Inventory Nation with Nicole Clausen - All Things Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals – Details, episodes & analysis

SUMMARY: 

Welcome back! We’re so glad you can join us for this very special – and very important – episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast. Because she’s been there, Host Nicole Clausen knows intimately how the stress of managing inventory can wreak havoc. That’s why she has chosen to devote this episode to an amazing form of self-care: Meditation. Tune in to learn how to divert high anxiety into total relaxation through the simple act of bringing mindfulness. Our host invites you to take a thoughtful, non-judgmental pause. Catch your breath, let the noise in your brain go and feel your body ease into peace in this present moment. You’ll hear – and experience – in real time what it’s like to be taken on a journey through guided visualization. It’s a great strategy for transforming feelings of overwhelm or frustration when the sometimes thankless work that is inventory management is getting you down. We want you to take care of yourself and this is one simple, free, effective way to do just that! So join us … and relax!

Big news! Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals is here! Nicole Clausen has poured all her knowledge and experience into a brand-new book you won’t want to miss. Inventory professionals of all kinds will love the tools, strategies and practical examples compiled in this one-of-a-kind compendium, available now at this link. It’s a collection of tips, tricks and positive reinforcement Nicole wanted but couldn’t find when she was first starting out!

Would you like to learn more about Vet Care Logistics’ Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!

You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.

KEY QUOTES: 

• “Meditation is not about shutting off your thoughts or achieving some perfect, constant state of peace. It's natural for your mind to wander, to drift in and out of focus.”
• “With each breath allow yourself to become more deeply connected to the energy of this garden. A place of pure relaxation and peace.”
• “This is your center, your place of calm amidst the busy world. Silently affirm to yourself: I trust in this moment of peace. I am safe. I am whole.”

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Episode Summary:

Welcome back to another episode of the Inventory Nation podcast! In this special edition, host Nicole Clausen takes you behind the scenes of her first-ever book, "Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals." Nicole shares her heartfelt journey—from conceptualizing the book to the challenges she faced during the writing process and her ultimate inspiration. The book, designed to be accessible and neurodivergent-friendly, addresses the common struggles faced by inventory managers in the veterinary field.

Nicole dives deep into the writing and editing process, emphasizing the different learning styles her book caters to, and how she incorporated fun and practical elements to make inventory concepts more engaging. Whether you're a novice just stepping into inventory management or a seasoned veteran looking to refine your skills, this book promises to be a constant companion filled with strategies, real-world scenarios, and best practices.

Key Takeaways:

• Inspiration and Audience: Nicole’s book is dedicated to the often-overlooked role of inventory managers, aiming to support them with comprehensive resources.
• Writing Process and Challenges: Nicole navigated the complexities of writing and editing, guided by a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-friendly coach.
• Content Structure: The book is laid out to follow the flow of inventory in a practice, making it easier for readers to relate theory to real-world application.
• Educational Utility: It includes practical examples, story problems, and a formula quick reference guide to demystify inventory management for veterinary practices.
• Upcoming Plans: Nicole hints at exciting new releases and free resources that will be unveiled in the next quarter.

Notable Quotes:

1. "I wrote this book to be a long-lasting resource and reference for managing inventory in your practice."
2. "Inventory management is a practice, not a destination."
3. "I wanted this book to be accessible to folks who learn a little bit differently, who, you know, just have different learning styles."
4. "Nobody wants to read a really dry, boring, professional-sounding book on inventory."
5. "I poured a lot of time and love and sometimes tears into this book, s

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Do you have an inventory management hero? Or maybe you’re the unsung hero? This episode of Inventory Nation introduces something brand new from Vet Care Logistics: Inventory Manager Appreciation Day, which this year takes place on June 7th and will also mark the opening of nominations for Inventory Manager of the Year! So stay tuned for accolades as well as exciting gifts for our honorees! Host Nicole Clausen is also giving us the run-down on her Top Tips for keeping your inventory systems running smoothly (and accurately). You’ll learn about simple, but powerful ways in which to work more effectively with your team to enable, monitor, assess and backstop data related to ordering, tracking and sharing. The savings to your practice can be significant and it’s great for team morale since – to paraphrase the bestselling self-help author Brene Brown – clear is kind! 

Hope these 11 strategies for bundling, recording and selling inventory inspire you to up your data accuracy game and if you put any of Nicole’s tips into practice, please let us know! We’re always tweaking systems and community feedback is a big part of evolving the methodology!

Don’t forget to visit Vet Care Logistics at this link for more information about upcoming events, like our new June 7th Inventory Manager Appreciation Day and award nominations!

Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!

You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.

