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Transcript

LIVE at RBC 2025 Episode Four | Cardinal Health™ Counter Talk™ Podcast · Pharmacy Podcast Network

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: You are listening to the global network of podcasters dedicated
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: to the pharmacy profession.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the Pharmacy Podcast Network.
• 0:22
  Speaker 3: The testimonials appearing in this podcast reflect individual experiences, and
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: individual results may vary. Cardinal health is not claimed, or
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: should the listener assume that any individual experience recounted in
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: this podcast is representative of what another consumer may experience.
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: The Cardinal Health counter Talk podcasts and collaboration with Pharmacy
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: Podcast Network is for independent pharmacists to learn about the
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: state of the industry, innovative services and solutions, and the
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: future of pharmacy. Join me your host Jason colorI for
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: conversations with pharmacists, cardinal health leaders, and industry experts, sharing
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: best practices, discussing industry trends, and showcasing cardinal health products
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: and services. You can subscribe to the Cardinal Health counter
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: Talk podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: to your favorite podcasts.
• 1:11
  Speaker 4: One of my favorite segments that I did last year
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: was women in in Pharmacy and I loved it. So
• 1:19
  Speaker 4: Cardinal Health RBC twenty twenty five. Again, this is going
• 1:23
  Speaker 4: to be good. I've got three women in the booth
• 1:25
  Speaker 4: with me that are running the show and what they're doing. Right,
• 1:30
  Speaker 4: all right, So first I have Kiara Emery, right, So
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: what I'll do is I'll go around and you guys
• 1:38
  Speaker 4: can kind of introduce yourselves.
• 1:39
  Speaker 5: That's how good, Kiera? What you got?
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: All right?
• 1:41
  Speaker 6: Hi?
• 1:42
  Speaker 7: My name is Kira Emory.
• 1:43
  Speaker 6: I am the owner of medicap pharmacy and compounding out
• 1:46
  Speaker 6: in Concord, North Carolina. I'm also the owner of a
• 1:49
  Speaker 6: health and bonnus supplement brand called Emory Solutions.
• 1:52
  Speaker 5: Nice.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 6: We focus on combating drug and douce, snow tree and depletion,
• 1:57
  Speaker 6: so a lot of patients experience that.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 4: Nice, all right, Melika kopoly right, Yes, that's say it
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: right man?
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  Speaker 5: So good, how are you?
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  Speaker 8: I'm doing good? Thanks? I am Malika.
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  Speaker 9: I'm owner of three independent pharmacists in the Upstate New York's,
• 2:15
  Speaker 9: your Qu's and Udica areas, and.
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  Speaker 8: We have a great community presence in those areas.
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  Speaker 9: We offer so many services to people in the community.
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  Speaker 5: Nice. I've never been up there. I've heard it's absolutely beautiful.
• 2:27
  Speaker 8: It's beautiful in fall.
• 2:29
  Speaker 5: Don't go in the wintertime, I heard wintertime.
• 2:32
  Speaker 9: I plan on moving to Arizona or Tosta Rica or
• 2:35
  Speaker 9: Thailand or India.
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  Speaker 5: They talent in India. That sounds fun.
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: And then we have Mss Michelle Brett. Michelle, how are
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: you again?
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: I'm doing welcome.
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  Speaker 4: I was telling you all ago when you came in.
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: I bet you're a busy bee right now.
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  Speaker 6: Right.
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  Speaker 4: So, Michelle is senior vice president of Retail Independent Sales
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: here with Cardinal.
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  Speaker 5: Today.
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  Speaker 4: You've brought us to fantastic ladies in healthcare and pharmacy world.
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  Speaker 5: I'm excited to pick their brains and see what they're doing. Well. So, yeah, Michelle,
• 3:03
  Speaker 5: what do you got?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah?
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  Speaker 2: So today we're going to talk about their journey becoming
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: female pharmacy leaders. Both have had interesting pivots in the field.
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  Speaker 2: Let's talk about what inspired that shift in gears and
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  Speaker 2: what you've learned along the way, what's next for your
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: pharmacy and the next generation of pharmacy of women pharmacy leaders.
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  Speaker 2: So let's go to our first question. Yeah, you both
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: had major career transitions into pharmacy ownership. Kiera you started
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: as an aviation technician in the Navy, and Malika you
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: started working for a major pharmaceutical company.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: I'd love to learn.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: More about what inspired you both to pivot into pharmacy
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: and what you've learned from the experience and how it
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: shaped you as a leader, Kiera, would you like to
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: kick us off?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 6: So, at the age of nineteen, I joined the Navy
• 3:57
  Speaker 6: and came in as an aviation electronics technician.
• 4:01
  Speaker 7: I knew when I came in that I did not
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: want to be in the Navy forever.
