Tyler

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. Elizabeth Holland, a veterinarian and practice owner in Iowa! Enjoy!

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

I am a 2008 DVM graduate of Iowa State and bought the small animal practice I have practiced at since graduation in 2015. We are a 3 doctor small animal practice focusing on cat-friendly and fear-free care where I also offer acupuncture. Team culture is our focus and I find that when our team culture is healthy, our clients and patients get the most amazing care. My goal is to help be a role model for other practice owners and veterinarians to show that this profession can be rewarding on all levels and you can still have an amazing life outside of work. I have a husband and 3 sons (9, 8 and 6) and we love to travel and spend time outside.

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

A positive space within our profession. Experience to help me as I work on giving and receiving open feedback within our team to create a better culture.  

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

The Management group because there is SO much for me to learn! Also the Wellness group.

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

Focus on the positive and really evaluate if the “venting” you currently do is effective or actually makes things worse.

What is your current work-related goal?

Building on our code of culture and open feedback between team members

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

I was scared of dogs until I was 11 years old so I never even considered veterinary medicine until I was about 20. I was always going to be a human medical doctor. During all of my hospital, clinic and nursing home jobs and volunteer hours, doctors constantly discouraged me from the profession –which was very disheartening. Thankfully, I had an “Ah-Ha!” moment with a neighbor discussing a wound on her German Shepherd when I realized that veterinarians also work with people which is my true passion. I keep that in mind when we discourage young people from entering veterinary medicine. Don't get me wrong, I want to be sure they have their eyes open but I try to stay as positive as possible.

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

I love to garden.  Being outdoors is my “happy place” and growing food and flowers fulfills that as well as my need to be “productive.” I always recommend getting dirty and my boys know I am a happier mom when I find lots of dirt under their fingernails!

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

Jennifer Shepherd.  I feel like we have such similar personalities and share similar struggles as practice owners. She was just so easy to talk to from the start! I am SERIOUSLY introverted so finding Jennifer really helped me enjoy the entire Uncharted experience more.

Melanie Kramer was the first welcoming face I saw upon arriving in Greenville the first time. Her kindness set me at ease and started the entire adventure off in a positive manner. And I was NERVOUS! 

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

My dream is simple, I want anyone (team member, patient, mail carrier, client) who has entered my practice during the day for whatever reason (new puppy, euthanasia, work, delivery) to have a positive thought when they look back over the day and think of Adel Veterinary Clinic. We have the ability to create positive experiences whether facing illness, death, new life or just a typical day at work. When we create positive experiences for those around us, we are definitely creating them for ourselves as well. Life is so short and precious, being kind and helping others feel happy is a great way to make the most of the time we have!

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

This week’s Uncharted Member Spotlight features the delightful Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury! She loves food, Disney and her home Province of Newfoundland. She also loves to share her adventures through social media. We are so proud to have her as part of our Uncharted Veterinary Community! She brings everyone so much joy and is a leader we love learning from. Here’s what she had to say in our recent interview for this week’s Uncharted Member Spotlight!

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

I was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, and attended the University of Guelph for a BSc in Animal Biology before attending the Ontario Veterinary College. I earned my DVM in 2009, and because the ocean is in my blood immediately relocated to St. John’s, Newfoundland. I worked in small animal general practice for 8 years before making the change to Emergency and Critical Care. I’ve been the President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Veterinary Medical Association since 2014, as well as the Newfoundland and Labrador representative to Council of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association also since 2014. That is my upbringing and professional trajectory in a nutshell!

If you want some personal dirt: I share my life with my fiancé, Steve, a Rottweiler named Princess Buttercup, and three cats: Stewie, Patrick Cole, and Westley (aka Dread Pirate Roberts). We really like to eat delicious foods of all sorts and have many food adventures. We do a lot of other stuff, but people seem to mostly know us for all the foods I share on social media. 

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

I was looking to connect with like-minded people in the veterinary world who wanted to do things differently, with the hope that doing things differently could lead to things being better for those in the profession and those we serve. I was looking for a community that shared a common interest in the veterinary profession. I was tired of not feeling like I was connecting with colleagues because so many people around me seemed focused on their own thing and closed off from the real potential that is out there if we recognize that we are all on the same team. 

I totally found it. <3 

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

Book Club because since joining Uncharted through either actual book club selections or just general book discussions I have read some AMAZING books. Some would even qualify as life-changing. The Book Club group may not be super active, but it signifies for me one of the greatest things Uncharted has brought into my life – the books. I heart books!

My second choice would be Anchor Gang. I struggle with self-motivation, and with my schedule struggle with joining things locally. I have been part of a studio, I have been part of a running club, but being a regular participant was hard. I crave the accountability and motivation that comes from having a group of people working together, and the Anchor Gang group has helped me find that! Even if we are all at very different places in our journeys, it is a place I know I can share my challenges, accomplishments, and goals and be met with support, cheers, and even guidance. Seeing what everyone else is up to helps motivate me, and when we get together with a shared goal I get SUPER motivated! I likely would have never even CONSIDERED going for a run when I got back for vacation if it wasn’t for that Anchor Gang 5k!!!

And a third-place shout out to the Canadian Regional Harbour because YAY CANADA. 

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

I can’t believe you want me to pick only one… Like, I almost can’t pick this as one of the questions I answer because IT IS SO HARD. I love so many of the people I have met through Uncharted! And they are all my favourite!

But, I’m going to go with, at this moment, Kelsey Beth Carpenter. Because HAVE YOU MET HER?! <3 

No, but for serious, though. She has made me laugh forever, and I had an internal fangirl moment when I met her. And it turns out, that if you get to know her, she is in actual fact WAY MORE AWESOME THAN YOU REALIZED. I have had some serious struggles this year, and she has been a serious supportive rock for me. She has surprised me with her thoughtfulness and generosity not because I didn’t know she was such an angel, but just because I never expected such an angel to think of me when they have struggles of their own. <3 <3 <3 I’m getting all emotional trying to explain how much she has meant to me this year. 

And just so whomever reading this knows, there are at least 6 other people in Uncharted over whom I would get emotional if I tried to elucidate why they are one of my favourite. There is literally no other group of people in my life so saturated with amazing human beings whom I consider it an absolute mind-blowing privilege to know and call a friend. 

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

So like choosing a favourite member of Uncharted, choosing a favourite hobby is not something that comes easily to me. I love things. I love a lot of things. 

Random mental selection of a hobby to discuss here: knitting. It wins by being my longest standing hobby.

My mum taught me to knit when I was a wee tot. I knit a scarf. The end. 

Then while in university I decided I wanted to knit. Someone posted on like LiveJournal or something about getting together at the bullring to knit and I was like “yes!” and got some supplies, retaught myself thanks to the internet, and started hanging out with random knitters at the on-campus coffee shop/cafe/bar. Then my cat Charlie got super sick, and I made a website “Knitting for Charlie” and offered custom hats and scarfs and earned money for his vet bills that way. I got orders from ALL OVER North America. I made a lot of school colors scarves. My knitting skills rapidly improved out of necessity. 

Now I knit almost exclusively for myself. I find it calming, it helps me focus in situations where I have to sit still (lectures were a challenge for me…), and I love to have warm and cozy socks. (I had to stop making hats and scarves… one can have too many of those. But one cannot have too many socks!! Especially when one refuses to darn socks with holes and just throws them out….)

I would definitely recommend. It is a great hobby to build dexterity and hand-eye coordination, and it can lead to gift-giving or charitable work (there’s a crowd in St John’s that knit a whole bunch of hats, mitts, and scarves for new immigrant families who maybe were not ready for Canadian winters!) which can lead to happy hearts. 🙂

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

Well, in high school I worked at a dry cleaner that also offered personal fluff and fold. My coworkers were very interesting people. The work was at times really gross. People are gross. 

Since I got my first paid gig at a vet clinic, I have never really done any paid work that wasn’t vet related. However, I did volunteer as Front of House at a local theatre in St John’s in order to see shows for free. I would either be taking tickets at the entrance, or handing out programs, or helping people find their seats. Then I’d get to watch the show. Then I’d help tidy up the theatre. It was really neat, because most of the other volunteers were either around my age and involved in the arts and considered this as being a part of the arts community and making connections, or were much older than I and retired and just doing a thing to be involved in the community and getting out of the house. I never met someone else who was in a career not remotely connected to the theatre and just looking for something out of the ordinary of their life. Other volunteers wouldn’t even ask me pet-related questions! It was magical!

I had to step away from the position for a variety of reasons, but would totally recommend doing volunteer work outside the veterinary field if you can manage it. It was true escapism and very refreshing. Those few hours at the theatre, I wasn’t Dr. Brown-Bury at all, I was just Maggie the helpful theatre fan.

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

At the April conference in 2019, I attended Phil’s blogging workshop and paired up with Meredith Jones as an accountability buddy. I had some big ideas to start blogging again and was super pumped to have someone to bounce stuff off of. 

Then I got really sick. And touching base with Meredith, I had to let her know I hadn’t met my goal for that week because I was so sick. Meredith seamlessly went from my blogging accountabilibuddy to my health advocacy accountabilibuddy. I said “If I still feel like this next week I’ll call my doctor” and she countered with “How about you call your doctor tomorrow and if you feel better before the appointment you cancel?”. I listened to her, I’m glad I did, and she kept checking in on me and made sure I didn’t accept no answer as an answer. 

As she is also in emergency medicine, and also works wonky hours, she has also been a great source of support when I’m at work wanting to either bang my head on the wall or just need someone to also get excited about a really cool case! And she tells me about her cool cases. And there is just geeking out all around. She has been an invaluable source of support for me this year, and while she wasn’t the only one she will always stand out when I am asked “Who from Uncharted has helped you?” because of that time she pushed me to see my doctor sooner than my avoiding stubborn self was wont to do 😉 

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

Be forgiving. Be forgiving of your clients and of your colleagues, but also be forgiving of yourself. Most people, most of the time, honestly are doing the best they can with the situation they are in. Passing judgment on others and on yourself when the situation isn’t ideal wastes time and energy. Forgive the decisions that got us here, forgive the mistakes that got us here, and focus on why we are here and how we can move forward. 

You can join the Uncharted community and meet people like Maggie 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. Charlotte Lucas, a veterinarian from Michigan! Enjoy!

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

I’m a small-town girl from Northern Michigan who always wanted to be a vet. After vet school I moved back “home” and after 5 years of practicing, I opened my own practice.
I have been married for 10 years to Josh and we have two amazing girls (Marlee, 6 and Lila, 3). I’m really holding back from going on and on about how hilarious and sweet and smart and sassy they are…
I love fresh air, horses, laughing and eating good food. There probably isn’t anything I won’t try at least once! Seriously, try me. 🙂  I believe in The Golden Rule and the motto “Work Hard, Play Hard” and I try really hard to prove it every day. I find joy in being a veterinarian and a boss – both were dreams at one time!  

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

Be 100% myself as a veterinarian. I really believed I had to be all things to all people, and refrain from showing clients certain parts of myself. That began to change during my first conference. I was almost in tears, listening to Dr. Jessica Vogelsang say the exact opposite. And then I heard it again from Dr. Dave Nicol, and then again from Danielle Lambert… I heard it so many times that by the end of the weekend I actually believed it! It still takes practice to do it, but the UVC community is full of reminders about why it’s crucial to be our authentic selves in order to be successful professionally and personally. 

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

I was looking for people who could help me bring my vision I had for my new practice to life. I was looking for people who would bring out the best in me, teach me and encourage me. I was looking for people who are able to love veterinary medicine, even when it is hard. 

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

Do I have to pick one!?!?! Cuz I’m picking two. A few months after my first UVC I was struggling with how to handle a situation and I reached out to Bruce Francke and Lee Allen. I knew they would give me honest but compassionate and kind advice. They both called me back within minutes and talked me through it. They gave me some reality checks but assured me that I could handle it with kindness so I could sleep peacefully at night. Then they checked up on me afterward as well. There have been multiple phone calls with multiple other people (Stephanie, Saye, Tracy, Lisa, Alan…) that have been so incredibly helpful to me. But if it wasn’t for those first two calls with Bruce and Lee, I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to continue to reach out to others. 

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

Practice Owners and Wellness. Whenever I have an ownership question pop into my head, no matter how silly or trivial it may seem, I know I can ask the other practice owners and receive constructive, positive, and motivational advice. I have so much admiration and respect for so many people in that group and the thoughtful advice I have received is always incredibly helpful.
The Wellness Group is such a safe environment. People are truly able to share whatever is weighing on their hearts and the tribe is there to give them whatever they need. I also find motivation there at least weekly, whether it’s in a GIF or a quote or reading advice from someone else in the community. That group really helps make my life better.

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

Riding horses. Grooming horses. Smelling horses. Talking to horses. Cleaning up horse poop. Basically anything horse-related… except being their doctor! I have always been drawn to horses, for as long as I can remember. Which is odd, because no one in my immediate family ever really looked twice at a horse! I remember my mom picked me up from school one day, I was in 3rd grade, and said, “I have a surprise for you. I’m taking you to a horseback riding lesson.” And it was one of the best days of my life! Horses are challenging and rewarding, they give you what you put into them, and they fill my cup in a way that nothing else does. I would definitely recommend everyone finds something that does that for them. 

What is your current work-related goal?

I have two! To hire another veterinarian and also bring in Josh Lucas full time. 🙂 

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

I need to talk about Josh and the role he plays in all of this! When I came home from my first UVC, and basically had a whole new “family” he was like, “Waaaaittt a minute, what the heck happened in 4 days and what the heck is goat fudge??” It was obvious what a profound impact the weekend had on me and would continue to have on my career. So we decided that I wasn’t going back to Greenville without him and he tagged along at GSD. After that weekend he knew he also wanted more, so he joined the community and came to the next conference as an attendee. And he nailed it. There he was, an elementary school teacher/football coach, totally out of his element, but he dove in headfirst. He didn’t hold back. His goal was to soak it all in so he could support me to the best of his ability, whether at home or at the office. And he has done that and so much more. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us and for our business. We know that together we can achieve whatever we want to, and when we lose sight of that, the tribe is there to remind us. 

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

I want everyone who has a career in veterinary medicine to feel like I do about my career. The majority of the time I am positive and feel fulfilled. I know I have options to make my career whatever I want it to be. I especially want to help young veterinarians learn how to make decisions and set boundaries so they can feel empowered and satisfied throughout their careers. I have created a positive environment that we work hard to maintain. We treat each other, our clients and patients with the care and respect everyone deserves. I have started with my own practice in my own community with my own team. But my dream is that all practices everywhere have a positive culture, which would allow the people who work in this field –no matter what they do – to feel the same way I do. To be reminded every day about WHY they are there…. That would be amazing.  

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

This week’s Uncharted Member Spotlight features Dr. Jessica O'Neill! Jessica is a small animal veterinarian from Louisiana and has had a lot of experiences outside of the veterinary world that she has brought to her career. She's excited about empowering her staff, and the support she has found in our community. Read on to learn more about her!

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

I’m Jessica O’Neil from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  I am a 2006 LSU graduate (Geaux Tigers).  I am a junior partner at a 3 FTE companion animal practice just outside the LSU campus. I’m an extroverted introvert. I love being around people but it wears me out. I love my profession but it has definitely knocked me around a bit through the years. I love fishing, though I don’t go as often as I want. I’m also a mom, a step-mom and a wife.

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?

When I found Uncharted I had been in a burnout phase and I was looking for the inspiration and motivation that is usually renewed after any CE meeting. What I found was SO much more. I’m pretty shy typically and especially so around people I see as more successful, more learned, etc. I wasn’t expecting the sense of community that comes from going to a meeting and meeting people in real life that you “met” on the internet. I also wasn’t expecting to feel close enough to these people that I have no problem reaching out to any of them for advice or with questions.  

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

Sorry that this is a lame-o answer.  I like the General group overall but my favorite is the meeting-specific one. Especially in the month leading up to the conference when everyone is getting geared up to go. It sets the tone for what is to come.  

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

Jamie Holmes is my favorite person! I asked her for help keeping me accountable for my plan when I went a little emotionally haywire. She didn’t even know me but was invaluable to me. Now we have become “friends on purpose” and talk every few weeks and mostly NOT about veterinary medicine. 

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

Empowering the staff. I have been trying to do this more and moreover the last 2 years and it has been really good for me. I am learning to let go of some control (especially when it comes to returning phone calls that my technicians are capable of doing). And I am trying to protect my time; both away from work and in the exam room.  

What is your end-of-workday guilty pleasure?

Wine.

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

I had many jobs through school but they were part-time and just a means to an end.  Here is a list: 

– Lifeguard/camp counselor of a summer camp.  This was SO fun.  

– Worked in accounts receivable for an engineering firm. I filed charts… that's it. Also, I’m dyslexic, so I’m pretty sure I did a lot of misfiling.  

-Worked for the State of Louisiana for a summer in high school. I typed their entire training manual into Microsoft word because it had been created on a Mainframe computer and the files wouldn’t transfer. Within the next year, the scanner that could recognize text was invented and could have done in 20 minutes what took me 3 months.  

– I became the “marketing” person for a wholesale sign company while in college. I created their catalog in Microsoft word. I was the only person in the place who could use the program. I was also responsible for manually faxing the newsletter (that I created) each week with their specials. I had to type in each number for about 100 places. It took 4 hours. I tried to explain that there was software for this but they didn’t go for it.  

– I worked for Poultry Science as a student worker at LSU.  I cleaned the quail room and worked with chickens. My boots always stunk and I’m pretty sure people avoided sitting next to me in class after I had to clean the quail room.  

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

Egypt. Australia is high on the list.  

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

Work on establishing healthy boundaries and helping everyone in the clinic do the same.  

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

This week’s Uncharted Member Spotlight features the unstoppable Dr. Katie Berlin! She has brought her passions for veterinary medicine and physical fitness/mental wellness together to create her own unique path through her career. We are so proud to have her as part of our Uncharted Veterinary Community! Here's what we learned about her 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’m an associate vet at a small animal general practice in York, PA. I’m also a runner, a writer, a podcast addict (and now a podcaster myself), and a certified personal trainer

What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted? 

I wasn’t even sure. I’m a proud Founding Member – but I still don’t know why I went to that first conference. All I know is that because of Uncharted, this world of amazing people and opportunities and incredible friends for life just opened up, and I never looked back. 

What is your current work related goal?

That depends what “work” you’re talking about! For my “real job,” I’m currently enrolled in the IVAS acupuncture certification course and I’m loving it. It’s making me see practice in a whole new way, 10 years after graduation, and I love the marriage of poetry and medicine. It’s magical. 

As for my other “work,” I’m taking on some copywriting jobs in vet med and I absolutely love doing that – writing has always been a home for me. Carrie Jurney and I started a podcast called Veterinary Super Friends and I’m having a blast hanging out with her. And I’m hoping to make my website, The Vet Reset, into another podcast before long, as well as offering online training, coaching, and community there in the future. 

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

You know I have to say the Anchor Gang! Like any group it goes through busy and quiet times, but I love that people are looking to encourage each other to move more, take care of themselves, and not feel guilty about it. But I especially love the General group. It reminds me of the O.G. Uncharted Facebook Community where so many of us found something we didn’t even know we were missing.

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

There are absolutely TOO MANY! There have been a few times where I was feeling kind of lost. Burning out, or unsure of how to forge ahead when the path was poorly defined. I can’t even name all the people who have reached out at those times without being asked – but special thanks big time to Jamie Holms, Saye Clement, Tanya ten Broeke, Mike Falconer, Mark Nunez, Phil Zeltzman, Lisa Milan, Maggie Brown-Bury, Tracy Sands, Tosha Zimmerman, Gary and Julie Beall – and so many others who have just been there with a hand held out right when I needed it. I really can’t see life without my UVC people and hope I can be there for them too if they ever need it.

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

Everyone will expect me to say running. But I seriously have a million hobbies. I can’t pick one. I discover them by saying one day, “I think I’d like to try _____,” and then doing it. I recommend them all. ☺ 

What is your end-of-workday guilty pleasure? 

I like to binge watch gritty dramas on Netflix while playing Sudoku on my phone and eating chocolate chip ice cream out of a coffee mug. #sorrynotsorry

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

I was an art history major! My first “career” lasted two years – I worked in an art museum and knew pretty quickly it wasn’t going to be a lifetime commitment. I worked with some fantastic people and still love museums! The path just didn’t challenge me in the ways I wanted and needed for the long haul. I sometimes miss working in a place where I could wear cute clothes, get out on time every day, and never smell like poo, though. 

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

Start documenting the good in every day! Take silly selfies at work, write thank you notes to favorite clients, get patient photos and video (with permission, of course) and use them on your clinic’s social media, and share them with all your friends. Not just to show the world all the great parts of our job but to see it through their eyes and remind yourself how lucky we actually are to be able to do this.