View Details

Veterinary professionals are often trained to care for everyone except themselves. But what if they had the tools to recognize and respond to mental health challenges within their own teams? Dr. Sonja Olson, DVM, C-MMT, and Susan Swendsen, MSSW, LCSW, VSW from Full Circle Lab join Crystal to explore how Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is reshaping the conversation around well-being in veterinary medicine.

Susan shares how MHFA began in Australia in 2000 with founders Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm, grew to 29 countries, and aims to train one in every fifteen people worldwide. Introduced in the U.S. in 2008, the program equips everyday people with the confidence to recognize early signs of mental distress and connect others to the help they need before a crisis occurs.

The group talks about how MHFA differs from therapy. It’s a peer-support model designed to help colleagues feel prepared to respond when someone is struggling. Sonja breaks down the ALGEE action plan: Assess for risk of suicide or harm, Listen non-judgmentally, Give reassurance and information, Encourage appropriate professional help, and Encourage self-help. She explains how this structured, step-by-step approach resonates with the way veterinary professionals think and problem-solve.

The conversation highlights the power of early intervention, the importance of reducing stigma, and how empathy can protect against secondary traumatic stress. The team also shares practical ways for veterinary clinics to bring MHFA training into their workplaces through the National Council for Behavioral Health and how learning these skills together can strengthen connection, compassion, and care across the profession.

What’s Inside:

• How Mental Health First Aid started in Australia and went global
• Why MHFA is different from therapy but just as powerful in veterinary care
• Step-by-step guide to the ALGEE action plan for real-life crises
• Simple ways to break stigma and start honest conversations about mental health
• Early intervention tips to prevent burnout and secondary trauma
• How to get certified and bring MHFA training to your clinic
• Building stronger, more connected veterinary teams through peer support

Mentioned:

Mental Health First Aid
LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Amy Grimm, founder of Daring DVM Coaching, joins the show to talk about burnout—something all too familiar in the veterinary world. She shares her path from vet med to coaching and how her own experiences shaped the work she does today.

Dr. Amy explains why burnout is so common among veterinarians: high achievers, constant competition, and nonstop pressure. Along the way, she learned that handling hard conversations, emotional fatigue, and tension are skills you can actually develop.

She uses the simple image of a phone on low battery to describe what burnout really feels like—your system keeps pushing until it finally shuts down. That “wired but tired” feeling, when rest doesn’t restore you, becomes the norm.

Dr. Amy breaks down how to spot the signs before you crash and how to rebuild through three core areas: your nervous system, your mindset, and your boundaries. You don’t need more hours in the day—you need compassion for yourself, moments to reset, and routines that bring you back to center.

Learn more about her coaching and group programs at Daring DVM Coaching.

What’s Inside:

• Recognizing the early signs of burnout before you hit overdrive.
• Practical tools to reset and recharge your nervous system.
• What coaching really is and how it supports veterinarians.
• Building awareness, balance, and self-compassion in vet med.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Daring DVM Coaching
The Burnout Fix
vetcoach@daringdvm.com
Dr. Amy Grimm on Instagram
Amy Grimm on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and in this episode, we’re honored to welcome Gigi Tsontos, Executive Director of NOMV (Not One More Vet). NOMV is a nonprofit dedicated to improving mental health and overall well-being within the veterinary profession—creating resources and community support to help veterinary professionals not just survive, but truly thrive.

The organization was born out of tragedy following the 2014 loss of Dr. Sophia Yin to suicide. What began as a forum for open discussion has grown into a thriving network of more than 40,000 members as of 2025.

NOMV’s impact includes:

• Education: Raising awareness and providing access to mental health resources, including the CLEAR Blueprint.
• Resources: Offering grants for individuals and clinics in crisis.
• Peer Support: Hosting forums and programs such as Lifeboat and Veterinary Mental Health Support.

NOMV’s website is an easy-to-navigate hub for these tools and more. You can support their mission through donations, volunteering, or even by simply spreading their message on social media.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, dial 988 in the U.S. or Canada for immediate support.

What’s Inside:

• The mission behind Not One More Vet.
• Creating a space for well-being in the vet med industry.
• How you can help NOMV.
• Suicide Hotline: 988

Mentioned In This Episode:

NOMV
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Returning guest Natalie Fayman joins us to share her journey from burnout to resilience through the Positive Intelligence (PQ) program. Initially skeptical, Natalie discovered the program’s strong scientific backing—studies show that after just seven weeks of training, 83–97% of participants report reduced stress, increased happiness, and improved self-confidence.

PQ works at the root level of brain function, shifting the balance of power from our inner Saboteurs—the voices of self-doubt and negativity—to our inner Sage, our positive, resilient self. For Natalie, that means going from needing days to recover after an emotionally draining ER shift to bouncing back in just 30 minutes.

This isn’t therapy, though it pairs well with it. It’s about building mental fitness, being more mindful of your emotions, and improving how you show up for yourself and others. Whether you work through PQ on your own or join a cohort for added accountability and insight, the tools are transformative.

Listen in to learn how you can build resilience, reclaim your passion, and thrive in veterinary medicine.

What’s Inside:

• What is Positive Intelligence (PQ)?
• The science behind the program.
• A tool for reducing emotional recovery time
• A variety of options: Completing the Positive Intelligence Program for individuals or in a group setting.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Find out more about the PQ for RACE-CE credit course
Schedule a free consultation with Natalie Fayman
Take the Saboteur assessment from Positive Intelligence
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Katrina Busselle is a get-it-done kind of woman who knows that conflict isn’t always a bad thing. It’s often necessary to make real progress, especially at work. In this episode, Katrina shares key concepts of mediation and how her Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution helps her navigate tough conversations.

We talk about the natural flow of mediation. You don’t jump to a solution. You move through the process, climbing the mountain of conflict and coming down the other side with resolution. Katrina explains how mediators guide this journey without influencing the outcome.

She shares the tools that matter most: deep listening, restating, and reframing. The goal is to uncover shared understanding and shape a written agreement that can move forward outside the session.

We also explore how to know if mediation is right for a situation, how to set the container for safe dialogue, and what the metaphorical mountain climb looks like in action. We work through real-world examples and even do a little role play in the vet med industry.

Enjoy this conversation on the real, practical benefits of mediation at work and beyond.

What’s Inside:

• How mediation can transform conflict resolution.
• Creating a container and safe space to work through the conflict mountain.
• Role play conversations diving deep into mediation in the vet med space.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Amazon.com: A Million Reasons Why You Can't: And Choosing to Do It Anyway eBook
• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
• Gawande, Atul. Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science. Metropolitan Books (Picador), 2002.
• Levinson, Roter, Mullooly, Dull, and Frankel (1997). Title: "Physician-patient communication: The relationship with malpractice claims among primary care physicians and surgeons."
  Journal: JAMA, 277(7), 553–559.
  DOI: 10.1001/jama.1997.03540310051034
• Full Circle Lab
• Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

What happens when 20+ years of vet med experience meets a passion for learning design and technology? You get Kara Herrmann, a trailblazer reimagining how veterinary teams train, communicate, and operate more efficiently.

Kara is currently completing her master’s in Education with a focus on Learning Design and Technology, and she brings a fresh lens to what really makes a veterinary workplace thrive. She explains why education alone doesn’t guarantee success and how clarity in roles, effective delegation, and confident leadership can dramatically improve team performance.

We explore why many managers shy away from assigning duties and how having someone to direct the workflow can make all the difference. With 92% of employees saying training impacts their job positively and 97% less likely to quit when given development opportunities, Kara pushes us to rethink how we train and grow new veterinarians.

It’s not always about more training—sometimes it’s about improving the system itself. Kara encourages leaders to step back, ask “why,” and observe the workflow to spot the real barriers to success.

What’s Inside:

• Rethink Training for Efficiency
• Empower Through Clear Roles
• Lead with Confident Delegation
• Observe, Question, Improve Systems

Mentioned In This Episode:

Kara Herrmann on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Have you ever been disrespected by a colleague in the workplace? Mistreated at an event or a conference? You may have experienced intellectual bullying.

After attending a recent internal medicine conference, Dr. Emily Gould and Dr. Kate Aicher were inspired to study this type of interaction and come up with actionable solutions. In this episode, Emily and Kate role-play common scenarios of intellectual bullying in a hospital environment and provide tips for improving communication to move forward.

Diving deep into the psychology of behavior and drawing from their own real-world experiences, Emily and Kate cover the causes of intellectual bullying and the impact it has on colleagues and clients. Doing our inner work is key in fostering healthy relationships. With commitment and practice, every person can develop the skills needed to stop bullying in its tracks.

Bullying often happens when we expect perfection from others. When we remember that we’re all human, we can tap into more compassion and healthy connection.

What’s Inside:

• Defining intellectual bullying in the medical field.
• Role-playing common bullying scenarios and alternative outcomes.
• Understanding the behavioral psychology behind intellectual bullying.
• Developing the skills needed to foster healthy relationships.

Mentioned In This Episode:

egould@cvm.tamu.edu
kaicher@cvm.tamu.edu
Systematic review of academic bullying in medical settings: dynamics and consequences - PubMed
Study: Fair pay, appreciation for work top factors in employee retention | American Veterinary Medical Association
Culture: Building Happier, Healthier Teams and Practices in Veterinary Medicine - PubMed
ACVIM Forum 2024: Intellectual Bullying in Specialty Veterinary Medicine Notes Deck
ACVIM Forum 2024: Intellectual Bullying in Specialty Veterinary Medicine Proceedings
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Christa McKinley and Ranae Bart bring deep connections to the veterinary industry, which strengthens their role as financial advisors for those in the field. Injury? Illness? Job changes? Life happens—so how do you protect yourself? They stress the importance of understanding benefits, retirement planning, and making the most of every dollar.

In today’s episode, they share real stories from clients facing a range of life’s challenges and how they helped guide them toward financial wellness.

With firsthand insight into the struggles and stress points of veterinary life, this team helps create financial peace of mind. From life insurance and disability to long-term care, investments, and full practice benefit planning—Dr. Christa and Ranae cover it all.

Often, the biggest hurdle is simply the fear of getting started.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM). Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, and member of FINRA and SIPC, and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and trust services), a federal savings bank. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI.

The products and services referenced are offered and sold only by appropriately appointed and licensed entities and financial advisors and representatives. Financial advisors, representatives and their staff might not represent all entities shown or provide all the products or services discussed.

The case scenarios discussed contain information regarding Northwestern Mutual clients, their personal financial needs and how Northwestern Mutual met their needs. The personal financial needs and results of the clients shown may not be representative of the experience of other clients. Also, working with a Northwestern Mutual financial representative or any other financial services provider is not a guarantee as to future investment success.

What’s Inside:

• Supporting financial wellness in the vet med industry.
• Understanding benefit packages as an employee and employer.
• Protecting yourself in the face of life's challenges.
• Maximizing the value of every hard-earned dollar.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Northwestern Mutual
Ranae.bart@nm.com
Ranae on LinkedIn
Ranae Bart on Northwestern Mutual
christa.mckinley@nm.com
Crystal Stokes | LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab

View Details

Dr. Jennifer Edwards, a veterinarian turned leadership coach, brings 25 years of experience to the conversation about workplace satisfaction and personal fulfillment. At the core of her philosophy is the role of values—our deeply held beliefs, which are thoughts tied to emotions. When our work aligns with our values, life flows more easily, and we feel a sense of fulfillment.

However, challenges arise when our environment conflicts with our values. Consider a veterinarian who values thorough patient care but works for a corporation focused on mass scheduling. The dissatisfaction may stem not from the job itself but from a fundamental values misalignment. Dr. Edwards encourages individuals to reflect: Are you unhappy because your values aren’t being honored? Have your values changed, or has their expression evolved?

To achieve a values-aligned life, start by identifying what’s most important to you. Make a list of areas that feel off, compare them to your values, and take small steps toward alignment. While making these changes can be difficult, Dr. Edwards reminds us that living a life disconnected from our values is even harder. “Choose your hard,” she says—because you deserve a life that truly aligns with who you are.

What’s Inside:

• What are values?
• How to make changes to live a values-aligned life.
• How to tackle value challenges.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Dr. Jennifer Edwards
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Alexandra McLaughry has spent 20 years in veterinary medicine, experiencing firsthand the challenges vets face in client communication. When she noticed the outdated, inefficient software at her clinic lacked essential communication features, she and her husband, Stephen McLaughry, a software engineer and serial startup founder, set out to solve the problem.

What began as a streamlined communication platform evolved into VetBadger, a complete veterinary management system designed to put relationships first. VetBadger enhances client communication, task management, and team autonomy with an integrated chat system, eliminating pain points that slow down veterinary teams. By breaking down communication barriers, VetBadger helps clinics create meaningful connections between staff and clients, empowering veterinarians to provide real-time support.

You can enjoy veterinary medicine again! Sign up for a free 30-day trial of VetBadger with no risk, just better vet med.

What’s Inside:

• What is VetBadger?
• What are the pain points with outdated vet software?
• How streamlined communication can impact client and team relationships.

Mentioned In This Episode:

VetBadger
BarburVet
stephen@vetbadger.com
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

WisCARES is more than a veterinary clinic—it’s a vital support system for families experiencing low income or homelessness in Wisconsin. Now in its 11th year, this unique program blends outreach medicine with education, offering a comprehensive approach to care.

With a built-in social work component, WisCARES goes beyond veterinary services, connecting clients with food resources, fostering support, and other relevant resources. Fourth-year veterinary students participate in immersive two-week rotations, gaining hands-on experience in medical care while learning the nuances of financial conversations and the spectrum of care. This symbiotic relationship benefits both students and clients, fostering trust and education.

WisCARES operates with strategic scheduling—balancing short-term appointments, surgery days, and outreach efforts—maximizing impact despite funding challenges, the clinic’s biggest obstacle. Yet, the purpose-driven work here bridges critical gaps in care, creating powerful moments of connection and healing. WisCARES stands as a model for compassionate, community-based veterinary medicine.

If you’re interested in learning more or donating to WisCARES check out their website.

What’s Inside:

• WisCARES Community Vet Clinic
• How a vet clinic can support social resources for clients
• A unique, comprehensive teaching program for vet students.
• The impact of outreach medicine

Mentioned In This Episode:

WisCARES
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Jennifer Ward’s journey to veterinary pathology was anything but traditional. As a child, she nurtured sick and injured animals, but her path veered toward creative writing and literature. It wasn’t until she faced significant health challenges with her own pet and encountered veterinary pathologists during a trip to Africa that she discovered the profession she had unknowingly dreamed of—a blend of science, problem-solving, and compassion.

Veterinary pathologists specialize in understanding disease—its causes, development, and manifestations on both macro and microscopic levels. Dr. Ward founded Specialty VetPath, a high-touch lab owned and operated by veterinary pathologists. With a "your team is our team" philosophy, Specialty VetPath emphasizes timely, precise results while treating every sample as an extension of the patient. This approach fosters meaningful collaboration with veterinary hospitals, enhancing patient care.

Specialty VetPath also offers an educational component, The Alliance, offers workshops, on-demand training, business support, and resident mentorship. Designed for accessibility, it provides affordable membership options, high-quality resources, and a supportive community for veterinary professionals.

Dr. Ward’s passion for advancing veterinary pathology is palpable. Specialty VetPath is currently hiring lab techs and a lab manager, and they welcome new VetPath clients and members to The Alliance. Learn more about their services and opportunities on their website.

What’s Inside:

• Discovering the diverse roles available in vet med.
• What is a Veterinary Pathologist?
• A high-touch lab owned and operated by vet pathologists.
• An educational opportunity for clinicians and pathologists in vet med.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Specialty Vetpath
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Mansum Yau, a veterinarian with a passion for writing, discovered a unique niche by addressing a common challenge in clinics: cat carriers. From the struggle to get cats into carriers at home to the difficulty of handling scared felines at the vet, she noticed a persistent problem and set out to create a solution.

Her book, The Ins and Outs of Cat Carriers: A Veterinarian’s Guide to Cat Carriers, is a fully researched and educational resource with a creative twist. Filled with illustrations, quizzes, puzzles, jokes, and comics, it’s designed to educate while keeping things fun. The book aims to reduce stress and improve safety for cats, their owners, and veterinary teams alike.

For Dr. Yau, writing this book was more than just a professional endeavor—it became a creative escape and an opportunity to make an impact. She used it as a platform to explore new ideas and offer solutions to a real-world problem, bringing a fresh perspective to a topic many might overlook.

Her next focus is on litter boxes and house soiling, as she seeks to bring new ideas and approaches to the veterinary field through education and innovation. Dr. Yau believes in noticing pain points and barriers in everyday work and using creativity to address them, inspiring change in the industry.

She shares the wisdom that small, consistent efforts can build into something meaningful over time, encouraging others to take small steps toward their goals.

What’s Inside:

• A unique approach to an education veterinary book
• Creating a passion project over time.
• Thought Leadership: How to express your unique perspective and make an impact.

Mentioned In This Episode:
The Ins and Outs of Cat Carriers: A Veterinarian's Guide to Cat Carriers (The Ins and Outs of Cats)
drmansum@icloud.com
Dr. Mansum Yau
Dr. Mansum Yau on Instagram
Dr. Mansum Yau on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Alyssa Mages brings over 20 years of experience in veterinary medicine, with a significant focus on critical care. However, personal health challenges led her to rethink a physically demanding career. After much reflection and goal-setting, she founded Empowering Veterinary Teams (EVT) to address a vital need within the industry: creating better support systems and fostering growth for veterinary teams.

Veterinarians and technicians dedicate their careers to being the voice for animals, yet their own needs and perspectives within the workplace often go unnoticed. While standardized education prepares individuals to enter the field, there is little guidance on how to continue evolving professionally once part of a practice. EVT aims to change this by shifting the focus from individuals to the processes and dynamics within a team, using a collaborative approach to revamp educational and operational systems.

“We meet you where you are, with what you need,” Alyssa explains. Recognizing that no two clinics or hospitals operate the same way, EVT works closely with teams to identify their pain points and create tailored solutions that address their unique challenges.

Through a combination of coaching, hands-on training, group workshops, and personalized guidance, EVT empowers veterinary practices to function more effectively and cohesively. Alyssa shares real success stories, highlighting the transformative impact EVT has had on teams nationwide.

For more information about how EVT can help your practice, visit their website or connect with them on social media.

What’s Inside:

• A look at a unique role making a difference in VetMed.
• What is EVT?
• Coaching, training, and personalized guidance for vets and their teams.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Empowering Veterinary Teams 🐾🩺 (@empvetteam) on Instagram
Empowering Veterinary Teams - EVT, LLC
Empowering Veterinary Teams on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab

View Details

Liz Barton, founder of WellVet, has had the privilege of experiencing the full breadth of veterinary medicine throughout her career. This has not only enriched her professional journey but also given her a deep awareness of the challenges within the field.

She has previously joined us as a guest to discuss her work with Well Vet, an initiative aimed at connecting mothers in the profession and creating a strong support network. Now, as she enters what she calls the "Twilight of Motherhood," Liz has become passionate about supporting women through menopause and perimenopause. Given that veterinary medicine is predominantly a female-driven profession, this issue has never been more urgent.

Three out of four women will experience negative symptoms related to menopause, whether physical or psychological, which can impact both their relationships and overall health. For those who do not experience severe symptoms, the risk of increased health complications remains significant. Liz highlights these statistics and many other compelling reasons why women's health advocacy is crucial across all industries.

To address this, Liz has created a comprehensive, FREE resource designed to offer support. This includes information and practical advice presented in accessible, bite-sized videos. The content is grounded in the pillars of lifestyle medicine, breathwork and yoga techniques, as well as the neuropsychology of hormones.

Liz hopes to lead the way for the veterinary industry—and all industries—to take women's health seriously, providing the necessary education and support for every woman in the workplace.

What’s Inside:

• A problem facing a majority of the veterinary workforce.
• What effects can women experiencing menopause and perimenopause have at work and in the world?
• What are women facing during menopause and perimenopause?
• Blazing the trail for advocacy in women’s health.

Mentioned In This Episode:

WellVet
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Ruthanne Chun and Dr. Laura Garrett, both veterinary oncologists and professors, emphasize the transformative power of intentional communication in veterinary medicine. With years of experience training students and professionals, they’ve discovered that effective communication is as vital as medical skills.

Unlike humans, animals can’t express their needs directly, so veterinarians must bridge that gap with pet owners. Drs. Chun and Garrett define intentional communication as the practice of engaging with a mindset of “What can I do to build this relationship?” This approach is personal, requires self-awareness, and helps even seasoned clinicians build trust and rapport.

One common challenge is using closed-ended questions, which can feel like an interrogation. Instead, relationship-centered questions foster understanding and create bonds. Core skills include empathy, open-ended inquiry, reflective listening, and attention to nonverbal cues. Additional techniques—like pausing, chunking information, and signposting—help create a supportive environment where clients feel seen and heard.

