Dr. Cheryl York: [: 00:00:00

And once we do that, then we can finally, [00:00:25] you know, move, move forward. There's a difference between striving to be like, what do I [00:00:30] need to do versus what are others going to think about? You know me. [00:00:35]

Bets podcast. I'm your host, [: 00:00:40

Hello and welcome to the Evolve Bets [00:00:50] podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Bethany Weinheimer, and today we are meeting with Dr. Cheryl [00:00:55] York. Cheryl, thank you so much for being with us. Of course. We met back when I was just, [00:01:00] um, a baby vet and I had started doing the Power of Tin Leadership [00:01:05] program and you were one of my mentors during that time.

For me, it was so [: 00:01:10

So we'll talk about that a little bit later. But I'm just so excited to have you here with me [00:01:35] today and enjoying our TVMA conference together.

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah, happy to be here.

hany Weinheimer: Yay. That's [: 00:01:40

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah, so I was a little girl in second grade that wanted [00:01:50] to be a vet, and as time went on, I realized I wanted to go [00:01:55] into computer science actually, and did not wanna be a veterinarian.

And [: 00:02:00

And then beyond that, um, I. [00:02:35] Work with, um, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. So I was a student [00:02:40] representative when I was in vet school and after, uh, [00:02:45] you know, graduating vet school, I moved out to California for a few years. That's where my, [00:02:50] uh, I had met my husband or we were dating at at the time.

Um, [: 00:02:55

And the other big thing that I really enjoy is. [00:03:25] Empowering others. Like, I want my team to be empowered. I want [00:03:30] us to all make decisions. I want to help others. And going back to [00:03:35] TVMA, um, just being a student, being their representative, I, [00:03:40] um, kind of found my niche that way. And that's, that's kind of where I am [00:03:45] now.

Um, so we're at this conference, uh, I sit on the board of directors. How did you

thany Weinheimer: get there? [: 00:03:50

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah, so [00:04:05] whenever I was a student, this is, uh, the really interesting [00:04:10] part. Uh, so I decided to be, I, I wanted to go [00:04:15] be a representative for TVMA and I, I wanted to be part of an [00:04:20] organization and I found interest in organized veterinary medicine. Um, I realized [00:04:25] I, if, if we don't protect our profession, who is going to do that?

And I [: 00:04:30

You know, with our vet students, [00:04:55] you know, the whole student body, I eventually want to be a t the TV made [00:05:00] president, which is obviously going to, uh, need public speaking, sp [00:05:05] public speaking skills to be able to do that. And so part of my [00:05:10] journey is. Pushing myself, you know, beyond my comfort zone to be able to [00:05:15] do that.

ed to be a student delegate. [: 00:05:20

But, um, I wanted to help be a voice. Um, [00:05:40] and I actually tried to, uh, apply twice. [00:05:45] Within my district. So it's a regional [00:05:50] district and I actually failed twice. I was up against other [00:05:55] men. I, whether they were more, you know, well known in the Austin [00:06:00] area or, um, you know, just different personal, you know, [00:06:05] connections.

not make it. So the third go [: 00:06:10

Did not think I would actually end up [00:06:30] being, um, you know. Able to elected. [00:06:35] Yeah. Yeah. And I got it. That's so

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: exciting. So

Dr. Cheryl York: I have now [: 00:06:40

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: oh, that's such a [00:06:45] beautiful story. I think the things that stand out to me are, one, you didn't give up when [00:06:50] it got hard.

such an amazing quality and. [: 00:06:55

And so instead of running from it. You showed up [00:07:15] and you said, okay, how can I work on this a little bit better? It reminds me of [00:07:20] when I was a new grad. I think I was like six months outta school. I had started doing overnight [00:07:25] solo and I was on this shift with, uh, an overlapping veterinarian and. [00:07:30] We had a customer come in and the nurses came to the back and said, oh my goodness.

[: 00:07:35

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah, sure.

I was like, okay, I wanna do [: 00:07:45

Like, what [00:08:00] is a cu crazy customer even mean, you know, I didn't even know what that meant at that point. [00:08:05] And what is this labeling that we're assigning? And then the reality was like, I went in there and they were just [00:08:10] scared.

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah.

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: Or sad and, and they had been labeled a certain way. But the truth is like.

[: 00:08:15

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah,

that. So at the Evolve Vets, [: 00:08:35

It's all about community. We [00:08:40] want women to be able to come together in medicine to connect and share their [00:08:45] vulnerabilities, their challenges, and what they're going through. It sounds like you were able to find a version of [00:08:50] community in the TVMA. So can you tell me a little bit about the leadership [00:08:55] skills that you've learned throughout TVMA or what drew you to it?

characteristics drew you to [: 00:09:00

Dr. Cheryl York: men? Yeah. Um, great question. So [00:09:05] one, I kind of naturally got involved in TVMA, one from the advoc [00:09:10] advocacy, uh, portion of it and just representing our profession. But what [00:09:15] surprised me going into all of this was the networking. Um, is [00:09:20] I, it it was much more profound than what I thought it was going to be, and [00:09:25] it has helped me build that sense of community with others.

Um, it's. [: 00:09:30

Like the, the networking just has gone so far [00:09:55] and has shocked me, and it helps you. To know that you're not [00:10:00] alone when you have other people with you, it makes it easier to [00:10:05] have, you know, to go through your journey, you know, being a vet.

truth is veterinary medicine [: 00:10:10

The job we do is intense at times, [00:10:15] and trying to go through it alone is. Too much like find your people, [00:10:20] find your niche, find the things that you're passionate about, and then connect. And that does take [00:10:25] vulnerability, right? It takes effort. Like are you going to show up? You know, the night [00:10:30] before, or, you know, we have a, we have a social event tonight and I am lecturing tomorrow for [00:10:35] four hours.

tudy, study, study. But then [: 00:10:40

Are you attending the [00:10:55] meetings? Are you engaging in dinners? Are you going out and meeting the people in your community? Because it's [00:11:00] easy to say, oh, I'm just gonna go to lecture and go home. But, but the [00:11:05] connection piece is so huge and that takes a lot of extra time too. You're volunteering, right? Like it's, [00:11:10] it's a lot of your extra free time that you're dedicating to this organization.[00:11:15]

time, but. It also gives you [: 00:11:20

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: Let me speak directly to the [00:11:30] woman who feels like she's barely holding it all together. You are still competent, [00:11:35] you are still high functioning. Your team probably thinks you're fine.[00:11:40]

e a little disconnected, but [: 00:11:45

This is about reclaiming yourself inside of Vet Med. [00:12:10] Instead of giving up on it over six months, I partner with you and hold your hand [00:12:15] as we identify patterns keeping you in survival mode, we rewire the [00:12:20] perfectionism loop that constantly happens. Rebuild yourself, trust in your [00:12:25] self-worth. Create boundaries you can actually hold and you have your accountability [00:12:30] from yours.

t, we also get. A one-on-one [: 00:12:35

Now is the [00:12:55] time. Make that extra moment to prioritize you so that way you can [00:13:00] sustain your career in Bemed. Now, if this calls to you or you're curious, go to [00:13:05] evolve bes.com where you can learn more and book a alignment call with [00:13:10] me so that way we can better discuss if this is the right next step for you.

see you in there and that we [: 00:13:15

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah, so there was, um, actually a [00:13:25] quote from one of our mentors that we had in vet school, [00:13:30] and his name is Dr.

