The Veterinary Business Success Show VetX International

Episode Description 
Are you interested in learning about the challenges and rewards of owning a veterinary practice? In this episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show, our resident asker of questions, Brendan Howard, is joined by Dr. Kelly Cooper, a veterinarian who owned a practice in New Mexico and later worked at Banfield before returning to private practice.
Dr. Cooper shares her journey of becoming a practice owner, the challenges she faced, and the importance of mentorship and coaching in her professional development. She also discusses her transition from being a practice owner to working at Banfield and her role as a multi-unit leader.
Dr. Cooper emphasizes the importance of attitude and engagement in employees and the need for leaders to have the right skill set for their role. She also talks about the need for the veterinary industry to evolve beyond the traditional model of the James Herriot-era veterinarian.
Despite the negativity surrounding the profession, Dr. Cooper loves veterinary medicine and believes it is an amazing profession that profoundly impacts society. She hopes to see the profession evolve to include more professionals providing care and to become more attractive to future veterinarians.
If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Cooper's journey and the challenges of practice ownership and leadership, tune in to this episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show. And don't forget to leave a review and check out the VetX Leaders community for more resources on leadership challenges in the veterinary industry.
As Dr. Cooper says, "The veterinary profession is an amazing profession that profoundly impacts society." Let's work together to make it even better.
Episode Outline 
[00:00] Episode Intro [01:37] Early interest in practice ownership [04:03] Challenges of early practice ownership [06:04] Importance of mentorship and coaching [08:20] Transition to Corporate World[13:04] Ad Break- Learn more about our Leaders program[14:38] Dr. Cooper’s Leadership development around Doctors [16:23] Different Hospital Atmospheres [18:39] Collaboration in Making a Plan[20:36] Attitude and Skill in Hospital Improvement [22:54] Moving across different roles in the corporate world [24:17] Difference between coaching work and executive role[25:25] Returning to Private Practice [31:05] Negativity in Veterinary Medicine [33:49] Episode wrap up[34:30] The end 

Episode Description 
Welcome to another episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show. In this episode, Brendan Howard interviews Dr. Ryan Englar, a board-certified canine and feline practitioner and Executive Director of Clinical and Professional Skills at the University of Arizona's veterinary school, about the importance of communication in veterinary medicine.
Dr. Englar stresses the importance of not only having medical knowledge but also being able to effectively communicate it to clients. She explains that the Calgary Cambridge guide offers over 70 communication skills, but it's not necessary to apply all of them to every conversation. Instead, she encourages students to identify which skills resonate with them and feel natural to their authentic voice. 
Dr Englar also discusses the shift from medical paternalism, where doctors were seen as the expert in charge, to a more collaborative approach with clients. This approach involves relationship-centred care, where the veterinarian works with the client to make shared decisions that are best for the patient, client, and doctor.
Further, Brendan Howard asks about the challenge of the tripartite relationship in veterinary medicine, where the veterinarian is responsible for the animal's health but the client makes the decisions. Dr Englar acknowledges that this is a huge challenge, even for newer veterinarians, and that it's important to understand the client's perspective and find a plan that works for both the pet and the client.
Dr Englar also talks about the importance of communication in practice ownership and middle management. She believes that communication is lacking in many practices, and there needs to be more dialogue between employees and management. She encourages practice owners to reflect on what's working and what isn't, and to have sit-downs with employees to discuss their concerns.
In conclusion, Dr. Engler's insights on communication in veterinary medicine are invaluable. As she says, "Communication is the foundation of everything we do." So, if you want to improve your communication skills and become a better veterinarian, be sure to listen to this episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show.
Episode Outline 
[00:00] Episode Intro [02:29] Dr. Englar explains the Calgary Cambridge Guide[04:38] Simplifying communication and building efficiency in the consultation process[07:31] Shift from Medical Paternalism[13:28] Communication challenges between Doctor and Client[18:15] Ad Break- Learn more about our Leaders program [20:20] Communication Training for Veterinary Students [25:23] Creating a safe environment for communication at the workplace[29:12] Challenges Faced by Veterinary Graduates [33:50] Episode wrap-up[34:35] The end

In this episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steven Eidelman and Dr. Christie Long from Modern Animal, a de novo practice group with locations in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and soon in Austin, Texas. They shared their insights on the importance of transparency, intentional design, and community building in the veterinary industry.
One of the key takeaways from our conversation is the importance of transparency in building trust with clients. Modern Animal aims to be extremely transparent in how they communicate and how they show up physically. They have a lot of glass in their practice, and clients can see all the way through from the street to the back. They also have a digital experience that wraps around the clinic experience, which is transparent in how they communicate about medicine, pricing, estimates, and the reasoning behind their care.
Dr. Long and Eidelman also emphasized the importance of intentional design and organization in the treatment area of their practices. They explained that clutter, messiness, and noise could create a stressful environment for both staff and clients and can distract from the practice of medicine. They emphasized the need for commitment and setting standards to eliminate cognitive overhead and streamline workflow.
We also discussed the challenges of maintaining a relationship between clients and their preferred veterinarian while providing access to care 24/7. Modern Animal has built a model that allows clients to see their preferred veterinarian and access virtual care 24/7. They have a team of registered nurses who have full access to the client's medical record, allowing for urgent care and access to medical history.
Dr. Christie Long and Steven Eidelman also discussed the importance of integrating the medical and operational aspects of a veterinary practice. They emphasized the need for a strong partnership between the medical and operational leaders in each practice to ensure the business runs smoothly and effectively.
Overall, Modern Animal is committed to balancing medical quality, employee engagement, member experience, and profitable growth to ensure a sustainable business that delivers the best experience possible for its clients and patients.
As Dr. Long and Eidelman put it, "We're playing the game the hard way, but we're playing the game for the right reasons." If you're interested in learning more about Modern Animal and its approach to veterinary care, I highly recommend listening to this episode.
Episode Outline 
[00:00] Episode Intro[01:49] Importance of transparency in communication and physical practice[03:26] The implementation of an open hospital concept and its benefits [05:10] Balancing transparency between the doctor and the client[07:19] Redesigning the Veterinary Experience [09:27] Standardization and organization of the veterinary working area[12:17] Scenario example where standardization process didn’t work [15:10] Building customer loyalty on the brand instead of the doctor[18:04] The Propensity for No Boundaries [20:38] Building a Trusted Brand [00:24:23] Discussion on the tension between the four core principles of a veterinary practice[23:08] Ad Break- Learn more about our Leaders program [25:24] The importance of acknowledging the need for medicine and operations to work in harmony and how Modern Animal uses the concept of dyads to achieve this[28:16] Building own software for the company[32:53] Business expansion...

Episode Description 
Welcome to another episode of the veterinary business success show. In this brand new episode, we are joined by Chris DeSantis to discuss the generational differences in workplaces. 
Chris DeSantis is an author, speaker, consultant, and podcast host based in Chicago. He is currently the Pricipal of CPDeSantis.com and podcast host of the Cubicle Confidential Podcast. He has previously worked as the Human Resource Development Manager at Brunswick Corporation, Director of Management Development and Training at The America Medical Association, and as an Associate - Management Development at Arthur Andersen. 
Over the past fifteen years, he has been invited to speak on generational issues in the workplace at hundreds of the leading U.S. law and accounting firms, as well as many of the major insurance and pharma companies.
In this podcast episode, Brendan Howard interviews Chris DeSantis about generational differences in the workplace and how they affect leadership and management. DeSantis discusses the perception of generational differences and how they are more perceptual than actual. He also addresses the issue of "quiet quitting" and disengagement in the workplace, suggesting that employers need to focus on developing and engaging their employees. DeSantis emphasizes the importance of recognizing generational differences in the workplace, but also acknowledges the need to be skeptical of overemphasizing these distinctions. He also suggests creating a database of everything anyone in a company is willing to teach another human being to encourage learning and development.
Click here for an extended version of this episode. Enjoy!
Episode Outline 
[00:00] Podcast Intro [02:07] Difference between perceptual and actual differences between generations [05:34] Work disengagement and quiet quitting [08:36] The importance of promises in building loyalty[10:27] Differences between boomers, gen X, and millennials[16:52] Understanding and Treating Young Employees as Individuals[19:57] Ad Break- Learn more about our Leaders program[21:52] Embracing Lopsidedness and Sharing Failures[23:11] Moving Away from the Great Man/Woman Theory of Leadership [25:14] Improving Performance Reviews for Younger Employees [28:49] Incentivizing Teams Instead of Individuals [31:22] Mentorship vs. Advisor Relationships [34:53] Engagement and Performance Measurement [38:45] Positive Aspects of Gen Z 

