Hyedi Nelson, the Director of Health Strategy at Bellmont Partners and an award-winning strategic health communications leader, shares her journey from studying mass communication to becoming an expert in medtech communications. She discusses the importance of storytelling, building trust, and collaborating with various stakeholders, including engineers and regulatory bodies. Hyedi also touches on the evolution of social media in the medtech space and offers insights on fostering creativity while staying...
Hyedi Nelson, the Director of Health Strategy at Bellmont Partners and an award-winning strategic health communications leader, shares her journey from studying mass communication to becoming an expert in medtech communications. She discusses the importance of storytelling, building trust, and collaborating with various stakeholders, including engineers and regulatory bodies. Hyedi also touches on the evolution of social media in the medtech space and offers insights on fostering creativity while staying compliant.
Guest links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hyedinelson/ | https://bellmontpartners.com/health-and-medical-public-relations/
Charity supported: Equal Justice Initiative
Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen
Producer: Velentium Medical
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Episode 071 - Hyedi Nelson
Lindsey Dinneen: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Lindsey, and I'm talking with medtech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world.
Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating, and so are the people who work with them.
Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives.
Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives, and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives,
Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives.
Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is the Leading Difference.
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and today I'm delighted to introduce you to my guest, Hyedi Nelson. Hyedi is an [00:01:00] award-winning strategic health communications leader with deep experience partnering with MedTech companies of all sizes and stages, with a special affinity for working with entrepreneurial startup companies. She has dedicated her career to leveraging her strategic communication skills and expertise to help improve health outcomes. Hyedi is the Director of Health Strategy at Bellmont Partners, a full service PR and communications agency where she helps medtech organizations navigate and communicate around complex crisis situations and mergers and acquisitions, launch breakthrough technologies, raise capital, drive clinical study patient enrollment, and ultimately position themselves effectively with key partners and interested parties, including investors, healthcare providers, current and prospective employees, media, and patients and caregivers.
All right, Hyedi, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being here today.
Hyedi Nelson: Thank you for having me.
Lindsey Dinneen: Of course. I would love, if you wouldn't mind starting off by sharing just a little bit about yourself, your background, and what led you to medtech.[00:02:00]
Hyedi Nelson: Sure. Absolutely. So my name is Hyedi Nelson. I'm currently the Director of Health Strategy at Bellmont Partners. We're a full service communications and PR agency located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, which I'm sure you're well aware, that's considered Medical Alley. My whole background, my whole career has been spent in health and medtech communications. So, I kind of gotten to that area and just really fell in love with it. I guess the backstory on that, I was graduating undergrad from the University of Minnesota in mass communication and still kind of didn't really know what I wanted to do and timing-- I'll date myself here-- but that was around 2008 and so if you recall, it's kind of a tough time, you know, in the economy and a lot of my friends who were graduating were having a hard time finding a job.
And around the same time I ended up just kind of looking for a class to take to fill some re remaining requirements for graduation. And I took a health [00:03:00] theory class and I just like became obsessed with health and I started to think, well, maybe there's something there. And the professor of that class actually shared with me that they had a two year master's MA program that was like a joint program between the School of Journalism and the School of Public Health. And so you've got this really nice combination of you know, communication theory and how to create, you know, more communication strategies and influence public health, but you also got a really good overview of the healthcare field as well as some basic knowledge in like epidemiology and biostats to like really give you the tools you need to do a good job as a healthcare communicator.
So I ended up applying for that and finishing out that program and kind of positioning myself in a better place a couple years later to graduate and look for employment. So during that time, I was asked to participate on a Social Media for Healthcare panel. [00:04:00] So at the time it was like social media was super new to healthcare. They were really far behind, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And I met someone who was PR professional and I was not super familiar with the world of prPR but we started talking and she shared that they were really looking to expand their health and MedTech practice within the, within their agency. And kind of one thing led to another and I applied and started working there, and the rest is history there. That's kind of what I've been doing ever since.
Lindsey Dinneen: Wow. That's amazing. Yeah. So first of all, thank you for sharing a little bit about that. There's so much I kind of wanna dive into. But I'm curious, was journalism and marketing and those kinds of interests were, did you have those, you know, growing up? Or was this something that developed in college, or how did that all come about?
Hyedi Nelson: I think for me, just the love of writing, first and foremost, was what really did it for me. I read a lot, so I was always just [00:05:00] like really amazed that people could, like, use words to, you know, make you transport yourself into this other place, or get you to take some sort of action. It seemed like kind of a magical thing. And then you know, just going through school and everything, I realized that like my skillset definitely wasn't like math or that side of things and was really drawn more to the the writing piece of it all. So, I thought about, "Do I wanna be an English major?" Do I, I actually went into college wanting to go into the music industry and did an internship for a record label-- I suppose that's another story for another day-- but ended up deciding an English major, wasn't sure I what I wanted to do with that. And so, trial and error kind of decided that communications more broadly, you know, whether it's journalism or strategic communications felt like it would be a really good fit for kind of where my interests lied.
Lindsey Dinneen: Nice. Yeah. And so-- okay, well what's funny is I actually did wanna dive a little bit. So we're gonna, if we can take a [00:06:00] very quick detour into the music aspect, because I did notice on your LinkedIn that's something you still do, is you actually help musicians-- is that correct-- with some of their PR and marketing?
Hyedi Nelson: Yeah. I, a couple years ago started my own consulting side hustle thing where I really use, you know, my skills that I do like in my full-time job and a communication strategy and promotion and publicity and project management to help independent artists, just because I have a lot of friends and my partners a musician. And I see kind of the struggles that they go through with how the industry is, is really like how it exists and how the payment structures aren't there and it's really hard for them to make a living as well as the fact that they're expected to like not only be a super creative person who's putting like this music out into the world, but also like a business person and a marketer and, you know, all those things. [00:07:00] So, kind of doing that to like merge all of my passions together and do something kind of fun and different than what I do, you know, during the day.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. No, I love that. I love that. Especially because I don't know if we've talked about this before-- it's, I know we've had a few different conversations before this-- but yeah, i'm also a professional ballerina and so I understand. Stand having the two sides of, you know, the art, the artist and the medtech enthusiast and sort of the both worlds. So I just I love that you do both too.
Hyedi Nelson: There's gotta be some sort of like where that helps us in our job somehow, like having that too. I don't know, but I think so, yeah.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. I think part of it is, you know, creative problem solving and, you know, sort of the skill sets that are learned. Are you a music musician yourself?
Hyedi Nelson: I mean, I am not very good at it, Okay. I do play, yes.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And so I think a lot of the, of it comes from the [00:08:00] discipline of having, you know, grown up learning some kind of an artistic endeavor because it's, there's so much discipline that goes into it. There's so much you have all of these skill sets that you're learning. And anyway, I don't wanna get too far off on the tangent, but that is one thing that I do think it helps honestly. But yeah. So, okay. So back to your career. So now you are working with Bellmont Partners, and can you just share a little bit about what your day-to-day kind of looks like helping these medtech, health, tech life science companies succeed?
Hyedi Nelson: Sure. Yeah. I mean, every day can be wildly different than the last. But in my role, I really, I've been with the agency now for about 12 years and we've really grown tremendously our business in this space because I think one, there just continues to be like more of a need for our services in this area, but also I think, we've just uncovered so many more like [00:09:00] areas and places where our team that works on our health and medtech accounts specifically are like super passionate about and we just like wanna do more and more.
But I would say day to day I work with a number of companies that are in, you know, early stage or more in the startup phase. So a lot of my work is helping them, you know, develop and execute communication strategies that you know, look really different than companies that are at a later stage. So we're focused more on things that are really educating the market or priming the market for you know, once they have FDA clearance or helping with patient enrollment and clinical studies sharing their story in a way that will resonate to really position them for the next step, either raising another round of financing or, you know, maybe positioning themselves for a specific type of exit, or even doing work that helps them start to recruit, you know, potential employees that they're looking to hire.
So. That's a lot of [00:10:00] what I do. And that can, the actual tactics that kind of align with that can be, you know, connecting with members of the media and then trying to tell those stories through those outlets and those vehicles, supporting trade show, you know, if some of my clients have a booth at a trade show are gonna be at the podium finding the way to really leverage that big investment of their time and resources. You know, a lot of storytelling, a lot of interviewing, key opinion leaders and experts, which is one of my favorite things to do. And then taking that content and using it, you know, in a lot of different ways to help them reach their goals.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Excellent. And so, you know, medtech and health tech, all of that is just such a heavily regulated industry for very good reason. Now, when you are on the PR side and the marketing side, it's a very different animal, say, then, you know, other types of PR for other industries basically. And so I'm wondering how do you navigate being [00:11:00] cognizant of all of the regulations and being compliant with all of that, with your storytelling and perhaps, you know, wanting to share more, I suppose.
