In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a powerful and deeply human question: what helps veterinary professionals stay emotionally connected to meaningful work — even when the work itself is hard?

Grounded in research on compassion satisfaction, resilience, psychological distress, and life satisfaction, this conversation unpacks the idea that wellbeing in veterinary medicine is not just about reducing burnout. It is also about understanding the emotional protection that can come from helping others, contributing to a team, and experiencing moments of meaning and impact in everyday practice life.

You’ll hear:

• What “compassion satisfaction” actually means — and why it matters in veterinary medicine
• Why meaningful work can feel both emotionally exhausting and deeply fulfilling at the same time
• The surprising role compassion satisfaction may play in protecting wellbeing
• How veterinary culture sometimes unintentionally rewards self-sacrifice
• Practical ways teams and leaders can build cultures that support meaning, contribution, and connection

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, student, CSR, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply relatable look at how meaningful work, human connection, and healthy culture can help sustain the people doing this important work.

Because compassion satisfaction is not just something veterinary professionals stumble into.
It is something healthy cultures can help create.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: Life satisfaction, psychological distress, compassion satisfaction and resilience: when the pleasure of helping others protects veterinary staff from emotional suffering

Authors: Maria Manuela Peixoto and Olga Cunha

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10510-0

Blend Vet

Florida Man This Week - Kitten Club

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:

01:53 Vet Med Paradox

04:04 Boulder Cat Case

15:06 Study Focus and Variables

16:33 Compassion Satisfaction Explained

17:41 Key Findings and Shock Absorbers

23:55 When Meaning Gets Weaponized

26:39 Building Healthier Systems

37:54 Wrap Up and Florida Man

Headed to WVC Nashville this August? We'd LOVE to meet you! Andi will be speaking August 16 & 17, and Josh will be there too. Stop by a session and introduce yourself - we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community. Grab your boots, bring your curiosity, and come say hello!

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore what actually makes people stay in veterinary workplaces during difficult times—and why communication may be one of the most powerful retention tools we have.

Grounded in research on positive communication and The Great Resignation, this conversation unpacks how transparency, flexibility, support, and trust shape the way veterinary professionals experience stress, crisis, and connection at work. Because it turns out—people do not just remember the hard days…they remember how those hard days felt, and who they felt them with.

From COVID leadership lessons to everyday “mini-crises” inside veterinary hospitals, this episode highlights how communication is not just something teams do—it becomes part of the culture itself. And when leaders and coworkers communicate with honesty, humanity, and care, resilience becomes something people build together instead of carrying alone.

You’ll hear:
• Why positive communication plays a major role in employee retention
• What veterinary teams remember most during stressful or uncertain moments
• How transparency and flexibility strengthen trust during crisis
• Why “micro moments” of support can shape workplace culture over time
• How structuration theory explains the way communication creates culture
• Why most veterinary communication training misses the other 98% of workplace conversations
• Practical ways leaders and teams can create cultures people actually want to stay in

Whether you are leading through uncertainty, navigating a difficult season with your team, or simply trying to create a workplace where people feel supported and valued, this episode offers a practical and hopeful look at how communication shapes culture—and why the way we talk to each other during hard times matters more than we think.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: The Structuration of Positive Communication Experiences: The Case of the Great Resignation

Authors: Elizabeth A. Williams , Jennifer S. Linvill, Emeline Ojeda-Hecht, Meghan R. Cosgrove,Autumn Buzzetta, and Abby Konkel

DOI: 10.1177/23294884241263553

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Cultivating Positive Team Communication

Florida Man This Week - Cats

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Catch Up

06:17 Leading Through COVID

14:58 Study Overview and Methods

21:36 Key Findings Positive Communication

23:12 Why Leaders Struggle to Be Transparent

25:41 Flexibility Builds Trust

26:47 Flexibility Builds Culture

32:35 Everyone Shapes Culture

48:09 Florida Man Finale

Headed to WVC Nashville this August? We'd LOVE to meet you! Andi will be speaking August 16 & 17, and Josh will be there too. Stop by a session and introduce yourself - we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community. Grab your boots, bring your curiosity, and come say hello!

