389 - Independent Practice Owners Strike Back!
Dr. Peter Weinstein, veterinarian and independent ownership advocate, joins Dr. Andy Roark to explore why more veterinarians are choosing to own their practices and step away from corporate structures. They break down the resurgence of independent veterinary practice ownership, including the financial realities, student debt concerns, and the desire for autonomy and purpose driving this shift. If you’ve ever wondered whether owning a veterinary practice is still possible or worth it, this episode will challenge your assumptions. Gang, let’s get into this episode.
Dr Peter Weinstein is a husband, father, pet parent, veterinarian and leader. He has been involved with virtually all aspects of veterinary practice from a 15-year-old kennel kid to a hospital owner. Organized veterinary medicine has been a passion as well with various roles and leadership and presidencies of Southern California VMA, California VMA, and Vet Partners. He is a published author, most notably of the E-Myth Veterinarian-Why Most Veterinary Practices Don’t Work and What to Do About It.
Currently, he is teaching business and finance at the Veterinary College of Western University of Health Sciences. He likes to think of himself as a free-thinking change agent and disruptor who, because he has a daughter who is a recent graduate from veterinary school, is working for an even better veterinary profession in the future.
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Transcript
Welcome everybody to the Code of Shame Veterinary podcast.
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:I am your host, Dr.
3
:Andy Rourke.
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:Guys, I am back with my friend Dr.
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:Peter Weinstein, and we are talking
about the resurgence, the return, if you
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:will, the independent practice owners.
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:That's right.
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:The independent practice
owners strike back.
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:Maybe I'll go with that.
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:, that's not a bad title.
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:I don't even, I like that.
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:They might, you might see that.
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:Anyway, guys, , I am here with the one and
only Peter Weinstein, to talk about what
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:I'm seeing anecdotally as a significant
upswing in the number of veterinarians
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:that are gonna own their own business.
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:And it has been, , it's been striking.
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:This has been one of the.
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:Big trends for me in 2026 already that
I had heard that we were gonna see
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:more independent practice owners, and
I heard people talking about it behind
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:the scenes, and all of a sudden, guys,
I can tell you it's here, there's
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:people, I'm just bumping into 'em
all over the place who are opening a
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:practice in 10 days, opening 30 days.
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:Getting their loans, , lined up.
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:We opened at the beginning of the year and
just, boy, there feels like a really big
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:upswing in independent practice owners.
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:And I just, the conversations I'm
having are numerous and enthusiastic
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:about independent ownership.
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:And so guys, I've got the one and only Dr.
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:Peter Weinstein here.
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:He's the one who called it from me.
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:He was the first one I heard
saying, uh, probably years ago.
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:This is coming, Andy, get ready.
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:Like the independent practice
owners are coming back.
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:And I said, uh, I hope so.
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:We'll see.
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:And , I'm a big fan of
independent ownership.
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:I, I want it to be a viable pathway
for veterinarians , and Peter's really
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:championing that and beating the drum.
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:So guys, , independent practice
owners, are they really coming back?
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:And if so, why?
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:And if so, how?
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:So that's what we're into, gang.
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:Let's get into this episode.
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:Kelsey Beth Carpenter: This is your show.
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:We're glad you're here.
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:We want to help you in
your veterinary career.
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:Welcome to the Cone of Shame with Dr.
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:Andy Roark.
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:Andy: Welcome to the podcast Dr.
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:Peter Weinstein.
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:How are you, my friend?
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:Peter: Dr.
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:Rourke always a pleasure to
be with you and to see you.
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:I remember when you weren't even shaving.
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:Um.
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:Andy: it's felt like that,
that's not saying a lot.
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:I, it was a very late
start in the shaving.
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:I, I can, I could get away with a
couple of days at a time right now.
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:Peter, for those who don't know
you, you are a, , veterinarian.
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:You are a one of the premier thought
leaders in veterinary medicine.
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:You are a mentor of mine.
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:You are one of my favorite people
to spar with and talk with.
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:And, , there's a, a day does not
go by that you and I are in the
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:same geographic location that
I do not say let's have lunch.
