The Veterinary Project Podcast

How you handle winter holiday schedules can create significant challenges from both the employer and employee perspective. Unlike other typical holiday times surrounding Canada Day / Independence Day, or Thanksgiving Day, the winter holiday season is especially important to most people and is filled with greater connotations around time spent with family, friends, and loved ones.  As a result, it is vital that employers get this right when working with employees to create win-win holiday schedules as best they can.  It is equally important for employees to be clear in their understanding of expectations and provide significant lead time for extended time-off requests.  In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Leicht provides some insights on the employer perspective of how to handle the challenges the holiday season brings, while Dr. Michael Bugg offers points from the employee perspective.  Topics discussed include: Opportunity costs around holiday scheduling Understanding that the clinic will be short staffed Blocking the holiday season ahead of time Employers can't make everyone happy - if you try to, no one will be happy "The business has a seat at the table."  Ways employees can make the most of comparable holidays How employers can work with employees to set up holiday staffing schedules Benefits of working during the holiday season We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project. If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Dr. Christine Beck has been in the animal industry for over 20 years, and is a successful business owner in multiple industries. She is a passionate visionary who just recently launched Waggle Mail, a filler-free subscription box for dogs and their humans that contains vet-curated information and products to support dog’s health and wellbeing, no matter their stage in life. Her vision is to build a community of empowered dog owners taking the best care of their dogs. Christine is passionate about advocating for the health and wellness of animals, and has creatively blended that with her skills and experience in finance and business. Topics of discussion in this energetic, entrepreneurial episode include: • Christine’s career trajectory from vet school to business ownership and entrepreneurship • Handling a veterinary career while growing a non-vet related business • Getting aligned on your professional direction • The genesis of Waggle Mail • The shift from “pet owners” to “pet parents” • Communicating effectively from human to human to pet (from vet to pet owner to pat) • The subscription box business model • Providing pet health product awareness to pet owners • Getting pet owner’s to see a vet for the things you should see a vet for • Identifying bottlenecks to the growth of Waggle Mail • Navigating setbacks as an entrepreneur • Dr. Beck’s Impact Round! Thank you to Dr. Christine Beck for joining us on the show.For clinic partnerships, to sign up for the Waggle Mail newsletter, or to connect directly with Christine, reach out to her in the following places: christine@wagglemail.com @wagglemail www.wagglemail.com We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project. If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Dr. Brent Mayabb is currently the Global Chief Medical Officer for Royal Canin, where he’s responsible for being the medical liaison between Royal Canin and large multi-hospital veterinary practice groups around the globe. He joined Royal Canin USA back in May 2004 and has held many jobs in between, including roles in HR and Corporate Affairs, with responsibilities in areas as diverse as public relations and government affairs. Prior to joining Royal Canin, Brent worked in a small animal practice in Granite City. He continues to do relief work in a small animal practice.  When not working, Brent spends time volunteering at events with the Animal Protective Association of Missouri and is a board member of the Banfield Foundation. He earned his DVM from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999.  In this follow-up conversation with Dr. Mayabb we discuss: Enrolling in a graduate program in personal finance Why does personal finance matter? The difference between Fiduciary responsibility and suitability, two very different financial planning standards Budgets: The Foundation of Personal Finance Navigating personal finance tough spots "Personal finance is more personal than finance" Bridging the discomfort of having money conversations Big thank you to Brent for returning to the show for another episode! If you'd like to connect with Brent for a conversation around money, you can find him on LinkedIn: Brent Mayabb We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project. If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Dr. Jim Clark is an animal lover, entrepreneur, former multi-practice owner, clinician, and educator.   After working in general and emergency practice for more than 20 years, earning an MBA, and serving as an owner in four ER/Spec practices,  Dr. Clark joined the faculty of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, assuming leadership of their Professional Skills curriculum.  He currently provides instruction in communication, mental health, career planning, DEI, and business management skills.   