This week on Inside Reproductive Health, Griffin Jones and Dr. Angeline Beltsos go down a thread of the multi-generational value that happens from colleagues mingling with each other. It’s important for an organization to learn from both the young and old to gain fresh perspectives. Organizations that do this well have many short-term and long-term benefits like being able to recruit well and staying culturally relevant long-term.
In this episode Griffin interviews Angeline N. Beltsos, MD. She is the CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Vios Fertility Institute. She is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI). Dr. Beltsos is also part of the Clinical Research team at Vios and participates in a number of research projects and scientific publications. She has received numerous awards in teaching and has been honored as “Top Doctor” from Castle Connelly for several years. Dr. Beltsos is the executive chairperson for the Midwest Reproductive Symposium International, an international conference of fertility experts.
Topics discussed include:
Learning from different generations
Principles of leadership
Leading as an executive
Recruiting younger doctors
How to be culturally relevant while aging
MSRI Conference: https://www.mrsimeeting.org/
Dr. Angeline Beltsos’s Information:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-beltsos-b33a846
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angeline.beltsos
Website URL: https://www.viosfertility.com
Transcript
Griffin Jones: [00:00:00] [00:00:00]Today. I talked with Dr. Angeline Beltsos about what it's like to start a meeting in the field. Hers is the Midwest Reproductive Symposium. What that entrepreneurial venture is like, and the benefits that come from that collegiality and from the networking that allow people to do business. Before I get into this topic with Dr. Beltsos. Today's [00:01:00] shout out, goes to Hannah Johnson, my friend, who's the chief strategy officer at we're speaking together at MRS. So she gets this shout out. Hopefully she hears it in today's interview with Dr. Beltsos. We go down a thread of the multi-generational value that happens from colleagues mingling with each other, learning from different generations and the principles that, that takes into leadership in leading as an executive and also following by learning from the next generation, this turned into be a lot more philosophical than I was necessarily thinking, but we talk about the short-term benefits, like recruiting docs. It's going to be a lot easier. For you to recruit doctors and staff doing some of these principles, but also the longer-term headier stuff of being culturally relevant well into old age. I hope you enjoy this discussion with Dr. Angeline Beltsos. Dr. Angie welcome back to Inside Reproductive Health.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:02:04] Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited to be here.
Griffin Jones: [00:02:07] The first time you were on, we talked about your entrepreneurial tendencies. We're going to talk about those same tendencies today, but applied to a different venture. Last time we talked about the Vios empire, what it was like to start a group, but this time I want to talk about a different venture that you started as far as I remember, and that is the Midwest Reproductive Symposium. That is an in-person now a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting, but it had been in person for years. And I want to talk about how that got started and what possessed you to do it. So let's start with what possessed you to do.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:02:47] Well, I had just started career after fellowship. It had been a few years and varying pharmaceuticals. One of the reps came and said, why don't we do a meeting in Chicago? We had the ASRM meeting, of course the national meeting. And then, California. We have the Pacific coast fertility society. And they said, why don't you do a meeting in the Midwest? And we can call it the Midwest Reproductive Symposium, the MRS meeting. And, here we are several years later .
Griffin Jones: [00:03:24] But why did you want to do it? I mean, reps probably come to you with half-baked ideas all the time. I've come to you with half-baked ideas before, so you could turn around, turn away or launch into any of them, I suppose. Did this one seem good enough to you?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:03:39] It seemed like filling a void. Although a lot of people go to a big meeting, like the ASRM meeting or SRA with thousands of people. And we get to see all our friends and learn the latest. It's also ironic that when you're in a big meeting, sometimes you don't get as much out of it. You don't get to. Actually speak with some of the thought leaders and, make new friends. And so the idea of having some of the thought leaders, not only in Chicago, cause we called it the Midwest meeting, but it was actually the place where it was held, not where all the attendees came from. And we had , immediately a national attendance and really some of the thought leaders in the world. It's an intimate setting. One in which we. Do have it at the Drake hotel where we have probably a max of around four or 500 attendees with that though you have a certain vibe that comes with that. There's a lot of opportunity to not only learn science, which is very important and be motivated to take some of that. Back home, really to change how people practice fertility and keep it modern and fresh and forward-thinking, but also to make a friends and colleagues that last not only for that meeting, but for a lifetime. So when they came up with it, that was sort of. Be relevant.