Dr. Garrett demonstrates these skills through a scenario with an upset client, showing how empathy, open-ended questions, and reflective listening can defuse tension and improve communication. Dr. Chun highlights how each technique contributes to building trust and making challenging situations manageable.

Both emphasize that these skills can be learned gradually, one at a time. Even empathy, they note, can be developed through practice. For those interested in workshops, Drs. Chun and Garrett are available at ruthanne.chun@wisc.edu and garrett1@illinois.edu.

What’s Inside:

• What is intentional communication?
• How can closed-ended questions cause communication difficulties?
• Is it possible to learn empathy?
• The core skills for relationship-centered communications.
• Tools and skills for enhancing client and patient care.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Teaching Cultural Humility and Implicit Bias to Veterinary Medical Students: A Review and Recommendation for Best Practices
Experiences of empathy training in healthcare: A systematic review of qualitative studies
Didactic and Experiential Training to Teach Communication Skills: The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine Collaborative Experience
Communication identity in veterinary medicine: a grounded theory approach
Coaching and Feedback: Enhancing Communication Teaching and Learning in Veterinary Practice Settings
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

When Greg Bishop, a veterinarian, writer, and cartoonist, first learned nonviolent communication in veterinary medicine, it transformed how he dealt with difficult clients. What once felt like a precarious challenge became an opportunity to turn clients from ferocious lions into purring kitties.

Nonviolent communication is about staying aware of your own emotions during interactions. As Greg says, "Keep it Vertical." Acknowledge that "I have needs, you have needs—let’s work together to meet them." This mindset protects you from harmful comments, allowing you to stay focused on helping the client.

Greg shares real-life stories, including one where he took over a case involving a critically ill puppy. The client’s first phone call started with a tirade of complaints. Instead of getting triggered, Greg paused and thought, What does she need? By coaching the client to stay calm, he helped the team deliver life-saving care.

New to nonviolent communication? Greg suggests:

• Be patient and understanding
• Be as self-confident as possible
• Stay aware of your feelings and emotions

Clear communication and emotional awareness are key. If you listen, your client will tell you what matters to them, creating a richer experience for both of you.

You can follow Greg’s cartoons, blog, and more at his website, Sasquatch Paw.

What’s Inside:

• What is nonviolent communication?
• Steps to get started with nonviolent communication techniques.
• How nonviolent communication can impact client cases.
• Being emotionally self-aware and listening can tell you all you need to know right away.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Sasquatch Paw
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Glenn Robinson is a clinical coach and consultant who supports veterinary leaders, especially with clinic finances. Often, leaders are hesitant to discuss money, but finances play a crucial role in supporting your staff. Whether you’re experiencing a downturn in clients, facing equipment expenses, or looking to give your team a raise, being open and candid about clinic financials can help leaders put a plan in place to use money as the TOOL that it is.

Debunking Myths and Red Flags in Clinic Financials:

• Money is a dirty word: The biggest mistake is avoiding conversations about finances—especially about setting goals.
• Working harder = more money: Initially, yes, but over time it can lead to burnout and create other problems that may actually result in financial loss.
• Increasing prices, seeing more pets, and keeping costs low: These three common “levers” aren’t the real answer. Understanding clinic financials is more nuanced than that.

Finances aren’t just a leadership issue. When you get everyone involved in the financial goals, you can motivate the team to buy in and take ownership of the clinic's success. Dr. Glenn shares excellent examples of how to provide thorough, thoughtful care while compensating for lost revenue. It’s a win for both the client and the clinic—better care almost always correlates with better financials.

What’s Inside:

• How can clinic leaders get there team involved in clinic financials?
• How clinic finances impact your staff and clients.
• 3 “Myths” about clinic financials.
• Why better care equals better financials.

Mentioned In This Episode:Southwest Veterinary Solutions
Dr. Glenn Robinson on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Jennifer Edwards has lived what I call a full-circle life, combining her passions for conscious leadership and veterinary medicine. Before addressing how to "wake up" in your life, we explore the concept of living on autopilot—a condition affecting many. Jennifer describes the symptoms as dissatisfaction, feeling stuck, disempowerment, and a resignation to a “sucky life.” We dissect the disempowering phrase, “it is what it is.”

But what if you reject that mindset? What if you connect with yourself, wake up to your life, and realize you have a conscious choice? This is the heart of our conversation: taking responsibility for your life and every choice you make. Jennifer highlights the obstacles that often prevent people from embracing this—energy blocks (limiting beliefs) and guilt (imagined consequences of our choices).

Authenticity and responsibility are gifts, not only to yourself but to others. By seeking help, whether through a coach, therapy, or self-improvement books, you empower yourself to navigate challenges. Responsibility doesn’t just solve problems—it defines your life, placing your happiness firmly in your own hands instead of others'.

What’s Inside:

• Taking accountability and responsibility for the choices in your life.
• Obstacles and barriers to making conscious choices.
• How taking responsibility for our lives can impact everyone around us.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Dr. Jennifer Edwards
Book a Free Connection Call
Free e-book "3 Keys to Rediscovering Joy and Happiness in Your Life and Career"
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT - Full Circle Lab | LinkedIn

View Details

Are you entering a leadership position? Today, Dr. Sarah Gillings shares her leadership development journey and offers insights on how others stepping into leadership can make their desired impact.

Dr. Sarah gets right into the basics. Before you become a leader, you really don’t know what you don’t know. She reminds us that people pay much more attention to you than you realize, and your influence is significant. What you model will be echoed throughout your team. Additionally, you need to set explicit expectations for “The Bar,” AKA the minimum effort you expect from your team.

We discuss the importance of supporting your team in taking on more than just basic skills. By aiding in their advancement and not making assumptions about what they can handle, you can provide a sense of agency and growth in their careers—something critical to job satisfaction. Dr. Sarah provides a great example of training by scaffolding knowledge and expertise.

Communication style is another important factor that Dr. Sarah discusses. As team members step into leadership roles, whether you're a hospital manager or a DVM, providing what we call a “Leader Operating Manual” for your team can be extremely valuable. While it does take work and requires setting aside your ego, letting your team know what makes you tick and what you expect can create a consistent and comfortable work environment.

What’s Inside:

• What should you know as a new leader?
• How leaders influence their team.
• Communication matters when it comes to leading your team.
• Supporting your team with advancement and agency.

Mentioned In This Episode:Sarah Gillings on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

We are operating in a time where diverse generations like the Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials, and even some Gen Z, are working together in one clinic. These individuals come with varying backgrounds, lifestyles, and lived experiences that all impact the way they work. Dr. Craig Clifford joins me with his perspective as an overworking, burnout-prone Gen X.

Dr. Clifford explains the mindset shift that has had to occur as younger generations bring in the value of self-care and quality of life over productivity and higher income. Older generations may be quick to point the finger and claim these younger generations “aren’t hard workers,” but with veterinary suicides at such a high rate, it poses the thought that maybe we all should be focusing on work-life balance a little more.

So how can you bridge that gap in your practice?

1. Create connections outside the clinic—get to know your peers and see them for more than just their position at work.
2. Pair up—when it comes to CEs, get those diverse generations together to share their different views and work together.
3. Workshops—sometimes it can be fun to get talking about the elephant in the room; be intentional about talking about the unique benefits your generation brings to the clinic.

Dr. Clifford shares some of these tips and more insight on why every generation is important in the clinic and how even more powerful it is when we work together.

What’s Inside:

• How can such diverse generations work together?
• The pros and cons of each generation?
• Tips to use in your practice to create cohesion in the age gap.

Mentioned In This Episode:Craig Clifford on Facebook
Craig Clifford on LinkedIn
Craig Clifford (@oncvet22) on Instagram
The Boy Who Wanted To be A Veterinarian: Conor's Journey
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Today I am joined by Tedd Trabert and Dr. Bill Wagner of Associated Veterinary Partners. AVP is a veterinarian-founded and veterinarian-operated network of veterinary hospitals, managing 16 partner practice locations across 12 states in the U.S. Unlike many others, AVP is not controlled by private equity; all partner locations are co-owned by AVP and local practice leaders. This unique partnership model allows AVP to combine the strengths of both independent and corporate ownership, providing resources and support to partner practices while maintaining their local culture, values, and medical autonomy.

‘Love What You Do Again, Join AVP’ is a slogan Tedd uses as a hallmark of the heart of AVP and what it's like to work with them. We discuss how they provide hope to the new generation of vets, putting ownership in their grasp. Working with AVP as a partner involves putting culture and relationships at the forefront of the practice while their team supports you in finding your voice as a leader. Dr. Wagner explains the autonomous process of working with AVP, along with having access to support and guidance as you grow your confidence. This is truly a new opportunity for all in the vet med industry.

Those interested in learning more about AVP can visit yourvetpartner.com. AVP welcomes connections with current practice owners planning their practice transition, aspiring practice owners interested in co-ownership opportunities with AVP, and veterinary team members seeking roles at one of the partner practices or at the AVP Success Center.

What’s Inside:

• What kind of partnership does AVP offer?
• A new option for veterinarians in practice leadership.
• Support AND autonomy in practice ownership.
• Keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive with the new generation of vets.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Associated Veterinary Partners
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Our guest today is Meghan Bingham, Vet Advisor at Granite Peak Associates. During our conversation, she emphasized the importance of realigning the team within a veterinary clinic to foster positive energy, professionalism, and psychological safety. Daily challenges such as cranky clients, the grief of euthanasia, and unfortunate medical mistakes can lead to negative attitudes, toxic behavior, and tension among team members. Recognizing signs like microaggression and pervasive negativity is crucial in identifying the need for a reset. Professionalism plays a pivotal role in this process, encompassing appropriate workplace conversations, a clean and neat appearance, and the use of professional language and correct medical terms. Meghan suggests using a “code word” as a gentle reminder for team members to maintain professional behavior without being overbearing.

Effective onboarding and communication are essential to maintaining a positive team dynamic. Revamping the handbook language to be engaging and easy to consume, along with including key words that capture attention, can significantly enhance focus and retention. Validating feelings while encouraging the team to move forward helps maintain morale. Providing space for team members to acknowledge their grief, such as through art therapy, can also mitigate tension. An "if this, then that" mentality fosters structured problem-solving without placing blame, promoting a supportive and collaborative environment.

During a team reset, it’s vital to collectively define professionalism and address the most significant issues. We recommend incorporating a professional and personal peak activity weekly or daily to keep the team’s energy positive. By implementing these strategies, clinics can create a more cohesive and positive work environment, ensuring both staff well-being and optimal patient care. You can find more from Meghan Bingham on her LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• Recognizing when your team needs to realign.
• What causes negativity and attention in a clinic?
• Using onboarding to inform and lead the team.
• Collaborating within the clinic to solve problems and reset.

Mentioned In This Episode:mbingham@granitepeakcpa.com
Meghan S. Bingham, BA, CVPM - Veterinary Advisor - Granite Peak Associates | LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

Jake McCormack is the Leadership Trainer at Veterinary Practice Partners, but he is also a Retired Marine Corps Combat Veteran. This unlikely transition of careers is actually more connected than one might think.

During our powerful and emotional conversation, Jake shares his experiences in the military with trauma, loss, and mental health struggles. These are some of the same difficulties at their core that members of the vet med space also experience. Including an epidemic in suicides. Why? What is lacking in support?

That’s where Jakes expertise in resilience comes in. He shares the central elements of resilience that are critical to veterinarians and their teams. These must be built into permanent systems so that all vets have access. We also can’t forget our tribe, our teams, and those support people we lean on. This is a crucial piece of resilience; you don’t have to go through difficult times alone.

Jake is such an inspiration and support to those in the field; if you’re in need of some extra support and a little hype, don’t be afraid to reach out!

What’s Inside:

• Jake McCormack’s personal story of resilience.
• Drawing comparisons in the worlds of military and veterinary medicine.
• Creating resilience and support in the vet med space.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Jake McCormack (@jakefromvpp) on Instagram
Jake McCormack on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

View Details

I am betting every veterinarian and pet owner has a story about how finances profoundly affected them when it came to veterinary care. I’ve shared my story about the weight I felt from frequent economic euthanasia. Money conversations are not just something that plague pet owners when they step up to the payment counter; there is depth on the other side of the exam table as well. In this episode, I talk with two women in the industry who are separately making great strides in the access and affordability of veterinary care.

Suzanne Cannon is the co-founder of VetBilling. Many times, pet owners are faced with an emergent situation and extreme vet costs they simply cannot pay right away. Even insurance is a reimbursement model, and not many pet owners can pay thousands of dollars up front. Care credit has algorithms that can leave perfectly adequate clients unable to receive credit. VetBilling is a privately managed in house financing, where clinics set the policies and terms and they do the rest. Finally, allowing options and solutions for pet parents who desperately want to pay for care but may not be able to do so all at once.

Rachel Lemcke, founder of Amwell Data Services, works on the other side of the door. She works with clinics and labs to find the optimal prices and efficiencies to keep care affordable while still being profitable. When vets carefully consider their costs, they can charge what they need to while allowing client affordability, and they can leave room for their hard work and care to be appreciated.

Suzanne so beautifully puts her mission as “I want to unbreak hearts.”. As members of the vet med industry, we are all here first and foremost for the care of animals. The work discussed in today’s episode will hopefully increase access to care and make the difficult money conversations even a little bit easier.

What’s Inside:

• Veterinary Costs, the effect from the other side of the exam table.
• Creating a payment option that will increase access to care.
• A privately managed in house payment program.
• Optimizing costs, operational efficiencies, and lab vendor relationships.
• Improving the effect finances have on pets, pet parents, AND veterinary professionals.

Mentioned In This Episode:Amwell Data Services LLC: Independent Veterinary Laboratory Consulting
vetbilling | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Through our Linktree, visitors can access VetBilling's website, schedule a demo, check out our CE course, read the research on the efficacy of VetBilling's payment plans, and connect with our social media channels.

Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT - Full Circle Lab | LinkedIn

View Details

This episode features an Interview I did with Tom Seeko, host of the Smarter Vet Financial Podcast. We start off our conversation with my origin story and my childhood desires to become a veterinarian, as well as my experience in college at NC State. Shocked by the frequency of economic euthanasia, I entered a quarter life crisis and found psychotherapy to be so helpful in transformative therapy during this transition in my life. Leading me to the eventual path that matched up my passion for both therapy and the vet med world.

In 2019, I founded Full Circle Lab, where we work directly with veterinary practices and individual professionals to address the challenges that can lead to burnout and turnover. We aim to bring veterinary professionals full circle, back to their passion for improving the lives of animals while caring for their own lives too.

Tom and I unpack how practices can make changes to their clinic and find solutions to increase veterinary retention using data, confidential team interviews, and implementing initiatives. There are many areas of a clinic, team, and leadership that can impact the team's experiences and, in turn, the retention rate, but together, there are many solutions to work toward.

What’s Inside:

• Crystal Stokes story from vet school to psychotherapy.
• Creating Full Circle Lab.
• Solutions for veterinary retention.
• An interview from the Smarter Vet Financial Podcast.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT - Full Circle Lab | LinkedIn
Smarter Vet Financial Podcast

View Details

PetSmart Charities, the nonprofit arm affiliated with PetSmart, is dedicated to increasing access to veterinary care for pets across the country. In this episode I had a great chat with Robyn James, the director of veterinary affairs, the organization is tackling significant challenges to support pets and their owners. Together we discuss the challenges that occur with access to care. Financial barriers are a major issue, with nearly half of all pets living in households earning $55,000 or less annually, often living paycheck to paycheck, Geographic barriers in rural locations, and an overall shortage of veterinary professionals. These strains mean many owners cannot access necessary veterinary care, leading to negative outcomes such as untreated illnesses and injuries, increased euthanasia rates, crowded shelters, and declining mental health for both pet owners and veterinarians.

To address these challenges, PetSmart Charities operates as a separate entity with its own board, connecting pets and owners through various initiatives. One notable effort is allowing customers to donate on the pinpad at PetSmart stores, providing a simple way for the public to contribute.

Acknowledging that there is no quick fix to the estimated $21 billion annual gap in veterinary care, PetSmart Charities advocates for innovative and multifaceted solutions. These include testing payment plans and programs to ease the financial burden on pet owners and partnering with food banks to distribute pet food to families in need. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of educating pet owners about diverse treatment standards and options, which may differ from traditional methods but still provide effective care.

The organization calls for an "all hands on deck" approach, encouraging collective efforts from nonprofits, for profits, and even clinics to create sustainable and inclusive solutions. By changing how veterinary care is approached and supported, PetSmart Charities aims to improve the lives of pets, their families AND veterinarians, ensuring that more animals receive the care they need to thrive.

What’s Inside:

• What is PetSmart Charities?
• What are the barriers in access to veterinary care?
• How can we come together across the industry to increase access to care?
• Petsmart initiatives to improve the lives of pets and their families.

Mentioned In This Episode:rojaynes@petsmartcharities.org
Robyn Jaynes - Director of Veterinary Affairs - PetSmart Charities | LinkedIn

View Details

Today I am joined by a panel of guests: Elizabeth Chosa, Laurie Fonken, Ami VanDeventer, and Trish Oberdorf from Veterinary Hope Foundation. Together, they give a 360 view of VHF and how it is growing and evolving continuously.

Plagued by the question, “Could anyone truly be happy in the field?” Founders and board members came together to create supportive solutions and prevent crises. VHF is all about action for positive difference, with a mission to create hope for a path forward as well as build a community for REAL connection and support.

Within their support groups, VHF is inclusive of areas and groups and impacts all throughout vet med. As explained by today’s guests from varied perspectives, the support groups are a complete safe container to go deep into a magic mixture of confidentiality guidelines, generous listening, trust, and feeling seen.

Every veterinarian needs to utilize the resources of VHF, especially within their first 6 weeks! You don't have to be hurting; you don't have to be in crisis, as one of the co-founders explains; we can all learn to have better boundaries, communicate better, resolve conflict, and live in accordance with our values. Sometimes you have to push yourself to do that hard thing, but you rarely regret it.

What veternarians need more than anything? Hope. That's what Veterinary Hope Foundation is all about.

What’s Inside:

• Veterinary Hope Foundation, finding happiness for the vet med industry.
• Inclusive support groups filled with trust and generous listening.
• Resources are vital for veterinarians at any point in their journey.
• An offer of hope and path forward.

Mentioned In This Episode:Sign up for the Newsletter - Veterinary Hope Foundation
Veterinary Hope Foundation
Veterinary Hope Foundation (@veterinaryhope) on Instagram
Veterinary Hope Foundation on LinkedIn

View Details

You are going to love this conversation with Get MotiVETed Founder, Renee Machel. Get MotiVETed offers comprehensive wellbeing solutions for veterinary professionals. Their programs enhance individual and organizational wellness through world-class systems and entertaining content. Services include a CVBP Program, podcasts, RACE-approved courses, and personalized initiatives. They also provide suicide prevention and postvention services.

Get MotiVETed University [GMU] was born from the idea—what happens after the conference? With tools for support and empowerment, they offer self paced programs for a variety of content. Renee shares how the GMU team works to accept and input feedback and how valuable every single testimonial is.

You can feel the passion from Renee as she discusses the work she does with Get MotiVETed and beyond. As we close out our conversation, she reminds listeners that there is hope. There are so many ways to get support; there is a person for you, a course for you, a book for you—there is something out there. You are not alone.

You can find out more about Renee and Get MotiVETed at the provided links for their websites and LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• What is Get MotiVETed University?
• Continuing education beyond the conference.
• How can members of the vetmed industry benefit from GMU?
• Finding support in the Vet Med industry.

Mentioned In This Episode:Get MotiVETed - Dr. Hawley & Renee Machel - YouTube
Renee Machel on LinkedIn
Get MotiVETed! Veterinary Wellbeing Solutions on LinkedIn
Get MotiVETed
Get MotiVETed (@get_motiveted) on Instagram

View Details

In the demanding world of veterinary medicine, burnout is a pervasive challenge that can significantly impact professionals' well-being and job satisfaction. Steve Oehley, the founder of Next Step Vet, understands the complexities of this issue and offers valuable guidance to help veterinary professionals not just survive, but thrive in their careers. By recognizing the signs of burnout, such as overwork and emotional strain, individuals can take proactive steps to address these challenges and regain a sense of fulfillment in their work.

Steve emphasizes the importance of aligning work with personal strengths and fostering genuine connections with colleagues and clients. By leveraging their strengths and cultivating meaningful relationships, veterinary professionals can create a more rewarding and sustainable work environment. This approach not only enhances job satisfaction but also contributes to a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose in their professional lives.

Through tools like journaling, strengths assessments, and networking strategies, Next Step Vet empowers veterinary professionals to navigate career challenges with confidence and resilience. By embracing a growth mindset and remaining open to new opportunities, individuals can continue to learn and evolve in their careers. With the support and guidance provided by Next Step Vet's coaching program, veterinary professionals can overcome burnout and chart a path toward a fulfilling and successful career in veterinary medicine, whether in the clinic or out.