Hyedi Nelson: Yeah, I have so many thoughts around this topic. It's actually funny, I'm working on an event that Bellmont Partners is putting on in the spring that's gonna like tackle that exactly. It's about like infusing creativity into medtech marketing while being compliant, basically. So exactly what you're asking about. Part of, I think my answer to this question starts with the fact that I worked for a couple years for an integrated nonprofits' healthcare provider and payer and I worked on their individual Medicare plans. And so everything I was doing needed to be reviewed and approved by CMS. And I think working in that space and within those types of constraints really [00:12:00] primed me for being able to like be as creative as possible without like sacrificing anything that would make them fall out of regulation or compliance.
I will say that a lot of it has come from experience seeing different things and just learning what the guidelines are and what's okay and what's not. I love to get really close and have a great working relationship with my clients' regulatory folks. And I think sometimes there's a little bit of like tension between marketing and those folks. And I've seen that. But you know, if you really keep in mind like that, what they're trying to do and they're doing their jobs and and knowing when it, you know, it might be appropriate to push back or trying to work together collaboratively, you can still come out with a really great product.
And then I think we as an agency, just at the end of the day, like, we don't wanna get a warning letter. We don't want our clients to get a warning letter. And so, we just always have that in mind and [00:13:00] and know that like at different stages that the company is in, we're able to say different things. So early on, we might need to be a little bit softer in our language and only talk about certain things, but knowing that down the road we'll be able to say more, is also helpful.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's great advice, and I think it's, it's helpful to know that there are ways to do that. I love the fact that you collaborate so well with the regulatory people. I think that makes so much sense. I, and actually that brings up a really good point I wanted to ask you about too, is just in general with-- especially with this industry-- I feel like when you're doing marketing and PR, that collaboration within the company itself is so critical. So you're not just necessarily speaking-- and please correct me if you have a different experience-- but you're not just necessarily speaking to the marketing people, but hopefully if you have the opportunity, you're also speaking to the engineers and many different facets of the company. [00:14:00] And one thing that I've always really enjoyed the challenge of, and I'm curious about your take on it, is how do you translate sort of that engineering speak, the scientific speak-- which is really important to include as well-- but how do you translate that into, again, storytelling and messaging that might resonate with a broader audience than a highly, you know, technical background might have?
Hyedi Nelson: That's a really great question, and what I spent a ton of my time doing is figuring out just that. We love and I love-- especially when we're first starting out with a new client, but we do this kind of on an ongoing basis-- is getting a bunch of people around a table that might not necessarily sit around a table. And that can either be an actual table or like, you know, how we're talking right now. And, we try and have a good representation of all of those different voices, like you're talking about. Members, you know, they're out in the field and they're, you know, more of like on the sales side of things as well as those engineers, as well [00:15:00] as, you know, maybe that, you know, an end user, maybe a patient, if that's possible, in addition to leadership, marketing and the other folks that you'd expect us to be talking to. And we play that third party role of asking questions, hearing the different ways that people that all work for the same company answer the questions differently because, you know, they have different perspectives and you know, different priorities.
And I think one thing that I feel like I've developed a skill around is being able to like hear all of that and take all of that into consideration 'cause it's all very valid, but then pull out the pieces that ultimately you know, get at what we've heard or the company's objectives. And so I think then taking that and then applying it, whether it's distilling down technical information into digestible language, or if it's just, even just tweaking it to pull out like things and prioritize [00:16:00] it differently because certain audiences obviously care about certain things more than others. I think part of it is just putting yourself in those audience's shoes and thinking about what they care about.
And it seems like kind of obvious, but it's not like everyone is working on so many different things and there's so many different competing priorities that feel like that's kind of where myself and my team, like we really provide value because we're able to like come in and take that perspective and do that. And then of course, you know, making that a collaborative process as well. So making sure I didn't dilute the messaging too much and really working with those subject matter experts to make sure, like explaining, "Yeah, we can't say it that way because they won't understand it, but does this, is this what I'm saying, still accurate?" And having those kinds of conversations, and sometimes it takes a little while.
You know, I found out that engineers, scientists, you know, these really brilliant, you know, medical professionals, like, they're so smart and they've gone [00:17:00] to a ton of school and they do this every day, like they are the experts. And so when I'm coming here being like, "No, we don't wanna say it that way," like, I think, like, I understand why there's like a little bit of hesitation on their part to just be like, "Okay." So really trying to like communicate why, you know, the why behind things. And make sure that they know that, you know, we're all working towards the same goal and just trying to figure out the best way to get there.
Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that. Yeah, I think building that trust that, you know, also on some level, their baby, so to speak, is in good hands. You know, you care just as much-- maybe not just as much, but you do, you, I'm sure that you take on a kind of ownership in, you know, with your clients and their success, and you want them to be able to talk about these amazing innovations they're producing. So being able to build that trust in that room with all those people is such a critical part, but I think it makes a [00:18:00] profound difference.
Hyedi Nelson: Absolutely. Yeah, totally agree.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So, you know, you mentioned kind of at the beginning a little bit about social media, and I'm curious how you've seen the evolution of it in terms of specifically for your clients and for, you know, the health tech, biotech, medtech industries in general. How have you found that companies can actually leverage it in a way that makes sense since it's so niche and they're not necessarily going to need to be on every platform?
Hyedi Nelson: Yes, and it changes like every day, I feel like, the rules and the best practices and how you measure things. I think that what we've found for our clients and for this space that works the best is starting off by using social media as a listening tool. And trying to, we call it an audit, but like really just trying to get a, like a lay of the land before [00:19:00] diving into anything or adjusting anything. So oftentimes, what I think is the most helpful to inform a good social media strategy for a specific company is by taking a look at, you know, what others in their space are doing, what maybe their competitors are doing, where their key audiences are spending their time. And being able to pull some insights from that kind of research can be really valuable in deciding what platforms they actually need to be on, what type of content is gonna resonate, how much they actually do need to post. And those kinds of things because it's so different from company to company.
You know, for example, our clients that are in the urology space, like there's a ton of urologists on, you know, formally Twitter now X, it's just remarkable. But a lot of, you know, when we work maybe in more in the neurology space, it's not so much so, you know, so [00:20:00] it's you can't just go in assuming anything basically. And then I think the other thing is like not taking a set and forget it approach. So like once you start, you say, "Okay. This company, we think LinkedIn makes the most sense for you because you're really focusing on you know, speaking with investors or potential employees. And here are the things that you should be talking about right now." But then knowing that like that's not always gonna be the goals and that's not always gonna be the things that are resonating. And you might start looking at metrics and realize that like maybe what you thought wasn't quite right. So having some humility and being able to like, keep an eye on that and make informed, you know, recommendations to change course if you need to, I think is really important. And that's kind of the approach that we take for, you know, most of our clients when we're talking about social media.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, I love that. And what an interesting example about urologists and X, like I, I didn't know that either. So that's such a cool example that, you know, like you [00:21:00] said, research is so critical and trying things and being willing to, to change if it doesn't work. You know, being willing to take those risks, so to speak, although that's kind of a over little bit too strong of a word. But to take those opportunities and see what resonates and what doesn't. Yeah, so, I'm curious, so when you are engaging with a potential client, what are some things that you want to make sure is a good fit for both parties? And then I guess alongside that, when should a startup company or a medtech company engage with you?
Hyedi Nelson: That's a really fantastic question. A few thoughts come to mind. I think in terms of fit, this would probably be different if you were talking to, you know, other consultants or agencies. But for us specifically, we really like to be very [00:22:00] collaborative and be seen as a partner to our clients. And I think both parties get the most value out of it when that approach is taken. So, we always say it's kind of cheesy, but like Bellmont Partners, like "partners is more than just a part of our name," but it's true. And I think that actually works really well in most cases because a lot of our clients, especially the startups, are very lean teams and maybe we are their marketing team or maybe they have one person and they aren't able to hire anyone else yet. And so, you know, by default we really do become that extension of the team.
But it's, you know, of course always great when they invite us to be at the table for certain conversations or you know, kind of understand the bigger picture, strategy and business objectives, because it really does help us do our jobs better and be able to connect more dots and bring up things and ask questions that maybe others, just because they're so in it from day to day, might not see. You know, and for them, I think, you [00:23:00] know, obviously they need to be okay with that and comfortable with that. And I think that thing you talked about earlier, that really important piece about trust is you know, something that might-- obviously trust needs to be built and it's something that can take some time-- but once we get to that point, it's like that's when everything just works a lot better and fits really well.
So, and then, throughout the years, I think we've started working with companies earlier and earlier than we have in the past. And I think that's for a number of reasons. One, I think companies are starting to understand the importance of that. And I think just the way that, you know, the changing in the way investing is being done and other things that need to kind of happen early on or setting that exit strategy and figuring out how communications plays a role in that early on is just becoming more and more important.
I think, from the very beginning is great. I mean there, you know, there needs to be some funding [00:24:00] available, but, you know, we've worked with companies with, you know, just some seed funding, and I think because we're so passionate and because we like wanna be able to build that relationship early on, like oftentimes we will like work in maybe a different way than we would work with other clients, where it's just to "call us when you need us" kind of thing. And you know, maybe we just consult with you and answer some questions and then you can execute. We, you know, we just at the end of the day want them to be so successful that like, that's okay. So, really there's not a time that's too early at least even just have a conversation. So that's what I would say about that.
Lindsey Dinneen: That's great. Yeah, I mean, I think also starting off on the right foot, to be frank, is a huge thing. So if there's the ability for a company to engage with you as early as possible, it's just gonna set them up for success because there's so much value that you all bring to the table. So I'm [00:25:00] also wondering, are there any moments that stand out to you that, you know, along your career path helping these clients just really reinforce the idea that, "Wow, I am in the right industry at the right time."
Hyedi Nelson: Oh, I feel like I'm still like, I have those moments, like every day still, it's, which is why I am still doing this. I guess, I suppose one moment in particular stands out to me. It was like very early on in my career when I was still like even trying to figure out probably honestly like what PR was. But I had the opportunity to sit in on an interview between this amazing entrepreneur, inventor, and a health reporter with a, you know, major daily newspaper. And he was explaining how he came up with the idea for the technology that he created and was in the process of, you know, trying to develop into something that was [00:26:00] gonna go to market. And, you know, he's telling this incredibly personal story about his family and how it affected them directly and how he kind of made it his life's mission to focus on finding a cure and a better solution that was than what was currently available.
And it was like this moment where everything clicked, it was like so powerful. I was like, overcome with a million different emotions. And then I was also like, "I am helping tell this story" and that felt really great too. And so I think that was really powerful. And then, yeah, like moments like that happen all the time where, you know, when my clients get FDA approval and you know, something that they've been working on for so long and, you know, I played a very tiny role in that. But like, it's, that is very cool, and that is a very real confirmation that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yes. I could not agree more. I totally relate to the-- you know, I'm not the engineer [00:27:00] who's creating this incredible product. I'm not the scientist who's vetting it. I'm not, you know-- but I, I do get to, to help tell the story and that feels really cool to get to play a part. So, yeah.
Hyedi Nelson: We're so lucky, aren't we?
Lindsey Dinneen: I know. I know. Yeah. Okay, so pivoting the conversation a little bit, just for fun. Imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want. It can be within your industry, but it doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach?
Hyedi Nelson: I feel like there's a couple areas I'd probably focus in on. I think one is more around like more specific to like what I do in my job every day, or even just like how I approach my job and the world, I guess is like-- always looking for connections or dots that can connect. I think even when it does not seem like it is possible, like it probably is. And so [00:28:00] teaching people how you might be able to connect those dots and then, like, why that's important. Whether it's making a connection to someone who, you know, might be looking for something you have to offer or maybe it's oh, there's this weird connection to this investor of this product that like all of a sudden like this new collaboration could be formed that you had never thought of before. It works in so many different ways and I feel like, that is something that like, I feel like I've gotten really good at over the years and would be really like, really fun to share that with other people because it makes me really excited.
And then I think the other thing is more about, so I like to really, I like to speak to college students. I will oftentimes like do guest lecturing at some of the local universities and typically what I'm talking about is like my career path or you know, what the field is like in general or what it's like to work at an agency or that kind of [00:29:00] thing. And I think that being able to teach some sort of masterclass on how to develop confidence-- or even if it's not totally real and you're kind of faking until you make it-- but of being comfortable being in a room that you might not feel like you deserve to be. And I think that can be applied in so many different places.
So like for me over the years, especially working with startups, I find myself in rooms with, you know, physicians with a bunch of letters after their name and they, you know, like performed all of these major surgeries, or I'm with, you know, CEOs of companies who've also founded, you know, dozens of other companies and sold them. And people that on paper and sometimes in person are very intimidating. But like at the end of the day, I'm being hired to do my job for a certain reason. And it took me a long time to be able to get [00:30:00] there to that point and realize that and be able to be like, "Yes, I should be in this room." And now I can do my job better now that I feel that way.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, I love that so much. And I think, and I very much relate to that. I very much understand where you're coming from. I think a lot of people probably struggle with that at some point during their career. You know, imposter syndrome is super real. And I also think that one of the things that I've found for me is really helpful is to be curious and if you're curious, that makes such a difference 'cause you're asking good questions and "Yeah, I'm not the expert, like you're the expert at X, Y, and Z, but I am the expert in the room with this really niche thing." But still being able to say, "I don't know anything about this, can you please educate me?" is-- it can be really helpful too in, in navigating those otherwise uncomfortable rooms to be in. [00:31:00] Did you find that as well?
