Her Story
About Michelle
Michelle Wiley brings over 26 years of experience in animal health and veterinary medicine. She began her career as a licensed veterinary technician after earning a two-year degree in the early 2000s and has maintained that license throughout her professional journey. After several years in hands-on hospital roles, she pursued a bachelor's degree in accounting to advance her career and later obtained certifications as a Certified Veterinary Business Leader and Certified Pharmacy Technician. At Mission Pet Health, Michelle supports nearly 1,000 veterinary hospitals by managing onboarding and ongoing support for their preferred online pharmacy platform. Her work encompasses strategy around pricing, vendor partnerships, functionality improvements, and marketing efforts to enhance e-commerce convenience for clients and hospitals alike. She values authenticity as a leader and teammate, along with grit and creative problem-solving, which have helped her navigate staffing challenges, burnout, and broader economic pressures in the veterinary field while remaining flexible and open to new opportunities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michelle
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say it's truly to be flexible. It is to be open to new opportunities that might be scary, that might require a big sacrifice, but also to be curious, and open to learn, and open to admit when you're wrong. Taking chances, trusting the process, and grinding when I need to grind.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Work really hard and find ways to diversify your experience. I went to school and became licensed as a vet tech, but then I went and got a bachelor's degree in accounting which set me apart. Having something that sets you apart as unique helps especially if you're looking to advance your career. Stay really curious and open to changes.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The veterinary field is not easy. We deal with staffing challenges and burnout amongst teammates. It's important to find ways to make their lives in the hospitals easier. From a client standpoint, the macro environment is currently challenging with price increases, so making sure we're meeting clients where they are with their pet needs is really important.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My number one value is authenticity. It's incredibly important to be an authentic leader and an authentic teammate. There is no reason to be fake or lie. Authenticity has driven my journey as a leader. Grit, determination, getting stuff done, figuring it out, thinking outside the box are also really important.
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