The Evolved Vets

This week I'm bringing together two very special guests, Dr. Garry Marshall and Dr. Briana Armstrong, for a conversation about something I think we could ALL use a little more of… actually enjoying our lives and careers in veterinary medicine.

We talk about why the narrative that veterinary medicine has to be miserable doesn't have to be everyone's story, how the people you surround yourself with can influence your happiness, and why getting comfortable with your own self-worth can completely change the way you handle feedback, conflict, and difficult conversations.

We also get into the importance of psychological safety in veterinary teams, understanding how different people receive feedback, and how leaders can create environments where their teams actually feel supported. Because building a better workplace isn't just about policies and schedules… it's about understanding the people who make it what it is.

And of course, we talk about finding your own path in veterinary medicine! From creating more flexible schedules and recognizing what actually brings you joy to exploring career opportunities outside of traditional clinical practice, we discuss why success doesn't have to look the same for everyone.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why veterinary medicine doesn't have to be a profession where burnout and unhappiness are inevitable
• How the people you surround yourself with can influence your mindset, confidence, and overall happiness
• Why understanding your self-worth can change the way you receive feedback and navigate difficult conversations
• How to recognize when you're being triggered and separate your insecurities from what's actually happening
• What psychological safety looks like in veterinary teams and why it matters for effective leadership
• How leaders can better support their teams by understanding how different people communicate and receive feedback
• Why creating flexible schedules and individualized expectations can help veterinarians build more sustainable careers

If you're a veterinarian, veterinary leader, or someone who's trying to build a career that feels fulfilling both inside and outside the hospital, I hope this conversation reminds you that you have more options than you might think. You get to decide what success looks like for you!

Timestamps:

00:03:15 Does Veterinary Medicine Have to Be Miserable?

00:11:19 Finding Joy in Your Career and Surrounding Yourself with Good People

00:15:00 How Do You Decide Who Gets Your Time?

00:18:10 The Two Beers and a Puppy Theory

00:22:00 Self-Worth, Limiting Beliefs & Learning to Receive Feedback

00:27:34 How Leaders Can Support Their Teams Through Difficult Moments

00:42:25 Building Psychological Safety in Veterinary Teams

00:54:16 How Do You Prefer to Receive Feedback?

01:12:07 Creating Flexible Schedules That Work for Everyone

01:14:32 Exploring Career Paths Outside Traditional Veterinary Practice

01:16:29 What Actually Brings You Joy? Finding Your Own Definition of Success

01:19:30 How Do You Know When It's Time to Pivot?

01:23:17 Giving Yourself Permission to Try Something New

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About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer:

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

Follow Dr. Bethany on socials!

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

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Follow the podcast on socials!

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

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Resources Mentioned

Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

This week I’m sitting down with my friend Dr. Aaron Massecar to talk about something I think we could ALL use a little more of…making life and veterinary medicine a little more manageable. 💛

A little bit about Dr. Aaron - Aaron’s journey into veterinary medicine was anything but traditional. With a background in philosophy, a passion for learning, and a knack for asking the right questions, he’s spent his career helping shape veterinary education, innovation, and now the future of AI in veterinary medicine.

We get into how small habits can lead to BIG changes, why understanding your body’s response to stress can completely change the way you handle difficult conversations, and how approaching people with curiosity instead of judgment can make all the difference. Because sometimes, taking a breath and giving yourself a moment to pause can change the entire outcome of a conversation.

And of course, we talk about AI in veterinary medicine! From AI scribes and saving hours of medical documentation to reducing burnout and helping veterinarians reclaim time with their families, we explore how technology is changing the way we practice + what that could mean for the future of our profession.

In this episode you will learn:

• How to build better habits with tiny changes, habit stacking, and simple rewards
• Why managing your body’s stress response can help you navigate difficult conversations
• How to approach conflict with curiosity instead of jumping to conclusions
• Why AI scribes are changing veterinary documentation, client communication, and work-life balance
• How AI can help veterinarians reclaim their time while keeping human oversight at the center
• Why setting goals outside of work can build resilience, confidence, and a greater sense of control
• How to find the right people and build relationships that support your personal and professional growth

PLUS: Aaron shares the story of a 356-mile cycling race that involved mud, exhaustion, and some pretty wild hallucinations. Because apparently, a casual bike ride wasn’t enough. 😂

