Okemos, Michigan

Karlene’s passion is speaking to groups about how to improve communications in the workplace. She is a certified Everything DiSC Trainer and presents sessions on behavioral styles, generational differences, body language, conflict management and work/life balance. Karlene focuses on how to work together more effectively through understanding and appreciating the differences in people, while working to improve communications, team building, customer service and conflict resolution.

Karlene has been the CEO of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) since 2003 and has more than 27 years of experience in association management. She also serves as Executive Director of the Michigan Animal Health Foundation. Prior to joining the MVMA, she was Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan Nurses Association, served as Executive Director of the Michigan Nurses Foundation and operated the Michigan Dental Hygienists Association. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications from Michigan State University. 

Karlene is past President of the American Society of Veterinary Medical Association Executives (ASVMAE) and is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Michigan Society of Association Executives. She was named the 2008 ASVMAE Executive of the Year for leading MVMA with innovation, distinction and dedication and also received the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine Partnership Award the same year. 

TOPICS:

DiSC Behavioral Assessments - Each person in a practice or business has differing behavioral styles.  Some people may be dominant and fast-paced, others may be detail-oriented and slower-paced, and some may be more sensitive, social or people-focused.  Team members tend to judge others in the workplace who are different from themselves rather than recognizing and valuing the differences each behavioral style brings to the team.  Everything DiSC Workplace is designed to help you understand yourself and others, while learning how to build more effective working relationships, resolve conflicts and strengthen your overall team.

Making Body Language Your Superpower - Did you know that 93% of communication does not come from the words you say to your coworkers and clients?  Communication begins before you even open your mouth!  Do you need to build rapport and trust with members, clients and coworkers?  This session will help you to do that and much more!  Learn how to build your confidence, increase your credibility, manage meetings more effectively and interview better, all through the use of body language.  You’ll learn how to tell if someone is lying, what eye movement and dilation tell you, the importance of a handshake, the ability to influence through hand gestures, high power verses low power body positioning and how to regain control of a situation using your own body language.  You will leave with the ability to read others body language and have a whole new skill set you can use anywhere and at any time.  Body language can be your new super power!

Generational Differences - Did you know that Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers in the U.S.?  They will soon be the dominant generation in our workforce!  Four generations are currently in the workplace and each has different values, causing communication challenges and conflicts.  Significant problems can occur in a business when people from different generations fail to communicate effectively.  This session will compare and contrast the values of the four generations, identify their differing feedback styles and offer strategies for more effective cross-generational communication.

Work/Life Balance – How to be Truly Happy - In this stressful, fast-paced world, many of us face depression, are overwhelmed, lack work/life balance, endure financial challenges and have information overload.  And we all need help!  This presentation will help you find ways to be happier, think more positively, put yourself first, learn to relax, live in the moment, learn to forgive, stress less, be optimistic, release tension, improve your attitude, ask for help, learn to say “no” and embrace change.  Life doesn’t have to be so hard!  You will leave with strategies and tips you can use immediately to improve the quality of your life.

COST:

Travel (air, personal or rental auto, parking, hotel) and out of pocket (food).

Speaker fees are flexible; generally $250 per hour of presentation time.

DiSC has additional costs for the online survey tool and for customizing presentations.

CONTACT INFO:

Email: Belyea@michvma.org

Phone: (517) 347-4710

Website: www.karlenebelyea.com 

Cleveland, Ohio

Laura Bennett is the CEO and Co-Founder of Embrace Pet Insurance. She trained and worked as an actuary at a life and health insurance company in Toronto, Canada and Dublin Ireland for 12 years before obtaining her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated as Palmer and Siebel Scholars. She also learned to play hockey, climbed a glacial volcano, and wrote a daily blog while at Wharton to round out her academic learning.

Upon graduating from Wharton, Laura co-founded Embrace Pet Insurance. Laura lives up to the title on her business card of Chief Embracer and actively engages with pet parents about pet insurance through all types of media, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and email. She has also been writing the Embrace Pet Insurance blog since 2005.

On the insurance side of Embrace, Laura was the first pet insurance actuary in the United States and was named to the Society of Actuaries Top 100 Actuarial Pioneers for her ground-breaking work in pet insurance. Laura developed the actuarial models behind the leading edge customizable pet insurance product, allowing the pet parent to choose her own product features to suit her own budget. She was also identified one of the Women in Insurance Leadership by Insurance Networking News in 2012, whose pursuit of excellence, leadership and professional performance has fostered influence that is redefining the insurance business and technology industry landscape.

Laura strongly believes in furthering awareness of pet insurance across North America and recently concluded four years as the President of NAPHIA, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. She is also on the Advisory Boards of Safeguard Guaranty Corporation, the first company in the world to offer marriage insurance, and Blogpaws, a social media company focused on teaching pet enthusiasts how to use social media effectively.

Laura loves to spend time with her husband and 2 young daughters, with many memorable moments shared over a stack of homemade pancakes on the weekends. She has three adopted cats (Lily, Rocket and Rosie) and is very interested in pet health and wellness. Laura also enjoys travelling off the beaten path, fishing, Irish whiskey, aspiring to physical fitness, and networking online, when she isn’t sharing videos of her daughters’ antics on her Facebook page.

TOPICS:

Pet Insurance

COST:

No cost

CONTACT INFO:

Phone: (440) 386-2408

Email: lb@embracepetinsurance.com

Website: www.embracepetinsurance.com

Gibsonville, North Carolina

Debbie Boone began her training in business management and the care of clients while growing up in her family ’s restaurants. She laughingly jokes “her parents were firm believers in child labor ” so she started working with the public at the ripe old age of twelve. A love of animals led her to a degree in Animal Science from NC State University. To get her foot in the door to her dream job, she began her career in veterinary medicine as a part time receptionist in 1985. Her business, retail & hospitality background quickly moved her into the position of hospital administration. She managed multi-doctor, multi-location AAHA accredited hospitals for 23 years. Her rather unique skill set includes experience with small animal, mixed animal, specialty, emergency and shelter management. She has been involved in building multiple hospitals from planning to open house.

Her talents as a trainer & speaker have been utilized both locally and nationally. She is the instructor for Patterson Veterinary Supply ’s Customer Service and Communication Skills class where she has trained thousands of veterinary team members all over the US in superior service and inspired them to live a life of purpose as a champion for animals. She loves teaching and making a difference in the lives of her students.

Debbie was a member of the former Greenies Oral Health Advisory Council which worked to educate practices on the importance of patient oral care and how to get better compliance from clients for dental services.

She has spoken at local, state and national meetings such as the NCVMA 2013, AAHA, Western States Conference and the Mid West Conference. She co-authored a book on creating monthly paid preventative care plans which is in the process of publication.

Debbie's business, 2 Manage Vets Consulting, focuses on partnership with practice owners. She helps teams develop extraordinary communication skills leading to heighten patient care. She also coaches supervisors in sound business practices and leadership skills which increase profits, practice value, team engagement and reduce staff turnover.

Her articles have appeared in the VHMA newsletter, Firstline , DVM 360 online, In- sight newsletter, Veterinary Team Brief, Veterinary Economics and DVM magazines. She has been extensively quoted in AAHA’s Trends. She is a member of the VHMA, AAHA, (VetPartners pending) and multiple veterinary business and management groups. She is certified in customer service (CCS) and is a CVPM.

Her mission is to guide veterinary teams to be great communicators - much like a stone causes ripples moving outward in a pond - and then those team members will be able to influence pet owners to accept great veterinary care. She encourages her students to get involved in their community and to teach people the importance of seeing a veterinarian for the proper care of their pets.

TOPICS:

Communication

Leadership and Mission

Gaining Compliance

Understanding Personality Types

Developing Dental Care Advocates in your Practice

Customer Service

Inventory Management

Online Pharmacies

Are you Tough Enough to Practice?

COST:

Honorarium of $500 per one hour presentation with reimbursement for travel expenses.

CONTACT INFO:

Website:  www.dboone2managevets.com

Email:  dboone@dboone2managevets.com

Call or text:  (336) 280-5086

Lake Worth, FL

Originally from New York, I graduated from Hofstra University Zarb School of Business focusing on international business and legal studies in business. Before, during, and after undergrad, I maintained a position in the service industry that has proven to be more valuable than any course work. After working several positions in the NYC area, I took an opportunity to work for Bank of America, in Ohio. Since then, I have been working in the veterinary finance field, completing projects and working with veterinarians all over the country. In 2014, I was given the opportunity to become more concentrated and focus solely on the Florida market.

TOPICS

Start Up and Practice Ownership - what the steps are when going through with a start up. putting together your team. Understanding the start up budget.

Loan Products - Specialty vs Non-Specialty -  Breaking down a veterinary specific loan as opposed to a traditional business loan from a local bank. Understanding the relationship between rate, term, and payment.

Approvability and What Banks are Looking For -  Explaining how to look the best on an application. Explaining what assets and liabilities are worth having and which aren't.  Helping understand the credit report, and how it reflects on the individual.

Customer Service 101 - A crash course on how to approach, handle, and grow with a clientele.

COSTS

Travel costs outside of Florida (flight, hotel).  Inside Florida, no cost.  No honorarium charged.

CONTACT INFORMATION

oliver.buckmaster@bankofamerica.com

516-669-4758

Bank of America Practice Solutions, Veterinary Division

Vista, California

Dr. Mark Crootof practiced small animal medicine for 25 years in Upstate NY. His journey started by spending 6 years in Perugia, Italy attempting to learn Veterinary Medicine in another language - not fun but doable. He started a hospital , was very successful, bought a second hospital, and designed and built his dream facility. He also helped start an emergency hospital (he got tired of taking emergencies after 15 years) and a luxury pet boarding 25 years ago. He has been a consultant to the profession for over ten years, specializing in guiding younger veterinarians in starting their own practices (he has worked with over 50 new hospitals across the USA). He has been fortunate to have served on the NAVC board of directors for two terms totalling 6 years, serve on the advisory board of Veterinary Practice News (VPN) and occasionally write for Veterinary Team Brief and VPN.  He was in charge of sponsorship for VetPartners for almost 10 years.  Lastly he is chairman of the hospital design section of the NAVC January conference. Lectures are always in English (with occasional Italian Vet School stories).

TOPICS:

10 biggest mistakes Veterinarians make

Generation gap - Communication that works

Looking for that first job
How to integrate seamlessly into your new job
How to start your dream hospital
How to recession proof your practice
Lessons from the world of practice
Hospital design
Floor-plans
Eco construction
Energy efficient Practices: Keeping it green

Lessons learned: Keeping mistakes to a minimum - Planning, Contractors and Materials

Real Estate: Leasing& Owning Issues

Doing more with less space

Do's and Don'ts for hospitals from a well traveled consultant  

Receptionist training  

Marketing 101

Associate to Owner

Multiple equipment lectures

How do we measure our personal success

COST:

My fee for student lectures is Zero, I pay for everything myself.  The profession has been great to me and this is part of my give back.

CONTACT INFO:

1759 Robinhood Road

Vista, Ca  92084

Email:  mrcroot@gmail.com

Call or text:  (518) 542-0151

Website:  www.crootofconsulting.com

Auburn, Alabama

Ethan has many years of experience providing financial consulting to veterinary associates and practice owners all over the eastern half of the USA. He has spent years working directly with veterinary students addressing their financial concerns.

