Employee Spotlight – Samanala Athaudahetti

Welcome to the newest episode of our employee spotlight blog, where we introduce a member of the Vetstoria family to you. This month we interviewed Samanala Athaudahetti, one of our fantastic Associate Technical Leads.

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Q: Could you give us an introduction to yourself?

I am Samanala Athaudahetti, part of Vetstoria’s fantastic team in Asia. My colleagues call me “Sam.” I describe myself as a calm and quiet person that enjoys seeing others grow with me.

I am happily married and a father of 2 boys. Music is part of where my happiness lies, and I actively upload my music videos on Youtube. (Make sure you subscribe to my channel 😜: FusionMusic)

Q: How long have you worked with Vetstoria, and what is your role in the company?

I started working for Vetstoria in 2015 as a junior member. It’s been six years now, and I’ve had a fun journey full of challenges, new learnings, new people, and so much exposure to the world of veterinarians. My experiences at Vetstoria are what have made me who I am today. I’ve come so far from what I was when I joined, and now I am one of the Associate Technical Leads.

Q: What is one thing you are proud of achieving at Vetstoria?

I am very proud to be part of a team that strives together to help make the lives of veterinary professionals as easy as they can. Moreover, the highlight for me is that I was a vital part of building Vetstoria’s critical features like the Billing and Payment system, Interactive Voice Response (an AI-based bot), and core modules in the Booking Platform.

Q: What do you consider to be the best part of your daily role at Vetstoria?

The best part of my role is getting to work with new joiners and train them. Every day, every action is a new experience. It is more challenging to work with people than writing a code, but the happiness I get after seeing them achieve something is priceless.

Q: What does working within the veterinary industry mean to you?

I love dogs. Even though I have not interacted with veterinary professionals directly, the satisfaction that my effort towards every code contributes to helping a pet somewhere is what keeps me going.

Q: What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

When I am out of work, I have two little boys who eagerly wait for me to play with them – the happy life of a father. So, family time is what I prefer when I am not working. My wife and I end up playing new and funny games created by them. Additionally, spending time making music keeps me happy and occupied.

Q: How have you been coping with the recent COVID situation, and do you have any words of advice for your fellow veterinary industry professionals who are struggling with it?

I am primarily relieved and thankful that we are all safe from the deadly virus. This has been a tough time for everyone. However, I have realized that what we own today isn’t permanent, and we might not own it tomorrow. Love, positivity, and intentions to help others are what will stay with us forever.

From that, the advice I would give is, be ready for change, and when change comes your way, accept it and adapt to it. Today and tomorrow can be so much different from one another.

Q: In your view, what’s the most important thing someone should master when working remotely?

Working remotely is a whole different experience for all of us. A significant change to a life we’ve spent so much time commuting to our workplaces, isn’t it?

Now that we’ve saved some extra time from not traveling, I think the most important thing is managing it efficiently to have a better work-life balance.

Q: If you could take only one animal with you to a desert island, what would it be?

A dog!

Q: Words of advice for your fellow Vetstorians?

Vetstoria is built on the concept of “help” to the pets in need of care and the superstar veterinarians who work tirelessly to provide that care. So, my advice would be to help others, be it your veterinary colleagues, a pet owner with doubts, a pet in need of care, another veterinary practice that’s struggling, or your family even in the simplest way possible.

Q: What future developments are you excited about at Vetstoria?

I am excited about the upcoming innovations and ideas that are aimed at helping our veterinary clients. We’ve grown so fast as a company, so I am looking forward to walking ahead with the family!