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Booth Parker: [00:00:00] Today on the Carolina Women's Collective Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Marcy Godwin. Marcy is a small animal, veterinarian and partner at Mitchell Village Animal Hospital. Welcome to the podcast today, Marcy. Thanks for having me. So it takes a huge love of animals. To become a vet, did you always know that that was the career path you wanted to do?
Dr. Marci Godwin: Yes, as long as I can remember, since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian. It's always been my passion.
Booth Parker: And veterinary medicine is a highly competitive career path, though the [00:01:00] education is hard, it's just very, very competitive, not a lot of veterinary schools. What were some of the challenges you faced along that educational route, and how did you overcome them?
Dr. Marci Godwin: You know, a lot of people tell you it's just not gonna happen along the way. And so, I mean, everything from teachers to advisors, you know, professors, everybody starts shooting you down from the beginning saying it's so competitive. You've gotta be the top of your class. All this stuff, like you should look into human medicine or other fields.
But, um, I just. I felt really strongly that that's what I wanted to do, and I just didn't take no for an answer. And, you know, I did not get into NC State on my first try. Um, I, I went, did a year of law school to diversify my, my resume a little bit. Um, but then I reapplied and I did get in and I just think you just can't accept no.
Like if that's what you wanna do, you've just got to do, dump through all the hoops, take all the stuff, make your resume as big and as broad as you [00:02:00] can, and then just keep going for it.
Booth Parker: I love that. Perseverance. Perseverance is what it's all about. Um, so I have always heard stories about medical students and such, passing out the first time they observed like a surgery or something like that.
So were you ever squeamish or anything the first time you had to do anything like that? Or did you have that Um, oh, I thought it
Dr. Marci Godwin: was the. Coolest thing ever. Coolest. Like it just, you know, kind of the gracer the better and you know, the more involved, I mean, I just loved it. I loved all of it. Um, I, I think human stuff is grace though.
Like, I don't watch Dr. Pimple Popper or anything like that on tv. Anything human related, no way. I don't think I would probably pass out in human medical school. But for animal stuff, I've always just thought it was fascinating. Um, I think, you know, you just, either you you can do it or you can't, you're squeamish or you're not, but.
I will say sometimes I have a hard time with smells. I'm very, [00:03:00] I'm very sensitive to smells, so probably maybe not the best profession for that, but, um, you just learn to get over it and push through it.
Booth Parker: Yeah. So I'm sure you saw some pretty crazy ones in vet school or whatever. Was there one that was just like a surgery witness that was just really intense or over the top or anything?
You
Dr. Marci Godwin: know, I, I can think back to. A surgery, and that's school in the large animal hospital. It was, um, a dystopia with a horse that was very gory. It was very hard to get through. Um, probably one of the worst things I've seen and I was a part of, but necessary to save the horse. Um, but yeah, there's, there's definitely been a few things along the way and really more with large animals than small animals that it just was a wow moment for, for the grace factor.
Booth Parker: Interesting. I've actually witnessed, um, a colic surgery for a horse, so I can, it was, it was pretty gruesome. So cool. So when you [00:04:00] finished veterinary school, you began working in a practice. You came back to your hometown, Morehead City, and you began working in a practice with another veterinarian, and then you later left that practice and went out on your own and joined up with another, uh, female vet and.
Y'all became partners in Mitchell Village Animal Hospital. So kind of tell me about the, the transition, how it was when you, you were first working and then kind of going out on your own and becoming a practice owner.
Dr. Marci Godwin: Sure. Yeah. So I actually did two years in Goldsboro before I came back home to Morehead.
Um, so I kind of got a little experience under my belt then, you know, as a general practitioner. The opportunity presented itself for my husband and I both to move here. Um, and I was working at two different practices that were incorporated together at the time. So I was working two days a week at Bridges Professional Park and two days a week at Mitchell Village Animal Hospital.
And that corporation [00:05:00] eventually dissolved and they went off on their own. And I was still working at both, but then Dr. Hall, who owned Dimensional Village Animal Hospital, passed away and. We just seized the opportunity. Julianne Davis and I. To form that partnership and take that leap of faith and just, and go off on our own and be our own bosses and, and you know, kind of try to really hone in on that work life balance and still do the career that we love and are passionate about and, you know, be great vets, but also be good moms and have a life outside of that medicine as well.
And that's a hard thing to do. But yeah, it was, it really was a leap of faith. It was scary. Um, you know, I had a lot of doubts. I was not sure it was the right thing to do, but I also realized fear was not a good enough reason to not try. And so here we are.
Booth Parker: And what was like, how long did it take that process to happen?
Like y'all decided [00:06:00] to do it, you formed your partnership. Like how, what was that kind of process of opening a practice? Like? We really,
Dr. Marci Godwin: we hustled, I mean we, he passed away in April of 2018, And then. We were shooting for July 4th, like to be our opening date, and
we were open around that time, so it was just a lot of moving pieces. Julianne was still practicing in Greenville, so I was kind of getting things going in the office here while she was finishing up there. She was having to move during that time too. So she had a lot of transition going on. But, you know, we maintained our staff, which was helpful.
So really they already knew all the ins and outs, they knew all the clients. Um, thankfully a lot of them returned when we opened our doors. And then of course, we had a lot of people. Follow us and join on with us. But, yeah, meeting with attorneys and getting all, you know, your LLC and your Oracles of, you know, corporation and all [00:07:00] that stuff.
Um, buying the property, buying new equipment, um, you know, working out our, our policies and, you know, all of our operations. we really put the pedal to the, the metal and just hit the ground running.
Booth Parker: Yeah. Yeah, that was super fast. I didn't realize it was that quick of a, um, of a turnaround for y'all.
So kind of along those same lines, I mean, a veterinary practice, you're obviously practicing veterinary medicine all day, but you're also running a business when you are the o the owner of it. So, um, what are some challenges, like you've had, things you've learned, maybe things they didn't teach you in veterinary school about running a practice.
So what's that like? What's the business side like? Yeah, we, we really
Dr. Marci Godwin: had no clue, um, talk about that leap of faith, but, you know, we, we were required to have one business hour credit in vet school. Um, and so that is certainly not enough to really have a complete understanding of what running a business is like.
Um. [00:08:00] We are very fortunate to have some good people in our corner as far as accountants and, you know, attorneys and somebody showing us how to do the QuickBooks and, you know, all, all the things, um, payroll. But it was a really quick learning curve. Um, I think. That to me, you know, that's not what we wanted to be doing was the business part of it.
You know, we wanted to just go in there and practice medicine, but if you're gonna own your own business, that is something you have to do or, or hire somebody to do it for you. And we didn't wanna do that. We didn't wanna just hand over everything to somebody else. We wanted to learn. All about it and, you know, know our numbers and, you know, know our goals and try to meet those goals.
And so, um, we, but we were fortunate we had some good people, you know, that we hired to help us and to really make sure that we weren't screwing that up. Um, but yeah, it's a quick learning curve and you, you know, no better way to learn it, I think, than to get right in that.
Booth Parker: Yeah. Jump, jump right in with cinder blocks on your feet.
Right? Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. As, as, as an [00:09:00] accountant. I like hearing that y'all wanted to know your own numbers and all of that kind of stuff. I, I really do feel like it makes your business operations better when you're really in tune with all of that stuff. So, in addition to the veterinary practice, are there, is there anything on the horizon or maybe an expansion or, you know, opening another office, anything?
Yes. Thinking about doing, we feel
Dr. Marci Godwin: that there's a need for euthanasia and crematorium locally. Um, right now. We resource that out to New Bern is the closest crematorium that I think pretty much all the vets around here use. And they're wonderful. They've been great. Um, but we feel like we can help fill that niche here.
And so we are in the process of, um, getting some property and starting a new business. In addition, we're not leaving Mitchell Village. We hope to successfully do both, which could be interesting. But um, yeah, so we're looking at starting a home euthanasia [00:10:00] crematorium, uh, and we're looking at the name Rainbow Connection.
So be on the lookout for that. That's hopefully gonna be in the work in the next few months.
Booth Parker: Well, that is very exciting and I can attest as a owner of lots of dogs that the home euthanasia is a total game changer when you have to. Make that difficult decision. So that will be well, well received. I hope.
I hope that gets, launched very quickly for you and goes well, but I think it will. I think it will. So your team, at your office, you said some of them came back, you know, when, when Dr. Hall passed and, and y'all took over. Um, but your team, they, they work together very cohesively and they always seem to be happy at work.
How did you go about creating this kind of culture for your practice?
Dr. Marci Godwin: You know, we do try to just. Have a family team, a family environment and atmosphere. Um, we, [00:11:00] we try to support them, um, in, in every way that we can. Um, we can't do it without them. And, and we know that, and we try to let them know that we appreciate them.
