Success Story: From Community Pharmacist to Pharmacy Consultant

by | Dec 11, 2018 | Burnout, Career, Success Story

Sylvia Perry was a Happy PharmD coaching client for about three months, and she says the program has helped her focus on her consulting business while simultaneously working a community pharmacy job.

Sylvia remembers having a lot of anxiety about not being recognized as a Pharmacist Consultant and being unable to grow her business as a result. She needed confidence in her experience and expertise and to realize that she did have something to offer to the field.

Without coaching, Sylvia believes she would have become unhappy and stagnant in her retail pharmacy job.

“A lot of the issues were in my head,” she said. “Inaction, not connecting with people, being mundane and routine” were all real stumbling blocks.

The fear of failure was very real, but with coaching, Sylvia was able to take control of the issues that worried her the most. She understands that there will be setbacks, but she no longer has a crippling fear.

“I know that once I’m attracted to an idea and I’ve decided to do it, it is just a matter of setting out to do it,” she explained. “I had to shift my mindset, and working with Alex was essential to that for me.”

Based on her experience with coaching, Sylvia feels that anyone looking for guidance about growing a pharmacy-related business or making a career transition should find themselves a partner who not only knows the ins and outs of the industry but one who has positioned himself to help other pharmacists.

“Alex is a great resource. He held me accountable to the plans we devised together, and I got so much more of it than I expected,” she said. “I realized that I can do this, which is 80% of the battle.”

Sylvia described coaching not as a cheerleading session but as taking very practical steps. Knowing that I had once been in her shoes and was now running a successful coaching business opened her mind to the opportunities that were possible for her.

“I was just frozen. I knew I wanted something different, but I was afraid to make any moves. Alex really helped me see the areas where I could stretch myself, where my blind spots were and that investing in myself was crucial.”

Networking, for example, was something that Sylvia didn’t do before coaching. She knew her LinkedIn account was bare and that she wasn’t making new connections, but she was hesitant to work with a coach unfamiliar with the pharmacy industry.

“When I saw that Alex was both a pharmacist and a coach, that was very very instrumental in deciding to work with him,” Sylvia explained. “Alex helped me realize that networking doesn’t have to be a chore. It can lead to beautiful partnerships, relationships, and resources. I’m now making genuine connections, and one of the techniques I learned has actually led to a new position.”

“Alex showed me the systems and techniques that I needed to grow my business, to grow my network and to keep me moving forward with confidence. As pharmacists, we think we have to do everything by ourselves. I also think we are so used to being excellent in 15-minute increments that we fail to think on a grander scale when it comes to our career.”

“If you’re thinking about making a change, or you’re unhappy in your current role, I definitely suggest working with a pharmacist coach. Alex helped me in so many ways, he can help you get clarity. He doesn’t tell you what to do but works with you to devise a path to get where you want to be.”


 

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Creating Happy Pharmacists

If you really want to build the career and life that you’ve dreamed of, one where you are helping people and working in the field that you love, you need to do something different than what you’ve been doing.

Re-discover why you became a pharmacist and find your passion again.