Blunt Dissection – Détails, épisodes et analyse

On today’s show, I’m joined by veterinarian, multiple practice owner and digital storyteller, Dr. Cody Creelman. Join us as we talk about Dr. Cody’s exciting journey in and out of veterinary practice, culminating in his new practice FenVet, an ultramodern clinic looking to reimagine veterinary care.

Dr. Cody began his veterinary career with a focus on large animal practice, where he quickly became a respected figure, known for his dedication and expertise. Amongst being a veterinarian, multiple practice owner, Cody is also a digital storyteller—sharing his story and daily adventures in entertaining and educational ways that have garnered over 20 million views, followed by loyal cohorts of ranchers, veterinary professionals and the public alike.

From working a construction job seven days a week to pay for university, to veterinary graduate, to partner, to multiple practice owner — Cody didn’t catch his breath. However, in 2019, a series of unexpected events led him to pivot dramatically, leaving behind his established career to explore new horizons. Cody loaded up his family and set off into the unknown. After swimming in America’s tidal pools, hiking Redwood’s National Park amongst the oldest trees in the world and sleeping out under the stars, a new challenge started to emerge for Cody.

Driven by a desire to innovate and improve the veterinary experience for both clients and practitioners. He opened FenVet in Airdrie, Alberta in May 2021. A new ultramodern clinic, mostly working with dogs and cats. FenVet's mission was clear from the start: to reimagine the veterinary care experience for the betterment of patients, clients, and the FenVet team. Born from Cody’s appetite for innovation, the clinic focuses on continually challenging traditional animal care paradigms with the ultimate aim of extraordinary experience and extraordinary innovation.

So sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy my conversation with the one-and-only Dr. Cody Creelman.

Links

FenVet: https://fenvet.com/

FenVet's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fenvetclinic/

Follow Dr Cody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codycreelman/

Connect with Dr. Cody: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/cody-creelman-46b78156

Episode Outline

00:03:41 - Cody's Early Career and Achievements

00:05:30 - Career Pivot and Personal Reflection

00:11:21 - Finding Purpose Through Change

00:13:21 - Embracing Entrepreneurship

00:18:10 - Overcoming Anxiety and Embracing Vulnerability

00:26:22 - The Concept of Mortality in Career Choices

00:29:18 - The Genesis of Finn Vet

00:35:02 - The Blue Ocean Strategy in Veterinary Medicine

00:43:57 - Creating a Seven-Star Customer Experience

00:51:03 - Building an Empowered and Motivated Team

00:59:15 - Hiring and Cultivating the Right Culture

01:03:40 - Expanding with a Sourdough Starter Culture

01:08:12 - Navigating Economic Challenges in Veterinary Medicine

01:14:00 - Conclusion

On today’s show, I’m joined by veterinary surgeon turned King of online veterinary education, founder and CEO of The Webinar Vet, musician, environmentalist and Liverpool FC fan, Anthony Chadwick.

Anthony Chadwick knew from the age of 8 that he wanted to be a veterinarian. After graduating from his home university in Liverpool, he worked as a small animal veterinarian for over 20 years. 

After attending a webinar conference in 2010, Anthony saw an opportunity. Looking to make veterinary education easier, more accessible and affordable for vet professionals with very busy lives, Anthony carved out and pioneered the first online space for veterinary education through his founding of The Webinar Vet in 2010. 

The Webinar Vet has now been online for over 13 years, with over 3,000+ hours of video education and vets and nurses from well over 100 countries having benefited from its broad video encyclopaedia.

Anthony’s itch for pioneering and innovation doesn't stop there, as he continues to spread the word for circularity and sustainability in the veterinary business and beyond.

He has recently completed a Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies course at the University of Cambridge, and is hosting the third annual Veterinary Green Discussion Forum in June of this year. With a principal focus on leaving the planet in the same way we found it, Anthony’s personal life and businesses are built on the foundation of circularity and sustainability. The Webinar Vet is Carbon Negative, having planted over 7,000 trees so far and has cultivated wildflower meadows near its office. 

Anthony continues to facilitate regeneration into a more sustainable, environmentally friendly space by encouraging big and small companies to become more ambitious with their targets on climate, biodiversity and resource use to help keep our beautiful planet safe. And as a part of this mission, he is hosting the third annual Veterinary Green Discussion Forum at the London Wetland Centre on the 18th of June this year. 

In this episode, Anthony discusses his personal journey from veterinary surgeon to starting The Webinar Vet, strategies for practices and business owners to improve their sustainability, global sustainability, pilgrimage and slowing down, and of course, the importance of Liverpool FC.

So sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy my conversation with the King of online education, Anthony Chadwick.

