Episode 1: Why Independent Practice Needs Its Own Podcast

Running an independent veterinary practice takes equal parts courage and insanity. You carry the weight of the medicine and the weight of the business, often at the same time. This show is for the people who do that every day.In this first episode, hosts Dr. Peter Weinstein (the stethoscope) and Martin Traub-Werner (the spreadsheet) introduce themselves and lay out why they believe there is no better moment for independent practices to show their strength. Roughly 75 percent of companion animal practices are independently owned, yet corporates hold an outsized share of revenue and staff. With corporate consolidation hitting some headwinds, Peter and Martin make the case for a genuine resurgence of locally owned and operated practice.Along the way you will hear how a New York kid raised on All Creatures Great and Small became a California practice owner, and how a self-described business guy who started with lemonade stands at age eight went on to build VetSuccess, sell it to Vetsource, and launch the bookkeeping firm VetBooks. They dig into the bell curve of practice profitability, why owning a job is not the same as owning a business, and the idea that passion drives profit.The episode closes with the debut of the Stethoscope and Spreadsheet Seven, a set of rapid-fire questions every future guest will face without warning. Peter and Martin put each other in the hot seat first.This is the introduction. Future episodes will feature industry leaders and independent practice owners sharing their wins, challenges, and frustrations. If you would like to be a guest, reach out. We want to hear your story.The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet is brought to you with the support of VMG.