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:, and so I, I get as much of your
time as I can just because I
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:think that you are so smart and.
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:For our topic today, you also have really
led the charge in a lot of ways in what
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:I recall, what I'm calling the resurgence
of the independent veterinary practice.
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:And so you have been talking about this,
you have been beating the drum for it.
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:You have opened up sort of your
doors to welcome the people who are
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:interested in starting independent
practices back in and to try to, help.
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:Pave the way for them and support them.
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:And so you've just done so much in
this regard, and so that's who you are.
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:when I passed by you in Orlando and, , we
only had a moment to talk and it was
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:coming to the end of the VMX conference,
I walked past you and I said to you, Hey,
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:independent practice ownership resurgence.
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:Are you still in on this?
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:do you still buy this?
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:And you said to me, yes.
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:Now more than ever, and I will say between
then and now, I have become a, a believer.
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:I, so I, I have been shocked.
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:So Peter, I have recently
had so many interactions.
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:With veterinarians who are a month
out from opening their practice
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:who are 10 days out from opening
their practice, who are they?
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:They have gotten the loan.
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:They are, you know,
working with the broker.
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:And it's just, I anecdotally, it has been
a huge upswing and I haven't been pushing
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:to try, I haven't done anything to talk
to future or soon to be practice owners.
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:They just continue to come.
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:To me and I, I, I continue to find
them and it, it's really fascinating.
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:I had this interaction where I was
working with someone who was a medical
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:director, and this was just out in public.
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:It wasn't, you know, anything like that.
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:But I was talking to this person
who was out in public and they were
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:a medical director and they were
having some real frustration with the
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:organization that they were in, and
these two other people were there.
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:And one of 'em said, I'm sorry, I
don't mean to butt in, but, I used
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:to feel the same way that you did,
and then I went and started my
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:own practice and boy, is it hard.
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:but I love it.
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:And the other guy goes, I
also have a practice owner.
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:And he said, I make a lot of
mistakes, but they're my mistakes.
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:And that's really great.
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:And it was just funny to have this
sort of happen and the medical director
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:kind of looked at them and, you
know, she was like, you know what?
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:Well, you know, thank thanks guys.
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:I, you know, and, and I don't,
know that she was swept up into
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:independent practice ownership.
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:And I don't know that she should be.
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:But it was just, it's been a long time
since two single vet practice owners were
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:like, Hey, other people should do this.
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:And so I was kind of surprised by that.
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:Peter.
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:Why you said you were more in on
this resurgence of the independent
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:practice owner than you have ever been.
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:Why?
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:Why is it, why is this happening?
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:Why do you think that we're going to
see a, continued interest in independent
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:practice ownership when a year and a
half ago, it felt like all the wind
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:was going in the other direction?
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:Peter: Well, thank you
for the great lead in.
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:I don't know if I need to say
anything further because you've
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:done a marvelous job of setting
the stage from that standpoint.
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:, I think independent practice owners
are going through a renaissance.
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:, because there seems to be a
dissatisfaction with the status quo.
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:I think the status quo is 30% of
the veterinary hospitals are owned
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:by baby boomers and older, and
25% of the non of the co of the
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:hospitals are owned by corporation.
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:So that leaves more than 50%
that are younger practices.
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:And I, I think many of the
associates are working in.
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:Four baby boomers who maybe haven't
set their practice up for sale.
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:And when you walk work in a corporate
environment, you don't have equity
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:opportunities that are there.
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:So I think those are
some of the discussions.
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:I think the other thing is student debt.
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:Student debt has become burden.
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:I think it contributes dramatically to
our, , wellness issues, mental health
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:issues, because it just weighs on
us, , not me personally, but it weighs
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:on veterinarians, , dramatically in
terms of their ability to sustain , and
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:figure out ways to retire that debt.
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:Well, statistically, and I, and I like
to make a jest that you as an associate,
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:you pay your bills as an owner, you
pay your daughter's vet school tuition.
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:Andy: Gotcha.
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:Okay.