We try to do fun things with them. We've. Taking the party bus to the Nelly concert with the staff. We've taken the pedal pub out and, you know, for some fun on the water and then dinner after. And we try, you know, we try to do things. We'll have movie, we'll, you know, maybe cut the day short and have movie day at the office.
We get some theater popcorn and watch a movie and bean bags and all things. Um, but they're, they're just great. And we really try to have as little. As possible, which you'll hear, especially from men, um, when it's an all female staff that there's a lot of drama in the office and we are an all female staff from doctors to kennel and, um, we really, we don't condo drama.
You know, we're real big about if there's a problem, let's just address it. Let's talk about it, let's fix it, and let's move on. Um, let's be, you know, gracious to everyone [00:12:00] kind. To everyone. And, and that goes for our clients as well. Um, we've had a few along the way that were very disrespectful, rude to the staff, and unfortunately we had to let them go.
You know, we're just not gonna tolerate. People treating our staff badly because we value them so much. And, and I, I think they feel that, and I think that it speaks that we really don't have a very high turnover rate. I mean, they, they seem to like it, you know, as much as we do. And, you know, I think, I think they're happy.
They stay around and that's what we want. We want them to stay there and just be a good united front.
Booth Parker: I love that and, and it shows in the way they, they treat everyone. So you said you've had to let some clients go, which is kind of funny. You typically hear about letting employees go, but what's the process of letting a client go and at, at what point is their behavior egregious enough for you to feel you need to, to do that?
Dr. Marci Godwin: You know, it, it varies on how we go about it. Um, but it has happened as quickly [00:13:00] as them being out in the parking lot, cussing on the phone at staff are coming in and cussing at staff and we just make a copy of their records and walk out to their vehicle and hand it to 'em and say, we wish you the best, but this is not a good fit.
Um. Or, you know, sometimes it, we, we send a letter and we email them or mail them their records and say, you know, we think you would be happier somewhere else and we wish you the best, but we'll try to keep it professional when we let them go. That, which can be challenging at times, depending on the scenario.
Um, but yeah, if they're, if they're cussing, if they're rude, if they're, you know, just those are the main things. Like our staff just doesn't. Nobody deserves it, but we're just not gonna tolerate it.
Booth Parker: Yeah, that's awesome. That's great. And that I'm sure your employees really feel, that you have their back and it helps with loyalty and all of it.
So Yeah, that's, that's great. That would, that would not be fun having to, um, let a client go. so kind of, I guess along those lines a little bit is, you know. [00:14:00] You love the animals and you become attached to them. I'm sure even though they're your, your patients. How do you create a boundary between, you know, loving and being attached to those patients while not letting your career completely consume your own personal and family life?
Dr. Marci Godwin: So you do have to set some boundaries. People do have your cell phone number and stuff, and you will get calls and messages during family vacations, as my husband likes to say, every weekend. Um, you know, and if you can help 'em, great. And if you can't, you just say, I'm so sorry, like I, you know.
I'm on vacation with my family or I'm at my son's baseball game and I, I can't help you right now. And you try to, you still try to help them best you can. Maybe that's, you know, I think you need to go into the emergency clinic or, you know, just a message saying, I think this can wait till tomorrow. Um, you, you know, you just, you do the best you can and sometimes it's not enough for [00:15:00] people.
And that's unfortunate and that hurts your feelings 'cause you really are trying to do, you're both at best, you know, both of them the best you can. But yeah, it, it is challenging to have, to have that boundary sometime and you just hope that people will understand when you can't help them out in the way that they want.
Booth Parker: Yeah, and, and everybody, their situation seems like it's, it's urgent when a lot of times it's really not so Right. Um, and I know my husband and I have probably been some of those bothering you when we think it's urgent, but it's really not. So you're always so gracious. Um, so kind of along that same line about loving the animals and everything, is it a good thing or a bad thing that your patients can't talk?
Dr. Marci Godwin: Oh, that depends on the situation. I've definitely had some that. If they could talk, I know I would've been blessed out. Um, you know, just their, their eye expression alone lets, you know, like if they could cut you, they would. Um, but it, you know, [00:16:00] when they're sick and you don't, you don't know like, did they eat something they shouldn't have?
Did they get into a toxin? Did they eat a sock? You know, yeah, you can tell a lot by the diagnostics, but sometimes it would really be nice if they could be like, I.
I'd say most of the time it's harder that they can't talk, but there are a few times when I'm kind of glad they can't say what.
Booth Parker: Yeah, I guess. I guess showing their teeth and stuff like that kind of tells you a lot as well. Like when they're not happy or don't feel well, so it does. Yep. I remember the funniest, you said to me when it was time to put Bella to sleep, and you said, 'cause she got up and walked around, right, right.
When you got there and you said, if she tries to bite me, she's not ready. And I was like, yep, that's that's a fact. If she's still scrappy, she's not ready, so, yep. Yeah. So what is the hardest part of your job?
Dr. Marci Godwin: [00:17:00] Everybody thinks it's euthanasia, but it's not. Uh, you know, by the time it's time to euthanize them, we know they're helping them.
So it, it's not that What is hardest is when there's maybe something that can be done and the people can't afford it. It's the financial restraint constraints that are the hardest because. You know, and there's some vets who will say, well, sign 'em over to me and I'll, I'll find somebody to pay for it.
Like, how you got one of your dogs. Um, but I, I, you know, I have a hard time with that because it's like, well, you can't keep your pet 'cause you can't afford it, like, you know, and somebody else can. I don't know. It's a, it's a, that's a hard message. It's also true. I mean, financial responsibility for your pets is a big part of it, but it is hard when I know that there's maybe something that can be done, but they cannot afford it and we have to let 'em go because of that.
That's the hardest part. [00:18:00] But when you're running a business, you can't do everything for free and you know, and then you get the social media bullying and the, you know, the one star reviews were, oh, they're just in it for the money. And they, you know, they could save my pet, but they didn't. I mean, that. You know, you've already got a very empathetic professional doing their best and that takes a toll, you know, on you when that's the situation.
Yeah. And so we try our hardest to come up with every possible thing we can do that's affordable for that person. And sometimes it's just not enough. And that's the hardest part. Hmm.
Booth Parker: Yeah, that sounds, sounds super hard. Well, I'm gonna flip it to the happy side. What's, what's your favorite part of your job?
Dr. Marci Godwin: I mean, puppy visits, you know, kitten visits, like all, all the puppy kisses and stuff. I mean, that's what we all think we're gonna be doing every day when you're 10 years old and you wanna be a vet. but I also find it really rewarding when they're sick and then we make 'em better. I think, you [00:19:00] know, whether that's they've got a little virus and we do supportive care until they get over it, or we go in and do a surgery that corrects whatever it is, and then they get better.
that is also one of my favorite parts.
Booth Parker: I'm sure the, the puppy breath visits are pretty good though, so they're, yeah, they're, I've never turned down any puppy, any, uh, puppy breath visits. So, how did the COVID situation when clients couldn't come in and I guess it was basically, um, kind of like curbside, um, veterinary care in a way, how, how did that change?
I mean, obviously you had to do that at the time, but how did it change the way you operated? Going forward. Did it, did it make any permanent changes?
Dr. Marci Godwin: Not permanent, but I, what did permanently change is that a bunch of people went and got that during COVID. They had one, they went and got a second, they had two, they went and got a third, and you know, and then that part stayed.
And so the numbers of patients increased during COVID. The number of vets [00:20:00] did not. And so it really, you know, the demand has become a lot higher. I mean, we, we see people a lot who just couldn't get in with their regular vet. And that to me is still kind of a carryover from COVID. we had some people who didn't come in during COVID because they did not like the a dev their pet coming in without them.
And I, I get part of that. There's some that have really bad separation anxiety and you know, that stress the owner out just as much as the pet. Um, but for the most part, people are okay with it, which you wanna be comfortable with your vet enough to send your pet in without you, you know, and know and trust that they're gonna do everything and take care of your pet and, you know, make them comfortable when they're away from you.
That's, that's part of our job. And so you, you hope that your clients trust you with that. But we did have a few. That we're not comfortable with that. Um, but the main thing from COVID, we didn't, we didn't stay to, you know, doing the curbside stuff. We let 'em come in as soon as we could. Um, but the numbers are what we really saw [00:21:00] increase with COVID.
Booth Parker: So along those numbers lines, is it still just you and Julianne as the vets in there, or have y'all hired additional veterinary staff? We just recently got another
Dr. Marci Godwin: vet full-time, um, and her name is Sarah Dunnigan and she's fabulous. She's also from Eastern North Carolina and we're very fortunate to have her.
We're loving having her. Um, she fits right in. She practices medicine just like we do. we also still have Katie Willis who's there part-time and, um, she's practiced in the area for a long time. She's wonderful. Also, she also does a lot of emergency stuff at Swansboro, so we really have, um, three. Quarter.