y and I know, so he actually [: 00:13:35

And I [00:14:05] just, I, I found that so powerful and that's where the TVMA has, has [00:14:10] helped with, you know. Purpose and a sense of community and belonging. [00:14:15]

sey. He has affected many of [: 00:14:20

I love that. Now Cheryl, I wanna get a little bit into our thought [00:14:30] process around career path. What I see at the Evolve Vets and throughout Women in Medicine [00:14:35] everywhere are there's these themes. Perfectionism overwhelm, maybe [00:14:40] having too much on our plate. Self abandonment are things that we commonly see, [00:14:45] especially in the EDS community because people are opening up and we're hearing about these vulnerabilities.[00:14:50]

you've experienced and what [: 00:14:55

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah. So I absolutely, [00:15:05] yes,

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: that's me.

s, I, I'm the perfectionist, [: 00:15:10

So being able to [00:15:20] share stories, being able to be vulnerable and actually have conversations with your friends, [00:15:25] someone that you trust can help you through that journey. Um, but. [00:15:30] Yes, I, I think I've always been scared of failing. And whenever [00:15:35] that happens, if you don't make yourself v vulnerable, if you don't give [00:15:40] yourself self-care and self-love, you're going to hit life paralysis, [00:15:45] which is, uh, something that Dr.

wn talks about. And, um, her [: 00:15:50

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: Yeah. For me, like I remember kind of [00:16:15] playing with this idea of like, maybe I am a perfectionist, but then part of me like didn't wanna even admit it. Yeah. [00:16:20] Because then it would have to admit that I wasn't perfect. Yeah. Which is like kind of the whole irony of perfectionism. Absolutely. [00:16:25] I don't know if you experienced that too, but I just remember being like.

thinking like, maybe that's [: 00:16:30

Dr. Cheryl York: And

s we coach and guide so many [: 00:16:40

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah.

y Weinheimer: And if I don't [: 00:16:50

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah. So it, [00:16:55] that's. You, I mean, you, you nailed it. It's perfectionism. It's, it's, it's hard, [00:17:00] but you have to get it under wraps, otherwise you're, you're like, you're, you're gonna miss out on life. [00:17:05] And it's actually a form of, of shame.

[: 00:17:10

You know, me

ethany Weinheimer: And, yes. [: 00:17:35

There's judgment. And that judgment actually creates and reinforces this perfectionist [00:18:00] behavior. Though judgment can come from clients, right? Uh, like I'm gonna sue [00:18:05] you. You're only in it for the money, whatever the judgments might be. And so we try to defend and protect against [00:18:10] that. And then the judgment might also come from somebody saying that you're a bad doctor, are you [00:18:15] missing something?

ticing another veterinarian. [: 00:18:20

Dr. Cheryl York: Mm-hmm.

t wanna be talked about like [: 00:18:30

I wanna be included. Then there's this like judgment of self that [00:18:40] comes too, not only from like the growing up and the performing piece, but then also from [00:18:45] like a self-protection piece. Like it comes from a good place. Our nervous system thinks [00:18:50] that being perfect is going to shield us from the challenges of the world, but really [00:18:55] once we start to name it and move forward, that's when we start to see the forward progress and we actually can.[00:19:00]

uch pressure. It's more of a [: 00:19:05

Yeah.

l York: I feel like you need [: 00:19:25

Um, because if you, [00:19:50] if you can't accept that or allow [00:19:55] that, we're gonna miss opportunities.

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: Yeah.

Dr. Cheryl York: To be able to.

Weinheimer: Move forward. I [: 00:20:00

Mm-hmm. So it's this like beautiful expansion of [00:20:15] grace and compassion towards the people around you, which is so, so special. I love [00:20:20] that. So, Cheryl, it was really special back in June of 2024, I think [00:20:25] we were both at the Austin Vet Conference in Austin where we live.

