Meet Tammy Brzezniak

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tammy Brzezniak. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tammy below.

Tammy, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I suppose my work ethic was formed early on as I come from a large family and my five siblings and I were assigned specific chores. There was no slacking in the Brzezniak household !
Whether I can attribute those childhood tasks to my dedication and principles today is debatable. However I will always manage my professional and personal matters with honesty, compassion and respect as my performance is a direct reflection of who I am.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My day-job,and the one in which I received formal training, is physical therapy. Many days I come home exhausted after working with a number of maximum assist classified patients. However the satisfaction I receive when a previously immobile person takes their first steps is the ultimate reward. Even after our goals have been met I have remained in touch with many of my patients due to the bond formed through our combined hard work.
My second job is the one for which I receive no remuneration. It provides much gratification along with the deepest heartache. For the past 15 years I have owned a non-profit dedicated to animal rescue. Essentially this is a full time endeavor as the problem of overpopulation is an endless one. I am ecstatic when I rescue a stray from the street or hoarding situation and have it spayed/neutered, vetted, socialized and ultimately into a loving forever home. Unfortunately many are too old and sick by the time of rescue and never get to experience that happy-ever-after. I forever grieve them.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

To those who are first entering the workforce, embarking upon a new career or striving to stay motivated at their current position, my advice is to listen and to observe. It’s a shortcut to understanding best practices and sometimes a valuable lesson in what not to do! Also be true to yourself so that you may be honest with others. Finally, strive for a work-life balance. I admit I am a work in progress with this one!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Rescue workers such as myself deal with numerous obstacles which stem from political indifference and economic constraints. Until local governments can adequately budget for animal control by providing funding for low/no cost spay and neuter programs, there will be no end to the growing overpopulation problem. Also we must insist that our legislators impose stricter penalties on those guilty of abuse which can range from negligence to downright cruelty.
So yes, collaboration with individuals who may have the connections to facilitate the implementation of these policies would be most welcomed. Those who share my passion and may be instrumental in effecting change can reach me through my website or Facebook page. It truly takes a village.