Advertise on podcast: The VetPractice Playbook

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Finding good people is hard. Keeping them is harder. In this episode of the Vet Practice Playbook, Dr. Emily King and Kayla dig into one of the most common pain points they hear from clinics across the country: hiring people and then losing them.  It starts with a call Dr. King had with a veterinarian who admitted, “I think I’m the problem.” She had high expectations, no training system, and no employees left. From there, the hosts break down why high expectations turn into a weakness without training behind them, and why people don’t learn just by watching you work.  Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro  TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:01 “I Can’t Find People, and Then I Lose Them” 02:11 High Expectations vs. Actual Training 04:19 Breaking the Hire-and-Lose Loop 06:53 Hiring the Right Person: Long Interviews & School Pipelines 08:28 Making New Hires Feel Supported from Day One 11:28 The Back-Door Welcome & Why Small Gestures Buy Grace 13:40 The Six-Week Training Window & Weekly Check-Ins 15:57 Department Welcomes & Cross-Training 17:11 No Time to Train? Teach the “Ten Things” 19:45 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Opening a veterinary practice is exciting, but without the right marketing strategy, even a great clinic can struggle to attract new clients. In this episode of the VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King is joined by Harrison King, Richie King, and Cayla Bittles to break down the marketing strategies every veterinarian should consider before opening their doors. From building a high-converting website and launching Google Ads to optimizing your Google Business Profile and generating client reviews, the team discusses four essential marketing strategies that can help new veterinary practices establish themselves, attract pet owners, and build momentum from day one. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:43 The Biggest Launch Mistake: No Marketing Budget 05:19 Why Marketing Becomes an Afterthought, and Why Competition Has Changed 06:32 Website and Pre-Booking Landing Page 08:49 Why to Be Wary of Big Corporate Web Developers 10:10 Google Ads 13:21 Making Sure Marketing Actually Drives Revenue 15:50 Optimizing Your Google Business Profile 16:30 Getting Client Reviews (and How to Respond to Bad Ones) 18:45 Where Social Media Fits 20:43 The $5 Clinic-Opening Checklist 22:10 “Fail on Paper, Not in Real Life” 24:00 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! What if one simple change to your veterinary clinic's scheduling process could improve patient care, increase client retention, and create more predictable revenue? In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King, Richie, and Cayla discuss one of the most overlooked strategies in veterinary practice management: forward booking appointments. While dentists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals routinely schedule their patients' next visits before they leave, many veterinary clinics still struggle to implement this simple practice. The team breaks down why forward booking is so valuable, the common obstacles preventing veterinary teams from adopting it, and practical strategies to make it a seamless part of your clinic's daily operations. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Inro 00:50 Forward Booking 02:18 The Clients View 05:23 Why Vet Clinics Struggle To Implement It 06:02 What Forward Booking Does For The Business 07:25 What It Does For The Patient 08:32 Why Staff Feel Uncomfortable 10:24 Common Objections 12:37 How To Handle Pushback 15:59 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we’re tackling one of the most common, and costly, habits in veterinary medicine: discounting. From Dental Month promotions to filling gaps in the schedule, discounts can feel like an easy way to drive appointments and provide more accessible care. But are they actually helping your practice? We break down why busy doesn’t always mean profitable, how routine discounting can unintentionally lower the perceived value of your services, and why discounts often treat the symptom instead of addressing the underlying problem. We also discuss the guilt veterinary professionals can feel around pricing, the fairness issues discounts can create, and why your expertise deserves to be valued appropriately. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:51 Why Do Practices Discount? 04:31 Dental Month, Filling the Schedule, and Guilt Around Price 07:30 Busy vs. Profitable 10:02 Giving Away Your Expertise 11:48 Why Routine Discounting Rarely Makes Sense 15:23 Perceived Value and the Dental Month Breaking Point 16:35 Discounts Treat the System, Not the Cause 20:16 Fairness Issues 22:10 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Are veterinarians doing too much themselves? In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, Dr. King and Cayla break down one of the biggest opportunities for improving efficiency inside a veterinary practice: better staff utilization. From empowering veterinary technicians to use their full skill set to properly training assistants, kennel attendants, and receptionists, they explore how delegating the right responsibilities can save doctors time, develop stronger team members, improve the client experience, and help the entire practice operate more efficiently. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:05 Empowering Technicians and Building Job Satisfaction 02:18 Procedure Delegation and "Multiplying Your Time" 05:02 Overcoming Vet Trust Issues and Scope of Practice 08:08 Moving Veterinary Assistants into Exam Rooms 09:03 Pre-Exam Workflow 11:15 Role Optimizations 13:06 Measuring Staff Utilization 14:13 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Hiring a great veterinary professional is only the beginning... how you train them can determine whether they thrive, struggle, or eventually leave. In this episode, we break down the 3-5-7-9 training framework and how veterinary practice owners and managers can use repetition, role-playing, clear expectations, and hands-on learning to build stronger, more confident teams. From onboarding new employees to improving front desk phone skills, we discuss why simply showing someone how to do something once isn’t enough. You’ll learn practical ways to reinforce training, reduce cognitive overload, improve client communication, create accountability, and help your team reach true mastery. If you’re a veterinary practice owner, hospital manager, medical director, or team leader looking to improve employee training, onboarding, retention, and practice culture, this episode is packed with strategies you can start implementing in your clinic. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:17 Introducing the 3-5-7-9 Rule 04:28 Rule 3: Preventing Cognitive Overload & Chunking Information 06:01 Rule 5: Repetition Across Different Learning Contexts 07:31 Rule 7: Multi-Touchpoint Blended Learning 08:33 Rule 9: Reaching Habitual Mastery & Total Internalization 10:23 Call Reviews, Reward Systems & Peer Accountability 13:13 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Your veterinary clinic’s client experience starts long before a pet ever walks through the door... it starts with the first phone call. In this episode of The Vet Practice Playbook, Dr. King and Cayla Bittles discuss what they’ve discovered from mystery-calling veterinary practices across the country and why the bar for great phone service may be much lower than you think. They break down how tone of voice, clear expectations, phone rubrics, role-playing, and consistent team training can dramatically improve the client experience. They also explore why poor employee performance isn’t always a motivation problem and how veterinary leaders can better define what success actually looks like for their teams. If you’re a veterinary practice owner, manager, or leader looking to improve customer service, strengthen your front desk team, and create a better experience for both clients and employees, this episode offers practical strategies you can start implementing right away. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:49 Market Analysis and Clinic Phone Standards 02:13 Low Service Standards and Workplace Factors 04:00 Lessons from "Crucial Influence" 06:02 Defining Success Using a Phone Rubric 08:08 Mastering Phone Skills Through Role-Playing 09:20 Let Us Call Your Clinic 10:19 Summary and Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Access to veterinary care is a growing challenge... but improving access isn’t as simple as lowering prices or squeezing another appointment into an already packed schedule. In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we break down the veterinary access to care dilemma and explore how practices can balance affordability, quality of care, capacity, and the wellbeing of their teams. From emergency and after-hours fees to handling urgent client requests, we discuss how better communication, systems, and processes can help practices serve clients without creating unsustainable expectations. We also explore the other side of the equation: retention. How can veterinary practices prevent client attrition while protecting their teams from burnout and staff turnover? Whether you’re a practice owner, practice manager, veterinarian, or veterinary professional, this conversation offers practical insights for building a healthier, more sustainable veterinary practice. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:24 Facebook Post: Access to Care Dilemma 02:50 Balancing Access, Quality, and Affordability 06:29 Emergency Fees, After-Hours Care, and Capacity 11:07 Client Communication and Handling Urgent Issues 13:23 Systems, Processes, and Avoiding Client Attrition 17:16 Tools to Prevent Staff Attrition

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! With veterinary technician shortages affecting clinics across the country, many practices are asking the same question: Can veterinary assistants safely fill the gap? In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we tackle one of the most debated topics in veterinary medicine. We discuss why veterinary technician programs aren't producing enough graduates, the differences between on-the-job training and formal education, state-by-state scope of practice laws, title protection, compensation, and how assistants can build long-term careers in veterinary medicine. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:16 Veterinary Technician Shortages and Education Capacity Issues 03:15 On-the-Job Training vs. Textbook Medical Knowledge 04:26 Scope of Practice, State Regulations, and Title Protection 06:25 Compensation Differences 08:07 Clinic Culture Friction 10:16 Long-Term Earning Power 12:17 Online Education and Career Advancement Paths 14:00 Defining Role Scopes 15:47 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Should veterinary clinics raise their prices? In this episode, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in veterinary medicine: pricing. We discuss price elasticity, why so many practice owners struggle to pay themselves, the dangers of excessive discounting, and how competing on exceptional service (not lower prices) creates a stronger, more sustainable business.  Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps  00:00 Intro 01:34 Understanding the Price Elasticity Rule 03:16 Clinic Owner Pay and Caregiver Syndrome 05:22 Prioritizing Financial Bottom Lines 06:59 Overcoming Fear and Competing on Service 11:51 Debating Care Affordability 15:36 Human Healthcare vs. Veterinary Business Models 19:17 Pitfalls of Excessive Discounting 22:01 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Are you a veterinary practice owner struggling to pay yourself what you're worth? You're not alone... and it may not be an expense problem. In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we break down one of the most overlooked topics in veterinary practice ownership: owner compensation. We discuss why underpaying yourself hurts both your clinic's cash flow and its long-term value, how pricing strategy impacts profitability, why competing on price is a losing game, and the key financial metrics every veterinary leader should monitor. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:37 Organizational Charts & Pitfalls 03:33 What is an Organizational Chart? 05:04 Communication Flow and Pecking Orders 08:26 Staffing, Hiring, and Managing Gaps 12:34 Career Paths, Leadership, and Small Clinic Scaling 19:43 Where to Start in Putting Your Own Org Chart Together 25:58 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! If everyone on your team reports to you (or worse, no one knows who to report to) your practice has an organizational structure problem. In this episode, we're breaking down one of the most overlooked tools in veterinary practice management: the organizational chart. We cover what an org chart actually is (and isn't), how communication flow and pecking orders can make or break your team culture, and the common pitfalls practice owners fall into when they skip this step entirely. We also dig into how org charts intersect with staffing, hiring, and managing gaps... so you're not constantly putting out fires when someone leaves. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:37 Organizational Charts & Pitfalls 03:33 What is an Organizational Chart? 05:04 Communication Flow and Pecking Orders 08:26 Staffing, Hiring, and Managing Gaps 12:34 Career Paths, Leadership, and Small Clinic Scaling 19:43 Where to Start in Putting Your Own Org Chart Together 25:58 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! Every veterinary practice owner knows the feeling... it's a packed Thursday, and Tommy just called in. Again. Absenteeism is one of the most frustrating, financially draining, and culturally corrosive challenges in veterinary medicine, and yet most clinics are trying to manage it without a real policy in place. In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we dig into the full absenteeism conversation; from understanding the difference between planned and unplanned absences, to why veterinary medicine's high-pressure environment makes this problem uniquely complicated, to what it actually looks like to build and enforce a policy that sticks. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:38 Absenteeism in the Clinic 03:50 Planned vs Unplanned Absences 05:28 Defining "Excessive" Absenteeism 07:29 What are the driving forces of Absenteeism? 12:07 HR Perspective 14:00 Skills vs Reliability 17:54 Step-by-Step Attendance Policy 20:33 Managing Single Offenders & Launching a Policy Reset 25:32 Summary/Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we dive into one of the most uncomfortable — yet essential — parts of veterinary leadership: having difficult conversations. Whether it’s addressing compensation concerns, managing poor performance, confronting negativity, protecting clinic culture, or setting boundaries to prevent burnout, avoiding these conversations often creates bigger problems for teams and practices alike. We break down why so many veterinary leaders hesitate to have these discussions, the hidden costs of avoidance, and how unresolved tension can slowly impact morale, accountability, and workplace culture. Most importantly, we share practical ways to approach tough conversations with clarity, confidence, and empathy so leaders can create healthier teams and stronger clinics. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:44 The Cost of Avoiding Crucial Conversations 05:01 Conversation #1: Pay and Compensation 11:38 Conversation #2: Performance Management 14:40 Conversation #3: Attitude and Negativity 19:41 Conversation #4: Clinic Culture 22:49 Conversation #5: Boundaries and Burnout 24:41 Outro

Send us a question to be featured on the podcast! In this episode of The VetPractice Playbook, we tackle a challenge that quietly impacts countless veterinary clinics: managers and practice owners getting pulled into technician work. While stepping in may feel helpful in the moment, it often comes at the expense of leadership, strategy, and long-term clinic growth. We discuss why so many veterinary leaders fall into this pattern, the hidden operational and financial costs it creates, and how role confusion can keep practices stuck in reactive mode. Most importantly, we walk through a practical solution: conducting a simple time audit to uncover where your energy is really going and how to start reclaiming time for true leadership responsibilities. Free Resources On Our Website: https://vetpracticepro.com/ Join Our Free Circle Community: https://tinyurl.com/2rh95fv5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetpracticepro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vetpracticepro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VetPracticePro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:13 Stop Doing Tech Work 05:51 Impact on the Team 07:41 The Hidden and Financial Cost 10:10 What If The Work Doesn't Get Done? 12:10 Importance of Role Clarity 14:40 Fixing the Problem with Time Audits 18:51 Outro