Griffin Jones: [00:05:15] And you're right. People do come from all over. That's a nice thing about it being in Chicago is it's kind of easy to get to Chicago from anywhere if you're in the U S Chicago central. And then if you're not in the U S well, it's only an hour or two more for you probably than it would be any of the other major cities at most. So it's really central place. You got people from all over, but at what point did you realize that this was gonna be. You taking it on. Did you know that from the beginning or were you thinking that, okay, Faron, go ahead and do this. I'll come and be the token REI. And what point did you realize that this was your baby.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:05:53] T minus, six to nine months when the whole thing started, it was going to be something that I organized. With the, you know, some of the faculty that was with us and some of my colleagues, but they were like, all right, you're in charge of this, go at it. So we, I went around and I was like, who's really a heavy hitter today. And who are some of the thought leaders in the United States? And they were like, well, call them all up. See if they'll speak. So one by one, I called each person and everybody said yes, which was really surprising. I was like, hi, I'm Angie, do you want to speak at my meeting? They're like, sure. Hold on a second. I was like, Hey Richard, Scott, will you speak at my meeting? They were like, one moment, please. This is Richard. Like, yes, I will. I'm like, oh, okay. Bill Schoolcraft, will you speak at my meeting? Yes, I will. I was like, okay, then see you in June.
Griffin Jones: [00:06:53] So this was 2003. That was the first year?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:06:58] This was. I guess it was '03. Huh?
Griffin Jones: [00:07:01] That's what the website tells me that's before my time here. So I'm going to take the website for its word now, at what point did you start to build like committees and have recurring people in the beginning? It's like, okay, I'll call the people I know and ask them to be speakers how did that turn into like you have other people planning specific.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:07:24] Parts of it. Yeah, you know, it's a great question. We started with a meeting planner and me, and then she said, well, why don't you ask, you know, some of your friends and colleagues who they think would be really important and relevant, so there was sort of this informal committee that she and I talked about and an organized, and she guided me for the first five years, Ferring was exclusive as a sponsor and they were. You know, an unrestricted educational grant. So they weren't really involved in the topics at all. And you know, very much saying, find the best speakers, the best topics. So really high quality, I think. Things that were coming out as new things to consider doing in, in our field. And we had we had a blast, but over time, I would say the first year we had some of the speakers like Barry bear and bill Kerns, they said, why don't you ask them to be part of your committee? So we were about three or four people in the first, several years that started to help think through this. And then the people that were involved also came up with great ideas. They said, well, why don't the nurses don't have anywhere to go? Why don't you have a nurse program here? So we started the nurse practicum and then, a lot of the business minds in industry said you don't have really anywhere for business people to meet.
Why don't you do a business program? So we came up with a business minds. And this one , person was really interested in mental health and said, there's no place for mental health in any of these programs please. Can we add it in? So we started the mental health program and we thought there's no better place.
If you've got all these incredible people together, why not have some of the students of fertility? So we added in the. Reproductive endocrinology and infertility the REI fellows program. And they've been a strong part presenting their research and getting to know them. And it's funny because in the beginning, the students are they're learning, but then soon the student becomes the master.
Griffin Jones: [00:09:52] So, how do you get some of these people to keep coming back and chairing their specific segments? Because some of the people you've had for years and years. So how do you keep reeling them back in?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:10:04] I think that when you want something to be sticky in your life and you want to keep people engaged, it can't just be about black and white things.
There's some very important things about a meeting and. Only what you're saying, not only what you're doing, but how you make people feel like the Mio Angelo quote. And I think that becomes very important. So we are so intentional to make sure that people like Griffin Jones when they come to the meeting.
Yeah. You learned a lot, you made some new connections, but you also. Had a blast, hopefully, and music and time to socialize is very intentional people often say, oh, well, you know, why do you have all that in the meeting? But it's so important to make people feel good about coming back.
Griffin Jones: [00:11:03] I think it's one of the things that binds all of that together.
