Choose People Love Pets: The Veterinary Culture Podcast

Hiring Red Flags #2: The Blame Test

Not all conflict is bad—but how someone talks about conflict in an interview can tell you everything.  In this episode, we break down one powerful interview question that reveals whether a candidate brings ownership or blame into your culture. Because in any hospital, conflict is inevitable—but toxicity is optional.  If you want a team that communicates, grows, and takes responsibility, this is the filter you can’t afford to skip.  What You’ll Learn  * The exact interview question that exposes mindset   * Why conflict handling matters more than clinical skill   * The difference between ownership vs. blame in candidate responses   * Real examples of red flag vs. green flag answers   * Why “on the fence” should almost always mean no hire   * How small behaviors in interviews predict real client interactions   The Question to Ask  “Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a team member—what happened?”  Then stop talking—and listen.  Red Flags 🚩  * Blames the other person, management, or the system   * Avoids conflict altogether   * Lacks self-reflection   * Positions themselves as the “hero” in every story   * Can’t identify their role in the breakdown   👉 That mindset doesn’t change after you hire them.  Green Flags ✅  * Takes ownership of their role in the conflict   * Reflects on what they could have done differently   * Shares how they approached resolution directly   * Demonstrates growth and behavior change moving forward   👉 “I could have communicated sooner…”  👉 “I contributed to the tension by…”  That’s self-awareness. That’s coachable. That’s culture-building.  Key Takeaway  Hire for ownership.  You can train skills—but self-awareness and accountability are much harder to teach.  Bonus Hiring Insight  If you’re on the fence, it’s probably a no.  The best hires feel like a clear yes—often within the first few minutes. Trust that signal and wait for the right people.  Call to Action  If this episode helped you think differently about hiring, share it with another veterinary leader or hospital manager.  And if you want more episodes like this, send us a message or drop a comment—we’re building this for you.  Follow for more:   FB: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d]   IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]   LI: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/]

How to Stop Self-Sabotage and Build Real Resilience with Dr. Lucette Beall

Why do so many high-achievers feel stuck in their own lives?  In this episode, Dr. Brianna Armstrong sits down with Dr. Lucette Beall—veterinarian, entrepreneur, and author—to unpack the internal patterns that keep us from reaching our full potential.  After navigating divorce, a cancer diagnosis, financial hardship, and stepping away from her veterinary practice to care for her brother following a traumatic brain injury, Dr. Lucette developed a powerful perspective on resilience, self-trust, and the role our thoughts play in shaping our reality.  This conversation goes beyond surface-level mindset advice. Together, we explore why negative self-talk is so common, how it impacts our ability to move forward, and what it actually looks like to interrupt those patterns and rebuild from the inside out.  If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or caught in a loop of self-doubt—this episode will challenge the way you think about your thoughts.  🔑 What You’ll Learn  * Why up to 80% of our thoughts are negative—and how that shapes our reality   * The hidden ways high-achievers self-sabotage through internal narratives   * How your brain’s “autopilot” keeps you stuck in the same patterns   * The connection between mindset, resilience, and real-life outcomes   * A simple daily practice to start shifting your thoughts immediately   * How to separate your identity from external expectations   * Why self-trust—not external validation—is the foundation for change   🛠️ Key Framework: Reverse, Reframe, Rebuild  Dr. Lucette breaks down her 3-step approach to transforming your mindset:  * Reverse → Become aware of the thoughts and patterns you’ve been running on autopilot   * Reframe → Shift the meaning you assign to situations and experiences   * Rebuild → Take aligned action that reinforces a new identity and direction   🔥 Key Moments  * The life-changing decision to step away from her practice to care for her brother   * What hitting financial rock bottom taught her about mindset and opportunity   * The role of intuition—and why ignoring it can lead to long-term regret   * How a simple morning routine helped her completely shift her trajectory   * Why “being right” can keep you stuck—and what to do instead   💬 Memorable Quotes  * “People want to be right more than they want to be healed.”   * “You’re 100% responsible for yourself—and 0% responsible for others.”   * “If you don’t change what you’re telling yourself, nothing else changes.”   🎯 Action Step  Start with a simple morning reset:  * 5 minutes of quiet (meditation or stillness)   * Write down 3 things you appreciate about your life   * Write down 3 things you appreciate about yourself   Consistency—not perfection—is what creates change.  🧠 Free Resource: Your Brain Reset Blueprint Want to take what you heard in this episode and actually apply it? Lucette Beall created a free 5-part email series designed to help you break out of the thought patterns that keep you stuck. Each email is quick (under 4 minutes), and includes: * A real-life story highlighting a common mental pattern * A simple, actionable step to shift it * A practical way to start rewiring how you think Link to free resource: 👉 yourbrainresetblueprint.com 🎧 Connect + Follow  Dr. Lucette's contact info:   Website: www.drlucette.net [http://www.drlucette.net/]  Instagram: www.instagram.com/drlucette [http://www.instagram.com/drlucette]  YouTube: www.youtube.com/@drlucette [http://www.youtube.com/@drlucette]  Facebook: www.facebook.com/drlucetteb [http://www.facebook.com/drlucetteb]  TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@lucettebeall [http://www.tiktok.com/@lucettebeall]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lucette-beall-aa395744/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lucette-beall-aa395744/]  Email: vipteam@drlucette.net [vipteam@drlucette.net]    If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.  Follow CPLP for more:   FB: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d]   IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]   LI: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/]

How To Get Your Business To Run Itself

If your team is constantly texting you on your day off, interrupting your vacation, or relying on you to solve every small problem — this isn’t a team issue. It’s a leadership pattern.  In this episode of Choose People Love Pets, Dr. Brianna Armstrong and Phoebe Valdez break down why leaders become the bottleneck in their hospital, how that dependency gets unintentionally created, and what to do instead.  You’ll learn how to build a team that can think independently, make decisions confidently, and operate effectively — even when you’re not there.  Because the goal isn’t that your team doesn’t need you…  It’s that they don’t need you for everything.      🔑 What You’ll Learn  * Why your team keeps coming to you for answers (and how you trained them to do it)   * The difference between supporting your team vs creating dependency   * How “helpful” leadership can accidentally lead to learned helplessness   * The role of psychological safety in decision-making   * How to coach instead of fix — without abandoning your team    🛠️ The Framework: Stop Being the Bottleneck  1. Reframe the Problem  It’s not that your team can’t solve problems —  It’s that they’ve been trained to bring them to you.   2. Understand Why They Ask  Your team is coming to you because:  * It’s faster   * It feels safer   * They’re afraid of being wrong   * They lack clear decision-making frameworks   * You’ve reinforced the behavior (even unintentionally)    3. Create a Decision Filter (Red / Yellow / Green)  * 🔴 Red: Call immediately (safety, ethics, emergencies)   * 🟡 Yellow: Make a decision, update later   * 🟢 Green: Fully owned by the team   If everything is red, nothing is.   4. Change How You Respond  Instead of giving answers, start asking:  * “What do you think?”   * “What options are you considering?”   * “If I wasn’t here, what would you do?”   Then pause. Let them think. Let them decide.   5. Use Values as Decision Tools  Guide decisions through:  * Patient safety   * Team support   * Client experience   Your values should drive decisions, not just live on the wall.   6. Reinforce Ownership  * Celebrate effort and thinking — not just outcomes   * Encourage imperfect but safe decisions   * Build confidence through trust     🧪 Try This: The 30-Day Challenge  * Prep your team for the shift   * Pause before answering questions   * Replace “I’ll just do it” with coaching   * Empower one person or one decision category   Or start small:  👉 This week: Pause before you respond     ✈️ The Vacation Test  Ask yourself:  * If I left tomorrow, what would break?   * Who would panic?   * What decisions would stall?   Your answers reveal where you’re still the bottleneck.     💬 Key Quotes  * “If your team can’t function without you, that’s not loyalty — it’s dependency.”   * “If every decision flows through you, you didn’t build a team — you built a funnel.”   * “Every time you answer instead of coach, you reinforce the behavior.”   * “The goal isn’t that they don’t need you. The goal is that they don’t need you for everything.”      📣 Call to Action  If this episode resonated with you, send it to a leader who needs a real vacation.  And if you’re ready to start building a team that can think, decide, and lead — start by pausing before your next answer.      🔗 Connect With Us  Follow Choose People Love Pets for more conversations on leadership, culture, and building veterinary teams that actually work.  Have a scenario you want us to break down?  Send us a DM — we’d love to hear it Follow for more:   FB: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d]   IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]   LI: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/]

More Than a “DOGTOR” with Dr. Christien Bolden: Authenticity, Failure, and Finding Your Path in Veterinary Medicine

What happens when the path to becoming a veterinarian doesn’t go the way you planned?  In this episode of Choose People Love Pets, Dr. Brianna Armstrong sits down with Dr. Christien Bolden, relief veterinarian and host of the More Than a Dogtor podcast. Dr. Bolden shares his deeply personal journey through veterinary medicine—from not passing the NAVLE twice, to navigating burnout, to ultimately redefining what success and fulfillment look like in his career and life.  Together, they explore the pressures young veterinarians face, the identity crisis that can happen when your career becomes your entire sense of self, and the importance of creating space to be more than just your professional title.  Dr. Bolden also shares how mentorship, reflection, and prioritizing his family helped him rebuild his relationship with veterinary medicine and ultimately led him to create a platform supporting veterinary students and early-career veterinarians.  This conversation is a powerful reminder that failure doesn’t define your future—and that sometimes the hardest moments in your career can become the foundation for helping others.  In This Episode  * What “More Than a Dogtor” really means   * The identity crisis many veterinarians experience early in their careers   * Dr. Bolden’s experience not passing the NAVLE twice and how it shaped his path   * The role mentorship played in rebuilding his confidence   * Why authenticity matters in veterinary medicine   * The biggest struggles new veterinarians face in their first few years   * Learning to set boundaries and prioritize life outside of work   * Burnout, sabbaticals, and reclaiming balance in your career   * Relief work as a path to rediscovering purpose   * Why communication skills are one of the biggest gaps in veterinary education   * The inspiration behind Dr. Bolden’s podcast and mentorship initiatives   * How he is helping students prepare for the NAVLE through coaching and mentorship   Key Takeaway  Your title as a veterinarian is only one part of who you are.  Creating a sustainable career in veterinary medicine requires space for authenticity, mentorship, and personal growth—because the healthiest professionals are the ones who remember they are people first.  About the Guest  Dr. Christien Bolden is a veterinarian, mentor, and host of the More Than a Dogtor podcast. A graduate of Tuskegee University, Dr. Bolden is passionate about supporting veterinary students and early-career veterinarians as they navigate the challenges of entering the profession.  Through his podcast, mentorship work, and NAVLE preparation initiatives, he aims to create spaces where veterinary professionals can share their stories, support one another, and remember they are more than just their titles.  Connect with Dr. Christien Bolden * Instagram: @thebayouvet * Podcast: More Than a Dogtor  * Email: drbolden@lebayouvet.com

How To Kill Hospital Culture: Group vs Individual Feedback

Have you ever sat in a team meeting and heard feedback that clearly wasn’t about you… but suddenly you’re questioning if you’re doing something wrong?  This happens in veterinary hospitals all the time.  In this episode of Choose People Love Pets, Dr. Brianna Armstrong and hospital manager Phoebe Valdez break down a common leadership mistake that quietly damages culture: giving individual feedback in a group setting.  It often feels easier. It feels less confrontational. But the unintended consequences can be huge.  When leaders address individual problems in group meetings:  • Top performers start questioning themselves  • Underperformers don’t realize the feedback is about them  • Anxiety increases across the team  • Trust and psychological safety begin to erode  If you're a veterinary practice owner, medical director, or hospital manager, learning how to deliver feedback to the right audience is a critical leadership skill.  In this conversation, we walk through how to identify when something should be addressed one-on-one vs. with the entire team, and how to deliver feedback in a way that actually improves culture.  In This Episode  We discuss:  • Why leaders often give individual feedback in group meetings  • The hidden cost this creates for your top performers  • Why underperformers usually don’t realize the feedback is about them  • How vague feedback increases stress in veterinary teams  • How to tell if a problem is a system issue or an individual issue  • Practical scripts for having difficult conversations with your team  A Leadership Reminder  Avoiding hard conversations may feel kind…  But as we discuss in this episode:  Kindness without clarity isn’t kindness — it’s confusion.  And when excellence and mediocrity are treated the same, the result is predictable:  Your best people stop pushing… or they leave.  Connect With Us  If you're working through a leadership challenge in your hospital and aren't sure whether it's a group issue or an individual conversation, reach out to us.  We love hearing from veterinary leaders.  Follow us and send us a message on social:  FB: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d]   IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]   LI: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/  [https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/]  Subscribe to Choose People Love Pets  If you care about building a healthier culture in veterinary medicine, this podcast is for you.  Subscribe for conversations about:  * Veterinary leadership  * Practice culture  * Hiring and retention  * Communication with veterinary teams  * Running a thriving veterinary hospital   👍 If you found this episode helpful, please:  - Like the video  - Subscribe to the channel   - Share it with another veterinary leader ️  ❤️ It helps us grow the show and bring these conversations to more people in veterinary medicine.  #veterinarymedicine #veterinaryleadership #veterinarypractice #vetmed #veterinarymanagement #practiceculture #vetlife