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Overwhelmed? Confused?  Sometimes even waking up at night with inventory anxiety? Nicole Clausen, host of the Inventory Nation Podcast, well remembers having exactly those feelings when she was just starting out – and wishing she had a comprehensive resource.

That’s why she has created a new inventory ecosystem methodology – the program she wishes she’d had access to back in the day! This episode introduces the Inventory System Deep Dive, a lifetime playbook for you and your inventory. Engaging and fun, it’s a three-phased online program with evergreen resources, a community of support and all the tools you’ll need to bring real, sustainable order to your practice’s inventory.

You’ll learn about how to set up software support, create management systems and put in place all the necessary guardrails to ensure smooth sailing through all kinds of inevitable growth, change and unexpected hurdles. The veterinary profession has been waiting for exactly this kind of foundational 101 course – and Nicole has set it up in a way that’s user-friendly, self-paced, affordable and accessible whenever you need it for as long as you need it.

Most gratifying of all? You’ll come away with newfound confidence and the glow of camaraderie available to everyone who joins the unique network that is Veterinary Care Logistics. 

Ready to start sleeping like a baby? Click here to join the Inventory System Deep Dive, Nicole’s latest exclusive offering for the inventory management community. Enrollment is open with a special $200 discount available until registration closes at midnight on April 28th.

You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.

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Time flies! On this special episode of Inventory Nation, Host Nicole Clausen is celebrating six years of serving her favorite people – us! When she started Veterinary Care Logistics in 2017, it was out of a strong desire to help the many inventory managers who feel overwhelmed or beaten down by their job descriptions. Having once been there herself, Nicole knows well the behaviors and assumptions that have been normalized when it comes to inventory managers and what their jobs entail. And she also knows how we can push back, creating systems and processes that benefit us and our entire practice! You’ll learn on this episode about nine of the biggest myths Nicole has encountered over her years of working with a huge variety of clients across the U.S. and beyond. She’s giving us permission to question business as usual and practical tips designed to set our practices up with protocols that work. If you’re feeling confused, lost, devalued or burdened by unrealistic expectations (your own as well as those imposed by others) then this episode will serve as an important reminder that you’re not alone. Far from it – and stay tuned! Because things can (and will) get better. You can join a community of inventory managers who feel mastery on the job and peace of mind – even on their days off! 

Ready to get optimized? Don’t miss Nicole’s latest FREE workshop, available here! This three-day class (April 18-20) will teach you how to effortlessly craft an inventory action plan, including helpful insights into how to consolidate orders and navigate everything from new vendors to shipping costs. We’ll be teaming up, winning prizes and having lots of fun!

Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!

You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.

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Change is never easy and – especially in a fast-paced clinic environment where so many variables pop up every single day – it can even be destabilizing. That’s why Host Nicole Clausen is devoting this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to Five Simple Steps to reduce the fear factor when it comes to adopting new systems or processes. 

She walks us through practical approaches that will smooth transitions and promote buy-in from team members all along the way. So grab a notepad and hear how you can take the guesswork out of implementing change with some basic strategies (like clear communications, training and positive reinforcement). It’s all about setting your practice up for seamless, successful adoption over the long haul. 

And you might even find your team getting excited because – when executed properly – new SOPs, methods and platforms improve everyone’s quality of life! “As people who are leading, changing and growing our practices, we have the opportunity to do better than what we had or were given in the past,” says Nicole. And how cool is that?

Ready to build confidence and fast-track change at your clinic? Join Nicole for her free three-day workshop series from April 18th-20th, My Roadmap for Effortlessly Crafting an Inventory Action Plan. Grab your complimentary seat now at this link!

You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.

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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Penny-wise and pound-foolish. Either of these adages apply perfectly to the topic at hand on this episode of Inventory Nation. Dr. Lauren Forsythe – a controlled substances expert and Pharmacy Service Head at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital – highlights for Host Nicole Clausen how risk mitigation can prevent costly regulatory compliance issues before they start. Their conversation focuses on why it’s important to establish dispensary protocols as well as concrete strategies to get the job done at your particular practice. You’ll learn about common mistakes and how to get around the reflexively fearful response many of us have when it comes to taking on the management of controlled substances.
 

Ready to fall in love with your inventory? Check out Nicole’s new (and totally free) mini-course at this link. And stay tuned for more fun mini-courses and events upcoming this spring!

Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here! 

You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link. Or follow what we’re up to @Instagram.

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Help! Have you ever gone from feeling in total command of your inventory to … what?? The wheels suddenly seem to have come off the bus, thanks to an unexpected rush or a crush of back orders. Don’t worry! Host Nicole Clausen has your back and is devoting this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to managing through – practically and emotionally – when things start to fall apart. And, by the way, inventory snafus happen to everyone – so no beating yourself up! You’ll come away from this show with three Top Tips for getting through the bumps, plus bonus ideas sure to make you feel less alone. The biggest takeaway? Don’t be afraid of vulnerability (with thanks to Brené Brown)! Creating inventory systems can be a thankless job fraught with inevitable mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t doing a fantastic job. This episode provides you tools to perform a reality check when it feels like the rock is rolling back down the hill! In addition to mindset coaching, Nicole is sharing other ideas for self-care that will help you navigate on even the toughest days. Taking on the task of managing operations and supplies for your practice is huge. You are, in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “daring greatly.” So stand proud and try some of these strategies for keeping yourself together in the face of whatever challenge. Finally, remember: Things always change and the inroads you’re making are no doubt appreciated even more than you realize!

Ready to fall in love with your inventory? Check out Nicole’s new (and totally free) mini-course at this link. And stay tuned for more fun mini-courses and events upcoming this spring!

Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here! 

You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link. Or follow what we’re up to @Instagram.

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Ever wondered how to showcase the value you bring as an inventory manager? Or wanted to truly shine during a salary negotiation or on your latest resume? Host Nicole Clausen devotes this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to giving you strategies to demonstrate – in very concrete ways – the huge benefits this work bring to to veterinary practices. And there’s nothing squishy about it since metrics are of course at the heart of great inventory management! You’ll learn how to quantify clearly for clinic owners (or perhaps prospective employers in other industries) the impacts you make in reducing expenses, saving time and boosting efficiencies throughout the operation. To put it another way: If you’re saving a $1.5 million practice just 2% annually on cost of goods, that represents a savings of $30,000. Add in all the other reductions in waste, inefficiency and over-stocking and a skilled inventory manager’s impacts to the business’s bottom line are easily in the tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, what you’re running is a business within a business! So, Nicole reminds us, never doubt the valuable role you’re playing and skill set you bring! Whether you’re negotiating a raise or looking to move into an entirely different line of work, the ROI you represent is demonstrable and real! 

In the mood for love? Nicole has just released a new five-day minicourse – Falling in Love with Your Inventory – that you can find for free at this link.

Would you like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, our step-by-step blueprint to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence? Click here!

You can also join the Inventory Strategy Network – our free virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals – by visiting this link.

FOLLOW OR CONTACT US:

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

SUMMARY: 

Passion is at the heart of every great romance and it’s no different went it comes to Host Nicole Clausen’s ongoing affair with all things inventory management! This episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast offers you a front-row seat on what it feels like to Fall In Love With Your Inventory! Returning with her first podcast of 2023 (and since the loss of her beloved Tank), Nicole jumps right into the nuts and bolts of putting systems in place – not just in order to get a handle on things like ordering, pricing and performance indicators but also to make life more pleasant and manageable for everyone on your team. Even on the best of days our practices can be swamped by all kinds of variables, so why not put in place SOPs that are about more than show? Nicole is spelling out the components of a healthy inventory ecosystem and how they all work together to ease everyday operational flow. You’ll also hear about Emma and the real-world results she reaped after taking control of her multi-practice inventory management system. With a little help from Nicole and her toolkit, Emma discovered how to make her multiple vet practices hum – and in the process of doing so also uncovered the fact that this kind of work – spreadsheets and all – is actually in her zone of genius! Maybe it’s in yours, too? 

Ready to Fall In Love With Your Inventory? Click here to find out all about Nicole’s upcoming free five-day mini-course, a proven process for taking back control of your inventory – without adding a million things to your to-do list!

And if you would like to learn more about Inventory 911 Toolkit, the systematic roadmap developed by Veterinary Care Logistics to help inventory managers optimize knowledge, strategy and confidence, click here!

You can also join our virtual neighborhood for inventory managers and other veterinary professionals for free by visiting this link.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Website for Cornerstone Veterinary Software.
• Veterinary Care Logistics: @Instagram
• Veterinary Care Logistics: Certified Veterinary Inventory Professional Program
• Veterinary Care Logistics: Consulting Services

ABOUT VCL:

Veterinary Care Logistics serves veterinarians and their teams who are frustrated that their current inventory system is not functioning correctly and are facing out of control inventory costs and improperly stocked hospitals. VCL helps veterinarians through inventory analysis, comprehensive step-by-step action plans, and thorough team member training. My clients experience great success and rave about my work because I roll up my sleeves and get dirty working with your hospital to improve your inventory as if it was my own hospital.

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