The Veterinary Culture Lab

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore what happens when the veterinary career you worked so hard to build doesn’t quite look like the one you imagined.

Grounded in recent research exploring the experiences of newly credentialed veterinary technicians, this conversation examines the gap between the expectations people carry into the profession and the realities they encounter once they get there. From feeling simultaneously overworked and underutilized to navigating team conflict, limited opportunities for growth, and questions about long-term career sustainability, the research reveals challenges that extend far beyond the technical parts of the job.

Andi and Josh dig into what it actually means to utilize someone well, why recognition is about more than praise, and how leaders can help people see a future for themselves within veterinary medicine. Together, they explore practical ways to create workplaces where veterinary professionals feel trusted, valued, and able to keep growing.

You will hear:

• Why the transition from credentialing to practice may not match what veterinary technicians expect
• How someone can feel overworked and underutilized at the same time
• Why trust, recognition, and feeling seen matter to professional identity
• How leaders can create meaningful opportunities for growth beyond traditional management roles
• Practical ways veterinary workplaces can support more sustainable careers

This episode is an invitation to think beyond simply keeping great people in veterinary medicine—and start creating cultures where they can continue becoming the professionals they hoped they could be.

Resource Links: 

Episode Article:

Title: The Newly Credentialed Veterinary Technician: Perceptions, Realities, and Career Challenges 

.Authors:Addie R. Reinhard, Victoria P. Celt, Leah E. Pilewki, and Mariel K. Hendricks 

DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1437525 

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps:

00:00 Florida Weather Catchup

05:24 Expectations Versus Reality

12:02 Study On New Techs

15:30 Utilization Means Trust

20:25 Recognition Beyond Praise

27:52 Building Growth Pathways

32:01 Alternative Paths Not Management

38:57 Wrap Up And Goodbye

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh dig into something veterinary leaders hear all the time: people need more feedback. But what if the real issue isn’t how much feedback we give—but how nourishing that feedback actually is?

Grounded in research exploring strengths-based feedback, work engagement, and job crafting, this conversation looks at what happens when feedback goes beyond “good job” or “here’s what you need to fix.” The research suggests that when people receive feedback that helps them recognize and understand their strengths, they may feel more energized at work—and be more likely to proactively shape their work in ways that help them thrive.

From generic praise and corrective conversations to self-efficacy and job crafting, Andi and Josh unpack what strengths-based feedback actually sounds like and how veterinary teams can use it without ignoring performance problems or turning feedback into empty praise.

You’ll hear:

• Why more feedback isn’t necessarily better feedback
• What makes strengths-based feedback different from generic praise
• How strengths-based feedback connects to engagement and job crafting
• Why self-efficacy may influence how people respond to feedback
• Practical ways to make both positive and corrective feedback more useful

People don’t need an all-you-can-eat buffet of feedback—they need feedback with some nutritional value. When we help people understand what’s strong in them, why it matters, and where they can use it next, feedback becomes more than something we give. It becomes something people can actually use.

Resource Links: 
Episode Article:

Title: Linking Strengths-Based Supervisor Feedback to Job Crafting: The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy

Authors: Isabeau Van Strydonck, Vincent Goossens, Arnold B. Bakker, Evangelia Demerouti, Adelien Decramer, & Mieke Audenaert

DOI: 10.1111/ijsa.70020

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps 

00:00 Heatwave Catch-Up

08:12 Empty vs Nourishing Feedback

14:16 Strengths-Based Feedback Study

17:11 Key Definitions and Findings

22:22 Why Feedback Type Matters

23:58 What Strength Feedback Is

25:24 Job Crafting Energy Loop

28:03 Better Not More Feedback

29:02 Self Efficacy Surprise

36:56 Turning Research Into Practice

37:28 Upgrade Praise With Four Steps

39:35 Help Others See Strengths

41:57 Strengths In Corrective Talks

44:00 Dose Makes Poison Wrap

46:40 Closing And Call To Action

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a surprising question: what if the goal of wellbeing isn’t to eliminate adversity—but to help people navigate it well?

Grounded in research examining how cumulative lifetime adversity influences our response to future stress, this conversation explores an unexpected finding: people who had experienced moderate adversity showed more resilient responses to new stressors than those who had experienced either very little or very high adversity.

From supporting versus rescuing to the role of leaders, teams, and workplace systems, Andi and Josh unpack what this research means for veterinary medicine—and how we can help inevitable challenges become opportunities for learning and growth rather than simply another source of burnout.

You’ll hear:

• What research tells us about the relationship between adversity and resilience
• Why eliminating every challenge may not actually be the goal
• The difference between supporting someone and rescuing them
• Why resilience shouldn’t be treated as an individual responsibility
• How leaders and teams can help people process difficult experiences together
• Practical ways to create challenge that builds confidence without tipping into overload

Veterinary medicine will never be adversity-free. But while we can’t always change the challenges people face, we can shape what surrounds them—because culture renovation isn’t about eliminating adversity. It’s about making sure people don’t face it alone.

Resource Links: 
Episode Article:

Title: An Upside to Adversity? Moderate Cumulative Lifetime Adversity Is Associated With Resilient Responses in the Face of Controlled Stressors

Authors:Mark D. Seery, Raphael J. Leo, Shannon P. Lupien, Cheryl L. Kondrak, and Jessica L. Almonte

DOI: 10.1177/0956797612469210

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps 

00:00 Adversity Chat

05:24 Wellbeing And Stress

07:35 Would You Erase Hardship

11:48 Study Setup And Methods

16:24 Moderate Adversity Wins

19:08 Leaders Shape Resilience

22:20 Support Versus Rescue

30:08 Debriefs And Mastery

35:02 Coaching After Failure

38:51 Resilience Training Plug

41:10 Florida Man Finale

42:39 Wrap Up And Goodbye

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore one of the most inevitable—and emotionally charged—parts of veterinary medicine: mistakes. Grounded in research on error management culture, psychological capital, job satisfaction, and wellbeing, this conversation examines why the way a team responds to mistakes may be just as important as the mistakes themselves.

Rather than asking how to eliminate every error, the research encourages a different question: What kind of culture do we create when mistakes happen? Through personal stories, practical leadership strategies, and evidence-based discussion, Andi and Josh explore how our responses to mistakes shape trust, learning, resilience, and the willingness to speak up in the future.

You'll hear:

• What the research reveals about error management culture and its relationship to wellbeing
• Why mistakes are powerful cultural moments that shape trust, learning, and psychological safety
• The difference between an error prevention culture and an error management culture
• Practical strategies to replace blame with curiosity, learning, and accountability
• How leaders and team members can create environments where people recover, grow, and continue contributing after mistakes

Whether you lead a veterinary team or simply want to help create a healthier workplace, this episode offers a hopeful, science-backed perspective on turning inevitable mistakes into opportunities for stronger cultures, better learning, and more resilient teams.

Resource Links

Episode Article:

Title Embracing Errors at Work – How Error Management Culture, Psychological Capital, and Job Satisfaction Relate to Individual Well-Being: 

Authors: Birgit Stephan, Matthias F. C. Hudecek, Dieter Frey, Eva Lermer

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-025-00265-7

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps: 
00:00 Mistakes Shape Culture

08:42 Lessons From Leadership

16:16 Culture Gets Smarter or Scarier

17:16 Paper and Key Concepts

21:01 Study Design and Findings

24:32 Coddling vs Correction

26:17 Why Leaders Struggle

35:33 Curiosity Not Blame

40:33 Recovery Pathway After Errors

43:27 Choose What Teams Learn

43:57 Florida Man

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore what happens when a lifelong passion becomes a profession—and why loving horses alone is not enough to sustain a career in equine medicine.

Grounded in recent international research on employee engagement and work satisfaction in equine veterinary professionals, this conversation examines the workplace factors that help passionate people remain engaged, fulfilled, and committed to the profession. The study identifies four key drivers of engagement: pride and purpose, company culture and leadership, working conditions and compensation, and team culture and learning opportunities.

From stories about growing up as "horse kids" to conversations about identity, autonomy, mentorship, and meaningful work, Andi and Josh explore why equine medicine is both uniquely rewarding and uniquely vulnerable to sustainability challenges. Together, they unpack practical culture renovation strategies that help leaders create workplaces where passionate professionals can continue doing the work they love—without losing themselves in the process.

You will hear:

• Why equine veterinary professionals often identify as "horse kids" long before becoming veterinary professionals
• What new international research reveals about engagement and work satisfaction in equine medicine
• The four workplace factors that most strongly influence sustainable equine careers
• Why autonomy, mentorship, and learning opportunities matter more than many leaders realize
• How aligning personal values with organizational values can strengthen engagement
• Practical culture renovation ideas that support meaningful, sustainable careers for the entire veterinary team

This episode is an invitation to rethink sustainability—not as asking passionate people to care less, but as intentionally creating cultures that allow them to keep caring for the work, their patients, and their own horses for years to come.

Resource Links: 

Episode Article

Title: Engage and Enjoy: Investigating Predictors of Employee Engagement and Work Satisfaction in Equine Veterinary Professionals 

Authors: Yteke Elte, Kate Acton, Jessica Martin, Mirjam Nielen, René van Weeren, & Inga Wolframm 

DOI:10.3389/fvets.2023.1036388 

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome and weather

06:02 Horse People Identity

11:53 Passion And Exploitation

13:54 Study Overview And Scope

17:45 Four Engagement Drivers

23:17 Culture Keeps People

24:52 The Dark Side of Calling

27:38 Systems That Support Boundaries

30:30 Autonomy Versus Micromanagement

33:35 Career Stages and Balance

37:06 Culture Renovation Playbook

41:09 Values Alignment in Practice

44:58 Wrap Up and Florida Headline

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a deceptively simple question: what actually keeps people engaged at work?