And then we also have Dr. Pascal who fills in sometimes and helps out when she's able to. but Dr. Dunnigan is in that, she's the new full-time vet there, so we have three full-time and we're loving them. That's
Booth Parker: great. That's great. Yeah. The numbers definitely seem to have increased. So we talked kind of early on about.
You know, some [00:22:00] people told you you couldn't do this career path and, and things like that, and you persevered and you weren't gonna take no for an answer. What is your advice for girls wanting to get into veterinary medicine? Are there things like, say they're 14 years old or whatever, what are some things that they can start being proactive about now to better their chances for that career path?
Dr. Marci Godwin: Go ahead and start shadowing a vet. Make sure before you get into that curriculum and before you get into all of those requirements, that is really what you wanna do. Get in there and see the good, the bad, the ugly, and make sure that it is the career path that you want. you may do a summer at a vet and be like, you know what?
This is a little more than a bargain for, or you may get in there and say, this is, I can't get enough of it. I love it, you know, but it'll. It'll answer those questions before you get too far into it and then have to try to figure out, you know, backed, what, what do you wanna do? Since it's not that.
Booth Parker: Are there any, um, classes that kids can take in high schools or [00:23:00] anything that you know of
Dr. Marci Godwin: yeah, there are some, you know,
vet Path courses and stuff you can take now.
Um, and the community college has that Vet tech course. It was a vet assistant course, not vet tech. But I just think as much hands-on as you can, get a volunteer at the Humane Society. Get in there and clean some cages. You know, just because you're a vet doesn't mean you don't have to clean up messes sometimes and you know, just get in there from the ground up.
Work your way up. See all of that. Make sure that's really what you wanna do day in, day out.
Booth Parker: Yeah, that's great. And if that, if it is what they wanna do, then they'll persevere like you did, right? So, yep. Let anybody tell you no. Yeah, that's, I love it. so I'm gonna switch gears a little bit from the business side because you are mom to three very active kids, to say the least.
They have some full schedules. So how do you manage your calendar? And theirs so [00:24:00] that y'all are able to do all the things and you're still present at work and present with them. I mean, that's, that's a real big work life balance. So tell us all the things.
Dr. Marci Godwin: Well, I'm very fortunate. I'm very blessed to have an super amazing support system.
my husband
A mom is in the area. Um, you know, she tells us what we've got going on that day. she's an integral part of, of making it work. And so we're very, very blessed to have her. Um, we also have to some stuff out like. You know, I have somebody who helps do our, put our laundry up and you know, we'll wash most of it dry, most of it, but she puts it up for us and she changes our sheets and we have somebody who helps clean the house.
And we just decided early on that something had to give, you know, I couldn't work full-time, do kids full-time and keep house full time. And so we, you know, we do have some help. That stuff, um, and that, that does make a difference. Um, but yeah, we just have a [00:25:00] really good support system as far as, you know, mom, husband, friends.
Sometimes I'll hire some teenagers to drive 'em to the barn or, you know, to practice or whatever. Just it takes a village and you just, you gotta sometimes hire some people as part of that village to help you get stuff done.
Booth Parker: Yeah. And a a lot of women sometimes are reluctant, um, to ask for help. They almost have a guilty conscience when they, when they ask for help.
So what would your advice be to one of those moms? Like how, how did they kind of start to figure out the things to ask for help with? Did you kind of have a priority list as you started to delegate some of your tasks, knowing you needed help to get 'em done?
Dr. Marci Godwin: Yeah, I think whatever.
At the end of the day, when you come home and it's hanging over your head and you're dreading doing it, delegate that out. If you can, you know, just take it off your plate if you can, and do it is hard to ask for help. I'm not great about asking for help unless it's my mom or, you [00:26:00] know, a close friend or something.
I'm, I'm not great at that. But You do just have to get to a point where you, you know, you say, gosh, I worked too hard to have to have this hanging over my head every day when I come home. I do need some help. And I'm just, I've gotta get it. You just have to suck it up and say, as much as you wanna be Wonder Woman, we all have our limitations.
And if that, you know, if you gotta let somebody put your longer up, do that. You know, so that's gonna take two hours off of your day or you know, or. Four hours off of your weekend that you can be playing with your kids or doing something with your kids, then yeah, it's worth it. You just have to suck it up and say, I, I just can't do it all.
I've gotta have some help.
Booth Parker: I like your approach, just what's hanging over your head that you don't wanna do, and, and start with that. And I think once you kind of feel that relief, it's probably a little bit of a domino effect to do it again. Yeah, absolutely. And in addition to all those things, you're also.