His experience within the veterinary community gives him a unique perspective on where the veterinary student is today, where that student wants to go in the future and how to get there.

Ethan first spoke to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine VBMA chapter in August of 2008. Since that time, Ethan has spoken to VBMA chapters at LSU, Mississippi State, and Georgia. He also regularly delivers presentations at Tuskegee University SVM and Auburn University CVM. 

In 2009, Ethan helped develop a financial awareness elective at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. He helps lead this elective which has become a highly sought after course for second and third year AU-CVM students.

Through a program sponsored by the ALVMA and KVMA, Ethan is available to meet with Auburn University CVM and Tuskegee University SVM students one-on-one about their financial concerns. He has met with hundreds of students over the years.

In 2014, Ethan began to facilitate the Practice Management Rotation for 4th year students at AU-CVM. This rotation is an intensive hands-on learning experience. Each rotation is two weeks of assessing actual veterinary practices both quantitatively and qualitatively. 

Ethan currently owns Innovative Financial Solutions, LLC. IFS is an independent financial consulting company offering a complete array of financial products and services with a focus on setting up tax-exempt retirement accounts, life and disability insurance and proper estate planning.

TOPICS:

Budgeting: Managing your Expenses and Manging your Cash Flow + Q&A - The single most important thing that you need to accomplish in your financial planning is a process to manage your expenses and cash flow. This is a fun interactive presentation that gives the group a simple plan to follow. (45-60 min)

Student Loan Repayment Options + Q&A - This presentation helps the group clearly understand their repayment options and gives them a unique perspective on how to pay them off. (45-60 min)

Interviewing, Contracts, and Disability Insurance + Q&A (90 min +/-)

Budgeting: Managing your Expenses and Managing your Cash Flow + Student Loan Repayment Options + Interviewing, Contracts, and Disability Insurance + Buying a House and more + a TO DO List as you approach graduation and the 1st year after graduation + Q&A - This presentation will answer almost every question that a veterinary student has even thought about.  I use all of my experience to bring you everything that I can fit into a 4 hour presentation. You will not leave this presentation disappointed. (4 hours +/-)

COST:

45-60 minute presentation: $500 plus travel expenses

90 minute presentation: $1000 plus travel expenses

4 hour presentation: $2500 plus travel expenses

I am interested in speaking at any VBMA group including Ross and St George. i.e. I am not constrained to just the Southeastern US. 

I will drive to your location within 6+/- hour drive time from Auburn, Alabama. 

Driving Travel Expenses = 1 night hotel stay if more than 3 hours drive.

Outside of 6 +/- hour drive time from Auburn, Alabama = Flight from ATL + Hotel

CONTACT INFO:

Phone/Text: 251-243-6038

E-mail: ethan@ethandawe.com

Web: www.ethandawe.com

Pullman, WA

Background and experience:

Rick is a 1979 graduate of the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine.   After a brief stint in small animal practice in West Springfield, Massachusetts where he had worked as a veterinary assistant through high school and his early undergraduate college days, Rick moved to Pullman, Washington to begin an equine internship at Washington State University.  After completion of his internship and then an equine surgical residency at WSU, Dr. DeBowes moved to Kansas State University to serve as an assistant professor of equine surgery.   There, he rose through the faculty ranks and served as chief of equine services until he was appointed head of Veterinary Clinical Sciences in 1994.  After serving as the Chairman of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Kansas State for six years, Dr. DeBowes returned to Washington State University in 2000 to serve as WSU’s Clinical Sciences chair.   In 2006, Rick assumed the responsibilities as Dean for Veterinary Development and External Relations, a group he led for six more years.  Since that time, Rick has been engaged in pursing his passion of developing and teaching materials on professional development, leadership and clinical communications to veterinary students, faculty, practitioners and health care teams.   Tapping on his vast experience from having served and led two large clinical programs and their teaching hospitals, Dr. DeBowes works energetically to engage audiences through active experiential learning. He was the 2014 Washington State Veterinarian of the Year and was the Norden (now Zoetis) teacher of the year at KSU and the 2009 recipient of the Veterinary Specialists in Private Practice Distinguished Service Award.

Paradigm Shifter:

Beginning in 2001, Rick worked closely with psychologist Kathleen Ruby to develop experiential team building and personal leadership programs for health care professionals.   Today these programs as recognized by their more popular names: Washington State University’s Cougar Orientation and Leadership Experience (COLE) and the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Experience (VLE).  Recognizing that it was the thinking and behaviors of veterinarians (and their health care team members) that was holding the profession back, these programs were refined and repackaged for use by veterinary (and human) medical practices and have been offered over 400 times in continuing education programs in 28 countries on four continents.  Large multiday VLE-like programs have also been held in Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom and have become an accepted method for equipping students and graduate professionals with the skills required to help them overcome their innate and learned behavioral barriers to a fulfilling personal and professional life.   In keeping with his mission, Dr. DeBowes makes it an effort to put these programs in front of as many health care team members as possible.  Together with Dr. Ruby the co-creator, Rick trained many others to spread this modified leadership curriculum.  In keeping with the vision of sharing the curriculum and reaching the whole profession, Rick and Kathy gave the daily stewardship and operational control of the VLE to Dr. Betsy Charles in 2012 who has offered the program since that time.

Consultancy:

Dr. DeBowes has been engaged as an advisor and/or consultant with numerous veterinary practitioners and visited over 1500 veterinary practices in 15 countries on 4 continents throughout his career to date.  He offers a series of leadership, teambuilding and organizational culture setting engagement products to practices ranging from 4 hours to 5 days in length.  His clients have ranged from one doctor practices to large corporate veterinary practices and from pharmaceutical companies to pet nutrition companies.  As well he has worked with school systems, athletic teams, and boards of directors.  On almost every Monday for the past 6 years, Rick has shared at no charge, his  “My Leadership Experience,” a weekly e-mail with interested program participants around the world.   On a daily basis, Rick has shared the Inner Compass Leader’s Thought and Quote of the Day on the Inner Compass Leader’s Facebook page.  He is committed to helping all members of our chosen profession to be their best selves, individually and collectively.

References:

Selected student, corporate, educational and practitioner references are available on request.

TOPICS:

Student Oriented Programs: (1-2 hours each):

Compliance Based Medicine, the Key to Best Medicine While Retiring Your Personal Education Debt  

Emotional Intelligence: Changing Our Lives and the Way We Work With Others For the Better

Personal Finance for Students:  Wealth is a Behavioral Decision!

Having the Job, the Practice and the Career You Dream of Having!

The Power of Teamwork…Getting it Done, TOGETHER!

How Not To Fail In Practice. What Works and What Doesn’t!

Looking for a Job? Wanting to Enjoy your Career? Hoping You Never Work a Bad Day in Your life? – A Practice’s Organizational Cultures Counts More Than Any Other Factor!

The Power of Possibility: YES YOU CAN!

Personalities in Our Work Place…We All Have Them and They Don’t Have to Be A Problem!

The Power Of Paradigms: Your Belief Systems Can Hold You Back or Propel You Forward.

Relationship Centered Care: Achieving Unparalleled Success in Caring for Our Patients and Our Clients!

Communication:  Accurate, Efficient, Supportive Steps to Satisfying Exchanges with Clients, Teammates, Partners and Families.

Fierce Conversations and Communication Judo…How Do We Have those Uncomfortable Conversations About Bad News, Sad News and Conflict

Special Programs or Topics Available On Request

All-School or Club Centered Leadership Programs: These interactive programs are something of an abbreviated leadership and teamwork program for veterinary schools, ideally hosted by VBMA with potential co sponsorship from SCAVMA or Graduate/Professional Student Groups on campus. Programs could go three hours in one evening…OR more optimally,  during a a Friday evening (3 hours) and all day Saturday (8AM-5PM).  Additional benefit can be gained by extending the program into Sunday Noon.  

All of my leadership programs are based on the VLE curriculum, and delivered in a high energy, experiential and interactive format, as pioneered by myself and Dr. Kathy Ruby.

COST:

As a speaker, I would need my travel (air, personal or rental auto, parking, hotel) and out of pocket (food) covered.

Fees are flexible.  Since almost every presentation is unique and nearly every trip takes 2-3 days time for traveling to, presenting, traveling home and following up on a program, my fees are variable and run from expenses + $1,500.00 to expenses + $6,000.00.

School centered leadership programs offer opportunities to partner with others groups within the school who could benefit from my presence…for example, if I were to do a 2 day program at a school, I would ideally like to come in and talk to as many students as possible during a noon session (perhaps motivational or personal finance hosted by SCAVMA or VBMA) and then work with the club officers (VBMA or SCAVMA)  if they would like on Friday afternoon.  Then the School Centered program could begin at 6 or 7 PM on Friday and go through Friday evening and all day Saturday, plus/minus Sunday morning.   I am interested in making a difference to students. I have dedicated my entire 35 year career to student learning and support.   For that reason,if I am leaving my home, my job and most importantly, my family to travel to do a program…I want it to be high value, high impact and paradigm shifting for the participants.  Programs of this magnitude tend to run between $5,000 and 6,000.00 plus expenses.

If I am coming in to do a 2-3 hour VBMA evening program and can get in and out in 2 days, I would charge $1,500.00 - $2,500.00 depending on distance traveled.

Sponsors:
The following companies have at different time in the past, sponsored my presentations or program tracks where I have been a featured speaker:  VCA-Antech, Live Oak Bank, AVMA PLIT, Banfield, TruPanion Pet Insurance, Hills Pet Nutrition, Zoetis, Merial Animal Health, CEVA Animal Health, Bayer Animal Health, Royal Canin, Boehringer Ingelheim, Nestle Purina, MWI, Midwest Veterinary Distributors, Elanco, Abbott

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  debowes@vetmed.wsu.edu

St. Louis, Missouri

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde is a 2009 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Vet Med. She is the owner and founder of The Social DVM, a veterinary consulting and management firm specializing in social media. She also practices on a part-time basis at Brentwood Animal Hospital. Currently serving as Vice President for the Greater St. Louis Veterinary Medical Association, she is also a member of the AVMA and MVMA. Most recently, Dr. DeWilde was named as just one of ten national veterinarians selected to be a part of the AVMA Future Leaders class of 2014-2015.

Dr. DeWilde is a VBMA alumni and served as the president of the Illinois chapter while in school!

