The Whole Veterinarian

Leadership in Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Amy Grice

July 09, 2020 Amy Grice Season 1 Episode 6
The Whole Veterinarian
Leadership in Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Amy Grice
Show Notes Transcript

This week's guest is Dr. Amy Grice, an equine veterinary business consultant and all-around great human being. We talk about leadership styles, finding a mentor and even touch on ways that the newer generation can help shape the future of the veterinary profession.
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About Dr. Grice
www.amygrice.com
www.decadeonevet.com/

Dr. Grice was an ambulatory equine practitioner in the Hudson Valley of New York for over 25 years, and served as the managing partner of the thirteen doctor equine referral hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. At the end of 2014, she retired from clinical practice to concentrate on veterinary business consulting, and moved her residence to Virginia City, MT.
Dr. Grice received her BA in Biology from Wellesley College in Massachusetts and completed her veterinary education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. She earned her MBA with a concentration in Ethical Leadership from Marist College School of Management in 2014.
Dr. Grice is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, where she served on the Board of Directors from 2015-2018, and now serves on several task forces and committees. She is currently serving as a member of the AVMA Economic Strategy Committee.
Dr. Grice is a frequent speaker at educational seminars for veterinarians across the country, as well as leading regional Decade One networking groups for equine veterinarians early in their careers. In addition, she consults with a diverse range of veterinary businesses and collaborates with industry partners to bring business education to veterinarians. Dr. Grice aids with transitions of ownership, strategic planning, financial projections, and other solutions for private practitioners.
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https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/how-to-become-a-servant-leader.html

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Music Credit: Journey of Hope by Alexander Nakarada

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Stacey Cordivano :

Hey guys, welcome to The Whole Veterinarian. My name is Dr. Stacey Cordivano. And you know we've got some stuff going on in this profession of ours. On this podcast I will speak with outside of the box thinkers to hear new ideas on ways to improve our day to day life. I want veterinarians to learn to be happier, healthier, wealthier, and more grateful for the life that we've created. Now let's get started. If you're an equine veterinarian, my next guest really needs no introduction. For everyone else, Dr. Amy Grice is a business consultant for veterinarians, which is a career that she started after 25 years in equine practice. Amy, thank you so much for joining me today.

Amy Grice :

I'm really happy to be here today. It's It's fun to do this with you.

Stacey Cordivano :

I certainly have read your work and I have known about you for a long time. But I really got to know you through the Decade One project, which you have had going on for how many years now?

Amy Grice :

Well, the first group started in 2015. So I guess we're coming up on five or six years.

Stacey Cordivano :

And can you elaborate a little bit on what motivated you to start the decade one groups and how it has progressed?

Amy Grice :

Well, when I was in practice, I was the managing partner of my practice, kind of a big practice. And I was a member of a veterinary study group, VMG. And I loved the networking. I loved having a group of folks that had similar challenges that I did, and I thought, you know, as I see the interns that are coming through our practice and the difficulties that they have and the challenges they have, I've really want to be able to give them a leg up into the industry by having them have more knowledge about the business and Having that same network of, of people to reach out to to have people that have their back that they knew had the same challenges. And I, I thought, okay, so it can't be super expensive and it needs to have a business education component. And it needs to be a support for people that are just coming into the industry. And so I kind of put all of that together. And with the help of Dr. Andy Clark, who's been a mentor to me, he was really instructive and instrumental in both supporting the idea, being really enthusiastic and helping me get it going. I have a lot of gratitude for him doing that.

Stacey Cordivano :

I would say, for me, it's been a really transformative experience, and it's only been going on for about a year. But more than the business education portion, I would agree with you that the networking and hearing other people's stories has almost been more transformative. And in those sessions, you have a innate ability to ask the right questions and really get deep with all of us vets that don't really get deep very often. Is that a skill that you learn? Develop? Is that is that just in your personality?

Amy Grice :

You know, when I was taking my MBA, one of the things that was so amazing to me was that it wasn't a journey that I had necessarily expected. It was a journey where we learned so much about ourselves, because what we provide to others and leadership has a lot to do with who we are and how we feel about ourselves. I need to kick the dogs out again.

Stacey Cordivano :

Haha. The dogs are my biggest interview disruptors yet!!!

Amy Grice :

They were scratching at the door so I let them in and now they're feeling So I think my ability to get to the deeper part of people is, is really both because I, I feel tuned in to what people are really saying and what their real challenges are, because I've had those challenges myself. And I think sometimes we dance around what's really going on. And to really feel whole and to feel healed, you have to cut to the chase and really talk about what's really going on. And so I try to do that.

Stacey Cordivano :

Yeah, you do an excellent job.

Amy Grice :

You know, my, my MBA has a concentration in ethical leadership. And so leadership is so important to me. And one of the most difficult times in my journey was when, as a part of leadership training I went to, there was a 360 evaluation of me by everybody in my practice. So like 2627 29 people, I don't know. And then they compiled it and gave us our findings at this meeting. And it was really daunting. And I could, I could barely like keep myself from crying. I felt, you know, I thought of myself as being a good leader. But what I was I was at the bottom of the leadership scale. I was autocratic and top down and I'm the leader do what I say. Oh my god, I was like getting a knife in the abdomen and being disemboweled. But what was good about it was that I, I dug in, and I learned about leadership. And I knew that I was at the bottom of the scale. And so that kind of self awareness is the first step in becoming a good leader. And what I what I want is to be a servant leader, to help others achieve what they want to achieve. That's what I see as a servant leader.

Stacey Cordivano :

Having met you now, it's so hard to think of you like that. So I think that's great motivation that someone can really transform their life or style.

Amy Grice :

Yeah. You can. you're gonna change and grow for the rest of your life.

Stacey Cordivano :

Yes. Hard to remember that sometimes. I would describe you as really one of the most compassionate people that I know. Have you always thought of yourself or have other people always thought of you that way?

Amy Grice :

You know, it's funny. I used to babysit for a little boy who had some special needs. And he one time I was babysitting, and he made up this rhyme, which he sand multiple times while I was there, actually. And it went like this Amy Grice is very nice. Nice enough to say it twice. Amy Grice is very nice. Amy Grice is very nice. Haha. So I think it's been going on for a while.

Stacey Cordivano :

Good. I love that. That's hilarious. I know that leadership is a huge driver for you. And I think as veterinarians, part of leadership involves mentorship. I was recently involved a little bit with the global veterinarian career summit, and I saw multiple threads about how to find a mentor. So I was hoping maybe you could elaborate for younger veterinarians ways that you think they should go about finding a mentor. And then if you could also touch on why more experienced practitioners owe it to the profession to become mentors?

Amy Grice :

Well, I think when you think about, I'm going to speak to the second part of your question first. We all should be paying it forward and giving back to the profession because people have done that for us as we came up through the ranks. I think it's important though, for older practitioners to understand that they will get a lot from the mentoring relationship from the person that they're mentoring. That is is a two way street. And one of the most important things about leadership and mentoring is that you learn both of you learn and you learn things about yourselves. And you learn things about how to be a better professional, a better person. It's not a one way relationship. I think sometimes older practitioners feel like they have all the answers. And what I have found is that we might have had the answers for what was going on when we were in practice. But things have changed a lot and they continue to change. And so it can be very influential to have listened to the voices of those who are just coming into the career or perhaps have been here in the first, you know, five or 10 years of their career. They have a lot to offer, such smart, amazing people. As far as finding a mentor, I think one of the most important things about It is for it to be a person who makes you feel whole and better about what you're doing. Someone who asks you the right questions who almost like a therapist who asks you Well, what do you think your options are? Instead of telling you what to do, helps to lead you into what the right decision for you is, rather than perhaps giving you the advice that would have been the right decision for them.

Stacey Cordivano :

That's good advice. I haven't heard that for mentees to look into but it's also good advice to be a better mentor. It's great.

Amy Grice :

Mm hmm. Yeah.

Stacey Cordivano :

You have obviously mentored a lot of people throughout your career, but certainly with the decade one groups, is that a big part of what motivates you to keep going with these groups is that you can see changes in your students?

Amy Grice :

You know, absolutely. I'm really, really passionate about the people that I'm able to help through the decade one program in most of them because most of the veterinarians coming out right now are young women. Most of them are young women. I almost feel evangelistic about passing on the important information I learned about business leadership, kindness, communication, and supporting people in having the lives that they want to have. It's one of the things I'm really passionate about is to help people envision what they want their life to be, and then go for it and get it.

Stacey Cordivano :

That's great. That's a noble cause for sure. I don't know if this is a kosher question. Do you think that the equine veterinary industry, as it currently is, is sustainable?

Amy Grice :

I think that the the young veterinarians that I meet that are shaking things up are amazing, and they have all of the tools in their hands to make this the industry that is sustainable. I don't think that it's going to be easy for the current paradigm to change itself. It's like trying to turn a cruise ship when we need a kayak. And so what I see in my decade group one groups in particular, are amazing, amazing young veterinarians, who are just making it different in the equine veterinary world. And it is a process that's going on and those that have been in the career longer and who are resistant to change. They're going to be left behind. Because change is here, and it's happening.

Stacey Cordivano :

Yeah, for sure. As a solo practitioner, mother, it has to. It wouldn't work for me if I wasn't able to create my current situation.

Amy Grice :

And that is about envisioning the life that you want, and making it happen. You know, when I was about to leave clinical veterinary medicine and tell my partners, I was going to sell my shares and leave the practice and, and and go be a business consultant. I had to give them six months notice. And the night before that date arrived, I was terrified. I was really my stomach was in knots and a friend called and she said, you know, tomorrow is the big day, isn't it? And I said, huh. And she said, How are you feeling? And I said, Oh my god, I'm my toes are at the edge of the cliff and I'm looking down and the rocks look really sharp and I'm kind of afraid to jump and she said, Amy, spread your wings and fly gracefully away. Look up. The next day, that vision of not looking at the scary rocks looking up and flying away into a new and sort of beautiful thing. That's what I thought about. And that is exactly what it's been like. It has been so good. So envision the life you want. And then for God's sake, go get it.

Stacey Cordivano :

So good. That's so good. I love that. I ask all of my guests... What is one small thing that has brought you joy this week?

Amy Grice :

Well, gosh, there's been a lot of things that have brought me joy this week.

Stacey Cordivano :

That's good.

Amy Grice :

Yeah. But one thing comes to mind. I got up the other morning, and it was really i'd woken up really early. Some of the longest days of the year are right now. And the birds were singing and I live in the mountains and, and so I took my cup of coffee and I went outside and there had been rain overnight. I could smell the sage, the birds were singing and just then the sun came up over the edge of the mountain and it was so warm, the air was like 45 degrees. And the sun was suddenly so amazingly warm. I could feel it on my face. And I just had my coffee and I sat down in a chair and listen to the birds and smelled the sage and felt the sun on my face. And I was like, this is a great day to be alive.

Stacey Cordivano :

That is like a study in mindful living. That's amazing.

Amy Grice :

It was good.

Stacey Cordivano :

Good. Where can people find out more information about you and your services?

Amy Grice :

Well, I have a website that's pretty easy to find, because it's named after me. It is amygrice.com. And then the decade one site is decadeonevet.com.

Stacey Cordivano :

And the decade one group is aimed for practitioners within their first 10 years of graduating, correct?

Amy Grice :

Well, actually, first 10 years from graduating or first 10 as a practice owner, and sometimes people say, Oh, you know, it's been 11 years. Everybody's welcome as long as they want to collaborate, support, learn, and be kind.

Stacey Cordivano :

Well, thank you so much for your time today. And thank you actually more for creating a place for us to learn how to be kinder and think more broadly for ourselves. I really appreciate all the work you do.

Amy Grice :

Well, thanks. And I just want you to know I get as much from all of you that come to the groups as I think I give to you, so I love it. Transcribed by https://otter.ai