Life Boost with Amelia

Ep. 105 | Curiosity Over Survival Mode: A Different Way to Practice Vet Med

• Amelia Knight Pinkston

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What if practicing vet med didn't have to feel rushed, drained, or restricted?

In this first episode of a new series highlighting veterinary practices doing things differently, Dr. Amelia is joined by Dr. Marie-Louise Ratcliffe, founder of Atlantic Vet in Walvis Bay, Namibia. 

After seven years in general practice, she discovered her passion for integrative medicine, began studying veterinary acupuncture, and founded Atlantic Vet in 2020 to combine conventional veterinary care with evidence-informed complementary therapies. She shares the surprisingly quick process of opening her own practice built around longer appointments, integrative care, real conversations with pet owners, and a working life that fits around her family.

In this episode:

  • How Marie-Louise's view of "high-maintenance" clients completely flipped
  • Why her first appointments are an hour long — and what that hour makes possible
  • The mindset shift from delivering instructions to working with clients as a team
  • How she and her assistant have normalized being humans, not robots
  • What it looks like to listen to your gut when it's telling you something has to change
  • What surprised her most about participating in the Workplace Satisfaction and Wellbeing Survey and Report

Connect with Dr. Marie-Louise Ratcliffe:

Mentioned in this episode:


To learn more about my 6 month coaching program, the Aligned Success Reboot visit: https://www.lifeboost.today/aligned-success-reboot

Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, mental health, or professional advice. I am a certified health and life coach, not a licensed medical or mental health professional. Please consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to your physical or mental health routines. If you are experiencing a crisis, seek help from a qualified professional or contact emergency services.

Connect with me on your favorite social media channel: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn! 

To learn more about my approach and the programs and free resources available to support you, visit my website: www.lifeboost.today

I love to hear from you. You can always reach me at amelia@lifeboost.today.

Welcome to the Life Boost with Amelia podcast where we're changing the narrative around what true health and success look like. They should give you energy, not drain it. I'm your host, Dr. Amelia multi-passionate integrative health and life coach, entrepreneur, and recovered burnout veterinarian. Together, we'll explore the science behind how your brain and body work, including the unconscious mind while also connecting with what your heart needs in order to stand up to the norm of feeling stuck on a hamster wheel -working hard yet feeling exhausted and not where you want to be- and instead live a life that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning and in love with who you see when you look in the mirror. The reality is if you do what everyone else is doing, you're not going to feel good. Let's break the norm. Hi, friend. What if you could practice vet med in a way that works for you? Whether you're feeling rushed with patients, frustrated or drained by interactions with clients, or restricted by your schedule and missing out on a life outside of work, it doesn't have to stay that way. This episode is going to give you a real-life example of how to do vet med in a way that works with you instead of against you. And if you're a pet owner, this is also a chance to peek behind the scenes and get a clearer sense of what really matters to you in a veterinary practice. Today's conversation is with Dr. Marie-Louise Ratcliffe, founder of Atlantic Vet. You'll hear more about her story, unique practice, and what led her to this point during the episode. She believes every patient has a unique story and that the best outcomes come from staying curious, looking beyond the obvious, and working closely with pet owners as part of the care team to create personalized treatment plans. This is also the first episode in a series I'll be doing periodically, highlighting practices that are standing out and doing things differently. I'll share more about that and how to get involved if you're a practice doing this kind of work at the end of the episode. There were so many great pearls a few things I encourage you to listen for. Notice how the way that Dr. Ratcliff practices and the way that she sees certain clients that in the past were really frustrating has evolved over time and the specific things that contributed. Pay attention to how listening to her gut was a key piece in getting to where she is now, even when that felt a little scary. And really paying attention to the dynamic that she has with her assistant and how they have normalized being humans and not robots, and how that has helped to create a really wonderful working dynamic with high psychological safety. Okay, enough from me. Let's dive into the conversation

Amelia

Hello and welcome, Dr. Ratcliff. Thank you so much for being here

Marie-Louise

Thanks for having me, Amelia. It's awesome

Amelia

Yeah, so I've really been looking forward to this conversation because a big mission of mine is to find the people and practices in vet med that are really standing out and leading by example and doing things differently. And you participated in my workplace satisfaction and wellbeing survey, and after seeing your results and chatting with you, I thought, "Oh, I really need people to hear about what you are doing," because you are such a great example of doing things differently in vet med and creating the path that works for you, and in a way that is really benefiting the wellbeing of that entire veterinary ecosystem. So, I'm so happy to have you here. And to start things off, I'd love for you to share just a little bit about your practice and the experience that you wanted to create for yourself, your assistant, and your clients and patients.

