This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome back industry growth consultant and Bird Bath host, Ryan Leech, to talk about what 2026 might look like for veterinary medicine. After the biggest conferences of the year, a few themes kept coming up: vet care affordability, rising salaries, corporate consolidation, and growing pressure on margins.

Ryan challenges the profession to stop searching for a "silver bullet" in AI or telehealth and start embracing the uncomfortable lessons of operational efficiency. From the "Walmart-ification" of vet med to the shrinking middle class of pet owners, this episode is a reality check on the economics of being a veterinarian in 2026.

Learn more about the First 100. Discover more at The Bird Bath. Ryan recommends Huge* If True with Cleo Abram.