Meet Haley Goodwill | President and CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Haley Goodwill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haley, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Many times, habits such as being very “Type A”, “Obsessive Compulsive”, a perfectionist, etc can have a very negative connotation. For me, it happened to be these parts of my personality that drove success in opening my business. Being a planner, following through, double checking and generally having a need to do everything to the very best of my ability opened doors for me to succeed. I believe that in small business ownership, it’s all in the details. Especially in it’s early years. The intensity of my personality type really helped to drive me forward when I felt tired, defeated, etc.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own and manage a small animal veterinary practice called Tavares Crossroads Veterinary Clinic. I opened this practice on the notion that medicine doesn’t have to feel like a corporation to succeed. Our patients and their families aren’t numbers in a system. They are people that had a vast array of choices and picked and picked my practice. Therefore, they deserve a personalized experience in an attractive, inviting atmosphere. I am so proud of the way the practice operates today. My team shares our vision of setting the bar for the client and patient experience. Every pet is treated as if it were our own family member. There are no quotas that must be met, just patients and their families that need our help, and it is absolutely possible to not only survive that way but to thrive. I believe I got here by caring about others. Not only our clients, but our team. Many of the lessons learnt along the way were learned the hard way, due to my stubborn but driven nature. But each of them were equally as important and can be synopsized by the guideline of not asking anyone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself, and treating every patient as if it were your own. Going above and beyond because it’s the right thing to do. The numbers you want to see will come if you stick to that theory. I don’t want to be boastful of my personal success, but of the practice’s success as a whole. Making sure that people (and animals, in this case) know you care about them is what will make someone remember you. They will remember how you made them feel, so make sure they feel cared for, even in the hardest of times.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you know me personally, you know horses have been a huge part of my life since just about birth! While riding professionally was my full time job prior to opening my practice, it’s now more of a hobby but I still spend quite a bit of time competing at the upper levels. It’s more than likely I would take a friend to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, because let’s face it, most of my friends have some sort of relation through horses! Immersing yourself in that atmosphere can be such a fun day trip. Whether watching a Grand Prix, shopping, or eating in one of the many restaurants, there is constantly something fun to do. In Florida, to me, a day well spent outside of being in the office is being outside and active! There are so many exceptional horses and riders right in our backyard in Ocala, and it’s really inspiring to be around people that are constantly elevating the ways in which they chase their dreams.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom. Her name is Marilyn, and without her support in literally every aspect of opening my business, it wouldn’t have been possible. My mom did everything from laying tile in the bathroom, to assisting in my buying out a previous partner, painting walls and hanging cabinets, and giving me advice and the hard truth no matter how difficult that could be on any given day. She sacrificed so much throughout my life, but in my career before opening my veterinary practice, and after, her role was vital to my success.

Website: www.mytavaresvet.com

Instagram: h_goodwill and tavarescrossroadsvetfl

Facebook: Tavares Crossroads Veterinary Clinic