A former associate leaves your veterinary practice, opens their own clinic, and now your team members are getting recruited, leaving you worried about staff loss and wondering whether to fight back legally or double down on fixing things internally. This week, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle the emotional and practical reality of veterinary staff poaching, walking through how practice owners and managers can move past anger, stabilize their teams, and focus on culture, communication, and retention strategies that actually keep employees loyal long term. If you’re struggling with staff retention, leadership stress, or fear of losing great team members to competitors, this episode delivers practical, level-headed guidance to help you protect your practice and lead confidently through the challenge. Let’s get into this episode!

Regional Leaders Summit 2026

Leading multiple clinics comes with bigger pressure and tougher decisions. The Uncharted Regional Leaders Summit 2026 is a working virtual summit for veterinary regional and multi-site leaders who want practical tools, real solutions, and peer collaboration, not lectures.

Save 20% with code REGION and register now:

https://community.unchartedvet.com/uncharted-regional-leaders-summit-2026

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

What happens when the people meant to lead and support the team slowly become the emotional shock absorbers for the entire hospital? In clinics everywhere, practice managers and medical directors step in to help because they care. A team member is overwhelmed, conflict pops up, a client is upset, and leadership jumps in to fix it. At first, it feels supportive. But over time, every problem starts landing on the same shoulders. Team members stop solving issues themselves, accountability gets delayed, and leaders find themselves emotionally exhausted, constantly putting out fires instead of leading strategically. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Maria Pirita, CVPM sits down with Suzanne Thomas, LVTg, CVTg, regional leader and educator behind Leading Veterinary Teams, to unpack how good leaders unintentionally create systems where everything escalates to them, and how that cycle leads straight to burnout. Let's get into this episode!

Regional Leaders Summit 2026

Managing across multiple clinics is complex, and the stakes keep getting higher. The Uncharted Regional Leaders Summit 2026 is a hands-on virtual event for veterinary regional and multi-site leaders who want practical strategies, real conversations, and solutions they can put to work immediately. Use code REGION to save 20% and reserve your spot:

https://community.unchartedvet.com/uncharted-regional-leaders-summit-2026

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

The veterinary clinic winter blues are real, and many practice leaders quietly struggle when team morale dips even though nothing seems obviously wrong. In this Uncharted Veterinary Podcast mailbag episode, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle what happens when teams feel heavy, drained, and stuck in what one manager brilliantly called “wet sock energy.” No drama, no major conflict, just collective exhaustion. In this episode, they explore how leaders can support veterinary teams through seasonal burnout without becoming the overly cheerful camp counselor everyone secretly wants to avoid. Let's get into this episode!

Regional Leaders Summit 2026

Leading multiple clinics comes with bigger pressure and tougher decisions. The Uncharted Regional Leaders Summit 2026 is a working virtual summit for veterinary regional and multi-site leaders who want practical tools, real solutions, and peer collaboration, not lectures.

Save 20% with code REGION and register now:

https://community.unchartedvet.com/uncharted-regional-leaders-summit-2026

DiSC Decoded Cohort

Struggling to lead or communicate with your team effectively? DiSC® Decoded is a four-part virtual cohort that gives veterinary leaders practical tools to coach better, handle conflict, and build stronger teams. Register now:

https://learn.unchartedvet.com/courses/disc-decoded-how-to-lead-coach-and-connect

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

What happens when a team member’s side hustle starts spilling into your clinic? In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss unpack a real scenario where a technician’s pet-sitting business blurs professional boundaries, leaving leaders stuck between being supportive and protecting the practice. You’ll learn how to respond without overreacting, how to set clear expectations when no policy exists, and how to create boundaries that protect your team, your clients, and your clinic moving forward.

Are you leading across multiple clinics and feeling the weight of bigger decisions, higher expectations, and less room for mistakes? The Uncharted Regional Leaders Summit 2026 is designed specifically for veterinary regional leaders, directors, and multi-site managers who want practical leadership tools, real-world problem solving, and meaningful peer connection.

This is not a lecture-heavy conference. It is an immersive, working virtual summit focused on communication, accountability, and leading people through complexity at scale. Save 20% on registration with code: REGION

Learn more and register here: https://community.unchartedvet.com/uncharted-regional-leaders-summit-2026

Struggling to connect, coach, or lead your team with confidence? DiSC® Decoded: How to Lead, Coach, and Connect is a four-part virtual cohort built for veterinary leaders who want practical communication tools that actually work in real clinic life. In this interactive program, you’ll learn how to decode your own leadership style, recognize and flex to others on your team, handle conflict without drama, and give feedback that lands, all with actionable takeaways you can use the very next day. Whether you’re a new manager or a seasoned leader aiming to build a high-performing culture, this cohort will give you clarity, confidence, and connection you’ve been missing. Register now and transform the way you lead. https://learn.unchartedvet.com/courses/disc-decoded-how-to-lead-coach-and-connect

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

Veterinary visits are dropping, the schedule has open slots, and yet your team still feels completely swamped. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita break down what to do when declining advance bookings signal long-term risk, but your team does not see a problem because walk-ins keep the day busy. They explore why this disconnect happens, how leaders can avoid panic without becoming passive, and the practical steps practice managers and owners can take to stabilize the schedule, rebuild team buy-in, and protect patient care before the problem grows. Let's get into this episode!