If you’re a veterinarian, veterinary leader, or someone who wants to keep growing while building a more sustainable life and career, I hope this conversation gives you something to take with you!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome to Evolve Vets & Meet Aaron

00:01:18 Aaron’s Journey from Philosophy to Veterinary Medicine

00:07:04 How to Build Habits That Actually Stick

00:16:08 Veterinary Innovation & The Evolution of Telemedicine

00:22:17 How to Navigate Difficult Conversations

00:27:36 Gratitude, Habit Stacking & Evening Routines

00:30:55 Building Better Relationships Through Curiosity

00:34:19 Recognizing Triggers & Changing Your Response

00:37:25 A Real-Life Example: Managing Emotions in a Difficult Case

00:40:13 Stoicism, Self-Awareness & Taking Control of Your Response

00:42:39 Understanding Your First Emotional Reaction

00:46:29 The Future of Veterinary Innovation

00:49:23 How AI Is Changing Veterinary Medicine

01:00:03 Setting Goals Outside of Your Career

01:01:24 The 356-Mile Cycling Race That Led to Hallucinations

01:04:21 How Physical Challenges Build Resilience

01:09:17 Values, Healthy Relationships & Personal Growth

01:14:16 Advice for Young Veterinarians & Aspiring Leaders

01:16:32 How to Connect with Aaron & Closing Thoughts

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About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer:

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

Follow Dr. Bethany on socials!

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

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Follow the podcast on socials!

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

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Resources Mentioned

Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

Veterinary grief and pet loss can quietly fuel compassion fatigue, burnout, and emotional exhaustion. Dr. Bethany Weinheimer shares a vulnerable story from a difficult ER shift and explains how veterinary professionals can process grief, support grieving clients and teams, and build practical grief plans that create a more sustainable veterinary workplace.

✅ Why grief is so common and difficult to process in veterinary medicine

✅ How suppressed grief can contribute to compassion fatigue, exhaustion, and burnout

✅ How to support clients before, during, and after pet loss and euthanasia

✅ How veterinary leaders can create grief protocols that support both teams and individuals

Are you in a "Code Blue" moment in your veterinary career? Join Bethany's Code Blue Coaching to help bring you back to life!

Code Blue Coaching is a personalized 6-month transformational journey that combines neuroscience, coaching psychology, and empowered leadership to help you build a sustainable career in medicine in a way that is authentic to YOU. Whatever your vision, one thing's clear: you didn't sign up for a life of survival mode—and you don't have to stay there.

https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

The Evolved Vets Membership is a roadmap to building confidence, managing energy, improving communication, and stepping into leadership on your own terms. Bethany goes beyond professional skills to help you become the veterinarian you’ve always wanted to be: https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

• 00:00 – Why suppressed grief can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout
• 03:35 – The reality of processing grief during a busy veterinary shift
• 06:51 – Understanding grief and evidence-based ways to process it
• 10:00 – When veterinary professionals should seek additional support
• 13:07 – Why grief accumulates in veterinary medicine and the need for a grief plan
• 16:19 – How to support clients through euthanasia and pet loss
• 21:55 – Understanding the stages of grief and supporting clients who aren't ready
• 24:46 – How veterinary leaders can support teams through grief and create psychological safety
• 30:25 – Recognizing compassion fatigue and building resilience through grief support
• 33:18 – Creating boundaries between veterinary work and home
• 36:16 – Building a hospital grief plan for clients, teams, and individuals
• 39:35 – Bethany processes her own grief in real time

Key Takeaways

🔹 Veterinary professionals experience repeated loss without the natural pauses needed to process it, which can cause grief to accumulate over time.

🔹 Supporting grieving pet owners means slowing down, allowing silence, using the pet's name, giving families autonomy, and following up after euthanasia.

🔹 Leaders can create psychological safety by acknowledging difficult cases, giving team members permission to take space, and modeling vulnerability.

🔹 A hospital grief plan can include euthanasia protocols, follow-up procedures, designated team check-ins, grief resources, rituals, bereavement support, and personal grief practices.

About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

• Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching
• The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership
• The Evolved Vets Episode with Dr. Molly Brinkmann: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GY3G6gN4Vce61cvxvbucu?si=gLXV_jnhR6eOGxFz3WQnqw

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

Veterinary practice ownership, leadership, autonomy, service to and community take center stage as Dr. Molly Brinkmann shares her journey from mixed-animal veterinarian to launching The Local Vets. She opens up about changing career paths, building a healthy workplace, supporting working parents, navigating grief, championing women in leadership, and using humor and social media to strengthen connections between veterinarians and pet parents.