Marie-Louise

Okay. So yeah, my practice is called Atlantic Vet, and I'm based in Walvis Bay. That's in Namibia in Africa, so, on the other side of the world. and it's, in general, it's a great place to work here. I really, I Love working here. It's a really good veterinary community. I must also say it's really amazing. But yeah, my practice I started on my own. So I graduated in 2013, actually in Germany, and then I worked in a larger clinic, basically also was 24/7 emergencies and the surgeries and everything until, oh, 2020. And,

Amelia

Okay

Marie-Louise

was the COVID year. I mean, that was the year, I think it was crazy for everyone.

Amelia

Absolutely. My gosh

Marie-Louise

And in that year we had very weird work restrictions. We are not all allowed to be at work and all those things, so we kind of worked in shifts and from home, and it was very, very different. um, yeah, at that time I actually had the chance to actually study acupuncture further, which I always wanted to, that was just the time like, "Okay, I'm gonna do that now." And, that was I think the start of it just opened my mind to a completely different world and way to practice. I must really say it was really the turning point. And then that same year, that COVID year, I decided, I'm gonna leave my job and yeah, and first I thought like, "Okay, I'm first gonna locum a little bit, uh, until my own practice is up and running." It all went so quickly. Within two months it was registered and everything, and I had my own practice. So I started with a lot of acupuncture. I'm still doing a lot of acupuncture, but that was basically, where I started, and now, I'm a general practice consulting room, mostly small animals, a little bit of mobile equine. So I started as a one-woman show, literally doing all the positions. And I, I really liked it as well. It worked well for me. And like I said, this acupuncture really opened a world to doing things differently. And because I remember clearly I was working at We've got a big endurance community, and I was working at an endurance ride, and I was talking to some colleagues. It was actually the year before already where my head started just, like, to change and just like want different things. Like, the one main thing also was, like, these orthopedic cases, you know, where pain meds and rest, and it just doesn't get better. That was also, I think, pushed the acupuncture. And I remember talking to a colleague and I said, "I wanna talk to the people more." And they just thought like, "Are you crazy?" Um, was quite funny actually. But it.

Amelia

I Love it, yeah

Marie-Louise

like this, "you know,, I just wanna talk more to them," you know? I, I didn't want these, like a 15-minute slot, and then you're standing at the reception, and you quickly explain it to them, and they walk home, and they actually have no clue what's wrong or what has been done. Um, Yeah So that, that's this one flit moment that was stuck in my head. And, um, yeah, and that's what I've been doing since then, and it actually, it works really well. It's like I say, I'm I can look into the areas that I'm more interested in, can take on these more complicated cases. My seniors, I love my seniors. These senior dogs where I feel like in, in lots of conventional practice, they just come too short. They, they need more time, multiple appointments, not everything at once. The owner needs to be with 'cause they get anxious, and those things I can do now, and I really enjoy those things. The integrative medicine I think is really the way to go. and yeah, it's been an eye-opener. And I'm also my own boss, which I really enjoy. I am more flexible 'cause since '22 I also have a daughter, so that changed everything completely. Um, so I think in a, in a conventional practice where you have your hours that you have to do and you've got your... It would be more difficult. So this works well for me in my profession, it works well for my family and, and yeah, I've got my an assistant as well since '24 already and it works really, really well. She was a lifesaver. She's really great and she likes coming here as well. I miss her when she's on leave

Amelia

such a good sign

Marie-Louise

So yeah, that's... I, I hope this explains it well enough in a nutshell, my little, my little pra- practice here at the coast.

Amelia

Yeah Thank you So many things from that stand out and so many of the vets that I connect with who are feeling burned out the time is often a big thing just feeling like there's too much to do and not enough time So I think that's incredible that you have built this practice to work for you and the amount of time that allows you to connect with clients in a way that actually does feel good as well and adds fulfillment And how much time do you have now compared to how you used to

Marie-Louise

Well, so I used to work like proper, eight-hour shifts, but I've got the luxury, I've got three amazing clinics around me who can do my after-hours for the small animals, so I'm in a very lucky position. But I used to do, I used to work at one of those clinics. So initially I had, um, whole week with on-call. So you work your normal shifts and then you're on call, 'cause it was also just two vets. And it's, yeah, we don't have so much support staff and all those things. A bit different here than I th- guess overseas. and I mean, there was nights where you stabilize the dog the whole night, and then the next morning you go back and you stand in theater. So, um, it did work. I loved it. I really, I liked it. It was... And I learned so much there. I would not miss that time, but, um, now I can really, yeah, I'm more flexible. I can make my own schedule. For example, I've changed my schedule how I work multiple times already. Like, depending of other priorities as well that, like for example, I've got a horse as well, so back in the, before I had a daughter I was like, "Okay, now this is the times where I'm riding my horse," and I can, you know. Or I'm working my horse and those kind of things. Then later on when I went for, for physical therapy or those kind of things, then I could block that schedule for those things and, well, and if I wanted to work on Saturday, I could work on a Saturday. So, I still have got some clients that it's difficult for them to come to the week. Then we say, "Okay, come. Let's meet on a Saturday." And it's also fine because, it's totally okay. Um, time-wise, I do have, I mean, I wouldn't say more time. I know one has got more time. Everyone has only 24 hours, but my life is

Amelia

Right

Marie-Louise

only veterinary medicine anymore. I'm working, I've got so many different, always call it compartments, that I have to think about. You know, it's like the practice, um, the veterinary care, the business side, then it's the, the family part, then it's my own animals and all those things. So I'm actually spread a bit thinner, but I'm not unhappy. I I manage it very well. And, um, I always, I don't know, this work-life balance is quite tricky, but I mean, sometimes there's a bit more work and sometimes there's a bit more life, and it's, it's totally okay. And it, it, it really works. And like I said, the, the way I work is very, um... I also do house calls, for example. That's another thing, and I actually love them because you really, you build such good relationships with the people, but also with the pets because you really become part of their family. I've got some pets that I've put down, for example, and I'm still talking to the owners sometimes just, "Hey, how's it going?" And they get a new pet and they say to me like, "Oh, I wish you should meet him." And so it's really, worth it where I invest my time. I really feel it's, it's making an impact, So that's satisfying

Amelia

That's huge

Marie-Louise

So Yeah

Amelia

I love that Yeah hearing that you have that flexibility and that you are getting to practice in the way that you want even if it does mean you are also the practice owner and having additional duties I think that's amazing And what about how long are your appointments now Because One of the things I've done is a senior dog vet certification and I love how they are really pushing for longer appointment times for these senior pets because the reality is there's a lot to talk about and to make sure that they're comfortable and looking at their cognitive abilities and with acupuncture certainly that takes some time So how much time do you typically allow for your appointments now

Marie-Louise

So it depends. I mean, let's say for example, first appointment, usually my first appointments for, for these cases like mobility cases, senior cases, chronic cases, I try to book for an hour.

Amelia

Love it

Marie-Louise

there's so much, um, I mean, the exam and everything, those things that, I mean, that, that doesn't take long. We see so many things by the moment they walk through the door.

Amelia

Mmhmm

Marie-Louise

really this talking to the people and get all the info because, now that-- that's one thing I noticed the difference. Now that you talk to the people, you get so much more info about what's happening at home, how do they feel about it, you know. Like, do they actually

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

manage to give the medication? Or do they not want to give medication or, what are they worried about? So you get so much more information out of it that you can help the pet in the long run. So that makes a big difference. But yeah, usually it's the first ones it's one hour. And then the follow-ups. So let's say also our regular acupuncture treatment stuff, that's usually like so half an hour, and that then works. And we've got some patients, I know they just need a bit more time because they, for example, they need more time to just warm up first or they're so excited. Or the owners also sometimes also just the owners just need to calm down first and then so we, we know we've got our people where like, okay, we'll book a little bit more time because I know they, they need a little bit more time or so. Um, so always try to be accommodating of those kind of factors. Yes, we also sometimes have those 15 minute slots, but that's usually when I'm like, okay, they are on certain injections and we just

Amelia

sure

Marie-Louise

give an injection. But we usually then have a monthly check-in again, which is at least half an hour. and vaccinations for example, also are half an hour because I feel it's not just the vaccination, it's like so many things. I want to have them on board with preventative care and also because I also, I vaccinate quite conservatively according to the regulations, but I don't over-vaccinate. And yeah, I do thorough pain assessment and nutrition is also a big thing of my, yeah, my bread and butter basically Amazing So I always, I work out the calories and we go through the body condition scoring and I show them and I, and yeah, and also this guidance for the, for the little chunky dogs is, um,

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

so satisfying 'cause I feel like that's another thing. Like the people are like, "Yeah, your dog's too fat." And then they're like, "Yeah, but what must I do?" You know? So I really try to guide them with that and, that works really well. And the owners, they're really, they're like so proud. They're like, "Oh, can I come for a weight check? I think they've lost." I'm like, "Yeah, sure, come in." And it's, it's really nice. Um,

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

it, does really work 'cause you really-- this, I always say to my clients as like, "We're a team. I, I need your input. I need you to tell me what, what works, what doesn't work, what do you want?" So, um, I always try like, I mean, sometimes try to do my best. And yeah, I think we are really this team, the vet, the, the client, the pet itself also needs to be part of the team

Amelia

Absolutely

Marie-Louise

the rest of the family

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

So Yeah

Amelia

I really love what you just said because with that more time what I really heard is you are helping to minimize the friction and frustrations so many veterinary practices experience with pet owners because it sounds like you are having more time to have that conversation really understanding what their experience is like at home, and are they actually able to apply what you are recommending at home. That is so huge right Because that's when then you don't get these frustrated calls or negative reviews or they're coming back cause something hasn't worked. Having a little bit more time initially to have that conversation it sounds is huge. And I love how you are really approaching weight management as like We're in this as a team Let's really come up with like a clear plan of what this looks like so that they're coming in proud to show the progress versus worrying about being judged Cause I think sometimes that does happen and we may not intend for them to feel judged but it's one of those things if we're operating in survival mode that can be the pet owner's experience So that's beautiful that you are creating a positive experience for the clients too

Marie-Louise

Yeah.

