Celebrating 10 Years
Blue Heron Consulting is proud to have dedicated an entire decade to improving the lives of veterinary professionals.
And we’re just getting started.
10 Years and Counting
Celebrating a decade of partnership, growth, and success
Ten years ago, Blue Heron Consulting was founded on a simple yet powerful mission: to improve the lives of veterinary professionals. We set out to empower veterinary professionals with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to build thriving practices and fulfilling careers. Today, as we celebrate a decade of impact, we reflect on the incredible journey we’ve taken together—with our clients, partners, and dedicated team members who have made this success possible.
Our growth has been defined by the relationships we’ve built, the challenges we’ve tackled, and the measurable successes we’ve helped veterinary practices achieve. Over the past ten years, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with hundreds of clinics across the country, providing strategic guidance that has resulted in stronger businesses, more efficient teams, and better patient care.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every client, team member, and partner who has been part of this journey. Your trust, passion, and commitment to excellence fuel our work every day. As we look ahead to the next decade, we remain steadfast in our mission to guide, support, and uplift the veterinary community.
Thank you for being a part of our story—we can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in the years to come.
Our Impact
From the number of practices we’ve served to the success stories of veterinary professionals who have transformed their careers with our support, these numbers and stories reflect more than just words and statistics—they represent lives changed, businesses strengthened, and a veterinary profession that continues to evolve for the better.
5,085+
The number of lives of veterinary professionals we’ve improved.
339
The number of veterinary practices we’ve helped go from good to great.
2,210+
The number of veterinary students we’ve mentored toward successful careers.
94
The number of veterinarians we’ve helped guide along their journey to practice ownership.
1,250+
The number of hours our team has dedicated to educating the industry.
My whole perception of veterinary medicine has changed for the better and I can honestly tell you that I enjoy my job more than I ever have. For the first time in my career I feel like I would actually encourage my own kids to join the profession if they wanted to be part of it.
Our hospital has worked with Blue Heron Consulting for several years. After taking a hard look at how we operated, they helped us turn it upside down. Now we are leaner, having more fun and certainly more profitable.
I think what they are doing is phenomenal.
The day that Blue Heron came into this clinic, my life truly took a turn. The belief, coaching, mentorship, and friendship the team has given has been out of this world. Overall Blue Heron has been such a great experience that I am very thankful to have been a part of; the impact this team has on many people every day is something to be proud of.
It wasn’t just a “Here’s what you can do and now it’s yours to deal with.” It was “Here’s what we can do together”. It’s been really exciting to see how people get jazzed about it. If you are complacent with mediocrity, then don’t hire them. I’m not complacent with mediocrity. I want to be better than average.
It’s the personalization of it. It helped me to become a better manager to help the team. They work one on one with you and they come in and work with your team. They are not there for the money, they are there to help you grow.
Before using Blue Heron, I had no idea where to start, totally floating. I decided to use Blue Heron because of their accessibility and friendliness. They really made me feel like I had an ally in the purchasing process. Since working with my coach, I was able to purchase my clinic in record time, with relatively few hiccups. If anyone is on the fence in considering hiring a coach, I feel it is a worthy investment.
I was skeptical at first of what would come with the consulting however I went into it with an open mind. The results were mind blowing. The changes in the hospital stretched from the front desk to the doctors. The profitability skyrocketed and we continue to improve now 3 years out. Don’t hesitate to contact BHC you won’t regret it!
I want to thank you for helping me have the courage to do the right thing, best medicine for every patient, every time. It is what the clients want. I am so grateful for your coaching and helping us implement a new strategy.
Out of all the groups or people that we talked to, Blue Heron is the only one in which we have seen as significant of a change and one that did justify the expense.
I just wanted to let you know how personally I enjoyed the onsite visit. I wish they could’ve stayed one more day! I have heard nothing but positive comments from the staff onsite visit. I wish they could’ve stayed one more day! I have heard nothing but positive comments from the staff about them. It was a great experience and helped me extremely. And I appreciated how they even came out last night to support me and my son as he practiced showing his cattle. It was great for him and me to see your support.
I cannot say enough about BHC. We probably should shut up about it so you don’t get so many clients you don’t have time to coach us. Finally getting paid feels nice, but the biggest thing is the comfort/reassurance/feeling of safety that we are doing things right and being guided by knowledgeable folks who want us to succeed, that it isn’t all on our shoulders to learn the business/administration side by ourselves
BHC has challenged us to view and assess issues in new ways and to embrace change. This includes not only business practices, but also interactions between clients, patients, and coworkers. Communication and constructive criticism have improved greatly within the practice.
Our Medical Coach is incredible. She is grounded, realistic, creative, and positive. She keeps me striving for better for my team and is helping me become a manager/leader in my own right. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with her. BHC is growing the leaders in my practice – myself, my practice manager, my inventory specialist, etc.
I call our Operational Coach, Kelli, our “business therapist” because she often asks questions that I didn’t even know I needed to answer. Having someone like her on your side is theraputic and essential to our success. We could not have done a lot of our growth without her and the BHC team greatly empowering me to be a better manager and part of the ICWVH team. It’s turned up an already high passion into a burning desire to always do better and be better.
You have been instrumental in ensuring a smooth startup for us, and we will forever be grateful for your time and endless advice in pointing us in the right direction. We truly feel as though we were saved from a lot of pitfalls that most new owners succumb to, and with you on our speed dial we hopefully save ourselves a lot of time and money! All is well here; the business is BOOMING!
Our BHC coaches are an extension of our hospital team – working with them does not feel like trying to communicate with an outside company, but instead like collaborating with like-minded leaders who want our team to grow. There has been a tangible difference in our culture, our doctors, our support team, and the way our clients receive and react to the work we do. They are a support system and motivator in one, pushing us to do more and challenging us to think and act beyond our comfort zones.
The greatest impact BHC has brought is perspective. I feel I have been helped to take a look at the big picture rather than focus on the immediate impacts of the many decisions I have to make.
A Letter from our Founder & CEO
As Blue Heron Consulting celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Stith Keiser, Founder & CEO, reflects on the journey and deep gratitude that has shaped our story—and the excitement fueling our path forward.
As I became a parent, everyone told me that time would fly and one day I’d look back and our “babies” would be teenagers, then graduating college (if that’s the route they choose), and then mature (hopefully mature!) adults. This year, Blue Heron Consulting celebrates our 10-year anniversary and while I’m not saying my business is the same as my kids, I do recognize the parallel. Just as with kids, there have been some days that seemed to never end, there have been challenges and unforeseen hurdles, but as I look back on 10 years, it feels like just yesterday this company was born. Blue Heron Consulting was created to improve the lives of veterinary professionals through an experienced team that works to amplify strengths, elevate care, remove workflow gaps, create a culture of leadership, and promote sustainable profitability – all while keeping our clients’ definition of success at the center of everything we do.
We now have dedicated teams focusing on hospital coaching with current owners and hospital leaders, assisting aspiring owners with the acquisition or start-up process, the development and delivery of professional skill’s curriculum at veterinary schools, a hiring division matching hospitals and animal health companies with support staff, managers and veterinarians, and a team dedicated to hospital valuations and exit planning strategy.
As I reflect on our maturation process, it’s the people we’ve served, and continue to serve, that are the biggest reward. It’s the practice owners who were burnt out, or on the verge of it; it’s the new owners we helped launch into their dream of ownership; it’s the managers, leaders and support staff we’ve helped turn a job into a fulfilling career. I’ve kept, and treasure, text messages and emails I’ve received from clients over the years sharing how our time together has transformed their lives, personal and professional, how it’s reinvigorated their passion for our profession, and the impact we’ve had on patient care, clients and hospital culture.
In addition to those we serve as clients, I am grateful for the team I get to collaborate with every day. Friends, like-minded colleagues, all coming from different backgrounds in our profession, with different areas of expertise and experience, but united by a common cause. As we look toward the next 10 years, and beyond, I feel palpable excitement around watching Blue Heron Consulting continue to grow, mature and make a difference in the lives of our colleagues, our team, and this profession we all love.
To everyone that has helped us get here – Thank You. We couldn’t, and wouldn’t want, to do it without you.
