind to yourselves and each
other!
What other jobs have you had in the RVT field?
Apart from DVM, I have worked every role in a veterinary hospital. I have worked in very
small animal practices, larger ones, at an emergency clinic, a referral practice and even
remotely as a practice manager of multiple practices.
Tell us about making the leap to starting your own business? Was it scary? What advice can
you give other RVTs who may have “an idea” and they just don’t know how to turn it into a
reality?
Taking a chance and starting your own business is definitely trying emotionally and it took a
whole lot of work. Being able to look back and say that I had an idea and I believed in it and
in myself enough to follow through with it and give it a chance at success, is reward enough
for me. If I can help even one person; mission accomplished. To anyone considering an idea, I
would have them look deep into themselves and ask themselves WHY they want this. If the
answer is in line with their values and their goals for what they want in life, I’d say they
already know the answer: Go for it! When you do something for the right reason, it usually
works out in the end. Best of luck!
What are your goals for Covet Coaching? Not just your immediate goals, but long-term goals.
For now, I want to get my business recognized and for people to realize that at Covet
Coaching, we understand what you are going through and can help. Asking for help is not a
sign of weakness but rather the opposite, that strong, capable people know that surrounding
yourself with other strong, capable individuals is key to success. Long term, I would love for
the world to recognize Covet Coaching as a reputable provider of coaching, consulting and
mentoring services for veterinary professionals.
RVTs are passionate people, and every RVT has an area they are most passionate about
(nutrition, research, spay/neuter, dog bite prevention, education, etc.). What is YOUR
passion?
That’s a tough one because I am passionate about a lot of different aspects of veterinary
medicine. I’d probably have to go with excellent customer service and patient care, effective
communication and most of all, helping others. I have a passion for listening to people’s
concerns and being there for them. I don’t want anyone thinking they are on their own in this
or feeling afraid to admit it’s all a bit too much sometimes. I vow to be there without
judgement so that together, we can unleash your inner wolf letting your true self shine
through, allowing you to lead your best life.
Lucie Langevin-Neil, RVT, ECPC
Founder of Covet Coaching
www.covetcoaching.ca