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  Speaker 6: It was more just a stepping stone to get my
• 4:06
  Speaker 6: schooling paid for, which it did, and it paid for
• 4:09
  Speaker 6: that and then some I got my master's in business
• 4:11
  Speaker 6: falls and farm school as well.
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  Speaker 7: I think P one year.
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  Speaker 6: Doctor Ziegler, one of my professors, inspired me to do
• 4:18
  Speaker 6: the ownership boot Camp. I came to him for advice
• 4:23
  Speaker 6: on how to get into a residency with the hospitals.
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  Speaker 6: I wanted to work with elders, and he was like,
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  Speaker 6: I think you have an entrepreneurial spirit.
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  Speaker 7: I think you should try the ownership boot camp.
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  Speaker 6: And I didn't want to, but my husband was like,
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  Speaker 6: you know, let's just go for it. Let's just try it,
• 4:39
  Speaker 6: and we did and I fell in love with it,
• 4:41
  Speaker 6: and so P two year, P three year, and.
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  Speaker 7: P four year. I went to every ownership boot camp
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  Speaker 7: I could find.
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  Speaker 6: I mean, I went to way too many, but I
• 4:49
  Speaker 6: loved it, and so I decided to get my master's
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  Speaker 6: in business as well because I really wanted to set
• 4:53
  Speaker 6: myself up well for ownership one day. And then I
• 4:56
  Speaker 6: also went on to a residency and community pharmacy and
• 5:00
  Speaker 6: I did that through U and C. After residency ended,
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  Speaker 6: I became a manager until I had my son, and
• 5:08
  Speaker 6: then I think a year and a half after residency
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  Speaker 6: is when I opened, not opened, I purchased an existing
• 5:13
  Speaker 6: pharmacy up the street for me and that's where I
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  Speaker 6: am today. The biggest lessons I've learned are it takes
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  Speaker 6: so much longer and so much more money than you
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  Speaker 6: thought it would.
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  Speaker 5: Girl, we could go down that rabbit ho all day.
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  Speaker 2: That's truly exceptional. A Malika wanted to share your story
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  Speaker 2: with us.
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  Speaker 9: I loved being in pharmacy ever since my school days,
• 5:37
  Speaker 9: where I worked as a technician in Harlem.
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  Speaker 8: New York.
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  Speaker 9: There's something incredibly gratifying working in the pharmacy, dealing directly
• 5:45
  Speaker 9: with the consumers, with your patients, especially those who come
• 5:49
  Speaker 9: from diverse backgrounds.
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  Speaker 8: So this you know I worked later on.
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  Speaker 9: In my career, I worked in pharmaceutical industries. It was
• 5:58
  Speaker 9: very valuable experience. Deep down, I was missing.
• 6:01
  Speaker 8: The fulfillment which the pharmacy career did. So the you know,
• 6:06
  Speaker 8: the connection did it?
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  Speaker 9: Connection with the patients was something which was missing. So
• 6:10
  Speaker 9: that brought me back to the pharmacy. I gained a
• 6:14
  Speaker 9: lot from my industry, you know, the corporate roles I
• 6:17
  Speaker 9: took you.
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  Speaker 8: There are some operational and.
• 6:19
  Speaker 9: Management skills which I directly apply to my small business here. Yeah,
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  Speaker 9: so I would say that experience was valuable, but it
• 6:27
  Speaker 9: wasn't as gratifying as the pharmacy career.
• 6:30
  Speaker 8: That's how I ended up here.
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  Speaker 1: Very nice.
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  Speaker 2: I've been supporting retail independence for the last twenty five years.
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  Speaker 7: That's amazing.
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  Speaker 1: I grew up in this industry.
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  Speaker 2: It is an honor to lead this segment at this
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  Speaker 2: point of my career, and I know what it takes
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: to get to get there along the way, and I'm
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: truly inspired by what you all do each and every day,
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: So thank you. I'm also a mother, so this next
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: question we'll talk about balancing busy careers and setting boundaries.
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: You're both mothers in addition to being busy owners. How
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: do you balance your professional workload and family? What keeps
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: you grounded, and how do you set boundaries to find
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: personal fulfillment?
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  Speaker 7: So I'll go first, if that's okay.
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  Speaker 6: Sure, Yeah, I don't have boundaries right now.
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  Speaker 7: I'm learning that no is a full sentence. Professionally, I
• 7:25
  Speaker 7: like to take.
• 7:26
  Speaker 6: On a lot of roles, like I'm also the community
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  Speaker 6: practice leader for a huge healthcare organization within my city,
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  Speaker 6: the Queen City Women in Business, and that takes up
• 7:36
  Speaker 6: a decent amount of time.
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  Speaker 7: In addition to both businesses, I have a three year
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  Speaker 7: old and a.
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  Speaker 6: Nine year old, and so really trying to have that
• 7:44
  Speaker 6: work life balance while everything requires so much of my
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  Speaker 6: attention is just it's not there.
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  Speaker 7: It's just long days and long nights at this point.