Links

To book your place at the annual Veterinary Green Discussion Forum, 18th & 19th June, contact Anthony:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonychadwick

The Webinar Vet: https://thewebinarvet.com/

Connect with Anthony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonychadwick

Episode Outline

[00:02:29] Pioneer of online education.

[00:04:32] Football rivalry dynamics.

[00:12:08] Vocation and identity in veterinary medicine.

[00:16:19] The importance of pets.

[00:19:21] Gratitude and faith in life.

[00:25:06] Pilgrimage experiences on Camino.

[00:29:20] Type 2 Fun.

[00:32:00] Lifelong curiosity and learning.

[00:43:11] Circular concept of sustainability.

[00:54:17] Sustainability in life

[01:18:19] Sustainability in veterinary practices.

[01:22:28] Sustainable business practices

On today’s show, I’m joined by David McCormick.

David is a veterinary valuation appraiser and transaction specialist, working with veterinarians throughout their ownership journey to help evaluate financial health so owners can make better decisions. 

To give that a better outline David, in the same way, that veterinarians look at lab tests and x-rays to diagnose disease in animals, uses financial reporting tools to diagnose and treat unhealthy practices, or helps new owners understand their numbers from the beginning. In short, he’s a veterinary business health wizard who can read the tea leaves of your accounts and accurately predict much about your practice without ever walking in the door. A skill that every practice owner or manager would do very well to master too.

His career pathway to veterinary medicine was not direct and frankly is worth an interview on its own merits,  with animal encounters in exciting, remote places and a near miss as a musician featuring highly.  But it was his father, Larry, an MBA-holding Veterinarian that was the magnetic draw back into a world he was immersed in as a child. More on that in the interview.

David holds degrees in Science, Environmental Resource Management, and a Masters in Agricultural Education. He’s a regular and hugely popular speaker on the veterinary world speaking circuit, a charter member of Vet Partners, and serving as president in 2006. And was the Practice Management Education Manager for Western States Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas for seven years.

Money management is massively important for business and by extension physical and mental health. Well-managed businesses which return good profit margins allow for better staff salaries, more investment in new things to help standards of care, and a fair return for owners.

Having seen him keep the attention of the PSI vet symposium attendees the day before, on a subject more prone to glazing the eyes of veterinary professionals I knew I’d found my guy to talk about a subject that is taboo in the world of veterinary business - Profit is not a dirty word!

Regardless of your age or stage in vet med, this might be one of the most important conversations you hear because, in the end, economics determines just about everything.

So enjoy this, my conversation with the financial wizard and frisbee chasing David McCormick. 

Today's show was made possible through the generous sponsorship of VetX Thrive - the course where vets like you go to learn the professional skills needed to have a happy and financially successful career as a vet. Learn more and sign up at www.vetxinternational.com today.

When I sat down for this episode of Blunt Dissection I thought it would be like any normal interview. Very quickly however I found myself in the Blunt Dissection hot seat! Being interviewed by the returning Dr Peter Weinstein. Peter takes to the mic to ask me some of veterinary medicines' most burning questions and I must say I’m a bit worried he’s trying to take over as the host of Blunt Dissection as a whole! 

Peter and I have a fantastic discussion on a range of subjects from avoiding mentoring meltdowns, to the importance of culture, to reimagining the whole veterinary model around new technology. There's a lot to cover in this one so we’ll jump right on in but first a short message from our show sponsor...

We all know that imposter syndrome, angry clients, and burnout are real and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers. 

But what you might not know is that there is a place where you can learn and master the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. 

That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, The RACE accredited Thrive Professional Skills course, hundreds of articles, podcasts, live mentor Q&A sessions, swag and more.

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today to register for free!

Now back to the show...

Before we get into the interview, a quick reminder of just how much Peter has accomplished in his varied and successful career. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University and, after graduation, Peter worked as an associate for three years before fully engaging with his entrepreneurial seizure and opening his practice.

Whilst running his practice Peter learned the hard way that it takes way more than just a love of animals to run a successful hospital and so while managing and practising full time, he completed an MBA. This had a massive positive impact on his trajectory and helped his practice ‘take off’. 

Following the success of his practice, Dr Peter "segway-ed" out of clinical practice and into the land of vet politics and business consulting serving as the President and Executive Director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, President of the California Veterinary Medical Association and is a Past-President of VetPartners in the US.

He also co-wrote the book the E-myth veterinarian with Michael Gerber, which I highly recommend you read (and I harbour huge author-envy over).

So without further ado let's jump into the interview where the never-conventional Dr Peter Weinstein dissects yours truly.

In a very, very sad and bizarre twist of timing, the day we published this episode about 4 hours before it was announced that Her Majesty The Queen passed away. She was an incredible woman who was one of the most dignified leaders of her time. RIP Queen Elizabeth II. You will be missed.

Outline of this episode

• [9:34] After some light-hearted conversation, Dr. Peter asks Dr. Dave whether there is a common thread about the veterinary profession that gets talked about everywhere irrespective of the audience.
• [19:28] Dr. Dave Nicol talks about “burnout and wellness,” going into detail about his trigger words and how they may not mean what we think they mean.
• [24:14] Dr. Dave and Dr. Peter discuss extrinsic and intrinsic influencers of decision-making and why we need to focus on intrinsic influencers to make better decisions for all stakeholders.
• [27:52] Dr. Dave talks about how he incorporates proactive decision-making in his business...

In today's show, we visit rural Michigan and find ourselves on a horse farm… Home to none other than veterinary pain management guru Dr. Mike Petty.

Mike is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. He has been the owner of Arbor Pointe Veterinary Hospital since 1985. And it was here that he dedicated himself to becoming a pet pain management specialist, developing his practice to include the Animal Pain Center, a hugely popular service drawing pet owners from far and wide. 

Within this particular niche, Dr Petty expanded his knowledge and skills to encompass the most up-to-date and compassionate treatments available. He is certified as … and wait for it… a Veterinary Pain Practitioner, a Medical Veterinary Acupuncturist, a Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, and he’s a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management.

In 2016 he published his first book Dr. Petty's Pain Relief for Dogs: The Complete Medical and Integrative Guide to Treating Pain. 

Mike is the past president of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management and the co-author of the AAHA/AAFP 2015 Pain Guidelines. 

He is an international speaker, highly published author with articles in several veterinary journals and serves in an advisory capacity to several pharmaceutical companies on topics of pain management. 

Now before we jump into the show, a quick word from today’s show sponsor…The VetX community.

We all know that imposter syndrome, burnout, angry clients, and burnout are real and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers. 

But what you might not know is that there is a place where you can learn and master the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. 

That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, The RACE accredited Thrive Professional Skills course, hundreds of articles, podcasts,  live mentor Q&A sessions, swag and more.

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today to register for free!

Now back to the show..

Chatting with Dr Petty was a real privilege, he’s one of the people others frequently recommend to be a guest on the show - for his knowledge of pain management, but also his contribution to veterinary medicine and affable personality.

We explore the background and career of Dr Petty covering everything from Vespas to Lasers (and much in between). So if you need some pain management advice or even some career inspiration, this is going to be a show you don’t want to miss.

So, sit back, get comfy and enjoy this, my conversation with Veterinary Medicine’s pain management maestro, Dr. Mike Petty.

On today’s show I am joined by uber-technician and Anesthesia Nerds founder Tasha McNerney.

Tasha is a certified veterinary technician and pain practitioner specialising in anaesthesia as well as having the distinguished diploma in utterly nerdy vet tattoos!  

Her veterinary journey bagan back in 1997 when she first started working in practice and has seen her rise to become one of the most inspiring advocates for animals in our profession.  Tasha graduated from Michigan State University in 2003 with a degree in wildlife Biology, gained her LVT in 2006 after studying Veterinary Technology at Manor college, and in 2015 qualified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in anaesthesia. 

She also works to educate the public on animal pain awareness, founding  Animal Pain Awareness Month alongside the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. 

She is a regular on the vet speaking circuit, and in 2020 she was recognised for her contributions by being voted VMX Speaker of the Year for Veterinary Technicians.

But perhaps her greatest accomplishment in doing all of this, is in finally proving beyond any doubt that nerds can be cool too. Well, at least Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds! If you are not picking up what I’m putting down then search for Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds on Facebook and you’ll find the group she founded with more than 18,000 other passionately devotees to making life safer for animals under our care, big glasses and, occasionally, cool ink... 

Speaking of awesome communities, a quick word from today’s show sponsor…. 

Did you know there is a community where you can learn the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors, view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. 

That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, 14 hours of accredited education, hundreds of articles and live mentor Q&A sessions, plus earn swag and more. And I, yes I will be your personal mentor! 

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today. Registration is free so go to vetxinternational.com now.

Now back to the show,

I’ve known Tasha for years, so it was awesome to finally have this conversation. She’s not only a great advocate for our profession and a great person to spend some time with. If pain, learning how to look after yourself and cool tats are your jam, this episode is for you. Oh, and she’s also a fully paid up member of the “We love Great Britain Club”... what’s not to love? So let's jump right into this, my conversation with the fantastic, Tasha McNerney.

Episode Outline

• [00:00] Introductions- The show starts with Tasha McNerney talking about her love for England and her general personal life.
• [06:44] What are you currently working on in your life?
• [11:11] Tasha talks about the work-life boundaries she has set and her relationship with her 10-year-old son
• [14:27] How much in our life is too much to weigh in? What other boundaries have been set in relation to the veterinary work?
• [18:00] Host asks Tasha if her work boundaries have ever created tension and resentment among the team members
• [19:44] Tasha gives her thoughts on the work rate of the younger generation in the technical and veterinary fields
• [25:25] How did you know you were burnt out? How do you keep emotionally fulfilled?
• [28:50] Host

In today’s episode of Blunt Dissection, we’re joined by the real-life Forrest Gump, Rob Pope.

 Rob is best known for being the first person to complete the famous Forrest Gump run: 15,621 miles, five times across the United States. Rob is a graduate of the London Royal Veterinary College, an ER vet, winner of the Liverpool marathon, a qualifier for the Australian Olympic marathon team, ultra-athlete, and the first man to complete the Forrest Gump Run across America. 

Averaging nearly 40 miles each day, Rob embarked on this mind-boggling journey across the United States to raise both funds and awareness for causes he really believes in - Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund.  His journey took him across the US 4.77 times, covering over 15,700 miles and earning a Guinness World Record. 

In 2021 he released his book documenting the journey, “Becoming Forrest”.

He has also finished as top Northern European on the six-day, self-sufficient Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, billed as one of “The World’s Toughest Footrace” - and that was despite developing pneumonia during the penultimate stage!

To date, his incredible efforts have raised more than £100,000 for charities including the world wildlife fund.

Rob hosts the Red Bull podcast called “How to be Superhuman”, where he chats to other similarly insanely brilliant (or perhaps brilliantly insane) endurance athletes of all backgrounds to hear what makes them “superhuman”.

Oh, and in addition to his vet degree, he also holds a degree in veterinary pathology and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine.

If you like running you are going to LOVE this episode. If you need a lift, Rob is your walking pep talk. And if you just love some vet life philosophy from two dudes with weird accents… we’ve got you covered. Enjoy this conversation with the superhuman running machine, Dr Rob Pope.

Outline of this episode:

• [0:00] The introduction begins. 
• [03:22] The episode begins with Rob describing who he is and what he does.
• [07:39] Explaining the decision to run across America… five times.
• [17:00] Rob shares his interesting experience after asking to use a stranger’s bathroom in Texas.
• [20:50] How Rob worked around his visa timeframe.
• [26:40] Rob’s biggest takeaways from his time in America.
• [33:34] Preparing for the Forrest Gump run.
• [41:30] Rob’s warm-up and cool-down practices for long-distance runs.
• [48:43] Advice to budding runners.
• [54:54] How to enjoy your career in veterinary medicine.
• [1:04:02] Rob discusses his approach to goal-setting.
• [1:08:37] Being intentional about rest and relaxation.
• [1:12:51] Rob reveals his go-to running earphones and playlist.
• [1:16:55] How to be superhuman.
• [1:25:25] Overcoming the wall of life.

Now after a short intermission, on today’s show, we’re back. And I’m joined by Canadian veterinarian, comedian, author, and cancer survivor Dr. Sarah Boston.

Sarah graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1996. 

She completed a rotating internship at the University of Guelph the following year. She then returned to Western Canada for three years of general practice before going to the University of Guelph for a residency in small animal surgery - becoming board-certified with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2004. 

Sarah followed this up with a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology in 2005 and is an ACVS Founding Fellow of both Surgical Oncology and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

She was on faculty at the University of Guelph for 5 years before moving south to the University of Florida where she was an Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology.

Having achieved tenure at both institutions she took the less beaten path and moved back to Canada where she started a Surgical Oncology Service at 404 Veterinary Emergency & Referral in Newmarket. She is Adjunct Faculty at the University of Guelph.

A Past-President of Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology Sarah has authored numerous journal articles and textbook chapters on surgical oncology. Sarah is also a published author and cancer survivor. Her first book, Lucky Dog: How Being a Veterinarian Saved My Life, was published in 2014. 

In addition to her writing and vet work, Sarah has found a huge creative outlet in comedy, founding The Cageliner, a satirical newspaper for the veterinary industry, and, having made the Top 10 in CBC Comedy’s 2019 Next Up amateur comedy competition, she decided to make comedy her next big move, undertaking a two-year diploma qualification at Comedy School!

In this episode, we delve into Sarah’s past and learn what has shaped her to become the person she is today, from living on her own at age fifteen to her ‘crazy’ patients in Florida, clown school, and overcoming cancer. 

So, without further ado, enjoy this conversation with Dr. Sarah Boston.