Melanie Vargas

PCC, CHIC, SHRM- SCP & SPHR | VetLeader CoachingCo-founder, Executive Coach & Facilitator

Melanie Vargas

PCC, CHIC, SHRM- SCP & SPHR | VetLeader CoachingCo-founder, Executive Coach & Facilitator

 

About Melanie Vargas

Melanie draws on 30 years of C-level experience in Human Resources, executive coaching, organizational development, and consulting experience working across a broad range of industries primarily technology startups with the last decade in Petcare.

Melanie began working in the veterinary industry in 2015 as Chief People Officer at Wagly, where she recognized a critical need in leadership development for veterinarians. While highly skilled in clinical care, many veterinarians need development in how to lead teams, manage conflict, and drive organizational success. She also observed that one of the biggest challenges veterinarians faced was navigating constant change, whether adapting to evolving client expectations, integrating new technologies, or managing shifting workplace dynamics. Drawing on her extensive experience in fast-paced technology environments, Melanie is passionate about helping veterinary professionals develop entrepreneurial skills to strengthen their business acumen while also building resilience in themselves and their teams.

Melanie is a certified executive coach through Hudson Institute and is a ICF Professional Certified Coach. She is certified in Thomas TEIQue® and Thomas DISC® and a Facilitator for Thomas International. She is also certified in the Leadership Circle Profile™, Dare to Lead® trained, and DEIB certified from Cornell. She also holds SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications. She is also currently on the board for the Hudson Seattle Coach Community and ICF Washington State. In her personal time, Melanie is committed to her amazing family, her husband, three kids, and pet mom of two dogs and two cats.

Services Provided:

HR Consulting Services for Veterinary Practices
Compliance, Administration & Foundations

  • HR audits to assess risks and opportunities
  • Custom employee handbooks aligned with veterinary operations
  • Policy creation and updates (PTO, leave, conduct, etc.)
  • State and federal HR compliance support
  • Onboarding and offboarding process design – Administration, Recruitment best practices, HRIS, etc.

Goals, Culture & Values

  • Establish mission, Goals, OKRs, or KPIs
  • Help define Mission and vision
  • Defining and activating your clinic’s core values
  • Build psychological safety and trust
  • Culture audits and employee engagement surveys
  • Conflict resolution

Leadership & Team Development

  • Team coaching to strengthen trust and collaboration
  • Feedback and performance conversation skill-building
  • Burnout prevention and well-being initiatives
  • Difficult performance management: building programs and delivering tough feedback with clarity and care

Practice Manager Support & Learning

  • 1:1 coaching and mentorship for practice managers (hand off for possible leadership coaching)
  • Time management and delegation skill-building
  • HR 101 training: compliance, documentation, and accountability
  • Support in managing tough conversations and team dynamics

Structure for Growth

  • Org design and role clarity as your practice scales
  • Career pathing and internal mobility frameworks
  • HR best practices, multi-state, for multi-location or family-owned clinics
  • Strategic planning to align people and practice goals

HR On-Demand and Experience

  • Scalable HR support for growing practices
  • Trusted partner for day-to-day questions and sensitive employee issues
  • Custom solutions—practical, actionable, and built for vet life
  • Backed by three decades of experience across diverse organizations, leveraging best practices and strategic insight
  • Multi-state and global HR expertise
  • Certified: SHRM-SCP and SPHR

Team Workshop: “Better Together: Strengthening Team & Client Communication through DISC”

Pre-Workshop:

  • DISC Diagnostic sent to all participants (completed in advance)
  • Optional: Pre-work survey with one or two reflective questions (e.g., “What helps or hinders collaboration in your team?”)

Workshop Agenda:

  • Welcome & Warm-Up (15 min)
  • Quick intro, purpose, and what to expect
  • Icebreaker: “What animal best represents your communication style—and why?”

Part 1: Understanding Ourselves & Each Other with DISC (45 min)

  • Overview of DISC styles and what they reveal about communication
  • Debrief of team DISC results (general distribution, no deep dive into individual reports unless previously agreed)
  • Group discussion:
    • How do our styles complement or clash under stress?
    • What are the implications for our daily workflow and client interactions?

Part 2: Collaboration & Communication in Action (50 min)

  • Scenario Breakouts
  • Teams respond to realistic clinic scenarios (e.g., rushed client drop-off, team conflict during a busy day, giving feedback across roles) using DISC insights
  • Report out: What worked, what didn’t, and what we learned
  • Introduce “Behavioral Agility”—how to adjust communication to better connect with others (team + client)

Part 3: Engagement & Trust (25 min)

  • What builds trust and engagement on this team? What breaks it?
  • Introduce the “Three Levels of Listening” to improve daily interactions
  • Small group reflection:
    • What’s one small habit we can shift to create a stronger team culture?

Wrap-Up & Commitments (15 min)

  • Each person shares one takeaway and one small action they’ll try
  • Optional: Set a team intention or motto
  • Close with appreciation circle (e.g., shout-outs or acknowledgments)

Post-Workshop (Optional Add-ons):

  • Individual DISC debriefs (pre session)
  • Summary handout of team style + communication tips
  • 30-day follow-up session to check on action items and refresh key concepts

LIVE COHORTS