Are you entering a leadership position? Today, Dr. Sarah Gillings shares her leadership development journey and offers insights on how others stepping into leadership can make their desired impact.

Dr. Sarah gets right into the basics. Before you become a leader, you really don’t know what you don’t know. She reminds us that people pay much more attention to you than you realize, and your influence is significant. What you model will be echoed throughout your team. Additionally, you need to set explicit expectations for “The Bar,” AKA the minimum effort you expect from your team.

We discuss the importance of supporting your team in taking on more than just basic skills. By aiding in their advancement and not making assumptions about what they can handle, you can provide a sense of agency and growth in their careers—something critical to job satisfaction. Dr. Sarah provides a great example of training by scaffolding knowledge and expertise.

Communication style is another important factor that Dr. Sarah discusses. As team members step into leadership roles, whether you're a hospital manager or a DVM, providing what we call a “Leader Operating Manual” for your team can be extremely valuable. While it does take work and requires setting aside your ego, letting your team know what makes you tick and what you expect can create a consistent and comfortable work environment.

What’s Inside:

• What should you know as a new leader?
• How leaders influence their team.
• Communication matters when it comes to leading your team.
• Supporting your team with advancement and agency.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Sarah Gillings on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

We are operating in a time where diverse generations like the Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials, and even some Gen Z, are working together in one clinic. These individuals come with varying backgrounds, lifestyles, and lived experiences that all impact the way they work. Dr. Craig Clifford joins me with his perspective as an overworking, burnout-prone Gen X.

Dr. Clifford explains the mindset shift that has had to occur as younger generations bring in the value of self-care and quality of life over productivity and higher income. Older generations may be quick to point the finger and claim these younger generations “aren’t hard workers,” but with veterinary suicides at such a high rate, it poses the thought that maybe we all should be focusing on work-life balance a little more.

So how can you bridge that gap in your practice?

1. Create connections outside the clinic—get to know your peers and see them for more than just their position at work.
2. Pair up—when it comes to CEs, get those diverse generations together to share their different views and work together.
3. Workshops—sometimes it can be fun to get talking about the elephant in the room; be intentional about talking about the unique benefits your generation brings to the clinic.

Dr. Clifford shares some of these tips and more insight on why every generation is important in the clinic and how even more powerful it is when we work together.

What’s Inside:

• How can such diverse generations work together?
• The pros and cons of each generation?
• Tips to use in your practice to create cohesion in the age gap.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Craig Clifford on Facebook
Craig Clifford on LinkedIn
Craig Clifford (@oncvet22) on Instagram
The Boy Who Wanted To be A Veterinarian: Conor's Journey
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

Today I am joined by Tedd Trabert and Dr. Bill Wagner of Associated Veterinary Partners. AVP is a veterinarian-founded and veterinarian-operated network of veterinary hospitals, managing 16 partner practice locations across 12 states in the U.S. Unlike many others, AVP is not controlled by private equity; all partner locations are co-owned by AVP and local practice leaders. This unique partnership model allows AVP to combine the strengths of both independent and corporate ownership, providing resources and support to partner practices while maintaining their local culture, values, and medical autonomy.

‘Love What You Do Again, Join AVP’ is a slogan Tedd uses as a hallmark of the heart of AVP and what it's like to work with them. We discuss how they provide hope to the new generation of vets, putting ownership in their grasp. Working with AVP as a partner involves putting culture and relationships at the forefront of the practice while their team supports you in finding your voice as a leader. Dr. Wagner explains the autonomous process of working with AVP, along with having access to support and guidance as you grow your confidence. This is truly a new opportunity for all in the vet med industry.

Those interested in learning more about AVP can visit yourvetpartner.com. AVP welcomes connections with current practice owners planning their practice transition, aspiring practice owners interested in co-ownership opportunities with AVP, and veterinary team members seeking roles at one of the partner practices or at the AVP Success Center.

What’s Inside:

• What kind of partnership does AVP offer?
• A new option for veterinarians in practice leadership.
• Support AND autonomy in practice ownership.
• Keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive with the new generation of vets.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Associated Veterinary Partners
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

Our guest today is Meghan Bingham, Vet Advisor at Granite Peak Associates. During our conversation, she emphasized the importance of realigning the team within a veterinary clinic to foster positive energy, professionalism, and psychological safety. Daily challenges such as cranky clients, the grief of euthanasia, and unfortunate medical mistakes can lead to negative attitudes, toxic behavior, and tension among team members. Recognizing signs like microaggression and pervasive negativity is crucial in identifying the need for a reset. Professionalism plays a pivotal role in this process, encompassing appropriate workplace conversations, a clean and neat appearance, and the use of professional language and correct medical terms. Meghan suggests using a “code word” as a gentle reminder for team members to maintain professional behavior without being overbearing.

Effective onboarding and communication are essential to maintaining a positive team dynamic. Revamping the handbook language to be engaging and easy to consume, along with including key words that capture attention, can significantly enhance focus and retention. Validating feelings while encouraging the team to move forward helps maintain morale. Providing space for team members to acknowledge their grief, such as through art therapy, can also mitigate tension. An "if this, then that" mentality fosters structured problem-solving without placing blame, promoting a supportive and collaborative environment.

During a team reset, it’s vital to collectively define professionalism and address the most significant issues. We recommend incorporating a professional and personal peak activity weekly or daily to keep the team’s energy positive. By implementing these strategies, clinics can create a more cohesive and positive work environment, ensuring both staff well-being and optimal patient care. You can find more from Meghan Bingham on her LinkedIn.

What’s Inside:

• Recognizing when your team needs to realign.
• What causes negativity and attention in a clinic?
• Using onboarding to inform and lead the team.
• Collaborating within the clinic to solve problems and reset.

Mentioned In This Episode:
mbingham@granitepeakcpa.com
Meghan S. Bingham, BA, CVPM - Veterinary Advisor - Granite Peak Associates | LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

Jake McCormack is the Leadership Trainer at Veterinary Practice Partners, but he is also a Retired Marine Corps Combat Veteran. This unlikely transition of careers is actually more connected than one might think.

During our powerful and emotional conversation, Jake shares his experiences in the military with trauma, loss, and mental health struggles. These are some of the same difficulties at their core that members of the vet med space also experience. Including an epidemic in suicides. Why? What is lacking in support?

That’s where Jakes expertise in resilience comes in. He shares the central elements of resilience that are critical to veterinarians and their teams. These must be built into permanent systems so that all vets have access. We also can’t forget our tribe, our teams, and those support people we lean on. This is a crucial piece of resilience; you don’t have to go through difficult times alone.

Jake is such an inspiration and support to those in the field; if you’re in need of some extra support and a little hype, don’t be afraid to reach out!

What’s Inside:

• Jake McCormack’s personal story of resilience.
• Drawing comparisons in the worlds of military and veterinary medicine.
• Creating resilience and support in the vet med space.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Jake McCormack (@jakefromvpp) on Instagram
Jake McCormack on LinkedIn
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

I am betting every veterinarian and pet owner has a story about how finances profoundly affected them when it came to veterinary care. I’ve shared my story about the weight I felt from frequent economic euthanasia. Money conversations are not just something that plague pet owners when they step up to the payment counter; there is depth on the other side of the exam table as well. In this episode, I talk with two women in the industry who are separately making great strides in the access and affordability of veterinary care.

Suzanne Cannon is the co-founder of VetBilling. Many times, pet owners are faced with an emergent situation and extreme vet costs they simply cannot pay right away. Even insurance is a reimbursement model, and not many pet owners can pay thousands of dollars up front. Care credit has algorithms that can leave perfectly adequate clients unable to receive credit. VetBilling is a privately managed in house financing, where clinics set the policies and terms and they do the rest. Finally, allowing options and solutions for pet parents who desperately want to pay for care but may not be able to do so all at once.

Rachel Lemcke, founder of Amwell Data Services, works on the other side of the door. She works with clinics and labs to find the optimal prices and efficiencies to keep care affordable while still being profitable. When vets carefully consider their costs, they can charge what they need to while allowing client affordability, and they can leave room for their hard work and care to be appreciated.

