Claim OwnershipThe VetStory Podcast
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Description
A place where we tell stories, often at bars or dinner parties. But occasionally, I promise we’ll talk about something helpful.
28 Episodes
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What does “fair” pay actually mean in vet med
And can a practice pay people what they deserve while still staying healthy and profitable
In this episode, Rhys sits down with Josh Vaisman from Flourish Veterinary Consulting for a candid conversation that started with a spicy LinkedIn thread and turned into something way more useful.
They unpack what positive leadership really is (hint: it is not fake smiles), why accountability is part of compassion, and how practice owners can think about technician wages in a way that respects both the humans and the business.
They also get into what most people avoid
The money
The model
The reality of what a practice can sustain
And what has to change if we want wages to rise without burning teams out
If you are a practice owner, manager, RVT, or anyone tired of the same debate with zero progress, this one is for you.
Shane Gentry is the owner of Sally Said So, a professional dog training company that is exclusively veterinarian referred. And it all started with him living in his car behind a grocery store.
In this episode, Shane breaks down how one tech gave him a chance, how that turned into a referral system that scaled across North Carolina, and what it takes to build a team with standards that do not bend.
We also get into the fun stuff.
The origin story behind the name Sally Said So
The wildest client story you will ever hear
How his company empowers women through dog training
Why training the owner matters more than training the dog
The hiring and training process that protects your brand
Vet Ready Go, a simple way to help clients prepare dogs for better vet visits
Why CE approval and real partnerships with veterinary medicine matter
If you want outside the box thinking, real business lessons, and a few laughs, this one delivers.
https://sallysaidso.com/
In this episode of Vet Story, Rhys sits down with Lucy Nash, RVT and Community Partnership Manager at Hound, for a candid and fun conversation about the realities of veterinary medicine. Lucy shares her wild “DIY ambulance” story, how burnout shaped her career path, and why proper utilization matters more than pay for many vet techs. Together they dig into why technicians often feel underused, what true value looks like in a clinic, and how leadership can bridge the gap between intention and action. Expect laughter, honesty, and a few football jabs along the way.
Perfect for veterinary professionals who love the job but want to make it better.
Show notes
Personal:
Instagram - linkedin.com/in/lucynrvt/
Hound:
Website - www.hound.vet
Instagram - linkedin.com/company/houndvet/
Full Video: https://youtu.be/6EydCfQe8-4 In this practice management episode I sit down with Joe Chickerillo from Chck Vet to break down a simple way to build and run a real budget using metrics that matter. I walk through my coach scoreboard versus player scoreboard framework so your team always knows if we are winning today while leadership keeps the bigger goals on track. We cover forward booking, daily revenue targets, unscheduled appointments, surgery counts per week, and how to tie a clear incentive bonus to a visible team scorecard so everyone rows in the same direction. Joe shows how Chck Vet pulls clean data from your PIMS to power a daily huddle, track compliance, and spot trends without spreadsheet gymnastics. If you want a budget you can actually steer by and a team that knows exactly how to help, this one is for you.
Full video: https://youtu.be/UiuxwTr7xJE
In this episode I sit down with Dr. Jeff Mann, a practice owner just outside Charlotte and CE speaker, for an honest and insightful chat about how to start each day at full capacity. Jeff shares his Core Four Reset and his plan to recruit 30 veterinarians for a 30-day pilot. We talk about simple and practical ways to make every day more intentional, from the handwritten 50 50 referral card that attracts your ideal clients, to quick pregame resets between appointments, to small exam room shifts that instantly improve client trust and compliance. Jeff also explains how Toastmasters helped sharpen his communication skills in practice. If you are one of the first 30 to join the CORE4RESET pilot starting November 1, you will also get access to Jeff’s ebooks, Effortless 5 Star Reviews and 6 Keys to New Client Acquisitions. The four priming one hour intro sessions are free to attend via Zoom. Once 30 seats are filled, no more will open. December spots will be announced by week three of November. To join, send an email with the subject line CORE4RESET.
Links & Contact
📧 Email: dr.jeff@vetripreneurcoach.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105027202/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567860628810
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ @Vetripreneur
I sit down with Mariana Dalto—marketing strategist, AI consultant, and business transformation pro. With over 30 years of experience in marketing, sales, and operations, Mariana has a knack for helping business owners cut through the tech noise and actually put AI to work.
We get into why so many business owners (maybe you too) hesitate to dive into AI, how to deal with the madness of thousands of new tools, and why you don’t need to be a tech genius to get started. Mariana shares her straightforward six-step process for bringing automation and AI into any business, plus some real-world advice on spotting easy wins, reducing overwhelm, and getting your team on board.
We talk about prompt engineering, practical tips for using chatbots, and simple workflow tweaks that can save you serious time and money. If you’re curious where to start, or you’ve been dragging your heels on AI, Mariana’s got you covered.
Tune in, take notes, and be sure to check out her podcast, The Mariana Dalto Show, for more ideas and inspiration.
On this episode of Vet Story, we finally welcome Dr. Marybeth Feutz after a year of missed connections and failed recordings. Fifth time’s the charm—and you’ll be glad we didn’t give up. Rhys and Marybeth dig into her now-famous story of The Great Cow Escape, an epic Indiana saga involving a rogue cow, overtime chaos, animal control, and the local police sharpshooter.
It’s unfiltered, unpredictable, and just plain hilarious. Marybeth shares every wild twist—from chasing cattle through cornfields and neighborhoods to dealing with parenting on the fly—plus what happens when you’re left holding the fort while everyone else is off hunting in Montana. Fair warning: This episode is for grown-ups only.
Buckle up for a chaotic ride through rural Indiana, some hard-earned laughs, and a reminder of why every clinic eventually builds a proper cow barn.
Heads up—there’s explicit language, plenty of laughs, and real-life lessons you don’t want to miss.
What if your clinic could answer client questions, book appointments, and guide decisions—even while your team is off the clock?
In this episode of The Vet Story Podcast, I’m joined by Celio Ramos, automation expert and founder of LeadFuse, to talk about the next evolution in client communication: AI-powered chatbots tailored for veterinary practices.
Forget outdated website forms and clunky FAQ pages—Celio’s AI chatbot integrates with your website, learns your SOPs, and delivers accurate, friendly, and on-brand answers 24/7. Whether it’s late-night appointment questions, care concerns, or prescription refills, this bot shows up—every time.
website: https://leadfuse.ai/
In this episode of the VetStory Podcast, I sit down with Alex Contreras — a veterinary technician turned inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist — who’s on a mission to change the industry from the inside out.
Alex shares his journey from growing up in South Florida as a first-generation Cuban American to becoming the founder of Clip Trio, a 3-in-1 tool designed to make nail trims safer, faster, and cleaner. But this isn’t just about a product — it’s about purpose.
Alex dives deep into the why behind his invention, how he turned frustration into innovation, and why he's using his success to give back through Pet Trio Charity, supporting underserved families, students, and access-to-care initiatives.
Whether you’re a technician, practice owner, or someone who just loves a good underdog story — this episode will hit you in the heart and light a fire in your gut.
https://youtu.be/4a3NoaOES2c?si=zT7tpxXeR5K4aDHQ
https://youtu.be/bWg_f0bMlTQ?si=wySXHOaMlFe3c-UL
www.kliptrio.com
www.pettriocharity.org
Alexandre@pettriocharity.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dogapy/
What happens when your career chooses you before you choose it?
In this heartfelt episode of The Vet Story Podcast, I sit down with Nigerian veterinarian Dr. Deborah Enyo Omali, who shares her surprising—and hilarious—journey into veterinary medicine. From wanting to become a marine biologist to mistakenly enrolling in vet school, Deborah’s story is full of twists, tears, grit, and growth.
We talk about:
The pressure of choosing a "serious" career in an African household
How she accidentally became a veterinarian (thanks, dad)
Falling in love with public health and community service
The reality of being a young vet in rural Nigeria
And why grit, not just passion, is the real secret to success
Whether you’ve always known you were meant for vet med—or you’re still figuring it out—this episode will remind you that purpose sometimes finds you when you least expect it.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-enyo-omali/
We’ve all seen it — a client hesitates, not because they don’t love their pet, but because of the price tag.
