The Veterinary Leadership Success Show

For the first time in more than 20 years, I'm no longer a veterinary practice owner.
That feels strange to say.
Owning practices has shaped so much of my career and, if I'm honest, a big part of who I am. So when the time came to sell my final practice, it was never simply a business transaction. It was the closing of a chapter that began back in 2005.
In this episode, I reflect on that journey. The fixer-uppers, the mistakes, the lessons, leading a practice from the other side of the world, rebuilding after COVID, and the incredible people who made it all worthwhile.
But this isn't really a story about selling a practice.
It's about stewardship.
Over the years, I've become convinced that our job as leaders is to leave things better than we found them. To create opportunities for others, help people grow, and build practices where both people and pets can thrive. Too often, success is measured by the biggest exit or the highest multiple. I think there are other measures of success that matter far more.
That's why I didn't sell Roundwood Vets to the highest bidder.
I sold it to the people who had already earned the right to lead it. Our Medical Director, Dr Jo, and our Practice Manager, Nikki, had been showing up day after day for the team, the pets and the community. Making them the next owners simply felt like the right thing to do.
If you're thinking about the future of your own practice, your leadership, or the legacy you'll leave behind, I hope this episode encourages you to think differently about what success can really look like. Because sometimes the old has to move on so something even better can flourish.
Episode Outline:
[00:00] A new chapter begins
[01:30] My 20-year ownership journey
[06:50] Why I built Roundwood Vets
[11:30] Turning around a struggling practice
[14:20] COVID, leadership and rebuilding
[16:00] Creating a people-first culture
[19:50] The changing veterinary profession
[27:00] Why stewardship matters more than profit
[29:00] Selling to the team, not the highest bidder
[31:10] Why representation in ownership matters
[32:45] Success beyond the biggest exit
[33:50] Gratitude and looking ahead

What legacy are you building as a leader?
Whether you're planning your next phase, thinking about succession, or simply trying to build a practice that's stronger, calmer and less dependent on you, I'd be happy to help.
Book a 20-minute Leadership Call with me and we'll talk through where your practice is today, what's holding it back, and the leadership shifts that can help you build the future you want.
Book your Leadership Call with Dr. Dave
Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Follow Dr. Dave: @drdavenicol
Learn more about the Veterinary Leadership Academy

Enjoyed this episode?
Leave a review on iTunes and share it with your veterinary colleagues!

Last week, I shared the 11 numbers I believe every veterinary practice should be tracking.
But collecting numbers is only half the job.
The real value comes from knowing what those numbers are trying to tell you.
Because a dashboard isn't there to give you more data. It's there to help you spot problems earlier, ask better questions, and make better decisions.
In this episode, I walk through how I use those 11 numbers to identify the hidden signals inside a practice. Signals that reveal whether you're dealing with a marketing issue, a leadership issue, a team capacity problem, a pricing problem, or simply a system that's starting to strain under success.
When you understand how the numbers connect, you stop guessing.
And when you stop guessing, leadership becomes a lot less stressful.
Episode Outline:
[00:00] The numbers are only the start
[01:20] Signals vs data
[03:00] Is marketing the problem?
[05:00] When demand isn't the issue
[08:30] Spotting team strain early
[12:00] The hidden communication gap
[15:30] Is it time to hire?
[17:15] Are you charging enough?
[18:20] Three questions every leader should ask
[20:00] Why dashboards change everything

Want to See the Signals in Your Own Practice?
For years, I ran my practices using spreadsheets. That's why I built VetDash.
In just a few minutes, VetDash turns your key practice metrics into a simple dashboard that helps you spot problems earlier, identify opportunities faster, and focus on the numbers that matter most.
Start your free 30-day trial and see what's really happening inside your practice.

Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Follow Dr. Dave: @drdavenicol
Learn more about the Veterinary Leadership Academy

Enjoyed this episode?
Leave a review on iTunes and share it with your veterinary colleagues!

When everything feels urgent, how do you know what to tackle first?
It's something I've wrestled with throughout my career as a practice owner.
There's always another problem demanding attention. A staffing issue. An unhappy client. A dip in revenue. A packed diary. A team disagreement.
The temptation is to fight the loudest fire.
But the loudest fire isn't always the most important one.
In this episode, I share the 11 numbers I use to understand what's really happening inside a practice. Because when you can see the signals clearly, you stop reacting to symptoms and start fixing the causes.
And that's important because this isn't really about numbers.
It's about creating more clarity, more confidence, and less stress in the way you lead.
When you understand what's happening inside your practice, you make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create the space to focus on what matters most: building a remarkable practice at the heart of your community.

Episode Outline:
[00:00] Is your practice working?
[02:20] The Practice Value Chain
[05:15] The 11 numbers that matter
[08:00] Happy clients, healthy teams
[10:20] What your numbers are telling you
[13:00] Why meetings become reactive
[14:30] Signals vs symptoms
[15:20] Stop guessing and start leading

Want to See the Signals in Your Own Practice?
For years, I ran my practices using spreadsheets. That's why I built VetDash.
In just a few minutes, VetDash turns your key practice metrics into a simple dashboard that helps you spot problems earlier, identify opportunities faster, and focus on the numbers that matter most.
Start your free 30-day trial and see what's really happening inside your practice.

Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Follow Dr. Dave: @drdavenicol
Learn more about the Veterinary Leadership Academy

Enjoyed this episode?
Leave a review on iTunes and share it with your veterinary colleagues!

The best veterinary practices are not remembered because of their ultrasound machine.
They are remembered because of how they make people feel.
There’s an energy to remarkable practices. A personality. A story. A sense of identity that clients trust and teams rally behind.
And yet most practices completely overlook one of the most powerful tools they have to shape that perception: design.
In this episode, I explore why branding is really about storytelling, meaning and emotional connection - and why the practices that win attention in the future will be the ones bold enough to stand apart.
Using the story of the legendary Spitfire aircraft - and my own recent experience flying one - I unpack why some things become iconic while others are forgotten. Why beauty, emotion and storytelling matter. And why the practices that stand out in today’s veterinary market are the ones brave enough to express who they really are.
We explore how great branding creates differentiation, strengthens culture, attracts the right people, and reinforces the story your practice is trying to tell every single day.
Because your culture is what people feel. Your operations are what people experience. But your brand? Your brand is the visual language that makes the whole thing memorable.
Episode Outline:
[00:00] - Why we remember the Spitfire
[02:22] - Why branding matters
[05:12] - Flying a Spitfire
[06:26] - Emotion creates memory
[08:15] - Why icons survive
[09:19] - The branding mistake
[10:23] - Culture, operations & design
[11:07] - What great brands do
[12:14] - The danger of clichés
[12:38] - What great designers do
[13:42] - Brands done well
[14:22] - Investing in distinction
Resources & Links Mentioned
Want help refining your practice vision, culture or brand positioning? The Veterinary Leadership Academy can help you clarify the story your practice is telling - and whether your brand truly reflects it.
Learn more about our brand services:
https://www.drdavenicol.com/brand-design
Explore the Veterinary Leadership Academy:
https://www.drdavenicol.com/veterinary-leadership-academy
Follow Dr Dave Nicol for daily leadership insights, veterinary business strategy and practical tools for leading a thriving practice.
Enjoyed this episode?
Leave us a review on iTunes and share this episode with another veterinary leader who wants their practice to stand out for all the right reasons.

This week’s episode is about something most practice owners avoid… until it starts keeping them awake at night.
The numbers.
I’m joined by Martin Traub-Werner, founder of VetBooks and VetSuccess, who has spent years helping practices understand what their financials are really saying.
We get into a simple but uncomfortable truth. Most owners don’t really know their numbers. Not in a way that gives them clarity or confidence. And when that’s the case, the business starts to feel heavier than it should.
As Martin puts it, there’s no substitute for knowing your numbers.
Because this isn’t really about finance. It’s about visibility. Most practices are not struggling through lack of effort. They are struggling because they can’t clearly see what is happening inside the business. And when you can’t see it, decision-making becomes harder, second-guessing creeps in, and leadership starts to feel like a weight you’re carrying rather than a role you’re leading.
What we talk about in this episode is how that changes. When the key parts of the business are working together and your numbers are visible and understood, the experience of running a practice becomes more stable, more predictable, and ultimately more enjoyable. Not because the work disappears, but because the system begins to carry more of the load and your decisions have a clear direction.
When you understand your numbers, you stop guessing and start deciding with intent. Over time, that shift replaces pressure with confidence and allows you to trust the practice you are building.
If the numbers have ever felt like something you’d rather avoid, this is a good place to start.
Episode Outline:
[00:00] The numbers we avoid
[04:50] Why most owners don’t know
[09:00] The 5 financial buckets
[13:00] Why vet businesses are complex
[15:00] Cash vs reality
[17:30] Flying blind financially
[19:00] Reading your P&L
[21:30] Focus on the big levers
[24:00] Small % big impact
[26:30] Using AI to analyse
[31:00] Building a system you trust
[33:30] Confidence and sleep
[35:00] Final takeaways

Why does leading your practice feel harder than it should?
The Practice Growth Reflection is a short, 10-minute tool that shows you the stage your practice has reached and the leadership changes that can reduce pressure, strengthen your team, and help your practice run more smoothly.
Start your Practice Growth Reflection and get instant clarity on what needs to evolve next.

Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Follow Dr. Dave: @drdavenicol
Learn more about the Veterinary Leadership Academy

Connect with Martin Traub-Werner:
Website: vetbooks.com
LinkedIn: Martin Traub-Werner

Enjoyed this episode?
Leave a review on iTunes and share it with your veterinary colleagues!

Disclaimer
This episode is for educational purposes only and isn’t financial advice.