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  Speaker 6: And I'm hoping that something starts, you know, I don't
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  Speaker 6: know gelling for me so that I can get some
• 7:58
  Speaker 6: semblance of a work life balance. So I would love
• 8:00
  Speaker 6: to actually hear her, and she is juggling it.
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  Speaker 9: So I must say I am equally if not more,
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  Speaker 9: committed to my home as I am to my work.
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  Speaker 9: It's every day is a challenge, but I am very
• 8:15
  Speaker 9: clear on what.
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  Speaker 8: My role is at what my role is at my home.
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  Speaker 8: So how I accomplish. Is I delegate as much as
• 8:23
  Speaker 8: I can.
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  Speaker 9: I believe I don't need to master everything. So if
• 8:28
  Speaker 9: there is something which my husband he's a pharmacist too,
• 8:31
  Speaker 9: So if my husband or a business partner, if they
• 8:33
  Speaker 9: can do it much faster or more efficient than I am,
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  Speaker 9: I don't even want to learn it.
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  Speaker 8: I don't hesitate. I know what I'm doing at home,
• 8:40
  Speaker 8: so I don't hesitate to make that phone call. And
• 8:44
  Speaker 8: one more thing. You know, there are setbacks. Every day
• 8:47
  Speaker 8: is challenging, so we have to be clear on everything
• 8:51
  Speaker 8: cannot be perfect.
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  Speaker 9: Not everything at work has to be taken care right
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  Speaker 9: at that moment. Things can wait, and even at home,
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  Speaker 9: not everything is perfect. Are disappointed most of the times, maybe,
• 9:02
  Speaker 9: but you know your clarity and conviction to get up
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  Speaker 9: and do the right thing that matters. That is something
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  Speaker 9: which takes me forward and coming to boundaries.
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  Speaker 8: Like you mentioned, I truly.
• 9:17
  Speaker 9: I'm still figuring out what boundaries are and I feel,
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  Speaker 9: you know, that's.
• 9:22
  Speaker 8: The beauty of motherhood.
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  Speaker 9: There is no perfect boundaries, So yeah, things will fall apart.
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  Speaker 9: You just navigate through it to ask help wherever it
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  Speaker 9: is needed and then.
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  Speaker 5: Just move on.
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  Speaker 7: I think I have a hard time asking for help too.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: I think over time, I've learned how to ask for
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: help in different ways. I think at first it was
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: hard for me. My children are fifteen, thirteen, and ten.
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: Now I think it's really important. My boundary is that
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: I need to do a certain amount of exercise in
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: a week because that helps me stay grounded. And I
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: try to eat healthy and we practice this that cardinal
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: and I practice it at home. Be there for the
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: moments that matter, because you can't be there for everything.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: I travel quite a.
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: Bit, but I think it's important for your team, just
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: you to be present with your team and at home
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: with your kids for when they need you. I know
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: such thing as worth life balance. I mean it all
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: meshes together. I will work on a Saturday, I'll work
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: at night, but I will stop and go to my
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: child's game, and I will stop and be there when
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: when they need me. So you know, you kind of
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: set your your boundaries based on how and also what's
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: going to fill your glass. You know you have to
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: self care is very important because that's so true, that's true.
• 10:39
  Speaker 9: If I may add, I take pride in being a
• 10:42
  Speaker 9: hands on mom and a good partner to my husband.
• 10:47
  Speaker 8: You know, I can. I'm he's laughing outside.
• 10:51
  Speaker 5: I can see that. Yeah, we need to get him
• 10:55
  Speaker 5: in here and hear his.
• 10:57
  Speaker 9: So I'm good at multitasking like many women are, and
• 11:01
  Speaker 9: I can take multiple phone calls of employees calling out
• 11:04
  Speaker 9: same time I can pull the fancy fruit tape for
• 11:07
  Speaker 9: my child's school project. And that's a real life. So
• 11:11
  Speaker 9: you know, there is no perfect balance. You just cherish
• 11:14
  Speaker 9: every movement.
• 11:15
  Speaker 8: And how I achieve my fulfillment is.
• 11:18
  Speaker 9: Tiny things like I make a good meal and seeing
• 11:21
  Speaker 9: everybody enjoy that fills me. Taking a stroll outside my
• 11:24
  Speaker 9: street with my husband that fills me.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: I hope he's hearing that at the end of the day.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: I think it takes a village.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: So you know, I would not be able to do
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: this job if I didn't have a strong network at home.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: But I also have a strong network at Cardinal and
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: that's allowed me to get to this role. And the
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: support is important. So you know, it fills your glass
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: you want to go on a walk with your husband.
• 11:50
  Speaker 6: I think more women need to hear this too, that
• 11:52
  Speaker 6: it's okay, you know, because you feel like you see
• 11:55
  Speaker 6: all these other women that are doing these amazing ways.
