The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

Recent Episodes

1. 419 - I'm a Veterinary Team Lead, Where Do I Go From Here?

   Sep 16, 2026

   Elizabeth Stark, CVT, FVTE, MBA and founder of Vet Raft Solutions, joins host Maria Pirita to address a mailbag from a veterinary team lead considering a move to practice management but uncertain about the administrative and customer-service demands. They discuss the false narrative that practice management is the only path to career advancement and income growth in veterinary medicine, explore the distinction between formal and informal leadership, and outline alternative lateral career paths focused on education and team development without abandoning patient care.

2. 418 - Should Your Veterinary Clinic Have an Angel Fund?

   Sep 9, 2026

   Beth Mahaffey, co-founder of Pennridge Animal Hospital and founder of Harley's Haven Dog Rescue, discusses the practical and emotional benefits of establishing an angel fund or nonprofit within a veterinary practice. The episode explores why practices consider starting a fund, the legal structures available (informal, third-party, or independent nonprofit), how to build a governance board, and strategies for marketing a fund without alienating full-paying clients. Mahaffey shares her 16-year experience running a 501(c)(3) rescue that has expanded to include community outreach, a community fund, and a dedicated angel fund for clinic patients.

3. 417 - How Much Financial Transparency Do Support Staff Need?

   Sep 2, 2026

   Ron Sosa discusses financial transparency in veterinary practices, addressing a mailbag question from an associate DVM seeking visibility into clinic finances to help motivate staff and drive operational improvements. Ron shares why practice owners often resist sharing financials—seasonal profit swings, debt concerns, embezzlement fears, and identity anxieties—and offers a practical framework using five P&L buckets (labor, cost of goods sold, overhead, administrative, profit) shared monthly with trends over time, paired with operational KPIs to convert data into actionable initiatives.

4. 416 - Planning to Exit on Your Own Terms

   Aug 31, 2026

   Dan Blumenthal, CEO and co-founder of Blue River Pet Care, discusses succession planning and practice exit strategies with Dr. Andy Roark. They explore how veterinary practice owners can build sustainable legacies by delegating leadership roles, sharing financial metrics transparently with staff, and gradually transitioning medical director and practice manager responsibilities. The episode contrasts owners with no succession plan against those who have successfully transitioned leadership, emphasizing the importance of mentoring, trust-but-verify management, and staggered transitions to reduce owner dependency.

5. 415 - Modernizing a Practice Without Making Everyone Feel Obsolete

   Aug 26, 2026

   A practice manager who recently acquired a second location with an established team and outdated clinical protocols seeks advice on modernizing 26-year-old medical practices and standards without demoralizing the existing staff. Dr. Andy Roark and host Maria Pirita discuss strategies for building a high-standards clinic identity, gaining doctor buy-in for clinical changes like spectrum of care recommendations, and implementing change through metrics, accountability systems, and positive reinforcement rather than top-down mandates.

6. 414 - Staff Are Leaving and Ownership Already Knows Why

   Aug 19, 2026

   Maria Pirita and Ron Sosa discuss a mailbag from a veterinary staff member frustrated with a practice manager who plays favorites, talks down to employees, and creates low morale and turnover, while ownership appears aware but inactive. They reframe the conversation away from labels like "toxic" toward specific, documented behaviors; emphasize that accountability conversations happen privately; and provide actionable steps including documentation with dates and witnesses, communication tied to business metrics, direct curiosity-based conversations with the manager, and clear personal boundaries around when to leave.

7. 413 - Hired for Financial Impact, Denied Financial Access

   Aug 12, 2026

   Dr. Andy Roark joins host Maria Pirita to discuss a practice manager who lacks access to financial statements (P&Ls, payroll, bill payment) despite being evaluated and compensated based on profitability. They explore common reasons owners restrict financial transparency—including personal discomfort with money, fear of judgment, and embezzlement concerns—and emphasize starting conversations with curiosity about owner goals and fears. The episode covers strategies for aligning expectations, using non-financial metrics when needed, implementing checks and balances, identifying behavioral and operational red flags for fraud, and determining when to revisit the arrangement or move on.

8. 412 - Tech Team Lead Pulled In All Directions

   Aug 5, 2026

   Dr. Andy Roark and Tyler Grogan, CVT, address a mailbag question from a veterinary technician lead struggling with conflicting directives from multiple doctors and unclear expectations. They discuss strategies for distinguishing personal preferences from practice-wide policies, identifying patterns that warrant systemic solutions, managing authority limitations, building trust through servant leadership, and establishing clear communication with practice management through regular check-ins focused on problems, impacts, and proposed solutions.

9. 411 - How Do I Ask For a Raise in This Economy?

   Jul 29, 2026

   Dr. Andy Work joins host Maria Burrita to discuss how veterinary practice managers can effectively ask for salary raises in a challenging economic climate. The episode addresses a practice manager's three-year wait for a raise amid revenue declines from closed services and broader economic pressures, exploring the emotional and strategic dimensions of compensation negotiations while acknowledging the financial constraints facing independent practices.

10. 410 - When Everything Lands on the Medical Director's Desk

    Jul 22, 2026

    Dr. John Yunker, veterinarian and founder of Vet Launch consulting, discusses the common challenge of medical directors becoming decision-making bottlenecks as practices grow. The episode explores how to distinguish between decisions that belong to medical directors versus practice managers, the importance of delegating authority, and practical frameworks for building team ownership through protected admin time, requesting solutions from staff, and structured meetings.