TOPICS:

General Social Media Use for Veterinarians:
Socially Speaking: An Overview of Social Media Platforms for Veterinary Clinics
Streamlining Your Practice's Social Media: Schedule and Manage Multiple Platforms in One Place
Content Creation: Coming up with What to Post
Branding & Labeling Your Clinic's Photos
Creating Your Own Veterinary Educational Graphics
Trusting Your Staff:  Keeping Tabs on Technology with a Younger Generation (for Practice Owners and Managers)
Purr-Fect Photos: How to Take, Edit and Post Great Clinic Photos
Risks & Rewards: Responsible Use of Social Media (for Veterinary Staff) 

Practice Management & Growth:
Monitoring Your Clinic's Online Reputation in 15 Minutes a Week
Yelp!: Managing Your Profile, Maximizing Your Visibility and Responding to Those Reviews
Using Google Services: Google+, Google Maps and Google Search for Your Practice

Facebook:
Using Facebook Insights & Scheduling to Post More Efficiently
Maximizing Your Facebook Reach: Apps, Advertising and Boosted Posts

Twitter:
Twitter for Veterinary Clinics: #howandwhy

Pinterest:
How Pinteresting: How The "Other" Search Engine Can Drive Traffic to Your Practice
Pinterest: A Step-by-Step on How to Set up Your Practice's Pinterest Page, Custom Pins and Trusted Content

New York, NY

Sylvie di Giusto helps individuals and organizations to explore how people make up their minds very quickly about them, their leadership potential, or their company, and either open the door or slam it shut. Twenty years of corporate experience and her ability to empower people to influence the success of their own career has led to her launching Executive Image Consulting, based in New York City. It’s where she uses her extensive corporate expertise as a professional speaker, corporate trainer and image consultant for professionals, politicians and companies who place great importance in themselves and their powerful appearance.

Sylvie is Austrian by birth, French in her heart, Italian in her kitchen, German with her work ethic and American by choice.

TOPICS

You have 7 seconds. Make them count! - People whom we meet make quick decisions about us. Should they hire us? Vote for us? Buy something from us? Seven seconds. This is that brief moment in time when others first see you, whether it’s at a meeting, on the job, at the point-of-sales or at a job interview.

COST

Honorarium tbd, same for travel costs (I am a professional speaker and travel a lot. To keep costs low for your chapter we might be able to combine an event with one of my speaking engagements close to you)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Sylvie di Giusto

say-hi@executive-image-consulting.com

267-303-7577

Executive Image Consulting

www.executive-image-consulting.com

Charlotte, NC

18 years of small animal general practice experience. 11 years as a GP owner. Started UrgentVet in 2015 as the first dedicated urgent care for pets in the United States.

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TOPICS:

Entrepreneurism: 

The face of the profession is changing, so the profession must change with it. Think outside the box and provide what pet owners want. Veterinary medicine is our profession, but small business revenue pays the bills!

​

Acute Care Medicine (Urgent Care): 

In the last 30 years, the profession has developed two paradigms: (1) GP; and (2) 24-hr Specialty & Emergency. Now that the costs & expertise between the two have become so divergent, an emerging market exists in acute care. We'll explore how pet owners experience after-hours care as well as the urgent care practice model.

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Practice Ownership: 

Anyone can be a practice owner, but it's not for everyone. We'll discuss how to afford practice ownership with massive student debt, how to set fee schedules, how to hire & staff, practice builders & practice killers. This topic includes a significant Q&A session to address what students want to know about life in the trenches of practice ownership.

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Work-Life Balance & Mental Health: 

The newest buzzword in the profession is work:life balance. It's a myth. A better approach is Do What You Love - Love What You Do. I will speak candidly about my own mental health and how I cope with generalized anxiety. We will also explore the notion that practitioners are their own worst enemy when it comes to taking vacations & time off, scheduling client appointments, and operating their clinics/hospitals on a day-to-day basis.

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Practical Feline Medicine: 

Cats are not small dogs! Cat owners hate bringing their cats to the vet. Cats hate riding in the car and being in an unfamiliar location with new sights, sounds, & smells. Client compliance for cat medications is poor, and so much of what we prescribe is extra-label use. We will also have an ethical discussion about indoor-only lifestyles, de-clawing, and "convenience" euthanasia related to urinary tract disease, house soiling, and behavior disorders.

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COST:

Mileage reimbursement and overnight lodging & meals when applicable.

​

CONTACT INFO:

jim.dobies@urgentvet.com

704-898-4101

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UrgentVet, Inc

www.urgentvet.com

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Windsor, Colorado

Dr. Downing is Hospital Director of The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, LLC, the first comprehensive pain prevention and management practice for pets in Northern Colorado.  In 2000 she was named the Hill’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award winner, and 2001 the World Small Animal Association presented Dr. Downing the Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare Award (Small Animal Veterinarian of the Year). 

Dr. Downing is a founder of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner, a certified veterinary acupuncturist, a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (University of Tennessee), a certified Tui Na practitioner (Chi Institute), is certified in canine medical massage (CSU), and is certified in animal chiropractic (IVCA). She is one of a handful of veterinarians to hold the Diplomate credential in the American Academy of Pain Management, the US’s largest interdisciplinary human pain management organization. In 2009 Dr. Downing became the first veterinarian to earn the designation Certified Pain Educator from the American Society of Pain Educators, a second human pain management credential.

As an affiliate faculty at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Downing mentors post-graduate veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technician students, and veterinary technician assistant students from various college and graduate programs. 

Dr. Downing has been sharing her passion for facilitating, enhancing, lengthening, and strengthening the Family-Pet-Veterinary Bond with audiences around the world since 1996.

TOPICS:

Practice management (there are actually several talks under most - - but not all - - of these larger topics):

Creating “wow” for clients

If Disney ran your veterinary practice…

Anticipating and preventing compassion fatigue

“Compliance” is NOT a four-letter word!

Advanced anaesthesia:

Continuous rate infusion (CRI) for everyone!

Truly balanced anaesthesia/analgesia in the trenches

Pain management:

Pain assessment for every patient every time

Multi-modal chronic pain management – cats

Multi-modal chronic pain management – dogs

Nutrition, nutraceuticals, pharma, and physical medicine for pain

Multi-modal pain prevention for acute pain patients

Misc:

Approaching the end of life - - help your clients AND your patients

COST:

Travel expenses (flights, car rentals when necessary, hotel, meals/food), and the honorarium is negotiable.  When sponsors are available, I need to charge $5000 per day/event for my honorarium.  I say “negotiable” because sometimes sponsors are either not available or are skimpy in their support.

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  drrobin@windsorvet.com; drrobin@downingcenter.com

Hospital Director

Windsor Veterinary Clinic, PC

The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, LLC

415 Main Street

Windsor, CO  80550

Phone:  (970) 686-9664

Twitter:   @DrRobinDVM

Oakdale, California

Byron S. Farquer, DVM is a Boettcher Scholar, and graduated from Colorado State University with honors in 1991 possessing both a BS and Doctorate Degree.

He completed a research project in equine orthopedics, assisted in the development of academic programs for use in the veterinary graduate training program at CSU Food Animal Department, and received additional education in enterprise budgeting and analysis at the College of Animal Sciences-CSU prior to entering private practice. His portfolio of experience includes veterinary hospital ownership, advanced business, real-estate, and brand marketing education, as well as certification in business appraisals. He is a recognized expert in ownership transition, practice management and valuation. He is a frequent national lecturer and published author. His topics include business development and structuring, practice financial analysis and profitability, professional image, ownership transition, and strategic business planning including mergers and alternative exit strategies. Currently Dr. Farquer owns two Simmons & Associates practice appraisal and brokerage firms located in Nevada and California, and serves on a number of industry advisory boards. He is the founder of a practice management educational company SmartStart Practice, LLC in Portland, OR that improves profit performance for small business owners. He is a content advisor for a national medical education network, emebaVet, LLC, and the COO and developer of a national veterinary lenders resource website as well as an original Charter Member of the Association of Veterinary Practice Management Consultants and Advisors now known as Vet Partners. He holds the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), certification by NACVA. The only business valuation credential which is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

TOPICS:

Your Career and options beyond clinical medicine: your next 30 years -  This lecture illustrates numerous options for the DVM including practice ownership, consulting, management, speaking, industry, media, entrepreneurialism (starting your own company/ventures).  It is designed for veterinary students and new graduates, with the goal of enlightening them on the many and vast opportunities for DVM’s beyond clinical medicine.  Case studies are used throughout to illustrate real-life success stories.

Entrance Strategies

Buying and Selling

You're a Great Doctor, So What!

Facilities: Good, Bad and the Ugly

Veterinary Product Marketing

Branding: Building a Nike Practice

Fifteen Minute Financial Physical

Nothing Wrong with my Practice

7 Really Dumb Things Managers Do

Exit Strategies

Merging Practices

Alternative Exit Strategies

No-Lo Practices

State of the Vet Industry

What Creates Value in a Practice

Why Buy a Practice?

If You Build It, Will They Come?

What Business Are You In?

Why Become an Owner or Partner?

How to Market Your Services

First Break All the Rules

Surviving or Thriving in Management?

Uncompromising Quality and Service

Going from Good to Great

Veterinary Entrepreneurism

Advanced Marketng for Troubled Times

The Power of You - Empowering the Vet

It Started with a Paper Cut: Stop the Bleeding from OTC Sales - inventory management, addressing over the counter product sales

Veterinary Real Estate - Lease or Buy?

Improving Valuation Equal to One Year's Gross

Case Studies in Selling a Practice

How to Achieve the Financially Healthy Practice

Products: A crucial step to client happiness and practice profit

Worth Fighting For: Parasiticides and Preventive Care

Your First 6 Weeks of Ownership - Triumph or Tragedy?

Howdy Partner - Creating Partnerships in Business

Marketing Your Practice Like a Teenager

New Technology for the Business Office

COST:

Speaking fee can usually be covered by the Simmons Educational Fund, including travel. I just need to submit a request in advance for approval.

CONTACT INFO:

11737 26 Mile Road
Oakdale, CA 95361
Direct phone: 209.845.2088
877.315.1954

Email: pacific@simmonsinc.com

Website: www.simmonsinc.com 

Orange County, California

Dr. Mary Gardner is a University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine graduate who now resides in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Gardner is the co-founder of Lap of Love™ Veterinary Hospice. With over 70 veterinarians around the country, they are the nation’s largest group of doctors that dedicate their practice to veterinary hospice and end of life care. Dr. Gardner’s passion is geriatric pet care and empowering owners to assess Quality of Life and help guide them in important decisions. Dr. Gardner and Lap of Love have been featured in Entrepreneur® magazine, The Doctors® television program, various veterinary trade publications, the Huffington Post®, the Associated Press® and on the cover of the New York Times® in November 2013. She speaks internationally on hospice and euthanasia, internet business marketing, and finding your passion in veterinary medicine.

TOPICS:

Internet Marketing

Finding your Niche in Veterinary Medicine

Body Language

Geriatric Pet Care

Veterinary Hospice

Euthanasia

Upserving not Upselling

Being an effective leader

COST:

Honorarium: $1,500 plus $1,000 per day after the first. Hotel/flights/travel is charged to the student organization.

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  drmary@lapoflove.com
Website:  www.lapoflove.com

To book engagements - please contact Colby at Colby@Lapoflove.com

Mukwonago, WI

I graduated from Iowa State University in 1991. I have been in small animal private practice for the last 25 years, 18 of which I was a practice owner/partner. I was very active in VMG group during my time as a business owner. I was also active in my local VMA and am currently serving on the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. After the selling the clinic I did 2 years of relief work until I decided to transition to organized medicine. I have a strong interest in veterinary business ownership and management.

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TOPICS:

Resume Writing

Interviewing Skills 

Dinner Etiquette Skills

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COSTS:

No travel costs or speaker honorariums, but will not pay for meal if asked to do an etiquette dinner.

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CONTACT INFO:

Email: katrinageitnerdvm@avmalife.com

Phone: 262-505-0798

Website: avmalife.org

Company: AVMA LIFE

Hallsville, Texas

Education/Certifications:

1997 - Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

2011 - Received Certified Veterinary Practice Manager Credentials, Veterinary Hospital Managers Association

Experience:

1997-1999              Associate Veterinarian – Tomball TX

1999-2004              Owner, Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital, Whitehouse TX

2001-present         Owner, Hallsville Veterinary Hospital, Hallsville TX

1999-present         Share holder Tyler Animal Emergency Clinic, Tyler TX

2001-present         Share holder East Texas Pet Emergency Clinic, Longview TX

2012-present         Consultant – Brazen Consulting

Professional Associations/Memberships:

Vet Partners – Your association for Veterinary Practice Development

VHMA – Veterinary Hospital Managers Association

TAVP – Texas Academy of Veterinary Practitioners (requires 50 CE hours / year for membership instead of 17 required by state)

Professional Achievements:

• Practice Management Consultant – Assists practices realize their production and profit potential through building simplified policies, simplified recommendations, and simplified training.

• Contributed a chapter to Dr. Lowell Ackerman’s new edition of “THE FIVE-MINUTE VETERINARY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT CONSULT” due for release at NAVC in 2014

  • “Putting Your Smart Device to Work for You”

TOPICS:

Lose the Pharmacy and Keep the Revenue - Discusses changing income streams from commodity based pharmacy to a service based pharmacy, and moving high vulnerability products to low vulnerability products that increase patient visits as well as increase revenue.

Simplify, Amplify, Satisfy - Discusses how our complicated pricing strategies, redundant, conflicting policies, continued use of outdated treatments, mixed messages, and variations in philosophy between veterinarians stifle our employee training efforts and contribute to high turnover in our hospitals and frustration for those who stay.  We show you easier ways to operate and increase the learning curve of new employees to move them to “productive” much sooner.

Bimodal Marketing Approach – Going Old School - Discusses how use of psychographic data to target households, for your OFFLINE marketing, that have the highest likelihood of responding to a direct mail piece.  Also discusses how important your ONLINE presence is when using OFFLINE marketing because it also drives traffic to your website.

Want to have a better day at work? Give your staff some ACE! - Appreciation, Compensation, Education.  Appreciation is the most sought after reward in the workplace, how we can structure staff compensation to give them ownership of your practice’s success, and how requiring that each staff member continue to learn, pays off BIG TIME.

Professionalism – Perception is all that matters! - What to say, what to wear, when to teach, when to preach.  Veterinary etiquette – Clients, Staff, Sales Reps, and Colleagues.

Showing Appreciation in the Workplace - Based on the book "5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace"

COST:

Travel expenses only

CONTACT INFO:

Website:  hallsvillevet.com

Email:  thehallsvillevet@aol.com
Cell:  (903) 452-9070

Bellevue, Washington

Dr. Cori Gross is a feline-only veterinarian.  She serves as a Field Veterinarian for Veterinary Pet Insurance, practices medicine at a feline shelter, and provides in-home behavior consultations through her housecall business Feline Behavior Housecalls.

Dr. Gross received her veterinary degree from Washington State University in 2003.  As a Field Veterinarian for VPI, she travels nationwide delivering informational pet insurance and preventive care plan seminars and feline behavior lectures at veterinary schools and veterinary medical meetings. 

In addition to her role as President-Elect of the American Association of Industry Veterinarians (formerly known as AACPPV), Dr. Gross is also a member of the American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vetpartners, and many other professional groups.  She lives in Bellevue, WA with her husband, three children, and three cats.

TOPICS:

Pet Insurance

Preventative Care Plans

COST:

Free of charge

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  cgross@petinsurance.com

Cell:  (714) 512-0910

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Stith Keiser is the founder and manager of My Veterinary Career for the American Animal Hospital Association.  My Veterinary Career, founded by Stith, is a veterinary matchmaking firm matching veterinarians and practice managers, at no charge, with all types and sizes of practices across North America.  His industry experience includes facilitating workshops and speaking at national and state veterinary conferences.  In addition to speaking he writes for industry publications and websites.  Stith also conducts career development-related workshops for student clubs and organizations at veterinary schools across the country.   Stith is a member of VetPartners, co-chair of the Career Development Special Interest Group which most recently released the VetPartners/NVBMA/AAHA Mentorship Toolkit, and partners in several small and mixed animal practices.

TOPICS:

So You Think You Want to Own A Practice: Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing for Practice Ownership - Interactive presentation reviewing steps on the path to ownership including financing, leadership development, basic management principles and practice analysis

Practice Acquisition Workshop – Workshop focusing on reading and interpreting profit and loss statements as well as implementing strategies to improve upon areas of need.

Investing & Budgeting – Lecture focused on exploring investment strategies for each stage of your career including the pros and cons of each option

Financial Practice Management – Lecture or workshop diving into the financial aspect of practice management including understanding revenue centers, expense categories and how to impact them.

Resumes in Today’s Career Environment – Addresses how to construct a proper resume and design it to best highlight your experience and unique skills.  Includes an interactive portion where students have the opportunity to put themselves in shoes’ of an employer and analyze resumes. Can also include one-on-one resume reviews.

Mentorship – After two years of research, surveying practice owners and running pilot mentorship programs, we are pleased to announce the unveiling of the “Mentorship Toolkit, Powered by AAHA, VetPartners & the VBMA.”  The Mentorship Toolkit was developed with the veterinary economy as the driving force and aims to offer recent graduates interested in building their confidence and improving their medical skills an avenue to achieve that in general practice with competitive pay. The Mentorship Toolkit contains resources and support for a revised, detailed mentorship program to help recent graduates contribute, both financially and medically, to their new team.  In this presentation, we will review these components and offer advice for how to approach an employer about mentorship.

Networking 101 – An interactive workshop focused on teaching the key fundamentals for networking as a student seeking externships, jobs and/or a general professional network.

Negotiating Your First Job – Reviews all stages of the job negotiation process from resources new graduates can utilize to find the right job to questions you should be asking potential employers to the art of negotiation itself.  We’ll discuss, in an interactive small group format, standard components of an employment agreement including compensation, benefits and non-competes and discuss strategies for earning a competitive package. 

Ace the Face to Face – Interactive session preparing you to say, and ask, the right things on your interview

Land a Job at the Practice of Your Dreams – Find and screen practices and make the best first impression when interviewing.

Internships – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! Discusses the pros and cons of internships, both in academia and private practice.

First through Fourth Year – A step by step guide for how to make the most out of each year to prepare yourself to stand out as a job applicant

State of the Industry (and why it matters to you) – Reviews current trends in veterinary medicine and suggests how students can use knowledge of current issues to stand out as a job applicant

Business Quiz – Interactive business quiz covering financial topics every student should know.  Includes information on salaries, benefits packages and common veterinary business terminology.

Leaders are Developed, Not Born - Discussion-based, interactive presentation helping attendees define and build themselves as leaders whether in current leadership positions or anticipated future roles. Presentation covers leadership styles, tips for delegation, and strategies for building a high performing team.

COST:

No honorarium, but I do ask for rental car, hotel and flight reimbursement.

CONTACT INFO:

Email: skeiser@myveterinarycareer.com

Cell:  (720) 323-9651

Website:  www.MyVeterinaryCareer.com

Littleton, Colorado

Leslie A. Mamalis, MBA, MSIT, CVA is a frequent speaker and author on practice management, profitability and budgeting topics. Leslie has spoken at WVC, AVCO, AVMA, and NAVC and is a published author on many industry topics. Leslie has an MBA and an MS in Information Technology, and became a Certified Valuation Analyst in 2013. She is an expert veterinary practice appraiser and has worked with veterinarians and veterinary practices for over 16 years. She is also a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor with extensive experience helping veterinarians and managers understand financial reports so they can use that information to increase practice profitability and value.

TOPICS:
Do You Have What It Takes to Own a Practice?
Associate Buy-Ins Creating a Win-Win Solution
Buying & Selling Partial Interests – Views from the Trenches
Building Wealth through Practice Ownership
Bringing a Partner Into the Business
Can Owners Work Part-Time?
Succession Planning
Maximize Value Before You Sell
Demystifying Financial Statements – What They Say About Your Practice and Why You Should Care Budgeting for Success
Managing for Profit
The Financially Healthy Practice: Strategies to Increase Profitability and Practice Value
Valuing Specialty and Emergency Practices

COST:
Travel and lodging reimbursement Honorarium – waived for student groups

Will work with you to find sponsorship

CONTACT INFO:
Email: Leslie@SummitVeterinaryAdvisors.com

Website: https://SummitVeterinaryAdvisors.com

10354 West Chatfield Avenue, Suite 103 Littleton, CO 80127

Office Phone: 303-980-4000 

Beverly Hills, CA

Elliot Matloff started his insurance practice in August 1979.  He offers life, health, disability and long term care insurance as well as retirement programs for individuals, families and firms in many professions.  He currently has the endorsement from the AVMA for insurance programs specifically designed for veterinarians.  He is the AVMA school agent for Western University and also has endorsements from the Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.

He currently ranks as a top insurance broker with many major insurance companies and wins several industry service awards.  He often speaks at the annual conventions of several large insurance companies.  He is licensed in 35 states.

A native of Los Angeles, Mr. Matloff graduated from UCLA with degrees in biology and psychology.  Prior to entering the insurance business, he owned a successful chain of sporting goods stores throughout Southern California

He is an avid golfer, tennis player, skier, scuba diver, airplane pilot and classical pianist.  He also guides the careers of several word class young classical and jazz musicians.

TOPICS:

Your most important asset…..your ability to earn an income  (A candid talk about disability insurance)

Life Insurance 101

Financial Planning 101

Things to ask for when you negotiate your contract with an employer

I can also bring in guest speakers (bankers, cpa’s, financial planners and attorneys who specialize in veterinarian practices).  They talk about how to get a business loan, how to negotiate the purchase or sale of a practice, how do you pay off those big university loans, etc.

COST: 

No cost.

CONTACT INFO:

The Matloff Company

9601 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1204

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Tel: 310 858-5970 or 800 468-4467

Fax: 310 274-2563

Email: elliot@matloffcompany.com

Website: www.matloffcompany.com

Germantown, TN

Born and raised in Memphis, TN, Jonathan bought and sold his first business while attending Mississippi State University. Graduating with a degree in Risk Management, Insurance and Financial Planning, he runs a financial planning practice focused exclusively on the needs of veterinarians across the country. Ranging from current students to DVMs entering and exiting practice, he brings a very focused and specialized view of veterinary finances and financial planning to his audiences and clients. He and his team actively advise hundreds of veterinarians and practice owners across the country on a number of financial issues and concerns. Jonathan and his wife, Shellye, currently reside in Memphis, TN with their goldendoodle, Bear. While not working with clients, he enjoys traveling the country, playing golf, college football, and volunteering at his church. He is partnered with Shoemaker Financial, an independent financial advisory firm in Germantown, TN, in order to provide the most robust, unbiased resources for his clients ranging from insurance evaluation/selection, investment management, and comprehensive financial planning services.

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TOPICS:

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Putting The Cart Before the Horse - Financial Planning for Young Veterinarians: A candid, in-depth look at the current financial landscape for recent DVM graduates. Tackling topics from budgeting, contract negotiation with cost of living considerations and investments to practice buy/sell strategies and making values-based decisions with money, this talk is a 30,000 foot view lecture specifically designed for graduating DVMs and those who have graduated in the previous five years. Q&A will follow.

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Student Loans and the Elephant in the Room: Standard, Extended, Income Based Repayment, Pay As You Earn, Revised Pay As You Earn, and Loan Forgiveness Options...An analysis of current student loan repayment options available to graduates from a long term point of view with a focus on integrating these strategies into a veterinarian's long term goals, dreams, and aspirations. Covering pros and cons of all repayment plan options as well as the potential taxable event, for most graduating or recently graduated DVMs, this is one of the largest financial decisions they will make while transitioning into practice. Q&A will follow. 

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Investments and Insurance...How, What, Where, When and Why?: With all of the investment and insurance options available to veterinarians, which is the best for your situation is always a personal decision. This lecture is an unbiased approach to investment vehicles, accounts, insurance policies and the applicability of each within a long term financial strategy. Q&A will follow. 

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The First 48 Months: The first years for a veterinarian can often be the most crucial to long term success. During this time, particular focus is given to the items that every veterinarian should consider in order to set themselves up for the future. Covering topics from common mistakes all the way to the 15 items that must be addressed early on, this is an in-depth lecture usually presented in a discussion oriented fashion.

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Customized Lectures: A specifically designed lecture can be created and tailored to your audience.

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COST:

Negotiable, if any, based on estimated travel and lodging expenses. Available to speak across the United States and abroad.

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CONTACT INFO:

jmcalister@shoemakerfinancial.com

Office: 901-757-5757

Cell: 901-484-4370

Shoemaker Financial 

www.shoemakerfinancial.com

State College, Pennsylvania

David McCormick, MS, CVA is an experienced veterinary practice appraiser and veterinary practice transaction Specialist. As a speaker/teacher, David has presented at NAVC, AVMA, AAHA and WVC meetings as well as the Southern European Veterinary Conference and many other regional and state veterinary conferences and veterinary colleges. He is a Certified Valuation Analyst and a Charter Member of VetPartners where has served as the President, and is currently on the Board Resource Council and the VetPartners Valuation Council. He owns and operates the practice brokerage firms Simmons Mid-Atlantic and Simmons Great Lakes with his partner and father, Larry McCormick, DVM, MBA, CBA.

TOPICS:

How to Buy a Veterinary Practice?
Length: 1-2 hours, depending on depth
Description: This session will dive into the entire process from finding a practice through to closing on the transaction and starting the transition. Buying a practice is no longer “a spit & a handshake”. When done correctly, the process can be smooth and timely. When not, the pitfalls, perils and mis-communications can be a nightmare.

Practice Value: Finding, Measuring, Growing
Length: 1-2 hours, depending on depth
Description: This program addresses practice valuation in ways that everyone can grasp. The focus is on addressing questions such as: Why is one practice worth more than another even when they have the same revenue? Where is your practice on the value continuum? It starts by exploring the origins of practice value and then moves into examining the factors influencing value and the methods of valuing practices.

Diagnosing Your Practice’s Financial Health
Length: 1-2 hours
Description: What makes a financially healthy practice and how can you tell? Your practice financial data & tax returns can be powerful diagnostic tools. Learn why & how to do more with them than just filing them in that dusty file cabinet. We will look at how you can use them to help diagnose your practice’s financial health and if necessary, develop a treatment plan for improvement.

15 Minute Practice Physical
Length: 1 hour
Description: For your medical patients, assessment of health or disease starts with a good physical exam. The same goes for your veterinary practice. With this monthly process, in 15 minutes you can quickly scan a set of data that provides an indication of your practice's overall financial health - or lack thereof. Once you identify the issues you can begin the treatment.

Exit Planning for Dummies
(the title may be a bit brash and can be changed… “Successful Exit Planning” etc…)
Length: 1-2 hours. There is much to discuss so more time is not a problem.
Description: How are you going to transition out of your practice? Do you have a plan? What needs to be considered? The value of your practice is only one small part of the bigger picture. This session is designed to help you prepare a plan for your eventual exit – instead of “just winging it”.

How to Sell (Buy) a Part of Your Practice
alt title:  Should You Really Sell a Part of Your Practice?
Length: 1-2 hours (if “Practice Value” is already on the schedule, 1 hour is enough)
Description: There is much to consider before you sell or buy a part of a practice. Is it the right choice? How do you make it happen? It is much more than picking a percentage to buy and a price. This session will provide an action plan for both your decision process and the path forward to the actual transaction.

Answers To Your Questions on _______.
Length: 1 hour - but could be multiple sessions by different topics
Description: This is a Question & Answer session designed to let attendees ask their burning questions. The session can be as long as desired to fit the schedule. It works well for a lunch session, or at the end of the day – or across several days with different topics. The topic can be any of the following (or others if desired). Answers to Your Questions on:

• Practice Value

• Buying a Practice

• Exit Strategies

• Improving Practice Value

• Working With Consultants

• Starting A Practice

• Veterinary Financing

• ... and so on

This is a new format – open questions instead of lecture format. I have back-up material & questions to “prime the pump” and get folks participating. Then it moves forward and the time flies by because we are discussing actual situations instead of “hypotheticals”.

Other Titles:
A Case Study in Healing a Financially Diseased Practice
The Top 5 Small Business Mistakes
How to Sell Your Practice
The Market for Veterinary Practices: Who is Buying/Selling?
Practice Value: Theory & Application
Practice Value for Management & Planning
Starting A Practice: Demographics & Market Potentials
No Lo Practice? How can that be me? … or…. Why does it matter?
Practice Managers: How to work with the owner
How Perks & Other Benefits Affect Value
Equipment Purchase Decisions – should you REALLY buy it?
How to Run Your Practice Like an Investment

COST:

I have sponsors that will cover my speaking fee and the transportation, lodging and per diem expenses. Unfortunately, the sponsors will not provide funds for food for the students.

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/dfmcc/
Email:  DMcCormick@TMcCG.com
Office Phone:  (814) 466-7084

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

In addition to her role as a hospice veterinarian, Dr. Dani McVety is a speaker, consultant, author, and mother. Just months after graduation she formed Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in Tampa, Florida and quickly joined forces with her friend and classmate, Dr. Mary Gardner. In just 3 years they have built one of the most unique businesses in the veterinary industry, and now partner with over 60 of the most compassionate doctors around the country; this remains their greatest source of pride.  Dr. McVety frequently writes and speaks for professional and lay audiences in hopes of empowering both parties to seek the highest standards of care. Dr. McVety and Lap of Love have been featured on numerous local, national, and professional media outlets including ABC, Fox 13, Associated Press, The New York Times, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, and many more. She proudly graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and is the youngest recipient of the college’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award (2013).

TOPICS:

We speak on a variety of topics including, but not limited to:

Finding your niche in vet med

Non-verbal communication (Platinum Level Communication)

Body language

Motivation

Avoiding school and career burnout

Leadership

Alternatives to GP in Vet Med

Ethical issues in business and medicine

Growing a business

Managing staff

Euthanasia and end of life options (medical and legal approaches)

COST:

$1000 - $2000 depending on time requested, plus travel and expenses.  We are more than willing to do joint meetings with other clubs including SVECCS, companion animal clubs, ethics, etc. 

CONTACT INFO:

Contact to schedule: Colby@LapofLove.com, (813) 407-9441

You can also email me at DrDani@LapofLove.com, cell 813 362 1040.

Atlanta, GA

Bob Muscat is the CEO of Muscat & Company, a business turnaround advisory, and a frequent speaker at industry events. For the past fifteen years, Bob has helped small and medium sized companies improve their operating performance. He developed a systematic profit management process, the 80/20 Business System, based on his experience and has delivered over $140 million dollars to companies following his advice. He also taught strategic planning and business strategy for the American Management Association. He comments and blogs regularly at his website, www.bobmuscat.com.

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TOPICS:

Business Strategy: It's not what you think.

Many small businesses struggle needlessly because they either have no strategy or follow a template without thinking. Successful businesses understand customer profitability and set up a management system to do just that. Bob will show attendees the essential tools they need to run a profitable business and why most advice is utterly wrong in today's competitive environment.

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Marketing: Here's what I would do if I were you.

Marketing is how businesses get and keep a customer - profitably. Yet many businesses fail this essential aspect and focus instead on operations. Bob will share the five questions every business should be able to answer as well as discuss some useful actions you should take when planning your business.

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COST:

Honorariums are $500 per event. There is no charge for travel within Georgia, otherwise, a reimbursement for reasonable expenses.

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CONTACT INFO:

bob@bobmuscat.com

678.576.4045

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Muscat & Company

www.bobmuscat.com

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Steve Noonan graduated from Ontario Veterinary College, Canada in 1983. He owned multiple veterinary clinics, a pet grooming and boarding facility, a pet supply retail outlet, equestrian facilities and real estate. He built and designed all his veterinary hospitals acting as architect and general contractor.  

Seeing clients, performing surgery and working with staff, he developed a very strong teamwork and customer service ethic that enabled the team to succeed in a very competitive industry. He was CEO of a large 30 employee veterinary hospital until 2008. 

Steve was active in provincial and national veterinary associations, serving on many committees as a member or chair. He has worked with most of the multi-national pharmaceutical companies either as a key opinion leader or as a small contractor. He has lectured to business students at OVC and has coached over a hundred hours in the veterinary student communication labs.

Steve’s work with  clients as a management consultant involves on-going dialogue with veterinarians about their concerns and issues. Pioneering economics in the 90’s, creating co-operatively owned emergency hospitals, founding a continuing education academy and spear-heading a multi-hospital management group are areas where he was able to help veterinarians understand that working together was better than working alone. He has studied and attended management workshops for over 25 years on subjects ranging from veterinary management, human potential, psychology and communication to Emotional Intelligence and Personality Styles.

In 2008 Noonan ‘burned out’.

Suffering from a severe physical and mental breakdown, he left active practice. Seeking strategies and tools to heal himself permanently over and above what conventional medicine offered,  he became immersed in the study of positive psychology and became a certified coach with the prestigious Coaches Teaching Institute (www.thecoaches.com). He studied Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) completing 2 x 8 week courses and attending 15 days of workshops with other medical professionals in the US. He knows about the evidence behind the science of positivity and happiness and how this can be used to help the veterinary profession cope with the stresses that threaten our members.

He is an experienced communicator with expertise in media interviews, radio, television and speaking to veterinarians as a management consultant. He is a passionate and engaging speaker who has a mission to help prevent others going through what he has and build resilience in other veterinarians to help combat the challenges of daily professional practice.

TOPICS:

Prevention of Burnout

Mindfulness

Happiness

Well-Being Strategies

COST:

Student speaking fee of $1200 (40% of my usual speaking fee). Travel and accommodation costs are additional.

CONTACT INFO:

Cell: 519 827-6588 

Email: drsteve@effectivet.com

Website: www.effectivet.com

Frederick, Maryland

Mark, a native of upstate NT, obtained his bachelor's degree in Biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo.  He then earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1995 and, in 2013, his MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.  Mark was a partner for several years in a multi-doctor small animal practice before leaving to start his own mobile ultrasonography business.  More recently, Mark worked as an Emergency Veterinarian at a major regional referral hospital, where he was named by his peers as one of the Top Veterinarians in Northern Virginia.  

Mark also holds multiple patents, is a published author, and is the co-founder and CEO of a software company called VitusVet.  VitusVet is a rapidly growing company with one simple goal:  to improve the way veterinarians and pet owners share information.  Mark lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife, three children, two cats, two dogs, two guinea pigs and a bunch of fish.

Mark also serves on the AVMA Veterinary Economic Strategy Committee, where he deals with veterinary supply and demand and other high-level economic issues facing veterinarians in the United States. They also work closely with the AAVMC on the student debt issue, and is an area where they have published  interesting findings and tools to help students minimize and manage student debt.

TOPICS:

Anything technology related

From Equine Veterinarian to Software CEO…what a long strange trip it’s been!

How veterinarians can use mobile technology to grow their practice

What’s new in veterinary practice technology

Modern veterinary marketing:  reminders aren’t enough anymore

Supply, Demand, and Debt: A summary of the AVMA Veterinary Economic Summit

COST:

Hotel fees if overnight. Plane fare if >300 miles from Washington, DC. No honorarium necessary.

CONTACT INFO:

Email: molcott@vitusvet.com

Phone: 301-452-6762

Portland, Maine area

Todd brings over 25 years of industry experience to his training events and seminars. As the Diagnostic Marketing Manager at IDEXX, he works to help veterinary practices better leverage existing tools that support practice growth and improve work flows. Todd also founded Pet Health Network® and has worked or consulted for Biopure, Merial and others. He lectures at veterinary schools on topics such as technology integration and communicating value in the examination room.

TOPICS:

You Are the Future of Client Engagement -  Integrated technologies that support patient care, practice growth and loyal customers

COST:

No charge

CONTACT INFO:

Phone/fax: 207-556-6105

Cell/mobile: 207-415-2793

Vancouver, BC, Canada (also has offices in Seattle, WA and Clearwater, FL)

Co-founder and President of Veterinary Practice Solutions (VPS), Joel was born in Alaska and raised in the Pacific Northwest of Canada with flying squirrels and chipmunks.  He now lives with his wife and son in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He holds university degrees in Science and Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.  Joel’s early years were spent working in AAHA  accredited practices and in 1986 purchased the AAHA accredited Animal Medical Hospital. Ensuing years of owner-dependent practice ownership were frustrating and let to an extensive search for practical management tools.  His hospital was featured in Trends Magazine for his state of the art sound proofed dog ward.

With the discovery and application of a specific, tried-and-true business system, the 1990’s brought rapid practice success and the creation of two new companies, Veterinary Endoscopy Service, and a manufacturing and worldwide distribution high-end dog training equipment, Canine Equipment – Gear Fer Dogs. In 2001 Joel sold all 3 companies and moved to Florida, USA to begin his formal training as a management consultant at a private management college. Joel interned with one of the fastest growing consulting companies in North America, Measurable Solutions Inc., and became a Licensed Business Consultant and Trainer.

As president of VPS, Joel takes great pride in teaching and coaching veterinarians, who are well-trained technically but often lack workable practice management solutions.

Joel has a passion for listening and playing music (guitar and mandolin), watching hockey and American football, and fast cars.

Joel’s video blog, “Whiteboard Wednesday” is available on this link (https://www.youtube.com/user/VeterinarySolutions).  He encourages your ideas, thoughts and opinions. 

He has been a member and active contributor to Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and a past contributor to Veterinary Economics. He is also a member of VetPartners, the association for practice development, and assists in the Special Interest Group, the Career Development Committee.

He is very keen to meet with students and help them acquire a practical viewpoint that will help them "live to tell the story" of the first year in practice.

TOPICS:

"Your First Year in Private Practice - Living to Tell the Story!"

"Fake it 'till You Make It (Just not too long!)"

"The Rejection of Mediocrity on Your Path to Greatness"

"Fast Flowing Your Medical Records (the Rate Limiting Step)"

"Knowing What your Know and What You Don't (how to tell the difference)

Others...  See Whiteboard Wednesday topics

COST:

Travel, accommodation and food only

Speaker fee:  None

CONTACT INFO:

Phone: 888.675.9765

Website: www.veterinary-practice-solutions.com

Walton, Kentucky

Dr. Jennifer Quammen is a predominately small animal private practitioner in Kentucky. Along with her DVM and history as a Veterinary Technician, Jen holds a Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Bachelor of Science in Biology. Outside of practice, Jen is co-founder of High Performance Living, a health and wellness business focused on veterinary professionals. Dr. Quammen is also involved in organized medicine, holding board or chair positions at the local, state and national levels. She currently serves on the Kentucky VMA as a board member and public relations chairperson and on the AVMA as a member of the Council on Veterinary Service and Practice Advisory Panel. Jen is also a member of the 2015-16 AVMA Future Leaders Program. An alumna of the VLI’s Veterinary Leadership Experience, Jen recently returned for her fourth year of tenure as a VLE Facilitator in 2015. To maintain balance in her busy life, Jen enjoys training and competing in Kettlebell Sport and discussing anything amphibian. 

TOPICS
Living the Successful LifePrint; How to THRIVE, not just SURVIVE in Veterinary Medicine: The level of wellness among veterinary professionals has been decreasing in recent years. Many of these individuals are unaware of even basic strategies that can directly improve their health and wellness. The LifePrint presentation will review basic strategies to implement and improve personal wellness within the topics of nutrition, sleep, stress, mental performance, work-life optimization and movement patterns. We often delve more deeply into the topics of sleep and stress management as they are highly linked to personal performance. Most feel that you just need to “sleep more” and “remove stress” from your life. We know this isn’t practical – instead we offer methods to increase sleep quality and control your response to stress. Based on time allotment, we may cover strategies to improve study efficiency and improve memory. Interactive real-time demonstrations of several applications (heart rate variability, functional movement screening, and meditation/mindfulness techniques) are also done.

Specific Topics of sleep, stress management, nutrition, mental performance, work-life optimization, and physical performance can also be discussed for 60 minute or longer presentations (per topic). We can also covered business start-ups, social media management, and how those relate to wellness and health within the veterinary profession. 

COST

Speaker Fees: Free for student organizations (honorarium is regularly $500-1000 per hour)

Travel & Expenses: Round trip mileage is charged at $0.55 per mile. If the distance is greater than 500 miles, we would likely travel by air. In the case of air travel, flight costs would be expected to be reimbursed.

Lodging is estimated to be $120-150 per day (based on location expenses); we would charge one to two nights per school, based on specific logistics. Per diem is estimated at $75 per day.

We are happy to provide more formal proposals to any organizations upon request.

Our total travel and expenses with final receipts and invoices will be sent to the individual chapter within 2 weeks of the site visit. 

CONTACT INFO

www.highperfliving.com

life@highperfliving.com

859-474-0369 

Lexington, Kentucky

Luke Ramsay has been helping the veterinary community from different angles for nearly ten years. And he’s not about to stop now!

Luke served for 5 years as the Student Programs Coordinator with the American Association of Equine Practitioners, where he focused on preparing future equine veterinarians for the world outside of school.

Since leaving the AAEP, Luke runs a physical and virtual business incubator. His focus is helping entrepreneurs and small business owners realize their own vision and passion. Specifically he helps prepare businesses for capital requests in the form of loans and equity investments. Luke’s personal passion, though, is helping teams become more profitable through marketing, internal communication, and developing and finding buy-in for their vision. 

Luke is a certified business incubator manager (which has nothing to do with chickens (unless your business has something to do with chickens)). He’s also certified in GrowthWheel Business Planning Tool.

TOPICS:

Starting a practice from scratch? Are you ready?

Marketing: The Hardest non-Rocket Science You’ll Ever Meet

Killing it With Your Team

Non-Profits: Making Money When Everybody Assumes You Aren’t

Microbrews

Keeping Social Media a Healthy Part of Your Marketing Plan

Is Your Clinic a Clydesdale or a Jon Bon Jovi? The Subtle Art of Branding

LEGO

Customer Relations

Expanding on Your Core Competencies 

Kauffman Foundation’s Business Model Canvas

Core 4. The Foundation of a Solid Business

Advisory Board vs. Board of Directors

Strengths Finder 2.0

Lots of Q&A after speaking engagements. I am at the VBMA's disposal while in town. I’m very flexible. I like working with students find and expand their passions. If there’s a topic not listed above that you would like to talk about, just get in touch with me. I’ll tell you if I can speak on the subject. If I can’t, I’ll happily refer you to someone who can.

COST:

Travel costs and a $900 speaking fee. 

CONTACT INFO:

Email: luke.ramsay@gmail.com 

Phone: 859.979.5853. 

Greenville, South Carolina

Dr. Andy Roark is a practicing veterinarian, international speaker, and author. He is an award-winning columnist for DVM360, and has a regular column on Vetstreet.com. Dr. Roark’s popular Facebook page has over 100,000 fans, and his humorous educational videos have been viewed over a half million times.

Dr. Roark has received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and has been named Practice Management Speaker of the Year at NAVC, one of the world’s largest veterinary conferences. In 2013, the practice where Dr. Roark works placed third in that American Animal Hospital Association’s Practice of the Year Contest.

TOPICS:

Getting What You Want At Your First Job (Leadership & Management)

Bonding Clients In Person and Online (Marketing & Goal Setting)

How to Get Clients to Do What You Ask (And Make A Living At It) (Exam Room Productivity & Sales)

Diffusing Angry Clients (Communication)

Top 5 Tips For Thriving As A Veterinarian (Mixture of survival skills. Heavy audience influence)

COST:

Honorarium is deeply discounted for student groups, when possible. The fee is dependent on the needs of the group, location, flexibility of scheduling the event, work requested, and my availability. The only expenses I request are travel and lodging

CONTACT INFO:

Email: andy@drandyroark.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/DrAndyRoark

Twitter: @DrAndyRoark

Website: www.DrAndyRoark.com

Littleton, CO

Rebecca Rose, CVT graduated from Colorado Mountain College with an AAS in Veterinary Technology in 1987. Since that time Rebecca has reinvented her career many times over and continues to see no glass ceiling as a veterinary technician. She has worked on the floor as a veterinary technician in a mixed animal practice, managed 2 AAHA practices, writes peer reviewed articles and authors books, and presents at state and national conferences. Rebecca is passionate about assisting everyone on the veterinary team to reach their highest potential, offering incredible client service and patient care.

She is currently the President of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). Her focus, for the past 15 years, has been on veterinary team development, leadership, and practice management. She brings great enthusiasm and "been there, done that" experiences to the table, in an engaging and informative manner. Over the past decade Rebecca has worked with veterinary students in a variety of ways. She was honored to facilitate the Colorado State University's Veterinary Student Orientation at Pingree Park for 7 years. Students have asked her to support and participate in fund raising and networking events. She has presented on leadership, veterinary team efficiency, management, and communications. Tell her what your needs are and she will create a program perfect for you and your organization! Seriously, what are your students eager to learn about?

TOPICS

Veterinary Team Development - A veterinary team is made up of a kaleidoscope of colors! It is exciting to bring together team members with different levels of education, varied passions, and interests. How, exactly, do you work together, in harmony, to create a succinct, efficient team? Together we will identify tools for success in veterinary team development and practice management. We will dive into conversations around personal preferences, job descriptions, and training. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of team efficiency and synergy.

Hit the Floor RUNNING! Team Trust, Delegation & Profitability - Congratulations, you have graduated! Now what? Let's consider your first few weeks of employment and how you will Hit the Floor Running!  During these interactive classes, attendees will learn about the formally educated team members they will be working with, how to build trust, and what to delegate. We will create an outline of "doctor things" and "team things." You will see how appropriately leveraging your team empowers them and improves career satisfaction (for you and them!).

Leading from within, your team, and in the veterinary community - Often times, when you begin working with a veterinary team, you are seen as a leader (regardless of your skills and aptitude in leadership). Each day you walk onto the practice floor you are expected to lead by example. That is a pretty demanding expectation! Together we will identify ways to lead your team and in your veterinary community. First, we will discuss leading from within, establishing your values and beliefs, foundations for your personal and professional success. Then, we will talk about leading and managing a team. When you choose to lead within the veterinary community, the benefits and rewards are many! Attendees will walk away with tools for success in professional development, goal setting,and improving leadership skills.

Let's Build IT! - Do you have a unique idea? Happy to brainstorm and create it! The sky is the limit...... I am serious when I say, "Let's create it!" With over 30 years of experience in the veterinary community, we can be creative. If your organization wants to have a workshop that has yet to be explored or defined, now is the time to develop it.

COST

Hourly honorarium, $350/hour

Half Day Workshops, $1500

Full Day Workshops, $3000

Travel from Denver, CO (Typically $300-$400) Hotel Accommodations, ground travel, meals

Onsite organization will receive handouts for printing, ahead of time

CONTACT INFORMATION

rebeccarosecvt@gmail.com

303-717-6224

CATALYST Veterinary Practice Consultants

www.CATALYSTVetPC.com

Berlin, Connecticut

Dr. Russak earned both his bachelor’s degree and DVM from Colorado State University, and his certificate in veterinary practice administration from the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University. Dr. Russak retired from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, after teaching there for seven years. While there, he served as an assistant clinical professor in the primary care service and director of student affairs. His teaching emphases were in the areas of the art and business of veterinary practice, leadership, and communication. Before the move to academia, he owned a multi-doctor AAHA practice in Kensington, Conn. for nearly 25 years. Dr. Russak was inducted into the Phi Zeta National Veterinary Honor Society in 2008 and has received several distinguished awards throughout his career, including the MSU-CVM Dean's Award for Excellence in teaching. He is a recent AAHA past president and a current Member of the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. He is heavily involved in his community and other professional industry organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), Student Chapter of The American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA), and local Veterinary Medical Association chapters and organizations. He is credentialed as a Certified Veterinary Journalist and has hosted several radio pet care shows as well as a TV show.  Dr. Russak has authored numerous lay and professional publications and has presented over 70 personal and professional success seminars at veterinary schools throughout North America and the Caribbean.  His passion is career development of veterinary students and recent graduates….helping to create the next generation of successful “gentle doctors."

TOPICS:

Internships and mentorship's..The myths and realities - No other presentation present the facts and realities in this eye opening manner. (1.5 Hrs.) 

Introduction to the AAHA/Vet Partners Mentorship Toolkit - Looking at the new mentorship program and how to use it and why. (1 hr.) 

Choosing a Practice - Keys to practice choice including evaluating what is the "right fit," red flags, finances, etc, etc. (1.5 Hrs.) 

Developing the million dollars plus practice….without the Million dollar building - Real world tips and insights related to high tech-high touch customer service and professional and financial success (2.0-2.5 hrs.)

Mastering the exam room-the keys to allowing you to practice great medicine and surgery and increasing client compliance/ adherence - Good Medicine is good for the pet the client and for the bottom line...only if the clients lets you do what the pet needs and deserves! (1.5-2 Hrs) 

I also combine the exam room mastery / practice developing talk because they are intertwined. (About 4.0 hrs.)

Communication in The Exam Room...Getting The Client To Yes - You do not get to put into practice your medical and surgical skills without the client's permission. ...the key to that happening is communicating with the client to establish trust, understanding and bonding. A client that understands what you are doing, why you are doing it and trusts you this will help you to get the client to "yes." (1.5-2 Hr)

Everything (or at least a lot) you need to Know about Veterinary Business,  Finances and Management - Put your veterinary business knowledge to test. Does the thought of “performance based compensation” make you uneasy? What does your average transaction cost need to be to and how many appointments do you need to see each day to justify an $80,000 salary? 

This is NOT a lecture! This is an interactive discussion and quiz (no pressure)! (1 -1.5 Hrs)

Ethical and Moral Practice decisions - Interactive real case discussions (1 Hr +)

A primer of Basic financial concepts of companion Animal Practice

Successful Practice in Any Economy...Time to Stop Whining and Take Action! Great for chapters doing CE with veterinarians as well as students. (2.5-3 Hrs)

COST:

Travel expenses only - no honorarium for student groups.

CONTACT INFO:

9 Iris Way, Berlin, CT 06037  

(H) 860-357-3425

(C) 860-518-1802  

MRussakDVM@aol.com

West Sussex, United Kingdom

John Sheridan graduated at the Royal Veterinary College in 1960. After a 25 year career as 

a small animal clinician during which he established a small group of eight franchised veterinary practices, John was appointed MD of Anicare Group Services (Veterinary) Ltd, offering a wide range of management consultancy services to the profession.

John was President of British Small Animal Veterinary Association (1974-1975) and first President of the Veterinary Practice Management Association (1993-1996). He holds a Diploma in Management Studies, a Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management from the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association in the U.S. and the Certificate in Veterinary Practice Administration awarded jointly by Purdue University and the American Animal Hospital Association. He is joint author of The Business of Veterinary Practice – Pergamon Press 1993.

John Sheridan was joint founder of Veterinary Practice Initiatives Ltd, the first veterinary corporate consolidator in the UK and was Chief Veterinary Officer from its launch in July 1998 until he retired from the company executive team in 2003.

John Sheridan now offers part-time management consultancy to the veterinary profession and publishes VeterinaryBusiness.org, an on-line practice management resource for everyone with an interest in the business of veterinary practice worldwide.

John Sheridan has spoken widely on veterinary practice management issues in the UK and overseas for many years and apart from a number of private teaching and training commitments in the UK and Europe, has recently presented at the Veterinary Executive Club of Japan (Tokyo Oct 2007), the Southern European Veterinary Conference (Barcelona Oct 2007), VetPartners (Kansas City 2008), the North American Veterinary Conference (Orlando 2009), a private group of veterinary practice owners (Barcelona 2009), the London Vet Show (2009, 2010 and 2011), the Great Northern Vet Show (2010 and 2011), Hong Kong Veterinary Association (Hong Kong Sept 2011), Mastermind Group (Melbourne Sept 2011), the Australian Veterinary Business Association (Melbourne Sept 2011), the Urals Small Animal Veterinary Association (Alanya, Turkey November 2011), the Institute of Veterinary Practice Development (IVPD) Conference and Workshops (Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa May 2012), Singapore Veterinary Association (Singapore 2013), Australian Veterinary Association – Practice Management Stream (Sydney 2013) – private Veterinary Owner Conference (Dallas, 2015) – France Vet Conference (Paris, 2015) – the London Vet Show (2015) and Alpha-Vet Practice Management Conference (Budapest, Hungary 2015)

TOPICS:

5 great reasons why understanding the business of veterinary practice will be the key to your success as a clinician

How to become a Veterinary Practice Superhero

A Strategy for Growth, Financial Planning, Leadership & Management, Team Building

Let’s Find the Hidden Treasure in Your Practice – I’ve got the map

It’s all in the Numbers

Prepare to double your veterinary practice profits and the value of your business in just 12 months – starting today

Your practice, your career and your life – is there a problem?

What are you wearing today - clinical scrubs or business suit?

Making the Best Use of all your Practice Resources to achieve your Professional and Commercial Objectives

A searchlight on the people in veterinary practice

The Six Step Action Plan to build your successful practice into a great business

Veterinary Practice – a place to practise your profession or an exciting business with a great future?

COST

Travel, accommodation, and out-of-pocket expenses

I am located in the UK but am happy to combine a number of speaking engagements during 7 to 10 day trips to keep individual costs down.

CONTACT INFO

John Sheridan BVetMed CVPM DMS MRCVS

High Banks

Bracken Lane

Storrington

West Sussex

RH20 3HR

U.K.

Office: (44) (0)1903 740638

http://veterinarybusiness.org

E-mail: john.sher@btconnect.com  

Walton, Kentucky

Mr. Ryan Smith is co-founder of High Performance Living, a health and wellness business focused on veterinary professionals. Ryan is also a performance and endurance coach working with executive level athletes. His methodologies, developed and refined over time, help the individual to maximize performance by fine tuning their mental, nutritional, and physical profiles. Ryan’s decades of human performance background includes a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science/Physical Education, and advanced certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, National Academy of Sports Medicine, USA Track & Field, and the International Foot and Gait Education Council. Ryan specializes in mental performance with certifications in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Food Psychology, SuperHuman Coaching, and Hypnosis. He has been interviewed for USA Today, Fox News Affiliate WDRB- Louisville and the New York Times. Ryan is also a member and organizer of the Cincinnati Quantified Self organization and health contributor for Cincinnati Profile magazine. 

TOPICS
Living the Successful LifePrint; How to THRIVE, not just SURVIVE in Veterinary Medicine: The level of wellness among veterinary professionals has been decreasing in recent years. Many of these individuals are unaware of even basic strategies that can directly improve their health and wellness. The LifePrint presentation will review basic strategies to implement and improve personal wellness within the topics of nutrition, sleep, stress, mental performance, work-life optimization and movement patterns. We often delve more deeply into the topics of sleep and stress management as they are highly linked to personal performance. Most feel that you just need to “sleep more” and “remove stress” from your life. We know this isn’t practical – instead we offer methods to increase sleep quality and control your response to stress. Based on time allotment, we may cover strategies to improve study efficiency and improve memory. Interactive real-time demonstrations of several applications (heart rate variability, functional movement screening, and meditation/mindfulness techniques) are also done.

Specific Topics of sleep, stress management, nutrition, mental performance, work-life optimization, and physical performance can also be discussed for 60 minute or longer presentations (per topic). We can also covered business start-ups, social media management, and how those relate to wellness and health within the veterinary profession. 

COST

Speaker Fees: Free for student organizations (honorarium is regularly $500-1000 per hour)

Travel & Expenses: Round trip mileage is charged at $0.55 per mile. If the distance is greater than 500 miles, we would likely travel by air. In the case of air travel, flight costs would be expected to be reimbursed.

Lodging is estimated to be $120-150 per day (based on location expenses); we would charge one to two nights per school, based on specific logistics. Per diem is estimated at $75 per day.

We are happy to provide more formal proposals to any organizations upon request.

Our total travel and expenses with final receipts and invoices will be sent to the individual chapter within 2 weeks of the site visit. 

CONTACT INFO

www.highperfliving.com

life@highperfliving.com

859-474-0369 

St. Louis, MO

Dr. Kenneth Thornberry received his DVM from The University of Missouri and currently co-facilitates the VM2 Business Management course and is the VBMA off-campus advisor at the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine. He has founded and owned both general and specialty practices in St Louis, MO. Dr. Thornberry still practices and manages a National Veterinary Associates (NVA) hospital, Veterinary Group of Chesterfield - a full service, eight doctor, small animal practice that includes boarding, daycare, grooming and training. In addition to providing mentoring, speaking and consulting services to industry corporate leaders and veterinary colleges, Dr. Thornberry is a frequent guest lecturer at veterinary colleges, Veterinary Business Management Group (VBMA) and practitioner events across the country on practice management, veterinary business operations and practice profitability. He is active is his community and has been recognized frequently for his academics, leadership, practice and service.

TOPICS

Basic Overview of Fundementals of Business -This is a basis of business fundamentals including ethics and legal perspectives, HR, report understanding - 1-2 hours

Valuation of Practices and Maximizing Your Investment Value - This program covers how practices are valued in todays market for both personal and corporate valuations. An emphasis is placed on why knowing this information is important in day to day operations and what affects this figure. 1-2 hours

Factors to Consider in Choosing the RIGHT First Job after Vet School - This goes thru how to market yourself, your benefit to the owner and how to answer the "WHY" question for your first job - what gets you to where you want to be .... 1-2 hours

Financial Bootcamp - This is an incredibly fun and informative lecture (2-4 hours) that covers everything you need to know to run (or work in) a successful practice - teaches you to think like an owner, whether you are one or not - it makes you more valuable professionally and personally. The extended one covers some personal finance as well. 2 - 4 hours

Veterinary Business Change Over the Past 25 years and Service vs. Inventory Revenue and How it Affects YOU! - This is an interesting discussion of what has occurred over the past 25 years that explains a lot about where we are today as a profession and where we can expect to be in the future - focus on what's important and where you can affect change. 1 - 2 hours

COST

I can generally get a corporate sponsor to subsidize speaking and travel fees - $1000 for up to 4 hours and $2000 for more than 4 hours plus Travel

CONTACT INFORMATION

kthornberry@att.net

314-223-7989

www.veterinarygroup.net

Veterinary Group of Chesterfield

Veterinary Business Management Group

Brunswick, GA

Dr. Mary Ann Vande Linde is a graduate of the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine.  In addition to private practice experience, her career background includes teaching at various veterinary schools and colleges, technician schools, and veterinary conferences, consulting on practice management issues, developing, mentoring and coaching retreats for women practice owners as well as developing, mentoring and coaching associate training programs for exam room and professional success.  She has had the honor of working with the management teams at such corporations as Hill's Pet Nutrition, IDEXX Laboratories, Pet Health Network, Novartis Animal Health US, Elanco Animal Health, and Merial Animal Health.  She is currently serving on the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) board.

Dr. Vande Linde is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of veterinary communications. She is widely respected for her ability to inspire others through her guidance in interactive training programs, strategic planning, problem solving, leadership and marketing programs and services.  Her concentration on excellent preventative care through compassionate and consistent communication between pet parent and their doctor and veterinary team are contributing factors to her growing reputation as a voice for total pet wellness and quality of life.  

In 2008, Dr. Vande Linde founded Vande Linde & Associates to focus on all aspects of exam room communication excellence to transform the veterinary experience.  She shares her time with Mr. Darcy, an energetic border terrier who enjoys beach walks and bike rides.

TOPICS:

Exam Room Communication Success – Creating, Building and Evolving the Trust Relationship

How to Make Your Message Stick – Your Recommendation Power 

How to Talk About Money

Communication:  Your Style or Mine?

Connect with your Cat Clients

COST:

Honorarium ranges from $500 to $2,500 depending on the length of time presenting

Reimbursement for travel expenses (air, mileage, rental auto, parking, hotel) and out of pocket (food)

CONTACT INFO:

609 Norwich Street

Brunswick, GA  31520

Email: maryann@drmavl.com

Call or text: (404) 638-6128

Twitter: @DrMAVL

Topeka, Kansas

Veterinary Vitality

Enhancing Pride, Passion and Productivity

Dr. Wayner’s firm belief of "You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give,"  has helped shape his values, both personally and professionally.

For over 25 years, Dr. Wayner has provided the veterinary profession worldwide with a multitude of  insightful and beneficial projects, research studies, teaching and training, as well as authoring online and written publications related to the business and people side of veterinary medicine.  He has worked in private small animal general and emergency practices, in veterinary industry in various capacities including Sales, Marketing, International and Academic Affairs, taught in Practice Management-related curriculums in 26 of the US veterinary schools, visited over 2,500 veterinary practices and 44 veterinary schools globally, lectured in over 25 countries and spoken at many major veterinary conferences, positively influencing tens of thousands of veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary health care team members, helping them face their paradigm shifts with enthusiasm and renewed vigor.  Chuck has also helped support and create a variety of valuable entities such as the Veterinary Business Management Association, the Veterinary Nutritional Advocate, the Practice Health initiative and the Veterinary Leadership Experience.

Dr. Wayner is a talented teacher who enjoys keeping his audiences entertained and in assisting them in taking active ownership in creating their preferred future.  His exceptional ability to give is truly a gift to the veterinary profession, and to the pets and people we serve.

TOPICS: 

Practice Productivity

Personalities

The Bond

Bite Prevention/Responsible Pet Ownership

Marketing

Compliance

Stress

The Physical Exam

Practice Culture

Wealth in Wellness

Communication

COST:

No honorarium

Reimbursement for travel, lodging, meals, and mileage

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  chuck.wayner@gmail.com 

Cell:  (785) 554-5551

Columbia, Missouri

Dr. Wiedmeyer is a board-certified Veterinary Clinical Pathologist with over 15 years of experience in veterinary pathology laboratories.  Dr. Wiedmeyer earned his DVM (1994), completed a residency in Clinical Pathology (1997) and a PhD in Veterinary Pathology (2001) all at the University of Illinois. In 2001, Dr. Wiedmeyer became a faculty member at the University of Missouri in Veterinary Clinical Pathology and is currently an Associate Professor.  He is the coordinator of the Veterinary Clinical Pathology Residency program.  In 2008, he founded a successful clinical laboratory business, Comparative Clinical Pathology Services, LLC.  The laboratory specializes in providing clinical laboratory services and consultation to those using animals in biomedical research.  Dr. Wiedmeyer’s interests are learning about and teaching leadership, maintaining an adequate work/life balance, continuing to engage in an academic career and running a profitable business.

TOPICS:

Starting a business from scratch, the successes and failures

COST:

Travel and accommodations

No honorarium

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  wiedmeyerc@missouri.edu, compclinpath@gmail.com

Website:  www.cpathlab.com

Irvine, California

Dr. Weinstein attended Cornell University before moving on to the University of Illinois to receive his DVM (1986).  After graduation, he worked as an associate for a few years before opening his own practice in Laguna Hills, CA.  

While running his practice he identified a real need for enhanced business acumen to truly make his practice successful.  So, while managing and practicing full time, he attended night school to receive his MBA from the University of Redlands (1993). As a result of this additional business knowledge, he was able to move his practice, expand his practice and then sell his practice to one of the corporate consolidators.  

Besides being a practitioner, Dr. Weinstein was also a practice management consultant with Catanzaro and Associates (nationally) and PAW Consulting (regionally).  He served as President of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association and President of the California Veterinary Medical Association.  Additionally, Dr. Weinstein is on the Board of Directors of the Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundations, a private foundation. He also served as President of VetPartners, the national veterinary consultants and advisors group in 2007.  

In September 2000, Dr. Weinstein stepped away from clinical practice to work full time as a practice management consultant and to run Veterinary Practice Consultants Brokerage®, a veterinary specific job placement firm that assists veterinarians find new associates and new associates find jobs. In September 2003, Veterinary Pet Insurance hired Dr. Weinstein to oversee their Claims Department as the Medical Director.  

Subsequently,  Dr. Weinstein returned to the world of practice management consulting for both veterinary practices and veterinary related corporations under his own company PAW Consulting. The Southern California Veterinary Medical Association hired Dr. Weinstein to be their Executive Director in 2007 and he has served in that capacity since. 

Dr Weinstein has spoken and written extensively on veterinary practice management, team building, leadership, collegiality, working with allied industry, marketing, and many other topics focused on making the veterinary profession a better profession for all those affiliated with it.  

TOPICS:

Marketing

Team Building

Leadership

Systems and Operations in practice

Exam room skills

Communication Skills

Practice ownership

Life after veterinary school

Pet insurance and third party options

Revenue and Expense Streams

Pet Insurance, Third Party Options, Talking to Your Clients about Money

Marketing Basics

Leadership-Being A Leader inYour Practice

Exam Room Skills-Controlling the Client Experience

Career Search

Can you Buy a Practice with $250k of Debt

Applying Dale Carnegie to your Practice and Life

BOOKS:

Retention Marketing for Veterinary Professionals

The E-Myth Veterinarian

COSTS

All transportation costs, airfare, hotel, meals, rental car, etc.

Speaking costs - complimentary

CONTACT INFO:

3972 Barranca Parkway, Ste J-137, Irvine,CA  92606

Ph: 949-857-6240

Cell: 949-887-1599

Fax: 253-981-7363

email: peterw2@aol.com

Kansas City, Kansas

Fritz owns and operates a consulting practice in Kansas City, where his clients include veterinarians and animal health companies. He’s focused exclusively on the veterinary profession for nearly 25 years. He’s conducted important research examining veterinary productivity, attributes of healthy practices, and personal finance for veterinarians. He’s authored many dozens of articles, and contributed to books and online courses. Fritz teaches at many U.S. veterinary schools, and speaks to thousands annually at international, national, regional, state and local meetings. He was the Personal Finance Editor for Veterinary Economics, Treasurer of the AVMA Foundation, and worked with the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues. Fritz served as the Practice Management Chairman of the North American Veterinary Conference, and is a Founding Member of VetPartners. Currently, Fritz serves on the Advisory Board of Veterinary Team Brief and contributes regularly to Veterinary Advantage.

Fritz is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Kansas (1986). His professional affiliations include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants (KSCPA). His previous experience included 9 years as a management consultant with a major global consultancy.

TOPICS:

COST:

Historically, my involvement with local VBMA chapters has resulted from a trip I’ve already made to that school to teach a class. As such, my travel expenses are covered. I typically charge the local VBMA a $500 honorarium.

CONTACT INFO:

Email:  fwood@kc.rr.com

Website:  www.fritzwood.com

Twitter:  @fritzwoodcpa

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/fritz.wood.3