Like you said, there's a fellows track. There's a business minds program. There's a nurse practicum there's for program for doctors and scientists and the size of MRS, and the social events bring it all together. It's a very good place to build relationships. I love ASRM. You can get more business done in four days of ASRM than you can four months on the phone.
In many instances, that's true for almost everybody across the field, but there's something about MRS. Where it is very good for building relationships. When I think to some of the strongest relationships that I have with docs and with other people across the field, it started there in Chicago. And I think it is this.
It is because you can go to one of the mental health talks and then you can jump over to another track if you want. A lot of people do the same track the whole day, but there are, there is so much programming for everyone. And then it's all tied in at the end of the day and Chicago. In June when it normally is in fantastic this year, it's going to be September, which is the other end of fantastic for Chicago weather is why you're not having it in June.
So let's talk a little bit about the changes that you saw. COVID happened. I mean, I imagine in early March you were kind of like everybody else, oh this isn't going to affect us. It's too far off. And then two days later you're like, 'no' it's definitely gonna affect this one in the next one. What was that like adjusting for COVID?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:12:38] I think like we were at Vios. ,sometimes it's good to be lucky. And we had thought very importantly about being nimble, being able to switch gears and pivot quickly. So when. All of this started to unfold. We didn't know if it was going to be two days, two weeks, two years, you know, sitting here talking to patient by patient, but for the meeting, we also felt it was going to be very important to be relevant and to continue.
So we were the first meeting to go in the fertility world to go into a virtual setting. And we just said, pivot and go. So we did our meeting in June. By zoom or by a video conferencing. And it worked out beautifully. All things considered. We had great attendance and really used our program that we had anticipated.
And you used pieces of it. You can only get so much done. That is video sitting at your desk compared to being in person. So what we did is broke it into three parts and divided the typical conference into three parts of the year. The first one was during the meeting itself, but just not at the Drake and then play that out through the year.
So I think our sponsors really supported us as well to say, just go at it and continue to use our funds to produce. Meeting and do it virtual. So we did all of that for 2020. We did the whole program.
Griffin Jones: [00:14:17] What's it going to be like this year in 2021?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:14:19] This year, the date of our usual program that like you said, it's usually in June, we are going to do virtual, just the board review course, which is going to be amazing. It'll be June 11th through the 13th, all virtual, but this is going to help people that are students, medical students, residents, but particularly the fellows who are preparing to become board certified. And during that program, we'll be diving really deep into the science and our real program for the Midwest Reproductive Symposium International 2021.
We'll be in person September 21st through the 24th, we will have also a virtual component to it. So it will be hybrid. And we're really excited about that as well.
Griffin Jones: [00:15:10] What do you think. Should be virtual as we move beyond COVID, as we move beyond like the, that forced shutdowns. Right? What should be virtual moving forward?
2022 and beyond. And what should be in-person 2022 and beyond.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:15:29] You know that's a great question. We were talking with some of our brilliant board members. And like you said, are what started as our small group has now turned into, really amazing people that are part of our organization. And we talked that we wanted international, component with Scott Nelson.
He's our international board member, who is at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, but we have board members from coast to coast and. What we realize is that in different locations? And different time zones in private practice and academics. You have to now have this virtual component because people may not be able to attend, but they want to hear key lectures.
So there's going to be a couple of different options. One are just being able to get like a little appetizer, some key lectures. And then there's also the ability to watch the whole thing from around the world. And we expect that we'll have people from different continents participating now. And I think that's, what's really cool about it, but like everything else, there's nothing, that people don't enjoy more than being able to see each other.
Now, having some, coffee together, cocktails, you know, and like you said, building up relationships in person. So that's also going to be available. And I think that hybrid approach will be what we do with our patients. It's what you're going to see in business going forward, as well as, these meetings.
Griffin Jones: [00:17:06] Do you ever see the hybrid programming shifting so that certain programs are all digital and then certain programs are all in-person.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:17:19] I think what there is in life, there is about 80, 75, 80% that you can communicate through an entire digital approach. And that includes some of the relationships we have and then the water cooler kind of effect, or the in-person contact will be missed if a hundred percent of it is done digitally.
So I think you can get a lot accomplished, with the video conferencing, but I think. That doing everything a hundred percent video, you will also miss some important things that happen when the cameras shut off.
Griffin Jones: [00:18:05] I think so too. I wrote an article about this, right? As everything was shutting down, I wrote it in March, 2020.
It was like soon as they canceled PCRS, I fired it out. And it was an article about what I think should be in person. What I think should be video because our company has been remote since you've known me. We've always been remote, but I will tell you. It hurt even in, COVID not being able to get together, even though my project managers in Memphis, my operations managers in Nashville, my digital strategist is in Colorado, a account managers in Miami everyone's everywhere, but we still normally get together a couple of days a year.
In-person to do the stuff that we need to do in person, which is the major long vision strategy and the personal bonding, all of the execution we can do over video. So I wrote in that article, this is what I think should be in person. This is what I think should be done. Video. I think a lot of the speaker stuff in the future can be done via video.
I think the in-person workshopping and and the networking, is what the in-person meetings have to offer. So why don't we just start building those programs, around that way? What do you expect to see this year in 2021, knowing that it's people have kind of gotten the habit of all, it can do it from zoom, but they've also, they're also kind of starving though.
So what do you expect to see this?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:19:36] Well, we hope that some people will. Be able to, come from around the world and participate via zoom and via video conferencing. So I'm very excited about that. And I think that some of the key lectures you can present that. On a screen. But I think the dialogue that happens back and forth and seeing the audience in person is, is also priceless.
We do workshops, which I think is also unique where we break the whole audience into groups that dialogue into kind of a small group, a round table kind of discussion on different topics. And I think that would be you know, better done. I think those kinds of things could be better done in person.
Griffin Jones: [00:20:27] So those types of things, I see that as the future of, in-person events.
And I sometimes think that events like yours are better poised than some of the larger ones for that reason, because it's kind of built for that. It's built for that in person, that in-person. Type of relationship building and yeah, I, you know, like I said I'm, I'm a hundred percent pro-zoom pro doing anything that can be done electronically.
Electronically, Fertility Bridge has never had a home office that said, I also don't think I ever would have built the relationships that I did had it not been getting to meet in person, even if I, sometimes there's lots of relationships that I have. Digitally first, but then I meet them in Chicago. I meet them at MRS and that puts a certain icing on the cake that is irreplaceable.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:21:19] Irreplaceable.
There's a great book called The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. That was a gift from Hannah Johnson and it's how we meet and why it matters. It's a great book for those of you listening, who do care about meetings and how we meet and whether it's your family, whether it's your business, whether it's a big conference, it really is important to consider the elements that allow it to be successful and how you want that flavor.
To be what you want to accomplish. And I really appreciate you, Griffin inviting me to talk about, our meeting, but what the elements are. I think that intimacy is very important and people start to become more open in certain size groups , and numbers. So there are certain things we accomplish in the big symposium, and there are things that you get out of it by being able to speak and dialogue with your colleagues.
Howard Jones God rest, his soul had, said some really important things to me about the MRSI meeting. And for those listening, he was one of the fathers of IVF in the United States. He had the 13th IVF baby, born, in the world, but he. He was saying that when you have a meeting, make sure that most of the meeting is your Q &A and talking, let the audience talk to each other.
Don't spit out all these lectures and, you know, we invite these brilliant people to give lectures with 75 slides in 20 minutes, but they really, you know, that, that idea of throwing out the topic, the latest. It's points of what's relevant and then let people talk about it. And that's when you really take things home.
Griffin Jones: [00:23:18] And do you have the opportunity to do that? Especially as a breakout speaker at MRS people always come up to me after MRS. Specifically. And it's great too, because if I need to talk to one person because they got to me first, say, Hey, I can see you at the cocktail hour later. They don't just, they can't just, they don't just lose me in the ether.
And that's. Maybe that's the Je Ne Sais Quoi of MRS 'cause I'm thinking I love PCRS. I love CFAS. And those two are smaller meetings that are very collegial and I really liked them. And I'm thinking, what is the Je Ne Sais Quoi of MRS? And I think it's partly Chicago. I think it's partly you Angie. And I think it is, multi-disciplinary focus, which isn't is true for the other meetings, meeting the size, meeting the social events. And I was talking with one of my employees today who's really advancing in their career. And I said to them, Part of being a senior person is even when you're in your role, you know, how you play into the rest of the picture.
So I think even if you're a mental health professional, and that's your thing, knowing what the doctors and scientists are up to right now is really important. Even if you're a doctor, knowing what the nurses are up to right now is really important. Even if you're a nursing manager, knowing what the business minds are up to right now is really important.
So I hope that you. Continue that streak at MRS as it evolves.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:24:48] Well, I appreciate that. And I think, the other piece of all this, as we try to play a lot of music during our meeting before, during and after, and, when we talk about , you know, what makes things attractive is that people learn really well.
If you activate both sides of the brain, the right and left, and there's a lot of scientific studies, how important music is. So, you know, The music, in the very beginning, between every speaker and it activates that side of that art side of the brain the other , relaxing side. But then you throw in some hardcore science and it's supposed to really help with, feeling really good about things and having fun, but also learning.
Griffin Jones: [00:27:50] So now that it's established and now that you also have an established practice group, what do you think you get out of it?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:28:00] This has it's a really great personal question for me. It changed my whole stratosphere. My the course of my, my career. It changed the whole direction of who I am and how I practice medicine, who I talk to in a moment I wasn't doing, you know, I was just. One of a new grad of doctors in the country. And suddenly I was friends with the thought leaders. And from there you get invited to give a lecture in Canada and then you meet, go end up in Europe. And in Europe I met people from Australia, the president of the Australian fertility, and then all of a sudden you're in, I was in.
Australia giving lectures and from Australia met someone and I was in China. So I literally went from being this little. Chicago doctor organizing a meeting and through it, I became, I made friends with people all over the world. People that showed me the backside of the kitchen. You know, you go to these great speakers, the, and they take you home and they invite you into their world and they teach you how to run your business and things to do and mistakes they made.
So. This out of all the things in my career, as far as fertility goes, this hands down changed the whole course of my life.
Griffin Jones: [00:29:31] It's funny because you're talking about the history of you getting plugged into other people through this. My experience is you plugging in other people through this, like myself included, but I think of, you know, not to blow up your spot, Angie, but you are better at your fair share of you get more of your fair share of younger docs in recruitment than many people do.
And I think part of the reason for that is. Accessibility. And I think MRSI just a megaphone of accessibility.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:30:06] Yeah. It's been a, it's been a gift. I've been very blessed to have been given this opportunity to fund. I mean, the money that. Came through to, to organize, had to be properly managed. And through that you create a, hopefully a platform and the younger people that participated as fellows have become friends of mine.
And some of them have joined Vios and some have been. You know, colleagues in the country and in the city and it's been awesome. So I think that was correct to that. We've had a chance to make new friends in a variety of age groups, not just the older , genre of thought leaders and people that invented what we do, including Louise Brown, the product of, thought leaders, but also the younger group.
We've become, had that opportunity to get to know. So you're right. It's been a gift.
Griffin Jones: [00:31:10] Well, let's end this thread of cultural relevance for a second, because I'm obsessed with it. I stay up thinking about how I'm going to be culturally relevant when I'm 88 years old, it's something that I really obsessed with.
It's like longevity meets sustainability meets just something I intrinsically really enjoy. And I see some of the advantages playing out for you. And I think that might be a gateway drug for the people that might not just geek out on it as much as I do, but if they can see yeah, you are the perfect case in point.
So, but if they can see the tangible benefits of what you've done, I think so many people are having a hard time recruiting doctors right now, recruiting younger staff and. One of the ways that you've been able to do that. As you give fellows a platform, you, they always, they know that they can call you.
They know who you are. That's really important. They see you. Content. And so maybe we can extend some of this to other people. They're not going to go off and start their own meeting because it's way too much fricking work. But even if they were a chair for one of your programs, even if they were a speaker at ASRM, that's more accessibility.
So maybe we could just talk about how that accessibility to the younger generation helps you stay relevant to them as they start to take over the reins.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:32:36] Yeah, I think that's such a fascinating topic of cultural relevance. You know, it's like a moment ago, sick was kind of a bad thing, but you know, that is so sick really.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Oh, I guess it's a really cool thing. And in the moment you become, you know, all of a sudden the words people use and the way that they approach life, but you're, You've got to be a little willing to always change. And human nature is the opposite of that. Don't get stuck in, you know, your old ways.
