This week, our guest Christie VanHorne shares her career trajectory into public health from a background in history and involvement in humanitarian efforts. From working as a health educator to creating her own public health consulting business and teaching at Vassar College, Christie's story highlights how hard work, staying true to yourself, and having a solid network are all crucial to building your dream career. Her journey emphasizes the dynamic nature of professional and personal evolution, encouraging listeners to embrace change and growth.
You’ll Learn
Today’s Guest
Christie is a seasoned public health consultant with 20 years of experience. In 2015, she founded CVH Consulting, LLC., offering services to create impactful health education and training experiences for her clients. Christie has worked with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the New York State Department of Health, the Hemophilia Federation of America, and many more organizations to design, develop, and update programs. She is also a subject matter expert on the social determinants and health equity for many continuing education projects for community-based organization staff and healthcare professionals. From her time in the Peace Corps in South Africa to teaching at Vassar College and all the career experiences in between, Christie's dedication to public health shines. Last year, she was recognized with the prestigious ATHENA Award, an international honor for women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, community service, and mentorship of future leaders. One of her current volunteer roles is serving as the Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Health Network Board of Directors. In August, Christie will start her Doctor of Public Health degree at Tulane University, specializing in Equity, Leadership, and Advocacy. She resides in the Hudson Valley, NY, with her beloved pups and husband.
Resources
Join The Public Health Career Club: the #1 hangout spot and community dedicated to building and growing your dream public health career.
This week, our guest Christie VanHorne shares her career trajectory into public health from a background in history and involvement in humanitarian efforts. From working as a health educator to creating her own public health consulting business and teaching at Vassar College, Christie's story highlights how hard work, staying true to yourself, and having a solid network are all crucial to building your dream career. Her journey emphasizes the dynamic nature of professional and personal evolution, encouraging listeners to embrace change and growth.
You’ll Learn
Today’s Guest
Christie is a seasoned public health consultant with 20 years of experience. In 2015, she founded CVH Consulting, LLC., offering services to create impactful health education and training experiences for her clients. Christie has worked with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the New York State Department of Health, the Hemophilia Federation of America, and many more organizations to design, develop, and update programs. She is also a subject matter expert on the social determinants and health equity for many continuing education projects for community-based organization staff and healthcare professionals. From her time in the Peace Corps in South Africa to teaching at Vassar College and all the career experiences in between, Christie's dedication to public health shines. Last year, she was recognized with the prestigious ATHENA Award, an international honor for women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, community service, and mentorship of future leaders. One of her current volunteer roles is serving as the Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Health Network Board of Directors. In August, Christie will start her Doctor of Public Health degree at Tulane University, specializing in Equity, Leadership, and Advocacy. She resides in the Hudson Valley, NY, with her beloved pups and husband.
Resources
Join The Public Health Career Club: the #1 hangout spot and community dedicated to building and growing your dream public health career.
Public health is so broad. We know that right Like you can work in FDA training. There's so many things within the field, but then also within that, there are specific content areas. So find that, find what makes you happy and just take every opportunity to learn more about a specific area of content. There's so many resources and conversations happening that are recorded online, so just dig in and utilize all the incredible resources, including your podcast, to find out more about all the different places we can go in this field.
Speaker 2:Welcome to PH Spotlight, a community for you to build your public health career with. Join us weekly right here, and I'll be here too. Your host, sujani Siva from PH Spot. Hey, christy, welcome to the PH Spot podcast, finally I have to say finally, because this has been something I've wanted to do for many, many years and I think we got connected through Leah, who's been on the podcast quite a bit. She is the connector, isn't she?
Speaker 1:She is.
Speaker 2:So definitely worth the shout out there. And I couldn't remember like what year I had reached out to Christy to ask her to come on the podcast and like things fell through. And finally Christy to ask her to come on the podcast and like things fell through. And finally we have connected and she is here and I'm very excited to hear her story, how she got into public health and where she is today. So welcome, christy.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for all the work you do for folks in the field of public health and inspiring the next generation of our leadership. Yeah, thank you for all you do.
Speaker 2:To subject me I get as much out of it as I think I put into it. I feel like when I started PHBot, I was at the very beginning of my public health career, right at my master's program, and recently I realized that I hadn't put enough attention into my own career growth and I had written about this on LinkedIn just last week, I think and so I feel like I feel how I felt 10 years ago and so I'm able to kind of empathize with a lot of the individuals who are starting off in their career, because I'm like, okay, how do I want to reimagine my public health career?
Speaker 2:Because I'm a completely different person. A lot of the goals that we ended up setting 10 years ago are very much different, and you were kind of talking about that right. You're in a very exciting place right now and you're so glad we're doing this recording now versus like years ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're going to get into that, but tell us how you ended up discovering the field of public health? That's always my first question to any of our guests, and one that I'm always curious about, because you know it falls into one of two buckets. It was like yep, I knew I was going to come into this, and then the other bucket is. I had no idea what this was. I kind of like stumbled my way into it. So which bucket are you in? I'm a stumbler, I'm a big stumbler.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I think that's the case for a lot.