Welcome to another episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show. In this episode, our host Brendan Howard is joined by Robert Peake to discuss the five key steps to better work management as described in the book “Getting Things Done” (GTD) by David Allen.
Robert is an expert in positive transformation and loves solving meaningful problems and helping people overcome challenges to achieve their goals. He currently serves as the Technology Consultant, Interim/Fractional CIO/CTO of PeakePro, a company supporting clients with streamlining and improving complex systems, fostering innovation, and facilitating positive change through technology. He is also a Senior Associate at Next Action Associates.
Having previously spent six years as CTO and CIO at The David Allen Company, Robert understands the challenges people face in managing their time and daily tasks. 
Throughout the episode, Robert shares real-life scenarios where the principles of GTD apply. He also explains the five stages of GTD- Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, and Engage. He also shares explanations as to why most people may fail to follow the order of the five stages and the excitement trap that befalls many individuals. 
This is an insightful episode for anyone seeking to transform their productivity by being more organized in their work and actions.
Episode Outline
[00:00] Episode outline.[01:47] They discuss the initial elevator pitch to have people get control of their lives.[06:19] Robert Peake explains the first stage of GTD System.[10:10] How to funnel multiple digital inputs into one box.[12:32] Robert discusses the second step of the GTD system- Clarify Stage.[18:49] Ad Break- Learn more about our Leaders program[20:00] The episode resumes with Brendan and Robert discussing the third step- Organizing.[26:43] Why you should not skip the fourth step- Reflection and Review.[29:16] do people build other systems that will help them figure out what they are aligned with their purpose in life?[34:16] They discuss the two-minute rule.[39:30] Application of GTD in teams.[43:35] Episode outro.[43:17] The end.

Welcome to another episode of the Veterinary Business Success Show. In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Murray Jelinski, a professor and Alberta chair in beef cattle health and production Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Canada. 
Dr. Murray Jelinski is a highly experienced and accomplished veterinarian. With over 20 years of experience in the veterinary industry, Dr. Jelinski has developed a reputation as a skilled and compassionate practitioner, dedicated to providing the best possible care to his patients and students.
Throughout his career, Dr. Jelinski has been recognized for his contributions to the veterinary profession. He has published numerous articles in veterinary journals and has presented his research at conferences around the world. He is also a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
In this episode, Dr. Jelinski discusses the need of teaching business lessons to students in veterinary school. Statistics indicate that about 40-60% of veterinarians venture into their own practices a few years after graduating. As such, there is a need to teach students the vital concepts of running businesses and most importantly, managing finances. 
Dr. Jelinski also shares his experience on students’ mindset on owning a practice versus being in the formal employment sector. He also shares his thoughts on why many students become practice owners despite not having such thoughts during their study period. 
Episode Outline
[00:00] Episode intro.[01:29] Murray Jelinski explains how he started teaching business lessons in veterinary schools.[08:03] The effect of teaching business on Jelinski’s veterinary practice.[10:29] What pushbacks do you get from the students?[16:32] Ad Break- Learn more about our Leaders program.[17:50] The episode resumes with Brendan asking Jelinski if Western Canada is still unpenetrated by large chains and unpenetrated by chain-owned practices.[22:40] Practice and business ownership mindset of first-year veterinary students.[26:09] Jelinski talks about the student’s thoughts on becoming good managers and getting better managers during practice.[28:02] The episode wraps up.[28:41] The end.