• 11:57
  Speaker 7: I just wonder how are they doing it? And am
• 11:59
  Speaker 7: I not enough? And so hearing the other side of
• 12:02
  Speaker 7: it of work.
• 12:04
  Speaker 6: Life balances, it's okay that it's not always perfect.
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: That's nice. Well, it's so.
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: I also think about it as choose your heart, right,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: because it's all hard.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: You know, and it's all hard.
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: It is.
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: It's all hard, So what are you gonna choose? Like,
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: I want my children to see how hard I work,
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: and I want them to know they can accomplish anything
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: that they set their mind to. Yeah, to think, I
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: think it's important. But is it a lot of juggling.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: My husband is an attorney who works full time too,
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  Speaker 2: so we juggle.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: He's on first, I'm on a second.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: My kids play baseball, so everything's a baseball analogy.
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: Well, and I'll throw in here as a guy. It's
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: amazing as females like playing both those roles, because I
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: think sometimes guys get off the hook a little bit.
• 12:50
  Speaker 4: I'll be the first one to admit, right, oh honey,
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: I'm at work. You know you you go do that.
• 12:55
  Speaker 4: And but what you said is more women need to
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: hear this, And I think what you said is exactly right.
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: Is the first step is knowing that I have to
• 13:06
  Speaker 4: set boundaries. Right.
• 13:08
  Speaker 5: That was me as an owner.
• 13:09
  Speaker 4: At home, Hey, I have to get home to my kids,
• 13:12
  Speaker 4: Like that's important, that can wait till tomorrow. So the first,
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: the first process and all of that is just admitting
• 13:18
  Speaker 4: we need to have a process. And once you have that,
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: it sounds to me like you're already the book nerd.
• 13:23
  Speaker 5: You're going down to every class and everything you can.
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: So you know there are millions of books on how
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: to delegate, how to run, how to operate. Now you're
• 13:32
  Speaker 4: meeting people to talk to How did you do that?
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: Let me text you real quick and so utilizing that
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: your peers. But yeah, the first step is for me,
• 13:41
  Speaker 4: was definitely so for you. For you ladies, I'm yeah,
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: I'm in awe that you can juggle at.
• 13:46
  Speaker 5: All, for sure. So that's why be a prone you
• 13:49
  Speaker 5: should be you utter, should be pressed.
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: I think also along the way you learn how to
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: outsource what you don't like to do, because I would
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: rather when I'm finished working go for a walk with
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: my kids, or take them to the park, or go
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: just go outside and spend time with them. So whatever
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: you don't want to do, I mean to put a
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: value on that too and have someone else do it.
• 14:08
  Speaker 7: It's valid.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about the
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: future of pharmacy. Where do you see your pharmacy in
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: the next few years. What are some trends you're seeing
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: and how do you plan to address these trends in
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: your pharmacy.
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: You want to start a smolka.
• 14:23
  Speaker 9: Yes, pharmacy career. You know it is fulfilling, but it
• 14:27
  Speaker 9: is very challenging. This is every one of us know that.
• 14:31
  Speaker 9: So how is you know what I have learned through
• 14:34
  Speaker 9: this journey is we can't say yes to everything. It
• 14:38
  Speaker 9: does not mean we should put limits to our compassion,
• 14:43
  Speaker 9: but you have to figure out how you can be
• 14:45
  Speaker 9: more you know, you have to put resources where you
• 14:49
  Speaker 9: can be more efficient.
• 14:51
  Speaker 8: It means maybe you have.
• 14:52
  Speaker 9: To say no to some plans or some services which
• 14:55
  Speaker 9: are exhausting, but that balance, you know, you have to
• 14:58
  Speaker 9: find tune and find the find that balance where you
• 15:03
  Speaker 9: don't compromise on your compassion and find alternatives. The same time,
• 15:07
  Speaker 9: you have to sustain in business in order.
• 15:10
  Speaker 8: To help the community. So that's been my focus right now.
• 15:15
  Speaker 9: So where I see my pharmacy is, you know, I
• 15:18
  Speaker 9: want to improve the cash flow. Honestly speaking, I haven't
• 15:22
  Speaker 9: achieved that, or it's it's a dynamic field, so the
• 15:26
  Speaker 9: thing which works today might not work tomorrow. So I
• 15:29
  Speaker 9: want to stay update up, you know, up to date
• 15:32
  Speaker 9: with those things, improve cash flow, whether it is services
• 15:37
  Speaker 9: like long term serving long term care communities, or vaccination,
• 15:41
  Speaker 9: or improve your front end business. So I want to
• 15:45
  Speaker 9: focus on that. That's my goal right now.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: Okay, what about you?
• 15:50
  Speaker 6: And I can actually piggyback off that completely because she said,
• 15:52
  Speaker 6: you know you want to you want to serve your community,
• 15:54
  Speaker 6: but at the same time you have to make it
• 15:55
  Speaker 6: make sense.