What’s Inside:

• Recognizing signs of burnout: overwork, emotional strain.
• Aligning work with personal strengths and fostering genuine connections.
• Utilizing tools like journaling, strengths assessments, and networking.
• Embracing a growth mindset, staying curious, and remaining open to new opportunities

Mentioned In This Episode:

CliftonStrengths Online Talent Assessment | EN - Gallup
Next Step Vet is here!
Steve Oehley on LinkedIn
Steve Oehley on Instagram

View Details

Handling dispute in animal industry can be frustrating, painful, and costly. Debra Hamilton, of Hamilton Law and Mediation, is dedicated to supporting individuals passionate about animal welfare and those working in the animal industry. Her focus is all about finding peaceful resolutions, recognizing that pets are more than just property—they're cherished members of the family.

Hamilton offers mediation and conflict coaching services, providing a constructive space for sorting out disagreements related to animals. She believes in creating a safe and respectful environment where everyone can speak their mind without fear.

She emphasizes the importance of moving away from knee-jerk reactions and toward working together to solve problems. Hamilton understands how conflicts can make you feel frustrated and ignored, so she focuses on building trust and empathy among all parties involved.

Stop talking and listen, Drop the need to be right, and let what they’re saying Roll off your back because you’re not in their shoes. Liking raging conflict to a fire, her "Stop Drop and Roll" approach is all about taking a step back, letting go of the need to be right, and being open to different perspectives. By doing this, Hamilton believes conflicts can turn into opportunities for growth and understanding.

If you are in need of conflict resolution, connect with Hamilton Law and Mediation.

What’s Inside:

• What role does mediation play in vet related conflicts?
• How to resolve conflict for the benefit of the pet and the person.
• Approaching conflict with curiosity.
• Stop, Drop, and Roll… Debra’s policy for reducing conflict.

Mentioned In This Episode:dhamilton@hamiltonlawandmediation.com
Hamilton Law and Mediation
Debra Hamilton (@HLawMediation) / X
Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton - Hamilton Law and Mediation on LinkedIn

View Details

Ryan Leech starts out this really intriguing conversation with a case for AI and why it is not to be feared. The bottom line is that AI tools like Chat GPT, Spotify DJ, and Digitails AI Tool: Tails are human prompted and meant to offload time consuming and often mundane tasks so that we can do the things we’re skilled at.

Digitails has introduced AI into their PMS in the form of a cute little fox friend, Tails. Tails can help vet clinics with everything from online booking, patient intake, debriefing before appointments, note taking with passive listening, diagnostic recommendations, and even sending perfectly worded emails about the payments clients may have missed. These tasks that Tails takes on free up the veterinarian's brain to be more present in appointments, see more clients, and do other important things their brain may be too burnt out to get to.

Like Ryan mentions at the beginning of the episode, AI is meant to be proofread. Everything Tails suggests is not an affirmative action; instead, it can be a secondary opinion, giving veterinarians the confidence to explore other options even if they decide to stick to their original plan. What a cool way to keep learning through day to day practice!

Ryan explains how listeners can try Tails and, if you’re not yet a Digitails customer, what their onboarding process looks like. As he describes, changing PMS is not painless…but with Digitails, it's worth it. There is really so much opportunity on the horizon with technology like AI; Ryan’s advice is to just try it!

What’s Inside:

• Should you be afraid of AI?
• How AI can help veterinarians day to day.
• How Tails, the AI system from Digitails works with and for veterinarians.
• Opportunities AI can create in the vet med industry.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Digitail

View Details

The reality of being a veterinarian is that you create relationships and bonds with the pets you work with over the years, and the longer your career, the more pets you see in full circle.

The process of euthanasia for Dr. Pam Johnson’s childhood Doberman impacted her entire career. She knew she wanted to do better for the pets and clients she would encounter. 10 years into her career, she began to feel the heaviness of grief after losing so many pets she had cared for over the years.

We have a powerful conversation about the needs of the client AND the vet during the process of euthanasia. This involves empathy, compassion, and support before, during, and after the act. It’s also important for vets to understand and respect differing opinions on the quality of life of a pet. Vets should be able to provide reassurance and peace alongside the unavoidable pain of pet loss.

As a veterinarian, you likely experience euthanasia daily, which can take a huge mental toll. Especially with the ying yang of emotions of grieving a pet to turn around and enter a joyous puppy in the next exam room. Dr. Johnson addresses the lack of training and support for vets when it comes to such an emotional service as euthanasia.

Dr. Johnson and her husband have started a new consulting and coaching business, Veterinary Mastermind. She uses her 30 years of experience in vet medicine to help vets advise clients with extraordinary pet health decisions.

What’s Inside:

• Why euthanasia cannot be a transactional experience.
• Advising and supporting clients through euthanasia.
• The need for more support, coaching, and training when it comes to emotional services.
• Navigating euthanasia as a veterinarian.
• Grieving while supporting; The mental load of a veterinarian.

Mentioned In This Episode:
drpam.vmm@gmail.com
Dr Pam Johnson - Associate - Accelerated Performance solutions | LinkedIn

View Details

Today’s guest, Sydney Wandix, speaks to one of my favorite topics: the varying opportunities that fit under the vet med umbrella. There are so many careers available in this field that you don’t have to be stuck; you can try new things and hopefully find just the right fit.

Sydney has run the gamut of jobs in the veterinary industry and is a licensed veterinary technician. She works for UrgentVet as an Expansion Manager, traveling to her company’s new clinics to support and develop the clinic team. Monday through Friday, Sydney reaches new cities and states to work with a team, seeing new people and new clinics every month. She provides managerial support and assistance with new roles.

During our conversation, Sydney shared some outstanding tips she feels younger Sydney could have benefited from, and hopefully newcomers to the field can now.

1. Confidence is key
2. Talk less and listen more
3. Don't be afraid to have the “hard” conversations
4. Never assume
5. Take time for yourself

And if you take anything away from this episode, remember to get out there and try these opportunities within the vet med industry. If your current role isn't serving you, there ARE other options.

What’s Inside:

• An interesting job in the vet med industry.
• Seeing the opportunities within the veterinary field.
• Tips for newcomers to the vet med field.

Mentioned In This Episode:Connect with Sydney Wandix on LinkedIn

View Details

We have another incredible full circle story for you on this episode. Dr. Natalie Fayman shares her journey beyond vetmed after 33 years of exhaustion and burnout led her to a point of no return. When a life coach helped Dr. Fayman work through her emotional eating coping mechanism, she had a powerful breakthrough and a total epiphany through positive intelligence. Leading her to the passion of helping other veterinarians make the same mental transformation so they can stop dreading their jobs and find positivity at work again.

Stress resilience is so important for veterinarians, who experience many stress triggers on a daily basis. Dr. Fayman goes over some of those triggers and how to manage them. We discuss unhappy clients, conflict resolution, micromanagement, and a big one… how to say no when you need to.

An important factor in stress reduction is taking care of your body. Dr. Fayman places emphasis on proper nutrition, hydration, positive sleep habits, play time, and physical release of energy. These are all basic needs that can get swept under the rug when you’re stressed and overwhelmed at work, but they will make the biggest difference physically and mentally.

Dr. Fayman reminds vets, Put the oxygen mask on yourself first! You deserve a happy and stress free life, and it’s possible to set boundaries while being successful in your career. You can find out more about Dr. Fayman and her coaching via her website and other links provided below.

What’s Inside:

• What is stress resilience?
• What is positive intelligence?
• How to work through common stress triggers in vet med.
• Tips for taking care of yourself and reducing stress in the veterinary industry.

Mentioned In This Episode:No Limits Coaching
natalie@nolimitscoachingnow.com
Schedule a free meeting with Natalie
Live Without Limits-Stress Resilience and Mental Fitness | Facebook
Natalie Fayman - Positive Intelligence | LinkedIn

View Details

Does your veterinary job leave you depleted? Worn out? Reaching for chocolate and caffeine day after day after day? Kirbie Be had the same experience when she was an elementary school teacher. She shares with us her story of declining physical and mental health… all culminating in a big shift when she took a contract in the Caribbean at a prep school for the families of those at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

It was there in St. Kitts that Kirbie changed her life, and everyone noticed! She began building and learning a series of healthy habits that benefited her health (physically and mentally), and even though she was spending more time on herself, her energy was overflowing. This is where Vet Vive Wellness was born.

From starting a yoga and fitness studio on the island to helping veterinarians at the university reach their health goals, Kirbie has created programs and spaces for veterinarians and veterinary students to recover, reduce stress, and build habits that not only impact their health but improve their performance at work and school.

In a career with little to no margin for error, it's easy to develop an all or nothing mindset while striving for perfection. Kirbie’s biggest advice is to not give in to all or nothing. Choose your goals, list the skills needed to reach those goals, and break them down into actionable habits one small step at a time.

If you want to learn more about Kirbie and Vet Vive Wellness, you can visit her website, socials, or send them an email.
What’s Inside:

• The cost of prioritizing your career over your own health
• How healthy skills and habits can improve your job performance
• Healthy habits and their link to mental health
• Tips for introducing new health habits with success

Mentioned In This Episode:
Vet Vive Wellness
hello@vetvivewellness.com
Vet Vive Wellness - LinkedIn
Vet Vive Wellness on Facebook

View Details

A fun bunch joins me for this episode. I sat down with Dr. Chad Ely, Dr. Jessica Schultz, Dr. Lindsey Goeckner, and Dr. Mara Fehrenbacher from Effingham Vet Clinic.

During our conversation, the glue that holds them together was no surprise. Humor. The team at Effingham has no shortage of jokes for each other when it comes to work. They find that taking a lighthearted laugh is the best cure for stress, even in intense situations. They describe their natural boundaries and capacity for poking fun (even at themselves) as a huge contribution to their happy atmosphere.

They’re not wrong either, because when it comes to vet clinics, Effingham has a great retention rate. What’s the secret sauce? Alongside Dr. Ely, the colleagues chime in with what value they find in their practice: mentorship, trust, and understanding; personal and professional support; cohesive practice; people that make you want to stay; and a great mix of age and experience.

They share some great stories throughout the episode about their appreciation for their clinic and how they’ve handled stressful emergencies. It’s always about their team. Every new hire is first and foremost added as a cohesive piece, so that the support, camaraderie, and family at Effingham Vet Clinic are ever-growing. It might be work, BUT it’s supposed to be fun.

What’s Inside:

• How does humor and happy people impact veterinary practice?
• The secret sauce for high retention.
• Creating a cohesive practice with trust and support.
• “It’s supposed to be fun”, something we may forget when it comes to work.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Dr. Chad Ely on LinkedIn
Effingham Veterinary Clinic
Effingham Veterinary Clinic

View Details

Dr. Neil Shaw is the founder of SignalPET, where he has worked to refine revolutionary AI technology to boost veterinary confidence and reduce stress with assisted diagnostics.

When a pet comes in for care, there are a variety of scenarios that could take place, and many fall to a pivotal question: Do they need radiology? This question can lead to an out of office referral, long wait times, or even skipping radiology due to a lower confidence veterinarian or maybe a lack of funds from the client. This can mean lower care benefits for the patient and client.

The technology behind SignalPET provides support that was once only available to a few—to millions. This AI works across the globe to read in house radiographs and deliver reliable, confident results while the patient is still in the exam room. Vets no longer need to stress about whether they should or should not recommend radiology because it’s more accurate and affordable. Leveling up care and lowering the barriers.

When a technology such as this enters the space, it can be scary, especially for radiologists. But during my chat with Dr. Neil Shaw, I was assured that this is an asset to be used with confidence alongside your expertise, strengthening your trust with your clients. While also reducing time to read films, reach patients, and create care plan steps.

You can find out more about SignalPET by visiting their website or LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• A danger to emphasis on specialties when it comes to general veterinary practice.
• A solution for immediate exam room support for GP Vets.
• How SignalPET, an AI company is transforming radiology for veterinarians.
• A revolutionary way to raise the level of care while lowering the barrier.

Mentioned In This Episode:SignalPET
SignalPET® | LinkedIn

View Details

As providers in the veterinary industry, we have compassionate hearts, always wanting to help pets and their people too. But palliative care can be hard to bear, especially when you’re having difficult conversations daily.

Dr. Rachel Venable is the owner of Pet Cancer Care Consulting, where she offers teleconsulting. Telemedicine is growing in the vet industry and can be a great option for providers and clients when it comes to access, availability, cost barriers, and time value. Dr. Venable shares some ‘need to know’ information when it comes to telemedicine and operating within your state's regulations.

The reality of vet care, especially palliative care, is that you can’t always cure the pet. So how do you tell your clients bad news? Dr. Venable shares her tips on how to navigate these conversations so that you can be the most educational, supportive, and kind provider.

1. Plan Your Conversation - What are you going to say? Consider what the goals of care might be and what you CAN offer to the client
2. Refine Communication and Nonverbal Cues - How do you communicate in general? Consider your language, tone, and body language.
3. Utilize Silence - Silence is powerful. When you deliver bad news, let natural silence have its place; clients will cue you to continue speaking when they’re ready.
4. Find a Safe Space to Vent - You don’t have to handle bad news alone. Vent and appropriately let out emotions to co-workers and trusted friends, so that you have emotional space to continue.

When it comes to navigating these hard conversations and executing professional communication in vet care, Dr. Venable encourages providers to seek resources like continuing education courses as well as podcasts.

If you’re interested in contacting Dr. Venable about her teleconsulting, you can reach her via her website in the format that applies to your situation!

What’s Inside:

• How to navigate difficult conversations like giving bad news.
• How your communication skills impact delivery of news to clients.
• The power of silence in difficult conversations.
• The benefit of telemedicine in the veterinary industry.
• Navigating laws and rules in telemedicine and teleconsulting.

Mentioned In This Episode:Pet Cancer Care Consulting
Pet Cancer Care Consulting on Facebook
Pet Cancer Care Consulting (@petcancercareconsulting) on Instagram
Rachel Venable on LinkedIn

View Details

I met Daniel Valdes during a Celeritas Digital virtual peer group discussion (stay tuned till the end and check the links so you can get involved). Daniel is a dedicated project manager with Celeratis, a technology company with a heavy hand in animal health.

Daniel has a personal connection to the vet industry and veterinary wellness, not only as a pet owner but also with his veterinarian sister. He has a strong passion for creating a better relationship and closing the gap with vet med and technology.

In our discussion, he shares innovative ideas to ease the pain points for veterinarians by utilizing solutions from the industries around us. Like simple technology to make queues and wait time easier and more bearable on the vet med and client side.

Most notably, Daniel has worked with NOMV [Not One More Vet] to create an app. This application, now makes NOMV’s incredible resources for veterinarians right into the pockets of people who need them.

Daniel and Celeritas Digital are working to create surprising and needed opportunities for technology and the vet med industry.

What’s Inside:

• Celeritas Digital, technology for animal health.
• Innovative solutions for veterinary pain points.
• Bettering the relationship of vet med and technology.
• A resourceful app for a critical Veterinary organization, NOMV.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Daniel.Valdes@CeleritasDigital.com
Daniel Valdes - LinkedIn
Celeritas Digital - We Design and Build Technology for Businesses Focused on Animal Health. | LinkedIn
Celeritas Digital
Celeritas Digital Webinars

View Details

Early on in Dr. Corey Blake’s, owner of Oceanside Animal Hospital and founder of Sacred Leadership, career, she realized owning a practice is much more than being a good DVM. She became so invested in doing the best for her team, clients, and patients. Burnout was surely following. This is when she discovered Embodiment and Embodied Leadership.

Too often, we are chasing external validation and external circumstances and expecting internal happiness. In order to live and lead with joy, we have to first take care of ourselves internally. She has built these ideas into her practice to support her team members: focusing on the idea of connecting to the why by acknowledging the difference you’re making, boosting your self-talk, bragging on team members, and intentionally accepting compliments.

Disembodiment is a natural occurrence when you consider our society's values of intellectuality and external accomplishments. This constant search leads to a chronic fight or flight, depleting the nervous system and causing burnout.

How can you stop this and get on the path to embodiment today? Dr. Blake shares these tips:

• Are you tense and anxious? Test your body by noticing how it feels to clench your arm and slowly release from shoulder to fist.
• Reframe your talk and thoughts to reflect positively.
• Get to know yourself. What do you truly like and dislike? Pay attention to your body's natural physical no and yes responses.

Embodiment is a complex idea, but Dr. Blake does a beautiful job describing how this directly applies to the veterinary field. She leaves us with a great reminder that you cannot truly know if a career is causing your burnout until you change yourself and how you approach it. When you light yourself within, you will likely find joy right where you are!

What’s Inside:

• What is embodied leadership in veterinary medicine?
• How leading and working from a disembodied state leads to burnout.
• Tips for building internal value practices into your clinic.
• Beginning your mind and body connect to become a better leader.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Oceanside Animal Hospital
Wild Sacred Self - Embodied Leadership
Corey.Blake@sacredleadership.net

View Details

Before she founded BETTERinary Personal Coaching, Dr. Ashlee Bruewer experienced the benefits of coaching.

From the age of 3, Dr. Bruewer remembers admiring her family veterinarian and wanting to be a small animal vet herself. Between then and now, she has reached her goal, but her career has taken many turns in between.

Dr. Bruewer shares her personal story in which she felt pressure to meeting a “Gold Standard” impossible for her resources and environment, leading to feelings of not being good enough…burn out…and even suicidal ideations. She was able to connect with a coach who transformed her life, pulling her from rock bottom.

Not only did Dr. Bruewer reconnect with her passion for Vet Med and finally end up in the small animal care she always dreamed of, but her appreciation for the coaching that helped her save her life motivated her to start her own coaching business.

With a mission to help veterinarians before they reach rock bottom, Dr. Bruewer shares 5 impactful strategies.

1. Mind your mind and know your goals
2. Acknowledge the stress cycle
3. Swap perfection for adaptive excellence
4. Developing a personal support team
5. Surprise yourself

Dr. Ashlee Bruewer provides some great inspiration for the great humans that veterinarians are, so they can continue their love for animals and serve those who love their animals.

What’s Inside:

• Dr. Bruewer’s personal story of burnout and struggle in veterinary medicine.
• How personal coaching helped Dr. Bruewer reconnect to VetMed.
• 5 Strategies for veterinarians beginning to struggle in the field.
• Resources for suicidal ideations and other symptoms of burnout in veterinary medicine.

Mentioned In This Episode:
betterinarycoaching@gmail.com
BETTERinary Personal Coaching, LLC - Facebook
Ashlee Bruewer - LinkedIn
@dr.coach_ashleeb on Instagram
Not One More Vet

View Details

Booster Vet is leading a revolution in the veterinary care industry. CEO of Booster Vet, Dr. Katie nCutter joins me to explain their model and the wellness benefits that come along with it.

The veterinary industry has one that has experienced a lot of change over the years, experienced a lot of struggles, and as Dr. Cutter points out…needs to step back and build sustainable systems to support the industry. Those in vet care deserve wellness and quality of life, while doing a job they love. Booster Vet is just that!

Dr. Cutter explains how they utilize in clinic telemedicine to leverage their veterinarians, vet techs and other hospital staff to create efficient complete wellness exams. Every clinic offers these staffed telemed visits while having one boots on ground veterinarian with support for urgent care situations. These visits offer the flexibility of telehealth without limiting care, these visits are fully supported by highly trained techs with full diagnostic scope featuring highly developed technology.

With Booster Vet, veterinarians and vet techs see benefits like higher than industry standard wages, focused daily jobs, and more. While clients and patients have increased access to quality care.

The sustainable systems built by Booster Vet are an answer to problems in the veterinary industry, and prove you can have profitable clinics AND happy staff, clients, and patients.

What’s Inside:

• What is the Booster Vet model?
• Utilizing in clinic telemedicine for more efficient wellness visits?
• How the structure of Booster Vet benefits staff, clients, and patients.
• A veterinary model that is built on sustainable systems.

Mentioned In This Episode:
BoosterPet

View Details

Dr. Pamelar Hale has returned to the podcast, this time with her colleagues Dr. Keith True and Dr. George Melillo. Together, these veterinarians bring decades of experience and a shared passion for vet-owned clinics and veterinarian leadership in the field.

The wealth in the industry is more often not going to veterinarians but instead to corporations, and while corporations have a place in the field, these three want vets to know it’s time to take control. It’s okay to prioritize wealth building.

Often veterinarians ride the saying, “I didn’t get into it for the money”. That’s often true, but Dr. Melillo wants vets to know you can have it all. You can be kind, compassionate, and intelligent, AND build generational wealth that will impact your career, family, and community for the better.

There are many paths to leadership opportunities depending on the desires and capacity of each veterinarian, whether it be full ownership, co-ownership, or even hybrid practices.

Dr. True emphasizes the importance of taking control and being honest about what you want your career to look like. And Dr. Hale and Dr. Melillo remind vets that the pursuit of happiness is important, and money and building wealth are tools for that.

These three veterinarians have a great perspective when it comes to veterinary leadership and building wealth to positively impact the industry. These conversations are so important for the field.

What’s Inside:

• How can veterinarians build wealth?
• How can wealth impact communities and veterinarian families?
• How can veterinarians become leaders?
• Ownership, Co-ownership, and Hybrid Practice models.

Mentioned In This Episode:Dr. Keith on LinkedIn
Dr. George Melillo on LinkedIn
Dr. Pamelar Hale on LinkedIn

View Details

MySimplePetLab, founded in 2019 by Dr. Dennis Chmiel and Dr. Nancy Willerton, has innovated a space that improves the lives of pets, pet owners, and veterinarians.

As an animal health company and national diagnostic lab, MySimplePetLab uses at-home lab testing and care kits to not only reach pets faster but also optimize vet appointments and relieve pressure on veterinarian teams.

There can be many barriers to an in person vet appointment: lack of availability on the vet side, lack of availability on the pet owner's side, and rural or remote location from nearest vet. In these instances, pet owners can have testing done pre or even post vet visit to assist in diagnostics and need for rechecks.

What about needing to see a vet when the next appointment is days away? MySimplePetLab has put together care kits equipped with the highest quality over the counter products and education to help pet owners and pets get by with relief until their in-person appointment.

These solutions make it possible for pet owners to get answers and relief for their pets right away while alleviating the pressure of appointments on vets who may have more pressing in-person visits.

MySimplePetLab isn’t just making strides in improving the industry of vet clinics; they also work hard to create and sustain a caring culture in their own operations. Even though they are mostly virtual, they strive to create and encourage a workflow of personal relationships. They even have Mental Health Fridays with no meetings!!

As this company has created innovation in the pet health space, they continue to research and add more to their diagnostic and care capacities.

What’s Inside:

• What is MySimplePetLab?
• How can home diagnostics and care kits impact veterinary clinics?
• How do at home tests alleviate pressure on vets and vet techs?
• Can at home testing prevent the need for in-person pet exams?
• How does MySimplePetLab cultivate culture in their remote operations?

Mentioned In This Episode:
dennis.chmiel@mysimplepetlab.com
Dr. Dennis Chmiel on LinkedIn
nancy@mysimplepetlab.com
Dr. Nancy Willerton on LinkedIn
MySimplePetLab | LinkedIn
MySimplePetLab on Instagram
MySimplePetLab on Twitter
MySimplePetLab on Facebook
MySimplePetLab on YouTube
MySimplePetLab on Pinterest
MySimplePetLab

View Details

Leaders in the veterinary field need to be supported and trained because they impact the rest of their organization. Too often, they are thrown into positions with no education on how to be leaders. Dr. Sally Ryan has a wealth of experience in the veterinary industry, and she is the founder, consultant, and instructor of Veterinary Leadership Services. In this conversation, we talk about some barriers that cause this lack of education as well as some core principles for teaching adults with busy lives.

There are various barriers that lead to a lack of training in the veterinary industry. The two big ones: staffing and time. First, you have to have the staff capable of creating and leading a training program; in bigger organizations, that can be a job in itself. Second, time is always an issue. When are you going to create the training? When are you going to lead it? Will it be during normal hours or outside hours? You have to come up with a plan that everyone can get on board with and make it meaningful.

Adults are busy. One of the most crucial core principles is to make training topics relevant and efficient. You don’t want to waste people's time; you want to enrich it. Dr. Ryan mentions creating problem oriented training, using diverse formats to layer the education, being clear on the why, and preparing for impending changes as big principles as you develop training.

ADDIE is an acronym for the training model Dr. Ryan recommends that aids in the creation of an efficient program.
Analysis - what do you want to achieve?
Design - Who, what, and how of the content.
Development - Bring all the goals and resources together to create the elements of training.
Implementation - Start the training with a smaller, more receptive group to work out the kinks.
Evaluate - Is this working? Do you need to make any changes? Are you seeing the desired outcomes?

A culture of learning creates confident staff members, more job enjoyment, and better performance—a win, win, win! You can find out more about Dr. Sally Ryan and Veterinary Leadership Services by emailing her or visiting her website.

What’s Inside:

• Why are leadership training and support so important for veterinarians?
• Common barriers to training and support in the veterinary industry.
• The core principles for training adults.
• Key points for creating and implementing training.
• An acronym to guide the creation of training in your organization.

Mentioned In This Episode:Veterinary Leadership Services
vetleader@yahoo.com

View Details

Financial strain and hardship are common stressors in the veterinary profession. If you’re a practice owner considering selling your property or wanting to better understand the value of your health care real estate, Rahul Chhajed of Matthews Real Estate has some great tips.

Rahul is the leader of Matthews Health Care division, where he primarily focuses on veterinary spaces. We discuss a big piece of real estate: property value. In a healthcare space, value is based on location, land, the physical building, income, and lease terms.

We discuss lease terms a lot in this episode, so you’ll want to listen closely. Here are some takeaways to keep in mind.

1. Triple Net Lease - this is where the practice owner is responsible for management, taxes, and insurance. Giving the landlord the most passive form of income.
2. High level lease terms - securing a lease with as long lease as possible (10 years minimum), high rental rate as possible, and rental increases inline with market
3. Corporate Guarantee - where all income is guaranteed and the asset is as safe as possible.

When it comes to real estate and healthcare, the information is extremely nuanced. Rahul drives home that it is important to have understanding and knowledge. Advisors like him are there to give you trusted guidance, even if you’re not ready to sell or buy yet!

What’s Inside:

• Why is understanding real estate important for vet practice owners?
• How to maximize the value of a healthcare space?
• What is a triple-net lease?
• What is a corporate guarantee?
• Why are safe assets and guaranteed income important for potential buyers?
• The value of a trusted real estate advisor.

Mentioned In This Episode:Rahul Chhajed - Matthews Real Estate Investment Services on LinkedIn
Rahul Chhajed (@RealEstateRahul) on Twitter
Rahul.Chhajed@matthews.com

View Details

Meditation and Mindfulness are research and evidence based practices that reduce stress and instances of burnout or compassion fatigue that occur in veterinary practice! Dr. Marie Holowaychuk is a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and a passionate advocate for veterinary team wellbeing!

Dr. Holowaychuk shares her story and winding path that led her to where she is today, including a critical event that served as a physical and mental wake up call, causing her to look deeply at her wellbeing and the beginning of changing her habits and patterns. She participated in an 8-week mindfulness stress reduction program that she found SO transformative. As well as completing a 200-hr yoga training, that deepened her mindfulness and meditation practices.

It was after these training sessions, she began to ask big questions on how she could bring this practice to the veterinary space. Caregiving professionals need to take care of themselves, to find self-care, healing, and positively impact their mental health.

The concept of mindfulness is being fully in the present moment to our thoughts, feelings, and experiences…moving out of the doing and worrying mode. This means tuning into awareness, leaning into the physical body, being aware of breath, using a 5 senses check-in, etc.

Researchers have actually tested and shown that mindfulness workshops have the ability to reduce the perception of stress and enhance a sense of calm. Feeling skeptical? It’s not all or nothing. Meditation is a form of mindfulness that can be practiced in a variety of ways; from as small as a deep breath or a 5-minute mindful exercise all the way to a full meditation practice. These can be integrated as personal routines or be especially impactful in team settings with reflective questions that connect colleagues and their emotions. Not sure what to do? Download an app, watch a video, and find SOMETHING that you will do no matter how small.

Dr. Marie Holowaychuk has a variety of platforms including her website and podcast that provide resources and information on the tools and strategies to bring mindfulness and its benefits to veterinary medicine.

What’s Inside:

• Benefits of integrating meditation habits into veterinary practice.
• Reconnecting with your veterinary passion.
• How to create mindful practices for vet teams.
• The research behind mindfulness and meditation.
• How to get started with creating a meditation practice or routine.
• What to do if you ‘don’t believe in meditation’.

Mentioned In This Episode:Marie Holowaychuk
Reviving Vet Med
Marie Holowaychuk - YouTube
Dr. Marie Holowaychuk - Facebook
Dr. Marie | Reviving Vet Med (@marieholowaychuk) • Instagram
Marie Holowaychuk, DVM, DACVECC, CYT - Veterinary Mental Health and Wellbeing Advocate
Dr. Marie Holowaychuk - Medium
Marie Holowaychuk (@DrMHolowaychuk) / Twitter

View Details

Joining me all the way from the UK is Dr. Liz Barton, an accomplished vet with what she calls a ‘squiggly’ career path, leading her to co-found wellbeing and support communities such as WellVet and Vet Mums. Creating groups of extrinsic resilience has such an impact when people can turn to peers or their teams for support in their times of need.

Dr. Barton was managing well - happy and healthy - when she founded WellVet. She began to notice the burnout and other struggles the people around her in the vet community were facing. WellVet is a wellbeing toolkit to help those in the vet space get through the hard times and find support in their peers. They ask questions like, what drains your resources? What energizes them? And they help you find the balance.

Vet Mums is a Facebook group community that Dr. Barton created that allows veterinarians juggling family and careers to find a space for support. Many times parents have to learn the ‘hard way; there's no manual or certification, but Vet Mums is a place parents can be vulnerable, share, and ask questions. Dr. Bartons explains that bonding over shared experiences with other moms can be cathartic and healing.

Dr. Barton has also participated in awarding vet wellbeing awards, which hold many ideas for what could work in your practice. Check them out online. And practice owners, be prepared to have a go at stuff even if it might not work, and then try, change, layer, and grow over time.

Taking care of yourself is the most important thing; it makes us better clinicians, colleagues, friends, family members...better people. Prioritize and invest in training and tools, and most importantly, talk about this together; there is no shame in wellbeing.

What’s Inside:

• A wellbeing toolkit for veterinary teams.
• The benefit of support from peer groups and outside interests.
• How taking care of yourself can make you a better vet.
• Support for veterinarians balancing work and family.

Mentioned In This Episode:Wellvet
Vet-CT
Dr. Liz Barton on LinkedIn
Vet Mums on Facebook
Vets Stay Go Diversify

View Details

One of the major impacts on veterinary mental health is the veterinary workforce crisis. Dr. Bob Lester, an accomplished veterinary healthcare executive, joins me with a dose of optimism and some great options for how we can work towards fixing this shortage in the industry.

Dr. Lester calls the workforce crisis a "problem of abundance." This is so true; pets are now more important parts of our family than ever before. Alongside that, pet numbers are up, pet spending is up, pet lifespans are up, and euthanasia is down. All of these are great things, but in an already overworked profession, there simply is not enough staff to cover the growth.

We can’t ignore this!! At the current rate, by 2030, 70 million pets will be without access to care. Dr. Lester and I discuss some major implications of the continuing workforce crisis, such as more overworked staff, a decline in pet health, the loss of pet benefits to human health, and even major public health risks.

As we talk about solutions, Dr. Lester emphasizes that these must be used in conjunction with one another. As he says, these are AND, not OR. We go into detail discussing 6 really great ideas that can work together to improve the workforce crisis.

1. Veterinary wellbeing
2. More vets and vet techs
3. Technology - labs and diagnostics, telemed, AI
4. Team-based health care
5. Preventative Care
6. Open to new models of vet care - urgent care, dentistry, vet tech delivery, etc.

As we close out, Dr. Lester reminds us that there is a lot to celebrate in the profession. Remember to take care of yourself first and help others by being open to change. You can reach out to Dr. Lester via email, and be sure to check out his practice website, WellHaven.com.

What’s Inside:

• What is causing the veterinary workforce crisis?
• What is the problem of abundance?
• The implications of lack of vet care.
• Important solutions for the veterinary workforce crisis.

Mentioned In This Episode:bob.lesterdvm@wellhaven.com
Bob Lester - Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer, Board of Directors - WellHaven Pet Health | LinkedIn
WellHaven Pet Health

View Details

A core strength of those in the veterinary industry is our ability to create deep connections with our animal patients. Dr. Bruce Silverman joins me to share the value of the spirituality and zen moments that come with this connection.

During a time in the field when we have more patients than ever before, it is easy to become burnt out, stressed, and feel rushed. Dr. Silverman drives home that our empathy is something we cannot compromise on. The intense connection is a crucial piece of veterinary care as we provide a comforting touch to the animals in our care. He reminds vets to pause, take a breath, and head into each visit with a positive and healing presence. To go into a visit in another mindset not only feeds negative energy into your clients but also provides them with a great disservice.

As veterinarians, you are healers, and this requires a deeper intention and practice. It is important to not be swept away in the day-to-day. It is your responsibility to provide an honest sense of caring.

Dr. Bruce Silverman has done a great deal of writing on this subject, and you can find out more about him by visiting him on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• The spirituality in animal connections.
• The value of honest connection in veterinary care.
• How to stay zen in the fast paced veterinary environment.
• Why you can’t compromise on empathy.
• How being a healer requires deep intention and practice.

Mentioned In This Episode:Dr. Bruce Silverman - LinkedIn

View Details

“Be the change you wish to see in the world”. This Ghandi quote is one that I think really encompasses the conversation I had in this episode with the veterinary practice manager, Kassandra Erven. In the veterinary industry our number one goal is to help animals and with them comes their owners, our clients.

Too often vets are taught the hard skills, the science but not enough on client communication. Kassandra shares how she helps her staff operate to maintain boundaries and provide excellent customer care. The service in her clinic goes from the waiting room to the clinic, with personal and human touches that maintain humility and show their clients they are listening and they truly care. She also starts customer-facing expectations on their website with rules and expectations so that customers who aren't the right fit, know where the clinic stands with no questions.

Kassandra also shares a few ways she supports her staff in improving client culture:

Staff Education - When staff knows their stuff they can better communicate.
Breathe Confidence into the Team - Staff will feel 100% better when they know you have their back.
Open Door Policy - Be available to discuss client interactions to learn, give feedback, and move forward.

When you handle and control this stressful part of the industry you can count on improved mental health all around, less burnout and a more positive environmentYou can find out more about Kassandra Erven via LinkedIn or Email and check out her clinic online!

What’s Inside:

• Improving customer and staff communication
• Achieving better client culture
• Three ways you can support your staff in client communication.
• Is it okay to fire a client and set hard boundaries?
• How to use your clinic website to set customer expectations.
• Using humility and personal touch from the waiting room to the checkout.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Kassandra Erven on LinkedIn
Juan Tabo Animal Clinic
kassandraerven@gmail.com

View Details

There are studies that prove that owning your own business can reduce your rate of burnout. Tiffany Riley, a licensed Vet Tech in Montana, shares how she found the opportunity to create a new role in her industry that not only reduced her burnout but reignited her passion for animal care.

Lack of autonomy, lack of contribution control, lack of choice, and lack of developmental opportunities…are among some of the big reasons that people leave veterinary medicine with overwhelm and burnout. Contributing to this are also short-staffed clinics and too many cases, cases that often do not warrant a full vet visit. Out of this Tiffany was inspired to create Tiffany’s Animal Care.

Tiffany’s business allows her to have full autonomy to choose the cases she wants to work with and the freedom to turn down cases to respect her mental load. We discuss compassion fatigue related to Economic Euthanasia or increased cases of Parvo Puppies, that lead to these tough decisions and clinic overwhelm. Her work is about providing appropriate animal care and relieving pressure from busy clinics. As she develops her relationships, she is growing from direct client care to more clinic partnerships and referrals.

If starting a business in the veterinary industry seems like something that's right for you, Tiffany’s advice is just to get started. Be resilient and make adjustments later. Along with these three tips:
-Research, understand, and work under your state's laws
-Make connections with other business owners, even outside of the vet industry
-Secure protection through bank accounts, business formation, and insurance

Not only has Tiffany found a great way to heal her own fatigue and build a different future for herself, but she has found a way to contribute to the industry, clients, and patients in a big way!

What’s Inside:

• The correlation between self-employment and reduced burnout.
• A solution to the lack of vet techs and overcrowded clinics.
• Getting started with your own animal care business.
• Reigniting passion in the vet industry.
• Contributing to the clients and patients in need in the animal care world.

Mentioned In This Episode:Veterinary Technicians and Occupational Burnout - PMC
Tiffany’s Animal Care
tiffanysanimalcare@gmail.com

View Details

Today l am discussing disability as a veterinarian and student with the remarkable Dr. Christina Kaye. Dr. Kaye is a talented veterinarian who has congenital vision disabilities and has received visual accommodations throughout her academic and professional journey.

We explore the importance of asking for help and what you could benefit from in terms of special accommodations. For Vet students, Dr. Kaye emphasizes the need to communicate with universities and be upfront about your needs. Accommodation is the magic word, and investigating options is key. With the right support veterinarians with disabilities can have thriving careers regardless of their disabilities, both physical and mental.

There are resources for employees and employers such as Title 1 and ADA which cover accommodation requirements, and guidance. It's crucial to know your rights, get written information, and do your due diligence. Speaking up and advocating for yourself is essential, make sure you know who handles this in your hospital.
Feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start? We suggest checking out resources such as the Ask JAN (Job Accommodation Network), a robust website with tons of tools, documentation, and free information. Disabled DVM and Docs with Disabilities are also great sources of inspiration and education.

Dr. Kaye drives home the point that you owe it to yourself to get what you need to succeed. Don't let any disabilities hold you back; speak up, ask for help, and pursue your dreams.

What’s Inside:

• The importance of asking for help and seeking special accommodations as a veterinarian or vet student.
• The key role of communication with universities and investigating accommodation options.
• Thriving careers that are available to veterinarians with disabilities.
• Valuable resources for employees and employers.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Disabled DVM
Docs With Disabilities Initiative
About JAN
christinakaye94@gmail.com
Christina Kaye - LinkedIn

View Details

Today I talked to two veterinarian friends and business partners, Dr. Seth Bleakley and Dr. Brandon Prince, who met during their early careers and bonded over a common story in the vet industry - the inhumane treatment of veterinary professionals. Despite being highly educated and making a good salary, both doctors felt overworked, undervalued, and lacking fulfillment in their jobs.

This led to the creation of CARE Surgery Center, a clinic dedicated to providing better care not only for their patients but for their staff as well. Dr. Bleakley stresses the importance of setting boundaries and not trying to be everything to everyone. At CARE Surgery Center, they have implemented a strict surgery schedule that allows for ample time for surgeons to rest and have invested in their staff by providing scheduled training time and paying them more. These practices not only benefit their staff but also improve the quality of patient care.

The two doctors are on a mission to not only help animals but to also make a positive impact on the lives of veterinary professionals. They believe in creating a high-quality work atmosphere that encourages self-actualization, job satisfaction, and a healthy work-life balance. By unsubscribing to the old ways of practice, they hope to set an example for others in the industry and raise the standard of veterinary care.

Listen in for more on the story behind CARE Surgery Center and learn how Drs. Bleakley and Prince are leading the way in reinventing veterinary care.

What’s Inside:

• How two veterinarians met and bonded in their careers.
• The creation of CARE Surgery Center.
• The impact of investing in staff for a better work environment.
• How CARE Surgery Center is raising the standard of veterinary care.

Mentioned In This Episode:
info@caresurgerycenter.com
CARE Surgery Center
Dr. Brandon Prince - LinkedIn
Dr. Seth Bleakley - LinkedIn

View Details

Feeling lost, numb, dreading your day, and overall burned out? Dr. Caitlin Vaughn, a veterinary professional and founder of Unlocking Vet Med, believes that sharing our stories gives us strength, and most importantly you don't have to feel this way.

Dr. Vaughn shares her road through the veterinary profession and her personal experience with burnout that led to her inspiration for coaching and helping other veterinarians in the same position. She makes the comparison of negative thoughts as a habit. If you can start new and break old physical habits… you can use those same tools to change your thought habits.

Vets are generally compassionate people that can get stuck in an echo chamber of negativity, or a negative thought loop. One bad experience or even a prediction of a bad experience in your day can perpetuate more negativity. Dr. Vaughn explains that to break these negative loops we have to acknowledge our thoughts and be mindful.

How to Stop Negative Thought Loops

1. Be Mindful: notice and acknowledge the thought.
2. Thank the thought: negative thinking can be your brain trying to protect you.
3. Move on: say "not now" and release that thought.
4. Experiment: how can you change your experience? What can you do to try and prevent the negativity you feel coming?
5. Notice the change: Did this work? Do you feel better? How can you do more of this?

Most of all, Dr. Caitlin Vaughn encourages others to have hope. Change happens on the other side of hope, you have to believe that it can happen. Burnout is becoming a global discussion, you are not alone and you need to speak up!
To learn more about Dr. Caitlin Vaughn or her company, Unlocking Vet Med check out her website or find her on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• Getting to the other side of burnout.
• How negative thought habits affect your behavior.
• How to stop negative thought loops.
• Changing thought habits with coaching.
• Being mindful and present in the face of negative thoughts.
• How change occurs on the other side of hope.
• The positive impact of coaching on your life beyond your profession.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Unlocking Vet Med
caitlin@unlockingvetmed.com
Dr. Caitlin Vaughn - LinkedIn

View Details

With this podcast, I truly hope to reach and improve the lives of veterinarians and other professionals in the industry. Today I am talking with Cheyenne Williams, who has worked in Vet Med for 11 years. Cheyenne shares her touching and personal story that connects her to her work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

In 2016 Cheyenne lost her mother to suicide, she found herself navigating and coping and finding resources for her younger brothers but it was not until 2019 at an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention event, Out of the Darkness Walk, that she found an emotional but special connection and space. She soon became a board member of this foundation and works to promote and spread awareness of these resources.

Are you a veterinarian clinic owner or hospital manager who may have concerns about your staff members? Do you want to be educated so you can know if your co-workers are suffering? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website provides a thoughtful list of risks and warnings.

Risk Factors
Health
-Mental health: Depression, substance use, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality traits of aggression, mood changes or poor relationships, conduct, anxiety
-Physical health: Unbearable pain, Traumatic Brain Injury
Environmental
-Access to lethal means: firearms and drugs
-Prolonged stress: harassment, bullying, relationship problems, or unemployment
-Stressful life events: rejection, divorce, financial crisis, life transitions or loss
-Exposure to other suicides or graphic accounts of suicides
Historical
-Previous attempts, family history, child abuse, neglect, or trauma

Protective Factors
Access to mental health care, proactivity with mental health care, connection to family, community support, problem-solving and coping skills, limited access to lethal means, cultural and religious beliefs that encourage connecting and help-seeking, discourage suicidal behaviors or encourage a strong sense of personal self-esteem.

Warning Signs
Talk: speaking about suicide, stated they feel hopeless, feel trapped, or have unbearable pain
Behavior: increased use of alcohol or drugs, looking for ways to end their life, withdrawal from activities, isolation from family and friends, sleeping too much or too little calling friends and family to say goodbye, giving away prized possessions, aggression, fatigue
Mood: depression, anxiety, loss of interest, irritability, humiliation, shame, agitation, anger, relief, sudden improvement

Do you feel stuck? Burned Out? Role isn't right? Cheyenne's side hustle turned full-time business, Shiney Day Specialized Pet Care offers a unique insight into other options. She transitioned from a busy hospital and on-call schedule to her work with pets needing medical support beyond the hospital via medications or fluids. No matter what you're doing, Cheyenne says, personal boundaries are important because whether you're in a hospital setting or working in your own business you can still get burned out.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is an incredible resource if you are personally suffering or find yourself with someone suffering from suicidal thoughts. Reach out to the suicide crisis line by calling or texting to 988; text TALK to 741741, or call 911. If possible stay with the individual, remove lethal means and get them to the nearest medical facility or emergency room.

Mentioned in This Episode:
AFSPRisk factors, protective factors, and warning signs | AFSPNot One More Vetcheyenne@shineydaypetsitting.com

View Details

Dr. Craig is a 39-year veteran of the industry and has a wealth of knowledge to share. Including insights that track the entire span of a veterinarian's career.

Veterinary school is where it all begins, where individuals who have always wanted to be a vet go to learn. Dr. Craig spoke of a "problem" that is occurring in admissions. What was once in-person interviews and essays, have turned to grade analysis and only looking at the top of the class, "the cream of the crop". But as he says, do "the cream of the crop" actually make the best vets? In his opinion personality is far more important than grades and in many cases extroverted, engaging people who would do great as a veterinarian have lower grades and scores than introverted, unpersonable people. As a previous practice owner, he'd hire based on personality over grades because you can mentor and teach skills but you cannot change important personal qualities. But that doesn't mean there isn't a place for introverts, he suggests less client-based vet care like research, labs, and academia. He also suggests a filter or aptitude in vet schools where vets are placed and trained in the areas of the field that they are best suited to. There are many areas of the industry other than veterinarians and when people land the jobs best for their skills and personality, they are overall happier.

Student debt is no secret when it comes to getting your degree for this profession, many veterinarians start their careers 300,000+ in loan debt. Dr. Craig urges veterinarians to sternly consider clinic ownership in their careers. It's the path to independence, financial gain, and general happiness at your job. But there is a lot more to clinic ownership than just vet care, and with it, comes a lot of back-end business that many vets may not understand or be prepared for. There is always the option to seek a certification or even a general business degree, but Dr. Craig also offers the resource, Veterinary Study Group, where you can join a management group and receive assistance and advice in managing your business. But what about those who know they don't want to own a clinic? He suggests finding an owner who is going to mentor and train you well, he cites that vets in well-managed clinics are earning well above the average clinics that are still stuck earning the same gross wage of the last decade. He explains you work hard, you deserve to earn a living wage, and you deserve a comfortable life.

Dr. Craig also has a great take on the importance of veterinary technicians. He says in most practices vet techs are undervalued, and underused. He states the four jobs of a veterinarian are diagnosis, charting, surgery, and prescribing, everything else should be left in the capable hands of the vet technician. If we can as a whole start hiring more and utilizing vet techs then we can pay them a higher wage, and give them a lot more job satisfaction. Vet techs could be the answer to the staggering shortage of veterinarians in the field.
This is such great information for both new and experienced vets, and hopefully, we can see some of these changes moving forward to improve the industry.

What’s Inside:
* How the veterinary school filter affects the veterinary industry. * The solution to the veterinarian shortage. * Why every veterinarian should consider clinic ownership. * A solution for business struggles in clinic ownership. * Veterinary Technicians, an undervalued and underused asset in the industry

Mentioned In This Episode:Veterinary Study Groups

View Details

“You’re just in it for the money”, a statement heard in clinics around the country that hits with a sting for veterinarians. But are they wrong? Most veterinarians are caring, tender, service-led people who deeply want to treat and help animals, but…they also have expensive student loans and personal goals like starting a family or buying a house. Like every person on the planet, veterinarians need money to survive and thrive in the world, so making money and building wealth is not greedy, it's important.

Dr. Pamelar Hale has an extensive career in the veterinary industry and is a major advocate for wealth-building, leadership, and ownership in the vet world. The owners of clinics or the corporate management companies are surely making money, so why shouldn’t the vets doing the work make money too? Dr. Pam says she believes vets should get their piece of the pie and even more so make strides to take ownership of clinics and get the money they work so hard for.

Veterinary care can be costly, and oftentimes pet owners are not happy about the price tag for needed and sometimes emergent treatment. Dr. Pam’s solution to this tough issue in the vet world is empathy. We can all understand being hit with emergency situations and unplanned expenses, making space and being understanding of the situation, and letting the pet owner make the decision for care is so important. Secondly, she suggests explaining why the fees are fair. There are a lot of expenses that go into good veterinary care: labs, equipment, staff, building expenses, and much more. Factoring these costs into treatment is the only way to ensure good veterinary medicine continues. However, as caring and tender-hearted people, these unfortunate situations where clients decline treatment due to costs can weigh heavy on our hearts. While it isn't possible to give treatment for free 100% of the time, Vets can set up weights to give back, whether setting up a stipend and foundation in their clinic for cost assistance or donating regularly to these causes as well.

Dr. Pam has an impressive education and not all of it is directly veterinary-related. She recommends that vets seek other degrees such as in business or even just certifications. Not only will higher education help veterinarians master skills related to goals like owning their own clinic but it will open opportunities for other professional avenues and continued wealth building.

Something very important to Dr. Pam is Veterinarians taking control in the profession, which means more veterinarians should be in leadership positions in facilities and businesses. Veterinarians in leadership roles lead to a more understanding and cohesive industry where burnout and overworking are not happening. Dr. Pam has so generously shared her email and you can also find her on LinkedIn if you have questions and are looking for direction on wealth building and the next steps in your career.

What’s Inside:

• Why wealth building isn’t greedy.
• Is it okay to be “in it for the money”?
• Why veterinarians should be taking leadership roles in the industry.
• How higher education and certifications can impact your career.
• Why more veterinarians should consider clinic ownership.

Mentioned In This Episode:Dr. Pam Hale on LinkedIn
PamelarHale@ATT.net

View Details

If you’re like me, seeing the news…some situations can feel so far away and removed. But they are very real, and in the case of the War in Ukraine, there is something you can do to help.

In war-torn Ukraine, it is estimated…
6,000,000 domestic animals have died
50,000 dolphins in the Black Sea have died
Hundreds of thousands to millions of wild animals are threatened
And the number of companion animals that have been killed or abandoned is assumed to be in the millions.

Galaxy Vets Foundation, the non-profit arm of Galaxy Vets (featured in episode 30: The Galaxy Way, Systematically Preventing Veterinary Burnout with Dr. Ivan Zak) has taken the initiative to provide help where they can. They are currently providing free telehealth and telemedicine to pet owners in Ukraine. This is supported by volunteer veterinarians, vet techs, and vet assistants.

The free telehealth provided by Galaxy Vets to Ukraine shares general advice, directs emergent care, provides support and resources, and in some cases prescribed medication through online pharmacies. Care is provided via Live Chat uploading photos and links when needed and using Google Translate to break the language barrier.

Director of the foundation, Dr. Andew Ciccolin, and telehealth volunteer, Dr. Kelly Cooper explains some of the challenges involved in providing telehealth, inspiring stories, and the benefits that come along with this up-and-coming service. Not only is telehealth important in emergent situations like war-torn Ukraine but the use of telehealth and even teletriage is so useful in North America as we try to reduce burdens on clinics and veterinary staff.

If you want to help the Galaxy Vets Foundation and their mission to help animals, pet owners, and veterinarians in Ukraine: Find and follow them on social media, Share and spread the word, Donate to their efforts, and veterinary professionals can sign up to become a telehealth volunteer.

What’s Inside:

• How is the war in Ukraine affecting domestic and wild animals?
• How are pet owners affected by the war in Ukraine?
• What Galaxy Vets Foundation is doing to help animals and pet owners in Ukraine?
• International Telehealth providing free telemedicine to Ukraine.
• What is teletriage and how can it be useful in the US?
• How can you help Galaxy Vets initiative to help in Ukraine?

Mentioned In This Episode:Galaxy Vets
Galaxy Vets on LinkedIn
Galaxy Vets on Instagram
Galaxy Vets on Facebook
Galaxy Vets on YouTube
Andrew Ciccolini on LinkedIn
Dr. Andrew DVM (@okay_vet) on Instagram
Dr. Andrew DVM on Facebook
Galaxy Vets Foundation
Episode #030: The Galaxy Way, Systematically Preventing Veterinary Burnout with Dr. Ivan Zak

View Details

Dr. Phil Richmond's early career in the veterinary field quickly became overwhelming from self-imposed overworking and overextending, leading to depression and even suicidal ideations. Dr. Phil is fortunate to have coworkers who saw the signs and helped him get the help he needed and deserved from a local medical professional help program. Now, he is spreading the word about trauma and its effect in the workplace.

The ACE [Adverse Childhood Experience] assessment, can help identify common childhood traumas that can indicate risks in adulthood as well as explain coping, and trauma responses you may be experiencing. 12.5% of adults in the US have 4 or more ACE indicators. When you understand your trauma and the fact that others around you may have similar indicators, you can approach situations with care and grace.
Trauma-informed leadership and care in the veterinary space are so important because not only is it likely for your co-workers to be affected by trauma but your clients too. The next time you experience a situation that is emotionally charged, take a breath and respond with care.

If you are facing depression and overwhelm like Dr. Phil was, please reach out and get help! We encourage you to take the ACE assessment and if a 12-step program is not the model for you, there are other models and other ways to get the help you need. You can reach out to Dr. Phil Richmond on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• How can early and childhood trauma affect veterinarians?
• How “toxic employees” can be reacting to trauma.
• Caring for trauma-affected clients.
• What is trauma-informed leadership?
• What is the ACE Assessment?

Mentioned In This Episode:Screening Tools | ACEs Aware – Take action. Save lives.
Dr. Phil Richmond - LinkedIn

View Details

With 27 years as a Veterinary Medicine professional, Andrea Tschakert has seen the industry change, morph, and come back. She describes the path of vet med as a figure 8. Over time she has gained insight on two big topics, Culture and Cash.

Andrea describes culture as the way veterinary clinics process people and their pets. And over the decades she has seen it manipulate, grow, shrink, and manifest into many things over time. One change we discuss is the weight of grief after losing a pet and the way we respond to that. Losing a pet has always been sad, but pets in this generation are key members of the family, and clients and staff grow to love them in a deeper way than ever before. And with that comes a deeper grief. How are hospitals changing to support their clients and handle their own grief when it comes to pet loss? Andrea says making a space and giving time to hospital staff is critical for the culture, mental health, and longevity of her employees.

Money can also be a hot-button topic, especially because clients often feel like veterinary practices overcharge out of greed. Andrea is not afraid to say, money is the measure of good medicine. Without money, veterinary practices cannot operate and with money, they have the opportunity to practice better and better medicine. She does comment on Profit Sharing which some clinics and groups are opening up to with their staff, and she views it as an important incentive to get employees involved in the betterment of a clinic where they have a direct stake in the growth.

Andrea and I discuss all the great ways she improves her clinic culture as a practice manager, including marrying the cultures of old and new. She has a lot of great ideas and a passion for the field that is truly inspiring. You can find Andrea on LinkedIn or reach out via email.

What’s Inside:

• How has culture in veterinary medicine changed over time?
• How should clinics handle grief with their staff and clients?
• How to marry the culture of old and new veterinary generations.
• Why is money the measure of good medicine?

Mentioned In This Episode:Andrea Tschakert on LinkedIn
ATschakert11@gmail.com

View Details

As a new veterinarian post-graduation in 2012, Dr. Amanda Ensor had bright expectations and big goals for her career. Unfortunately, her experience was met with a toxic vet culture that crushed her dreams. Dr. Ensor did not let that stop her as she persevered through the next 10 years of her career. Today she shares her journey of how she overcame her own lack of mentorship to become a full-time mentor to new veterinarians.

As she worked through clinics as a small animal general practitioner Dr. Ensor experiences true burnout. She talks about physical illness, lack of sleep, panic attacks, inability to find joy, and a negative effect on her patient care. These are all hallmarks of burnout and an unhealthy work lifestyle. Dr. Ensor left that behind to become a relief vet where she finally got to see and work in healthy, loving clinics and meet her “vet family” as she calls it.

Throughout her time working in veterinary clinics, Dr. Ensor worked with another vet to create a mentorship program for women in their community that spanned across careers. The joy and fulfillment she felt in this led to where she is now as a full-time mentor. Dr. Ensor works as a mentor for NVA with a group of mentors across the company where they can provide mentorship and support to any new vet in an NVA hospital for their first 11 months.

Dr. Ensor's mentorship style promotes success, and personal agency, and builds confidence by being available to provide encouragement and resources. For her, this stage in her career is about manifesting the mentorship she herself needed but did not receive. If you’re interested in contacting her she has graciously provided her email for my listeners!

What’s Inside:

• What toxic vet culture can do to new veterinarians.
• Why mentorship is important in the veterinary industry.
• Mentoring to promote agency and build confidence.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Amanda.ensor@NVA.com

View Details

Dr. Shannon Bass wears a lot of hats in both her personal life and even more so in the veterinary field after working in almost every role in a hospital. She now holds the position of Director of Talent Acquisition, Specialty, for VCA Animal Hospitals. Knowing firsthand the challenges we face in the veterinary profession, Dr. Bass highlights the importance of developing and supporting hospital leaders.

Oftentimes promotion to a leadership or management role in a hospital comes from within the existing staff. Suddenly you're expected to manage your peers, which can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially when you’re not provided the training, support, or resources you need. You are not alone and don’t rush to leave your position. There is information and support available if you just ask!

If you’re new to a leadership role, expecting a promotion, or even a hospital owner looking for ways to build up your leadership staff Dr. Bass and I go over some key skills and competencies that we think are really important for leaders but may not always come naturally.

• Effective communication
• Self/Emotional Regulation
• Vulnerability
• Time management
• Organization
• Decision making
• Understanding your risk aversion
• Developing Staff

Consider these skills, work on them, and seek resources but understand that you will not have them mastered overnight. Applying these skills in your leadership roles will take practice, repetition, and your own leadership style.

Dr. Bass encourages new leaders to take self-initiative and start preparing or “self-rescuing” right away. She recommends checking out Dr. Brené Brown’s book, Dare to Lead but you can also start by utilizing free resources by searching online, there is tons of information out there!

If you want to contact Dr. Shannon Bass you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• How to develop and support hospital leaders.
• Common challenges for new leaders.
• Important skills and competencies for leaders.
• Veterinary leadership resources.

Mentioned In This Episode:Shannon Bass - National Director of Specialty Recruiting - VCA Animal Hospitals
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

View Details

Most veterinarians enter their practice because they love medicine and patient-client care…not because they love the details of running a business. In fact, these responsibilities can cause overwhelm, and burnout, and can cause general care in the clinic to suffer. Dr. Ira Gordon is a veterinarian who has experienced the same fate. He loved veterinary medicine but the burden of running his practice and trying to manage all aspects was simply impossible. Dr. Gordon's journey led him to become the Chief Veterinary Officer of Vetcelerator.

Vetcelerator is a company that takes on all of the managerial and backend responsibilities for independent practice owners so that they can focus on what they love: Vet Medicine. The kicker? They do not take ANY ownership. Until now the only way to relieve yourself from these burdens would be to sell your practice to a corporation, which can often come with its own struggles. If you're considering selling your hospital to a corporation, you could be worried it's not necessarily in the best interest of your particular clinic. Decisions aren't made individually but for the group as a whole, and it could create a shift in culture, and staff may experience feelings of disconnection and abandonment. It's a complicated, mixed bag because depending on the corporation and situation, people have had both positive and negative outcomes. With Vetcelerator, YOU maintain ownership and the final say in all decisions made for your clinic.

When onboarding new clinics, Vetcelerator begins with a Discovery Call. This call allows the team to discuss needs, concerns, and desires with clinic owners. Veteceletor follows up this call with a clinic performance review, where they look for processes and operations they can lend assistance with, review financials, and get a whole picture of the clinic they will be working with. Next, they will review their assessment with the clinic owner to determine if they are a good fit and go over cost and coverage. The goal of Vetcelerator is not just to relieve clinic owners of burnout-causing responsibilities but to improve the clinic both financially and functionally.

I see Vetcelerator as the "Goldilocks" of the veterinary industry if you're looking for that just right option between the total control of corporate and the overwhelming responsibility of doing it all on your own. And you don't have to be near the Vetcelerator office to become a client, they offer their virtual support and clinic management assistance all over the country. With Vetcelerator, you do not have to be trained in business to successfully own your practice, just leave the backend operations to them.

You can find out more about Vetcelerator by visiting their website and connecting with Dr. Ira Gordon, Chief Veterinary Officer on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• What is Vetcelerator?
• How to offload backend responsibilities and maintain independent ownership.
• How Vetcelerator can reduce veterinarian burnout and overwhelm.
• How you can focus on the skills you love in your veterinary practice.
• Delegating practice managing tasks so you can focus on good medicine and patient/client care.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Vetcelerator
igordon@vetcelerator.com
Vane
Ira Gordon - Chief Veterinary Officer - Vetcelerator | LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Ivan Zak joined the field with a passion for ER medicine, but 6 years of overworking himself led to intense and crippling burnout. Dr. Zak described burnout as a total loss of joy with no escape. No matter what he tried to do, the feeling of disconnection and cynicism plagued him. Now he is motivated to build an organization that will systematically prevent veterinary burnout.

Galaxy Vets, founded by Dr. Zak is a veterinary healthcare system co-owned by its employees. This system entails at least 6 partner hospitals and an ER with a simple lab at the center. He calls this the “Solar System”. The connection of these hospitals will allow flexibility and fluidity of its employees for the entire system, making room for opportunities to move around positions, work in telehealth, seamless filling for employee leave periods, and more. Additionally, with hospitals and ER connected, patients can be referred to emergency and specialty care as soon as they need it and not before they’ve overspent on basic care at their regular clinic.

Top-of-the-market salary, No non-competes, No commission-based pay, Equity in the company, and Burnout Prevention are just some of the extrinsic motivators for Galaxy Vets. Their purpose is to prevent and decrease burnout in the veterinary domain and they have defined their two missions as returning veterinary medicine back to veterinary professionals and providing access to care. These cover big problems in the veterinary industry for both employees and clients!

One thing I love about this model and Dr. Zak's work is just how data-driven every piece is. If you are an employee in a clinic environment, please take the Burnout Survey linked in the show notes to help Dr. Zak’s mission. Galaxy Vets is sure to experience a ton of growth in the next year, so check out their website and follow them on social media. I can’t wait to check back in with Dr. Zak and Galaxy Vets.

What’s Inside:

• What is burnout?
• What are the consequences of burnout?
• How Galaxy Vets are systematically preventing veterinary burnout?
• Motivating Veterinary Professionals with a unique business model.
• How removing commission-based pay can change the veterinary industry.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Galaxy Vets
Please participate in the Burnout Survey:
The Emotional Toll of Financial Stress, Work Environment, and Euthanasia
Follow Galaxy Vets online:
Galaxy Vets on Facebook
Galaxy Vets on LinkedIn
Galaxy Vets (@galaxyvets) on Instagram
Galaxy Vets (@GalaxyVets) on Twitter

View Details

Over the course of 20 years, Sabrina Beck has grown through many positions in the animal and veterinary industry. Today she is a practice manager and the founder of Blue Poodle Consulting. With her firm, she advises teams and practice managers on how to build happy and healthy veterinary teams.

Sabrina encourages hospital and clinic owners to prioritize the people in their practice because it truly pays off. When team members are happy, doing what they love to do, in a place they love to be, it affects clientele and the bottom line in a big, positive way.

When working with hospitals, Sabrina starts with diagnostics: What type of and how many team members does a clinic have available? What are the potential core problems? What IS working? When getting to the bottom of these answers, she differentiates between systems process issues versus staffing issues. She highlights the importance of defining these because even if clinics may be "short staffed" simply adjusting processes, efficiencies, moving staff around, or even additional training can be the answer to the problem before adding new team members. In fact, Sabrina notes that adding more people to a problematic hospital will usually create more problems, spend more money, and lead to more turnover. She works to solve the problem, and then adds the RIGHT new team members if necessary.

If you're in need of Sabrina's problem-solving skills and consulting services, she encourages anyone to reach out. You can reach her via the Blue Poodle Consulting website.

What’s Inside:

• Why clinics should place team members in positions they love.
• Getting started toward a happy and healthy veterinary team.
• Consulting for better practice management.
• How to identify and differentiate problems in a veterinary practice.
• Can adding new team members create MORE problems in a clinic?
• How can training contribute to a happier clinic team?

Mentioned In This Episode:

Blue Poodle Consulting
DVM360 - Sabrina Beck
Sabrina Beck - LinkedIn

View Details

Since she was a child, Dr. Dani Rabwin has always loved animals and pursued a career in veterinary medicine. As her career developed Dr. Dani began to see her passion for people, connecting through pets, and teaching and helping others. In the midst of the online era of 2020 Ready, Vet, Go was born.

Ready, Vet, Go is a 6-month formal mentorship program for new veterinarians. The design of this program is best suited in conjunction with clinics to support new grads. Dr. Dani works with vets with an average of 0 to 2 years of experience as they acclimate to new positions. A staggering 30% of new grads leave their jobs in the first year. Ready, Set, Go’s goal is to work with clinics and new vets to train and retain them, decreasing turnover.

Open enrollment for Ready, Set, Go begins in January and July, while Clinic Small Groups can enroll their teams at any time. The program is equipped with online modules, real-life video examples, and curated Zoom meetings with the cohort. This RACE-approved course will not only provide new veterinarians with the necessary credits but it will also teach new and important skills and provide a supportive community that lasts long beyond the program.

Dr. Dani is offering a FREE mini-course with access to a portion of online modules and videos, and information about enrollment. If you’re interested in learning more you can check out Ready, Set, Go online and on Instagram, as well as email Dr. Dani!

What’s Inside:

• Why mentorship is so important to new veterinarians.
• The need for clinics to invest and support their new grad veterinarians.
• What is Ready, Vet, Go?
• The framework of support provided in Ready, Vet, Go.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Ready, Vet, Go
dani@readyvetgo.co
@ReadyVetGo Instagram
Phone or text, 510-827-0273

View Details

Christina Delgado comes from an extensive background in the veterinary medicine industry. Today she works as a multi-clinic manager for two hospitals as well as being the management coach for her division, spanning across three states. Christina describes her management technique as Servant Leadership.

Servant Leadership is all about empowering each individual to be their best and get what they need. For Christina, her people are her priority. She leads her team with their interests and needs at the forefront. As someone who has been in many positions across the community, she is a manager who knows what it's like to be managed and that gives her a unique advantage when it comes to supporting her team.

Veterinary Medicine is certainly not all rainbows and butterflies, even in the best hospitals there will be difficult, busy, chaotic days. The key is that these days are not happening every day and your team knows you will support them through that. The foundation for this is a cohesive team and a positive culture. A cohesive team means that every member has flow and efficiency and is cross-trained to reduce bottlenecking during chaos. And culture as Christina says is more than just laughing at work, it's every member of the team working well together and feeling supported beyond the busy day.

Christina has a great message for leaders about the value of investing in your team. If you're a struggling leader and looking for mentorship, you can reach out to Christina Delgado on LinkedIn. We are all in this together!

What’s Inside:

• What is Servant Leadership?
• What does a cohesive team look like?
• What does culture in a clinic really mean?
• Why should you invest in your employees?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Christina Delgado - LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Kelly and Dr. Robert Hutchison are the founders of White Whiskers Aging Pet Care in Colorado Springs, CO. This organization is the culmination of their many years of experience in the veterinary world and countless family dinner table discussions regarding what was missing in our collective veterinary experience. Their goal is to address the challenges that our dogs and cats (and we as veterinarians) often face in the traditional model of care. The world of veterinary medicine has undergone so many changes in the past 30 years, and new methods of improving the lives of our patients are constantly being uncovered. However, progress isn’t free, and there is a huge lack of time and resources to keep up with in the current veterinary community.

Aging pets require a unique set of needs and more time spent with vets during visits. Dr. Kelly and Dr. Robert focus on time as well as educating their clients as best as possible. They decided to create their practice around these two values while keeping their overhead low and knowing their boundaries. They targeted veterinary practices in their local area and positioned themselves as a support system for aging pet clients who need someone there to answer their questions in the evening and even spend time with them at home.

Our discussion includes how White Whiskers supports brick-and-mortar veterinary practices and how the practice is more collaborative than competitive. We talk about the importance of honoring your own boundaries to prevent burnout while still providing amazing service to clients. Partnerships are so important as well, and Dr. Kelly and Dr. Robert are such great examples of two complimentary counterparts. It’s easy to feel drained by trying to wear all the hats in your practice, so having others around you with varied skill sets can have a huge impact. End-of-life animal care is gaining traction, and if you’re considering starting up your own, you’ll have more opportunities in more densely populated areas. Dr. Kelly and Dr. Robert currently have a waitlist and are looking to hire and expand their practice.

What’s Inside:
•How Dr. Kelly and Dr. Robert Hutchison created White Whiskers Aging Pet Care.
•Why time and education are critical to caring for aging pets.
•How Dr. Kelly and Dr. Robert price their services.
•The importance of boundaries.
•What to consider if you want to start up a similar practice.
•How to advocate for yourself in business.

Mentioned In This Episode:

White Whiskers Aging Pet Care
White Whiskers Aging Pet Care – Instagram
White Whiskers Aging Pet Care - Facebook

View Details

Many of my listeners are veterinary professionals working in hospital clinics, but this episode is especially for those in the part of their journey where they are looking for an internship program as they find their specialty and make career decisions. Dr. Christina Kaye is currently studying to be a veterinary ophthalmologist. She shares her experience, perspective, and advice as it pertains to matching with the right intern program and advocating for yourself, fellow interns, and the industry as a whole along the way.

Dr. Kaye used an online matching program that utilizes a unique algorithm to find the right fit for her as an intern. The matching program starts out like any basic education application: personal information, transcripts, schooling, etc. Then comes the interview. As you prepare for the interview, consider the questions you are going to ask the program because just as they are interviewing you, you are interviewing them. Dr. Kaye gives the fantastic advice of asking for the contact information of a current intern and asking them a series of questions as well.

Questions for an Intern Currently in Your Desired Program:
What is the salary and living situation?
What does daily life, time off, and schedule flexibility look like?
What opportunities are there for fun outside of work?
How is mental health support? Do they prioritize the health of staff?
Do you feel support within the organization from leadership but also other interns?

Once you’re in an internship, mentorship is extremely important. Dr. Kaye lists qualities of a good mentor as a good teacher, personable, and someone you feel comfortable asking questions to. Additionally, as an intern, you need to learn to advocate. Not only for yourself but alongside your internship class. Dr. Kaye urges new interns to stand together, speak up, and collectively decide the standard for appropriate expectations.

Dr. Kaye shares her perspective on the challenges and difficulties ahead for future interns, and how she has balanced her health, wellness, social, and family life alongside it. It’s going to be hard. That is the truth of it. BUT you can be the architect of your life. Be aware of your needs and advocate for yourself, and remember you’re not alone. You’re incredibly resilient and can withstand so many challenges if you have the skills and support to do so. You can reach out to Dr. Christina Kaye via email or LinkedIn for support, mentorship, and any questions you may have about interning.

What’s Inside:

• How to match with the right internship program for you?
• Questions to ask interns already involved in the intern program of your choice.
• How to advocate as an intern.
• What to look for in mentorship.
• What are the challenges involved in an intern program?
• How to balance health, wellness, social life, and family during your internship.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Christina Kaye, DVM - Veterinary Ophthalmology Intern - Animal Eye Clinic | LinkedIn
christinakaye94@gmail.com

View Details

Dr. Cindy Trice is the founder of Relief Rover, an online community and resource for the needs of the veterinary relief sector. Dr. Trice has worked as a relief professional for the majority of her career and her personal experience in long-term veterinary positions has allowed her to see the importance and need for relief work in this profession.

Relief Work is where a professional fills in for a position whether a veterinarian is out sick, needs a break, is on vacation, or a practice is experiencing an increase in demand. For relief workers, this does not have to be a permanent career choice. You can work as a Relief Vet or Technician in any phase of your career whether you’re looking to take a break, explore, build your own business, or for a new place to land.

Relief Rover was created as a need for the community and profession for the first nationwide program to help build and improve healthy and productive business-to-business relationships. However it is not a staffing agency, Dr. Trice calls a “dating site” to introduce and support connections between relief workers and clinics but it does not facilitate the hiring and accepting of relief positions.

The mission behind Relief Rover is to engage, empower, and elevate relief professionals for the benefit of the entire profession. Dr. Trice sees Relief Work as an empowering tool to “try before you buy” for talent acquisition in the veterinary industry. You can find out more about Relief Rover at their website and social media as well as reach out to Dr. Trice with any questions you may have!

What’s Inside:

• What is relief work in the veterinary industry?
• How does Relief Rover support and connect relief workers and clinics?
• Why are relief professionals so important?
• How can relief work benefit veterinarians?

Mentioned In This Episode:

Cindy Trice - Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer - KickIt Pajamas | LinkedIn
Relief Rover - LinkedIn
Relief Rover on Facebook
Relief Rover (@reliefrover) on Instagram
Relief Rover (@ReliefRover) on Twitter

View Details

My listeners know by now I LOVE personality typing and discussing its impact in the workplace. Today I am talking to Theresa Bohler, she has worked with animals in some capacity for the last 44 years. Now she is a Certified DiSC Trainer helping veterinary professionals communicate better, deal with conflict, discover what motivates them, and enjoy their work much more.

DiSC is a personal assessment that identifies and deepens your understanding of yourself and others.

• Dominance: People with D personalities tend to be confident and place an emphasis on accomplishing bottom-line results.
• influence: People with i personalities tend to be more open and place an emphasis on relationships and influencing or persuading others.
• Steadiness: People with S personalities tend to be dependable and place an emphasis on cooperation and sincerity.
• Conscientious: People with C personalities tend to place the emphasis on quality, accuracy, expertise, and competency.

This assessment evaluates your personality based on what you think people expect of you vs what you really are. After taking this assessment you can really see, WOW it is so spot on. You can even begin to understand why you do certain things and the types of people you are attracted to in relationships. Theresa and I discuss our results and what they mean to us and how we operate in our work and our daily lives.

Understanding personality is so much easier than you would think, you just have to learn certain indicators. Theresa shares some examples and anecdotes from her personal sphere on interactions that prove DiSC indicators. Know someone, no-nonsense, and straight to the point? They’re likely a D. The person who will talk to you about everything under the sun, and before you know it it’s been hours… they’re an I. The concerned hugger, the person who is always there for you… they’re an S. Type A organizers…these people are your C’s.

Theresa’s goal is to make every vet clinic have an easier day by bringing this training to clinics to assist operations and create a cohesive working environment using her expertise in DiSC and conflict resolution. If you want to learn more about Theresa you can connect with her on LinkedIn or reach her via email.

What’s Inside:

• What is the DiSC Assessment?
• How can personality typing aid in a cohesive work environment?
• Why personal assessment and conflict resolution go hand in hand.
• Understand the personality of your colleagues.
• How the DiSC Assessment can be used in Veterinary Hospitals.

Mentioned In This Episode:

tmbohler@gmail.com
Theresa Bohler - LinkedIn

View Details

Bret Canfield is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to improving culture and operations in a veterinary hospital. Today he joined me to discuss his specialty, engagement and efficiency.

What are engagement and efficiency in the workplace?

Bret first describes these buzzwords as what they are not, the maximum result in the minimum time. Efficiency is maximizing every positive and minimizing every negative in any given situation. And the variable is not always time, it can also be waste, cost, culture, etc. Engagement is involving the team in positive, intentional decision-making every step of the way.

Bret stresses to veterinary clinic owners that engagement and efficiency cannot exist without one another, they work together in harmony as a constant aspirational goal. You cannot “fix them”, they are ever evolving and require consistent work.

Improving engagement and efficiency:

1. Measure things that matter to YOU and YOUR hospital with an efficiency survey, or analyze and break down specific processes.
2. Start small. Growing and changing is uncomfortable. Engagement requires a full team buy-in with intentional gradual change.
3. Close the loop. The measurement is only diagnostic data, what you do with it matters. Think: “Here is the answer, here is what we’re going to do, here are the steps, and here is when I want to see results”

On a mission to educate the veterinary industry on the beautiful coexistence of engagement and efficiency, Bret has shared he is happy to consult and be the starting place for your clinic. If you’re interested in talking to him, reach out to him via email.

What’s Inside:

• What is engagement in a veterinary hospital?
• What is efficiency in a veterinary hospital?
• How do engagement and efficiency coexist?
• How to measure engagement and efficiency?
• How to close the loop and improve processes within your clinic?

Mentioned In This Episode:
bretcanfield@gmail.com

View Details

Dr. Laura Graye, founder of Medigraytion, is a unique humanitarian and visionary scientist. Her passions, talents, and curiosities pushed her to pursue a broad variety of education and degrees that have provided a really interesting understanding of our consciousness, especially in the case of improving mental health.

Dr. Graye says that she finds that veterinary professionals “vibrate in a beautiful humanitarian way”. This is because individuals in the field are typically empathetic caregivers… to a fault. While kindness, caring, and empathy are great qualities, they are not to be shared at the expense of your own suffering. Dr. Graye shares how these beliefs and rules were learned in our childhood through receiving value from caring actions and we continue to uphold them today. When we lean into this behavior from a place of burnout we perpetuate that this can be expected and we invite others into our world that continue to expect burnout-level behaviors.

The “small m mind” and the “Big M Mind” are two ways Dr. Graye defines our mind. The small m is the neural pathways, a built-in map of rules and beliefs created from childhood. The Big M represents consciousness, in which you can instruct the energy in your mind, body, and psyche to act in a certain way.

Dr. Laura Graye’s Tips for Improving Consciousness
•Ground and connect to yourself at the start of every workday
•Bookmark the SMR [Self Manifested Reality] at moments of increased stress
•Physical embodiment of grounding (chest taping, karate chopping, or a hidden movement) that puts yourself in your body during increased stress

If you want to learn more about Dr. Laura Graye you can find her via email or at her Medigraytion website.

What’s Inside:

• How Dr. Laura Graye followed her passion and talents to shape a unique career.
• How have your beliefs and rules shaped your current consciousness?
• Why empathetic personalities often come from learned behaviors.
• Do you invite people into your life to perpetuate your own cycle of burnout?
• What are the “small m mind” and the “Big M Mind”?
• Tips for increased consciousness in the veterinary workplace.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Laura@lauragraye.comMedigraytion

View Details

“A vision for a transformative level of veterinary care. A belief in protecting the connection between you and your pet. And a passion for making a difference in your life. This is a new kind of veterinary practice. And you'll never think of veterinary care the same.”

Dr. Cheryl Roth and Dr. Kristin Gerard are the co-founders of Guardian Veterinary Care, a revolutionary, people-first practice.

You might often hear aspiring veterinarians talk about their future careers because they love animals and want a job where they don’t have to deal with people. This could not be further from reality. Not only do all businesses including veterinary practices powered by a human team but every single pet that walks through the door has a person attached to them. Dr. Gerard says that connection and relationships with people might matter even more in the veterinary community because you are supporting animal clients who don’t have a voice of their own. Dr. Roth and Dr. Gerard’s philosophy in which they built the foundation of their clinic is all about supporting people and relationships, and they share just how they support that culture.

As veterinarians, Dr. Roth and Dr. Gerard, are faced with decisions, choices, and dilemmas all day every day. The core values of their hospital help them and their staff stop for every choice and make a conscious effort to move forward with positivity. Guardians Veterinary Care’s 4 Core Values are Kindness, Accountability, Team Strong, and a Passion for Quality. With these at their foundation, they are able to earn and maintain trust not only with their team but with their clients as well.

Dr. Roth and Dr. Gerard share some heartwarming stories on how their practice foundation and philosophy have impacted their staff, clients, and their own mental health. If you want to learn more about these veterinarians or their special practice you can reach them at the Guardian Veterinary Care Website.

What’s Inside:

• What is the “Savior Complex”?
• How can you set boundaries around care?
• What 4 Core Values build the culture at Guardian Veterinary care?
• Why a people and relationships first philosophy is so important for a veterinary clinic.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Guardian Veterinary Care

View Details

Conflict can be a scary word. No one likes a problem, but it’s all in how you handle it. Dr. Jeff Werber is in his 39th year as a veterinarian, and all these years later he is still in love with the profession. Today he is sharing some stories from his clinic alongside some really great advice for handling conflict in the workplace.

Most problems and conflicts either between staff or clients stem from one thing… communication. In order to fix or prevent problems, communication is the first thing to work on. Dr. Werber has some simple tips for fixing communication:

• Active listening: Repeat what you hear for clarification.
• Life Lesson: it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
• Turn negative criticism into constructive criticism.
• Engage in problems in private and do not publicly argue with a client or co-worker.
• Approach conflict with effective resolution versus a release of anger
• Don’t sweat the little things.
• It’s okay to be wrong. Just make it right.

With problems and conflict, especially from customers often comes negative reviews either on Yelp, social media, or other public forums. Dr. Werber shares a few of his experiences and what he has learned from them. Negative reviews typically come from clients who do not want resolution or results but simply a space to complain. So how do you handle this? Dr. Werber encourages practice managers and owners to respond graciously and publicly on the forum. While the complainant might not care for a resolution, other potential customers will see and value your response.

Dr. Werber’s passion and gratitude for the veterinary industry just pours out of him and he has so many words of wisdom to share. If you’d like to learn more about him be sure to check out his radio show on Pet Life Radio. You can also reach him via Instagram, email, or on his website.

What’s Inside:

• What is the #1 cause of problems in the workplace?
• Tips for handling conflict between staff or clients.
• How to handle negative reviews.
• Why is problem resolution important?
• Is the customer always right?
• How to set boundaries to avoid future problems.

Mentioned In This Episode:
drjeff@drjeff.com
Dr. Jeff Werber
Dr. Jeff Werber on Pet Life Radio
Dr. Jeff Werber (@werbs_dvm) on Instagram

View Details

As a Brazilian woman working in the operation field, Lety Cavalcante offers a unique perspective on leadership, team management, and burnout. Lety moved to America in 2013 after working as a lawyer in Brazil. Prior to her move she was missing something and wanting more, so she made a huge switch leading her to her position as Head of Driving Operations at Waymo, where she works with the testing of autonomous vehicles.

It can be intimidating and scary if you’ve invested time and education into your career and suddenly you're left feeling like this isn’t the right path. Lety felt the same but she shares some important advice on how she successfully made the switch. Seek out information. At 30 years old, Lety made a complete career change and she did that by seeking information about her desired career path. She made connections on LinkedIn and networked with veterans in the industry to really question the reality of the career and seek mentorship.

Now as an operations manager, Lety is leading one of the largest operations teams at her company to date, and it’s going great. She has a really team-focused approach to leadership that allows her team to feel supported and safe. A few ideas for supporting her team she implements include approachable office hours for team needs, frequent check-ins on team members, and allowing voices to be heard and decisions to be made from smaller, less heard parts of the team. Results and metrics are important, without these the job and product wouldn't exist BUT the human work force behind it is equally important…not only do they need to be paid, but they need to be taken care of by their leadership. If any part of these two sides are broken, the business will not be successful. You want your team to be connected to the company's mission, to feel empowered to support the work they’re doing and supported by leadership to speak up.

A lot of Lety’s story goes hand in hand with burnout in the workplace. As an operations manager, she has opted into several programs to prevent burnout and enrich her team. Her team participates in rotation opportunities and 20% of their time spent on new projects with new teams. She sees the key to burnout is allowing for change, growth, and new learning opportunities for her employees.

Lety shares for leaders, especially women, out there; that this job may never be easy but it can be smooth. If you’d like to connect with Lety, learn more, or seek mentorship, you can find her on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:
* Why you shouldn’t be intimidated to change careers. * Advice for attaining a new desired career. * Balancing results and metrics with the support of the human workforce. * Transitions and systems for managing burnout. * How work culture influences the success of a team and company as a whole.

Mentioned In This Episode:Lety Cavalcante - LinkedIn

View Details

Dr. Derek Paul from Valley Veterinary Care joins me again on the podcast to dive deep into the why and how behind their great training and mentorship program. If you haven't listened to his first episode, go back and check out episode 15 for a little background.

The veterinary industry, and many others across differing careers and fields, are facing a big problem: understaffing. But there is still a job to be done and for veterinary clinics, they are actually seeing increasing needs in animal care while still rapidly losing staff. Post pandemic we are seeing not only an increase in pets from pandemic timed adoptions but a major shift in the world's workforce. People are more confident in what they can bring to the table and they are demanding to be compensated appropriately. People now place more value on positive culture, benefits, work-life balance, and most importantly quality training. But how can we provide training when vet clinics are already understaffed, staffing less qualified employees, and overflowing with patients?

Dr. Paul understands that the abilities to train and support can differ greatly from a corporation like Valley Veterinary Care to small private owned general practices. The simple reason is the depth of the pockets. Small practices often have less resources to provide and spend on training. Dr. Paul shares some creative solutions for these practices to find free or low cost training, such as drug or product education from supporting companies, free continuing education online, and even non-profit organizations providing seminars and training. The important idea is that investing in your staff is an investment in your practice.

Valley Veterinary Care is leading the industry in a supportive teaching and mentorship program from the beginning of recruitment. Their comprehensive training covers not only medical procedures, but benefits, finances, and everything across the board to lead to a successful career in the veterinary industry. Not only do they provide robust training, but they provide clear outlined check-ins, competency goals, and expectations for every position so no one is left guessing what they should be doing or how to do it. Because of this incredible support, they are facing way less understaffing than other practices across the company.

You can find out more about Valley Veterinary Care, read doctor and staff testimonials, and see job opportunities at their linked websites.

What’s Inside:

• What is happening with staffing across the veterinary industry?
• What problems is the veterinary industry facing?
• Solutions for training staff in a corporate company versus a small general practice?
• How to build training and mentorship programs.
• How to find affordable training solutions.
• How to ensure staff is well trained and competent in their positions.

Mentioned In This Episode:Valley Veterinary Care
Vet Reviews in Friendswood TX | Valley Veterinary Care
Open Veterinary Jobs in Friendswood TX

015: VET MED - Valley Veterinary Care, The Model for Doctor Support with Dr. Derek Paul

View Details

Burnout, stress, overwhelm, fatigue…These cannot be the feelings coming from working in a field that brings you joy and aligns with your life. Dr. Amanda Doran shares her experience of burnout and overwhelm in a position that wasn't right for her, and how she began her journey to create resonance in work and life.

“What is wrong with me?” A question we often ask ourselves, when things aren't turning out the way we thought. We are in control of ourselves and our feelings… so we must be to blame. We turn to ourselves, but instead of placing blame, we can insight change. Dr. Doran discusses some of the steps she took to create work life resonance for herself.

Decide what you DON’T want.
This can often be the easiest conversation to have because it's glaring in your face and there may be a long list of things to get out of the way.

Take a personality assessment.
What are you good at? What is right for you? Dr. Doran recommends the Gallup Strength Assessment, I love the Enneagram, there are many out there that could be the right fit.

Decide what you DO want.
Ask yourself what you want and start imagining what it would be like to have and do those things? Envision it.

Start taking steps.
Reaching work life resonance is not one big step, but an accumulation of small ones. What small steps, shifts, and adjustments can you start TODAY to change your life tomorrow.

Now as an artist, author, and practicing in-home euthanasia, Dr. Doran is living a life filled with joy. She shared that her hardest days at work are still better than her best days in her previous positions. You deserve a life filled with joy, resonance, and energy funneling back and forth between work and life. If you’re interested in a deeper conversation with Dr. Amanda Doran, you can find her via email or at her various websites and social media.

What’s Inside:

• What is work life resonance?
• How to create a life where work and your everyday resonate.
• How to find alignment in work and life.
• A solution for finding work that fills your cup.
• The benefit of personality assessments.
• How to come back from burnout and stress.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Amanda Doran, DVM, CHPV - LinkedIn
Dr. Amanda Doran (@dr_amanda_doran) on Instagram
Dr. Amanda Doran
dramandadoran@gmail.com
Books - Marcus Buckingham
Morning Pages | Julia Cameron Live
CliftonStrengths

View Details

Compassion Fatigue, it’s kind of a buzzword right now; but what does it mean? Today I am talking with Charmaine Nawrocki, Partnership Manager at Airvet. Charmaine’s role in the veterinary industry has changed and been impacted from a really impactful quality of life conversation she had with a veterinarian early on in her career, as well as her own experiences with Compassion Fatigue.

Compassion Fatigue occurs when an individual is giving out so much emotional energy that they are constantly exhausted. In the veterinary industry this stretches throughout constant care for others whether it be a puppy client or human owner or coworker. Us animal lovers can at times forget that this job is not just “saving animals”. There are a lot of factors specific to the veterinary industry that can cause compassion fatigue: extreme compassion for animals without being able to help, not understanding human owners' reasons for declining care, financial struggle, coworker differences or carrying co-worker responsibility, understaffing, and lack of benefits and resources for veterinary professionals to recharge.

Charmaine and I discuss some solutions for Compassion Fatigue that we are already seeing present in the community or that can be changed for the benefit of the industry. First, hospitals can increase the benefit offering to help employees balance off work hours. This might be mental health resources, paid time off, etc. Adequate pay is also important, employees in the veterinary space are often underpaid and overworked. Finally, effective leadership practice and training. Hospitals and leaders need to invest in the proper training and systems to lead and serve their staff.

Warning Signs of Compassion Fatigue:

• Feelings of helplessness and powerlessness in suffering
• Reduced empathy and sensitivity
• Overwhelmed and exhausted by work demands
• Detached, numb, emotionally disconnected
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Increase in anxiety, sadness, anger, and irritability
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Sleep difficulty or disturbances
• Physical health symptoms: nausea, headaches, dizziness
• Increase conflict in personal relationships
• Neglecting self-care
• Withdrawal and isolation

If you’ve listened to this episode and are wondering, do I have Compassion Fatigue….you probably do. Reach out for help and keep in mind some of the solutions we discussed today. Life is too short to spend your time suffering, you deserve to thrive!

What’s Inside:

• What is Compassion Fatigue?
• What are examples and causes of Compassion Fatigue in the veterinary industry?
• What are the warning signs of Compassion Fatigue?
• How can we solve Compassion Fatigue in the veterinary field?
• How does leadership impact Compassion Fatigue?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Charmaine Nawrocki - LinkedIn
Airvet
Compassion Fatigue Self Assessment

View Details

The “slice of pie” that is our work life is SO huge compared to the rest of our involvements in life. So why are we accepting its contribution to our wellbeing, happiness, and fulfillment to be less than others? Josh Vaisman is the founder of Flourish Veterinary Consulting, a firm in which he uses the science of human thriving and translation to be used in the workplace to cultivate these environments for personal and professional cohesiveness.

As a veteran of the veterinary industry, Josh is familiar with the worsening problems of burnout, compassion fatigue, and toxic work environments present in the field. After his own experience with depression level burnout working in the industry, Josh developed The Four P’s of Positive Leadership. These are based upon common characteristics for thriving in the workplace and finding professional fulfillment.

The Four P’s of Positive Leadership:

Psychological Safety - Largely associated with work culture, psychological safety brings an energy of open communication, positive interpersonal experiences, high retention rates, and lower medical errors.

Purpose - We crave meaningfulness in our work, but how often we as employees are given an opportunity to see the impact our work has on our clients?

Path - Tied to achievement and accomplishment, a company needs to provide: Role Clarity, Autonomy, and Resources.

Partnership - Leadership is Relationships. The most important relationship in a work environment is that between the boss and the employees, all other relationships within the workplace will be influenced and reflected by that.

The problems Josh and I discuss in today’s episode are not news to those in the veterinary industry but a lot of the solutions and how-tos are. This is a great conversation on creating a positive environment for a workplace thriving for everyone! If you want to learn more, visit Flourish Veterinary Consulting on their website, social media, and Linked In.

What’s Inside:

• Why work should CONTRIBUTE to our wellbeing, not take away from it.
• How Josh Vaisman is helping the veterinarian industry flourish.
• What are the Four P’s of Positive Leadership?
• The common characteristics of workplace thriving?
• What is psychological safety and why is it important?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Hidden Brain - Apple Podcasts
Flourish Veterinary Consulting
Josh Vaisman - LinkedIn

View Details

A common discussion on the show and in the veterinary world lately has been how to integrate efficient support that benefits the doctors, staff, and the hospital as a whole. Today I am speaking with Dr. Derek Paul, former member of the United States Navy and now National Medical Director at Valley Veterinary Care. Valley Vet is a national company with 26 hospitals, including both emergency and general services, and they are leading the field in mentorship and support for their staff.

Dr. Paul calls it more than mentorship, and it is. Valley Veterinary Care has developed what they call the Doctor Support Program, a comprehensive training and mentorship for their oncoming staff that educates them on the entire scope of what it means to be a veterinary professional before they even enter the clinic for their first day on the floor. This means not only veterinary care training, but the behind the scenes and items of personal importance like tax documents, retirement, and so much more. What’s better is the way they developed the program… from the bottom up. They reached out to new vets, old vets, international vets, and students in vet school to ask the big questions: What do you wish you knew? What do you expect from your veterinary hospital? Questions that will leave staff feeling trained and confident from day one, and improve the longevity of their employment as well as hospital culture.

This kind of training has to come from somewhere. In other hospitals, it's not happening because doctors are producing and they’re busy with clients… they “don't have time” to take someone under their wing. Valley Veterinary Care not only provides this amazing support program but they pay their doctors for mentorship time! Mentoring, training, and supporting new staff is an important piece of the hospital puzzle and the doctors leading that support deserve to be compensated. Of course this is an expense, yes. But it saves hospitals money in the long term because their staff are loyal and happy, creating high retention and less turnover with more training time needed.

We also discuss a problem that every person in the veterinary field knows well. The dilemma of treatment fees versus carrying out a treatment. You have a dog in the clinic, you’ve known since birth in dire need of life-saving services and the owner just can’t afford it. What do you do? This constant struggle in the field is the cause of a lot of compassion fatigue and grief. The fee for treatment is necessary and it is what pays for tools, staff, medicines, and even the building they are in, it cannot be avoided. Dr. Paul talks about how this is an important piece of their support program, training doctors and staff to have those financial discussions early on in vet care before an emergency happens. These financial plans should start being made at the very first appointment. Staff should feel comfortable helping clients understand options such as a pet savings account, pet insurance, and pre-approval for care credit. Knowing how you will pay for an emergency BEFORE the emergency will make all the difference for the client, the vet, and most importantly the pet.

Valley Veterinary Care, is a unicorn in the field, proving the importance of a model for doctor support. When you have an environment where people are supported by their company and their coworkers, it’s truly magical. You can find out more about Dr. Derek Paul at his LinkedIn account, via email, or on the Valley Vet website!
What’s Inside:

—What is a Doctor Support Program?
—Should doctors be paid for mentorship time?
—How comprehensive training should be in your veterinary hospital?
—How can veterinarians prepare clients for difficult financial situations?
How does the struggle of treatment fee versus performing treatment affect veterinarians?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Valley Veterinary Care

View Details

What would anyone want with veterinary hospital data? Clint Latham J.D is the founder of Lucca Veterinary Data Security, where he helps veterinarians understand the value of their data and take the necessary steps to protect it.

Veterinary hospitals spend years building up their customer database. What would happen if they lost it all? What would the value of their hospital be left with? Cyber-security is important and while Clint emphasizes how he helps with that, he also touches on an important subject: psychological security and safety.

Psychological safety is the idea that employees and staff feel secure and safe in the event of failure or errors. Too often Clint receives calls from angry hospital management blaming a staff member, and usually because of this negative culture, recovering data is that much harder. Without psychological security, staff are much more likely to incorrectly attempt to problem-solve, cover up errors, and other mistakes that lead to more data corruption and problems when Clint’s team gets involved.

Clint talks about the distinct difference he feels when entering a hospital with a positive culture versus a negative one. And it impacts data security, one of the hospital’s most valuable resources, more than you think it does. Clint shares Amy Edmonson’s 7 questions you can ask your team to understand and improve psychological safety in your team. Be sure to take a look at this resource we’ve linked, in order to work on this culture and foster psychological security within your hospital. You cannot measure your psychological safety and security posture without measuring it!

If you haven’t considered data security and psychological safety in your veterinary hospital, you can find out more about Clint on LinkedIn, and Lucca Veterinary Data Security website, as well as various resources including his eBook, 5 Simple Steps to Protect Your Practice.

What’s Inside:

• What is the value of data security in veterinary medicine?
• What is psychological safety and security?
• How can poor hospital culture affect psychological safety and security?
• How can hospital management improve psychological safety?
• Can poor psychological security increase cyber-security risks?

Mentioned In This Episode:Clint Latham JD -LinkedIn
Lucca Veterinary Data Security
Download Lucca Vet’s Free E-Book
Foster Psychological Safety

View Details

Rachel Golden is a veterinary professional of 15 years, spending the last 11 at VCA where she is the hospital manager. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Rachel on and off the air and we both have a big passion for the field. Rachel joins me in this episode to tackle a big question in the industry. Why are veterinary professionals not only leaving their jobs but leaving the field at an alarming rate?

Pre-COVID, the veterinary industry was already on edge. Overworked, bursting with burnout and compassion fatigue, the pandemic only made the pressure worse and gave way to a major shift in employee mentality.No longer are our employees putting up with extensive expectations for no work-life balance, working while sick, taking up the slack for under trained coworkers, and all of the other woes of the industry. And should they have to?

Hospital culture was suffering pre-pandemic and even more so now. With professionals leaving and the employee pool getting smaller and smaller, hospitals are forced to hire inexperienced and untrained staff. Leading to major gaps in knowledge and skills between veterans and new employees. So as a hospital manager or practice owner, what can you do about it?

When looking at this conundrum, it seems there's no time for training, there’s no time for professional development, and there's no time for staff bonding and hospital culture. Rachel really dives into the intricacies of scheduling time for employee training and culture. It almost seems to be a lose-lose. Employees are either forced in early or out late for meetings, the day is cut short and work piles up, and the hospital is losing revenue for paying employees during closed hours.

These might seem like impossible barriers. But Rachel stresses the need for this time in veterinary hospitals now more than ever. Look at creating robust training procedures and hospital culture organisms as an investment. Not only in your employees but in your practice. Make the time, spend the money. You will make it up tenfold in employee retention alone.

Employees deserve to be trained, to work among knowledgeable co-workers, to have their time respected, and to work within a happy hospital. Use your voice. Make the time.

If you’d like to get in contact with Rachel Golden, you can find her on LinkedIn or reach her via email.

What’s Inside:

• Why is the veterinary profession losing employees at an alarming rate?
• How has employee culture shifted post-pandemic?
• How the massive knowledge and skill gap is jading employees old and new.
• How to find the time for important training and investment in employees?
• How to retain employees in the veterinary profession.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Rachel Golden - LinkedIn
RacehlGolden55@gmail.com

View Details

Dr. David DiMeo is a veteran Veterinarian in his 40th year in the field. His journey has brought him from growing up on the shores of Rhode Island to his practice, Mountain Parks Veterinary Hospital, in Colorado.

Having been a part of the industry for decades, Dr. DiMeo has seen the changes overtime, experienced highs and lows, and has some wisdom when it comes to dealing with common stressors. There is one common stressor when I’ve talked to guests in the past and that is Compassion Fatigue. Dr. DiMeo brings up two unique facets of this that really add to the stress of compassion.

Most Veterinary Professionals get into the field because they love animals, and at times may not love human to human interaction. What some may fail to realize until they are in the practice is that with every animal comes a human or human family attached to it, in which you have to consider their emotions and feelings along the course of treatment. Additionally, veterinarians see their patients on a much longer term basis. Most human doctors will never see a patient from birth through the course of their life until death. However, many veterinarians will develop relationships with families and their baby animals and provide treatment for over a decade until the natural death of an animal. Both of these observations can be draining, overwhelming, and cause stress.

Dr. DiMeo also talks about the stress of debt that can lead to burnout from overworking with younger or newer veterinarians fresh from medical school. As a practice owner, Dr. DiMeo also shares about the many stresses involved in operating a practice, especially in an owner's early days before they've hired the much-needed help.

So how do you deal? Dr. DiMeo’s secret to thriving in the field for as long as he has is positivity. For him, remembering why he does what he does and genuinely seeing the impact he is making allows him to see more positives than negatives. We also talk about the act of Receiving Gratitude. When your clients show appreciation, be sure to say thank you and take the time to feel that appreciation. Dr. DiMeo’s other tips for others managing stress in the field is to constantly challenge yourself and keep learning, and make time for things you love outside of work.

You can find Dr. DiMeo on LinkedIn, reach him by email, or view his practice, Mountain Parks Veterinary Hospital, on their website.

What’s Inside:

• What are common stressors veterinary professionals are dealing with in the industry today?
• Long term patient relationships, a unique look at compassion fatigue.
• The importance of receiving and feeling gratitude.
• How to stay positive in the midst of big stressors.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Dr. David DiMeo - LinkedIn
DrDiMeo@MountainParksVet.com
About Us - Mountain Parks Veterinary Hospital

View Details

Are we in a rebirth of humanity? Today I’m talking with Jean Marie DiGiovanna, a Keynote Speaker, Corporate Trainer, and Executive Coach. Jean Marie specializes in leadership development, team effectiveness, and innovation. Through her work, she has developed a framework she calls Renaissance Leadership, based on 5 principles embodying the mindset of the Renaissance Period, a time of rebirth and invention.

The 5 Principles of Renaissance Leadership

-Ask New Questions: Be curious, ask the questions that no one is asking. Shift the Why to What and How and open the dialog.
-Honor the Diversity: Be open to other cultures, perspectives, and ideas. Honor the whole person, valuing talent and humanity beyond the workplace.
-Connect to Innovate: Collaborate and surround yourself with others who are different and think different from you.
-Act with Accountability: Take responsibility and have integrity for both your actions and inactions.
-Magnify the Impact: Take your ideas and share them with other departments, groups, and organizations.

Jean Marie breaks down each of these principles and the skills and traits within them that she helps her clients practice to become a Renaissance leader. When you’re asking the right questions with an open and curious mind, the value of your own leadership and your team makes an impactful shift. She shares big questions that leaders can use to unlock potential in their team, like What skills have I overlooked in you?

Be sure to check out Jean Marie’s website to access tools, questions, and leadership tips. Stop Talking Start Asking, Jean Marie’s book is available on Amazon, and bonus tools can be found on the book's website.

What’s Inside:

• What is Renaissance Leadership?
• What are the 5 Principles of Renaissance Leadership?
• How to shift the Why and ask new questions.
• Why curiosity is the key to powerful listening.
• Is accountability a myth?
• What are 10 questions to unlock hidden talent and new ideas among your team?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Download the 10 Questions to Unlock Hidden Talent & New Ideas Among Your Team
Stop Talking Start Asking - Book and Bonus Tools
Jean Marie DiGiovanna - Keynote Speaker & Corporate Educator on Leadership, Team Effectiveness & Workplace Culture

View Details

As a leader, do you find yourself trying to get out of your head and into your heart? Jeff Deckman is a coach with a primary focus on Conscious Leadership. Jeff shares his career journey as what he describes as jumping off a cliff and building wings on the way down. With a passion for leadership, he began to examine the types of leadership and the fundamental shifts taking place in the workplace today.

Leadership styles are making way for more conscious modalities like empathy, compassion, and collaboration. This is why Jeff developed an 8-Step Program, The Bigger Know Principles of Conscious Leadership, a program that focuses on using the knowledge of both a leader and their team to get to a “Bigger Know”. Jeff’s book, Developing the Conscious Leadership Mindset for the 21st Century, is a 52 lesson workbook for leaders. This book and Jeff’s work hinges on the concept of Leading with AIR.

Leading with AIR, is Jeff’s acronym for leading with Authenticity, Integrity, and Respect. He shares about what each of these three buzz words really mean and how when practiced correctly, they are not only beneficial to the leader and the team but transferable to the entire organization. One of the first and biggest steps in leadership is an inward one. When we lead and interact, we exude energy and in turn give off a frequency that affects everyone in an organization.

