The Joyful DVM Podcast: Empowering Veterinary Professionals

Fear is a powerful motivator.It makes perfect since when we remember the original purpose of this emotion...Self Preservation.Fear is part of our built-in alert system. Super useful when our ancestors were being hunted by predators, not so much today.The alert system still exists... and it’s really good at sending off false alarms.Fear is so instinctual that it is often the first thing we feel in any uncertain situation.Uncertainty creates fear. Fear drives the desire to withdraw... to get away from the uncertain (scary) situation at hand.This instinctual series of events is REACTIONARY.When we live our lives through a sequence of reactionary actions, we give away our power...we abandon our ability to choose...we become victims of the things we can't control.This is all optional.Empowerment trumps fear every. single. time.When empowerment exists concurrently with fear, the impact of fear is diminished.Fear may be unpredictable, unavoidable, and instinctual... but Empowerment is deliberate.Empowerment can be created On Demand as we embrace our ability to master our own mindset and intentionally chose what we believe in any situation.Wondering how to intentionally create empowerment when you are feeling afraid? In this podcast episode, I share the Five-Step Process for Transitioning from Fear to Empowerment. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Feeling angry with your veterinary clients because they just don't get it?Tired of the complaining about scheduling appointments, curbside service, and the inability to get in same-day?Wishing they'd just chill out and understand what you're going through?You aren't alone.But it's not just veterinary clinics experiencing this Extra from clients.And it's not just veterinary clinics turning to social media to publicly Client Shame the behavior.Not Cool, Friends.Sure, this passive-aggressive behavior is driven by your frustration with your cranky clients... but not all of your clients are cranky... and your best ones may actually be driven away by your PSA.(It's not going to fix the problems with the cranky ones, either).Here's some tough truth:Your most difficult clients today were also your most difficult clients before the pandemic...and you let them get away with this type of behavior... you taught them to treat you this way by not sticking to your hospital policies (or not having policies at all).A Client Shaming PSA is not going to fix this for you.In this Episode: 1. I share one strategy that will effectively stop (most) of this behavior.2. I shed some light on what really drove you to try the Client Shaming approach.3. I explain why, six months into this new normal, it seems like clients just aren't grasping this new way of doing things. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

How's your mood?Think back over the last several days, weeks, or even months...How have you been feeling?These may seem like random questions, but the answers explain Everything about the progress you've been making (or not making) toward creating the life you want.Your mood is a direct reflection of your Net Emotional State.So, if you're spending most of your waking hours stressed, angry, or unhappy then there is no reason to beat yourself up for not making progress toward your goals.It makes perfect scientific sense to me why you are stuck. But, do you know why?Curious? Check out Part 3 of this Vet Med Joy Stealers series.By the end, you'll understand what's really been going, and have greater awareness about what you can actually do about it. (Your options might surprise you!) Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

