Women's History Month: An Interview with Gerry Burt

In honor of Women's History Month, we sat down with Forever Vets Animal Hospital's C.O.O., Gerry Burt, and asked her questions about her career and how she got to where she is now. As one of the growing company's most influential women, we wanted to get an insight into her journey and learn more about what motivates her.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

"I've always been an animal lover and my dad was one, too. We would always bring in animals growing up. At one point, I had about twenty-two cats and four dogs. My family was a military family, so I always moved around. Once I got out of school, I moved to California and I went to Animal Behavior College. I was a vet assistant because you couldn't be a veterinary technician without being licensed. When I moved to Florida, where you don't have to be a licensed vet tech, I started working at Banfield. My career started going up from there."

Growing up, was there someone in your life who inspired you to become who you are today? Who was it and why?

"My mom. She has always been a compassionate person. Was she an animal lover? Absolutely not, but I definitely got my heart from her. She's always bled outwardly, and I think that kind of compassion brought me to the field that I'm in now. Even to this day, whenever I'm having any type of feelings, I'll call her. She always tells me how proud she is of me, so I get a lot of my motivation from her."

You started as a veterinary technician and are now the C.O.O. of the same company. How did you do it?

"I will say a lot of hard work. When I first started at the Baymeadows location, it was when Dr. G first opened. It was a lot of fun and very exciting. I took on more responsibilities and started supervising more. The more I kept going, the more Dr. G encouraged it. I didn't view it as work, it was fun. Dr. G gave me a lot of flexibility and room to grow, and I think that's what pushed me along. Even during those weeks where I worked so many days in a row, my passion is what always picked me up. I really love what I do, so that's really what kept me going. I became a manager, then a director, and now a C.O.O.. I just had the mindset of whatever happens, I'm going to figure it out and do it."

Tell us about some major obstacles you've had to overcome to get to where you are now.

"With hard work comes a lot of stress. Nothing is in my control, which is something I've had to learn because I am a controlling person. Trying to control things you can't, causes you to thin yourself out and makes you realize sometimes you just have to let things be. COVID was a huge hurdle I had to overcome. We didn't know what it was and everyone was scared. We also had to stay open because we were considered essential. So, I had the responsibility of not only myself and how I needed to navigate COVID, but everybody that I worked with, too. I always say any troubles or challenges you face are like speed bumps. You're not made to get stuck, you're made to go over them."

What qualities make a great female leader?

"Being a woman, I think we multitask the best. I think our brains are constantly running with everything we need to do or take care of. There are times when the most random thing pops into my brain that helps me draw up a new idea, while still taking care of 100 other things. Our energy and excitement toward things can really help with rolling out those ideas, as well. The employees really feed off that energy and it makes for a great turnout. I think another great quality we have is that nurturing aspect, which helps with the management side of things. I want to get things done, but I also want to help other people. When I was a manager, which was my favorite position, I loved working with my employees. When I saw that they were feeling down, I loved the motivation I could give them to help them feel better. I think that women make phenomenal business women and there's not anything we can't do if we put our minds to it. We are a force to be reckoned with, so show it."

What is something you wish you would have known early in your career?

"You have to control what you can, but you have to have patience in letting everything else be. I lacked it in the beginning, and definitely had to grow patience, which eventually helped me deal with everything else that came my way. During those times I cannot control something, patience reminds me to take a step back and say that this will pass."

What advice do you have for women wanting to grow in their careers and become future leaders?

"Keep pushing. No matter what, keep pushing. When you're faced with obstacles or challenges, when it feels like you're defeated and you can't go anymore, keep pushing. It is not the end. We don't build character unless we have hard times. In those times, we create who we are. If everything was smooth sailing at all times, we wouldn't build any character or growth within ourselves. No matter who you are, you are phenomenal in your own right.