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

The Evolved Vets Membership is a roadmap to building confidence, managing energy, improving communication, and stepping into leadership on your own terms. Bethany goes beyond professional skills to help you become the veterinarian you’ve always wanted to be: https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

✅ Why changing your career path can be an act of self-awareness—not failure

✅ How autonomy and authentic values can shape a more fulfilling veterinary career

✅ What veterinary leaders can do to create healthier, more supportive workplaces

✅ Why women in veterinary medicine need to champion and advocate for one another

• 00:00 — Dr. Molly Brinkmann’s veterinary journey
• 06:35 — Changing career paths and finding a new direction
• 12:20 — Taking the leap into veterinary practice ownership
• 18:30 — Building a healthier veterinary workplace
• 27:05 — Women in veterinary leadership and advocacy
• 37:30 — Supporting veterinary professionals through grief and loss
• 49:45 — Turning hard experiences into something good for others
• 50:15 — The Dr. Molly Says social media journey
• 55:25 — The Companion Project and expanding access to veterinary care
• 01:05:00 — Practice ownership, freedom, and future autonomy

Key Takeaways

🔹 You are allowed to change your mind. A career path you once dreamed about doesn't have to define your future. Molly's journey shows how aligning your career with your values can lead to greater fulfillment.

🔹 Healthy workplaces start with clarity and communication. Clear expectations, defined roles and consistent communication can prevent unnecessary tension and help create a more supportive veterinary environment.

🔹 Practice ownership can be a path to autonomy. Molly sees ownership as a way to build the kind of workplace and career she wants while ultimately creating more freedom for herself and her family.

🔹 Community can transform veterinary medicine. From The Local Vets to her social media platform and nonprofit work, Molly continually looks for ways to connect people, improve access to veterinary care and strengthen the profession

About Dr. Molly Brinkmann

Dr. Molly Brinkmann is a veterinarian, practice owner, content creator, podcast host, speaker, and strategic advisor with a career centered on one thing: making the pet care industry better for pets and the people who care for them.

She is the founder and owner of The Local Vets in Franklin, Tennessee, built around thoughtful medicine, transparency, strong client relationships, and a better experience for both veterinary teams and pet owners. They are opening their doors in September 2026.

Outside of clinical practice, she has built a community of more than 500,000 pet owners through @drmollysays where she translates veterinary medicine into practical, approachable information people can actually use. She also hosts the Dr. Molly Says Podcast and speaks nationally on topics ranging from veterinary medicine and pet health to communication, grief in the workplace, and the evolving veterinary industry.

Instagram: @drmollysays | Podcast: @drmollysayspod | Practice: @thelocalvets | Nonprofit: @thecompanionprojectusa

About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

• Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching
• The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

Difficult veterinary clients can quickly turn a stressful day into a crisis, but the right communication strategies can change everything. Dr. Bethany Weinheimer shares five steps for de-escalating client concerns in real time and gives tips for handling client concerns over the phone, building proactive communication systems, empowering veterinary teams, handling negative reviews, and protecting team wellbeing.

✅ The five-step framework for de-escalating an upset veterinary client

✅ Why listening and empathy should come before explanations or solutions

✅ How proactive communication can prevent many client complaints before they escalate

✅ How to empower, support, and protect your veterinary team during difficult interactions

Are you in a "Code Blue" moment in your veterinary career? Join Bethany's Code Blue Coaching to help bring you back to life!

Code Blue Coaching is a personalized 6-month transformational journey that combines neuroscience, coaching psychology, and empowered leadership to help you build a sustainable career in medicine in a way that is authentic to YOU. Whatever your vision, one thing's clear: you didn't sign up for a life of survival mode—and you don't have to stay there.

https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

The Evolved Vets Membership is a roadmap to building confidence, managing energy, improving communication, and stepping into leadership on your own terms. Bethany goes beyond professional skills to help you become the veterinarian you’ve always wanted to be: https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

• 00:00 — Why veterinary professionals instinctively want to problem-solve upset clients
• 01:15 — Why concerned customer calls matter in veterinary medicine
• 02:30 — Understanding the fear and stress behind client complaints
• 05:00 — Step 1: Move the conversation to a private space
• 05:50 — Step 2: Listen before you respond
• 06:50 — Step 3: Reflect and validate the client's concerns
• 07:55 — Step 4: Respond with ownership and focus on the outcome
• 09:45 — Step 5: Give the client a concrete next step
• 10:40 — Setting boundaries when a client becomes threatening or unsafe
• 12:40 — Why proactive communication is the most powerful prevention tool
• 18:50 — How to respond to disgruntled clients and negative reviews
• 24:45 — The BEAMS framework for handling post-visit complaints
• 27:35 — Why negative feedback doesn't mean you're doing it wrong

Key Takeaways

🔹 Listen before you solve. Give an upset client space to finish speaking instead of immediately defending the bill, diagnosis, or process.

🔹 Empathy isn't an admission of guilt. Reflecting and validating someone's feelings demonstrates that you've heard them and can help move the conversation toward resolution.

🔹 Communication prevents escalation. Clear expectations around wait times, costs, diagnostics, and updates can prevent frustration from building in the first place.

🔹 Take care of the people taking care of the patients. Leaders should debrief after difficult interactions, validate team members' experiences, and watch for signs of emotional depletion.

About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

• Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching
• The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

What if the veterinary career you've always dreamed of is waiting on the other side of courageous leadership? Discover veterinary leadership, parenthood, practice ownership, veterinary entrepreneurship, team culture, and career growth as Dr. Bethany Weinheimer welcomes Dr. Christine Staten. Christine shares her unexpected journey from aspiring obstetrician to successful veterinary practice owner, revealing how intentional leadership, strong core values, and continuous personal growth transformed her practice into a thriving community cornerstone. From creating psychological safety to building an empowered team, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for veterinarians ready to lead with purpose and create a career they truly love.

Are you in a "Code Blue" moment in your veterinary career? Join Bethany's Code Blue Coaching to help bring you back to life!

Code Blue Coaching is a personalized 6-month transformational journey that combines neuroscience, coaching psychology, and empowered leadership to help you build a sustainable career in medicine in a way that is authentic to YOU. Whatever your vision, one thing's clear: you didn't sign up for a life of survival mode—and you don't have to stay there.

https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

The Evolved Vets Membership is a roadmap to building confidence, managing energy, improving communication, and stepping into leadership on your own terms. Bethany goes beyond professional skills to help you become the veterinarian you’ve always wanted to be: https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

✅ Why veterinary medicine offers more career flexibility than most professions

✅ How defining core values can completely transform your practice culture

✅ Practical leadership strategies for building engaged, empowered veterinary teams

✅ Why personal growth and intentional leadership are essential for long-term career fulfillment

• 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Christine Staten and her veterinary leadership journey
• 06:42 Finding an unexpected path into veterinary medicine
• 13:15 Discovering purpose through practice ownership
• 20:18 Building a culture-first veterinary practice
• 27:41 Leadership lessons that transformed her team
• 35:12 Creating accountability without sacrificing compassion
• 42:18 Why veterinarians need to think like CEOs
• 47:00 Raising children while building a successful veterinary career
• 54:18 Letting go of guilt and redefining work-life balance
• 1:01:42 The power of mentorship and learning from other leaders
• 1:09:30 Why investing in yourself changes everything
• 1:17:58 The business skills every veterinarian should develop
• 1:26:15 Personal growth, emotional intelligence, and becoming a better leader
• 1:35:52 Breathwork, self-regulation, and finding clarity beyond the to-do list
• 1:43:50 Final advice for future women leaders and where to connect with Christine

Key Takeaways

🔹 Leadership starts with leading yourself. Effective leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about developing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the willingness to continually grow.

🔹 A thriving practice begins with a strong culture. Clearly defined core values, psychological safety, accountability, and open communication create an environment where team members feel valued, empowered, and motivated to do their best work.

🔹 Your veterinary degree can open countless doors. Whether you're passionate about clinical medicine, ownership, leadership, education, mentoring, or entrepreneurship, veterinary medicine offers incredible flexibility. Your career can evolve as your interests and priorities change.

🔹 Success doesn't require perfect work-life balance. Instead of striving for an impossible balance, focus on creating a life that aligns with your Authentic Values.

