What do you do when the veterinary feedback you’re getting feels personal, unfair, or downright mean? In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss unpack a real letter from a mother in veterinary medicine whose daughter, a new CSR, is struggling with harsh feedback and unkind coworkers in her first clinic job. From the painful moment she was told, “I don’t like your face,” to an unsettling “I don’t care” during an emergency, Andy and Stephanie explore how to tell the difference between helpful feedback and toxic communication. They dive into how leaders can model emotional intelligence, why not all feedback deserves equal weight, and how to coach young professionals to grow stronger without losing their confidence. If you’ve ever questioned how to handle criticism, balance empathy with accountability, or create a healthier feedback culture in your veterinary team, this conversation is for you. 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

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!

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!

What happens when you mix Halloween, dice, and a veterinary leadership team? You get one of the most entertaining and insightful episodes of The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast yet. In this special episode, host Dr. Andy Roark and the Uncharted team dive into veterinary gamified learning through an original role-playing game called Uncharted Adventures. The result? Laughter, chaos, and a fresh look at how games can teach powerful lessons in communication, accountability, and teamwork inside a veterinary practice.

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

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!

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!

If your veterinary team is exhausted, overbooked, and asking why you are still taking on new clients, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita unpack one of the most common leadership challenges in a busy veterinary practice: explaining the need for new clients without overwhelming your team. They explore what’s really behind staff resistance, how to separate perception from reality, and how to use data, empathy, and collaboration to strengthen trust. You will learn practical strategies to manage client growth, improve team communication, and maintain stability while supporting your people. Let’s get into this episode!

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Maria to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through 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!

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!

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by negativity in Facebook groups or struggled with whether you should even engage on veterinary social media, this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast is for you. Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss dig into the stress that comes from online reputation battles, why comment section arguments rarely work in your favor, and how to set healthy social media boundaries while still using platforms for client connection, practice marketing, and online reputation management. Whether you’re a veterinary practice manager, owner, or associate veterinarian, you’ll walk away with clarity on when to step back, when to lean in, and how to protect your energy while still reaping the benefits of social media for your clinic. 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

Mentioned in this episode:

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!

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!

When your top-producing veterinarian starts squeezing in extra appointments, turning in higher invoices, and choosing more expensive medications, it can spark concerns about whether you have a “money hungry vet” on your team. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and veterinary management consultant Monica Dixon Perry unpack the challenges of production-based compensation, continuity of care, and staff perception. They share strategies practice owners and managers can use to protect trust, support their doctors, and keep teams aligned without sacrificing client confidence or financial stability.

Monica brings nearly four decades of veterinary experience to the conversation, with a career spanning hospital leadership, consulting, and corporate partnership roles. Now a Senior Manager in BerryDunn’s Outsourced Accounting Practice Group, she guides practices in optimizing operations, improving financial health, and strengthening community impact. Monica is a trusted voice on the global veterinary speaking circuit, known for blending empathy and strategy to help teams thrive. She’ll also be speaking at the Uncharted Get Sh*t Done 2025: Financial Edition this October 29th, where she’ll dive even deeper into practical tools for veterinary leaders. 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

Mentioned in this episode:

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!

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!

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!

When wealthy pet owners happily spend on designer collars and gourmet treats but refuse essential veterinary care, the frustration for veterinary teams runs deep. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss unpack why affluent clients decline services, how this impacts team morale, and what strategies can help bridge the gap. From shifting your mindset to mastering client communication, they share practical ways to reduce judgment, build trust, and protect your clinic culture. 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

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!

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!

Ever had a case where the client was all in on helping their pet feel better, but regular in-clinic treatments just weren’t practical? Maybe it was a large dog with arthritis whose owner struggled to get them in the car. Or a client who cringes at the thought of daily medications. Dr. Andy Roark sits down with the brilliant Dr. Deb Torraca, veterinarian, rehab expert, and founder of Wizards of Paws Rehabilitation for Animals, to explore how at-home laser therapy is changing the way we manage pain, inflammation, and mobility issues in pets. This episode blends clinical insights with business innovation, making it a must-listen for veterinary professionals seeking to improve patient outcomes while also empowering clients at home. From managing osteoarthritis in French Bulldogs to implementing fleet-based lending models for rehab tools, this conversation is packed with actionable gems.

This episode is brought to you ad-free by Multi Radiance!

https://vet.multiradiance.com/vet

Practitioner Experience: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kabvurst27bnh8ij105ct/MyRxLaser_PractitionerExperience_wMobile.mp4?rlkey=o1zx33mvhoh0fkh09fxkee53p&dl=0

Pet Owner Experience: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1o5hj1cuxe3cz8mzooooy/MyRxLaser_PetOwnerExperience.mp4?rlkey=ejvb2sncs9po66usi6sdbcrlm&dl=0

MyRxLaser Resources: https://info.multiradiance.com/vet/myrxlaser/resource

MRM’s product page dedicated to MyRxLaser Platform: https://vet.multiradiance.com/vet/products/my-rx-laser

Debbie Torraca is a highly respected professional in the field of canine physical rehabilitation and conditioning, boasting over twenty-five years of experience. She is the founder and director of Wizard of Paws Physical Rehabilitation for Animals, where she provides specialized care to her patients. \n \n In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Torraca is an esteemed educator, teaching across the United States and contributing her expertise as a founding member of the Certified Companion Animal Therapy and Certified Canine Manual Therapy programs at North Carolina State University. \n \n Her commitment to advancing the field is evident through her active involvement in research focused on canine performance issues. Notably, she has explored the use of photobiomodulation therapy to enhance athletic performance and address conditions such as degenerative myelopathy and intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Dr. Torraca’s dedication to both practice and education continues to make a significant impact on the health and performance of canine athletes.

When a new graduate veterinarian joins your team, they bring fresh energy, curiosity, and hope for the future. But what happens when an experienced associate begins to undermine that confidence? Veterinary workplace bullying isn’t always loud or obvious, yet its impact can be devastating. Toxic behavior drives away bright new grads, damages team morale, and creates long-term retention challenges for practice leaders. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss dig into a tough mailbag question: “Help! My associate vet is bullying the new grads.” They unpack how leaders can recognize patterns of toxic workplace behavior, the importance of documenting incidents, and strategies for protecting new graduate veterinarians while addressing associate veterinarian conflict head-on.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

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!

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!

When your clinic goes through a veterinary practice sale, it can feel like the ground shifts overnight. Associates wonder what their future looks like, owners face the weight of transition, and teams question whether the culture they love will survive. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, host Dr. Andy Roark talks with Dr. Gene Bauer of Blue River Pet Care about what really happens when a practice changes hands, how leaders can ease fear, and where hidden opportunities may be waiting. Curious about how to find stability and even growth in the middle of uncertainty? Let’s get into this episode!

This episode is brought to you by Blue River Pet Care

Step into the future of veterinary leadership at the Uncharted Veterinary Conference 2026, taking place live at VMX on January 16th in Orlando. This one-day, high-energy event is designed for practice owners, managers, and leaders who want more than ideas, they want results. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies, renewed clarity about your next steps, and meaningful connections with innovators shaping the profession. Attendance is intentionally capped to keep conversations impactful and personal, so spots are limited. Secure your registration now to guarantee your place at this exclusive leadership experience. Register here: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/about-uncharted-veterinary-conference-2026

Elevate your impact at the Uncharted Team Leads Summit 2025, a one-day program built for veterinary team leads and supervisors ready to step confidently into leadership. This interactive summit blends RACE-approved CE with practical tools you can use right away, including strategies for redirecting team venting, AI resources that make daily tasks easier, and frameworks for leading with authenticity. With small-group workshops, hands-on practice, and the support of a like-minded veterinary community, you’ll strengthen your communication, grow your confidence, and design a leadership role that feels sustainable and effective. Seats are limited, so register today to reserve your place at the Team Leads Summit 2025. Register here: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/products/live_events/team-leads-summit-2025

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

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

Gene Bauer, DVM, is the Medical Director of Bay Country Veterinary, which has locations in Annapolis and Crownsville, Maryland. When not in clinic, he channels his passion for animal welfare through his Business Development Specialist role at Blue River PetCare, where he builds relationships with practice owners who are interested in furthering their practice by joining the Blue River network.

When your clinic hits chaos, nothing hurts morale faster than a disappearing team member who slips away from the treatment floor when they are needed most. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a real mailbag case about “Brenda,” a well-meaning but frustrating employee whose habit of vanishing during busy times leaves teammates overwhelmed and resentful. They dig into why this happens, how leaders can respond with compassion and accountability, and what veterinary managers can do to reset expectations and protect team culture. 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

Mentioned in this episode:

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!

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!