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 AVMA in Anaheim this July? We would LOVE to meet you in person! Come and check out Andi and Josh's sessions. 

Andi will speak on Friday July 10th and Josh on Monday July 13th. 

Stop by a session and introduce yourself—we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community.