Amelia

I love it

Marie-Louise

What, I thought of just now when, when you were talking is also I love it when the people come with their own ideas, you know, instead of just saying, "No, but I told you, you have to do..." I, I hate that. I'm like, I love it when they come with ideas. You know, like, "Oh, I read about this. Can we do this?" or so, and I'll learn from that as well, and that is, the people do that, and then I don't want them to be scared to ask questions because there's-- we only know this little, and there's so much more out there, and maybe they've-- I've got some owners that found the solutions. I'm like, "Great, now I can use it for other pets." So, that's what I also want to create this environment that they also, I don't know, like have more, body awareness. I mean, for us ourselves when we go to the doctor, I feel like you need to know what's good for you, what your body feels like, that they get this awareness and that they also are proactive. That's the word I'm looking for. So

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

makes a big deal in the, in the whole picture. It's, it's really it's really good.

Amelia

I think that's really huge as well that you are creating that kind of safe environment where they feel encouraged to bring their ideas because that's another thing that can sometimes happen is you know in vet med if there's a suggestion from a pet owner that's different from the way we may have learned then especially in that survival mode setting it can kind of be like Ugh no like I'm worried that's like that's gonna be bad or I don't want you searching on Google And and that can cause frustration for both sides and then the pet owner's not necessarily going to tell you what they've been Googling

Marie-Louise

Yeah

Amelia

which can be really dangerous So that's really wonderful that you have that kind of approach And I'm curious if that has always been the way if you've always been really open to them bringing these ideas or if that evolved over time

Marie-Louise

It has changed. I was not like that. I remember back in the days it was less, less, ugh, this high-maintenance client, you

Amelia

Mmhmm

Marie-Louise

Like, um, and now I'm like, "Bring me those high-maintenance clients, please. They're great," you know? Um, so no, I wasn't always like that. I've changed, um, I've changed a lot. But that, depends of, I feel, the environment and the, like you say, the the stressors around you. And I mean, if you've got this whole packed schedule and you know, uh, flip, there's still this dog waiting that needs an exploratory laparotomy for me, and you're just sitting there with this vaccination and your head is already there. So, um, no, I've definitely changed. Yeah.

Amelia

Okay Amazing And it sounds like it was once you started to have a little bit more space or autonomy that was when those no longer were as annoying and you started to encourage their opinions. Is that right?

Marie-Louise

Yeah. Yeah,

Amelia

Okay

Marie-Louise

exactly. And it's... Yeah, exactly

Amelia

Love it Okay And I'm curious what made you decide to do things differently from the more traditional route It sounds like certainly wanting more time and you were introduced to acupuncture and I went on that journey too so I can really relate to just thinking Ugh this is such a powerful tool and wanting to offer it. But curious if there were other things

Marie-Louise

Yeah, I mean, basically before I started with my own practice, like a year before, my head was already, I think starting, to, to change a bit. Also, I come from a family with-- My mom is a very curious, she's a dentist, but also very much into integrative therapy. Used to do acupuncture and a lot of homeopathy. So I think she also, always pushed me, or not pushed, that sounds... But she always encouraged me to look into those things. But I remember vet school kind of spoiled that completely for me. 'Cause in vet school, you're just like, you're just like, "This is how you do it." And I remember telling my mom, "No, you can't do it like that. You have to do it like that and that." And she was like, "Yeah, but you thought about this and this?" And I was like, "No, no, no. You don't do it like that." So I was not in the right, I had to get to that space where I am now, and it's totally fine because I was just, there was so much new stuff that came in, I think, in vet school, and you're just like, "Okay, this is the way we do things." And, um, it gives you safety, I think, as well. 'Cause like everything, there's so much new stuff, and then you're like, "Oh, now I have to deal with these other treatment options." So, I drifted away from it and, now I'm back there and I think my mom is very happy. No, we've got really interesting conversations

Amelia

I love it

Marie-Louise

as well, and, Yeah, it, it just happened, but there was always like this little seed that was planted. Now did that answer the question

Amelia

I love it

Marie-Louise

Yeah, I think so.

Amelia

Yeah you raise such an important point and I think that's so true that in vet school in so many ways we've just been selected and rewarded for getting great grades And we are taught this you know gold standard way of doing things and to stray from that it can mean getting a bad grade And it creates a bit of this black and white thinking that isn't very helpful once we're out in the real world where it's rarely black and white and we need to offer that spectrum of care But I do think if someone's doing something that you didn't learn in school then the immediate reaction can be a bit dismissive or Ugh that's not gonna work because it's not the right way that we were taught But it it is wonderful when you start being open to those alternative therapies and how it can all work together Yeah

Marie-Louise

mm, yeah

Amelia

What were you seeing in the industry that you knew that you didn't want to replicate in your own practice

Marie-Louise

Hmm. Definitely like this back to b- So I've got a full schedule as well. It's not, it's not that I'm, uh, don't have a full schedule. But, um, I didn't want this, short appointments. That was literally one thing that we had spoke about it already, like this 15 minutes and then you send them to a receptionist out and the next one, da, da, da. What else did I not want?. That's a very good question. I wanted to do things, I wanted it my way. My way was different. Um, it was a lot of feelings around that time. Definitely a lot of feelings. And also I love teamwork. I mean, I'm, now I'm back in a small team. Luckily, I was on my own for a long time. but I mean, there's always colleagues to reach out for, but I wanted to be in my own, safe place. I wanted it to look the way I want to. Um, it sounds stupid, but the, I wanted,

Amelia

No

Marie-Louise

yeah, I wanted it organized the way I wanted to. But in the general industry, it's tricky because Namibia is such a different field. It's very different to like, Europe and, America. We don't have corporate clinics and all those things, so it is still very individualized. So I'm following a lot of American vets as well, and I'm in, in, in this mentorship with an American vet and stuff, so I see what's, what's happening there. So it's still very different here. But one thing that, that also shook our, Namibian veterinary community, I would say also, we had, actually, a really good colleague that also committed suicide. And I think, it, those kind of things are also here, and that's one thing, um, they're starting to talk about now really. There's really good movements, like I feel like my generation of vets, they're really onto that. So that is, is a big movement, which I think is actually going in the right direction because we didn't have that until a couple of years ago. Like it, yeah, the whole community is changing a little bit, but, um, in general, it's a very, very relaxed community, so The whole veterinary industry here is, is a bit different. So the industry itself here is not bad. The industry is actually lovely, um, I would say. I really think it's a very good to, to be a vet in.

Amelia

That's that's nice to hear too for anyone looking to be traveling

Marie-Louise

Yeah. No, no, it's, it's really different, um, 'cause you still have got, freedom. We've got a lot of freedom here. Also a lot of limitations, definitely, financially and things we've got. But, um, yeah.

Amelia

Yeah and you touched on a couple of great things I loved how you mentioned just wanting the environment to be the way that you liked it because there are different types of stressors right We can think about physical and cognitive and emotional and then also environmental and we don't always think about even just how the vet practices look and you know the the sound and yeah the smell oh my gosh the harsh lighting right That all is a bit of a sensory overload sometimes and just adding these micro stressors without us necessarily being consciously aware of it So there really is so much power in being able to be thoughtful about the way that you are creating your environment so that it is creating this sense of security and and safety for you and your clients and your patients as well. And then certainly that wellbeing aspect is crucial and that was something that really stood out to me when speaking with you and the environment that you wanted to be creating for your assistant as well It seemed like you really had wellbeing at the forefront of your mind and really thinking about how can you create a space where they felt really safe to be providing feedback having that kind of psychological safety So I'm curious how do you think about wellbeing as a part of your practice and and for your assistant and yourself

Marie-Louise

Yeah. so it, it took a while to get there because, um, I think now I'm at this point where I'm, okay, we, we really need to put our own oxygen mask on first, like you always say. Um

Amelia

Thank you

Marie-Louise

And, um, I really-- 'cause I've also seen what it can do to, to really good people that just don't, don't take care of themselves. I've, I've seen it, and I find it very sad because it can really turn people around and, yeah. I don't want that to happen to my assistant. I don't want that to happen to me. I want us to be happy as well, happy with what we're... Obviously n-you're not happy every day, but in general that you will say, "Yes, I'm happy with what I do, and I, I like what I do

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

I even love what I do." And, yeah, I f- I feel that's like a responsibility because, if we're not well, then how can we, we transfer that on-onto our patient? I also, I wanna work until I fall over, but I don't want to fall over because of work.

Amelia

Mmhmm

Marie-Louise

so, that's, I think that's the aim. Like this, this dream of retirement, there's always like this, "Ugh, what do you do then the whole day?" 'Cause I really, I love my job. But, in a way that's sustainable. Yeah, 'cause, I feel it. When I'm not in a good mood, I don't treat as well, and the pets react to that. I feel like, oh, flip, today's, I don't have a good day, and he's like funny with me and those things, and it, it backfires. So, um, I, I must say I also, I do struggle sometimes to step back a little bit and just say, um, no, or say, "Okay, no, I, I need a time for myself or something," which is tricky also with children. You, don't have much time for yourself. But, it also just helps to spend family time as well, and then I try to really, yeah, really cherish that time and really make it as important as, as possible. So yes, I, I think it's, it's very important because I've seen what it can do to really good people that are just giving too much and not, yeah, taking care of themselves. So it, it is, it is a big thing. I also regularly check in with my assistant, I'm like, "How are you doing?" And, we talk a lot and, we're genuinely also honest to each other, like, "Okay, today I'm not well," or, "I need a break." And, yeah, and that's totally fine. We all need a break. I also, I'm quite a... Sometimes I think I talk too much. But, I share with her how it's going with also my private life, because I feel need to know where we're standing to understand how to support each other or, like, if someone is, for example, I've got days where I'm just not good with my tasks sometimes, and then, she knows why, and if that's from her side, then I know why, and, it just helps, and it creates like a bit of, compassion, care for each other 'cause we're a team. We really need... We work really closely together and really well together. Yeah, so it's really important to me that she's also happy and, also, if the team grows or whatever, I want people to really, be in a good space and not like this... The worst is like you've got this job where you have to drag your feet to go there, or you already have stomach cramps the night before you go in or something. I don't, I don't want that. That's just not, not nice and, um, don't want that for anyone in any profession. But, yeah, we're not always in that position. But yeah, that I don't want that at all 'cause then something needs to change and, well, that was, that's why I changed, so yeah.

Amelia

Mmhmm Yeah I love that you bring that perspective as a leader of having experienced that and not wanting them to feel that. I definitely have been there too of the dread of the abdominal pain you know the body just saying "This isn't working" and so often we just push through So I love what you have done to create this culture where it's safe to not be a robot right We're not expected to be this machine who performs exactly the same every day or doesn't have emotions That kind of transparency and sharing some of the things that are going on to help to understand how we both can work together as a team that day is beautiful And I also love how you're highlighting the importance of when we feel good our patients feel that and the clients that we're interacting with do too. And so often our s our profession is just so good at skipping that step of prioritizing our wellbeing and putting that oxygen mask on first and not recognizing that really when we are putting our oxygen mask on first it's not selfish It really is benefiting everybody

Marie-Louise

Yeah

Amelia

One other thing that really stood out to me in the beginning is you said that you created your practice like within You started your business within two months which is amazing So I'm curious what would you say to someone who's feeling disillusioned with vet med right now and wants to be doing things their way but is afraid to take that leap

Marie-Louise

It is scary. Um, it is, But I always feel... i-I'm currently also in a transition period, so every time I'm in these transition periods, I feel like this is, uh, we're basically we're moving into bigger rooms and, yeah, there's a lot of growth suddenly happening, which was not expected. And that's similar to the situation when I moved from employment into my own practice. It was the same way. I was like, "Oh, flip. This is, this is happening." But I would say if there's excitement about it, then it's definitely the right move and just follow that excitement. Yes, and the stress is fine, but the stress is pushing you to really do it. I mean, obviously I, I wouldn't do it without thinking it through and all those things. I think I've

Amelia

Mmhmm

Marie-Louise

actually thinking it through a year beforehand already. That's why it was also a bit quicker 'cause my, my head was ready. I just had to jump. So, it's really worth it. There will be compromises and, there is also some sacrifices, which, well, for example, financially or, it's a lot of work initially also to set everything up and a lot of learning as well, like the... Especially if you run your own business, the business side or just different treatments or depends on which direction you go. I don't know. Always depends what everyone do- does. But, um, I think

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

if, the excitement overweighs the, the fear, then it's definitely worth it. And I always feel like if I get itchy feet with something or something doesn't leave my head, then I'm on the right track. So, um, I think I'm quite gut-feeling person as well. So it's definitely worth it. And the thing is I feel in our profession we've got nothing to lose. It's such a really cool profession. We've got so many opportunities. If it doesn't work out well, then there will be another opportunity. It's, yeah, it's not nice when something doesn't work out how planned, but, one one door closes and another one will open. Somehow it does happen like that, but, but you just need to be-- You just need to see the door. So,

Amelia

Yeah

Marie-Louise

if you see the door, just open it. But this gut feeling, if you get a itch, then follow the itch.

Amelia

Yeah. That's such good recommendations, and that's huge that you were really listening to your gut. Because sometimes, especially as vet professionals, we are really good at being in our heads a lot and trying to think through logically and, like, does this really make sense? And

Marie-Louise

Mm.

Amelia

sometimes ignoring those gut feelings, or what our heart is telling us that we need. And I love how you highlight, you know, it's also okay, like, to take a leap of faith, and even if it doesn't work out, it's like every step you learn something more about yourself and what works and what doesn't. And that's never has to be the end, right? As long as you are curious, that just continues to open these new doors. And I also like how you, uh, normalize fear, right? It's true, any kind of change, it often does involve fear because it's so much more comfortable to just stay with what we know and what is predictable, even when that's making us really uncomfortable for

Marie-Louise

Mm.