• 15:57
  Speaker 7: Is in a nutshell?
• 15:58
  Speaker 6: Yeah, We've had to get read so many I don't
• 16:01
  Speaker 6: want to get rid of. We've had to stop servicing
• 16:03
  Speaker 6: so many patients because of those terrible reinbursements that you know,
• 16:06
  Speaker 6: everyone's experiencing, and it's been very hard to have those
• 16:10
  Speaker 6: difficult conversations with people. With that being said, we're leaning
• 16:13
  Speaker 6: more into cash based services. So where I see my future,
• 16:16
  Speaker 6: my future in pharmacy is leaning more into the compounding side,
• 16:22
  Speaker 6: because I own a compounding pharmacy and when I first
• 16:25
  Speaker 6: bought it, we weren't doing that many and now we are,
• 16:28
  Speaker 6: and so really just building onto that and also potentially
• 16:33
  Speaker 6: going towards the cost plus model. I know more pharmacies
• 16:37
  Speaker 6: are looking into that and that's something that I'm interested
• 16:39
  Speaker 6: in doing as well.
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think just finding ways to evolve and serve
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: your community in a greater way, if that's through compounding
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: or other forums.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: You spoke about giving vaccines.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: And there's a lot of value to the community and
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: financially and finding those additional revenue streams.
• 16:58
  Speaker 9: Yes, how find advocacy is something I want to be
• 17:03
  Speaker 9: more engaged.
• 17:03
  Speaker 8: You know, it's disappointing, but this is something I feel
• 17:09
  Speaker 8: like we have to voice. Whether it's with your involvement
• 17:13
  Speaker 8: with the.
• 17:14
  Speaker 9: Pharmacy groups, are your engagement with the policy makers, whatever
• 17:18
  Speaker 9: it takes, I want to make that also a part
• 17:22
  Speaker 9: of my goal. I feel the voice matters end of
• 17:26
  Speaker 9: the day. That's something which is needed for this profession.
• 17:29
  Speaker 7: I agree as well.
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: Let's let's take a step back.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: What advice would you offer to young women beginning their
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: careers in pharmacy.
• 17:39
  Speaker 9: Advice I would offer is we have to be clear
• 17:42
  Speaker 9: on what we want and then, like I said, there
• 17:45
  Speaker 9: is no perfection, love your job, proceed with caution where
• 17:49
  Speaker 9: it is needed and enjoy doing it.
• 17:52
  Speaker 6: You know, I've seen so many rockstar females in the
• 17:55
  Speaker 6: pharmacy profession, and I mean the profession so diverse. I think,
• 17:59
  Speaker 6: like you said, going into it, find what you're passionate about,
• 18:03
  Speaker 6: and just going for that.
• 18:07
  Speaker 7: Come in and kicking butt.
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: I have a quote that sits on top of my
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: desk and I share it with men women that I
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: mentor along the way, and it says, you can do anything,
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: but not everything. So every time I take something on,
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: I take something off my plate. And over the years,
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: it's it's been really rewarding to see we have so
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: many different ways to support women within Cardinal and even
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: here at RBC. I was one of the leaders that
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: helped bring women in pharmacy to our trade show, and
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: I watched my team support these initiatives along the way.
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: So I think giving opening doors for young women and
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: supporting them in different ways and just helping them believe
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: that they can do it, like to find their passion
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: and find their voice. And it's been truly rewarding. Let's
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: do a lightning rabbit round. I know we're getting close
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: to the end. Do you drink coffee or tea?
• 19:04
  Speaker 8: Coffee in the mornings and tea in the evenings. I
• 19:06
  Speaker 8: think that rhythm is needed to keep me alive.
• 19:09
  Speaker 7: I drink coffee all day.
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: I'm a coffee in. Favorite leadership book.
• 19:17
  Speaker 8: Favorite leadership book. I do not have a leadership book.
• 19:21
  Speaker 9: But the podcast you Know India Noise Pepsi's former CEO.
• 19:26
  Speaker 9: Her talk about her leadership journey and how she navigated
• 19:31
  Speaker 9: for that high level management job. That's very relatable. I
• 19:35
  Speaker 9: really enjoyed, enjoyed her speech.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: I don't think I've heard it. I'm gonna have to
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: check that one out.
• 19:40
  Speaker 7: What about you mine, I'm trying to remember the name
• 19:43
  Speaker 7: of it. I'm looking at my husband. It's the one
• 19:44
  Speaker 7: start of the team traction.
• 19:47
  Speaker 5: Thank you Attraction. That's a good one.
• 19:49
  Speaker 7: It is such a good book.
• 19:50
  Speaker 6: A provider recommended that to me, and I mean, I
• 19:53
  Speaker 6: ate it up.
• 19:54
  Speaker 7: Okay, it's an amazing book.
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: Very cool female leader, insider outside of pharmacy that you admire.