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:Peter: As I have a daughter
who's a veterinarian, the equity
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:opportunities that are there, , the
building of something that's
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:yours, that's your vision.
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:The opportunity , to help
others become successful.
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:As your veterinary practice team, the
ability to have a voice and contribute to
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:the community, the ability to determine
your own schedule, the ability to own
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:something that is growing in your image.
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:All of these things are very
exciting for a generation.
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:The Gen Zs and the Gen Ys,
especially the Gen Zs, who will
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:work for a purpose over a profit.
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:They wanna build a business or work
for a business that is going to make
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:a difference in the community, and
they want to make sure that they
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:contribute and have a voice to do so.
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:They want a why that leads the way, not
a profit and loss that leads the way.
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:Ultimately, the profit and
loss is extremely important.
160
:I do think , we've seen an even
an uptick of specialists who have
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:gone out on their own and started
independent practices as well.
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:Andy: Yeah.
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:Peter: I think after a
while, veterinarians.
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:Let's go back generationally.
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:Veterinarians have always been independent
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:Andy: Okay.
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:Yes, I believe that.
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:Peter: because if we wanna look
at it from a genetic standpoint,
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:we had to do well in high school.
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:Well, how do you do well in high school?
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:It's not by partying Friday night.
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:It's by going to the library
by yourself and studying.
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:So you can do well in the test next week.
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:And then you had to do
well as an undergrad.
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:Same story.
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:Yes.
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:I was part of a fraternity.
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:No, I don't remember most of the parties
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:Andy: I'm glad we're
getting back to reality.
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:That I remember.
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:Right.
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:Peter: Yeah.
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:And then ultimately to get through
veterinary school, you do it by yourself.
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:Most of the curriculum is
taught and tested ultimately
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:through the NLI one-on-one.
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:So we're independent
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:Andy: Okay.
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:Peter: and then we come out and we're
being put into an environment that
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:we have to work for somebody else.
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:And so I think ultimately when the
independence starts to come out, we
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:wanna build a team around us that works
in our image, because for the prior 20.
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:15 years or so, we've
been controlled by others.
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:So I, I think there's an opportunity
in the mindset of many people who go
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:to veterinary school to build something
in their image and fulfill a dream
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:and an expectation and a vision.
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:Andy: This tracks with
what I've seen recently.
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:I was at a, breakfast meeting with a
bunch of students and they were VBMA
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:students, so the student business group.
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:And, I was at a table with about seven
students and five of them told me.
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:Their plan was to be an independent
practice owner, and that is not
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:what I saw three, five years ago.
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:I mean, even with the VBMA students,
when I would talk to them, there would
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:be some, but there would be a a, a
large, I think probably the majority
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:said, you know, we want to be, we want
to be successful in the exam room.
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:We want.
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:To be good associate vets, we
want to make a good living.
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:I, you know, I want to have a
flexible schedule and being good at
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:business or being business savvy is
going to help me make that happen.
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:But they didn't come to me and say, I
plan to be, I plan to be a business owner.
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:That's what I'm here for.
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:And so I thought that that was, I thought
that that was interesting and that was
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:sort of a shift that I say saw that kind
of lines up what you were saying about
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:sort of a purpose driven generation.
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:I am not.
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:A T corporate at all.
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:I have a lot of friends who,
who work in corporate practices.
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:I think that there's a lot of benefits to
being a medical leader in a corporation.
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:, I think that medical leadership,
especially multi-site medical
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:leadership, I think there's a lot of
things that are really cool about it.
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:I think there's a great way to make an
impact and there are certain personality
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:types that really thrive there.
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:And so Peter, it's,
been my impression that.
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:It's very possible to have independent
practices and also have corporate
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:ownership that has really great upward
mobility for leaders that want to work
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:inside of a corporate, , environment.
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:And I really want those
people to be successful too.
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:Just sort of as a personal thing
for me, I want to have medical
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:leaders, veterinarians at the
top of the corporations and
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:well-established and, very influential.
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:And so I really wanna celebrate
and support those people also.
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:But what I'm starting to
see, it's interesting.
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:Is that there are, there are people
who said, oh, you know, I don't
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:ever wanna work at a corporation.
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:And then they get in and they
actually kinda like the structure
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:and they like the format.
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:And I see more vets who go into a
corporation and they say, I hate it here.
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:It's the bureaucracy.
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:I chafe.
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:I don't like this.
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:don't like the level of autonomy I have.
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:I just can't do this.
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:And, and I had someone just say
to me literally, , the day before
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:yesterday, she said, I never
wanted to own a vet practice.
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:But I also, the corporate life
is just not the life for me.
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:And so I'm gonna do my own thing
because that's what I need to do
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:to have the, you know, to have
the career that I want to have.
247
:And so it's interesting.
248
:So I, I'm not sure that it's people,
I mean, maybe it's people fleeing
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:some of the corporate groups.
250
:I, I don't know.
251
:I don't know if it's a reorganization,
but do you buy the idea, Peter,
252
:that there are people who have
been in a corporate structure.
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:That's maybe more hierarchical
and they said, I don't like this.
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:I, you know, I'm chafing here.
255
:And then there may be people who are in an
independent practice who say, I actually
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:really like this sort of structure.
257
:Do you see a rebalancing where
vets who didn't used to know what
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:a corporate structure was like,
were like, I'll give that a try.
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:And now they've decided
they don't want it.
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:or do you see it shaking out differently?
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:Peter: Well, a lot of
things to unpack there.
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:Okay.
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:I believe that there's a great opportunity
within the veterinary corporations.
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:I, I am not anti-corporate.
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:I mean, I sold my high hospital
to a corporation 20 years ago.
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:I'm not anti-corporate.
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:I am about the profession, and so those
corporates that have focused on the
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:veterinary profession and enhancing
the lives of our colleagues and our
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:veterinary teams, all for them, high
fives, for any of the corporates
270
:that have focused on creating better
veterinarians and better teams.
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:I am all about those people
who are working for corporates.
272
:Also, thinking independently
and thinking differently.
273
:I think that the opportunities
that you noted in working for
274
:corporates in medical directors and
regional directors is a great minor
275
:leagues to enter the major leagues.
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:Okay.
277
:I think owning a small business.
278
:With the challenges that exist, especially
the challenges that exist in owning a
279
:veterinary hospital are the major leagues.
280
:It is much harder to balance a team
and understand taxes, and understand
281
:accounting and understand inventory
and deal with client service when
282
:you're the one who's in charge when
you're the captain of the Titanic or
283
:the Queen Mary, depending upon where
your boat is, that's the major leagues.
284
:So I really do think that if we want
to use the corporates as the minor
285
:leagues, and by the way, my friends and
corporations who hear you hear this,
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:that means because you're doing a great
job of building the next generation of
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:independent hospital owners, which if
you stick around long enough, might be
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:selling to you 15 years down the road.
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:So don't think badly about the independent
hospitals because they essentially are
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:your farm system when it comes down to it.
291
:But I, I do think that, , there's a lot
of people who don't like to be managed
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:to the profit and loss or, or held
to the numbers from that standpoint.
293
:They also don't necessarily
understand the standards of care
294
:to which they're being directed.
295
:They really don't want to be told
that they're doing a bad job because
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:they're not always being told enough
that they're doing a good job.
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:And then I'll throw one more variable
out there, which is the fact that, many
298
:of the people who are managing them have
never been in a veterinary hospital and
299
:don't really understand the culture and
the nuances of a veterinary hospital
300
:that when the legacy doctor leaves.
301
:That culture that had been built up over
20 or 30 years is really hard to sustain.
302
:And you can't come in from
the outside and basically say,
303
:well now you're gonna do this.
304
:When you've built a
culture, now you've lost it.
305
:So I think there's so much that goes
on in impacting the minds of this
306
:generation of independent hospital
owners, but a lot of it is just because
307
:they want to be in the major leagues.
308
:Andy: You mentioned earlier student
debt and you acted like it was a
309
:driver for people to want to become.
310
:Independent practice owners, and I've had
it explained to me that student debt is
311
:a pretty significant barrier to becoming
a practice owner because people feel
312
:like they've already got a lot of debt.
313
:Peter, what do you see as the real,
first of all, you can tell me if you,
314
:if you disagree with having student debt
being, , and maybe it's a psychological
315
:barrier, but, It was explained to
me that vets who were carrying debt
316
:are wary of taking on more debt.
317
:Is that true?
318
:As, as far as a barrier?
319
:What are the barriers that you
actually see that people are, are
320
:sort of having to overcome to get
sort of into independent ownership?
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:Peter: First of all, student debt is
not held against you by the banks.
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:When it comes down to getting loans
for either startup or acquisition
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:student debt is good debt.
324
:It's education debt, and whether you
own a hundred, owe $150,000 or $300,000,
325
:the banks won't hold it against you.
326
:It's all the other debt.
327
:The fact that you bought a BEMER instead
of a kia, the fact that your credit
328
:card is over maxed and you've got three
or four, those are the things that
329
:will work against your credit rating,
works against you from that standpoint.
330
:What you have to understand
though, is as an owner.
331
:You are paid five ways, four or five ways.
332
:As an associate, you're paid one way.
333
:Okay?
334
:As as an associate, you're paid
a base or a base plus production.
335
:As an owner, you're paid the same way,
base plus production, plus you get
336
:paid as a manager of the hospital.
337
:You can get paid rent or mortgage.
338
:If you own the dirt that you're
building is on and you get paid.
339
:With tax benefits and
finally you get paid.
340
:With ROI return on investment, which
may be slow initially as you ramp up
341
:and you're paying off loans, but then
once those loans are paid off, that
342
:money that you are using to pay loans
now becomes your additional income.
343
:Mid-career veterinary owners on
average, make a hundred thousand
344
:dollars a year more than associates.
345
:That's what's reported.
346
:It's probably more than that.
347
:We take that at over 10 years.
348
:At a hundred thousand times
10, that's a million dollars.
349
:Over 20 years, that's $2 million
that'll pay off your debt.
350
:It'll also pay for your
Mountain Re retreat in, Aspen.
351
:So debt is not bad as a student debt.
352
:Owning a business will pay
off your student debt sooner.
353
:Here are the, the fallacies or
fears that, many young people have.
354
:Number one, there are no hospitals
available because they've all
355
:been bought up by corporations.
356
:There are plenty hospitals available.
357
:Number two.
358
:I won't have control.
359
:I'll have to work six days a week.
360
:No, you own the business.
361
:You set your schedule number three.
362
:, it's really hard to own
and manage a business.
363
:Yeah.
364
:It's not easy, but you getting
into vet school wasn't easy either.
365
:\ , number four is, basically
I will have no family life.
366
:I can't have a family
and have, A practice.
367
:Yes, you can.
368
:Again, as the owner, as soon as you're
busy enough, you hire Andy work to come
369
:in two days a week so you can have two
days a week off to be with your family.
370
:You own, you schedule, you own,
you build your team in your light.
371
:All of these things with a positive
mental attitude can be turned around.
372
:But of course, we, as we tend to
thrive on focusing on negative.
373
:And I'm suggesting there are
so many more positives that can
374
:come out of business ownership.
375
:Let me give you a statistic,
Andy, let me ask you a question
376
:Andy: Sure.
377
:Peter: if I'm a bank,
378
:what percentage of
veterinary bank loans fail?
379
:Andy: Oh, it's very low.
380
:Like less than 5%, right?
381
:Peter: How about, how about less than 1%?
382
:Andy: It's very low.
383
:Peter: It, it's really hard
to fail a veterinary hospital.
384
:so if you have a great vision, a
great team, and can give clients
385
:a great experience, you can
make money and you don't have
386
:to sacrifice your life to do so.
387
:Which goes back to looking
at different business models.
388
:'cause I would actually
suggest a business model.
389
:Hear me out on this.
390
:Five owners,
391
:Andy: You would do that?
392
:You would, You would be a part
of five owners to start out, to
393
:start a business with five owners.
394
:Peter: bear with me.
395
:Andy: Okay.
396
:Peter: Five.
397
:Five owners each own 20%,
three doctors, 20% each.
398
:That's 60%.
399
:A manager owns 20% and
a technician owns 20%.
400
:So you now have leadership team
bought in, technician team bought in.
401
:So you have the longevity
from a career standpoint.
402
:You have three doctors who
might just wanna work one and
403
:a half full-time equivalents.
404
:They're all gonna decide what
the medical standards are.
405
:They're gonna have a great
manager and a great technician.
406
:I am not sure whether I'm on LSD
while I'm talking about this or
407
:Andy: Yeah, this feels like the
secret Lives of Mormon wives.
408
:like a really big family
that we'd be juggling.
409
:But I don't, I don't know.
410
:Maybe there's something here.
411
:I,
412
:Peter: no, I'm just suggesting
think differently about it.
413
:Why don't you know we could actually
have a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday owner.
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:And a Thursday, Friday, Saturday
owner, same team, different
415
:doctor, each working those days.
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:It's just we, what we've done forever
is not what we need to do going
417
:Andy: can get on board with that.
418
:Peter: We could have a morning doctor,
a morning owner, and an afternoon owner
419
:Andy: I am seeing more technician owners.
420
:I am seeing more and more technician
owners, which I think is really cool.
421
:And I just, I like an interesting
challenge and I think, , I really enjoy
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:kind of working with those people.
423
:And it's interesting when you don't
have a, when you're independent, but
424
:you don't have a doctor as an owner.
425
:. You can do it.
426
:And I've seen, I'm seeing them
do it and it's, but it's, it's
427
:just an interesting challenge.
428
:But to your point, , there's
nothing is chiseled in stone about
429
:thou must be a veterinarian to
start a one veterinarian practice.
430
:That's not how it has to be.
431
:Peter: Well, the only thing I would
suggest is that if you are not a
432
:veterinarian, that you have a business
partner who is a veterinarian.
433
:Because if you own the business
and the veterinarian who
434
:you've hired walks, you have no
435
:Andy: Yeah.
436
:That's a dicey situation.
437
:Yeah.
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:Peter: But I want you
to join me in something.
439
:I
440
:Andy: Is it your five
way partnership thing?
441
:Because I don't know that
442
:Peter: no, no,
443
:Andy: Okay.
444
:All right.
445
:Peter: no.
446
:that's a whole
447
:Andy: Okay, good.
448
:Peter: First of all, I wanna give
you, I wanna give you kudos and a
449
:shout out to the VBMA who I think
is one of the best things that his
450
:veterinary medicine has come out with.
451
:I, I'm part of the
National Advisory Board.
452
:I remember when you were the president
of the Florida VBMA, , back when
453
:you were in school in the dark ages.
454
:, when tablets are made of stone,
, which is my generation, but I want
455
:you to help the next generation of
entrepreneurs through legacy ownership.
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:What I mean by that is my generation
of hospital owners need to find an
457
:exit strategy, and many times it's
staring them right in the face.
458
:And you have a lot of people who are
working for other doctors who really
459
:aren't even thinking about, can I buy
the practice that I'm working for?
460
:Andy: Yeah.
461
:Peter: I think what we have to do is
start to, if we wanna look at transition
462
:of wealth, let's look at transition
of wealth to the baby boomers, into
463
:the Gen Ys and Gen Zs who are already
working there, which means changing
464
:the mindset of veterinarians who
are owners to be willing to look at
465
:their associates as an exit strategy.
466
:And so we have to start
to look at, can we build.
467
:Legacy transition of power from
a veterinary hospital owner to
468
:their associates and maybe to
their manager and or technician.
469
:Andy: Yeah.
470
:I, I like that a lot.
471
:Peter, do you have any advice?
472
:Like how do we start to
make these connections?
473
:How do you get these
conversations started?
474
:I I think a lot of associates.
475
:Who might be interested, don't know
how to breach the subject, or a lot
476
:of owners who are kind of thinking,
I don't wanna mention to the team
477
:that I'm not gonna be here forever.
478
:Also, I'm not gonna be here forever,
and we should at least maybe start to
479
:work on a plan before, before that,
you know, before we get to the place
480
:where that, that becomes imminent.
481
:do you have any advice on how to sort
of get those conversations going or
482
:start to make connections between people
who might be interested in the legacy
483
:ownership and, and those who, you know,
who might be, interested in engaging
484
:from a, from an owner standpoint?
485
:Peter: I think it's a question of
bring it together, a success team.
486
:And so I've done a variety of
talks with, uh, young doctors
487
:who are looking to buy hospitals.
488
:I think we need to have talks where you've
got the, let's call it veterinary tinder.
489
:Andy: Okay.
490
:Peter: the sellers and the owners
491
:Andy: how you end up with
a five way partnership.
492
:Peter: absolutely.
493
:But we've got the sellers and the owners,
and you can swipe right or swipe left
494
:if they don't wanna live in Greenville.
495
:Then of course they're gonna look in
Charlotte maybe if, maybe if not in
496
:Charlotte, they'll look in Austin.
497
:Whatever the case may be.
498
:I think we just have, we have silos of
people who don't cross pollinate that need
499
:to be cross pollinated and whether the
bankers bring 'em together, whether the
500
:transaction people who are representing
hospital sales bring them together.
501
:But I do think it's, it's, there's
a great opportunity to take.
502
:30% of the hospitals and keep them
within independent hospital sales.
503
:By the way, many of them, and, and
not to belittle any individual, but
504
:many of them are not as profitable
as others because people have owned
505
:a job for the last 10 or 15 years.
506
:Instead of owning a business, they, they
got everything they wanted out of it,
507
:but they haven't been able to retire.
508
:They're coming upon retirement.
509
:They didn't build that practice over
the last 10 or 15 years, so the value
510
:of that hospital has dec declined.
511
:But that's a great opportunity for
the right doctor to go in and purchase
512
:at a res relatively reasonable price,
and ultimately go in and create a
513
:practice in their own image that
continues the legacy of the prior owner.
514
:Andy: Yeah, I, I like this a lot.
515
:Dr.
516
:Peter Weinstein.
517
:Thanks for being here.
518
:Thanks for talking through this with me.
519
:Where can people find you online?
520
:Peter: Can I be a little bit self-serving?
521
:Andy: Yeah.
522
:Peter: Okay.
523
:Andy: No, you've done, you've
done incredible work around this.
524
:Yes.
525
:Talk about, talk about the
programs you're running.
526
:Peter: So, if you'd like to learn more
about how to be an independent hospital
527
:owner, we're trying to build a community
of independent hospital owners through
528
:our website, www dot veterinary.
529
:Ownership advocates.com.
530
:Veterinary ownership advocates.com
531
:or if that's too long, www dot v Vet.
532
:All right.
533
:We have an online education program.
534
:It's a Minim, BA of 24 hours of race
approved ce, and we have telephone
535
:calls every month with our community
to talk about the issues, help them.
536
:Look at floor plans, find architects,
talk about marketing, and essentially
537
:continue to motivate them towards
their final goal of opening a hospital.
538
:And then we stick around with them to
help them through that formative years.
539
:And we're working on kind of
season two, which is now what?
540
:Now that you're open, what's next?
541
:Andy: Yeah.
542
:Oh man.
543
:That's fantastic.
544
:Peter.
545
:Thanks for being here guys.
546
:Thanks for tuning in and
listening to everybody.
547
:Take care of yourselves, gang.
548
:We'll talk to you later on.
549
:Speaker: And that's what I got.
550
:Gang, thanks for being here.
551
:Everybody.
552
:Thanks for listening.
553
:Thanks to Peter for being along.
554
:Shout out to all you independent
practice owners out there , who are
555
:doing it every day, who are, , putting
in the work and owning your own
556
:place and making your own path.
557
:I always love it.
558
:be well.
559
:Take care of yourselves.
560
:talk to you later on.
