The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

Uncharted Veterinary Community
  • 4.8 (139)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast is for veterinary professionals who want to ace the tough parts of practice that happen daily but don't get discussed. We'll cover topics like how to manage workplace conflict, take exceptional care of pets and people, convince pet owners to follow your advice, have difficult money conversations, survive toxic co-workers and much more. If you want to up your communication, efficiency, management, or marketing skills so you can get more success and enjoyment from your career, then this is the podcast for you!

  1. 2d ago

    419 - I'm a Veterinary Team Lead, Where Do I Go From Here?

    You love teaching your team and staying hands on with patients, but every veterinary career path in front of you seems to run straight through the practice manager's office, and you're not convinced that's where you belong. In this episode, Maria Pirita, CVPM sits down with Elizabeth Stark, CVT, FVTE, MBA, founder of Vet Raft Solutions, to answer a mailbag from a veterinary team lead facing exactly that crossroads. Together they unpack why "management or nothing" has become the default veterinary career path narrative in this profession, the real difference between formal and informal leadership, and what a lateral, education-focused practice manager career path alternative can actually look like.

  2. Sep 9

    418 - Should Your Veterinary Clinic Have an Angel Fund?

    Should your veterinary clinic have an angel fund? That is the exact mailbag question that Maria Pirita brings to this episode, and she pulled in Uncharted member, Beth Mehaffey, co-founder of Pennridge Animal Hospital and founder of Harley's Haven Dog Rescue, to help answer it. Beth has run a 501(c)(3) since 2010 and has grown it from an informal rescue into a full nonprofit with a community fund and a dedicated angel fund for clinic patients. Maria and Beth walk through why practices consider starting a fund in the first place, how to choose between an informal setup, a third-party program, or your own nonprofit, how to build a board and divide roles, and how to market a fund without alienating paying clients. Grab the free workbook in the links below if you are ready to start asking the right questions for your own practice. Before You Start Workbook Unfiltered Vet Discussions Podcast Dr. Beth Mehaffey, VMD, is a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Pennridge Animal Hospital, a privately owned multi-doctor practice in Perkasie, PA. She is also the founder and Medical Director of Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue, which has helped more than 2,000 dogs find homes since 2010. Beth is passionate about veterinary leadership, practice culture, mentorship, and compassionate care—both for pets and the people who care for them.

  3. Sep 2

    417 - How Much Financial Transparency Do Support Staff Need?

    Maria Pirita welcomes Ron Sosa to discuss a mailbag question from an associate DVM asking how much financial transparency a clinic should share with staff and non-owner veterinarians so the team can set goals, track progress, and understand decisions about staffing and equipment. They explore why owners may get “cagey,” including fears of misinterpretation, seasonal profit swings, debt exposure, embezzlement concerns, and identity worries about making too much or too little. They emphasize that without transparency, teams create stories about where money goes, and they clarify concepts like markup versus profit and the impact of discounts. Ron shares a practical approach to partial transparency using monthly meetings that show five P&L buckets (labor, cost of goods sold, overhead/facilities, administrative, profit) and trends over time, plus using operational KPIs like new clients and average transaction to drive initiatives into action. Ron Sosa is the Executive Director of Uncharted Veterinary Conference, a published author, international speaker, and veterinary leader with more than 20 years of experience in operations, practice management, leadership development, and consulting. From client service representative to business partner to industry educator, Ron has built a career around helping veterinary professionals create healthier teams and more sustainable workplaces. As the founder of Syn APT Neuroinclusive Leadership, he is especially passionate about neuroinclusive leadership, workplace culture, burnout prevention, and helping people thrive at work.

  4. Aug 31 ·  Bonus

    416 - Planning to Exit on Your Own Terms

    Dr. Andy Roark hosts Dan Blumenthal, CEO and co-founder of Blue River Pet Care, to discuss winding down veterinary careers through succession planning, legacy, and creating flexibility for practice owners. They contrast extremes from owners with no plan to those who have already transitioned leadership, and unpack common middle-ground challenges when the owner is the “glue” of the practice. Dan emphasizes “trust but verify,” gradual delegation of medical director and practice manager duties, and using vacations as trial runs to test autonomy. They argue that mentoring successors takes deliberate time and increases optionality, reducing desperation and buyer “handcuffs.” They also cover transparent sharing of practice metrics at different staff levels, risks like embezzlement, developing young leaders with management CE, and staggering leadership transitions so the medical director and practice manager do not change at once. Dan Blumenthal is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Blue River PetCare. As CEO, Dan prides himself on leading by example and treating everyone within the organization as a member of the family. Dedicated to fostering an environment of comradery and respect, Dan recognizes all practices across the organization and the people within them as clients, investing in the resources and development opportunities needed to ensure each practice has the ability to continue to provide excellent care to the patients and clients within their local communities. Prior to starting Blue River PetCare in 2009, Dan gained deep knowledge and experience within the legal and venture capital space, beginning with his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from Brandeis University and Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Professionally, Dan gathered experience from his time at Latham & Watkins, Continental Illinois Venture Corporation, and Willis Stein & Partners, which he uses today to lead Blue River, working closely with all departments across the corporate team on a daily basis. But Dan’s favorite activity is going to Blue River practices, and those that are not yet part of the Blue River family, and spending time visiting with the healthcare providers in the field. When Dan is not serving as Blue River’s chief pet lover, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters or catching a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

  5. Aug 26

    415 - Modernizing a Practice Without Making Everyone Feel Obsolete

    A practice manager just acquired a second location with a loyal team and 26-year-old medicine. Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita, CVPM, dig into how to modernize the care without making anyone feel outdated, covering symbolic transitions, building a high-standards identity, and getting skeptical doctors on board.

  6. Aug 19

    414 - Staff Are Leaving and Ownership Already Knows Why

    Their practice manager plays favorites and talks down to the team, and ownership already knows. So why hasn't anything changed? Maria Pirita, CVPM, and Ron Sosa, CVPM, break down what to do when you're dealing with a difficult practice manager and a silent owner, from swapping vague complaints for documented specifics to reading what your culture's real numbers are telling you. They close with the one boundary every frustrated team member needs before deciding it's time to go. Let's get into this episode!

  7. Aug 12

    413 - Hired for Financial Impact, Denied Financial Access

    Dr. Andy Roark joins host Maria Pirita to respond to a mailbag from a practice manager who is denied access to financials like P&Ls, payroll, and bill paying, yet is evaluated and compensated based on profitability. They discuss why owners may restrict financial transparency, including personal discomfort with money, fear of judgment, comparison, and common embezzlement concerns, and emphasize starting with curiosity about the owner’s goals and fears. They outline how to align expectations and define success, including using non-financial metrics when needed, and encourage clarity on what the role can and cannot accomplish without financial data. They also cover phased access, auditing, checks and balances, and behavioral and operational red flags for fraud, and when to revisit the arrangement or move on.

  8. Aug 5

    412 - Tech Team Lead Pulled In All Directions

    Dr. Andy Roark and Tyler Grogan, CVT, answer a mailbag question from a veterinary technician lead who feels like they’re failing because different doctors and leaders keep asking for conflicting changes, from exam room setup to whether to take a temperature on a fractious pet. They discuss separating personal preferences from practice-wide policies, recognizing patterns that signal a need for standardized systems, and not taking home problems when you lack authority to fix them. Action steps include getting a clear job description and success metrics from leadership, identifying the biggest pain points to tackle one at a time, building trust through listening and servant leadership, using one-on-ones and team meetings to align expectations, and setting regular check-ins with a practice manager to communicate problems, impacts, and solutions.

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4.8
out of 5
139 Ratings

About

The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast is for veterinary professionals who want to ace the tough parts of practice that happen daily but don't get discussed. We'll cover topics like how to manage workplace conflict, take exceptional care of pets and people, convince pet owners to follow your advice, have difficult money conversations, survive toxic co-workers and much more. If you want to up your communication, efficiency, management, or marketing skills so you can get more success and enjoyment from your career, then this is the podcast for you!

Information

  • Creator
    Uncharted Veterinary Community
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    431
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

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