Speaker 1:I mean, I've been working in the field now for over 20 years and I think especially before COVID, when people really had no concept of what public health was. I think there's a lot of many of us who fell into public health. My story is interesting but a little roundabout. So I'm going to start with my undergrad. I actually studied history and genocide studies and through my courses both history and genocide studies you can imagine very heavy topics, right, but really thinking about always this question being asked how did we let this happen? And I really grew tired of it and took an internship at Human Rights Watch and started to focus more on humanitarian efforts that were going on during that time period. My focus was in the Africa region and particularly focused on HIV misinformation.
Speaker 1:In South Africa during that time period there was a myth there were many myths but one of them was if you had sex with a virgin, it would rid you of all of your HIV. So that caused a lot of rapes in the country and that was kind of my introduction, in this very indirect way, into public health. Of course, I didn't know it as public health at that time, but I finished my degree in history. I did a joint program so I also finished my master's in education with that and then I joined the Peace Corps. So that was really a turning point for me and I would say, even as a Peace Corps volunteer, going into the Peace Corps working on HIV prevention in South Africa, I would say I still didn't know what public health was right. So even through that experience in two years of living in South Africa I started to define public health through that experience. But going into the Peace Corps I probably still didn't realize that my goals had changed and focused into the space of public health as we know it.
Speaker 2:At any point, whether it was, you know, as you were pursuing your bachelor's degree or you were doing your internships overseas, did you come across public health professionals, or like how was it that you were kind of thinking like putting the pieces together OK, I think this is public health and there's a field out there.
Speaker 1:I mean that's again. I don't think I did that until because when Human Rights Watch was very law focused, right and and justice, human rights focused, even I wouldn't say they would consider that the hat they were wearing public health, even though we know it is. But I think it was probably during my time in the Peace Corps. You know the trainings that we received from folks were working on the ground in South Africa and HIV prevention efforts, conferences that I attended after I left the Peace Corps that were focused on HIV.
Speaker 1:So I think that's probably when I first started to realize that public health was a career path and the career path that I wanted to take at that point in my life, but as far as like when I actually it must have been at some point during my Peace Corps experience, trainings and such okay yeah, and then um how many years did the Peace Corps last?
Speaker 1:so Peace Corps is two years, so I left in January of 2004 and finished in February of 2006. So, um, and I lived in one village the entire time with a family and I recently reconnected with them. Just so exciting. And we're actually my husband and I are planning a trip to visit next year. So even that is a new piece of my story. That's absolutely, you know, just so, so exciting and my host parents are still with us and yeah, so I'm very excited to to hopefully return next year and visit my family.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's amazing. And then when you returned back after the Peace Corps, like according to like what I know based on your LinkedIn profile- you ended up working with Planned Parenthood as an educator there, so was that a very intentional choice of OK. I think I'm going to focus in this like world of health?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no. So when I got back and most Peace Corps volunteers will tell you this it was a challenge in many, many ways. So after the Peace Corps, I traveled for six months in Asia and so I had not even been on American soil in over two and a half years. The transition was unbelievably challenging for me. I was also living in upstate New York, in a rural area, and just a lot of compounding factors, the culture shock, living in a rural place. I mean, before school I lived outside of New York City and then I lived abroad for almost three years. So it was a challenge and I think you know I just wasn't in a good place for about six months. But I was applying for jobs and I was applying for jobs specific to you know, entry level jobs around HIV, family planning, the same type of work, education and training work that I was doing in the Peace Corps, but here in the States. I fell into. I was, honestly, I was at the gym and a friend of mine was like, oh, like, Planned Parenthood is hiring an educator, Like and I know the person, this is how it all works, Right, and they're like this would be such a perfect job. I was like the thing is.
Speaker 1:At that time in my life I was like I'm out of here. I do not want to live in upstate New York, I want to. I want to be in a city. I was even looking at jobs internationally. I did not plan to stay there, but when this person was like here, you know like this would be a fantastic job for you and I got it.
Speaker 1:I got the position and then spent two years there and it was great. It was nice to spend time with my beloved grandmother, who passed in 2010. But like I lived with her during that time period, I met my husband during that time period. I loved that job so much. If you ask me, I've had a lot of interesting jobs, but if you ask me, like my favorite job of all of my career, it was that I loved being an educator at Planned Parenthood. It was my favorite job of all time. So I think, at least for my journey, most of it was never planned and I fell into almost everything that I've done and, yeah, I guess that was a foreshadowing to what the rest of my career would look.
Speaker 2:like I always tell people to like bring in, like whoever's your support group or your community in on your like, not only your goals but things that you're struggling with, reflections that you're having related to your career, because, like you will have extra eyes and ears out there for you. And like I'm curious, how did your friend that bumped into at the gym know that this would be a good fit for you? Like you must have told her something around that time period.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I also mentioned that I was living in a rural area at this time and so everybody knew that I had just come back from Africa. Like the newspaper you know this sounds really cheesy, but it's true the newspaper like interviews, wow. So, yeah, this was. I mean, I can't believe it was 20 years ago at this point that this happened. But I also did a lot of and this was therapeutic for me at the time.
Speaker 1:But I did a lot of education like sessions for like Lions Clubs and different like service organizations about the AIDS epidemic in South Africa to help raise awareness. Another thing I remember doing that I loved because I love libraries is I did an informational table for Peace Corps Week around Peace Corps in Africa so like people could find information, they knew that I was there and they knew that I had just come back from Africa and the work that I was doing. Never underestimate the power of like small community projects on like getting your voice out there and also just the power of like giving back. There's so much focus these days, at least with my students that is on, you know, getting an internship, but there's also so much value in service and just want to emphasize that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's an excellent point. So is that kind of the point in time where you're getting a lot more clear about the direction that you want to take your career.