How are you choosing your clients?Are you intentionally cultivating the clientele you serve?Or, are you just accepting every potential client who seeks your services?Did you even realize you had a choice?You Do!What about your compensation...Are you paying yourself adequately as a practice owner?Do you understand how you can increase your compensation as an associate?Do you know how to move up in compensation as support staff?If your answer is no, then recognize that you are drawing conclusions in the absence of actual information.It's time to have a conversation!How about your time?Believing you don't have time to live your life the way you want?You'll prove yourself true every. single. time. A scarcity mindset left unchecked has undesirable consequences in our veterinary careers and in our lives.To learn more about how scarcity is a joy-stealer in Veterinary Medicine, check out Episode 17 Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Vet Med is an interesting career.Often a Love / Hate relationship.Spectacularly rewarding, and crushingly devastating all at the same time.The events that occur in veterinary medicine are just part of the job.The way that we respond to the events, is optional.OPTIONAL.That's really hard to see when a client is blasting us on social media, or a six-month-old puppy dies during a routine spay.Frustration, Fear, and Sadness are appropriate emotional responses... But then we take it too far...We make it personal.We tie up those events, and our resultant emotions, with our personal professional abilities and individual self-worth.Friends, those things are not connected.Unhappy clients and poor patient outcomes often steal our joy, but that an optional consequence.Check out this Episode 16 to find out why. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Scenario: You're asked a yes-or-no question.How do you respond?Yes, without hesitating?Awesome!No, without regret?Excellent! No, with remorse because you really want to say yes?Uh-oh... trouble ahead...Yes, with bitterness and anger because you really want to say no?Welcome to the People Pleasers Club... your future is at risk.Not Joking.How did yes-or-no questions get so complicated?!Fear.It all comes down to fear.Fear of disapproval.Fear of conflict.Fear of unknown consequences. Fear of judgment.Fear of saying No. If you're saying Yes when you really mean No, then you're probably People Pleasing.If you're saying No, but justifying your answer with "I can't..." or "I shouldn't..." then you still aren't owning your choice... So who's getting hurt here?YOU ARE!People pleasing and justifying are self-defeating and disempowering actions.They also aren't polite or kind because they are disingenuous in nature.These actions destroy self-confidence.These actions inhibit your ability to create the life you want and to become the person you are meant to be.I dig into it all in this episode - Episode 14.Resources mentioned:Vet Life Academy & the Setting Boundaries Workshop bonus Setting Boundaries Blueprint Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Therapy or Coaching?It's a question I'm asked frequently by my veterinary colleagues.It's yet another example of binary thinking... either/or...For some of us, both might be the best choice.Mostly it just comes down to our ultimate goals.If we want to heal the past and put it to rest, therapy is great for this.If we want to move beyond the past to intentionally create something different for the future, coaching is the answer.There is a lot of stigmas, even now, associated with therapy.The shame is unnecessary.There is no place for judgment, neither self-judgment nor the judgment of others when it comes to people seeking the help they need.We aren't supposed to have it all together all the time.Sometimes we need help, and we should not be afraid to seek it.But too often, we keep our pain bottled inside... where it grows into something far greater and more negatively influential than it really is. We make choices as if that pain is our only reality.It's not. Therapy and coaching can both help in this regard.Bottom line: Get the help you need.You are not alone.Everything you want is possible for your life.Resources Mentioned:Webinar: Everything Is PossibleCoaching Program: Vet Life Academy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

How do you think your life should be?For that matter, how do you believe the world should be?We all have our opinions...... and when it comes to our own lives, the gap between what we believe it should be like and what it actually is, creates emotional turmoil.This is true in our vet med jobs, our relationships with others, and even our evaluations of ourselves.When we focus on what should be, we miss the opportunity in what is.Even when the reality isn't as we'd like it to be, embracing the truth creates power and opportunity... in veterinary medicine and in life. The land of "should be" creates shame, inaction, and hopelessness. It's binary. Either / Or. It's limiting... forcing you to experience your life as the effect of external things.It's victimizing... it builds a false belief that you have no control.It kills self-confidence. So what else? How about AND..."And" opens up opportunity."And" focuses on what's possible."And" creates compassion and hope.Resources Mentioned:Vet Life Academy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Our circumstances don't stop us from pursuing our goals and dreams...... our thought patterns do. Our minds are complex, to say the least.Our thought patterns are layered, and very influential... but not always in a good way.It's so easy to believe that our circumstances are the problem...... that our circumstances are the reason why we aren't living our best lives.The Eastern Bluebirds on our farm clearly reminded me this is never true... and I'm sharing that story today on the podcast.Unconventional? Probably.A powerful illustration of truth? Yes!Once we let the idea that our circumstances can keep stop us from achieving our dreams take the seed, our minds go to work gathering the evidence to prove the idea true.Powerful autopilot.Basic neuroscience. Detrimental outcome. Unintentional result.Left unchecked, our thoughts will lead us in directions we never intentionally meant to go. We don't even realize it's happening if we don't know we have a choice in what we think about.Read that again.You have a choice in what you think about.In those moments when horror and panic try to take over... do you really want them to drive?Emotions drive action, always.But emotion is only created by thoughts... and thoughts can be intentionally created. Don't like your results? Check your actions.Don't like your actions? Uncover your thought patterns.Intentionally change your mind, and intentionally change your life. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

You know what they say about assumptions...It holds true in Vet Med as well.There is a collection of broad-sweeping beliefs that many of us have about our lives as veterinary professionals.The most influential beliefs are about the impact of our career choice on our time and income potential. Through the normal course of our veterinary careers, we've absorbed these beliefs from those who have gone before us. The perspectives are common.We've accepted, without question, these conclusions as truth.Absolute truth.Together they become the lens through which we see our lives and what is possible... ... and what is impossible...In this episode, I peel apart the assumptions, examine how these assumptions have led us to draw conclusions that hold us back, and share how you can put your own mind to work to find the solutions that will result in fulfilling Vet Med's life and career.Resources Mentioned:Setting Boundaries Workshop Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

