About me
Hi, I'm Mikaela, founder of Compass Collars & Co.
Animals have been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. What began as a passion for animals growing up evolved into a career dedicated to veterinary medicine, animal behavior, client education, and helping veterinary practices better connect with the communities they serve. Throughout my journey, I have always been drawn to the animals others may find challenging—the misunderstood, the reactive, the fearful, and the high-drive. Working with these animals has taught me that success comes from understanding, communication, patience, and a willingness to see beyond the behavior itself.
For more than a decade, I have worked in the veterinary field in leadership roles, gaining experience in patient care, client communication, clinic operations, and behavior-focused handling techniques. My background includes both general practice and emergency medicine, providing me with a well-rounded understanding of veterinary care and the challenges faced by both pet owners and veterinary professionals. I hold Fear Free Certification and have completed extensive continuing education in canine, feline, equine, and exotic animal behavior. This foundation allows me to bridge the gap between medical care, animal behavior, client education, and practical real-world solutions.
While behavior has always been a significant passion of mine, education and communication have been equally important throughout my career. Long before Compass Collars & Co. expanded its marketing and media services, I was creating educational materials, designing client handouts, managing social media platforms, developing marketing content, photographing patients and teams, and helping practices strengthen their relationships with clients. Over the years, I recognized that many veterinary hospitals provide exceptional care but often lack the time and resources necessary to consistently create content, educate clients, maintain an engaging online presence, and showcase the incredible work their teams perform every day.
As Compass Collars & Co. has grown, I have expanded these services into a larger part of my business, allowing me to combine my veterinary experience, creativity, and passion for education into one comprehensive service. Today, I help veterinary practices strengthen client relationships through professional social media management, educational content, website support, photography, marketing solutions, and brand development. My goal is to help clinics tell their story, educate their clients, and build trust within their communities while allowing veterinary teams to focus on what they do best—providing exceptional patient care.
Today, Compass Collars & Co. provides a unique combination of veterinary support services, behavioral consulting, media management, content creation, photography, educational resource development, and relief services. Every brochure, social media post, photograph, website update, training presentation, graphic design, and client resource is created personally by me. When you work with Compass Collars & Co., you are working directly with the person designing your materials, creating your content, photographing your clinic, and developing solutions tailored to your specific needs. This hands-on approach allows me to ensure that every project reflects the professionalism, accuracy, and authenticity that veterinary practices and pet owners deserve.
One of the most unique aspects of Compass Collars & Co. is my ability to serve clients nationwide through a full-time travel lifestyle. My husband and I travel throughout the United States in our motorhome alongside our animals, allowing me to bring personalized support directly to veterinary practices and pet owners across the country. While he prefers to remain behind the scenes, his support, encouragement, and willingness to embrace this adventure have made it possible for Compass Collars & Co. to grow beyond a single location and reach clients wherever they may be. Together with our animals, we have built a lifestyle centered around helping others while exploring the country one destination at a time.
Because I travel extensively, I have the flexibility to offer customized support tailored to each client's unique needs. Whether that means evaluating clinic workflows, assisting with patient handling protocols, creating engaging social media campaigns, photographing a veterinary practice, providing relief support, developing educational resources, or working directly with dogs and their handlers, every service is designed with practical results and long-term success in mind.
Working breeds continue to hold a special place in my heart. I actively train and work with my own dogs and have developed a deep appreciation for the dedication, structure, and relationship-building required to help high-drive dogs succeed. These experiences continue to shape my approach to behavior, training, communication, and problem-solving both within the veterinary field and beyond. Living and traveling with our animals full-time has only strengthened my belief that successful relationships are built through trust, consistency, and understanding.
At its core, Compass Collars & Co. was built on the belief that strong relationships create better outcomes. Whether that relationship is between a pet and its family, a veterinary team and its patients, or a clinic and the community it serves, meaningful connections matter. Through veterinary support services, behavioral consulting, educational resources, media management, photography, and nationwide travel, my mission remains simple: to help people, animals, and veterinary professionals succeed through understanding, communication, and practical solutions.
One animal, one practice, and one connection at a time.
Life on the road isn't always glamorous, but it's always an adventure. Between visiting clients, exploring new places, and helping animals and veterinary teams across the country, you'll usually find us chasing the next destination with a few muddy paws and plenty of stories along the way. Here are a few snapshots of the crew that keeps Compass Collars & Co. rolling.