About Dr. Christine Staten

Dr. Christine Staten has had the privilege of practicing and owning a mixed-animal hospital for more than two decades. At the age of 50, she went back to school for her MBA. She wanted to run my business better, and she knew something had to change. What she learned didn’t just apply to Fortune 500 companies, it was practical, actionable, and immediately transformed how she led my team, managed finances, and created systems that finally worked.

https://www.veterinary-mba.com/

https://www.instagram.com/veterinary_mba

Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

Moral injury in veterinary medicine is one of the biggest hidden causes of burnout. It builds up your chronic stress over time—and understanding how it could transform your career. What if burnout isn't simply exhaustion, but the result of repeatedly compromising your values? In this episode, Dr. Bethany Weinheimer explores how moral injury develops, why it affects so many veterinary professionals, and how it differs from burnout and compassion fatigue. She shares practical strategies from The Evolved Vets Method—including meditation, neuroplasticity, and resilience-building—to help veterinarians reconnect with their authentic values, regulate their nervous systems, and build a sustainable, fulfilling career.

Are you in a "Code Blue" moment in your veterinary career? Join Bethany's Code Blue Coaching to help bring you back to life!

Code Blue Coaching is a personalized 6-month transformational journey that combines neuroscience, coaching psychology, and empowered leadership to help you build a sustainable career in medicine in a way that is authentic to YOU. Whatever your vision, one thing's clear: you didn't sign up for a life of survival mode—and you don't have to stay there.

https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

The Evolved Vets Membership is a roadmap to building confidence, managing energy, improving communication, and stepping into leadership on your own terms. Bethany goes beyond professional skills to help you become the veterinarian you’ve always wanted to be: https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

✅ What moral injury is and how it leads to burnout, a chronic state of stress

✅ How repeated ethical conflicts silently erode resilience and fulfillment

✅ How The Evolved Vets Method helps rewire limiting beliefs and strengthen resilience

✅ Practical ways to protect your values, regulate your nervous system, and create a sustainable veterinary career

• 00:00 – What moral injury really is and why it matters
• 03:10 – The surprising research linking resilience to preventing moral injury
• 07:20 – Signs and symptoms of moral injury versus burnout and PTSD
• 11:25 – Code Blue moments: how repeated self-abandonment leads to burnout
• 15:15 – The Evolved Vets Method: Meditation, Elevation, and Integration
• 21:10 – Three practical strategies to overcome burnout and reconnect with yourself
• 30:00 – System-level solutions to reduce moral injury in veterinary medicine
• 37:15 – A powerful real-life case that changed Dr. Bethany's perspective on moral injury

Key Takeaways

🔹 Moral injury and burnout are not the same. Burnout stems from chronic workplace stress, while moral injury occurs when you're forced to repeatedly compromise your ethical values or witness actions that conflict with what you believe is right.

🔹 Healthy boundaries protect both you and your patients. Creating space to rest with purpose, process difficult cases, and advocate for your values allows you to show up as a more present, compassionate veterinarian.

🔹 Healing begins by acknowledging, not suppressing, difficult experiences. Taking time to reflect on challenging cases, seek support, and reframe limiting beliefs can transform moral injury into an opportunity for growth and long-term career fulfillment.

🔹 Understanding your authentic values is essential for sustainable success. The more aligned your decisions are with your personal beliefs, the less likely you are to experience self-abandonment and burnout.

🔹 The Evolved Vets Method offers a practical roadmap for healing. Meditation, elevation, and integration help rewire limiting beliefs, strengthen resilience, and create healthier responses to difficult situations.

About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

• Code Blue Coaching: https://www.evolvedvets.com/coaching
• The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

Veterinary burnout, motherhood, work-life balance, career transitions, and authentic leadership come together in this deeply personal conversation with Dr. Ashley Gray. What happens when the career you've worked your entire life to build no longer aligns with the season you're living? Dr. Ashley shares her emotional journey from emergency veterinarian and hospital leader to intentionally stepping away from full-time practice after becoming a mother of two. Together with Dr. Bethany Weinheimer, they discuss identity shifts, listening to your intuition, recognizing burnout, asking for help, therapy, lowering perfectionist expectations, and building a sustainable veterinary career that honors both professional purpose and family. This episode is an honest reminder that evolving isn't giving up—it's choosing alignment.

