Audience: All levels and positions

What do you do when you have ideas, passion, and you want to make a difference in your workplace – but you aren’t the boss? Everyone who’s ever had a bad experience knows that being a manager does not necessarily mean being a leader. Fortunately, leading isn’t exclusive to positions of authority. In this session, we will review the techniques of informal leadership, managing “up,” and affecting change from any role, all while maintaining healthy boundaries. From kennel attendants to practice managers, this is for everyone who reports to somebody else (and sometimes wishes they didn’t).

Format: 60 minute lecture

Audience: All levels and positions

Our profession is uniquely filled with people doing exactly what they dreamed of when they were kids. And yet, we know that the passion that drives us can also burn too hot, wear us down, and drive us away. This lecture focuses on taking the next step in addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress using the healing power of connection. We will explore the ways in which connection to self and others sustains us as well as real-life strategies and action items to put into practice right away.

Format: 60 minute lecture

Audience: Beginner, Practice Management

Most veterinary professionals don’t join the industry because of a desire to run reports, make spreadsheets, and meet seemingly arbitrary KPI targets. When we reframe the reasons behind the numbers and their applications, they become a powerful tool in advancing patient care and human wellbeing. In this session, we’ll review the basics of analytics in veterinary medicine from the perspective of shaping the goals that really matter, not just chasing a number on a screen. Attendees will learn how to choose, track, and use the numbers that help us make the hospital a better place.

Format: 60 minute lecture

Audience: Beginner to Intermediate, Veterinary Technician, Management, and Support Teams

Let’s face it: nobody likes to have that difficult financial conversation. While we may understand that there are objective realities to the costs of veterinary care, we also know that we may be asking clients to choose between gold standard treatment and their next month’s rent. This session covers the basics of the psychology of money and behavioral economics, and then uses that knowledge to develop real-world applications to approach these conversations with confidence, empathy, and mutual support.

Format: 60 minute lecture

Audience: Intermediate Practice Management

In a profession where thinking and feeling, science and emotion, and left and right brain function overlaps, teams that are able to apply logic and empathy in tandem create sustainable hospitals. This lecture explores the benefits of a strategic, analytical, and intentional approach to the soft skills of veterinary medicine. We will review the concepts of strategic empathy, enlightened self-interest, radical candor, and emotional economics. From there, we will dive into applying these concepts to train emotional intelligence and resilience, both personally and when training a team. Attendees will gain insight and action items to bring about the long-term benefits of positive workplace culture, improved employee performance and development, robust client relationships, and sustained growth and profitability within any organization.

Format: 90 minute lecture, workshop options available

Audience: Beginner to Intermediate, all positions

Advocacy is an intrinsic part of our job. We advocate every day for our patients, our clients, ourselves, our coworkers, and our profession. And while we may have learned what to advocate for, we don’t always learn how to do so effectively. This lecture focuses on real-life techniques to use when trying to affect change at multiple levels. Whether its advocating for a treatment plan review, for a raise, for better working conditions for your team, or for a major policy change, there are tools and actionable methods that can help increase your likelihood to get to the best possible result.

Format: 60 minute lecture

Audience: All levels and positions

If I had something in my teeth, would you tell me? Would you want your friend to tell you? What about your coworker or boss? Most people don’t enjoy confrontation and difficult conversations, though we know they’re necessary. Radical candor is the practice of approaching these conversations with high levels of both caring and directness. This session presents the argument for candor as a foundation for positive relationships and workplace culture, as well as practical tips and pitfalls to avoid when putting the concepts into practice.

Format: 60 minute lecture, workshop options available

Audience: Beginner to Intermediate, Veterinary Technician and Support Team

Encountering ethical dilemmas when working with animals is inevitable. Situations with no clear “right” answer can feel like a black hole. The goal is not to reach a consensus but to navigate ethical dilemmas without internalizing them. This session presents a practical framework for approaching sticky scenarios both individually and within a team. We’ll cover ethical foundations, decision trees, moral stress reduction, and impact mitigation - and then dive into some real world examples and thought exercises.

Lecture: 60 minute guided workshop

Looking for something specific? Reach out with your idea or request, and we’ll see if we can make something great out of it.