Dr. Clark is also a Co-Founder of the educational consulting firm Pet Practice Partners, which is dedicated to providing impactful and cost-effective evidence-based learning for the veterinary profession. Trust us when we say Jim BRINGS IT on this show, and you're going to take away some great tools you can start using immediately to become a better communicator.  Topics covered within the conversation include: Dr. Clark's unique career path and professional development Today's pet owners are more informed than ever, for better or worse Coaching clients through the treatment plan The WISE COACH framework It's all about relationships! Examples of open-ended questions and developing rapport with clients Tools to become a better communicator in practice "Better communication creates greater job satisfaction." The importance of role playing Dr. Clark's Impact Round Thank you to Dr. Jim Clark for coming on the show! If you'd like to connect with Dr. Clark or learn more about the WISE COACH framework you can find him in the following places: www.petpracticepartners.com jclark@ucdavis.edu We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project. If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Do you have a bucket list of things you want to do before you die?  In this week's episode, co-hosts Dr. Michael Bugg and Dr. Jonathan Leicht have some fun (in part thanks to Dr. Leicht's pre-show caffeine blitz) in this casual, coffee-cup conversation. Connecting to the reality that we will die helps us realize that we should make the most of our lives. What better way to do that than to lay out some experiences we want to enjoy before we pass on? Intended to inspire, topics touched on include: Defining bucket lists and the importance of having them Different perspectives on bucket list items as a foundation for setting goals Sharing some of Dr. Bugg and Dr. Leicht's bucket list experiences already had Future Dr. Bugg and Dr. Leicht bucket list items Don't forget to make them happen! #MikePetsATiger Maybe it's time to start checking off some of your bucket list items . . . and if you don’t have a list, start creating one today! We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project. If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

What do you do when **** hits the fan? In this week’s episode, co-hosts Dr. Michael Bugg and Dr. Jonathan Leicht visit the subject of handling adversity in business. Chock full with personal vulnerability, this episode pulls back the curtain on handling adversity with commentary on: The real world responses to adversity for Dr. Jonathan Leicht in his Operational roles, including compartmentalization of emotions, trying to win, and over-communicating How response to adversity changes over time with experience How different people view adversity and conflict The real world responses to adversity for Dr. Michael Bugg in his Real Estate business, including entering "silent-mode", getting emotional and losing rationality, and shelving the problem Adversity is almost always worse in the moment than in the long run Ask empowering questions like "what can I do about this?" and recognizing what's inside (and outside) of our control Don't avoid adversity Tips and ideas for becoming better at handling adversity Adversity is going to happen whether we like it or not, so how do we best handle it? There's no easy answer, but we’re working to improve in this area and hope this conversation will help you do the same! We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project! If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Dr. Hilal Dogan completed veterinary school in 2015 at Massey University in New Zealand. During her final year of veterinary school, she was class president and launched the Veterinary Confessionals Project (www.veterinaryconfessionalsproject.com).  After graduating she moved to Maui, Hawaii where she worked as both an emergency DVM as well as a General Practitioner for 3 years. In 2017 she completed a certification as a Human Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) through the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP).  She relocated to Denver Colorado in 2018 and has been working as an emergency relief DVM since.  Since 2015 she has been speaking and leading workshops at various veterinary conferences throughout the world on topics relating to the veterinary confessionals project, traumatic stress, resilience, and well-being. She also writes and edits clinical and non-clinical articles for DVM 360 magazine.  In our conversation with Dr. Dogan, we dive into all things trauma related including: The "secret" vet confessionals project Hilal start to raise mental health awareness in vet school What it's like for veterinary professionals to find out they're not alone Defining trauma, traumatology, and how it impacts veterinary professionals Primary and secondary trauma What happens physiologically when we experience trauma Recognizing your typical trauma responses - freeze, flee, or fight How to rein in the trauma response and get back to stable Talking about trauma and planning your response ahead of time Working through trauma in the aftermath of experiencing it, including the use of talk therapy, yoga, and other methods Hilal's impact round Thank you to Hilal for joining us on the show. If you would like to connect with Hilal you can find her in the following places: IG @vetconfessionals www.veterinaryconfessionalsproject.com We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project! If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Dr. Jordan Woodsworth is a general veterinary practitioner and PhD candidate, and part of the Wellness and Preventive Medicine team at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Medical Centre.  She is a 2008 graduate of the WCVM and joined the staff of the VMC in 2012 to start the Wellness and Service Learning programs.   Jordan’s diverse professional interests include community engagement and social accountability in the veterinary profession, clinical communications, interprofessional work in the area of animal welfare, and elevating the quality and perception of well care for cats and dogs.  Jordan’s work in Northern Saskatchewan is an area of true passion, and she strives to use her role as a veterinary educator to provide opportunities for veterinary learners and practitioners to develop and practice culturally safe approaches to veterinary care.   In our conversation with Dr. Woodsworth, we dive into:  The power of peer learning and student mentorship Transitioning her career from general practice to academia and teaching Teaching the importance of creating relationships in veterinary practice  The shift towards teaching preventative care and relationship building in veterinary academia  Developing core communication skills to communicate effectively with clients to build trust and relationships The 4 core communication skills all veterinary professionals should have Social accountability and how it relates to the veterinary industry Challenging students and their education on indigenous relationships, particularly in Canada Developing awareness that each client, each student, and each professional comes from a different background with different perspectives Providing veterinary services to communities that don't have access to veterinarians and tying field trips with student learning Diversifying the veterinary profession Thank you to Dr. Jordan Woodsworth for connecting with us on the show. If you'd like to connect with Dr. Woodsworth you can find her via e-mail to: jordan.woodsworth@usask.ca We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project! If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

This past weekend in the homeland of co-hosts Dr. Michael Bugg and Dr. Jonathan Leicht it was Thanksgiving weekend, so a Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian listeners out there! With that in mind, it felt appropriate to share some thoughts on the subject of gratitude.  In this episode, we share some of the things we're currently grateful for, while also providing tactical ways you can work to practice gratitude as consistently as possible. It all starts with the question: What are you grateful for?  This question keeps life in perspective. Give it a try today and see what you're grateful for right now, and note how you feel when you move to a state of gratitude.  We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project! If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM

Dr. Kate Baker grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and completed her DVM at the University of Tennessee in 2012. She then completed a rotating internship and Clinical Pathology residency and became board certified in 2016.  Dr. Baker currently works as a veterinary educator and diagnostic clinical pathologist. She is the founder of the highly active Facebook group Veterinary Cytology Coffeehouse, offers continuing education resources through her website, Veterinary Cytology Schoolhouse, and recently launched a personalized telecytology consultation service, Pocket Pathologist.  She lives on a small farm in Columbia, TN with her husband and two young children. They have three dogs (two chihuahuas and a cavapoo), a mini-donkey, a pygmy goat, and 30 chickens. In our wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Kate Baker we cover: Dr. Baker's origin story and unique career journey Overcoming mental barriers and facing imposter syndrome What it feels like to reach the "career breaking point" The creation of the Veterinary Cytology Coffeehouse Facebook group - a place for Kate to teach - that has grown to over 60,000 members! How Kate turned her Facebook group into a fulfilling career change Career change is not easy. It will be hard Things to consider to create a fulfilling career and life Maximizing your work and / or business by hiring a virtual assistant Remember the reason why you got into this industry: to help animals! Dr. Baker's Impact Round Thank you to Dr. Kate Baker for joining us on the show! If you want to see what Dr. Baker is up to, or connect with her further you can find her in the following places: IG: @clinpathkate For Dr. Baker's learning resources and courses: https://www.veterinarycytologyschoolhouse.com/ To join the Veterinary Cytology Coffeehouse Facebook group, use the URL below: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VetCytoCoffeehouse We're now online! Check out our new website at theveterinaryproject.com for more info about the show, our hosts, and all things Veterinary Project! If you liked the show and want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the podcast on the listening platform of your choosing. Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send an email to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group. Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast! - Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM