Dr. Brianna Armstrong, DVM, independent veterinary practice owner and social media voice, is here to tackle a question that's guaranteed to get people talking: Is veterinary medicine actually overpriced, or is it just expensive? We're digging into the rising cost of veterinary care, why pet owners and veterinary professionals don't always see eye to eye on pricing, and how different practice models could help make care more accessible without sacrificing sustainable businesses and healthy teams. From price transparency to navigating financial limitations without guilt or shame, we're challenging some big assumptions about what veterinary care should cost. Gang, let’s get into this episode!

TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook: @dramstrongdvm

LinkedIn: Briana Armstrong, DVM

Dr. Brianna Armstrong is a veterinarian, practice owner, technology founder, and leadership consultant whose work bridges clinical medicine, innovation, and people-centered leadership in veterinary care. While earning her DVM at Texas A&M, she founded SKYPaws LLC and developed a patented wireless patient monitoring device, reflecting her early focus on improving clinical workflows through technology. As a hospital owner, she has built systems around structured onboarding, behavior-based core values, and communication frameworks to enhance team clarity, accountability, and psychological safety. She also consults and speaks on leadership and cultural transformation, helping veterinary organizations create sustainable, people-first workplaces. Dr. Armstrong is the co-host & founder of Choose People Love Pets, a podcast that explores leadership and highlights non-traditional veterinary career paths through candid conversations with industry innovators. Across her clinical, entrepreneurial, and media work, she is dedicated to expanding what’s possible with a DVM degree and supporting the growth of veterinary teams and leaders.

Dr. Emily Tincher, DVM, Chief Veterinary Officer at Nationwide and co-founder of Clarity Vet Surgical Center, is back for her sixth visit, and we're tackling a question every vet team runs into: why does the same treatment plan land perfectly with one client and fall completely flat with the next? We dig into the three Cs of pet owner decision-making (cost, choice, and convenience) and Nationwide's new free pet parent personality quiz, which helps clients figure out their priorities before they ever walk into the exam room. You'll come away with simple ways to flex your communication, build client trust, and meet every pet owner where they are, no judgment required. Gang, let's get into this episode!

Thank you to Nationwide Pet Insurance for making this episode possible!

LINKS

Nationwide Pet Insurance Veterinary Healthcare Team Resources

Pet and Pet Parent Quizzes

Follow Dr. Tincher on LinkedIn

The Nationwide Pet Health Zone - Breed Related Insights

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Emily Tincher is a veterinary executive and emergency clinician whose career spans clinical practice and the design of systems that better support pets, families, and veterinary teams. A second-generation Auburn veterinarian, she grew up in her family’s rural Kentucky practice, where broad-based medical and surgical care and deep relationships with pet families shaped her commitment to accessible, relationship-centered care. She is also Co-Founder of Clarity Veterinary Surgical Center, which expands access to surgical and dental care through focused care practice design.

Dr. Tincher serves as Nationwide’s Chief Veterinary Officer and AVP, Pet Health & Strategic Partnerships, where she focuses on care delivery that is clinically sound, financially sustainable, and responsive to the needs of today’s pet families.

A nationally recognized advocate for spectrum of care, Dr. Tincher has served in veterinary leadership roles for more than a decade and is the Immediate Past President of the Veterinary Leadership Institute Board of Directors. She is a frequent speaker at major veterinary conferences across North America and has authored publications on cost of care, access to care, payment options, and pet family-centered approaches to veterinary medicine.

Dr. Sarah Boston, veterinary surgical oncologist, comedian, and the very first guest EVER on the Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast, is back, and things go off the rails almost immediately! We're talking about the hills we wish we'd stood on earlier in our veterinary careers, emotional blackmail, professional boundaries, and some of the uncomfortable realities of veterinary medicine, including pet relinquishment, animal welfare, and how we compensate veterinarians. Sarah and I don't agree on everything, and that's half the fun as we challenge each other's perspectives on where our profession is headed and what really deserves our energy. Gang, let’s get into this episode.

Dr. Sarah Boston is a veterinary surgical oncologist. She is an ACVS board certified small animal surgeon and an ACVS Founding Fellow of both Surgical Oncology and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. She spent the first part of her career in academia as a tenured faculty member at both the University of Guelph and the University of Florida. She currently is in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in private practice. She is an international speaker on surgical oncology as well as a keynote speaker on other hilarious topics. Dr Boston is also a best-selling author and stand up comedian. Her book, Lucky Dog: How Being a Veterinarian Saved my Life was a bestseller and she has just finished her first novel and she is frantically trying to get it published. Sarah is a graduate of the Humber College Comedy Performance and Writing Program 2023 and a comedian with YukYuks in Canada. She is the host of the podcast Comedicine, where she interviews healthcare professionals who are also comedians. She is a nerd and believes that we all need to laugh more.