Speaker 1:Is that still clear?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, tell us about that.
Speaker 1:So I came back from the Peace Corps, I worked for Planned Parenthood. I knew I wanted to get my master's in public health. At this point I met my husband, as I mentioned a few minutes ago, but we plan to break up. You know, like again I'm in, like Western New York, there's not a lot there, not a lot for my future. So I start looking at programs. Honestly, if I went to school in the States, emory was my top choice, but I started looking at international programs for a few reasons. Probably number one, well, two. I think there's like two reasons that were my top reasons for going abroad for my master's degree. The first was cost. I already had two degrees from a private school and I already had, you know, an unbelievable amount of debt. You know I put myself through both of those degrees. Peace Corps defers your loans but, as we all know, deferment doesn't help, it just adds the cost, right? So it was scary to think about what we make in public health in relation to what my debt would have been and this was 20 years ago, but it was still significant, right? So cost was one. And then I knew I wanted to go into international health. So why not gain that additional perspective of studying in another country. So between all of these factors, I started looking at schools in England, australia. I even looked at a school in South Africa, but I really loved Monash University's international health program South Africa but I really loved Monash University's international health program. There's a strong emphasis on ethics. There were a lot of students international students in the program and there were also these intensive classes that we did. They were like one week long but people from the field would actually come in for these intensives. So there were people from all of these different UN related agencies, nonprofits, who would come in for these intensive to either take it or teach. The learning that we received was so practical, hands-on.
Speaker 1:Another fun fact I'm not joking when I say Emory was like my top choice if I stayed here. I got to Australia and I did an interview for an internship and they're like why are you here? I did the same question why did you come to Australia? And I did an interview for an internship and they're like why are you? Why are you here? I did the same question why, why did you come to Australia? And during this interview and BB was her name asked me you know well, where were you looking in the States and I said you know Emory and she's like you're kidding me. The head of the department that you're in, like she was in the ethics department but the international health department overall, worked at the CDC and taught at Emory for over 20 years. Oh wow, and I was like I got chills and I was just like, okay, like it's just another confirmation that I was in the right place.
Speaker 2:And I don't know Australian schools too well, but to know that a professor from Emory, somebody who worked at the CDC, was teaching there, I would think it's uh, he was Australian.
Speaker 1:But yes, yeah, like well, well known, but still he's running the program, yeah yeah okay, so you go to Australia do your master's.
Speaker 2:There was that a one year or two year program.
Speaker 1:It was a year and a half.
Speaker 2:Year and a half, okay. And then you come back to New York, it seems.
Speaker 1:And you, yeah, okay, and guess why I came back to New York.
Speaker 2:For love.
Speaker 1:For love.
Speaker 2:It's always the answer.
Speaker 1:It's always the answer. Yes, it's always the answer. So, as I mentioned, we tried to break up. It didn't work. So if anyone has questions about long distance relationships, I am also your girl.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, that didn't work so I ended up back here. But the compromise was that we would move away from Western New York. So we ended up in the New York City area, but there was a short period of time where I worked as a HIV case manager in Rochester, which was an incredible experience. But I am not a social worker. I have so much respect for social workers and nurses. I am not a person that can separate things like happening in my work from and dealing with people's like. It was a very, very challenging eight or nine months that I worked there for me, but I learned a lot and it was also just validation that public health is for me, because I'm not I'm not a social worker for me, because I'm not, I'm not a social worker and so after that came like, I want to say, kind of a different trajectory for your career, because you kind of like start going into like education, which was also the master's degree that you got.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so like tell us about that pivotal moment, because I think within those few years, you also then launched your own consulting company. So what happened during that time?
Speaker 1:I love this question. I've always worked in education. So, as a Peace Corps volunteer, I was doing education right in training at Planned Parenthood. I was in education and I was doing training. So that was a theme throughout my entire career always worked in the space of education and training. Were you aware of that? So that was a theme throughout my entire career Always worked in the space of education and training. Were you aware?
Speaker 2:of that theme. That was like following you, or is that, in hindsight, that you're kind of noticing? Yeah?
Speaker 1:I guess I knew One thing. I was questioned when I realized, you know, during that internship at Human Rights Watch, I was like I don't know if I should finish my master's in education and I'm like, well, why not? You know I had already started it. I started as an undergrad, it was a dual degree, honors program, so I did finish it. I'm so glad that I did, because there are so many tools that I use obviously now as a consultant and throughout my career curriculum development, training, development and design, all of it. I, you know, have that foundation from 20 years ago and has just I've taken it with me. Of course I've done I know we're getting off on a tangent here, but I've done, you know, certificates and instructional design, specifically adult learning and other courses and trainings to stay up on all the changes, because obviously a lot changes in 20s right, but that has been a theme throughout my career is the education and training. I haven't really lost that.
Speaker 1:But one thing that did shift for me quite a bit was, I feel like the first, I guess, Planned Parenthood, not as much, but my focus was really on wanting to go into international health. And when I came back and we made this compromise of sorts. Marriage is all about compromise. Those of us who are married know right. Any relationship is all about compromise. Don't want to limit that to marriage, for sure. But yeah, we decided to move down and that was also like me, just trying to find a job so that we can move closer to the city. And then that one I actually found on like Indeed, I think and ended up getting the position.
Speaker 1:But I worked for the National Hemophilia Foundation for a couple of years. Also loved that job, incredible community and it was an incredible opportunity for me in my career because I actually wrote research, did all the needs assessment, all the initial research for a program, created the entire program and facilitated it, which is such a gift. I feel like so many of us work on pieces of training. You know like you work on doing the interviews or focus groups. I did all of it from start to finish and it was really my baby and they still use it Like it looks a little different now, but they still use this training. Yeah, so it was a, it was a career moment. Loved that project. I loved working with the bleeding disorders community. They're incredible, incredible bunch.
Speaker 2:And so your, your decision to go into consulting. Was that like something you jumped into? It wasn't a decision. Oh, it wasn't Okay, Tell us. Yeah, let's talk about that.
Speaker 1:So I had one last real, quote unquote job before I started consulting and I worked in maternal infant health for a year yeah, it's a long story. I needed to move again and I was commuting two hours each way each, every day to the city for the national hemophilia job in the end, because we moved and also traveling a lot, so I was literally never home and I just wanted to find something closer to home. So it worked in that job. It was, on paper, a perfect job for me. I was overseeing a coalition, I was working with community health workers, training like it was a perfect job on paper. But we all know that perfect jobs on paper don't equate to perfect jobs in real life.
Speaker 1:Right Like, it was the most toxic place I've ever been in my life. I'm still honestly not over it. I've been 10 years of therapy. At this point. It was one of the most traumatic experiences as a whole of my life and it got to the point where I had to walk away from the job without anything lined up, which I understand and want to say is such a privilege. Right Like, I have my husband, I have his insurance, but I had to walk away and this was it. Yeah, the end of, I want to say, 2014.
Speaker 1:And within few weeks, somebody from a different hemophilia foundation, In a few weeks, somebody from a different hemophilia foundation called me and said you know, we finally have the funding. They'd been wanting to hire me to help them update some of their trainings and workshops and they said we finally have the funding for you. This was like I'm not kidding you like a matter of weeks. It was less than a month that I heard from them and I was like, oh my gosh, I cannot believe this is happening. So I started consulting with them.
Speaker 1:I was with them for four years as a consultant, so that was great for me as I wanted to build up my consulting business. I took other smaller projects and really learned the ropes. There's a huge learning curve to being a consultant and having your own business and that having that security. I mean it wasn't secure at the time, right, Like it was probably six months, six months, six, but still it was an incredible opportunity for me to start consulting and I learned a lot in those first few years and now I've been doing it for December.
Speaker 1:January will be my 10 year business anniversary and I get chills when I say that you know like it's very exciting and it is not for the faint of heart, so I am proud of myself. You don't know when you're going to get paid. Sometimes you don't know, like, what the next job will be, so I'm pretty proud that I've come this far and lasted this long.
Speaker 2:I just have to go back and point out, acknowledge and also say like I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. In a place of work, many of us do it, many and I've heard of way too many stories of that. You know some people being so brave to actually just leave within months of starting a new job without anything lined up. So very, very brave of you to like step away. Yeah, and I was. I was writing up a post to put up on LinkedIn next week and it was around like when do you know like you're ready for a new job? And this is one of those things I point out like for some people they may be like okay, I need to get experience for three years, five years. Other people it's like I need to get out because this is not a good place of work for me. So the timelines are like dependent from person to person and situation, and I just wanted to say that that's not okay and I'm here if anybody needs to reach out and just talk it out and you know.
Speaker 2:Christy, you don't need to deal with that alone. I've spoken to too many people that have had similar experiences and I'm here to help if you just need somebody to listen to or you're the best.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, absolutely. I'm here for folks too. It's scary, but oh my gosh it's also and I'll just say this like the stress of not having a job is obviously really stressful right, but like you're more capable of applying for jobs and looking for new jobs.
Speaker 1:if you leave that toxic environment, it's really hard to like even just take care of yourself. If you leave that toxic environment, it's really hard to like even just take care of yourself. If you're dealing with this, you know toxicity of a workplace. So giving yourself that space and I think we all know it's like that that weight that is lifted, Like, like I said, I'm still dealing with some of the trauma from that job, but it's still like the weight that was initially lifted and knowing that I didn't have to go back there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely deserve better than that. Yeah, we all do. We all do. Yeah. I was curious when that other organization reached out to you and said we just got this funding. Like do you want to be a consultant? Had the idea of running your own consulting company ever crossed your mind? Never, never crossed my mind.
Speaker 1:So, fun fact, while I was doing this consulting, I also started a dog walking business. I don't think I've ever talked about this on a podcast. I've been on a few podcasts. I don't think I've ever talked about this part. But I was like, okay, while I'm figuring things out, I'm gonna walk dogs because I love dogs and being outside, and like so.
Speaker 1:so I did that on the side. So I actually had two businesses going at the same time. But, like, even then, I was like, where am I going? What does my future look like? I didn't know. Honestly, the experience with that last job was so detrimental to me that I didn't even know if I would stay in public health. I just felt so burned out. But I obviously kept consulting and I let the dogs go at some point because I couldn't handle both. But it was a great like moment that allowed me to, you know, just figure things out. And no, I and this was also too. I want to just point out this was a time when, like consulting wasn't a thing when we started 2014, 2015. Yeah, it wasn't the way it is now Right Like. So Leah had her group on Facebook that we're a part of, and now I don't even know there's a lot of hundreds.
Speaker 2:Hundreds, I want to say two to 300 people.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Yeah, when we started, I think there were I think I was like the 28th person in that group, so it just wasn't a thing. And I remember Laura reaching out to me on LinkedIn and I was like, oh my gosh, there are other people doing this.
Speaker 2:And just to clarify like consulting in public health was not a thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, it existed in the world, but it's like people in public health doing this as their Exactly. Thank you for the clarification.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and now, wow, there's so many and I think it's really great. But yeah, the landscape has shifted quite a bit since we all started.
Speaker 2:I have a couple of thoughts on that, but I don't want to sidetrack the conversation away from you, like your story, so maybe we'll come back to that after.
Speaker 1:Maybe we'll come back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it'll come back. So you said, with this first consulting project you were doing that and then you had some other additional ones that you were also a consultant on. Was that? Did I hear that right? Okay, and like this one kind of you know landed in front of you, but those other first few contracts, how did you like get in front of organizations and like what advice would you give to anybody kind of thinking of I might want to try this out for myself.
Speaker 1:So I think there's a few things have a strong network. I know some people will slap my hand for this, but I'm not a big RFP person. I just applied for one and it's very rare that I apply for them because they typically know who they want already and the amount of time you have to put into applying for them is just insane. So I only apply for RFPs if I'm like a perfect fit or I feel like I'm a perfect fit for the role. Again, a lot of it was word of mouth. Most of the jobs that I've had as a consultant were word of mouth, except for the one with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and they found me because they were specifically searching for somebody who worked in the intersection of instructional design and public health. But I think most of my other projects have been word of mouth.
Speaker 2:That's good to know. Instructional design that's kind of the area that you focus on in your consulting. Could you tell us a little bit about kind of like what that looks like and what your day to day would look like or it's probably changed in the past, my day to day is no one yet or maybe like your week or your month or maybe like your week or your month.
Speaker 1:So my day to day is very different, especially now that I teach. But one thing is every day I wake up and read and snuggle with my dogs and drink my coffee. It's like my, the best ritual I have to have. It it wakes me up and, yes, and then I think I typically check emails. We'll have client calls, prep for school, go to school and teach, actually do the client work, whatever that looks like. I'm also on a board of directors and I'm the vice chair. We have an in-person board meeting in June.
Speaker 1:So that is also dominating my life and my time right now. So, yeah, every day looks very dominating my life and my time right now. So, yeah, every day looks very, very different. I think that that's one of the things that most of the consultants you talk to. Actually we like that right, like, yeah, like that Our days don't look the same.
Speaker 1:The projects we work on are always changing. It's exciting. I do like that. At the same time, I don't want people to think that, like, all of these things just fall into our lap, like it's stressful, it takes a lot of like curating of relationships and, yeah, it can be challenging at the same time. So I also think, you know, not having any sort of I talked to my doctor about this all the time too because it's like really hard for me to have any sort of regular schedule, so like people will get up and go to work and then exercise, or, you know, get up, exercise, go to work Like it's really hard for me to do that because my days never look the same, so I don't have any sort of consistent schedule, which can be a challenge A lot of self-discipline, yeah.
Speaker 1:Thanks.
Speaker 2:Self-discipline.
Speaker 1:It's really nice of you to point out.
Speaker 2:It was a compliment to say that, like you know, yeah, Okay, Let me let me say I live. I live with an entrepreneur too, so my husband went full time into entrepreneurship. Yeah, so I get it and I I tell him like I'm quite proud of, like his ability to like manage his own schedule because like you don't have this hypothetical like start and finish that, like you know when you're starting and you know when you're finishing, and so that's almost easier.
Speaker 2:But for him, it's easy for you to just like lounge around the whole day and then not do anything and then you know, like it like, and I told him I'm like I feel like quite proud that you've like done this so well and he's only gone full time like a year and five months now. So yeah, it's exciting. So I understand it all year and five months now.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's, it's exciting, so I understand it all. Yes, having a live-in entrepreneur, that does make sense, you do understand yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then the cycles like tell us about the cycle of finding client. Like there's obviously like you need to do a little bit of sales, you need to do a little, a little bit of marketing, right? And then there's an ongoing cycle that you have to maintain. Do you feel like you've got that cycle down? You're asking this question.
Speaker 1:It's such a unique time in my business. So, as I mentioned, I've been doing this for 10 years. I am coming like the week. Well, last week I don't know what day it is In the last two weeks I've finished up a very large grant with the New York State Department of Health and a local nonprofit, and I am also finishing the semester right now. So I'm going to have about three months before I start my doctorate where I don't have a lot going on. It's the first time in 10 years that this has actually happened to me, which is not I've been very lucky.
Speaker 1:I'm still waiting on an RFP, mind you, but, as I've already said, I don't have much faith in the fact that I'll get that. But I did recently apply for one and I'm waiting to hear back. So that could be something. But other than that, I'm working on two very small projects one with IHI, that the school year, and I'm going back to school.