Super active in your community and given that extremely pool schedule, and I know [00:27:00] you, you're delegating some things out, but how do you decide with, with the community pieces, how do you decide what gets a yes for now and what's gonna have to wait for later?
Dr. Marci Godwin: That one's, that one's hard. That one's really hard, you know?
Um, I think for that I kind of ask myself like. Am I gonna be able to sleep at night? If I say no to that, you know, is that gonna really weigh on me? Or is it easier, even if it's takes up even more time to just to say yes, am I gonna feel okay saying no to that? And if, if not, then I'll do it. Um, but the older I get that's getting a little bit easier.
You do have to learn to say no. And it's hard. I mean, but I'm getting better. I'm getting better at it. I'm still working at it, That's a tough one, but I think that's kind of how I do it. I just say, gosh, if I say no to that, and am I gonna be able to live with the guilt, you know, of saying no to that.
And so that's kind of how I go about it.
Booth Parker: I like that. I like that approach. I have a hard time saying no myself, so I'm always looking for advice on that to [00:28:00] be able to say no a little bit more. So what are some of your, I'm gonna use the word self-care, but it's not my favorite word, but what are some of your daily kind of self-care or habits that help you manage the stress and the overwhelm of the demands of a practice?
The kids husband, all of it.
Dr. Marci Godwin: I am a napper. I like, I like to sneak in and out. I just feel better after I take, some people say, oh gosh, I can't do that. I feel so much worse. You're not an napper. I know you're not. Yeah. But I, I do love to sneak in a nap. It's just kind of my guilty pleasure. I, I try to work out a couple times a week.
Um, I'm not always the best about that, but I try to do that 'cause I know that I feel better with that as well. but yeah, those are kind of my two, my two main self-care things I do. Do
Booth Parker: you have any kind of like set morning routine or does it differ day to day?
Dr. Marci Godwin: I try to sleep in as late as I can [00:29:00] and then I get going.
Um, you know, and I don't, it doesn't always happen, but if I can, if I can get a good 30 minute, 45 minute nap and I'll, I'll do that.
Booth Parker: Well, well rested is good. I, I know that. Your clients appreciate you being well rested when you're doing surgeries and things of that nature, so Yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely. Okay. I have one last question for you, and I think this is gonna be a good one because you're very, very well rounded, but what is the best piece of life advice you have ever received and that you would give back to others?
Dr. Marci Godwin: Ooh, ooh. That is good. Life advice. I, you know, I, I come back to that.
Don't let anybody tell you you can't. I mean, for me, the quickest way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it. So, you know, that's, that stubbornness, perseverance is a nicer word for it, but, um, yeah, I just. [00:30:00] If, if you want something, make it happen. Just don't let anybody stop you. You know?
Don't let anybody tell you no, that I love that poem and I've shared it with all my kids, but Shell, Silverstein listened to the mus. That that has always been just one of the things I live by. I I love that. I love that poem. I love the message. Um, and I, I really do try to, that would be my life advice to anybody.
Just try to live life with no regrets and. Don't let anybody tell you you can't do something. You can do anything you put your mind to
Booth Parker: I know I said that was the last question, but I lied. with an attitude like that, do you feel that the way your parents supported you as a kid helped kind of instill that in you?
Dr. Marci Godwin: I do. Particularly my mom. my dad was old school and in that mindset where females really shouldn't be professionals, they're gonna quit to have children. Um, he, he felt pretty strongly about that, which I, I thought was interesting. He, and he did live long enough to see me become a [00:31:00] vet. but yeah, I mean, you know, my mom always supported me, but it was always so an inner thing I had where, you know, if someone said, well, you can't do that, well.
Watch me and my mom just kind of supported me every time I went for that. Um, and, but yeah, I think so. I think, you know, I was raised, you can be the president of the United States, you can be an astronaut, you can be, you can be whatever you want to. Even though as I got older, I did, I did see that little inkling from my dad where he was like, you know, women shouldn't be professionals because they're gonna, they're gonna quit.
They always quit to have children and raise families. So I think that was one of those things too though, that kind of pushed me in its own way where I was like, well, watch me. I'm gonna do both.
Booth Parker: Yeah. You wanna, I'll show you. Yeah, that's right. Yep. I like that. That is so good. This has been so great.
You're just so down to earth about all of it, and you never seem stressed out with all the kids and all the things and the [00:32:00] practice and all the, all the stress. So this has been so great. I really appreciate your time today. Well, thank you for having me.