Hyedi Nelson: Oh, absolutely. But like, you just put it way more eloquently. Yeah, that's really great advice. And I think it just, it sets the tone and like the environment in like a very safe way that I really love. And yeah, like we're all communicators and journalists and, you know, marketing strategists, like most of us come from a place of curiosity anyway, so really leading into that makes a ton of sense.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Love it. And how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world?
Hyedi Nelson: I mean, gosh, like hopefully people thought I was nice. I, you know, it would be amazing to have people think about me in that I really cared about others and really cared about making a difference. And whether that's through my profession, but you know, also in how I'm [00:32:00] raising my child or how I'm spending my, you know, free time and volunteer work and that kind of thing. I hope that's what really shines through. And you know, maybe some of the things that, you know, you aren't as proud of people just kind of forget that conveniently.
Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, I, yes, I understand. Yeah. And then final question, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it?
Hyedi Nelson: I have two answers I think for this. So, professionally, I would say I worked with a hearing aid manufacturer for a while, and part of what we did is tell some of the stories that they would do on the philanthropic side. And I-- there are things that you just don't think about until all of a sudden it's right there in front of you. And one of the things like [00:33:00] I didn't, I guess I just didn't realize, was like how powerful and impactful someone not being able to hear, to being able to hear like what that looks like and how that can be.
So, what we would often do is pitch local media in certain areas about someone being gifted hearing aids, and then there would be, like a news story would be the deliverable there, and and it would be like this moment of someone being able to hear again. And there were a couple instances where it was like a child hearing their mom's voice for the first time. And like, obviously like I was also crying, but like smiling and I can, if I need to smile, like I can just like cue that up in my memory and it makes me smile.
And then my other answer is like, anytime I see any sort of living creature of any kind, basically like if I'm on a walk and there's like a caterpillar, like I smile and I get very excited. So that's probably the other [00:34:00] one.
Lindsey Dinneen: I love both of those answers so much. Yeah, those videos of especially the child hearing their mom for the first time or something like that. Oh my goodness. I'm just like, "Did I need to cry today? I guess I did!" But also it makes me smile and also every little living creature, so yeah. I, I love that so much. Well, this has been an amazing conversation and I really appreciate your time today and I am so excited about, you know, where you are heading professionally. In fact, I feel like I saw on your LinkedIn profile, you just won an award, didn't you? 2025 Women in Business something?
Hyedi Nelson: That was, that was a very cool, unexpected thing. Yes, the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, our local business journal, has a Women in Business list, and one of my colleagues was kind enough to nominate me and I was selected and got to do the whole you know, award ceremony and, you know, remarks and [00:35:00] it's been great. It's been, I've met so many really amazing people through that experience, so.
Lindsey Dinneen: Love it. Well, congratulations on that, and I am delighted to continue to stay in touch and, you know, follow everything that you're doing. But thank you so much for your time today, and thank you so much for everything you're doing to just change lives for a better world.
Hyedi Nelson: Well, and likewise, thank you for this podcast existing. It's so wonderful and you're such a great host and and keep up your amazing work as well.
Lindsey Dinneen: Thank you. All right. Thank you so much and thank you to our listeners, and if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, please share this episode with a colleague or two and we'll catch you next time.
Dan Purvis: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium Medical. Velentium Medical is a full service CDMO, serving MedTech clients worldwide to securely design, manufacture, and test class two and class three medical [00:36:00] devices. Velentium Medical's four units include research and development pairing electronic and mechanical design, embedded firmware, mobile app development, and cloud systems with the human factor studies and systems engineering necessary to streamline medical device regulatory approval, contract manufacturing, building medical products at the prototype, clinical and commercial levels in the US as well as in low cost regions, in 1345 certified and FDA registered Class VII Clean Rooms, cybersecurity generating the 12 cybersecurity design artifacts required for FDA submission, and automated test systems assuring that every device produced is exactly the same as the device that was approved. Visit velentiummedical.com to explore how we can work together to change lives for a better world.