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

Explore coaching, programs, and resources designed to support alignment, leadership, and long-term sustainability in veterinary medicine at https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

How to recognize when burnout is really your body asking you to pivot

Why motherhood can completely reshape your identity and personal values

Practical ways to lower perfectionism while creating a more sustainable veterinary career

How therapy, community, and trusting your intuition can help you navigate life's biggest transitions

• 00:00 Motherhood changes your identity in unexpected ways
• 03:35 Ashley's veterinary career journey from internship to ER and leadership
• 06:45 Following intuition through a cross-country move while pregnant
• 11:20 Discovering authentic values after becoming a mother
• 14:00 Navigating a newborn's unexpected medical challenges and career decisions
• 16:30 Why therapy became one of Ashley's biggest lessons
• 20:45 Leaving full-time veterinary medicine and facing an identity crisis
• 24:00 Finding purpose through education, advocacy, and supporting pet parents
• 30:20 Rebuilding a career through writing, creativity, and intentional motherhood
• 37:40 Delegation, raising resilient children, and embracing imperfect growth

Key Takeaways

Your body often recognizes burnout before your mind is willing to admit it.

Every season of life requires reevaluating your values—and sometimes your career.

Asking for help, seeking therapy, and leaning on your community are signs of strength, not weakness.

Sustainable success in veterinary medicine comes from alignment, not constant achievement.

Dr. Ashley Gray is a well-rounded small animal general practitioner who has experience with emergency medicine. She is fear free certified and additional skills include: abdominal ultrasound, endoscopy, spectrum of care medicine, excellent communicator, relationship builder, marketer and great at recruiting. She has solid social media experience and run two successful platforms (@Southernpetvet and @vetsontherise). She also held leadership roles as Internship Director and Medical Director.

She and a vet school classmate friend started the company Vets on the Rise back in 2019. Why? Her main passion is providing mentorship support to vet students and new grad vets. Check it out on Instagram: @vetsontherise VOTR is here with books, courses and email subscriber support to help new vets!

Check out how we can help your new grad hires or vet student classes at: www.veterinariansontherise.com

Instagram: :https://www.instagram.com/southernpetvet/?hl=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetsontherise/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-gray-a17407a5

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website & Membership: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

New graduate veterinarians often enter practice carrying both excitement and overwhelming pressure to be "day one ready"—but what if that expectation has been misunderstood from the start?

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer discusses the origins of the phrase, explores the research behind imposter syndrome in veterinary medicine, and offers practical strategies to help new vet grads move from fear and perfectionism into confidence and curiosity. Through personal stories, evidence-based insights, and actionable tips, this episode reminds listeners that graduation isn't the finish line, it's the beginning of a lifelong practice of growth, learning, and self-compassion.

The Evolve Vets Membership is an online community designed specifically for women in veterinary medicine who are ready to move beyond survival mode and create a sustainable, fulfilling career. If you're a new graduate, Dr. Bethany is offering one month free to help you build resilience from the very beginning of your career. Simply use the promo code NEWGRAD2026 to experience the tools, guidance, and support that can help you thrive—not just survive—in veterinary medicine.

What "day one ready" was originally intended to mean—and how its message has been misunderstood

Why imposter syndrome and anxiety are so common among new veterinarians

Five practical strategies to build confidence, seek support, and navigate your first year in practice

How nervous system regulation and the Evolve Method can help create a sustainable veterinary career

• 00:00 Why "Day One Ready" Is a Starting Line, Not a Finish Line
• 01:15 The Question That Changed the Conversation Around New Graduates
• 04:20 Research on Imposter Syndrome and Why You're Not Alone
• 06:20 The Original Meaning Behind the "Day One Ready" Concept
• 09:20 Clinical Knowledge vs. Clinical Confidence
• 13:30 Reframing the Question: "Am I Ready for Day One?"
• 17:35 Dr. Bethany's New Grad Mistakes and Lessons Learned
• 21:35 Five Essential Tips for New Graduate Veterinarians
• 28:35 The Evolve Method and Nervous System Regulation
• 40:15 What Day One Should Actually Feel Like

Key Takeaways

Graduation doesn't mean you know everything—it means you've built the foundation to keep learning.

Mentorship, collaboration, and asking for help are signs of wisdom, not weakness.

Confidence develops through repetition, experience, and self-compassion.

Regulating your nervous system may be one of the most important investments you make in your veterinary longevity.

About Dr. Bethany Weinheimer

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a veterinary leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Evolved Vets Podcast. She specializes in burnout recovery, authentic leadership, emotional resilience, and alignment-based coaching for veterinarians and medical professionals. Through Code Blue Coaching and The Evolved Vets Community, she helps veterinarians navigate challenges from burnout to career growth, including areas like veterinary leadership, practice ownership, and long-term sustainability.

• The Doctor Molly Says Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028
• Dr. Gary Marshall on The Doctor Molly Says Podcast: https://youtu.be/aFXqKz6OGhc
• Perfectionism in Vet Medicine Episode -https://youtu.be/-eyYOjtVWmw
• The Evolved Vets Membership: https://app-evolved-vets.mykajabi.com/membership

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet

Veterinary leadership, general practice, emergency medicine, exotics, evidence-based medicine, and motherhood collide in this inspiring conversation with Dr. Sylvalyn Hammond.

The Honest Vet tells us what honesty means to her and what happens when the career you thought you'd have no longer fits? Dr. Hammond shares her unexpected journey from aspiring large animal veterinarian to small animal, ER doctor, relief vet, exotic pet practitioner, Chief of Staff, mother, and creator of The Honest Vet. Along the way, she discusses navigating misinformation, building trust with pet owners, stepping into leadership, giving and receiving feedback, embracing uncertainty, and learning that the most meaningful career paths are rarely linear. This episode is a powerful reminder that flexibility, authenticity, and curiosity can lead to a veterinary career more fulfilling than you ever imagined.

Ready to evolve your veterinary career?

Explore coaching, programs, and resources designed to support alignment, leadership, and long-term sustainability in veterinary medicine at https://www.evolvedvets.com/membership

Why emergency medicine helped shape Dr. Hammond into a more confident veterinarian

How The Honest Vet was created to combat misinformation with compassion and evidence

What stepping into leadership as a female veterinarian really looks like

Why staying flexible and trusting your intuition can open unexpected opportunities

• 00:00 Why emergency medicine made Dr. Hammond a better veterinarian
• 01:45 Reconnecting after veterinary school and reflecting on different career paths
• 04:05 Realizing large animal medicine wasn't the right fit
• 07:45 The pivotal moment she switched tracks during clinical rotations
• 09:30 Starting her first small animal position and navigating student debt realities
• 12:20 Taking on emergency medicine to strengthen clinical confidence
• 15:20 The emotional highs and lows of ER practice
• 19:35 The experiences that inspired The Honest Vet
• 24:10 Fighting misinformation and building trust with pet owners
• 26:45 Moving to Charleston and starting over
• 28:25 Relief work as an unexpected career advantage
• 32:10 Discovering a passion for exotic animal medicine
• 41:30 Using social media to advocate for pets through honest education
• 47:50 The meaning behind The Honest Vet brand
• 54:40 "Evidence-based everything" as a life philosophy
• 01:03:15 Stepping into leadership as Chief of Staff
• 01:12:45 Advice for aspiring veterinary leaders and embracing the journey

Key Takeaways

The veterinary career you imagined may evolve into something even better if you stay open to change.

Emergency medicine builds confidence, decisiveness, and skills that benefit every veterinarian.

Honest conversations rooted in empathy and evidence are the strongest antidotes to misinformation.

Leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about earning trust, staying adaptable, and helping others grow.

Chief of Staff

A 2018 graduate of Texas A&M University, Dr. Hammond grew up on her family's Angus cattle ranch in southern Arizona, where she spent her childhood as her mother's “unofficial” veterinary assistant. That early hands-on experience shaped a lifelong passion for animal health and welfare. Today, she leads our team as Chief of Staff and is especially passionate about client education and partnering with pet owners on their animals’ care. Dr. Hammond works with a wide variety of species, drawing on her experience with both small and farm animals, as well as advanced continuing education in exotic pet medicine through the Exotic Veterinary Academy. Her clinical interests include nutrition, internal medicine, dentistry, and evidence-based preventive care.

https://allcreatureschs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehonestvet/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehonestvet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thehonestvet.official

📸 Instagram: @EvolvedVets

📺 YouTube: Evolved Vets

🎵 TikTok: @evolvedvets

🌐 Website & Membership: www.evolvedvets.com

📸 Instagram: @drbeththevet

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bethany-weinheimer-a9047558

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbeththevet