Meet Sandy Weaver | Program Director, Center for Workplace Happiness

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

Hi Sandy, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I work with veterinarinas and their teams, creating and implementing hospital wellbeing programs. As a dyed-in-the-wool dog lover, dog sports enthusiast and multiple-dog owner, having a good relationship with my veterinarian and their team has always been important. So when the CDC report on veterinary suicide came out in 2019, my training business, the Center for Workplace Happiness, had a brand new focus and mission – save the lives of those working in the veterinary field.

Most people are shocked when I tell them that veterinarians are 2.1 to 3.5 TIMES more likely to complete suicide than the general population. That’s a lot of pain, a lot of stress and a lot of tragic loss. Veterinarians do what they do because it’s a calling, not a career, and when so many of them are ending their own lives because their calling isn’t serving them well, that was a call to action for me and my company.

What should our readers know about your business?
Center for Workplace Happiness began about ten years ago, as the second chapter in my life’s work. For years I was a major market radio personality, a career I fell into while in high school. I loved the creativity, the sharing of stories and information and the plain old fun of talking for a living. When that ended in 2008, I wanted those aspects of what I had been doing to continue. Serendipity led me to a National Speakers Association Georgia chapter meeting and I was hooked on the idea of becoming a professional speaker.

Having been a radio personality, a lot of those skills were transferable – the story-telling, the staying on point, the opportunity to educate and entertain at the same time – and so that part was easy. The challenging and fun part was learning how to reach people more effectively when they can actually SEE your face! Courses in adult learning theory, neurology, neuroplasticity and positive psychology put the muscle behind the message I longed to share – that each person hold the key to a happier life and the tools to achieve it can be learned.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, Atlanta is a great place to live – so many fun things to do!

The first thing I’d do is ask what their focus is, because I want to ensure they get to see what they want to see. If the answer is something like, “just take me to wherever you like to go” then here’s my top 5 list:

1. Centennial Park / Georgia Aquarium / Twin Smokers – this walkable trio is always a fun day.
2. Historic Roswell tours, including the Roswell Ghost Tour – there’s so much history, with a focus on all of the diverse people who played a part in creating the economy that drives success in Atlanta.
3. Hiking in the North Georgia Mountains – yes, our mountains are tiny compared to those out west. And yes, we have some of the most beautiful and fairly accessible hiking trails. Ravens Cliffs Falls Trail is a personal favorite so if my guests could do 5 relatively easy miles, that’s where we’d go, along with the Smithgall Woods Visitor Center.
4. Gibbs Gardens – magnificent!
5. Callaway Gardens and hiking at the Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The veterinary community has a long history of taking care of their own, and an organization at the forefront of that is Not One More Vet, Inc. (https://nomv.org/) Their mission is to help veterinarians, vet hospital staffers and even vet students who are in compassion fatigue and headed for suicidal desperation move through their pain and back into more mental wellbeing.

And I’m fortunate to have supportive people on my team, too – strong, successful women who inspire me and keep me focused and achieving more each year. Heartfelt thanks to Pegine Echevarria, Dorothy Erlanger, June Cline, Laura Davidson and Kelly Vandever for sharing their wisdom, guidance and the occasional kick in the pants that I need.

Website: https://www.centerforworkplacehappiness.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyjweaver/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyjweaver/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandyJWeaver/

Youtube: under construction

Image Credits
Photographer – Lorikay Stone Graphic Designer – Vanessa Lowry