The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

When it comes to animal neglect in veterinary practice, there are rarely black-and-white answers. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a real-world scenario from a practice owner struggling with an ethical disagreement: how to handle a case where an associate vet reported a client for animal neglect, but the owner worried the action could harm the clinic’s relationship with an underserved community. This episode explores how to approach similar situations with intentionality, fostering trust among clients, supporting your veterinary team, and staying true to your practice’s mission.

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:

Care is Your Calling

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In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a tough question from a practice leader: Can you coach a slow veterinary technician to keep up with the pace of the team, or is it time to part ways? Coaching slow veterinary technicians is a nuanced challenge. You want to support a valued team member while also ensuring operational efficiency, maintaining morale, and delivering excellent client care. This episode explores how veterinary leaders can thoughtfully approach this delicate situation with a balance of compassion and practicality.

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:

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Care is Your Calling

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Is AI in veterinary practice making your clinic smarter, or setting you up for trouble? Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita, CVPM, tackle an associate veterinarian’s concerns about how fast their clinic is adopting AI, from scribes to client emails to appointment scheduling, and what that means for quality, trust, and team culture. If you’ve ever felt torn between embracing innovation and maintaining control, this conversation offers clarity, insight, and actionable steps to strike the right balance.

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:

Care is Your Calling

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Starting a new veterinary practice is an exciting and rare opportunity to build something truly your own. In this Hall of Fame episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss take on a powerful listener question: How can you maximize efficiency and still provide high quality low stress veterinary care? The conversation quickly turns into a masterclass on designing practice culture, client experience, and team expectations from the ground up. This episode has become one of the most cited and shared episodes in Uncharted history. It’s packed with wisdom for practice owners, managers, and veterinary leaders seeking to create something meaningful, not just replicating what already exists.

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:

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Care is Your Calling

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

When you're running a veterinary practice, especially a mobile or specialty service, one challenge is almost guaranteed to show up at your front desk: price shoppers. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita tackle the nuanced topic of how to train your client service representative (CSR) to handle pricing conversations with confidence, professionalism, and compassion. This episode is packed with practical coaching advice, actionable training steps, and a hearty reminder that your team shouldn't feel pressured to apologize for the cost of care. Whether you're a new practice owner or a seasoned leader, this episode breaks down what to say, what not to say, and how to support your CSR in delivering a clear, value-based message to every caller. Let’s explore the mindset and tools your team needs to turn awkward price questions into trust-building moments with potential clients.

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:

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Care is Your Calling

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

What do you do when a lead technician is silently drowning, and no matter how many times you offer help, they won’t take your hand? In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a deeply familiar challenge: supporting veterinary technicians who are struggling, especially when they won’t open up about what’s really going on. This episode is a must-listen for any veterinary leader grappling with how to balance compassion and accountability. With both humor and heart, Andy and Stephanie unpack what to do when your rockstar team member hits a wall without telling you why. 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:

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Care is Your Calling

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

What do you do when you're promoted, unsupported, and then demoted? That’s the raw question tackled by Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss in this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast. In veterinary medicine, leadership failure can feel deeply personal, especially when it looks like a promotion followed by radio silence and eventual disappointment. This episode dives into what it means to be set up to fail in leadership, how to recover emotionally, and how to turn that painful experience into fuel for future growth. If you’ve ever felt let down by leadership or struggled to find your way after a professional blow, this conversation is for you.

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:

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Care is Your Calling

Veterinary clinics are evolving and so are the people leading them. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita take on a deceptively simple mailbag question: “Non-medically trained practice manager?” It sparks a deep dive into one of the profession’s biggest shifts, the rise of the non-medical practice manager and the new dynamics of clinic leadership. From breaking down the growing divide between medicine and operations to offering hard-won insights from Maria’s own journey as a manager without a medical background, this episode explores how veterinary teams can rethink leadership for the better. 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:

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Care is Your Calling

What do you do when your team is great on paper, skilled, kind, even gets along well, but when things get busy, the plan collapses and everyone starts freelancing? In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a leadership scenario that’s as frustrating as it is familiar: what to do when the team keeps going rogue. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Why won’t they just follow the plan?” this episode is for you. Let’s unpack what’s really going on and walk through what you as a leader can do to bring alignment, structure, and calm back to your practice. 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:

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Care is Your Calling

Dr. Andy Roark sits down with Anthony Pierlioni, VP of the Turtle Room and Manager of Training & Facilitation at VCA, to talk about his book, Veterinary Leadership Through Fresh Eyes. This heartfelt, candid conversation offers fresh insight into veterinary leadership from someone who took the long road to management, bringing empathy, emotional intelligence, and a social worker’s mindset into the veterinary world. Whether you’re new to veterinary practice management or mentoring the next generation of leaders, this episode delivers powerful reminders about how to lead with heart and hold accountability with compassion. 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:

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Care is Your Calling

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!