Vet Med Wellness + Leadership Crystal Stokes, LMFT

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 opportunitiesMentioned In This Episode:
CliftonStrengths Online Talent Assessment | EN - Gallup
Next Step Vet is here!
Steve Oehley on LinkedIn
Steve Oehley on Instagram

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 

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

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 

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.
Confidence is keyTalk less and listen moreDon't be afraid to have the “hard” conversationsNever assumeTake time for yourselfAnd 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 

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