“Drop the ego and let your team shine.”
Working in an animal shelter and seeing three animals come in and less going out inspired Michelle Rivera to find a solution to the problem of pet homelessness. In 2002, without financial backing or an advisory board already in place, Michelle embarked on the most challenging career path ever to start Spay & Neuter Kansas City (SNKC).
SNKC was the first and is now largest “targeted” spay/neuter program in Kansas City. With over 100,000 spay/neuters to date, they have impacted the overall reduction of animals killed in Kansas City’s area shelters. Michelle and her team believe in helping all people who love pets, regardless of financial means because they know first hand the strength of the animal-human bond and the incredible benefits.
Michelle recognized the need to expand services beyond free/low-cost spay and neuter programs. SNKC also has the Families Better Together Outreach Program, a wellness clinic and food pantry serving over 20,000 pets each year.
As an innovative leader, Michelle built a team committed to a mission and allowed them to utilize their own ideas and creativity to strengthen the organization. She and her team have received both local and national recognition of their programs. She is contacted regularly by start-up spay neuter programs across the country to provide leadership guidance and a proven process.
In this episode, Michelle shares leadership insights that you can apply no matter what business you are in.
From a personal perspective, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interviewing a number of CEOs. You truly feel the energy when you walk in the door at SNKC. Michelle and her team live their mission each and every day. What a cool thing to be able to make a difference for pets and the people who love them!
If you’re an animal lover, there are a number of ways you can get involved with Spay & Neuter Kansas City. It’s as easy as finding them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and then following them and sharing a post (or three). You can go to their Amazon.com wishlist page to order a bag of cat food, dog bowl and more that will be sent directly to their offices. You can also volunteer time in their community outreach program.
The Spayghetti and No Balls annual gala is happening Saturday, February 25th. This year it’s a Mexican fiesta so it’s Spayghetti and No Huevos. Tickets are almost gone but no worries as you can still participate in online bidding!
You can find all of the In Layman’s Terms podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. A new episode is released every two weeks so sure to subscribe for automatic updates. You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn or feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]
Stay tuned for episode 30….
