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. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Jun 10

    EP27 - Building an Org Chart That Actually Works for Your Veterinary Practice

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! If everyone on your team reports to you (or worse, no one knows who to report to) your practice has an organizational structure problem. In this episode, we're breaking down one of the most overlooked tools in veterinary practice management: the organizational chart. We cover what an org chart actually is (and isn't), how communication flow and pecking orders can make or break your team culture, and the common pitfalls practice owners fall into when they skip this step entirely. We also dig into how org charts intersect with staffing, hiring, and managing gaps... so you're not constantly putting out fires when someone leaves. 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

  6. Jun 3

    EP26 - How Unplanned Absences Are Quietly Destroying Your Vet Practice (And What to Do About It)

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Every veterinary practice owner knows the feeling... it's a packed Thursday, and Tommy just called in. Again. Absenteeism is one of the most frustrating, financially draining, and culturally corrosive challenges in veterinary medicine, and yet most clinics are trying to manage it without a real policy in place. In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we dig into the full absenteeism conversation; from understanding the difference between planned and unplanned absences, to why veterinary medicine's high-pressure environment makes this problem uniquely complicated, to what it actually looks like to build and enforce a policy that sticks. 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 01:38 Absenteeism in the Clinic 03:50 Planned vs Unplanned Absences 05:28 Defining "Excessive" Absenteeism 07:29 What are the driving forces of Absenteeism? 12:07 HR Perspective 14:00 Skills vs Reliability 17:54 Step-by-Step Attendance Policy 20:33 Managing Single Offenders & Launching a Policy Reset 25:32 Summary/Outro

  7. May 13

    EP25 - 5 Crucial Conversations Every Veterinary Leader Needs to Have

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we dive into one of the most uncomfortable — yet essential — parts of veterinary leadership: having difficult conversations. Whether it’s addressing compensation concerns, managing poor performance, confronting negativity, protecting clinic culture, or setting boundaries to prevent burnout, avoiding these conversations often creates bigger problems for teams and practices alike. We break down why so many veterinary leaders hesitate to have these discussions, the hidden costs of avoidance, and how unresolved tension can slowly impact morale, accountability, and workplace culture. Most importantly, we share practical ways to approach tough conversations with clarity, confidence, and empathy so leaders can create healthier teams and stronger clinics. 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 01:44 The Cost of Avoiding Crucial Conversations 05:01 Conversation #1: Pay and Compensation 11:38 Conversation #2: Performance Management 14:40 Conversation #3: Attitude and Negativity 19:41 Conversation #4: Clinic Culture 22:49 Conversation #5: Boundaries and Burnout 24:41 Outro

  8. May 6

    EP24 - Why Veterinary Managers Should Stop Doing Tech Work

    Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we tackle a challenge that quietly impacts countless veterinary clinics: managers and practice owners getting pulled into technician work. While stepping in may feel helpful in the moment, it often comes at the expense of leadership, strategy, and long-term clinic growth. We discuss why so many veterinary leaders fall into this pattern, the hidden operational and financial costs it creates, and how role confusion can keep practices stuck in reactive mode. Most importantly, we walk through a practical solution: conducting a simple time audit to uncover where your energy is really going and how to start reclaiming time for true leadership responsibilities. 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 02:13 Stop Doing Tech Work 05:51 Impact on the Team 07:41 The Hidden and Financial Cost 10:10 What If The Work Doesn't Get Done? 12:10 Importance of Role Clarity 14:40 Fixing the Problem with Time Audits 18:51 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
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The VetPractice Playbook
  • Show Website
    The VetPractice Playbook

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