Speaker 1:So I'm trying to find grace and not worry that things will come right like, and I am trying to give myself this time. Because here's the thing If I start really looking for work, it probably wouldn't come through until when I need to go back to school, both schools, right Back to school to get my doctorate and I haven't been in school in like 15 years at this point and back to teaching. So I'm trying to just let this be and if something a good project comes up or a small project comes up, I'm excited about that possibility, also giving myself space to say, if I don't get a project right now and I just focus on schools, that's also okay, I want to ask you two quick questions before we jump into your decision to pursue a DRPH.
Speaker 2:Like 15 years after being in, when and why did you decide to go and teach at? Uh, I think it was uh oh, at vassar vassar. Yes, sorry, yeah.
Speaker 1:So again, this is the short my story, right? If there's a theme here, it's that I fell into every single thing, that I've done, all the good things in my life I really fell into. So I was on the bioethics committee at Vassar for I think five years. So really just as a community liaison, I would join these meetings and honestly don't tell anybody, but like sometimes they would be on topics I didn't even understand they just need a community person to be a part of this and say, like, do you have any concerns as a community? And I did have a concern Sorry, side note, I did have a concern when one of the students was doing research on spiders. I'm like you better make sure they stay at Vassar. So I was worthwhile.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Having me around was worthwhile for a couple of reasons anyway, and one of the professors on that ethics committee came to me and said you know, we're interviewing for public health positions. There's a professor there who taught a current issues in public health course. He got a new grant. He couldn't teach that course and they needed somebody else to teach an additional 300 level course. So he's like if you want to throw your hat in the ring I mean honestly, vassar is an elite university here in the United States I would not have even put my hat in the ring. I wouldn't have. Just because I would think to myself like I don't have my doctorate, so I I don't even qualify. And he's like well, as an adjunct you do and you have so much experience that you know we actually think you'd be a great fit for these particular courses. So I sent him my application, went through the process and I got it, which is like still mind boggling to me.
Speaker 1:I pinch myself every time I go to school. Me, I pinch myself every time I go to school. It is such an honor to teach. I am privileged to teach, so I don't take it lightly. I always knew that I wanted to teach, but I always thought it would be on the side, never, you know, for a year somewhat prestigious university. So yeah, and I I had so much.
Speaker 1:I think it's worth noting that my imposter syndrome, my first semester was almost debilitating. Like I was so worried about going, like even with the students I was even afraid of am I? I was like saying like go read your resume, like stop. And I've overcome that and I also just want to know like the faculty, the students, the staff, every single person I have come in contact with at Vassar have been nothing but incredible. I have learned so much. They've been so accepting of me and appreciative of me, even. So, yeah, again, I kind of fell into it, like I said I wouldn't have applied. I wouldn't have applied to this position because I would have thought I don't have my doctorate, so this school is not going to take me right.
Speaker 1:But they did and I'm still there and they've let me create two courses from scratch and I just appreciate every single moment that I'm there and with those students and I love teaching, I think like worth noting here is from that, that first position at Planned Parenthood, that first consulting gig that came your way.
Speaker 2:This opportunity, like a lot of it, is around the relationships that you had created.
Speaker 1:All of them.
Speaker 2:And so like I hope people can hear these examples and like know that it's not just about applying to jobs posted on a website, because when you're building these relationships.
Speaker 2:It's easy for people to just talk to somebody within their network and ask them if they want that opportunity, versus like going through a full application process, going through 400 resumes like that's not easy for them, right? So establishing those relationships are key. I forgot my second question. So we're just going to jump into the DRPH. Like what was the reason? You said, like 15 years after? Let's start with, you have a bachelor's degree and you have two master's degree and then you have a dozen other certificates. Why the DRPH at this point of your career, when you're like extremely established on paper? Like you said, go read your resume like incredible.
Speaker 1:My husband said that not me, so it's my students. I love teaching. I don't know if I've ever been happier in my entire career than I am in the classroom and I've always loved teaching. I've my whole career and not in the traditional classroom setting setting, but like I've been a teacher, I've been an instructor, facilitator my entire career. But it's different and I actually, as a side note, I was emailing with a couple of people who were guest speakers in my class. A couple of the students made notes and I actually sent them to them just to kind of boost morale and they're like you know, I wish you could teach more students and I was like I wish I could too, and I've been thinking like my.
Speaker 1:My goal at this point is I want my DRPH, because I would eventually like to teach in a DRPH program or master's level programs. I want to teach in a school of public health level programs. I want to teach in a school of public health, but I currently teach undergraduates and seeing the impact that you can have on somebody's path and those aha moments that you have with students who think, because they live through a pandemic, they understand public health and the problems that we have in the space, right, like I teach a critical issues in public health course. So, and it's a 200 level, and you just see so many students come into that class thinking they know what public health is, but they don't. And when they have those aha moments around, you know the relationship between racism and health and the social determinants and what those are, and it's just an incredible opportunity to be able to teach them, especially considering where I teach. Many of them are going on to medical school. They're going to become lawyers, some of them. Vassar actually has a four plus one program with Columbia. I even have students who are already in Columbia's School of Public Health. Again, to be able to be with them and teach them is just such an honor. So that's why, again, I could talk about teaching all day, but that's why I'm getting my DRPH.
