Content Warning: Mentions of suicide may be triggering to some listeners. What are some key practices in preparing the clinic for a team member returning from a mental health leave? Dr. Phil Richmond joins us to help a veterinary practice manager wondering how they can prepare a safe space within their clinic, for a team member to return to. Together, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Phil Richmond tackle many action steps and offer valuable resources to get the right work policy in place for any team. Let's get into this episode...

LINKS AND RESOURCES JAVMA Article Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/254/1/javma.254.1.104.xml EEOC Resources: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-ada-and-psychiatric-disabilities AVMA EAP Resources: https://www.avma.org/news/exploring-employee-assistance-programs-veterinary-practices-are-they-bother-or-benefit Return to Work Checklist (US Friendly) - Page 37: https://workplacesuicideprevention.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/20220630-FINAL-FINAL-HR-EmploymentLaw-WhitePaper.pdf Not One More Vet: https://www.nomv.org/

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Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

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This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Andy Roark dive into another intriguing submission from the mail bag. This time, they tackle a question from a practice owner who's embarking on the journey of opening a new clinic and is pondering what type of client experience to deliver. The practice owner is eager to establish a distinctive client experience for their new venture but is uncertain about the direction to take. Stephanie and Andy emphasize the importance of aligning the client experience with the practice's vision and values. They get a little spicy in debunking the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach, emphasizing that the client experience should be tailored to reflect the unique identity and goals of the practice. Stephanie and Andy provide actionable steps to help the practice owner extract their vision and values and translate them into tangible practices for their new startup team. From defining core values to training the team, they offer practical guidance to empower the practice owner in shaping a client experience that resonates authentically with their practice ethos. Let's get into this episode... LINKS

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Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and veterinary practice management whiz, Stephanie Goss dive into a heartfelt letter from a listener grappling with burnout in the veterinary world. Despite swimming in a sea of perks—great pay, abundant time off, and a tight-knit support system—the listener finds themselves treading water, feeling stuck in the profession's turbulent waves. They're struggling to keep their head above water amidst rising client demands and a sinking sense of passion. Andy and Stephanie embark on a buoyant journey through the listener's challenges, sprinkling in their trademark ride to Camp Tough Love. Together, they explore different mindsets and paddle through practical strategies to reignite the listener's love for veterinary medicine. Let's get into this...

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Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

In this week's episode of The Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss dive into a letter from the mailbag. It's from a kennel technician grappling with a toxic workplace culture. This dedicated individual is working tirelessly in the kennels for experience requirements for vet school. However, the atmosphere within the kennels is far from supportive, with the kennel manager engaging in gossiping and making side remarks. Despite reaching out to the practice manager for assistance, the situation remains unchanged, leaving the kennel attendant feeling frustrated and unheard. Andy and Stephanie provide valuable insight about looking at the big picture and how to navigate these kinds of conversations. Let's get into this episode....

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Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

In this episode of the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark jumps into a crucial mailbag but this time with special guest Dr. Sarah Wolff. Together they tackle a pressing question from a practice manager struggling with maintaining the personal touch in client interactions after transitioning to digital communications. Sarah Wolff, a seasoned veteran of the veterinary field, embarked on her journey inspired by James Herriot's tales. Over her 22-year career, she's navigated every role imaginable in a veterinary team, from humble beginnings as a kennel assistant to the esteemed position of medical director. Through her extensive experience, Sarah has witnessed the dynamic evolution of veterinary care, but one principle has remained constant: client relationships are the cornerstone of exceptional veterinary medicine. Today, she's dedicated to helping teams cultivate these relationships, fostering excellent client experiences that enrich both the practice and the individuals within it. For more insights from Sarah, visit her online at www.DrSarahWolff.com and follow her on Twitter @DrSarahWolff. In this episode's mailbag entry, our featured practice manager voices a common concern among modern practices: striking a balance between efficiency-driven digital communications and maintaining the human connection with clients. With technology streamlining communication processes, practices risk losing the personal touch that sets them apart in the hearts of their clients. Let's get into this episode!

Do you have something that you would love to hear discussed on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

Mentioned in this episode:

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

This week on the Uncharted Podcast, practice management super nerd, Stephanie Goss invited special guest Bill Schroeder to come discuss something all of our practices should be getting ready for - the big slow down. We know that some clinics still have clients coming out their ears while others are experiencing a very rapid slowing of appointment volume. So many of us have been focusing on hiring and retaining team members to support our case loads that we've put things like marketing, updating reminder protocols and website updates on the back burner. Bill Schroeder owns InTouch Practice Communications (www.InTouchVet.com), a full-service digital marketing agency built specifically for the veterinary community. As an entrepreneur, international speaker, veterinary thought leader, and digital marketing enthusiast who has leveraged his love of people and pets to help veterinary practices grow and thrive - Stephanie thought Bill would be the perfect guest to talk strategy with. Bill's team and their more than 8,000 client success stories are the basis for his speaking sessions and his drive to help practices learn how to actually implement these things in your practice. Bill serves on the Board of Directors for VetPartners, teaches within the MBA program at Purdue University, and can be found teaching from many of the veterinary conference stages around the world. Stephanie asked Bill to come discuss the three most important things every clinic should be doing right now to keep clients coming in the doors. Between outsourcing google ads and online reputation management, Stephanie and Bill give you realistic tips that you can put into practice today. Let's get into this episode...

Do you have something that you would love to hear discussed on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag Upcoming events: unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Mentioned in this episode:

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

Dr. Andy Roark and practice management super geek, Stephanie Goss are back with another letter from our mailbag. This time a manager writes in who is struggling with communication in her practice. This manager's newish to practice ownership DVM struggles to communicate with the team as a whole. The manager is fielding complaints from the team about the holes in communication. And to make it more challenging, the practice owner's wife is also heavily involved in the practice, despite her lack of veterinary background. This manager is struggling with knowing how to address the team's concerns when they share some of them as well as struggling to find their own place in the triangle between the practice owner, their partner and the manager. This one is a doozy, let's get into this....

Mentioned in this episode:

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

On this week's episode of the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and practice management super nerd, Stephanie Goss take on a new kind of mailbag. This time, our listener struggles with writing a recommendation letter but not for the reason you might think. This person cannot stop gushing over their rockstar vet tech and is wondering what even makes for a good recommendation letter in the first place. Together, Andy and Stephanie give their tips for effective recommendation letters and how to politely decline if you may not be the right person to write it. Let's get into this episode....

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag Upcoming events: unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Mentioned in this episode:

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

This week on the podcast, veterinary practice management super nerd Stephanie Goss gets to dive into another mailbag but this time, with RVT and Manager, Tami Lind. This mailbag comes from an ER Practice Manager who loves how close the team is but is struggling to accommodate giving them time off together. Stephanie and Tami navigate the very difficult world of time off requests and what to do when you simply can't please everyone. Let's get into this...

ABOUT OUR GUEST Tami Lind, RVT is currently ICU, ER and Immediate Care supervisor at Purdue University and has been working at the university for the last 13 years. She attended veterinary technology school at Purdue and graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary technology. Two years later Tami assumed the ICU and ER supervisor role at Purdue University. She received her VTS in Emergency/Critical Care in 2016. Her passion is teaching veterinary nurses and veterinary students in preparing them for their career ahead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark is joined by veterinary practice management expert, Dr. Amanda Donnelly and together they tackle another question from the mailbag. In this episode, they take on the challenge of a veterinarian who, despite being exceptional with clients and production, struggles with efficiency in exam rooms, causing a backlog of duties. This backlog bleeds into other doctor's plates, having to have them finish his work yet the practice owner is hesitant to discipline for fear of losing this veterinarian. Dr. Amanda Donnelly offers her insight to strategize ways to set clearer job expectations, foster self-reflection, and provide effective feedback. Together, they explore external resources like mentorship programs and leadership coaching to enhance the vet's performance. Let's get into this episode....

Mentioned in this episode:

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!