This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and practice manager Stephanie Goss jump back into the mailbag to discuss a letter from a veterinarian who is fed up with naughty client behavior. This vet is even more fed up with feeling like their hospital management does not have their back or the backs of the team when it comes to holding clients accountable for things. Clients are being mean, they are wasting a ton of time and no one seems to care. This vet is asking how to help their team draw some lines in the sand and when to reach into their toolbox so that they can manage up and let their management team know "Hey, we need your help here!". This was a fun topic to discuss so... let's get into this.

The Secret Sauce to Optimizing Workflow with Senani Ratnayake, RVT Back by popular demand! It's time to take a look at the workflows that aren't working and come up with a plan to move forward with a strategy that makes sense. Date: November 30 Time: 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT – 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT REGISTER

Got a question for the mailbag? Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

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!

Dr. Michael Miller joins the podcast to talk about the downside of leaders eating last. He and Dr. Andy Roark discuss what happens when servant leadership turns to martydom, signs that practice leaders are "giving" in an unhealthy way, and what to do about it. This episode is perfect for anyone who is pouring their heart and soul into practice and feels burned out and used up at the end of the day. LINKS Leaders Eat Last: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others-ebook/dp/B00DGZKQM8

ABOUT OUR GUEST: Dr. Michael W. Miller is the co-owner of a four-hospital small animal practice in the far southwest suburbs of Chicago, seeing patients at Lakewood Animal Hospital in Morris, Illinois. In addition to dogs and cats, he has a special interest in reptiles which led him to start a wildlife rescue at his practice for hit-by-car turtles. He currently serves on the Illinois Veterinary Medical Alumni Association executive board. After being a contributing author to the DrAndyRoark.com and UnchartedVet.com websites, he started his blog called Harry Potter Vet, where he uses comparisons to the wizarding world to help veterinary professionals and himself discover the magic in veterinary medicine. Recently he has started sharing that magic through speaking engagements – most notably the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference and the Uncharted Veterinary Conference. Outside of vet med, he also is discovering the magic of parenthood as he and his wife raise their two young sons.

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 podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie "Celebrate Good Times" Goss are having a party with y'all. That's right, we are celebrating our 200th episode of the podcast this week! It has been 200 weeks of good times diving into some awesome topics that we are all wrestling with on a regular basis in our practices. Andy and Stephanie both want to thank you, our listeners, for making the podcast magic with us over these past few years. We pulled together some of our favourite lessons discussed for you all. Cheers to the next 200 episodes.

Mentioned in this episode:

Zoetis - Simparica Trio

Learn more about Simparica-Trio!

This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and practice manager Stephanie Goss relish in living in the shades of gray. We received a mailbag letter from someone who asked "Is it just us or do any other hospitals have the struggle of whether or not support staff should be taking detailed history from clients before the doctors get in the exam room?...Should full medical history be the doctor's responsibility?" Andy and Stephanie get lively when it comes to should - it's a four letter word in veterinary medicine, friends. They jump into a great debate about medical records and have a blast doing it so... let's get into this.

Got a question for the mailbag? Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

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!

When is a leadership practice or decision SO bad that you need to go to the state veterinary board? That's the question being asked today in our mailbag! Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita wade into how we parse ethical questions, what steps our writer might take and when, exactly, do we "bite the hand that feeds us."

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 and practice manager Stephanie Goss dive into the mail bag and come out with a wonderful question from a lead LVT who is struggling with a new hire that they are hearing some not so nice things about through the local vetmed grapevine. The world of veterinary medicine is a very small one - does that mean it is unfair to judge someone before you even get to work with them? Let's get into this.

Got a question for the mailbag? Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

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!

Can you lead people to water and make them drink? This week's episode starts out with a mailbag question where the writer already has part of their answer. And life is always a little more complicated than at first glance so Dr. Andy Roark and practice manager Stephanie Goss dive into this mailbag entry from a veterinarian who is considering joining a new practice. This practice is quite different from what this vet is used to AND wanting. They want a practice that utilizes their techs for more than nail trims, where the DVMs aren't doing tech work and that is more efficient. This DVM wants to know "Can I hope to change this practice and how do I start the conversation with grace?" This one is seemingly uncomplicated but Andy and Stephanie always find a twist. Let's get into this...

Got a question for 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, Stephanie Goss is going rogue. She invited Tyler Grogan, Veterinary Technician and Uncharted Social Media Goddess as well as Eric Garcia, Marketing and Social Media genius/guru of Simply Done Tech onto the podcast. Fair warning - when Stephanie gets to have dear friends on the podcast, shenanigans ensue and this week is no exception. You may have heard Eric lecture or write about a topic near and dear to his heart - #unplugging. If you haven't heard about it, you are definitely in for a treat. Stephanie and Tyler were both inspired by Eric's invitation to veterinary medicine to unplug from social media and technology and lean into being present for periods of time in your life. All three of them lined up time this summer and this episode is their get together to discuss what went wrong, where they struggled the most, what went perfectly right and whether they will do it again. You all be the judge - let's get into this. PS - As mentioned in the episode, you can check out Bored and Brilliant. All things Eric has written on unplugging can be found here https://ericgarciafl.com/unplugged/

ABOUT OUR GUESTS Eric Garcia - IT expert. Digital marketer. Industry thought leader. When it comes to helping veterinary practices streamline their technology and attract and retain clients, Eric Garcia has a proven track record of educating the industry and producing results. Eric is an internationally recognized IT and Digital Strategist working exclusively with veterinary practices. Garcia’s work has been recognized throughout the industry. Eric was voted VMX 2020 Speaker of the Year by conference attendees. He speaks regularly at conferences all throughout the world. Tyler Grogan, CVT - Tyler is a certified veterinary technician with experience in a variety of practices and a creative mind on the Uncharted Veterinary Conference team. Tyler is passionate about the veterinary profession and the never-ending opportunities it offers her to keep learning, whether through medicine, writing, marketing or teaching others. She loves to use her creativity to think about new ways to impact client and patient experiences in veterinary practices. She also puts creativity to work planning adventures (for real-life and Dungeons and Dragons games) in her free time.

Got a question for 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!

Practice manager and owner Jenn Galvin joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a tough question from the mailbag! If you're a practice manager who wants to find a veterinarian business partner, where do you even start? In this episode, Jenn and Andy talk about setting expectations, maintaining relationships throughout the current hospital, growing and using your personal network, and achieving cultural alignment with someone you just met. This episode has all the drama of a reality dating show (not really, but we talk a lot about how business partnership is a lot like life partnership)! Let's get into it!

ABOUT OUR GUEST: Jenn Galvin is a spreadsheet-loving Veterinary Practice Manager with over 20 years of experience in the field. Growing her hospital and helping her team succeed through hard work, positive leadership, and humor is what gets Jenn up in the morning. She's an introverted "inventory nerd" that loves bratty beagles, dungeons and dragons, and the outdoors. She loves sharing the mistakes she's made, and the things she's learned, with other hospital owners and managers so they can grow their hospitals, teams, and themselves!

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!

Have you ever worked somewhere that the team felt frustrated at the lack of accountability for repeated mistakes and the drastic differences in work ethic between staff members? When frustration like this extends over time, the result can be cultivating an office environment with a huge increase in tension, gossip, and bickering. Dr. Andy Roark and practice manager Stephanie Goss tackle a mailbag question from a veterinary technician who is grappling with a hospital environment like this. They feel like their practice owner and manager haven't really addressed things from the perspective of the team but this tech feels they might be open to suggestions on what to do and how to approach the situation. Our vet tech says they are "not really sure where to even start with coming up with an overhaul in training/rewards/consequences.." and asked for input from Andy and Stephanie. These are great questions and common challenges we are excited to talk about so let’s get into this…

Got a question for the mailbag? Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

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!