Suzanne so beautifully puts her mission as “I want to unbreak hearts.”. As members of the vet med industry, we are all here first and foremost for the care of animals. The work discussed in today’s episode will hopefully increase access to care and make the difficult money conversations even a little bit easier.


What’s Inside:

• Veterinary Costs, the effect from the other side of the exam table.
• Creating a payment option that will increase access to care.
• A privately managed in house payment program.
• Optimizing costs, operational efficiencies, and lab vendor relationships.
• Improving the effect finances have on pets, pet parents, AND veterinary professionals.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Amwell Data Services LLC: Independent Veterinary Laboratory Consulting
vetbilling | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Through our Linktree, visitors can access VetBilling's website, schedule a demo, check out our CE course, read the research on the efficacy of VetBilling's payment plans, and connect with our social media channels.

Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT - Full Circle Lab | LinkedIn

This episode features an Interview I did with Tom Seeko, host of the Smarter Vet Financial Podcast. We start off our conversation with my origin story and my childhood desires to become a veterinarian, as well as my experience in college at NC State. Shocked by the frequency of economic euthanasia, I entered a quarter life crisis and found psychotherapy to be so helpful in transformative therapy during this transition in my life. Leading me to the eventual path that matched up my passion for both therapy and the vet med world.

In 2019, I founded Full Circle Lab, where we work directly with veterinary practices and individual professionals to address the challenges that can lead to burnout and turnover. We aim to bring veterinary professionals full circle, back to their passion for improving the lives of animals while caring for their own lives too.

Tom and I unpack how practices can make changes to their clinic and find solutions to increase veterinary retention using data, confidential team interviews, and implementing initiatives. There are many areas of a clinic, team, and leadership that can impact the team's experiences and, in turn, the retention rate, but together, there are many solutions to work toward.

What’s Inside:

• Crystal Stokes story from vet school to psychotherapy.
• Creating Full Circle Lab.
• Solutions for veterinary retention.
• An interview from the Smarter Vet Financial Podcast.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT - Full Circle Lab | LinkedIn
Smarter Vet Financial Podcast

PetSmart Charities, the nonprofit arm affiliated with PetSmart, is dedicated to increasing access to veterinary care for pets across the country. In this episode I had a great chat with Robyn James, the director of veterinary affairs, the organization is tackling significant challenges to support pets and their owners. Together we discuss the challenges that occur with access to care. Financial barriers are a major issue, with nearly half of all pets living in households earning $55,000 or less annually, often living paycheck to paycheck, Geographic barriers in rural locations, and an overall shortage of veterinary professionals. These strains mean many owners cannot access necessary veterinary care, leading to negative outcomes such as untreated illnesses and injuries, increased euthanasia rates, crowded shelters, and declining mental health for both pet owners and veterinarians.

To address these challenges, PetSmart Charities operates as a separate entity with its own board, connecting pets and owners through various initiatives. One notable effort is allowing customers to donate on the pinpad at PetSmart stores, providing a simple way for the public to contribute.

Acknowledging that there is no quick fix to the estimated $21 billion annual gap in veterinary care, PetSmart Charities advocates for innovative and multifaceted solutions. These include testing payment plans and programs to ease the financial burden on pet owners and partnering with food banks to distribute pet food to families in need. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of educating pet owners about diverse treatment standards and options, which may differ from traditional methods but still provide effective care.

The organization calls for an "all hands on deck" approach, encouraging collective efforts from nonprofits, for profits, and even clinics to create sustainable and inclusive solutions. By changing how veterinary care is approached and supported, PetSmart Charities aims to improve the lives of pets, their families AND veterinarians, ensuring that more animals receive the care they need to thrive.

What’s Inside:

• What is PetSmart Charities?
• What are the barriers in access to veterinary care?
• How can we come together across the industry to increase access to care?
• Petsmart initiatives to improve the lives of pets and their families.

Mentioned In This Episode:
rojaynes@petsmartcharities.org
Robyn Jaynes - Director of Veterinary Affairs - PetSmart Charities | LinkedIn