• 20:03
  Speaker 6: Do you want me to go first, Michelle Obama, if
• 20:07
  Speaker 6: you're listening, I love you.
• 20:09
  Speaker 8: That's my answer to Michelle Obama. Yeah.
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: So.
• 20:14
  Speaker 9: I love her grace and the clarity she has and
• 20:17
  Speaker 9: the way she sets.
• 20:18
  Speaker 8: Boundaries in professionally and personally. And also I have one
• 20:23
  Speaker 8: more leader. That's my mom. She's a great inspiration. She's
• 20:27
  Speaker 8: a homemaker for a joint family.
• 20:30
  Speaker 9: So from early on, what I learned from her is
• 20:33
  Speaker 9: you don't have to get along with everybody, but you
• 20:36
  Speaker 9: have to.
• 20:36
  Speaker 8: Figure out and stay, you know, stay for your sanity
• 20:40
  Speaker 8: and peace.
• 20:42
  Speaker 9: So how I apply to my work is I don't
• 20:44
  Speaker 9: have to get along with my colleagues or manager or employees.
• 20:48
  Speaker 9: You have to find the common ground and make everything
• 20:52
  Speaker 9: peaceful and proceed from there.
• 20:53
  Speaker 8: That's the greatest lesson I saw my mom, and you
• 20:57
  Speaker 8: know I learned. I absorbed it.
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: Knowing which battles to pick, yes, knowing which battle, yes
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: for sure. All right, what is your favorite snack?
• 21:07
  Speaker 7: Does wine count as a snack? Kidding? I'd probably say
• 21:14
  Speaker 7: three musketeers, bars.
• 21:17
  Speaker 8: Carots, and kickenbert just because it sounds good. But no,
• 21:22
  Speaker 8: I can eat everything, you know. I like a samosa.
• 21:25
  Speaker 8: It's an Indian snack.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah, all right.
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: Favorite way to wind down after work.
• 21:34
  Speaker 6: Going outside and playing with my kids, kicking the ball
• 21:37
  Speaker 6: around it.
• 21:39
  Speaker 7: It's like nothing else suddenly matters. That's nice.
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: Staying grounded, that's great.
• 21:43
  Speaker 9: What about too, gardening and watching some Netflix drama with
• 21:48
  Speaker 9: my husband.
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: Yes, I enjoy doing yoga, but anything with my kids
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: will throw the ball. We have a new puppy, so
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: that that that takes a lot of our time, but
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: we like this. They really active outside. Anything else to
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: wrap us up here.
• 22:05
  Speaker 4: Yeah, as I'm sitting here listening one, I'm very proud
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: of you guys, ladies. Sorry, I use gas a lot.
• 22:13
  Speaker 5: I don't know why. How long have you owned your store?
• 22:17
  Speaker 7: Two years as of last month?
• 22:19
  Speaker 5: Okay, what about you?
• 22:20
  Speaker 8: It's been a close for five years?
• 22:22
  Speaker 5: Five years?
• 22:22
  Speaker 4: Okay, So as a man, I'm showing my age as
• 22:27
  Speaker 4: a seasoned pharmacy owner. I will say, you all are
• 22:31
  Speaker 4: saying and doing the right things right. Your mindset is right.
• 22:37
  Speaker 4: You have to know that this is your passion. You
• 22:40
  Speaker 4: have to set boundaries, You have to continue to learn right.
• 22:44
  Speaker 4: You also have to realize you can't do everything for free,
• 22:47
  Speaker 4: and that's the hard one, right, And so setting those
• 22:51
  Speaker 4: boundaries and learning those difficult conversations and stuff. Everything you
• 22:57
  Speaker 4: are saying is the right thing. And so I'm eager
• 23:01
  Speaker 4: to come back in five years and me and Michelle
• 23:04
  Speaker 4: sit down and do this again and talk to you
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: guys and see how far you've come from there, and yeah,
• 23:10
  Speaker 4: it's gonna be awesome and I'm really happy, Like Michelle,
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: thank you for doing this, because it always puts things
• 23:15
  Speaker 4: into perspective. I think the voice sometimes for women gets
• 23:20
  Speaker 4: lost a little bit sometimes and it's very important that
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: we that other women see other strong women doing this
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: and taking a risk, right and having supporting husbands here
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: sitting here, video in us the whole time, right, That's
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: that's very important. So I'm I always enjoy this. It's
• 23:38
  Speaker 4: been great. On most of my podcast. I always throw
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: out at the end, what questions do you all have?
• 23:46
  Speaker 4: You have you know, a senior cardinal person sitting here
• 23:51
  Speaker 4: and a seasoned pharmacy owner, what is a question that
• 23:55
  Speaker 4: you would throw out real quick?
• 23:59
  Speaker 6: What's the number one piece of advice that you would
• 24:01
  Speaker 6: give someone in my position right now as far as
• 24:05
  Speaker 6: how to grow? But at that same time, not, I
• 24:11
  Speaker 6: guess give away everything trying.
• 24:13
  Speaker 7: To because that's currently what I'm doing.
• 24:15
  Speaker 6: Like I said, it's long days, long nights, no work
• 24:17
  Speaker 6: life balance, giving away things for free a lot.
• 24:20
  Speaker 5: Yep.
• 24:22
  Speaker 4: My journey and Michelle can probably chime in on this
• 24:25
  Speaker 4: as well. My journey was being okay with who I am.
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: It was more of a personal journey for me when
• 24:32
  Speaker 4: I found out who I was as a person spiritually, mentally,
• 24:37
  Speaker 4: entrepreneurially and was okay with that, and then also realizing
• 24:42
  Speaker 4: what was my goal. Okay, So be comfortable with who
• 24:46
  Speaker 4: you are. Realize you're going to make mistakes and learn
• 24:50
  Speaker 4: that what's important, and go for that. Never stop learning.
• 24:54
  Speaker 4: I know there's a lot of little pieces of education
• 24:57
  Speaker 4: I'm thrown in there right, but it's all It goes
• 25:00
  Speaker 4: back to who you are. If you just keep beating
• 25:02
  Speaker 4: yourself up and thinking you can't do it in this
• 25:04
  Speaker 4: I mean, then you're not going to achieve what you
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: want to achieve. So know who you are and be
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: comfortable in your own skin. I would say, Michelle, does
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: that make sense?
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it makes perfect sense.
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: I would tell you you're going to fail, fail fast,
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: and move forward. I think just being present and setting
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: goals for yourself. There's a lot on this trade show floor.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: Maybe you want to try some new things and and look,
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: my I know my team supports you.
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: From a pharmacy standpoint.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: I think one of the things in coming here is
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: learning from each other and taking back some best practices
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: because there are a lot of pharmacies.
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: Doing really well today and thrive me.
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: So I think helping yourself determine how can I position
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: myself to thrive with those additional revenue streams and you
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: you already talked about a few of those, but those
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: are going to be super important. But give yourself some grace,
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: right and try to find that balance. And maybe it's partnering,
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: maybe it's there's so many different ways to get ahead.
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: But I think if you set those goals.
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: For yourself, you're going to look back and just continue
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: to be really proud. And I would also just say,
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: you make a very strong impact in your community. So
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: I think like that alone to me that that's so rewarding.
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: I look at my team, and you know that's something
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: that that I you sometimes forget the impact you're making.
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: So there's a lot of success.
• 26:25
  Speaker 5: It reflect.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: You need to reflect absolutely.
• 26:28
  Speaker 4: Yeah, And and I know we'll get to your question
• 26:31
  Speaker 4: in just one second. But make friends. There are so
• 26:34
  Speaker 4: many pharmacy friends around here that just want to talk
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: and they.
• 26:37
  Speaker 5: Want to share.
• 26:39
  Speaker 4: I don't have a single enemy in this building, and
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: they might be my next door neighbor. Pharmacy we're all
• 26:44
  Speaker 4: in it together. And I know so many people in
• 26:48
  Speaker 4: this room just from the years of talking and and
• 26:52
  Speaker 4: and calling them, text them. Be the weird one, be
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: the weird pharmacist. Hey, I saw you were doing this.
• 26:57
  Speaker 4: What is I saw it on a podcast, I've seen
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: it on Instagram?
• 27:00
  Speaker 5: What is that? They'll share?
• 27:01
  Speaker 2: So I see that every day every day that be
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: curious enough to ask and then be that sponge like
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: take it.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: All in and make it your own.
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: Like they're willing to share. They may even come to
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: your store and help you do it.
• 27:14
  Speaker 5: Yes, yeah, what question do you have for us?
• 27:17
  Speaker 9: I have a question for you, Michell. From when you
• 27:19
  Speaker 9: started your career to now. I know there are so
• 27:22
  Speaker 9: many things we can complain on a level playing field
• 27:27
  Speaker 9: for women, But from my experience, what I noticed is
• 27:33
  Speaker 9: it's it's going positive. You know, it wasn't it can
• 27:37
  Speaker 9: be better, but it's still the support which we get
• 27:40
  Speaker 9: from our spouses or the expectations of the society. There
• 27:44
  Speaker 9: have been changed, they're getting towards women's success. So at
• 27:50
  Speaker 9: the same time, we also feel like, you know, it
• 27:53
  Speaker 9: could have been better.
• 27:55
  Speaker 8: So how do you balance that out?
• 27:56
  Speaker 9: How do you control your anxiety and you know, I
• 27:59
  Speaker 9: see you.
• 28:00
  Speaker 8: You're very calm.
