Tyler

We invite you to take a peek into part of what makes the Uncharted Veterinary Community so unique: our members! We're taking the spotlights to the next level and interviewing the Uncharted Team! This week's interviewee needs no introduction. Jamie Holms is the executive assistant to Dr. Andy Roark, paperwork and question answering queen of Uncharted and a fantastic friend! Enjoy!

For anyone who doesn’t know you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello, I’m Jamie.  I’m a Myers Briggs INTJ, DiSC high D high C, and my ACE score is a 9.  If you’ve been through a bad situation, there’s a good likelihood I can relate and while I don’t believe that there is a reason for everything, I do believe that we can give purpose to our experiences.  My sense of humor is dark and a little biting – mostly because if I can make other people laugh I feel in control of the situation and I feel the least amount of control in social situations and it can keep people from getting close. My biggest fear is abandonment.  I eat way too much sugar, I don’t like to exercise but I’m working on doing it anyway, I have a lot of tattoos and a brand, but I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. I’m brutally honest – you can trust that I’m never “just being nice.” And I really don’t see myself the way other people do – but I think that’s true for everyone.  

What tasks do you work on as part of the UVC Team?

You can think of me as the paperwork person -– which is exactly what I love to be doing (I know, not a normal thing, but every team has to have one).  I do a lot of odds and ends, but some of the things you’d recognize are that I work on RACE approval for the conference, getting the conferences and classes up into the school, and making sure all our speakers turn in all their materials for the conferences, webinars and masterclasses. I also help Melanie with picking out swag and merch which I find to be extremely fun. 

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

Let me tell you what I wasn’t looking for.  I wasn’t looking to sell nearly everything I owned and move from California across the country with my husband and two dogs in a 19-foot camper trailer. I wasn’t looking for a full-time job in South Carolina and I wasn’t looking for friends or more extended family. I wasn’t looking for a cat or two cats. I wasn’t looking for any of it, that’s for sure. But sometimes what you need, it finds you and if you ask a lot of Uncharted tribe members, they’ll tell you something similar about how when they showed up they weren’t looking for the things they ended up with, but they needed them. Here I am, in Greenville, South Carolina, in a beautiful home with two additional animals and a tribe. I didn’t know I needed a cup and now it’s full and my capacity for joy has been stretched to boundless.

What is one of your favorite Uncharted conference memories?

This was my ‘light switch” moment. At the most recent conference, we were down a team member, and Trusten Moore, one of our student volunteers was helping me (and doing a great job). We were tired and very busy. We got into the elevator and were talking for multiple minutes and then it got quiet and we both looked at each other for probably the longest 30 seconds of my life. Finally, it dawned on us, neither of us had hit the elevator button and we were just sitting there. We laughed so hard and continued to laugh about it repeatedly over the weekend. Lesson learned, brilliance and charism on its own won’t move an elevator.

What is your favorite hobby and how did you discover it? Would you recommend it to others?

I love to grow things and share, whether it’s seeds, homegrown tea, herbs, fruit, vegetables or plant clippings. I live in a regular neighborhood in Greenville, with a small yard. We’ve managed to pack in a fig, nectarine, Pakistani mulberry, peach, apricot, crabapple, pear, pawpaw, tea camelia, weeping yaupon holly (the only native plant in the North America that is naturally caffeinated), blueberries, chocolate vine, rose (for rose hips), hardy kiwi, and vegetable and herb garden (which isn’t ready yet). I have a special interest in natives, perennials and heirlooms. I’m pretty excited to try growing peanuts this year. I like food – like – a lot – and fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs right off the plant is so full of flavor and worth the effort. Want to trade seeds??

What is one thing you never thought you could do (or were afraid to try) that you’ve done since joining Uncharted? 

As an adult it’s not so easy to make friends – well -– okay – so it wasn’t so easy as a kid either, but that’s the biggest thing that Uncharted has brought into my life is genuine friendships with people from all over the world. OHHH! And Meditation. Never in a million years did I think I could sit quietly with myself.  Not only did I tackle this but I even led a meditation session at one of our conferences!  This was a tremendous benefit to taking part in a meditation intensive led by tribe member Dana Meske a couple of years ago!

What is your end-of-workday guilty pleasure? 

Driving around the block to get in 5 more minutes of the audiobook I’m listening to. It is an extra guilty pleasure when my husband has been in the car for most of the book and I’m listening “ahead.” I also like to tell the dogs what I had for lunch and that I didn’t save any for them… I have a cruel streak.

Where is one place in the world you would love to see? 

I haven’t traveled at all – unless you count my cross country move? That might count a little bit. The Aurora Borealis (or any of the auroras) are on my bucket list and I really want to see Incan or Aztec ruins. My husband and I are planning a Mexico ruins trip in 2021.

What is one thing you believe all veterinary professionals can do right now to make Vet Med even better? 

I have two.  Sometimes I’m a rule breaker.

1. Take personal responsibility and be accountable for our own happiness and mental health.
2. Spend some time in the client role – maybe start by following the recommendations that we make to our clients for our own pets

You can join the Uncharted community and meet people like Jamie by visiting www.UnchartedVet.com and registering to become a member!

Giving your team the gift of gratitude can be as simple as writing a quick “Thank you” on their paycheck envelope. We've compiled 25 simple and fun ideas for you to show your team gratitude thanks to the members of our Uncharted Community!

Our Community is filled with leaders who want to make their practices the best they can be. They are outside-of-the-box thinkers, who have come up with some amazing and creative ways to show their teams' gratitude.

Sign up for our Uncharted mailing list and we will give you this fantastic resource with 25 ideas to show your team how much you care.

We're taking a new look at our Uncharted Community by shining the spotlight on our team! Our first Uncharted Team Member interview was with the one and only Stephanie Goss, co-star of the UVC Podcast and practice management guru. Enjoy this look into the behind-the-scenes world of Uncharted!

For anyone who doesn’t know you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a technology geek. A PMS nerd. I love spreadsheets and data analysis, which is shocking since I barely passed the maths requirements for secondary school graduation. I have been working in veterinary medicine for 16 years now. I beat Andy to the punch because I founded an HIV Awareness conference in high school that still runs at that school to this day. I studied music and theatre at university, ran a teen theatre company, and taught both high school and university sex education classes before finding Vet Med. I am a sexual assault crisis counselor. I am a total bibliophile (I have two book-related tattoos already and plans for at least 3 more). I am just slightly Harry Potter obsessed. I love glitter in a slightly unhealthy way. I have a two human spawn and a German Shorthaired Pointer named Birdie Goss. 

What tasks do you work on as part of the UVC Team?

I am the co-host of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast with Andy (sometimes we are funny, you should listen sometime!). I am part of the creative team – I help coordinate/create our content for live events as well as the online community and school. I teach a variety of webinars and masterclasses for the community – I really enjoy getting down to the nitty-gritty and helping practices figure out how to solve their problems. I am so passionate about bringing educational and leadership training opportunities to members of our paraprofessional teams. I have the pleasure of coordinating our MicDrops program. And the most important job I have… I get to pick the badge ribbons and craft selfie props for the photo backdrops for each live event. 

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

I joined on a whim after seeing Andy talk about Uncharted on Facebook because I was burnt out, felt adrift and was considering leaving practice. After hearing Andy talk about his vision for Uncharted, I figured if anything could get me excited about practice, it would be a conference where the focus was on actually talking about what was working and what wasn’t working in your practice and how to try and fix it. I attended a pre-conference event in San Diego and meeting some of the attendees got me super excited about trying to figure out how to tackle the challenges in my practice. Meeting Andy at that same meetup, quite literally, changed the course of my career and life. Which sounds dramatic AF and will probably go to his head. Hahaha.

Who is one of your favorite people you’ve met through Uncharted and why?

There are SO many… I feel like this is a trick question because I want to name every. single. person. Who I have come to love and adore. There are so many people who I have met over the last three years who have literally changed my life in some way. If I named them, it would be the Oscar acceptance speech where they literally drag the cameras away because you ignored the music cue they gave you to shut up. But for real… Jenn Galvin is one of the best gifts Uncharted gave me. She is one of those people where you meet them and you wonder where they have been all your life. She never fails to make me laugh. She tells me hard truths when I need to hear them the most. She is an amazing accountability partner. During our second year of Uncharted, I had some serious medical issues and Jenn was right there with me, every step of the way. She kept my spirits up, let me whine and rage when I was feeling helpless and she never failed to check in on me, even when I would ignore her because I didn’t feel like I could handle talking to anyone. She never hesitates to say yes when I say “hey, do you have a second, I could use your help…” She is an incredible leader, boss, and friend. She is totally who I want to be when I grow up. 

What is your favorite hobby and how did you discover it? Would you recommend it to others?

Musical theatre. I love everything about it. Whether directing, producing, working on a show or seeing a show on Broadway, I soak up every single minute. Theatre is a family affair – my dad ran lighting and sound for most of my childhood as his side gig. I went along for the ride and was hooked from the start. Don’t ask me to pick one favorite, I could never do it. My Pandora is almost always found on my musical theatre channel and I sing show tunes on payroll day – it helps me focus. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone and will happily nerd out with any other UVC members (besides Saye Clement who already nerds on musicals with me) who want to talk about or go see musicals with me.

What is one thing you never thought you could do (or were afraid to try) that you’ve done since joining Uncharted? 

Be the center of attention. Believe it or not, I hate being in the spotlight. I focused on theatre production for a reason – I like being behind the scenes and I am unbelievably uncomfortable in a crowd let alone in front of one. I get incredible stage fright, I always have. So putting myself on stage, in front of everyone, is a HUGE stretch for me. 

What is your end-of-workday guilty pleasure? 

Empires and Puzzles. It's an online game I play with some of my best friends. We nerd out, pretty hard. 

Where is one place in the world you would love to see?

The Great Barrier Reef. Specifically the view under the water, from a Great White Shark cage. 

What is one thing you believe all veterinary professionals can do right now to make Vet Med even better? 

Stop thinking that just because “we have always done it this way” means it is the only way. We suck at change management in veterinary medicine and learning to not only adapt but thrive in dealing with change is something that is desperately needed in so many areas of veterinary medicine.

Tune into the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast on Itunes, Soundcloud, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts!

You can join the Uncharted community and meet people like Stephanie by visiting www.UnchartedVet.com and registering to become a member!

This week’s Uncharted Member Spotlight features the incomparable Alec Failor! He is a Client Care Representative and Clinic Wellness Coach in Pennsylvania, and also the co-host of the Vet Med After Hours Podcast! We are excited to say that he is going to be speaking at the Uncharted Conference in April! Here’s what he had to say in our recent interview for this week’s Uncharted Member Spotlight!

For anyone who doesn’t know you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I stumbled upon veterinary medicine 8 years ago perusing a career as an anthropologist and have been hooked since that first day. I have held many if not all of the support staff hats at one time or another in those 8 years. I use that experience now with my roles as Lead Client Care Specialist, Clinic Wellness Coach, and Co-host of the Vet Med After Hours Podcast.

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

Growth. I want to be a sponge to soak up all the amazing experiences and information this community offers.

What are your 2 favorite groups in the Uncharted Workplace community and why?

The management group because of all the great information that is shared through all of the questions and answers. I love the book club as well so I know what I need to be reading to continue to grow.

Who is one of your favorite people you’ve met through Uncharted?

Mike Falconer has so much knowledge to give and has been an inspiration to me. The way he runs multiple hospitals, interacts with management at each, always looking to improve the hospitals, then travels around the country on recruiting trips while also speaking. How can you not be inspired by that? I made sure his class was the first one I attended at my first Uncharted conference.

What is your current work-related goal?

Growth as a manager to be the best I can be for my team. Growth for me as a manager is an everyday task. As I am in the long process of becoming a CVPM, I take every day as a chance to learn. Whether it’s from clients in the hospital, my team, Dr. Sands, or our bookkeeper. I never want to miss an opportunity to learn how to be the best possible manager for them to succeed. In order to do your team justice, I feel you should always be trying to improve yourself to be the best for them no matter how “good” you feel you may be. Rarely do you have two people that need “managed” the same way and I feel your management style should always cater to who you are managing not the other way around.

What is your favorite hobby and how did you discover it? Would you recommend it to others?

Disc Golf, I was introduced by a friend years ago and have loved it ever since. It takes complete focus for me to compete in tournaments, so I'm forced to be in a different mind state away from work. I recommend it to anyone or just a hobby that gives you a different headspace completely away from work. 

What is one thing you never thought you could do (or were afraid to try) that you’ve done since joining Uncharted? 

Utilizing my experience to help others. Uncharted gives us all a voice to share our experience and knowledge in the community. It has been a huge thing for me to see others empowered this way as well. 

What is one thing you believe all veterinary professionals can do right now to make Vet Med even better? 

Support, Support and Support More. I see far too many people being trained or treated with a sink or swim mentality that leads to burnout and us losing a lot of good people in the field. 

Tell us a story of how another Uncharted Member has helped you.

I can't even tell you how many times a week Dr. Tracy Sands helps me. Giving me a job at Healing Paws Veterinary Care, being a mentor and leader to me whether she realizes it or not, and pushing me to be better has not only made me a better worker/leader. It has made me a better person outside of work. I have grown more in 2 plus years of knowing her than I have ever thought possible. So thank you, Dr. Sands! 

Have you ever worked outside of the veterinary field? What was it like?

I have been a Check Out Coach at Giant Foods, Sold shoes at Finish-Line, and served at Cheeseburger In Paradise. It was not like veterinary medicine at all. 

Where is one place in the world you would love to see?

Sydney, Australia.

Do you have a dream for your career? What is it? 

Become a CVPM and I would love to speak publicly.

Is there anything we haven’t asked you about that you would like to talk about?

Vanilla Ice Cream > All. Other. Ice Cream.

If you want to learn more about Alec, be sure to listen to the Vet Med After Hours Podcast on Itunes and Soundcloud!

You can join the Uncharted community and meet people like Alec by visiting www.UnchartedVet.com and registering to become a member!

We invite you to take a peek into part of what makes the Uncharted Veterinary Community so unique: our members! We sat down to interview some of the amazing people who have joined us on our amazing journey since the first conference in 2017. This week’s interview is with Dr. Bruce Francke, a veterinarian from Michigan! Enjoy!

For anyone who doesn’t know you, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm from Essexville, Michigan, a small town in Northern Michigan. I was raised by two wonderful parents, both animal lovers. My brother Brad and I both attended Michigan State University and became veterinarians. I've been practicing for 29 years, and am an owner of Bay Animal Hospital, a small animal practice founded in 1956 that took care of our pets growing up. My wife Leslie and I will celebrate our 30th Anniversary in August, and we have two amazing children, two beautiful grandchildren, five dogs, and a horse. I am most proud of the people in my life, my family, my friends and my amazing work team. Their unwavering support has been directly responsible for any success I've had in veterinary practice and life in general.

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

I was a Founding Member and owe that opportunity to a chance meeting with Dr. Andy Roark. We attended a Detroit Tigers baseball game and there was a THREE HOUR rain delay! We had a long conversation about veterinary practice, the current state of our profession, our families, you name it. I tend to gravitate toward people based on the quality of their character, and not so much by what they do. By the end of our conversation, I was convinced that Andy was the “real deal.” He truly was interested in the well-being of this profession we all love. He told me that he was inviting a small group of veterinary professionals to this conference that he was putting together. He told me that it would be different than anything I'd ever been to. At the time, I was looking for motivation and inspiration. The big dreams I had for my practice were not matched by my local veterinary colleagues. I felt a bit like I was on an island, and frankly a little bored with practice. I needed to find a group of high-achieving veterinary peers to surround myself with, but I didn't know how to do so. I took a chance and gave Andy my e-mail, he followed up, I enrolled, started engaging in the online community, then finally got on a plane to Greenville! None of us in the Founding group knew what to expect. We took a chance, and by the time I left the registration table, I was absolutely convinced that this was going to change my professional life for the better! It has!! 

What is your current work-related goal?

Oh, wow! SO many! I guess I'll say to finally complete our transition to a paperless practice and to start planning for our next expansion.

What is one thing you never thought you could do (or were afraid to try) that you’ve done since joining Uncharted? 

I can say that I've been able to present at two international veterinary conferences now! It's something I've always known I'd have the ability to do, but never thought I'd have the opportunity to do! I'm grateful to UVC for that!

What are your 2 favorite groups in the Uncharted Workplace community and why?

Although I love the fact that we see all positions on the veterinary team as equal in UVC, the Practice Owners Group gives me a place to occasionally seek solutions to issues that may be best understood by another owner. Also a shout out to my Anchor Gang peeps (Anchor Gange is a health and fitness community inside the Uncharted Community), some of the most inspirational folks you can be around, and an absolute pleasure to run with at the conferences!

Tell us a story of how another Uncharted Member has helped you.

Dr. Saye Clement helps me all the time with practice decisions! We have so much in common! We are close to the same age (she's younger btw), have the same size practice, we are both visionary leaders who like to “chase shiny objects.” We see the World in such a similar way that I always call her when I need advice! When I was recently approached by the MSU CVM about exploring teaching opportunities there, she understood completely and she encouraged me to continue exploring ways I could balance my teaching bug with the needs of my current practice. This is something I'm actively working on. 

Who is one of your favorite people you’ve met through Uncharted?

I could answer this question a dozen times over with equal enthusiasm! It's tough to mention just one. I have never been able to accept praise or recognition in my life very well. I'm not comfortable being recognized, accepting compliments, or taking any credit for the good things that happen in my life. My parents taught me that a lot more good would happen in this world if nobody cared who got the credit for it. I've always tried to give away the credit for accomplishments and downplay any recognition I receive. My good friend Jamie Holms has taught me that sometimes when given a compliment or recognition, that it's ok to just say “Thank You!' That it's ok to occasionally recognize that I may have had some influence in things that go well. She cares about me. She calls me out on my BS and makes me a better person. 

What is one thing you believe all veterinary professionals can do right now to make Vet Med even better? 

Give your team the reigns! We have access to amazing technicians, managers, assistants, and CSR's. Go out and hire great people! Give them REAL responsibilities! Tap into their creativity! Don't try to micro-manage every-single-thing that happens in your practice. You may be immensely talented, but you can't do it ALL better than your team! It took me a while to realize this, but this is the key to a happy and successful practice!

What is your end-of-workday guilty pleasure? 

I like to watch Netflix, Disney Plus, etc., with my wife! However, I must admit, I'm usually multi-tasking!

Where is one place in the world you would love to see?

I want to see Alaska someday!

Is there anything we haven’t asked you about that you would like to talk about?

I tell him this at least a couple of times a year, but I'd like to thank Dr. Andy Roark for thinking that this small-town vet from Northern Michigan would be someone that he wants to be a part of UVC. It's been life-changing! Thank you for introducing me to so many inspirational people and allowing me to help you and your team change the world!

Do you have a dream for your career? What is it? 

Turning 50 made me start to realize that I need to explore ways to share all the things I've learned with the next generation of veterinary professionals! I'm so proud of all of the people I've helped mentor that are out there doing the same thing. It's in this way that we can “live-on” even after we are gone. I want to leave the world and veterinary medicine in a better place than I found it! That's my definition of a life well-lived!

If you loved learning about Bruce, watch his Mic Drop about how he faced one of the hardest challenges of his career.

You can join the Uncharted community and meet people like Bruce by visiting www.UnchartedVet.com and registering to become a member!