Speaker 1:And I know some people might be listening to this and saying well, if you wanna teach, shouldn't you get your PhD? So I did a lot of research around this and I think where I am in my career if I teach, I don't want to give up my business. I still want to consult. I see myself as a leader in the fields and research has never been something that I've done. So why, 20 years into my career, would I shift into doing research when it's not a good fit for me or my goals? Essentially because if I teach, I want to be teaching things around leadership and equity and really not research. So I want to be a clinical professor where I'm just teaching, not focused as much on research, and I want to continue working as a consultant. So the DRP, drph for me is a perfect fit. I don't think it would necessarily be the case for everyone whose end goal is to teach.
Speaker 2:If that makes sense. Yeah, no, that makes total sense. And so I think you gave us a little bit of a glimpse into what you hope, you know, the DRPH is going to do and how your business is going to be, kind of, you know, still part of your life, and I'm assuming the program is like four or five years. Yes, yeah, okay, what do you envision your like post DRPH career to look like, or, ideally, what would you like it to look like? So it's, it's funny I'm gonna.
Speaker 1:I don't normally talk about my husband this much. I'm going to come back to him. So he's a teacher. He's a 10 year teacher in high school and he has a very good pension in New York. But he's older than me. So by the time I finished this, my goal is to finish before I'm 50. I'm going to turn 45, like 10 days before I start my DRPH which is exciting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm excited about that and but my goal is to finish it before I'm 50. That's my goal, and then my husband will be in a place where he can retire and I get to call the shots for once. But at the same time because I do want to keep consulting I have some flexibility to not have the pressure of trying to find a job right away, right. So, like, I think that time period will be like looking for different jobs, teaching and trying to figure that out. Fun fact, I would actually really like to teach and move abroad. I just like living abroad and we'll see what happens. But yeah, I would love an opportunity to live and move abroad or stay here and teach it. You know a school of public health in their master's program or drph program. So, yeah, who knows? But I want to teach, yeah.
Speaker 2:I do have to say like thank you on two fronts, just personal reflections that I'm having as you're telling me your story.
Speaker 2:I'm, like I'd say, about 10 years behind in terms of like number of years of experience or my age with you.
Speaker 2:And I think sometimes, like I was like so caught up first few years of my career to be like okay, I got it, like I'm done my master's, I got this job, and like I need to do my doctorate at the perfect time and like the perfect time was like immediately. And you know we put all of that pressure on ourselves. And what I'm getting from you is like and I and I know I kept asking you this like was this an intentional decision? Was this an intentional choice? And even though most of it was not like I really do, like the way you were able to like really reflect on what it is that you wanted in your life at each point. I'm taking personal inspiration there and to know and you're kind of like the second person I know who's gone into a PhD or DRPH around like that same time frame and I guess it's like forcing me to just like stop trying to run behind these like arbitrary timelines that we think ourselves and just be like slow it down right, slow it down, right time.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, advance itself. It'll happen.
Speaker 1:So two things I never, ever, ever wanted my doctorate period. And I, even when I started teaching at Vassar and fell in love with teaching, I still was adamant that like no, I'm not getting my doctorate. You know who changed my mind? My therapist of all people, my therapist. So I was talking to her I don't even know, it must've been a year and a half ago at this point and I said to her I'm like you know, I think I was talking about how happy I am at Vassar teaching, and she was like well, why don't you get your doctorate? And I was like because I'm never going to get it, like I don't want it, it's too much, I'm too old, there's too many reasons, right? And she was like, well, she did the same thing as me, she was teaching part-time at Fordham and somebody told her like you should really get your doctorate so that you can teach. And she did. She was the same age as me and she's like Christy, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made and it totally shifted my perspective on it.
Speaker 1:And that's when I started doing research about different programs and when I found the DRPH. That's when I started doing research about different programs and when I found the DRPH. It was almost like a breath of fresh air because the program feels so right for me. Then I had the moment of like well, if I'm getting this because I want to teach, can I actually teach with a DRPH? So then I did more research and found out yes, absolutely. You know, research positions, phd positions in public health are so competitive and that's not even where I want to be. So there's a lot of value for me having a DRPH, not only for my business but also, I think, for what I want to teach and in the direction that I want to go. So just yeah, do your research. Never say never.
Speaker 1:I will say one other thing. I had lunch today with two students and one of them is going. She's a junior and she's getting very anxious about medical school and like how she's going to be studying for MCATs and I'm like, why don't you take a year off? Like you need to take a year. No, I need to get. Like no, you don't like your life. But going to your point about like having the check times, I think that's a. I just want to put this out there to everyone that that's something that society is telling you you need to do what's right for yourself, especially if you're going into things like a doctorate Time investment money investment.
Speaker 1:Consume your life and cost an exorbitant amount of money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like I had a mini aha moment right now. It's like there's a group that goes on to do a doctorate degree to like build up their career, which is like one way to do it. And then I'm finding people who are doing a doctorate degree for the pure joy and for the satisfaction of their soul, like even the other colleague that I'm referring to like she's nearing retirement and doing her PhD on how live events in areas of like war-torn regions around the world are kind of like helping people rebuild, and I'm just like, wow, like you're doing this not because it's going to help you build in your career like you've worked in that area, but just exploring this topic it's incredible, it's yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I have made a couple of comments that, yes, I'm getting a doctorate so I can make less money, yeah, and be happy right.