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: You have a possible lot of exercise. That's one of
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: my boundaries, you know. I think, looking back, I.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: Would tell you that it's by I've worked for Cardinal
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: for twenty five years.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: I grew up in this industry.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: The culture at Cardinal is so supportive. I look back
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: and I've just been inspired by so many amazing leaders.
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: Was it easy?
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: No, absolutely, not a lot of times I was the
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: only woman in the room.
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: But I think I found they.
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: I felt supported enough at home and at work that
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: I found my voice and I found my passion too.
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: I my passion.
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: Is is being in sales and supporting my team so
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: that they can support you all, and just being that
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: that conduit in between the organization and what retail independence need.
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: There's so many avenues you can take your career, and
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: I've just I've always felt supported.
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: I've I always felt like did I always get it right?
• 29:02
  Speaker 6: No?
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: But when I didn't get it right, I.
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: Think I was very open and honest on Hey, I
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: could have handled that differently, and I think along the
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: way some men leaders maybe didn't know how to handle that.
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: I would call myself out. I would say here's what
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: I'm going to.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: Do different, and you just you, you grow, and I've
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: always felt supportive.
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: It has been hard.
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: It has been hard because sometimes that you know, you
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: feel guilty. But I also wouldn't change it. I want
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: my daughter to know that she can accomplish anything she
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: puts her mind to. But I think having that strong
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: network and knowing what you need to fill your glasses.
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: I mentioned earlier, I'm much better person when I do
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: yoga a few times a week and and I go
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: to the gym. I I am a much better mother.
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: I'm a much better boss.
• 29:49
  Speaker 8: Yeah, we can save that complaining about mentor podcast. But
• 29:54
  Speaker 8: I should say.
• 29:57
  Speaker 9: I should say all my mentors, the people who say
• 30:00
  Speaker 9: quoted me are men. It's me my former boss, Brahmagie.
• 30:05
  Speaker 9: He's a very successful businessman. But what stands out is
• 30:08
  Speaker 9: his humility and the encouragement which he gave. And he's
• 30:13
  Speaker 9: the one who showed kindness. Kindness and compassion matters even
• 30:17
  Speaker 9: in the leadership. That makes your work easier. And my husband,
• 30:21
  Speaker 9: I jokingly call him my xanax because he calms me down.
• 30:26
  Speaker 8: He irritates me.
• 30:27
  Speaker 9: That will say for other podcasts where he is not
• 30:29
  Speaker 9: a part of it. Yeah, but he makes me zoom
• 30:34
  Speaker 9: out and look at the bigger picture, and you know
• 30:37
  Speaker 9: I should.
• 30:38
  Speaker 8: I must say.
• 30:38
  Speaker 9: Even my business partner, he's a man too, but he's
• 30:41
  Speaker 9: very supportive and I can argue to the core on
• 30:44
  Speaker 9: the issue with him but still come out sane out
• 30:47
  Speaker 9: of that argument. So all the people who shape me here,
• 30:51
  Speaker 9: they have been there men.
• 30:53
  Speaker 8: Not that women did not support me. There are so
• 30:54
  Speaker 8: many women their girlfriends, and I don't see them as mentors.
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: But yeah, we need allies. That's sure.
• 31:00
  Speaker 7: You definitely need more female mentors out there.
• 31:03
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 31:03
  Speaker 4: And my last piece of advice is surround yourself with
• 31:08
  Speaker 4: people you want to be around that lift you up. Right,
• 31:12
  Speaker 4: you know what is it? We I learned the five
• 31:15
  Speaker 4: people you hang around is who you're going to be.
• 31:18
  Speaker 4: And so hang around with people that lift you up
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: and pharmacy leaders and spiritual leaders and whatever it is.
• 31:24
  Speaker 5: Find those people. Sometimes you got to say no too
• 31:26
  Speaker 5: to other people too. So that's a hard one. That's
• 31:28
  Speaker 5: a whole other podcast.
• 31:29
  Speaker 4: We can go down right, Kiera, Melika, Michelle, thank you.
• 31:34
  Speaker 5: I always enjoy this podcast.
• 31:36
  Speaker 4: It puts another another perspective of the pharmacy world that
• 31:40
  Speaker 4: I think we need to shine a brighter light on you.
• 31:43
  Speaker 5: Guys.
• 31:44
  Speaker 4: Have great stories, You're doing great. Don't beat yourself up.
• 31:47
  Speaker 4: Don't beat yourself You're doing fantastic stuff. Your mind's in
• 31:50
  Speaker 4: the right spot, and I'm just eager to see you
• 31:53
  Speaker 4: guys grow.
• 31:54
  Speaker 5: So Michelle, you have any final thoughts.
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: Or other than thank you. This was truly amazing. I
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: love learning more about each of you. Adam, thank you.
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: It's always a plannerre for sending down with you.
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: Thank you for being at RBC. Enjoy Denver, Thank you both.
• 32:07
  Speaker 5: All Right Pharmacy Podcast, we are out. Thanks guys,