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a hopeful but important question: what if veterinary medicine already has many of the ingredients needed for people and teams to thrive?
Grounded in research on meaningful work, burnout, resilience, leadership, and workplace wellbeing, this conversation challenges the idea that vet med is fundamentally broken. Instead, the episode explores how purpose, connection, growth, and supportive culture already exist within the profession — and what leaders can do to intentionally build environments where those strengths can flourish.

You’ll hear:

• Why meaningful work is one of the strongest protective factors against burnout
• How leadership behaviors shape engagement, trust, and workplace wellbeing
• The role autonomy, connection, and recognition play in helping teams thrive
• Why resilience is not just an individual responsibility
• What veterinary technicians and nurses say they actually need from workplaces
• How poor culture quietly erodes even deeply passionate teams
• Practical ways leaders can strengthen thriving without waiting for a complete overhaul
• Why vet med may not need saving nearly as much as it needs renovation

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, student, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply human look at what thriving can realistically look like in veterinary medicine.

Because thriving in vet med is not about finding brand-new ingredients.
It is about finally learning how to use the ones we already have.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: The Life of Meaning: A model of the Positive Contribution to Well-Being from Veterinary Work.

Authors:Martin Cake, Melinda Ball, Naomi Bickly, and David Bartram

DOI: https://utppublishing.com/doi/pdf/10.3138/jvme.1014-097R1

Colorado Avalanche - Glass Breaking Info

The Veterinary Culture Lab - Ep. 001 North of Neutral: why positive psychology matters in vet med

Florida Man This Week - Toilet Paper Rosel

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:

00:29 Late Night Hockey

09:35 Hard Versus Meaningful

13:06 Why We Focus Negative

18:23 COVID Client Bias

22:00 Research Review

23:56 Meaningful Vet Work

24:51 Eudaimonic Wellbeing

26:22 Drivers of Thriving

27:23 Stress Satisfaction Paradox

32:06 Wellbeing Garden Metaphor

35:39 Cultivation Over Balance

37:32 Make Meaning Visible

Headed to WVC Nashville this August? We'd LOVE to meet you! Andi will be speaking August 16 & 17, and Josh will be there too. Stop by a session and introduce yourself - we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community. Grab your boots, bring your curiosity, and come say hello!

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a question that hits a nerve for many veterinary professionals: why does feedback so often feel threatening instead of helpful?

Grounded in brand-new veterinary research on psychological safety, communication quality, and turnover intention, this episode unpacks how the way feedback is delivered can shape trust, team culture, and whether people choose to stay in a practice long term. Rather than treating feedback as simply correcting mistakes, this conversation reframes feedback as a relational and cultural tool that directly impacts psychological safety.

You’ll hear:

• Why the phrase “Can I give you some feedback?” instantly puts many people on the defensive
• What psychological safety actually means in veterinary teams
• Why supervisor feedback has such a strong influence on retention
• The surprising role coworker feedback plays in shaping workplace culture
• How leaders create the emotional tone of a practice through everyday communication
• The difference between corrective feedback and growth-oriented conversations
• Practical ways veterinary leaders can improve feedback culture and psychological safety

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply practical look at how communication shapes culture from the inside out.

Because thriving veterinary teams are not built through fear of feedback. They are built through conversations that create trust.

Resource Links

Episode Article

Title: A cross-sectional study exploring associations between psychological safety, employee turnover intention and feedback skills in veterinary organisations
Authors:Olivia Oginska, Michelle McArthur, Amy Zadow, Nic Gibson and Martin Cake

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.70498

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Cultivating Positive Team Communication

Florida Man This Week - Own Truck

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps

00:00 Why Feedback Feels Threatening

05:18 New Vet Med Study Tease

06:03 When Feedback Lands Well

07:44 Collaboration Builds Trust

10:59 Retention Beyond Pay

13:15 Study Methods and Sample

15:58 Manager Feedback Drives Retention

16:48 Coworker Feedback and Safety

21:08 Leaders Set Emotional Tone

25:27 Feedback as Relationship Tool

28:14 Culture Renovation Playbook

37:13 Closing and Sign Off

Headed to WVC Nashville this August? We'd LOVE to meet you! Andi will be speaking August 16 & 17, and Josh will be there too. Stop by a session and introduce yourself - we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community. Grab your boots, bring your curiosity, and come say hello!

This episode is best experienced IN FULL!!

We recorded this live in Zimbabwe during the THRIVE veterinary wellbeing retreat—and the video version brings it all to life. From wildlife encounters to breathtaking landscapes and powerful human moments, you can watch the full experience unfold on YouTube here.

In this special episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi records live from Zimbabwe during the World Wide Vets THRIVE retreat—joined by co-host Dani Herbst to explore what it really means to thrive in veterinary medicine.

Grounded in research on emotional intelligence in early-career veterinarians, this conversation unpacks a powerful insight: emotional intelligence does not simply develop with experience—it is shaped by the environments we are part of.

And when the research points to mental health, social support, and time spent outdoors as key drivers of emotional intelligence…this episode brings those findings to life in real time.

Through conversations with veterinary professionals attending THRIVE, you will hear how connection, reflection, and stepping away from the day-to-day demands of practice can shift perspective, build emotional capacity, and create meaningful change.

From honest reflections to moments of humor and insight, this episode highlights how wellbeing is not just an individual effort—it is something we build together.

You’ll hear:

• What the research says about emotional intelligence in veterinary medicine
• How social support reduces isolation and builds connection
• The impact of time outdoors on perspective and wellbeing
• Why experiences like THRIVE can support real growth
• Reflections from veterinary professionals experiencing this work firsthand

Whether you are feeling energized or exhausted, this episode invites you to consider what it might look like to create the conditions that help you—and your team—truly THRIVE.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: Improved mental health, social support, and time outdoors are associated with higher emotional intelligence in early-career veterinarians: A longitudinal study

Authors: Tipsarp Kittisiam, DVM, PhD ; Caroline Ritter, DVM, PhD; Emily Morabito, MS; Adam Stacey, PsyD, RDPsych; Deep Khosa, BVMS, PhD; Andria Jones, DVM, PhD

DOI: 10.2460/javma.23.10.0566

WorldWide Vets
WWV THRIVE - February 2027 Dates and Details

Zimbabwe Man - Donkey

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:

02:06 Meet Dani Herbst

05:22 Mental Health Stigma

08:54 Dani’s Path to Purpose

13:11 Worldwide Vets Mission

14:54 Inside the Thrive Retreat

22:32 Emotional Intelligence Study

25:46 Findings and Thrive Validation

31:55 Vulnerability and Support

34:49 Delegates Share

37:14 Wellbeing Skills For Leaders

48:26 Safari CE And Connection

51:43 Grounding Outdoors Reset

54:39 Rapid Fire Delegate Takeaways

59:57 Laughs And Farewell

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore the role of interpersonal curiosity—and why it might be one of the most underrated skills in veterinary medicine today.

Grounded in research on resilience in veterinary students, this conversation unpacks how curiosity shows up in the way we interpret stress, respond to challenges, and connect with the people around us. Because it turns out—resilience is not just about “bouncing back”…it is about how we make sense of what is happening in the first place.

From initial skepticism around wellbeing strategies to meaningful mindset shifts, this episode highlights how perspective-taking, support systems, and self-awareness are not just personal tools—they are cultural ones. And when curiosity is present, everything from communication to coping starts to change. You’ll hear:

• Why curiosity plays a critical role in how we experience stress and resilience
• What veterinary students revealed about how resilience actually develops
• How simple perspective shifts can change the way we respond to challenges
• Why support systems and connection are essential to thriving—not optional
• What this means for teams trying to build healthier, more sustainable cultures

Whether you are navigating a tough case, a tense conversation, or just trying to make it through a busy day, this episode will challenge you to pause, get curious, and consider what might be possible if we replaced assumption with understanding.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: Interpersonal curiosity as a tool to foster safe relational spaces: a narrative literature reviewAuthors:Melanie Letendre Jauniaux & Heather L. Lawford

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1379330

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Cultivating Positive Team Communication

Florida Man This Week - Time Travel

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:

00:00 Curiosity Sets the Stage
00:42 Names and Nicknames
02:01 Colorado Weather Whiplash
06:15 Hospital Story Sideways Curiosity
09:57 Vet Clinic Assumptions Lesson
13:16 Courage to Ask Deeper
15:31 Paper Intro Interpersonal Curiosity
18:17 Overt vs Covert Curiosity
21:09 Relational Safety vs Psychological Safety
22:28 Curiosity Builds Trust
23:09 Curiosity As Culture
25:00 Covert Coaching After Error
28:39 Affiliative Intent First
32:17 Overt Versus Covert
37:28 Repetition Builds Muscles
38:51 Vet Team Ideas In Action
46:21 Wrap Up And Thanks

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh take on one of the most talked-about concepts in veterinary medicine: work-life balance.

Truth is that most practices already have work-life balance policies. PTO exists. Sick days exist. Flexibility exists. And yet - burnout persists.

So, what is actually going on?

Grounded in science, this episode explores a powerful and often overlooked idea: work-life balance policies are only effective if people can actually use them - without guilt, stigma, or unintended consequences.

Through honest storytelling, real veterinary examples, and practical culture renovation strategies, we unpack the gap between what organizations say they offer and what teams experience day to day.

You will hear:

• Why work-life balance policies often fail—even when they look great on paper
• How guilt, fear, and staffing assumptions quietly block access to time off
• The hidden role leaders play as gatekeepers (and how to shift that)
• Practical ways to redesign systems so balance becomes usable, not theoretical
• How small structural changes can reduce burnout across multiple dimensions of work

This episode reframes balance as something that must be designed, protected, and modeled at the cultural level.

Because thriving veterinary teams are not built on policies alone—they are built on systems people can trust and use.

Resource Links

Episode Article:

Title: How Effective Are Work-Life Balance Policies? The Importance of Inclusion
Authors:Wendy J. Casper; Shelia A. Hyde; Shona G. Smith; Faezeh Amirkamali; Julie Holliday Wayne

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-110622-050544

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Positive Veterinary Leadership - Masterclass
Intro to Cultivating Positive Team Communication - On Demand

TVCL Episode 2 – DRAMMA Needs

Maslach & Leiter Six Areas of Worklife

Florida Man Shark

What Do You Think? Reach out and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps

00:00 Monday Mindset

06:21 Defining Work Life Balance

10:32 Paper Overview

14:52 Detachment and Recovery

17:09 Always On Leadership Trap

21:30 Policies vs Access

24:32 Good Leaders, Call outs and Coverage

31:15 Recovery Standards That Stick

34:10 Time Off on Good Days

38:27 Make Access Visible

39:42 Fully Staffed to Covered

43:58 Train Leaders to Kill Stigma

45:27 Florida Man and Wrap Up

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh take on one of the most common and emotionally charged narratives in veterinary medicine: “Younger generations just do not want to work.”

Rather than reinforcing stereotypes or dismissing frustration, this conversation turns to the research. Grounded in a 2016 cross-temporal meta-analysis by Jean Twenge and colleagues, the episode explores what has actually shifted in generational work values — and what has not.

The data show no dramatic collapse in work ethic. What has shifted, modestly but measurably, is work centrality and the value placed on leisure and balance. In a profession historically shaped by a “you must attend” mentality, even subtle recalibrations can feel seismic.

Through real-world clinic stories, leadership reflection, and practical culture renovation strategies, Andi and Josh explore how redefining commitment — and modeling sustainable boundaries — may be one of the greatest leadership opportunities in modern veterinary medicine.

You will hear:

• What the research actually says about generational work ethic
• Why work centrality has shifted — and why that matters
• How confirmation bias fuels generational stereotypes
• The difference between self-sacrifice and sustainable commitment
• Practical ways leaders can redefine and model commitment
• How curiosity can interrupt the “kids these days” cycle

This episode invites leaders to move beyond blame and toward design — because thriving veterinary cultures are built intentionally, not nostalgically.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: Generational Differences in Work Values: Leisure and Extrinsic Values Increasing, Social and Intrinsic Values Decreasing
Authors:Jean M. Twenge et. al.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316632058

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Applied Veterinary Resilience
World Wide Vets - THRIVE CE Wellbeing retreat in Zimbabwe

All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot) 1980s TV series (the best one!)

Florida Man This Week - Bean Burrito Bandit

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:

00:00 Generational Work Myth

00:44 Meet Josh and Dalia

02:17 Airplane Jokes and Travel

02:57 Zimbabwe Thrive Retreat

04:58 Lazy Young Workers Claim

06:56 Tech Leaves at Six

10:52 Martyrdom Culture Origins

16:05 Work Values Research