Dr. Cheryl York: It was aav MA,

r. Bethany Weinheimer: yeah. [: 00:20:30

Yeah. Okay. So, uh, we were both at the A VMA conference in [00:20:35] Austin and. We came together, brought this group of women together. There was [00:20:40] um, eight of us total, and it was our very first of all, vets event. It was so sweet. [00:20:45] We had Chief Medical or Chief Veterinary Officers, chief Medical Officers, depending on [00:20:50] the company.

dents, medical directors, ER [: 00:20:55

And is this gonna help? People connect and really we started to talk about this [00:21:15] concept of energy management, which is what the people in our community right now are working through together. [00:21:20] And so I just think it's a beautiful tie in and that's kind of where the Evolve Vet's kicked off and then [00:21:25] now really getting to experience that with our members real time.

o I'm curious, like what did [: 00:21:30

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah. I think the biggest thing that I took away [00:21:40] from that is. I realize I'm not alone. Like we all [00:21:45] have, you know, one thing or two things that we know we that we need to [00:21:50] work on, and that's okay.

e're not, we're not perfect. [: 00:21:55

To [00:22:15] be a better person, to be a better leader, to, you know, be a better. [00:22:20] Mom, you know, o overall. So I, I think that's one of the big, the biggest things that I [00:22:25] took away from that is I'm not alone and there are people to help me down that [00:22:30] path.

od out was this overwhelming [: 00:22:35

You know, this room is just [00:22:40] filled with people that I looked up to. Yeah. And as I looked around and they were saying like, no, I [00:22:45] feel trapped by this. This underlying [00:22:50] expectation that I am a mom and I'm working, but like the balance between those two [00:22:55] things and the challenges of needing to be warm, but firm in, in the [00:23:00] hospitals and how to show up in a boardroom in the right ways.

So for me, it was like. [: 00:23:05

Yeah.

Dr. Cheryl York: It

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: was pull each other up the mountain.

s, yeah, it was the support, [: 00:23:20

Like they're, we are here to support you. [00:23:30] Yeah.

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: Each

Dr. Cheryl York: other.

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: And I,

Dr. Cheryl York: I think, and that's all that we want, like yes. That's

mer: all that we want. Yeah. [: 00:23:35

Maybe jealousy, [00:23:50] um, but to be in a room full of women that were truly like, I want everybody in this room to be [00:23:55] doing good and I'm here to support you and I'm here to cheer you on. And, you know, evolve Vets is a very [00:24:00] different niche than maybe general practice. So the people that were doing emergency medicine or the people that were there from, [00:24:05] you know, a chief veterinary officer standpoint, everybody had a different perspective.

were all there to cheer each [: 00:24:10

Dr. Cheryl York: Thanks. If you love this podcast, do you find [00:24:25] yourself

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: nodding along, thinking.

s exactly how I feel at work [: 00:24:30

[00:24:50] Masterclasses vet reset meditations, live monthly coaching with yours [00:24:55] truly, and a community of women who actually get it. It's not toxic [00:25:00] positivity. It's not just another membership you sign up for. It's learning how to manage your [00:25:05] energy, protect your boundaries, and build a sustainable career in veterinary medicine, it's [00:25:10] your choice to move from self abandonment to self devotion.

And the truth [: 00:25:15

You know, there's so many [00:25:35] other avenues to who you are and same for me. So what are the things that you find [00:25:40] passion in outside of work, um, that make you feel excited about life?

Dr. Cheryl York: [: 00:25:45

To, to meditate, to exercise. It was where [00:26:05] I am failing. It is still where I am failing. Like there's my know Vulner moment. [00:26:10] I love it. Yeah. Yeah. This is what a vomit is all about, sharing those vulnerabilities. But one, [00:26:15] one thing that I did realize, like, you know, we all make New Year's resolutions. Yeah.

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: And

eryl York: whether we follow [: 00:26:20

But this year I'm like, I'm gonna read more. Uh, [00:26:25] and how's it

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: going?

even, I'm at least at six or [: 00:26:30

I had to stop because I loved [00:26:50] reading fiction and I wouldn't put a book down. So I started reading nonfiction. A little bit more [00:26:55] boring. Yeah. Still

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: formative, but, but you could

Dr. Cheryl York: put it down at night to

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: get some rest or study for your test?