No doubt, 2020 thus far has been quite a ride... and we're only halfway through. True end of the world? Maybe.Getting back to normal soon? Not even an option. As I looked back at just some of the things 2020 has brought us and considered the way we humans have reacted, I see the silver lining. Do you see it?Many of us are missing it because of our current suffering.Our fear, uncertainty, and grief keep us from recognizing what else is happening.The world is changing.People are finding the courage to use their voices.Organizations are adjusting the way they do business, permanently.We are no longer willing to settle for what was before.There is no going back... and that's a good thing. This is the time to make the massive changes you've dreamed of for your life.At first consideration, it might appear the timing is terrible.I'd argue it's never been better. Resources Mentioned:1. Article: 28 things you probably forgot happened in the whirlwind that 2020 has been 2. Vet Life Academy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The noise and action of the world can drown out what is real. In this short and sweet episode, I offer truth and encouragement to veterinary professionals, and every person, who might need a gentle reminder that they are enough. Your worth is infinite.Your value is priceless.Your potential is limitless.Your purpose is real.Your dreams and goals are needed in this world.Don't give up.Resources:Vet Life Academy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The quality of veterinary clinic culture is directly related to the gap between expectation and reality.The 5 components of culture in veterinary organizations include:LeverageSchedulePayPoliciesLeadershipAt the time of employment and onboarding, expectations in all of these areas are created. What we experience, then, either aligns with expectations or does not. When it doesn't, a gap between expectation and reality is created, trust is eroded, and culture suffers. A suffering culture is displayed in the actions and interactions of employees and leaders. It is these behaviors and the way we feel as we witness these behaviors, that creates the toxicity we often reference. In the thick of it, we totally miss that there is ALWAYS one person we can trust in every single situation... one person who has our back no matter what... the only person who can alter the misery we are experiencing... that person is you.The quality of clinic culture is directly related to the gap between expectation and reality. The personal impact of clinic culture is created only by our thoughts about it. Wondering what you can do to change your personal experience? Check out this episode and join us at Vet Life Academy. To learn more, check out my free webinar joyfuldvm.com/webinarResources Mentioned:Vet Life AcademyFree Webinar Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Have you ever been talking to a client and you see them zone out so you switch gears to try to deliver your message a different way, all the while watching for any signs of comprehension or consent?Or have you been delivering unexpected news and find yourself in an explanation loop... rationalizing, justifying, convincing... all while that little voice in your head screams, "Just Stop Talking!".It's all pretty common. There are four main reasons we talk to veterinary clients:ConversationalGathering informationEducatingUpdatingThese four reasons also have four levels of potential risk of personal emotional impact and confrontation.In this episode I break them all down, with examples, and share how adjusting your focus will make both you and the client feel better... not Vet Med word vomit required. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

It's no surprise we try to measure our success in Vet Med. We are constantly looking for indications that we are doing it right, or doing it wrong. Unfortunately, success in Vet Med can't be measured by tangible things.So, in the absence of tangible measures of success, we create our own:Clients who are happy and patients who get better mean we're doing it right.Clients who are angry and patients who don't respond to treatment mean we're doing it wrong.But, it doesn't work that way.In this episode, I take at the harmful way we measure our success in VetMed, why we do it, how misplaced responsibility contributes to the problem, and the one true measure of success that provides accurate feedback every time. Featured in this episode:Vet Life Academy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

What's the hardest part of veterinary medicine? Most of us wouldn't identify getting bitten, being pooped on, learning to take well-positioned radiographs, or figuring out how to draw blood on fractious cats as the hard parts of our jobs. The hard part is feeling stressed out all the time, and we believe that stress comes from things like cranky clients, conversations about money and euthanasia. The good news is that it doesn't. We can develop Emotional Resilience and it all starts with understanding the true definitions of "Feel" and using the word appropriate... something most of us are doing wrong. Developing Emotional Resilience in Veterinary Medicine Requires:Identifying the real emotion we are feelingIdentifying the real cause of the emotionLetting go of responsibility for the emotions of othersThe quickest way to increase your self-confidence is by developing your emotional resilience.Additional Resources:Everything Is Possible Webinar https://joyfuldvm.com/webinar Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Many of us don't speak out or take action in our lives not because we don't agree that change is needed, but because we are afraid of doing it wrong. The fear keeps us living small and accepting the status quo.Our human brains rationalize those choices.It seems very logical...But we forget, the best part of our human brain provides the capacity to evaluate our own thought patterns and to purposely develop new ones. This is the skill we learn and practice every day at the Vet Life Academy. It is this ability that will create the change we desire in our individual lives, and the greater change that the world needs. We are resistant to examining the thoughts we aren't proud of, so we push them aside and ignore their existence. In doing that, we give them power... the power to keep us from taking action.What we don't understand is that our thoughts are not a direct reflection of who we are as moral and ethical humans, they are just sentences offered to us by our human brain. "Our thoughts don't have moral value". -Kara Loewentheil, J.D., Master Certified Life CoachOur thoughts don't define us.Our actions do.Shaming yourself for your thoughts will stop you from taking action.We must be willing to be uncomfortable as we examine our own existing thought patterns if we are ever going to intentionally focus on what we truly value. Without deliberately teaching ourselves this skill, our lives (and the world) remains at the effect of unintentional thinking. We remain passive. We support in silence.We don't grow into who we are meant to be. The world doesn't change."When you are clear on your values, the decision making comes easy." -Stu McLaren, Consultant, Founder of TribeFEATURED ON THE SHOW:Vet Life Academy https://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademyKara Loewentheil https://www.facebook.com/karaloewentheil/Stu McLaren https://www.facebook.com/stumclaren/ Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Our purpose as part of a veterinary hospital, whether we are veterinarians or veterinary technicians, or veterinary practice managers, is to serve clients and treat patients. That is all. That is why veterinary hospitals exist.Unfortunately, most of us spend an abundant amount of time focused on things that do not fall into the purpose of our role... simply put, we don’t stay in our lane. This shows up as gossiping, commiserating, and judging. When we consider the impact of gossiping, commiserating, and judging on our ability to fulfill our role in veterinary medicine, there are three clear undesirable consequences:We waste time.We compromise client service and patient care.We create career regret.So how do we fix it, or in the case of our new grads, keep it from happening?There are two things we must intentionally keep in mindWhere our role has actual influence and responsibility in the different stages of the Veterinary Appointment CycleWhy we chose this career in the first placeIn this episode, I explore both. Featured on the show: Free Webinar: https://joyfuldvm.com/webinar Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode, I take a look at the UP SIDE of Imposter Syndrome in VetMed.Imposter Syndrome is really a state of believing that you're a fraud and that your accomplishments were more likely accidental than the intentional result of your performance. I dig deep into the phenomenon, share why it’s both very common, and very normal, in the Veterinary profession.Topics include:What Imposter Syndrome isWhy Imposter Syndrome occursWhen Imposter Syndrome started for most of us Why VetMed provides abundant opportunities for Imposter Syndrome to grow The UPSIDE of Imposter Syndrome that occurs once you understand what’s really happeningI also share my thoughts on Self Confidence, Negative Self Talk & Self Belief, describe how emotions are created, explain the concept of Emotional Normalcy, and describe emotion’s physiologic impact. Resources mentioned in this podcast:Free Webinar: https://joyfuldvm.com/webinar Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Joyful DVM Podcast! Joyful DVM is a personal development organization created to support veterinary professionals and teach the life skills traditional veterinary education is lacking. The Joyful DVM vision is to empower veterinary professionals and change the belief that relentless stress, anxiety, depression, and the high rate of suicide are inevitable consequences of VetMed careers.A different outcome requires a different approach and a different perspective. That’s what you’ll find each week on the Joyful DVM Podcast.In this episode, I share the history of Joyful DVM, my personal vet life journey, and why I believe we’re missing the mark when it comes to reducing suicide statistics in our profession.Resources mentioned in this episode:Free PDF > The Setting Boundaries Blueprint https://joyfuldvm.com/boundariesFree PDF > The Alternative Careers Guide https://joyfuldvm.com/jobguideFree Course > The Truth About Vet Med https://joyfuldvm.com/freecourseCourse > Relief Vet 101 https https://joyfuldvm.com/reliefvet101Program > Vet Life Academy https://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay