The VetPractice Playbook

VetPracticePro
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business

The VetPractice Playbook is your weekly game plan for building, leading, and scaling a successful veterinary practice. Designed specifically for practice owners, managers, and aspiring leaders, this podcast from VetPracticePro dives into the real-world challenges of ownership—from team leadership and operations to growth, profitability, and long-term sustainability—so you can run a more efficient, profitable, and purpose-driven clinic. Join host Dr. Emily King alongside Jon and Cayla Bittles and Richie King every Wednesday at 9:00 AM EST as they break down the realities of practice ownership, share practical, actionable strategies, and equip you with the tools to lead your team effectively, enhance the client experience, protect your time and wellbeing, and build a practice—and a career—you’re proud to own.

  1. 4d ago

    EP35 - Stop Discounting Your Veterinary Services

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we’re tackling one of the most common, and costly, habits in veterinary medicine: discounting. From Dental Month promotions to filling gaps in the schedule, discounts can feel like an easy way to drive appointments and provide more accessible care. But are they actually helping your practice? We break down why busy doesn’t always mean profitable, how routine discounting can unintentionally lower the perceived value of your services, and why discounts often treat the symptom instead of addressing the underlying problem. We also discuss the guilt veterinary professionals can feel around pricing, the fairness issues discounts can create, and why your expertise deserves to be valued appropriately. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:51 Why Do Practices Discount? 04:31 Dental Month, Filling the Schedule, and Guilt Around Price 07:30 Busy vs. Profitable 10:02 Giving Away Your Expertise 11:48 Why Routine Discounting Rarely Makes Sense 15:23 Perceived Value and the Dental Month Breaking Point 16:35 Discounts Treat the System, Not the Cause 20:16 Fairness Issues 22:10 Outro

  2. Sep 30

    EP34 - Stop Doing Everything Yourself: How to Better Utilize Your Veterinary Team

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Are veterinarians doing too much themselves? In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King and Cayla break down one of the biggest opportunities for improving efficiency inside a veterinary practice: better staff utilization. From empowering veterinary technicians to use their full skill set to properly training assistants, kennel attendants, and receptionists, they explore how delegating the right responsibilities can save doctors time, develop stronger team members, improve the client experience, and help the entire practice operate more efficiently. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:05 Empowering Technicians and Building Job Satisfaction 02:18 Procedure Delegation and "Multiplying Your Time" 05:02 Overcoming Vet Trust Issues and Scope of Practice 08:08 Moving Veterinary Assistants into Exam Rooms 09:03 Pre-Exam Workflow 11:15 Role Optimizations 13:06 Measuring Staff Utilization 14:13 Outro

  3. Sep 30

    EP33 - Stop Training Your Vet Team Once: The Rule for Better Onboarding

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Hiring a great veterinary professional is only the beginning... how you train them can determine whether they thrive, struggle, or eventually leave. In this episode, we break down the 3-5-7-9 training framework and how veterinary practice owners and managers can use repetition, role-playing, clear expectations, and hands-on learning to build stronger, more confident teams. From onboarding new employees to improving front desk phone skills, we discuss why simply showing someone how to do something once isn’t enough. You’ll learn practical ways to reinforce training, reduce cognitive overload, improve client communication, create accountability, and help your team reach true mastery. If you’re a veterinary practice owner, hospital manager, medical director, or team leader looking to improve employee training, onboarding, retention, and practice culture, this episode is packed with strategies you can start implementing in your clinic. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:17 Introducing the 3-5-7-9 Rule 04:28 Rule 3: Preventing Cognitive Overload & Chunking Information 06:01 Rule 5: Repetition Across Different Learning Contexts 07:31 Rule 7: Multi-Touchpoint Blended Learning 08:33 Rule 9: Reaching Habitual Mastery & Total Internalization 10:23 Call Reviews, Reward Systems & Peer Accountability 13:13 Outro

  4. Sep 16

    EP32 - Is Your Front Desk Costing You Clients? How to Improve the Veterinary Client Experience

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Your veterinary clinic’s client experience starts long before a pet ever walks through the door... it starts with the first phone call. In this episode of The Vet Practice Playbook, Dr. King and Cayla Bittles discuss what they’ve discovered from mystery-calling veterinary practices across the country and why the bar for great phone service may be much lower than you think. They break down how tone of voice, clear expectations, phone rubrics, role-playing, and consistent team training can dramatically improve the client experience. They also explore why poor employee performance isn’t always a motivation problem and how veterinary leaders can better define what success actually looks like for their teams. If you’re a veterinary practice owner, manager, or leader looking to improve customer service, strengthen your front desk team, and create a better experience for both clients and employees, this episode offers practical strategies you can start implementing right away. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:49 Market Analysis and Clinic Phone Standards 02:13 Low Service Standards and Workplace Factors 04:00 Lessons from "Crucial Influence" 06:02 Defining Success Using a Phone Rubric 08:08 Mastering Phone Skills Through Role-Playing 09:20 Let Us Call Your Clinic 10:19 Summary and Outro

  5. Aug 12

    EP31 - The Veterinary Access to Care Dilemma: Balancing Cost, Quality & Capacity

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Access to veterinary care is a growing challenge... but improving access isn’t as simple as lowering prices or squeezing another appointment into an already packed schedule. In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we break down the veterinary access to care dilemma and explore how practices can balance affordability, quality of care, capacity, and the wellbeing of their teams. From emergency and after-hours fees to handling urgent client requests, we discuss how better communication, systems, and processes can help practices serve clients without creating unsustainable expectations. We also explore the other side of the equation: retention. How can veterinary practices prevent client attrition while protecting their teams from burnout and staff turnover? Whether you’re a practice owner, practice manager, veterinarian, or veterinary professional, this conversation offers practical insights for building a healthier, more sustainable veterinary practice. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:24 Facebook Post: Access to Care Dilemma 02:50 Balancing Access, Quality, and Affordability 06:29 Emergency Fees, After-Hours Care, and Capacity 11:07 Client Communication and Handling Urgent Issues 13:23 Systems, Processes, and Avoiding Client Attrition 17:16 Tools to Prevent Staff Attrition

  6. Aug 5

    EP30 - Should Veterinary Assistants Be Doing Technician Work? A Real Conversation About Vet Med Staffing

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! With veterinary technician shortages affecting clinics across the country, many practices are asking the same question: Can veterinary assistants safely fill the gap? In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we tackle one of the most debated topics in veterinary medicine. We discuss why veterinary technician programs aren't producing enough graduates, the differences between on-the-job training and formal education, state-by-state scope of practice laws, title protection, compensation, and how assistants can build long-term careers in veterinary medicine. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:16 Veterinary Technician Shortages and Education Capacity Issues 03:15 On-the-Job Training vs. Textbook Medical Knowledge 04:26 Scope of Practice, State Regulations, and Title Protection 06:25 Compensation Differences 08:07 Clinic Culture Friction 10:16 Long-Term Earning Power 12:17 Online Education and Career Advancement Paths 14:00 Defining Role Scopes 15:47 Outro

  7. Jul 29

    EP29 - Are Veterinary Clinics Charging Too Little?

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Should veterinary clinics raise their prices? In this episode, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in veterinary medicine: pricing. We discuss price elasticity, why so many practice owners struggle to pay themselves, the dangers of excessive discounting, and how competing on exceptional service (not lower prices) creates a stronger, more sustainable business.  Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps  00:00 Intro 01:34 Understanding the Price Elasticity Rule 03:16 Clinic Owner Pay and Caregiver Syndrome 05:22 Prioritizing Financial Bottom Lines 06:59 Overcoming Fear and Competing on Service 11:51 Debating Care Affordability 15:36 Human Healthcare vs. Veterinary Business Models 19:17 Pitfalls of Excessive Discounting 22:01 Outro

  8. Jul 22

    EP28 - Why Veterinary Practice Owners Must Pay Themselves First

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Are you a veterinary practice owner struggling to pay yourself what you're worth? You're not alone... and it may not be an expense problem. In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we break down one of the most overlooked topics in veterinary practice ownership: owner compensation. We discuss why underpaying yourself hurts both your clinic's cash flow and its long-term value, how pricing strategy impacts profitability, why competing on price is a losing game, and the key financial metrics every veterinary leader should monitor. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:37 Organizational Charts & Pitfalls 03:33 What is an Organizational Chart? 05:04 Communication Flow and Pecking Orders 08:26 Staffing, Hiring, and Managing Gaps 12:34 Career Paths, Leadership, and Small Clinic Scaling 19:43 Where to Start in Putting Your Own Org Chart Together 25:58 Outro

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The VetPractice Playbook is your weekly game plan for building, leading, and scaling a successful veterinary practice. Designed specifically for practice owners, managers, and aspiring leaders, this podcast from VetPracticePro dives into the real-world challenges of ownership—from team leadership and operations to growth, profitability, and long-term sustainability—so you can run a more efficient, profitable, and purpose-driven clinic. Join host Dr. Emily King alongside Jon and Cayla Bittles and Richie King every Wednesday at 9:00 AM EST as they break down the realities of practice ownership, share practical, actionable strategies, and equip you with the tools to lead your team effectively, enhance the client experience, protect your time and wellbeing, and build a practice—and a career—you’re proud to own.

Information

  • Creator
    VetPracticePro
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The VetPractice Playbook
  • Show Website
    The VetPractice Playbook

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