Try to learn, try to be a chair and take that stuff home and be a little uncomfortable. I think that's really important. Remember that when we lead the group, That we have to have humility and we have to be part of the group and let the group also have opinions and decision-making and feel valued and appreciated.
And it is a, very delicate balance. Isn't it.
Griffin Jones: [00:33:43] Tell me more about that balance. What makes it so delicate?
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:33:48] Because as the. Leader of an organization. You may be the medical director, some of the audience members, they may be trying to hire or keep, you know, these young, vibrant physicians. And they're going to be people that come and go for a variety of reasons, but we have to look in the mirror.
We have to be accessible. We have to be, a teacher and a student. That dichotomy has to exist. You have to be a leader and you have to be allow the others to lead you. And so there's this, this balancing act and your people in your life will be your witness, good, bad, or ugly. And they're going to talk and social media today.
It's just like our customers. They're talking about us. They're explaining, you know, the day to day activity. And so you have to listen to people's dreams and their aspirations and support them. And we're not perfect at it. God knows. There, there is intent there, and you have to figure out what you believe in , and how you're going to do this.
You know, the MRS is a charity to me and Nelson Mandela says the most powerful way to change the world is education. And so many people helped us get to where we're at and I cannot repay them. You know, the people that believed in me and gave me a chance. Those, I can't give them money. I can't give them something to help them do what they did for me. The only thing I can do is turn and give forward, right? So we give to the next generation, the next people and the people that are attending to, provide the best care to people that want to have a family. If you just go back to your mission of why do you exist?
Why do you do what you do? Trying to create a team around you and that cultural relevance is, is always to be open minded, I think, and open your heart and your mind be accessible. And I think. Wanting to listen and be friends with people from all different walks of life.
Griffin Jones: [00:36:04] I'm going to push back on one thing you said, of course, like I'm just like riding the lightning of 90% and I choose the one thing that I'm gonna push back on.
But one thing, the one thing that you said. Is that I can't pay them back. And for some of them, that's probably true. Maybe some of them are gone or some of them, you just won't have something to offer that they need in the rest of their careers or lives. But I think many of them, you are in a position to pay back that those that helped you get to where you are now.
Some of them may be being put out to pasture. Oh, we've heard from him. We got it. We don't need his ideas anymore. And you're in a position now to say, no, I really remember this person helping me out. I'm going to give them a platform. I'm going to help them maintain their cultural relevance because they helped me and they are still relevant to me.
So I see that happening and I see that. I remember the people that put me on in the beginning. And now that my cohort is, and we're not in our early twenties anymore. Angie, now that we're in our mid thirties, late thirties, and we're starting to be the executives and at the very least the director level and the owners of companies, the people that it's not just returning a favor either.
It's hey, I learned a lot from this person and I think they still have that value to teach. I think you can repay some of them.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:37:29] Yep. You know, I think about, the opportunities that we got at all levels. I remember. The person who gave me a scholarship to college, you know, the, like you said being thoughtful about that and reciprocating can be very powerful all the way to someone who spoke at my meeting and gave me, knowledge that helped me hopefully get one more person pregnant, that I tried something new and different and being grateful to them and honoring them is , is really important.
Griffin Jones: [00:38:06] This is so meta because the topic that I'm speaking about at MRS this year is how to manage millennials and gen Z in the workforce in so Meta, because , at least some of what I've learned has been through interactions at MRS. And you're talking about this balance of leadership and following
I'm not a new agey person that says, oh, just listen and do whatever they say no, at the end of the day leaders lead, but leaders. Based on information that they see and they get that information by asking and interacting MRS is an awesome place to do it. And a good exercise that I do every year is it started with your kids.
Angie 1: because I just think your kids and their friends are really well raised. And anyone that wants to talk trash on how kids are raised the other day. Listen, most of the time, I might even [00:39:00] agree with them, but there's always examples to the contrary. And that's your kids and their friends and looking people in the eye taking.
Ownership of whatever they're supposed to be doing there. You put them to work there at the conference and they're doing work and I love taking your kids and their friends and whoever the interns are out to lunch every year. That's a tradition. I started a couple years ago and. If they're there, I'm going to do it again.
Well, I enjoy it too though. Angie, like I, I just watched them. I watched what they go out. Like I watch what they go out on the dance floor too, versus what we got on the dance floor to, I watch how they interact with each other. I watch my own, my one rule for them when I take them out, is I, and they all.
Cause you and Nikki tell them before I've even taking them out. I say, what's the rule. They said, no cell phones at the table. I go. Right. And so, so then I just get to talk to them and, and see what they're interested. And the reason why I'm saying all of this in regard to your lesson about leadership and following is because iIf I want to be able to lead this cohort, when they're in the workforce in eight years, I need to know their language and I'm not just going to learn their language. If I start the moment that I need to learn the vocabulary, if I'm a bit invested in how they're growing up and how they're finishing high school, going through college, entering the workforce, picking up the things that they're doing along the way, I'm going to be able to speak their language.
A lot more fluently and be able to tell them no, shut up young person and listen in the way that they'll actually understand and doesn't come across like that. And a lot of that I get from MRS.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:40:43] Well, thank you. That's a funny part and a funny story I had, you know, these were always so careful we get as a charity.
Basically sponsorship and donations to try to run the meeting. And people don't want to go to kind of a small, simple hotel cause they want to be able to enjoy the space, but that all takes money. So I called one of the meeting organizers at a company and they said, I said, how much would it cost for someone to come and check people in and hand them their badge?
And they were like, that's $45,000 and I go, you gotta be kidding me. I was like, all right, kids get dressed. And I thought, you know, what a great way to have for a high school student. To have some exposure to a professional event, be responsible for the happy customer and the customer. That's being a little difficult.
And one of them. You know, they still quote today was one of the doctors that said, this does not say doctor on the top of it can make me a new badge. And I was like, yep, this is customer service. You know, people want to make sure that they're honored and they're whatever. And they had, and I want you to greet people and welcome them.
And so we ended up, Having the high school interns have their exposure. A lot of them put them on college applications and they said when they were applying, they used it as some of the things that they wrote about their experiences. But also for us, it allowed us to, have some young people be very kind and welcoming and hang out with Griffin Jones, but also was a lot less expensive than the, the company that wanted a big chunk of change to greet people. So.
Griffin Jones: [00:42:38] Well, I'm glad that economic way pushed that forward because they have a lot to learn, but there's also a lot that we can learn from them. That's one of the multi-generational values of, I encourage other people to do it as well. You have to be able to speak the language, or you're going to get put out to pasture? There's another episode that I did with this. Almost on this theme with Hannah Johnson, who I'm speaking with at MRS. This year on millennials and gen Z, but it's the flip side of the coin too. Dr. Beltsos how do you want to conclude on MRS and collegiality and, or multi-generational collegiality in the field and tying that all together.
I'll let you put the bow on that with final thoughts.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:43:28] Thank you for inviting me to speak at your podcast. It's always an honor and a privilege. And in that same context, I think the Midwest Reproductive Symposium International that I at the end is supposed to cross boundaries. It's supposed to take us that are wanting to be taught from the learned to be open to different ages, approaching similar topics.
Different perspectives. So we hope that the audience that is listening will bring themselves and their friends and their colleagues to our meeting. Not only this year, hopefully in 2021, but in the years to come. And that the meeting allows us to grow, stand on the shoulders of giants. Be a little uncomfortable with taking some of the stuff home and trying something new and continuing to be open to growing.
And I always ask people no matter where, how old they are is what do you want to be when you grow up? You know, as , we look to the future and, I think. That spirit is embodied in MRSI, so with that, I appreciate again, the opportunity to be with you to be, motivated and inspired.
Griffin Jones: [00:44:59] Angie, I'll see you at MRS, in September Inside Reproductive Health listeners. We hope to see you at MRSI in September. We'll have a link in the show notes, and we'll send that out with the email Dr. Angeline Beltsos thank you very much for coming back on to Inside Reproductive Health.
Dr. Angie Beltsos: [00:45:15] Thank you.
