Veterinary leaders are feeling the pressure when it comes to recruiting right now, and for many, it feels like no matter how much effort goes in, the right candidates just aren’t sticking. In this episode, Savanna Tracy joins me to explore what’s really happening in today’s hiring landscape and how practices can shift their approach to build stronger, more sustainable teams.

Drawing on her experience in multi-site operations and leadership development, Savanna breaks down the current state of the industry and why the challenge hasn’t disappeared, it’s simply evolved. While staffing shortages may look different than they did a few years ago, the strain has moved upstream into how we recruit, engage, and retain our people. She explains why recruiting and retention are no longer separate conversations, but part of the same strategy that begins the moment a candidate first interacts with your practice.

Savanna shares practical insights into what today’s candidates are actually looking for and how leaders can better meet those expectations. From speed and consistency in communication to transparency about the realities of the practice, she highlights the importance of building trust early. The conversation also explores how helping candidates envision their life within the practice, not just their role, can be a powerful differentiator in a competitive hiring market.

We also dive into one of the most overlooked opportunities in leadership: onboarding. Savanna explains why the first 90 days are critical in shaping confidence, connection, and long-term retention. With thoughtful structure, clear expectations, and intentional support, onboarding can shift from a reactive process to a powerful retention strategy. She leaves listeners with a clear reminder that culture is not defined by intention, but by the experience a new hire has from day one.

What’s Inside:

• Why recruiting and retention must be approached as one unified strategy
• How transparency and communication build trust with today’s candidates
• The role of candidate experience in standing out in a competitive market
• Why structured onboarding is key to long-term retention

Mentioned in this Episode:

Veterinarians : Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
2026 State of General Practice Veterinary Care Overview
Instinct Report 2024 The State of Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Care
Vet Med Wellness and Leadership Podcast
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

Financial conversations can feel loaded in veterinary medicine. Many of us entered this profession to care for animals, not to analyze income statements. But avoiding the numbers does not protect your mission. In fact, it often increases anxiety, fuels burnout, and limits your ability to grow.

In this episode, I speak with entrepreneur Martin Traub-Werner, founder of VetBooks, about why financial control is foundational to sustainable leadership. Martin shares how his work in veterinary data analytics revealed a major gap for independent practices: clear, accurate, and timely financials that truly reflect profitability.

We explore the emotional side of money in vet med, including the common fear of being perceived as greedy. I offer the perspective that money is energy. When used intentionally, it becomes fuel for reinvestment, team development, better equipment, and expanded patient care. Profit is not a betrayal of purpose. It is what allows your purpose to endure.

Martin also breaks down practical steps for gaining financial clarity, from committing to curiosity instead of fear to using the AAHA VMG Chart of Accounts. He emphasizes focusing on your top revenue and expense categories, where most of the meaningful change happens.

If you have ever woken up at 3 a.m. worrying about payroll, rising costs, or sustainability, this conversation will remind you that your financials are not something to fear. They are a diagnostic tool. And when you understand them, you gain back control.

What’s Inside:

• Why avoiding your numbers increases anxiety and uncertainty
• How profit can fuel your mission instead of competing with it
• Practical first steps to gaining financial control in your practice
• Why focusing on your top revenue and expense categories drives sustainable grow

Mentioned in this Episode:

Vetbooks
Martin Traub-Werner on LinkedIn
Vet Med Wellness and Leadership Podcast
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn

In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation I had with Dr. Kathryn Miller, a rural mixed animal veterinarian in Kansas who believes wholeheartedly that veterinary medicine is not lost. Instead of accepting burnout and poor wellbeing as inevitable, Kathryn shares how coaching, culture, and mindset shifts can change the trajectory of an entire career.

Kathryn opens up about her own turning point with burnout after becoming a mother. What once felt manageable quickly became overwhelming, and without support, she is clear she might have left the profession altogether. Through professional coaching, she experienced a powerful mindset shift that allowed her to see she did not have to choose between being a great veterinarian and a great mom. That realization changed everything.

We explore the most common traps early career veterinarians fall into, from harsh inner critics and black and white thinking to identity loss after vet school. Kathryn shares how tools like the Enneagram and structured coaching conversations help young practitioners reframe mistakes, navigate team dynamics, and build resilience instead of self-doubt. She also offers practical guidance on evaluating job opportunities, identifying red and green flags in practice culture, and learning to feel safe asking questions in those critical first years.

This conversation is both honest and hopeful. Yes, veterinary medicine is hard. Yes, burnout is real. But with the right tools, support, and mindset, it does not have to define your career. Kathryn reminds us that growth requires discomfort, culture requires tending, and coaching can be a powerful catalyst for long-term wellbeing and leadership.

What’s Inside:

• Kathryn’s personal burnout story and the mindset shift that kept her in veterinary medicine
• Common early career traps including perfectionism, identity loss, and black and white thinking
• How coaching and the Enneagram create self-awareness, compassion, and stronger team communication
• Red and green flags to watch for when choosing a practice and building a sustainable career

Mentioned in this Episode:

RKM Clinic Website

RKMM Website

Dr. Kathryn Miller on Instagram

Rocking KM Vet on Instagram

Rocking KM Vet - Potwin on Instagram

CanvasRebel Feature

Vet Med Wellness and Leadership Podcast

Full Circle Lab

Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn