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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!