Grounded in research on positive leadership, workplace climate, and employee engagement, this conversation unpacks how the everyday interactions between people shape motivation, burnout, and the decision to stay—or leave. Because it turns out that engagement is not something people bring with them to work each day. It is something that is continuously influenced by the culture around them.

From recognition and communication to connection and purpose, this episode highlights how workplace climate is built one interaction at a time. And while leaders certainly play a role, the findings suggest that creating an engaging workplace is not reserved for those with titles—everyone contributes to the environment people experience each day.

You’ll hear:
• What the research reveals about the relationship between workplace climate, burnout, and engagement
• Why motivation is often a cultural outcome rather than an individual responsibility
• How small moments of recognition, connection, and support shape the employee experience
• The concept of relational reserves and why strong workplace relationships matter during difficult times
• Practical ways every member of the veterinary team can help create a workplace people want to be part of

Whether you are leading a team, supporting your coworkers, or simply trying to make work a little better for the people around you, this episode offers an evidence-based and hopeful perspective on what keeps people engaged—and how culture influences that more than we might think.

Resource Links: 

Episode Article:

Title: Self-Determination Theory and Workplace Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis 

Authors:Martin S. Hagger & Kaylyn McAnally Star 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70151

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps:

03:01 Meaningful Work Not Enough

08:30 Self Determination Theory Paper

11:15 Core Needs Explained

13:17 Meta Analysis Findings

15:16 Takeaway Purpose Limits

19:25 Takeaway Pressure Costs

27:03 Takeaway Leaders Matter

28:40 Action Steps for Leaders

30:50 Auditing Needs in Decisions

33:51 Andi Adds Feedback Loops

36:40 Key Lesson Recap

38:47 Florida Man

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a powerful and deeply human question: what helps veterinary professionals stay emotionally connected to meaningful work — even when the work itself is hard?

Grounded in research on compassion satisfaction, resilience, psychological distress, and life satisfaction, this conversation unpacks the idea that wellbeing in veterinary medicine is not just about reducing burnout. It is also about understanding the emotional protection that can come from helping others, contributing to a team, and experiencing moments of meaning and impact in everyday practice life.

You’ll hear:

• What “compassion satisfaction” actually means — and why it matters in veterinary medicine
• Why meaningful work can feel both emotionally exhausting and deeply fulfilling at the same time
• The surprising role compassion satisfaction may play in protecting wellbeing
• How veterinary culture sometimes unintentionally rewards self-sacrifice
• Practical ways teams and leaders can build cultures that support meaning, contribution, and connection

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, student, CSR, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply relatable look at how meaningful work, human connection, and healthy culture can help sustain the people doing this important work.

Because compassion satisfaction is not just something veterinary professionals stumble into.
It is something healthy cultures can help create.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: Life satisfaction, psychological distress, compassion satisfaction and resilience: when the pleasure of helping others protects veterinary staff from emotional suffering

Authors: Maria Manuela Peixoto and Olga Cunha 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10510-0

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps:

01:53 Vet Med Paradox

04:04 Boulder Cat Case

15:06 Study Focus and Variables

16:33 Compassion Satisfaction Explained

17:41 Key Findings and Shock Absorbers

23:55 When Meaning Gets Weaponized

26:39 Building Healthier Systems

37:54 Wrap Up and Florida Man

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore what actually makes people stay in veterinary workplaces during difficult times—and why communication may be one of the most powerful retention tools we have.

Grounded in research on positive communication and The Great Resignation, this conversation unpacks how transparency, flexibility, support, and trust shape the way veterinary professionals experience stress, crisis, and connection at work. Because it turns out—people do not just remember the hard days…they remember how those hard days felt, and who they felt them with.

From COVID leadership lessons to everyday “mini-crises” inside veterinary hospitals, this episode highlights how communication is not just something teams do—it becomes part of the culture itself. And when leaders and coworkers communicate with honesty, humanity, and care, resilience becomes something people build together instead of carrying alone.

You’ll hear:
 • Why positive communication plays a major role in employee retention
 • What veterinary teams remember most during stressful or uncertain moments
 • How transparency and flexibility strengthen trust during crisis
 • Why “micro moments” of support can shape workplace culture over time
 • How structuration theory explains the way communication creates culture
 • Why most veterinary communication training misses the other 98% of workplace conversations
 • Practical ways leaders and teams can create cultures people actually want to stay in

Whether you are leading through uncertainty, navigating a difficult season with your team, or simply trying to create a workplace where people feel supported and valued, this episode offers a practical and hopeful look at how communication shapes culture—and why the way we talk to each other during hard times matters more than we think.