The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop is a two-day, highly interactive leadership experience designed exclusively for veterinary practice owners who want to move from constant problem-solving to proactive, strategic ownership. Through various workshops, you will focus on the real challenges you face as an owner, from leading people and improving efficiency to building systems that support long-term success. This immersive event includes 16 RACE-approved CE hours, foundational self-paced learning, and in-person collaboration with peers who understand the realities of practice ownership. Register now to invest in clarity, confidence, and the future of your veterinary practice.

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit: https://navc.com/skillshop/uncharted-practice-owner-summit/

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

Your team is showing up, doing the job, and following the rules, but the energy is gone, the spark is missing, and it feels like everyone is just clocking in and clocking out. In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss unpack a mailbag question from a practice manager facing quiet quitting in their veterinary team, not through laziness or rule-breaking, but through disengagement that is harder to name and even harder to fix. They explore why quiet quitting is often a signal, not a failure, how compassion and accountability can exist at the same time, and why leaders cannot pep-talk or punish their way back to engagement. This conversation dives into purpose, connection, and what has quietly shifted in veterinary medicine, especially as practices grow or change ownership, and offers practical ways leaders can rebuild trust, meaning, and momentum without pushing people further away.

Veterinary leadership is heavier than it used to be, expectations are higher, teams are more complex, and the old playbooks are not working anymore. That is exactly why Uncharted 2026 at VMX exists. This is not another conference about doing more with less or pushing harder through burnout. It is a space designed for real conversations, practical leadership tools, and honest connection with people who actually understand what it means to lead in veterinary medicine right now. If you are craving clarity, energy, and strategies you can take straight back to your clinic, the 2026 Uncharted Veterinary Conference is where it starts.

If you want to dive deep into communications DiSC Decoded Cohort is now open for registration and the first session starts February 11th, 2026. This is a guided, hands-on experience that helps veterinary leaders understand behavior, communication, and motivation, not just in theory, but in the real moments that matter most. From managing conflict and disengagement to coaching without awkwardness, DiSC Decoded gives you the language and tools to lead people with confidence instead of frustration.

If you are ready to stop guessing, stop carrying everything alone, and start leading with intention, this is your invitation.

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

Feeling like practice ownership might have passed you by, even after years of hard work, paid-down debt, and careful planning? In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark sits down with Roy Jain, COO and Co-Founder of Blue River PetCare, to tackle one of the most common and painful questions associate veterinarians face today: is practice ownership still possible, or is the system stacked against you? Together, they unpack a real mailbag letter from a veterinarian ten years into their career who feels stuck between buying, starting, or staying put. Roy shares a refreshingly realistic framework for ownership, breaking down mindset traps, real estate constraints, financial guardrails, and step-by-step growth strategies that make ownership feel achievable again. Whether you dream of owning your own clinic, expanding gradually, or simply want clarity on your long-term career path, this episode delivers honest guidance, practical benchmarks, and hope grounded in experience.

This episode is brought to you ad-free by Blue River PetCare!

To reach out to Roy for more information, just click on his bio here: https://blueriverpetcare.com/our-team/

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

When your team won’t move unless someone tells them exactly what to do, leadership starts to feel exhausting fast. We’re wrapping up the year by revisiting the top UVP episode of 2025, a standout conversation that resonated with practice managers, medical directors, and leaders who are tired of babysitting capable adults and ready to build a culture where initiative is the norm. In this Hall of Fame episode, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Andy Roark break down why initiative stalls in veterinary teams, how leaders often unintentionally reinforce it, and what actually works to build confidence, ownership, and forward momentum without micromanaging. If you’ve ever wondered whether initiative can truly be trained, this episode delivers the clarity, mindset shifts, and practical steps that earned it a place in the UVP Hall of Fame.

Uncharted Veterinary Conference 2026

If your clinic is growing faster than your systems can keep up, you’re not alone. The truth is, most veterinary leaders are fighting the same battle of trying to coach teams, improve communication, and reduce chaos while still keeping up with patient care. That’s exactly what Uncharted Veterinary Conference 2026 is built to solve.

Join us Friday, January 16 in Orlando, the day before VMX kicks off, for a one-day immersive experience that will transform the way you lead. Walk away with proven tools, new friends, and the kind of clarity that will change how you lead forever. Tickets are limited and this event always sells out. Grab your spot now at unchartedvet.com.

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag