Navigating Difficult Client and Colleague Interactions

feat. Stith Keiser and Kate Crumley, DVM, MS | Blue Heron Consulting Every veterinary professional has had a day derailed by a tough client interaction or tension among colleagues. Whether it’s an aggressive remark, a misunderstanding, or a miscommunication rooted in stress, these moments can be draining. But with the right mindset, tools, and techniques, [...]

From Dream to Reality

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Today's Veterinary Business. Do you remember when you first wanted to be a veterinary professional? Most of you do, and that goal became a calling that carried you through school and to where you are today. Once out in the [...]

Scheduling Appointments to Make the Day Flow Smoothly

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Clinician's Brief. I recently spent a few days onsite with the new owner of a small animal practice. We had also met the previous evening and over dinner discussed her primary concerns. She said the practice was extremely busy—a good [...]

Calculate Your ROI Before You Buy

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Clinician's Brief. During my recent presentation on veterinary medicine compensation models, a Michigan State University student asked why 25% of production is used as a rule of thumb for compensation and benefits. “Why not a higher percentage?” he asked. I [...]

Walk, Don’t Run, for the Exit

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Today's Veterinary Business. As a consultant, I get nervous butterflies each time I prepare to review a veterinary hospital’s valuation with a friend or client. The video calls summarize the individual’s ability as a practice owner to build a legacy [...]

Making Dreams Come True

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Today's Veterinary Business. I will never forget my first staff meeting as the new owner of a rural mixed-animal, one-doctor practice. To this day, I can still feel my nervousness and excitement. I vividly recall walking into the hospital’s small [...]

How to Succeed in a Mixed Animal Practice

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Today's Veterinary Business. I’ve been fortunate to wear various hats in my career — hospital manager, veterinary association business manager, adjunct faculty member, consultant and small animal practice owner. The first one, which I’ve never removed, is the now-weathered, dusty, [...]

Follow the Money

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Today's Veterinary Business. It’s 3 in the morning, cold, dark and rainy. I’m 3 or 4 years old and sitting in the backseat of my dad’s truck as he heads out to deliver another calf or fix another prolapsed uterus. [...]

Turning Around Employee Turnover

by Stith Keiser | Blue Heron Consulting This article was written for and featured in Today's Veterinary Business. I sat next to a registered veterinary technician at a recent continuing education meeting. As we chatted, she explained that she was no longer in practice. Her employer informed her that after over a decade of service, [...]

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