Your Veterinary Voice, Episode 15: Meet Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM

“My goal is that 1 Life Connected touches every human being on this planet and helps them recognize their value as an individual on the whole, and they stay connected.”

If that seems like fanciful, philosophical talk from an analytical veterinarian-a scientist-you ain't heard nothin' yet. In this episode of Your Veterinary Voice, we'll visit the world of Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM-one of metaphor and analogy, populated by “cynical serpents,” “perfectionism monsters” and other colorful creations that form the framework of her outlook. Building on personal experience, she has reinvented herself as a self-help guru for the veterinary field. Her book, The Unspoken Life, builds on the need for the perspective that can only come from someone who has spent years in the field. This is where we begin our discussion.

So, it's that easy, huh?

And just like that, she turned herself into a wildly successful author and highly sought after lecturer, you say? Maybe it hasn't quite been that easy. “I walked away from complete financial freedom to start this movement, where I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills next month,” she says. How's that for commitment? Jump to 18:38 to hear about this transition.

Do you like your veterinary thinking outside the box? Take a listen to our conversations with these forward-lookers:

Hilal Dogan, BVSc, the force behind veterinary medicine's most powerful human-interest project, Veterinary Confessionals.

Lisa Radosta, DVM, DACVB ,behaviorist, Fear Free advocate, and (most importantly) mom.

Shawn McVey, MA, MSW, the legendary speaker and dvm360 contributor, who takes on the toughest issues in veterinary medicine.

Male and female, young and old

Pope-Robinson has spent time in both small and large animal practices. So if you think that concepts like self-help messages, reflection and empathy are all geared toward the new model of veterinary professional-the young practitioner-guess again. It seems that in her hands, the message applies just as well to an audience of 50-something equine practitioners. Head to 30:51 to hear about that.

Why being different can help

By now it should be clear that Kimberly Pope-Robinson is carrying a unique message and is delivering it in a very imaginative way. Are you wondering where all these cool visual metaphors come from?

Like what you're hearing? Get more from Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson:

Learn about two things that hurt veterinarians.

Embrace your passion and hold steady during the ups and downs of a veterinary life.

Do you take emotional responsibility for everyone else's problems? Get those monkeys off your back.

"I'm severely dyslexic," she says. "In fact, I'm so dyslexic that my parents were asked if English was my second language. I think visually; every word that I spell is memorized visually."

To get into this fascinating aspect of her creative process, click to 38:15.

4 pillars of getting better

Dr. Pope-Robinson has pointed out that she doesn't provide people with answers, per se. Instead, she tries to help members of the veterinary profession navigate their own journeys, honoring four key concepts:

1. We control our response.

2. We create our environment.

3. We embrace our emotions.

4. We find self-forgiveness.

The continuation of this set of thoughts and its implementation by individuals is how she sees the lasting legacy of her company, 1 Life Connected. Jump to 45:54 to get her summary of the topic.

For more on Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, visit 1lifecc.com/commitment.