As soon as Megan Bollin was old enough to drive, she drove to her local veterinary clinic to find a job. That proved to be a wise decision.
Growing up in a small Midwestern town, she was very active in 4-H and showed pigs from her great-uncle’s farrow-to-finish farm. Like many, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. However, she was fortunate to land a part-time job and learn about the business under the guidance of John Baker, a veterinarian in Boonville, Ind.
“Dr. Baker introduced me to Dr. Lucina Galina who encouraged me to apply for the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) summer swine internship program. I spent three summers gaining a ton of practical experience working with some of the best veterinarians and large integrators across the country,” Bollin says.
She attended Purdue University where she received her bachelor’s degree and DVM. After interning with Carthage Veterinary Service, she was offered a herd veterinarian position and moved to west-central Illinois. Her experience at Carthage prepared her to join Norbrook as a technical service veterinarian, where she has been for the past six years.
She and her husband, Darin, farm near Bowen, Ill. They have an almost-two-year-old daughter and are expecting another child in February. Between farming, her career and chasing a toddler around, she admits she doesn’t have much free time, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Read on to learn more about her career, from her business philosophy to her views on the future of the pork industry.
Q. Tell me about your business.
A. Norbrook is a small, family-owned veterinary pharmaceutical company based out of Northern Ireland that serves the global livestock and pet industry. I visited the headquarters my second week on the job to meet the team and tour the production facilities. It was an unforgettable experience. Funny enough, I studied abroad in Dublin for three months during undergrad. In a way, going back felt like going home!
Q. What is your why?
A. Because Norbrook is such a small company, I’m fortunate to have an impact on multiple aspects of the business. My favorite part about my job is learning from others and building relationships. Some of my best friends are veterinarians and producers in the industry. Being able to help make an impact in their lives and businesses is what’s most meaningful to me. I love collaborating with our territory sales managers to share knowledge and expertise and help them strengthen interactions with customers. At Norbrook, we have the best, hardest-working team, and they are my second family.
Q. Describe a typical day on the job for you.
A. No two days are the same. Internally, our technical service team is involved in almost every strategic plan we have. This includes providing technical advice and intel to everyone from our sales and marketing teams to our quality, regulatory and pharmacovigilance teams. I work closely with our territory, national and key account managers and their customers to align on and reach targets and goals. My position is largely remote, so some days you will find me at my computer. Other days, I’m traveling to a conference or to meet with customers. Still others, you can find me on my computer and answering calls and emails in the grain cart. I always have my phone on me, so there’s nowhere I don’t work!
Q. How does your company help and work with its customers?
A. Our customers are our No. 1 priority. We work with you start to finish to provide consultations, products and services that help get you where you want to go. Some of the ways we do that are by troubleshooting problems you may be experiencing, analyzing data and providing expert feedback to help you feel better-equipped to make the best decision for your business. If the customer isn’t happy, neither are we.
Q. How has the swine industry changed?
A. This is nothing new to those in the industry, but in the past year or two, the swine industry has seen financial losses of historical proportions. It has been a trying time to say the least. When you work in agriculture, it’s no secret that there will be good years and bad years, but we can only pray that there are more of the former. I think we’ve seen the worst of it, and thankfully, the past several months have taken a turn for the better. I think an important lesson to be reminded of is the value of contingency planning and diversifying as much as possible to withstand future challenges. Tough times make tough people. I’ve always said the swine industry has the brightest minds: people who are discovering how to prevent and eliminate disease, how to raise pigs more efficiently and how to care for them to the best of our abilities. We will continue to do that.
Q. What are the greatest opportunities in the swine industry today?
A. One of the challenges we continue to have is connecting with the consumer. There has been a lot of effort put forth by National Pork Board, but I think there is tremendous opportunity for the swine industry to make headway in the arena of marketing breakthroughs and driving consumer demand. With 99% of the population infinitely removed from agriculture, we must do a better job telling our story and determining how to best amplify that message. It’s a matter of promoting our product and being proud of our legacy.
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?
A. Working with veterinarians and producers across the country to help them solve challenges and achieve their goals is what keeps me going. I enjoy developing those relationships and providing resources to achieve breakthroughs.
Q. Who inspires you?
A. Dr. John Baker was my inspiration for joining the swine industry, but my mom is my inspiration for life. She is the strongest woman I know. She raised four children while working fulltime and made it look easy. She taught me how to be resilient, set priorities and boundaries, work hard for what you want, and navigate the work-life balance. Family means everything to me. Since becoming a mother myself, I’ve experienced a shift in my own my perspective and outlook on life: what’s really important, what my goals are, and what I’m okay letting go of. I’m part of a small Bible study group with some amazing women. In the past year I’ve learned, more than ever, to put my trust in God and pray about everything. We are here to do His work and love and help others along the way. I feel so blessed every day and try to always see the positive in every situation.
Q. What is your business philosophy?
A. It’s all about the people. Serve and protect the customer. It doesn’t matter what product or service you’re selling. If you don’t do right by the customer, you’re not relevant or sustainable.
Q. What will the business look like 20 years from now?
A. Business today looks different than it did 20 years ago, and it certainly will in another 20. If you look at the trends, market conditions and policy have driven many of the more impactful changes we’ve seen recently. These are two factors that aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Other important things to consider include long-term domestic and foreign demand for pork, and legislation reform to alleviate labor challenges. In 20 years, production strategies and disease control and elimination strategies have evolved to what they are today. As swine veterinarians, when we discover new challenges, we quickly pivot and adapt and are always open-minded to trying what the latest research supports. Disease-resistance genetics will likely play a more significant role in the health of the national herd, and perhaps that’s a breakthrough we need to help alleviate some of the challenges we’ve had with PRRS.
Q. If you could go back and do something differently in your career, what would it be and why?
A. I truly believe God has a plan for all of us, and I know He has led me to where I’m at. If you’d asked me this question a few years ago, I would have had a different answer, but anymore, I don’t like to spend time thinking about the “what-ifs.”
Q. What advice do you have for someone who might like to do what you do someday?
A. Find a mentor who can help make connections and open doors for you. Work hard in school and get as much experience in as many aspects of the business as possible. Be open to traveling to new places, meeting new people, and learning new skills. You’re likely to end up where you’re meant to be when you don’t close any doors.
Q. How do you think the growing threat of foreign animal disease will impact the future of the U.S. pork industry?
A. There’s no question that biosecurity will continue to be paramount. Prevention is worth every penny. Lessons learned since porcine epidemic diarrhea struck have vastly enhanced our understanding, capabilities and success in keeping disease out. We have the most intelligent researchers doing great work on nearly every disease we battle, and it’s only a matter of time before they make more breakthroughs to help us protect herd health. Veterinarians don’t like having to treat disease either. We want healthy pigs as much as anyone!
Editor’s Note: PORK Perspectives is a recurring column that provides business and leadership strategy tips from some of the pork industry’s finest.
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