How Kayla Donovan stays on top

Staying Inspired with Kayla Donovan

“People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.”

For Kayla Donovan, these words guide every single decision she makes.

And good thing, too!

That is because as the Founder of Transformation Group Business Advisory, she is responsible for making dozens of big decisions each day. In her role as Veterinary Consultant, Kayla also guides others through one of the most important professional decisions of their lives – the selling of a veterinary practice. 

Recently Vet Candy had the opportunity to interview the incredibly kind-hearted Kayla Donovan. In this issue, she shares why stepping outside of your comfort zone is the best way to grow and also explains what she’s doing to inspire young women in the industry to chase their dreams.

So, without further ado…

Introducing, Kayla Donovan! 

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Being a horseback rider, Kayla knows all about pushing the boundaries of what you thought was once impossible.

“Horses help us learn so much about ourselves,” she says. “And they can also help us heal.”

Vet Candy agrees!

The human-animal bond is like no other, especially when it comes to practicing compassion and bringing out the best version of ourselves.

However, for Kayla Donovan, it wasn’t just a love of horses that forced her to take that initial baby step outside her comfort zone. She explains that deciding to embrace the risk of starting her own business after being in ‘comfortable and cushy jobs’ was the most agonizing (yet fruitful) career decision she has made to date.

She remembers:

“It was a scary decision at first, but it was something I’ve always dreamed of, and I felt that I owed it to myself to take the leap! I thought worst case scenario, I fail, and go back to what I was doing before. But for me, the risk of regretting not going for my dreams when I had the opportunity outweighed the benefit of staying safe and feeling like I was missing out on what was truly meant for me.”

For anyone thinking about a change, Donovan urges…go for it! 

“Get out of your comfort zone. This is much easier said than done, but I strongly encourage you to try it on one area of your life! You won’t regret it even if it might be a little painful at first. The reward is totally worth it!”

Inspiring Young Women to Chase Their Dreams

Ambition. Persistence. Passion for helping others.

These are the three qualities that Donovan says influenced her success. But above all, Kayla would like to see more kindness in the world. After all, it was her own mother who rooted this principle deep in her heart. 

When asked who her hero growing up was, Kayla answered:

“My mom. She is a ray of sunshine and has the kindest heart I’ve ever known. No matter what life throws at her, her sunny outlook on life never changes. I have always admired her strength, her selflessness, and her ability to make others feel so special in her presence no matter who they are. Being raised by her was like being raised by Wonder Woman!”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kayla grew up driven to spread and show kindness – not just to animals – but to fellow vet med professionals too. 

She summarizes:

“I think there needs to be more kindness in the world, especially between us women. I think personally and professionally, there is so much comparison when there needs to be more support, lifting each other up. I try to go out of my way to be a resource and inspire others. I try to make myself approachable and available to anyone, no matter who they are. I think if more people thought about how their positions could help show what’s possible for others while encouraging and mentoring vs. seeing them as a threat, it would make such a big difference.”

What a generous way of looking at the world.

Kayla Donovan is an inspiring example of what’s possible when we put kindness first!