In this episode of the VetStory Podcast, I sit down with Nathan Sahly from Cherry, a platform rethinking how we talk about cost in veterinary medicine. Nathan shares his personal story of an emergency vet visit, the financial barrier that followed, and how that experience led him to Cherry’s mission.
From pre-approvals and soft credit checks to showing clients monthly payments up front, this episode dives into how shifting the way we present payment options can lead to better care, stronger compliance, and happier teams.
If you’ve ever felt awkward quoting treatment costs or wondered how to help clients say yes to care — this one’s for you.
Cherry for Vets: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-sahly/
PetSmart Charities x Gallup Study (2024):
https://news.gallup.com/poll/659057/pet-owners-skipped-declined-veterinary-care.aspx
Referral code:
https://refer.withcherry.com/l/0RHYSGIAN37/
We’re back with round two of VetStory featuring Dr. Joydine Green—and this one goes completely off the rails in the best possible way.
If you thought flying cows and Bobby Clarke smiles were wild in Part 1, just wait until you hear about Gizmo the opera-singing pig, a backyard penis cake pan, and how a 600-pound boar got sedated in the most creative (and slightly horrifying) way possible.
Joydine shares more behind-the-scenes chaos from her mobile mixed-animal practice in Prince George, BC, and gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming book, packed with these kinds of outrageous veterinary tales.
Oh, and if you’ve never heard of “boar taint” or using testicles as an injection site… buckle up.
This episode is not for the faint-hearted, but it is for anyone who loves a brutally honest, laugh-out-loud glimpse into rural vet life.
Have you ever had your grandad sit you down and tell you a wild story from the past?
Something like, “Back in 1950, kid, we didn’t have phones—we had fists, fire, and maybe a freighter to the Far East.”
This is one of those stories.
John Graham isn’t from the vet world, but you’re going to want to sit down for this one. From hitchhiking through revolutions and climbing Denali to dodging bullets in Vietnam, surviving a sinking cruise ship, and helping end apartheid—John’s lived a life that reads like a movie. But it’s not just adrenaline. This episode is about what happens when the thrill wears off—and you’re forced to reckon with purpose, meaning, and the person you’ve become.
We talk about:
Leadership and ego (and why John Wayne let him down)
Screaming at God in a lifeboat off the Alaska coast
Crawling out of toxic masculinity to build a life of service
This isn’t just a good story. It’s a reminder that life can change at any point—if you're willing to listen.
📘 Grab John’s book: Quest – Risk, Adventure, and the Search for Meaning
The memoir is Quest – Risk, Adventure, and the Search for Meaning, now available as an audiobook. My website is johngraham.org and the website for the Giraffe Heroes Project—the global movement I help run—is.giraffe.org.
In this hilariously unfiltered episode of Vet Story, I sit down with my mate Joe Cigarillo—aka the tall, younger Joe Pesci of the veterinary tech world. We dive into why the vet industry is more fun than dentistry, how Check Vet is flipping online booking and communication on its head, and the power of real-time automation in client engagement.
No scripts, no filters—just two loud extroverts bantering about swearing in Canada, culture clashes, and the tech that’s quietly making practices wildly more efficient. If you’re tired of polite vendor pitches and want a dose of truth with a side of sass, this one’s for you.
Trigger warning: May cause spontaneous laughter and FOMO for practices still using paper books.
What do hockey dreams, flying cows, knocked-out teeth, and a mobile vet clinic in the snowy wilds of Canada have in common? Dr. Jodyne Green.
In this hilarious and jaw-droppingly candid episode, we sit down with Jodyne—owner of Green Mobile Veterinary Services in Prince George, BC—to talk about her journey from prairie kid with NHL ambitions to mixed animal vet wrangling bulls and preg-checking cattle in Sasquatch country.
She shares the unforgettable story of how a preg check on Boxing Day turned into an emergency dental visit, how she rocked Vegas with a Bobby Clarke smile and a broken leg, and why practice ownership still fires her up after 19 years.