. Cheryl York: Yes, I could. [: 00:27:00

But this year I've started doing [00:27:10] that and I think it's something that just gives me my own time, my own space, you know. [00:27:15] It, it's like a different world for me. And so I think that helps. You know, I'm [00:27:20] not a huge meditator. That has never been my thing. I still may want to [00:27:25] try it, but yeah. Yeah, I, I realized doing that or just having my morning coffee [00:27:30] every morning in, in love that silence.

Started

taking

Dr. Cheryl York: one of my

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: For you. Yeah,

Dr. Cheryl York: yeah,

Weinheimer: yeah. And that's [: 00:27:35

I have to lay here and you know, count the clouds or you know, [00:27:50] feel how my body feels in every part. So there is hope for people like you that are like, meditation maybe [00:27:55] isn't for me. And to be fair, it's not necessarily for everyone. Some people journal, some people sit [00:28:00] in silence with their coffee, right?

ay, it's about committing to [: 00:28:05

Dr. Cheryl York: Yes, yes. I've [00:28:20] picked up fiction, nonfiction, you name it. We're, I'm reading it now. But, um, that's one of my passions. [00:28:25] And then I would say my other, um. My other is baking, so, oh. [00:28:30] I actually love baking cakes. Like every year for my daughter's birthday, [00:28:35] she gets to design her own cake, and then I have to make it happen.

So [: 00:28:40

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: cool.

t. So that's my other thing. [: 00:28:45

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: I love that. You'll have to send us some pictures of [00:28:50] your, your cakes so we can put 'em on the, the show. Amazing. And then. [00:28:55] At the of All Bets, we also talk a lot about our authentic values, like the things that really [00:29:00] mean a lot to us, and we try to prioritize our life around the things that we value [00:29:05] most.

Like what are some of the things that you value in this life?

Dr. Cheryl York: Yeah. Um, [: 00:29:10

[00:29:30] Um, so that's a huge thing for me. Um, advocacy, obviously being [00:29:35] in TVMA, just. Advocating for whatever it is that you believe in. So it doesn't even have to, [00:29:40] you know, it doesn't have to pertain to vet mad, but just advocate for whatever you believe [00:29:45] in. Um, that's, that's a huge one. Another one would be just [00:29:50] authenticity.

I love that one. Yeah. Yes. [: 00:29:55

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: so honestly, as you say these, I can.

York: See how each of those [: 00:30:10

So I love that. Is there anything that [00:30:15] you're excited about or looking forward to lately? Yeah, uh, I [00:30:20] actually am, gosh, I'm gonna put myself out there again because if I say it, do it. If I say it, I [00:30:25] have to do it. I want to do it. But I am actually going to be [00:30:30] applying for uh, A BVP, which is. Stands for the American Board of Veterinary Practice [00:30:35] in, uh, K canine and SP canine and feline specialty.[00:30:40]

so what that essentially is, [: 00:30:45

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer: Congratulations. That's so fun. And I will be [00:31:05] cheering you on as a fellow lady in event, man, on this journey. Yeah. So, [00:31:10] um, for those of our listeners who are interested in connecting with you or learning more, how [00:31:15] can they get in touch?

I have an Instagram, it's C [: 00:31:20

And [00:31:25] uh, you can also, uh, connect with me via email, um, [00:31:30] if needed. Yeah, it's cheryl@yorkdvm.com. [00:31:35] So if anyone has any questions, um, feel free to reach out. Um, I'm happy to [00:31:40] help anyone along their journey.

she will definitely help you [: 00:31:45

Absolutely. Okay, Cheryl, it was so [00:31:50] great getting to have this deeper conversation with you and hear a little bit about your journey through [00:31:55] veterinary medicine and just how you're showing up as a leader and all the things you're dreaming about next. Thank you so much for spending your [00:32:00] time with us.

e here. All right. Together, [: 00:32:05

Let's evolve together.