Member To Meet - Christa Williams

Are you following along yet? We’re sharing our third Member To Meet of the year, with Christa Williams. Christa is the Founder of Caravan Vet, the Twin Cities only full service mobile veterinary practice. Christa came to The BWC through the Women Venture Scale Up program and shares the value of working on the business rather than in the business below.

Christa Williams Photo by Chelsie Lopez Production

How long have you been in business and please explain to our audience what you do.  We are the Twin Cities' only full-service mobile veterinary practice. We operate out of a custom-built 26 foot mobile clinic equipped with everything we need for patient care, including x-rays, anesthesia, dentistry and surgery. Patient comfort and client satisfaction our our top priorities and our business has grown, largely from word of mouth referrals, every year since our inception in 2012. We now employee nine people and are poised to purchase a second truck this year.

How long have you been a member of the BWC and how has this helped you with your business growth and development? I have been a BWC member for 5 years. BWC has really helped me to see the importance of working ON the business, not just IN the business. Through BWC I joined the Scale Up program at Women Venture in 2018. This program was invaluable, not only because of the financial and planning skills I learned, but because of the close connections I developed with the members of my Scale Up Circle. Having this group has been an important part of my development as a leader and as a person.

What are 1-2 goals you have for 2021?: In 2021 I want to continue to grow the practice- adding a third doctor and a second truck. I also want to log 15 thousand minutes in Peloton-Land (John Foley, if you are reading this, I think this accomplishment would deserve a t-shirt!!)

How will your Circle help you achieve your goals this year? My monthly Circle meeting serves as a chance to recharge and remember why I am doing what I'm doing. I am grateful for the goal setting and accountability that this group provides, as well as for the opportunity to learn about myself and to explore facets of leadership and business that I would not otherwise have access to.

This year The BWC is focusing on community what does community mean to you how does this apply to your business: One of the beautiful gifts that this practice has given me is a sense of community across the entire metro area. We have clients in almost every neighborhood in Minneapolis as well as in the parts of St. Paul that we travel to. Because of this, I never feel far from someone that I know and feel connected to. I have the great good fortune to see people at their best on a daily basis- caring for an animal family member that they love deeply, and who they trust us to take care of.

Do you have any best practices to share around finding your community and the importance of this?  I think you have to know yourself, and trust that there are others out there who share your values.
Then you have to show up: instead of trying to fit in or conform to some ideal standard, you have to do the thing you were put on earth to do.

Within your community who is a role model for you and why?: I really admire people working to have more nuanced conversations. In my "podcast community" this includes Christa Tippet and Brene Brown. In the larger scientific community this includes Robin Wall Kimmerer and Jane Goodall. In my "in real life" community, I am fortunate to have many smart, passionate friends from whom I continue to learn about myself and the world.

Just for fun what are 2-3 things you always take with you when you leave the house?: MAC lipstick in Captive (pre-covid), paper calendar, cheaters.

Favorite lesson from 2020: "The braver you are, the luckier you get".
Glennon Doyle, Untamed

Best Way to Find You (i.e. IG Handle, Facebook, email)

Instagram: @caravanvet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caravanvet
Website: www.caravanvet.com

Thank you Christa for sharing more about your professional growth within The BWC. Your circle is lucky to have you and we just LOVE your lesson learned from 2020 quoting the fabulous Glennon Doyle. Great reminder to enter each week with bravery.

Katie + The BWC Team