One thing we discuss often on the show is the greatness of finding your personal leadership style. Jeff sheds light on how this can often be affected and changed by the industry you’re in. A leader in the construction industry is going to operate very differently than if they were working for a nonprofit organization, or a political organization. We are influenced by our environment and our team and equally can also influence our own environment and team.

We all know there are differing scopes of challenges throughout leadership roles, Jeff identifies the big three he sees as ego, fear, and lack of communication. Communication is a major one we come back to time and time again. Jeff urges leaders to turn input into conversation and get the team involved in the design of change. Communication is bi-lateral, it is not only talking and telling but listening too. To ensure effective communication, Jeff himself practices WAIT, Why Am I Talking? He asks himself this question before he speaks to ensure his communication has a place and is not taking away from listening to what someone else has to say.

Jeff, in our rapid fire questions, really shares some great insight and relatable stories. Some really important advice he shares includes allowing life to be your teacher. As you lead, remember you’re not going to get it spot on every time, and that’s okay. Learn and grow from every experience. Before we close the episode, Jeff said something really great that I love and think is important for all leaders to keep in mind: Leaders at peace, breed peaceful people!

If you want to learn more about Jeff, you can find him at his website or on YouTube and you can check out his book, Developing the Conscious Leadership Mindset for the 21st Century: Insight for Leading Change, Improving Employee Engagement, and Achieving Extraordinary Results, available on Amazon.

What’s Inside:

• How can Conscious Leadership impact you and your team?
• Can your industry influence your personal leadership style?
• How to lead with A.I.R.
• What are the big challenges in leadership today?
• Why communication is the biggest challenge for leaders and how you can fix it.
• The impact behind letting life be your teacher.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Jeffrey Deckman
Jeffrey Deckman - YouTube
Schedule with Jeffrey Deckman

View Details

In previous episodes I have had the pleasure to talk with individuals in the veterinary industry and we’ve touched on the mental health crisis in the field. Today I am talking with Ron Sosa, who has worked in the veterinary profession for the last 20 years. We are discussing a subtle struggle within the mental health crisis, neurodiversity and undiagnosed neurodiverse team members in the veterinary field.

Ron Sosa received an adult diagnosis of ADHD in his early 30s. Something he wasn’t expecting but has had a profound effect on understanding himself. Additionally, Ron has received a preliminary diagnosis of autism. Both of these have led to Ron seeing his life in reverse, finally clicking with things he struggled with but could never label or verbalize.

If you’re someone who is thinking this could be you too, I’m sure you’re wondering what are the hallmark signs? While every individual is different, and one person’s experience is not a tell-tale sign, Ron shares his insight on what symptoms relate to his diagnosis. Many might experience sensory overload for loud crowded places, specific noises, textures of food or fabric. For ADHD specifically, Ron experiences major highs and lows and energy, this is a symptom that often gets missed in women early on because they learn to mask it without even knowing. Additionally, Ron has thrived on systems his whole life, organizing and making checklists and marking every task off. There are many nuances to neurodiversity, and one experience can be very different from another.

If you’re a manager working with a neurodiverse team, there are things you can do to help. The key is individualization. While specific systems and processes are crucial to any operation, there has t o be flexibility for individuals and accommodations. Ron and I also discuss deconstructing traditional biases in the interview process that can unknowingly single out neurodiverse applicants. You can also be in support of yourself, Ron’s tip for taking care of his mind is blocking out time for himself and for thinking directly into his calendar so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

With a supportive team and supportive management, operations with neurodiverse members can thrive. Specifically in the veterinary field, employees want to succeed and they want to do well, sometimes they just can’t get there on their own with the processes at hand. Ron is working on getting a platform to discuss this important issue and is eager to collaborate and hear from other minds in the field, if you’re interested you can find him on his LinkedIn!

What’s Inside:

• The subtle struggle in the veterinary mental health crisis: Neurodiversity.
• How can management support team neurodiverse team members?
• How might struggling individuals recognize signs of neurodiversity, leading to a diagnosis.
• How can neurodiverse professionals support themselves?
• How can management teams deconstruct biases and support individuals?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Ronald Sosa - LinkedIn

View Details

Does power make you nervous? Today, I’m talking with leadership cultivator and best-selling author, Steve Scheier. Currently working in the cannabis space, Steve has a passion for creating leaders who seek power and creating wholesome conversations around that power.

Power is NOT a dirty word. Many people who desire power are afraid to speak up about it, but Steve says one important layer of power is self-advocacy. Power is an important tool in leadership that directs the people who want to take charge of something into the position to that

Steve is the author of, Power Up: Essential Tools for Committed Cannabusiness Leaders. While this book’s title is focused toward the cannabis space, the tools and information he writes about are valuable in all applications of leadership. In this episode, he shares about the 4 parts of the book in which he talks about power.

• Part 1: Define Power - Power is the ability to act or produce an effect.
• Part 2: Power and Trust - Power doesn't come from a title, money, or networking, but real power comes from earned trust.
• Part 3: Articulate your Vision - Identify your vision and trust your instincts.
• Part 4: Communicate that Vision - Leadership is showing the way, and power is about communicating your vision to those following you.

We talk about tons of tips when it comes to getting comfortable with power, finding your vision, and just how to build trust to achieve power. Be sure to check out Steve’s books and if you’re interested in learning more you can reach him via email, online, and on social media!

What’s Inside:

• Creating wholesome conversations around power.
• Why power shouldn’t make you feel nervous.
• The four parts of Steve Scheier’s book, Power Up.
• Why power is not a dirty word and you SHOULD advocate for it.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Power Up: Essential Tools for Committed Cannabusiness Leaders Paperback – September 15, 2021
Do More Good. Better.: Using the Power of Decision Clarity® to Mobilize the Talent of Your Nonprofit Team Paperback
Steve Scheier
Steve Scheier (@steve_scheier) / Twitter
Steve Scheier (@stevescheierauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
Steve Scheier - Home | Facebook
steve@stevescheier.com

View Details

In recent years, the veterinary industry has seen a surge of growth that small practices have struggled to keep up with. Tianna Crane is a certified veterinary technician working in the veterinary field for over 20 years, working now as a practice manager in a small animal hospital. She shared with me a little about the challenges she’s seen and experienced, as well as the changes her practice is making to solve them.

Not One More Vet is a slogan adopted by the veterinary industry to combat and bring awareness to the rise in suicides and suicide attempts in the field. With an extreme rate of growth, a need for care, and not enough employees to bridge the gap, staff in the veterinary field are facing burnout and compassion fatigue at staggering rates. So what can leaders in veterinary hospitals do to help?

Tianna’s hospital brought in a consulting firm to observe, talk with staff, and provide feedback and coaching to improve staff wellbeing and work culture. This can be an extensive expense and feel like a big risk to business owners, but Tianna shares their ROI has been high in regard to staff retention and improved levels of care. She says when you feel good, you care more and you do better work.

A “Wellbeing Team” is an addition to Tianna’s animal hospital, the team is composed solely of staff and no management members to discuss ideas to improve culture and solutions to their daily struggles. Her hospital also puts a big emphasis on benefits for employees, including CE reimbursement and health care coverage that includes vision and dental, a rarity in the field. Overall, Tianna feels that their leadership team empathizes with and listens to staff to create a positive and productive culture.

The veterinary field is a compassionate job that leads to heart-on-string providers falling victim to patients' bill complaints. However, this compassion can cause a habit of leniency and non-payment of hefty vet bills, creating a slew of problems in the industry. Veterinary hospitals need their revenue to hire the best providers and pay their staff a living wage. Burnout is not just caused by simply working extensive hours but by working those hours and still being underwater with student debt, a common problem in the industry. Tianna encourages hospitals with these issues to retrain on these systems, setting boundaries for the good of the staff, the hospital, and future patients.

Coming from a family of veterinary technicians, Tianna wants to see these positive changes continue in the industry. These tips for leaders in the field and a focus on well-being of all veterinary team members are crucial to doing just that. If you’re interested in talking to Tianna Crane about her experience with these improvements or utilizing a consulting team, you can email her at TCraneCVT@gmail.com.

What’s Inside:

• What challenges are leaders and teams facing in the veterinary industry?
• How can leaders make changes to improve culture in their workplace?
• The importance of setting boundaries and creating systems to prevent burnout.
• What ROI can business owners expect when bringing in consulting teams to make changes in the business?
• Special advice for Vet Tech’s from Tianna Crane.

Mentioned In This Episode:
TCraneCVT@gmail.com
Tianna Crane on LinkedIn

View Details

In this interview, we get great insight from Sheera Bursch, who works in a remote leadership position for a veterinary hospital. Sheera’s position involves inventory management, HR duties including payroll and employee benefits, as well as developing and fine-tuning critical processes for the hospital's operation. In this talk we cover the challenges she faces in the veterinary industry and how they translate over to other organizations, what to look for when hiring your ideal candidate, and important systems for streamlining communication and organization.

One major challenge Sheera and her team face in the veterinary industry that I know many businesses can agree with: Lack of help. Being short-staffed and finding the right fit for their team is definitely a challenge. When looking for your ideal candidate, remember a body is just a body, consider how this new employee will add to your company culture. It’s not as important for candidates to have all the skills you’re looking for, they can be trained, but what can’t be changed is their personality. Things Sheera looks for when she is interviewing a potential employee are positivity, active and engaged listening, and a growth mentality.

When Sheera joined her team in this position, one thing she had to change was the communication style, it was just not working. Right away, she created a guide and implemented Slack, a digital HQ tool that organizes and divides communication into private and public channels for employees. Frequently used channels by Sheera for the veterinary hospital are an Inventory/Backorder Channel, Practice Management, Medical Team (as well as position specific channels), Hiring Channel. This tool eliminates text, emails, and sticky notes and allows important information to be shared in one accessible space relevant to those that need it.

Do you have a great team and great business but your staff is running around scattered? What do your organization systems look like? Sheera shares some simple tips on how she organized their inventory, a crucial element to keeping the veterinary hospital running smoothly. When starting a new organization system, she urges businesses to remember you don’t have to fix it all at once and you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Identify your biggest struggle, chip away slowly, and seek out guidance from others who have already done it.

When it comes to challenges, pain points, and making changes in your organization, Sheera’s advice is to handle the big problems quickly or they are going to lead to bigger problems. This means losing dead weight employees and hiring ones of value and putting your energy into systems and processes that are going to improve your work environment and company culture.

For Sheera the three best parts of her job are having a hand in all parts of the business and helping the puzzle fit together better, genuinely enjoying her team, and The End Goal: Helping Patients. If you’re interested in learning more from Sheera or getting help implementing some of the systems she's been successful with, you can find her on LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• What's it like to work in a remote leadership position?
• Hiring: What to look for in an ideal candidate.
• How to identify and handle the biggest pain point in your organization.
• How to use Slack to improve and streamline communication.
• Creating organizing systems to improve processes within a business.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Sheera Bursch - Linked In
​​Slack

View Details

In her “Second Act”, Bonnie Schutz is the owner of Tandem Resource Solutions as well as co-author on the books, Phoenix Rising and Corporate Dropouts. Formerly in the corporate world, Bonnie now operates as an entrepreneur, with grown children and a desire for a remote flexible position for travel. Tandem Resource Solutions is a recruitment agency for administrative professionals and virtual assistants. During this transition, Bonnie also connected heavily with the group Second Act Women, a community of support for women in their 40s and 50s+.

Bonnie’s Flavor of Leadership
She calls herself a “cheer”-leader. Bonnie leads with her heart as a nurturer. She operates by affording the benefit of the doubt and second chances, she says almost to a fault. Her leadership style and motivation came from what she lacked in leaders in the past. She believes in building relationships and nurturing them to grow a strong team. She admits she needs the grit and is working on it, but every flavor of leadership is necessary to make the world go round.

Supporting Women in their Second Act
Bonnie emphasizes the importance of support and community. Through Tandem Resource Solutions, she works with a variety of women in their second act searching for the next opportunity. It is so important to decide, are you ready to leave the corporate world and move on to an entrepreneurial opportunity? Or would a new position be the right transition? Today’s business standards can make women feel “old” and not up to par, but it's about believing in your opportunities and seeking the right support.

Personal Challenges and Delegation
Since beginning her journey as a leader and entrepreneur, Bonnie has felt the weight of success on her shoulder. That feeling of anxiety and need for certainty is impactful on her day-to-day. One solution for her is learning to delegate. Her nurturing leadership shines through her advice to build relationships and trust as the foundation for delegating tasks. Bonnie’s experience is that when you let in your team and admins, they want to serve you and they want to see your business shine. She also reminds leaders to recognize these members who work so hard, as they are often the unsung heroes of a business.

If you’d like to learn more about Bonnie Schutz, you can connect with her on Linked In. Tandem Resource Solutions is also accessible online and through social media. If you are ready for your second act, Bonnie has provided the information for Second Act Women, the community of support she works with.

What’s Inside:

• How to seize the opportunity in your second act of life?
• Leadership Style: The Nurturer
• How to transition from the corporate world in your second act.
• Handling anxiety in business is the root of the issue.
• Advice for business leaders struggling with delegation.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Bonnie C. Schutz on LinkedIn
Tandem Resource Solutions
Tandem Resource Solutions on LinkedIn
Tandem Resource Solutions on Instagram
Tandem Resource Solutions on Facebook
SecondActWomen
Phoenix Rising: Powerful Women Who Rose From The Ashes To Claim Their Place

View Details

Several years ago, Nick Egan and I met at coach training at the Co-Active Training Institute. His energy, unique education, and journey have really interested me. Nick is an executive coach working with mission-driven entrepreneurs as well as the author of Shift: The Art of Transforming Limitations.

Nick studied psychology as his undergrad, but his passion for Zen led him to pursue a Masters in World Religion and ultimately his Ph.D. in Buddhism. From a young age, Nick was interested in spirituality and the inner workings of the mind. He trained at a monastery in Nepal for his fieldwork and spent some time afterward leading tours through the Himalayas. Upon his return, Nick joined his family in Real Estate where he learned about entrepreneurs and had his first experience with a coach, bringing him full circle to his current work of encouraging growth with his positive psychology and understanding of Buddhist philosophy.

The question that drives Nick is, "What is the essential point of something"? When working on something, he strives for understanding the what, how, and why of it. He talks about his "Kind Regard" with clients, and how with that he cannot give up a solution to their problems but instead, follows through with them and allows resolution to come through naturally. He promotes action based on insight and wisdom.

One of the biggest challenges Nick sees is imposter syndrome holding people back, especially when they're looking for external validation to rid that feeling. If you're waiting for someone else to tell you that you're the real deal, you're going to be waiting a very long time! When working with the challenge or any challenge, Nick looks for the cracks, and when he finds one he can usually get it to metaphorically bust right open.

Mindset is often people's biggest limitation, Nick finds people's setbacks to be 80% Mindset and 20% execution. So why the mindset? Nick shares then that when talking with clients, he realizes they're not specific enough about their goals, and sometimes forget to dream. Yes, you have an idea, but what is the dream behind the dream. What do you really want and what are you willing to do to get there?

Speaking of dreams, Nick's advice for leaders today is great if you want to build a life out of your passions. He says to lean into the things you're interested in wholeheartedly sooner rather than later. You don't need to silo elements of your personality that you think aren't connected, there is great power in making those connections.

Your personality is a really important part of who you are in business and leadership. If you're looking for a coach there is a lot to be said about the chemistry and alignment of who you work with. Nick urges clients to seek out the right energetic personality versus the methodology. However, if you're not working with a coach, there is much value to be found in your own internal coach.

If you'd like to learn more about Nick Egan, you can find him on LinkedIn or on his personal website.

What’s Inside:

• How Nick Egan’s unique background shaped his coaching style.
• What does it mean to give “Kind Regard”?
• Why is the mindset most people’s biggest limitation?
• Will external validation solve imposter syndrome?
• What should you look for in a coach?

Mentioned In This Episode:

Nick Egan, PhD
Nick Egan, Ph.D. on LinkedIn

View Details

A good leader leads from their strengths. Joining me today is Ben Ballamy, founder and CEO of CHi Studios, an organization that pulls together top-level executives and thought leaders for important conversations. Harnessing the power of alignment.

Ben has such a great perspective on leadership and leadership styles. His view is that authenticity is at the core of good leadership, and it comes from individual strengths. No style is the "right" style, the only right style comes from what works for a leader. There are many types of leaders, those that lead from the front, the side, from behind, or the field and they are all necessary. Ben's personal leadership style comes from a place of support, fitting the pieces together.

Inauthenticity is at the top of Ben's list of leadership challenges. He also highlights a challenge that comes with a common belief in the leadership world, "leaders must have an answer for everything". Another challenge he identifies is when leaders lack the confidence to empower the people around them. Problems that can arise from these challenges can lead the organization in the wrong direction or end in leaders losing the support of their team.

We are all unique and dynamic with something really important to bring to the table. I love to ask my guests about their special superpowers that can at times be their biggest weaknesses. Ben's empathy. In a leadership role, Ben will always wait to make decisions that may hurt people, even to the detriment of the team. This really counteracts some of his important advice to other leaders, where having hard conversations leads to success.

Ben has some really great thoughts and is doing some incredible things in the supply chain world and beyond. If you'd like to learn more about Chi Studios and its team, you can check out their website.

What’s Inside:

• Harnessing the power of alignment in leadership.
• Why is the authenticity the core of good leadership?
• Leadership Style: Support
• Do leaders need an answer for everything?
• Empathy is a special superpower in leadership.

Mentioned In This Episode:CHi Studios

View Details

Getting things done is an important goal for any leader. Today I am talking with Katrina Buselle and getting it done is what she’s all about. Katrina works with companies and leaders in building teams to help execute their ideas. She helps leaders go from stuck to a place of opportunity.

How you lead in your life, is how you lead in your work. Katrina and I discuss her superpower which at times can be her kryptonite, which is adaptability. Katrina is a chameleon. We talk about how this works in her parenting style, as a mother of twin teenagers, and how it translates to leadership.

Do you find yourself having difficulty accepting help? Do you feel like your problems may be lesser than others? Or do you just feel like it's your job to help others and you’re not in need of receiving? Katrina shares how she works through this, for her, it’s about being clear about your contribution and speaking up.

Before she parts, Katrina shares some great nuggets of wisdom. When thinking of her younger self, she struggled a lot with fighting her perception. She counteracts this with self-awareness now. It is more than being aware of yourself independently but also taking in information about how you’re perceived by others and what you’re going to do about it. Additionally, Katrina shares her secret sauce. SLEEP. This is something she and I agree on and find so important to productivity.

You can find out more about Katrina Busselle on her website or by sending her an email.

What’s Inside:

• How leadership follows you from life to work.
• Parenting and leadership, how are they related?
• What to do when you find difficulty accepting help.
• Fixing your struggle with perception.
• Katrina’s big secret to productivity.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Katrina Busselle
Katrina@katrinabuselle.com

View Details

Welcome to the first episode of the Get Stoked Podcast where I, Crystal Stokes, will be having intuitive conversations with leaders about the challenges they face and what they learn from them. Today I am chatting with Sharon Sperry, a coach, trainer, facilitator, and founder of Better Nature of Work.

Sharon shares her perspective on when being led well, she has felt this happens to take place in a co-leadership role. Sharon always felt at her best as a "guide on the side", when you're recognized and invited into strategic planning the leadership and support partnership is more sustainable.

Have you ever had a leader that has an idea of the truth, and it's their way or the highway? Sharon shares that leaders who hold all the strings when it comes to organization, management, and strategy tend to lose their "followers" as opposed to those who allow their team to lead within their role alongside them.

Leadership is often perceived as a role in which there is one person at the forefront taking charge and calling the shots. Coactive Leadership, is a leadership style Sharon is trained in that debunks this myth and brings in the 5 dimensions: Leadership Within, Leading from the Front, Leading from the Side, Leading from Behind, and Leading from the Field. She describes the importance of all these roles and the importance of them working together.

Working in leadership roles or as a part of a team does not have to be rigid and formulated, in fact, it should be the opposite. Sharon's work allows her clients to find their natural leadership styles that best suit their team, work environment, and life. So much of how we show up at work is a big part of our lives and it should feel natural and bring you joy.

"B N O W" is the acronym for Sharon's company, Better Nature of Work, a sentiment that reminds her to be here, be now, and represents the way she shows up in her work and life. She and I have millions of synchronicities in leadership and life which makes for a really great conversation.

You can find out more about Sharon Sperry and Better Nature of Work via her business website, LinkedIn, or social media.

What’s Inside:

• What does it mean to be “led well”?
• Leadership Style: Guide on the Side.
• What are the 5 dimensions of leadership?
• How to find your natural leadership style?
• What “B NOW” means for Better Nature of Work.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Better Nature of Work
Sharon Sperry on LinkedIn
Sharon Sperry, CPCC (@betternatureofwork) on Instagram