Resource Links: 

Episode Article:

Title: The Structuration of Positive Communication Experiences: The Case of the Great Resignation 

Authors: Elizabeth A. Williams , Jennifer S. Linvill, Emeline Ojeda-Hecht, Meghan R. Cosgrove,Autumn Buzzetta, and Abby Konkel

DOI: 10.1177/23294884241263553

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Catch Up

06:17 Leading Through COVID

14:58 Study Overview and Methods

21:36 Key Findings Positive Communication

23:12 Why Leaders Struggle to Be Transparent

25:41 Flexibility Builds Trust

26:47 Flexibility Builds Culture

32:35 Everyone Shapes Culture

48:09 Florida Man Finale

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a hopeful but important question: what if veterinary medicine already has many of the ingredients needed for people and teams to thrive?
Grounded in research on meaningful work, burnout, resilience, leadership, and workplace wellbeing, this conversation challenges the idea that vet med is fundamentally broken. Instead, the episode explores how purpose, connection, growth, and supportive culture already exist within the profession — and what leaders can do to intentionally build environments where those strengths can flourish.

You’ll hear:

• Why meaningful work is one of the strongest protective factors against burnout
• How leadership behaviors shape engagement, trust, and workplace wellbeing
• The role autonomy, connection, and recognition play in helping teams thrive
• Why resilience is not just an individual responsibility
• What veterinary technicians and nurses say they actually need from workplaces
• How poor culture quietly erodes even deeply passionate teams
• Practical ways leaders can strengthen thriving without waiting for a complete overhaul
• Why vet med may not need saving nearly as much as it needs renovation

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, student, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply human look at what thriving can realistically look like in veterinary medicine.

Because thriving in vet med is not about finding brand-new ingredients.
 It is about finally learning how to use the ones we already have.

Resource Links: 

Episode Article:

Title: The Life of Meaning: A model of the Positive Contribution to Well-Being from Veterinary Work. 

Authors:Martin Cake, Melinda Ball, Naomi Bickly, and David Bartram

DOI: https://utppublishing.com/doi/pdf/10.3138/jvme.1014-097R1

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The Veterinary Culture Lab - Ep. 001 North of Neutral: why positive psychology matters in vet med

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Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps:

00:29 Late Night Hockey

09:35 Hard Versus Meaningful

13:06 Why We Focus Negative

18:23 COVID Client Bias

22:00 Research Review

23:56 Meaningful Vet Work

24:51 Eudaimonic Wellbeing

26:22 Drivers of Thriving

27:23 Stress Satisfaction Paradox

32:06 Wellbeing Garden Metaphor

35:39 Cultivation Over Balance

37:32 Make Meaning Visible

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a question that hits a nerve for many veterinary professionals: why does feedback so often feel threatening instead of helpful?

Grounded in brand-new veterinary research on psychological safety, communication quality, and turnover intention, this episode unpacks how the way feedback is delivered can shape trust, team culture, and whether people choose to stay in a practice long term. Rather than treating feedback as simply correcting mistakes, this conversation reframes feedback as a relational and cultural tool that directly impacts psychological safety.

You’ll hear:

•  Why the phrase “Can I give you some feedback?” instantly puts many people on the defensive 
•  What psychological safety actually means in veterinary teams 
•  Why supervisor feedback has such a strong influence on retention 
•  The surprising role coworker feedback plays in shaping workplace culture 
•  How leaders create the emotional tone of a practice through everyday communication 
•  The difference between corrective feedback and growth-oriented conversations 
•  Practical ways veterinary leaders can improve feedback culture and psychological safety 

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply practical look at how communication shapes culture from the inside out.

Because thriving veterinary teams are not built through fear of feedback. They are built through conversations that create trust.

Resource Links

Episode Article

Title: A cross-sectional study exploring associations between psychological safety, employee turnover intention and feedback skills in veterinary organisations
Authors:Olivia Oginska, Michelle McArthur, Amy Zadow, Nic Gibson and Martin Cake

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.70498

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What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at [email protected]

Your Hosts
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC 

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth. 

Timestamps 

00:00 Why Feedback Feels Threatening

05:18 New Vet Med Study Tease

06:03 When Feedback Lands Well

07:44 Collaboration Builds Trust

10:59 Retention Beyond Pay

13:15 Study Methods and Sample

15:58 Manager Feedback Drives Retention

16:48 Coworker Feedback and Safety

21:08 Leaders Set Emotional Tone

25:27 Feedback as Relationship Tool

28:14 Culture Renovation Playbook

37:13 Closing and Sign Off