Speaker 2:Yeah exactly that's what it's about.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my, my husband is like, so against the education, like the traditional educational system, but I think recently I've I was able to convince him that eventually, when I do a doctorate degree, it's going to be like for pure joy of just learning. And he's like, ah, okay, I get it now. Yeah, like yes, that that is the reason I would do it. Looking back, christy, at you know your, your journey, uh, whether it was like 10 years of your consulting journey or 20 years in public help, what are like moments that you think back to a lot and either like you're really proud of that moment or you know maybe you wanted to do something differently at that point. What are some reflections that you have?
Speaker 1:So I think that one of the things I'm most proud of is that I have always stayed true to myself as far as my business values and just my values as a person. Integrity is always at the top of my list and it's how I run my business and it's how I choose to do things or not do things. And an example of this is, you know, I've done a couple of projects for pharmaceutical companies, and every time I do, when there comes to like, are you going to extend your contract, I never do. And it's been a lesson to me that, like, I just need to not work for pharmaceutical companies, right, like that's a boundary for me. It might pay well, but I never feel good when I do it, and that matters.
Speaker 1:And I've done this in a number of areas of my business, of my life, and I think that's what I'm most proud of, and I just I want to send that message to folks, because it's really hard to stay in age, to stay true to yourself or even know who your true self is right, because we're so bombarded by messages and what everybody else is doing. But, like, at this point in my life, I would say that that's one of the things I'm most proud of. I'm also we haven't talked about this, but I am I'm an advocate. I've put myself on the line for causes that I care about, specifically abortion, and I'm proud of those moments too. I would not take any of those moments back, and I'm proud that I always stay true to myself, even when it's not easy or it means that I will make less money. Those aren't easy decisions to make.
Speaker 2:Do you think that that feels easier now versus early on in your career, because I know I struggled with that quite a bit Absolutely Early years, yeah we always will Like.
Speaker 1:I think it will always be like this question right, but like it gets easier as you get older. It really does, yeah, I believe that.
Speaker 2:What's one piece of wisdom that you want to leave our listeners with, as they're? Figuring out figuring out their careers, whether it's like a student I'm sure you talk to a lot of students, oh, I do.
Speaker 1:There's lots of similar, I think, advice that probably comes up right and yes, I think, for you know public health in general, some of my greatest advice would be to find your niche. Finding your niche is such a key component when you're going into or are currently in the field of public health and trying to figure out what brings you joy.
Speaker 1:You can work in FBA training. There's so many things within the field, but then also within that, there are specific content areas, which makes it even more specified. So find that, find what makes you happy, and ways to do that, in my opinion, are volunteering, internships, taking a class Like is undergrads, mph, like, whatever it is. Taking a class that like might actually be outside of your comfort zone and thinking about like does this interest me? Just take every opportunity. Maybe you don't want to take a whole class on a topic, but maybe there's a one hour lecture that your university is offering to learn more about a specific area of content. You know AI and health is a hot topic right now. I think of that as an example, right, something that my students are very interested in. And maybe you don't want to take a whole class on it, but there's so many resources and conversations happening that are recorded online. So just dig in and utilize all the incredible resources, including your podcast, to find out more about all the different places we can go in this field.
Speaker 2:And I think to your earlier point and I know it's easier said than done and I was an early career professional myself. So the advice of don't be so hard on yourself, like it's okay not to get it right the first time, and that pressure we put on ourselves. Yes, I know I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it right, every single decision I made. It had to be the perfect decision, but you know what it's it maybe not the perfect decision, that's okay, it is okay, yes, it's, it really is okay.
Speaker 1:It is yeah, and we learned from it, we grow from it, and I will say too, like we evolve as professionals, we evolve as people. It's okay If you don't go in the exact direction that you thought you were going to. I think that's even great sometimes, right?
Speaker 2:And it's okay to evolve as a person and have different things that you like and enjoy.
Speaker 1:I mean, I hope we would right, yeah, I hope that we would.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like myself now. I love how I evolve. Thank you so much, christy. I think I've personally been inspired by hearing your journey. I took away quite a few things that I'm actually going to action, so I'll tell you about this after we stop recording. But thank you so much, and for anybody listening that wants to follow along Christie's journey, I'm going to point them to your LinkedIn because that's where I follow you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2:Okay, we'll link that up in the show notes page.
Speaker 1:And we can Instagram too. I can give you my Instagram. I'm pretty active there.
Speaker 2:Okay, so Instagram and LinkedIn follow along the DRPH journey that Christy is going to be on.
Speaker 2:Exciting and we'll we'll cheer her on and maybe, like, bring you back partway through your DRPH and then, after you're done, and see. That would be incredible. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's do that about the Public Health Career Club. So if you've been looking for a place to connect and build meaningful relationships with other public health professionals from all around the world, you should join us in the Public Health Career Club. We launched the club with the vision of becoming the number one hangout spot dedicated to building and growing your dream public health career.
Speaker 2:And in addition to being able to connect and build those meaningful relationships with other public health professionals, the club also offers other great resources for your career growth and success, like mindset coaching, job preparation clinics and career growth strategy sessions in the form of trainings and talks, all delivered by experts and inspiring individuals in these areas. So if you want to learn more or want to join the club, you can visit our page at phspotorg slash club and we'll have all the information there. And you know, as a space that's being intentionally curated to bring together like-minded public health professionals who are not only there to push themselves to become the best versions of themselves, but also each other, and with that, I can't wait to see how this is going to have a ripple effect in the world, as we all work together to better the health of our populations and just have immense impact in the world, and I hope you'll be joining us in the Public Health Career Club.