Oh—and yes, there’s a pig in a penis cake pan story on the horizon.
If you're in vet med or just love a good laugh with a side of grit, you’re going to love this one.
Stay tuned for part two... it only gets better.
In this episode of Vet Story Podcast, we’re diving deep into vetrepreneurship with none other than Dr. Peter Weinstein! 🏥💼
Dr. Weinstein is a veterinary industry leader, speaker, and advocate for independent practice ownership. We chat about:
✅ The future of vet med entrepreneurship
✅ Why fewer vets are stepping into ownership—and how to change that
✅ Startup vs. buying an existing practice – Which is right for you?
✅ The real financial benefits of ownership
✅ How to set up your exit strategy from Day 1
If you're a vet looking to take control of your career, this is the episode you don’t want to miss! 🎯
🔗 Resources & Links:
📌 Dr. Peter Weinstein’s Online Course: Veterinary Ownership Advocates
📌 Follow Dr. Weinstein on LinkedIn
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!
In this episode of Vet Story Podcast, we sit down with the multi-talented Rebecca Fox, a hospital administrator by day and a rockstar drummer by night! 🎶🥁
Rebecca shares her journey from VetMed receptionist to hospital administrator while balancing her passion for music, including rocking the VMX Talent Showcase 2025. She also spills an unbelievable forensic mystery involving a frozen dog at her old clinic—yes, it’s straight out of Forensic Files! 🕵️♂️🐕
And if that wasn’t enough, we wrap up with a hilarious mix-up involving a very unexpected stool sample. 😂💩
Tune in for laughs, mystery, and some rock & roll in vet med!
🔗 Follow Rebecca:
📍 LinkedIn: Rebecca Fox
🎵 TikTok: @FOXEdrummist
Full Video: https://youtu.be/0S4W9rc8x9k
In this episode of VetStory, I sit down with my good friend, Melissa Toppkins Lewis, a veterinary management consultant and self-proclaimed crazy cat lady. From standing in traffic to save an injured cat to encountering a man who believed he was a feral cat, Mel has seen it all. We dive into the wild, bizarre, and sometimes downright chaotic moments from her career in vet med, from emergency clinic drama to workplace security nightmares. Plus, we chat about her upcoming move, her love for OSHA (yes, really), and what’s next for her career. Don’t miss this hilarious and insightful conversation!
South Coast Veterinary Management Solutions-https://southcoastveterinarymanagementsolutions.com/ South Coast Veterinary Management Solutions - https://www.youtube.com/@southcoastveterinarymanage263
I sat down with my good friend and fellow vet, Jamie McGill Worsley, to hear about one of the most unforgettable (and stinkiest) experiences of her career. From running a multi-location veterinary practice in Ontario to performing an unusual surgery on a skunk—this episode is packed with laughter, surprises, and a whole lot of regret. We dive into the reality of vet life, the chaos of managing multiple clinics, and why Jamie will never forget the day she got up close and personal with skunk spray. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one!
Webpages:
https://northernoakah.com
https://forestvetclinic.com
https://birchlaneveterinary.com
In this episode, I sit down with Michael Shirley, the Chief Empowerment Officer of Family Pet Health, to share laughs, insights, and some unforgettable stories from the world of practice management. Michael tells me a jaw-dropping tale about one employee’s excuse for being late that left him absolutely speechless. We also dive into the challenges of HR, empowering teams, and the realities of owning and growing a veterinary practice. Join me for this fun, insightful conversation—you don’t want to miss it!
FamilyPetHealth familypethealth.com
Veterinary Leadership Book Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/veterinaryleadershipbookclub
The Family Pet Podcast www.thefamilypetpodcast.com
Michael Shirley is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Family Pet Health in Murfreesboro, TN. They are a privately owned small animal and exotics general practice with a team of 24 veterinary professionals including 5 FTE veterinarians. Michael is a licensed high school teacher, and he spent 16 years in agriculture education before leaving the classroom to help his wife, Dr. Amy Shirley, build her veterinary practice with a focus on creating a positive workplace culture.
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