Amelia

For most of our life. And so I love Brene Brown's work with courage. It's like you can't have courage without fear. And one thing that helped me was learning in the Hebrew language, they have different words for different types of fear, and yirah is, like, for the good kind of fear. Like, the kind of fear when you're going outside of your comfort zone, you're doing something new, but in a really great way. It's like the kind of thing to lean into. So I love that you highlight that. Like, it's okay to be afraid and go for it, especially if your gut or heart is, is feeling drawn to that. When you heard me talking about the Workplace Satisfaction and Wellbeing Survey and Report during one of the talks, what was your initial reaction?

Marie-Louise

I basically I just checked out your site and then I found that and I thought, "Oh, that sounds interesting." Actually... I was like, "I think it's pretty great. Is it really that great?" That was my thought. Um, so I was like, "Let's just see." And then we just did it and, yeah. I thought like, "Is it really as great as I think it is?" But yeah.

Amelia

Great. I love that you just took that jump again. And were you nervous at all about what you might find out, especially from your assistant?

Marie-Louise

Mm. No, I wasn't nervous. I was more curious because I just wanted to see where can we improve? What-- Or also I heard challenges, also my challenges, and it kind of turned out they were. Which was very... It was very good to know and, no, not nervous, just curious. I would say I was curious

Amelia

Curiosity is such a, a key thing for any leader to have more curiosity than, than fear. 'Cause it's like, you know, your employees are always, they're feeling how they're feeling whether you know or not. And so when you're curious, at least now you have that information to work with. Yeah.

Marie-Louise

Yeah

Amelia

What was the experience like for you doing the survey and getting that report?

Marie-Louise

Was great. It was really, really good. I really enjoyed that 'cause it really, um... yeah, it was super structured. I like structure. Um, and it was very easy, and the report was super interesting, and it was like, oh, okay, yeah, that's-- that makes sense. The main, I don't wanna call it problems, but the main concerns or the main areas of improvement basically. And, and it was also really good to hear was like what's going well. That was really encouraging 'cause, um, I don't know, I'm also that person like, "Ugh, my to-do list. I have not done this. I have not done this. I have not done this." In the meanwhile, there's another 10,000 things I have done. So it's nice to have someone else tell you as well, "Listen, this is going really well. So well done." So that was really nice. That was very... Made me very happy as well. And, then looking at the things where we're like, "Ah, well, we need to work on that," or, "We need to look into that, how to, make this better for all of us." And, yeah, it was really, really, really helpful. And I enjoyed it. And also the... What helped us was afterwards the meeting with you. It really helped to just dig a little bit deeper on certain questions after going through the report basically. So, very helpful. Extremely helpful.

Amelia

I'm so glad. Yeah. And I do think that highlighting what is going well is so important because, as you said, for practice owners especially, it's so easy to just be hearing about all the things that need to be fixed or to be thinking about the next thing you have to do, and it's rare probably that you're pausing and acknowledging all the things that you are already doing so well. So that was definitely a priority with creating that survey was making it easy for practice owners to see here's all that you're doing great and, and to turn those areas of improvement as like, "This is great. Now you see this. Here are some things that you can focus on." Certainly not In a way of like, "Ugh, this is something you're doing wrong." It's like, "This is so great that you're identifying this so that you can do something with it." So I'm so glad. And, and for anyone listening to this, after doing the survey, you get a report that summarizes the main findings, and then there's an option for a call afterwards because that's important so that we can just talk about how you're feeling about it, any questions to help with moving forward. What did you learn that surprised you from the survey?

Marie-Louise

So what surprised me a lot, or not surprised, but basically that a lot of the concerns or areas of improvement, it basically all evolved around boundaries for me, where I'm like, "Ah, it's, it's all connected." It's actually like, ah, it's, it's not this little thing and this... if I concentrate on this one area of concern, I call it, then I can actually solve a lot of problems. And I was like, "Ah, okay." So it was a bit of an eye-opener. So that was, yeah, it was good. It was very good

Amelia

Oh, I'm, I'm so glad that that was your experience. That's definitely a big goal of this because it is so easy to feel scattered and thinking about all these different things and, you know, constantly firefighting. And that's so nice when You do something like this survey, you're just looking at everything, and it really does help to then find, okay, what is at the root of this? So you have one thing that you can focus on that's gonna have this big ripple effect in so many areas instead of just feeling caught between, between so many different challenges. So, so glad that was your experience. And what would you say to a practice owner who's curious about participating in the survey and report but is maybe scared about what they might discover?

Marie-Louise

Um, again, I would say be curious because I could, I could imagine now let's say I'm running completely different hospital with fifty people or so, and I know some things are not going great and this one has got a problem... So I think you're probably scared of what might come back there. But I mean, the people that do the survey I think already are on the right track because look at it with curiosity, and then I always feel you learn from your mistakes or things that don't go so well actually better than from the things that are going well. So I would say see it as the really an opportunity to pinpoint the pain points literally yeah, just be curious to work on them. And, it's not like a, I think people might see it like a hit in the face, but I don't think it is because I think if you give your staff, doesn't matter if it's one or if it's fifty people, the opportunity to actually really say honestly, "This is, is what, what bothers me," or, "This is what's going well," I think that is actually appreciated. Um, yeah. So I think It works. It's a great improvement for the culture, I guess, also. If, so if, if you as a leader already decide, "Okay, I wanna do this," already great. And then if the staff sees, "Okay, my, my boss or my employer is actually doing this." So, um, I think it's a good thing. So start with curiosity and yeah, learn from the things that are maybe not going so well and just they will, will get better because it's a great start.

Amelia

Yeah. Yeah. I love that you highlight that too. It's so true that the simple act of participating in this kind of survey just sends a signal that you care, that you are curious about how they're feeling, and that alone speaks volumes, giving a safe space to feel heard. I love it. Is there anything else that you want to share before we end?

Marie-Louise

I'm very thankful for everything that happened because if whatever else has happened those last years, my whole life, I would not be where I am and for the people and for you as well for supporting everyone and, and me as well. And yeah, I'm, I'm really thankful for circumstances, people, and Yeah, it helps to be thankful.

Amelia

It really does. Yeah. And it's something that really comes with giving yourself permission to follow the path that really allows you to feel fulfilled, and that curiosity, I love that you brought that up so much because that is such an important piece of creating that life where you are finding gratitude. Absolutely. And if anybody wants to follow you or to connect, are there ways that they can reach out to you or find you?

Marie-Louise

Yeah. So, I'm on Instagram, @atlanticvetnamibia. I'm also on Facebook as Atlantic Vet Namibia, and, I can also give you my email address, it's atlanticvetnamibia@gmail.com if someone wants to reach out. I said, I'm living in the middle of the desert in Africa next to the ocean and next to the dunes. So yeah, I'm always happy to connect with people

Amelia

Amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and all that you're doing, because it's something that those who, especially who are feeling stuck in vet med need to hear. You know, that you suddenly you learn this new thing, and then you felt that feeling in your gut, and you went for it, and you're it sounds like getting to practice in a way that really works for you, and that's helping to build these beautiful relationships with your clients while also giving your patients such great integrative care. So thank you so much for this conversation

Marie-Louise

Thank you, Amelia

I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Now is the perfect opportunity to pause and to think about what is at least one thing that you want to take away from this conversation to apply in your own life. And before your brain tries to suggest otherwise, I want to highlight that if you live in the US like me, a practice model like Marie's is not just unique to Namibia. I know many veterinarians who are delivering care in a similar way in the United States. So I have two questions for you to reflect on. Choose the one that sounds most appealing to you. Question number one: What is your gut quietly telling you right now about your practice, your work, or your life that you've been talking yourself out of listening to? And what are you afraid would happen if you started to listen? Or question two: if you gave yourself permission to design your practice the way you actually want it to look and feel, what's the very first thing you'd change? I plan to do more episodes like this in the future as a part of a little series because it's so easy to see the things in vet med that aren't working. Our brains are naturally wired to notice the more negative things compared to the positives. But there are also people and practices quietly doing things differently in a way that benefits the wellbeing of the people, pets, and business. For example, people like Dr. Ratcliff who looked at the conventional path and said, "I want to do this differently," and then actually did. These are the stories that we need to talk more about. And so the series is part of what I call the unicorn movement. It's about redefining success in a way that works with our bodies and brains instead of against them, creating environments and systems that make it convenient to thrive instead of normalizing feeling unhealthy and overextended, And fostering cultures where wellbeing, collaboration, and innovation naturally grow together This isn't about perfection. It's about finding the people and practices who are treating challenges as opportunities to problem solve and do things differently, and who see wellbeing as a foundation of sustainable success, not an optional extra. If you're a veterinary practice doing things differently or you know one, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach out to me at amelia@lifeboost.today or send me a message on Instagram. I'm lifeboostwithamelia. And if you're a practice owner who wants a clearer picture of what your team is really experiencing, what's working, what isn't, and where to focus next, my Workplace Satisfaction and Wellbeing Survey and Report is a free resource Designed to help veterinary practice leaders take the pulse of their team and make strategic, informed decisions that support culture, care, and profitability. So that you can be leading with insight, not guesswork What surprised Dr. Ratcliff most when she went through it wasn't any single piece of feedback, it was discovering that so many of her concerns traced back to one root issue she could actually work on. And I have designed the survey and report to do exactly that. You can find the details at www.lifeboost.today/unicornhospitalsurvey. I'll also leave the link in the show notes thanks for listening. Cheers to your inevitable health, happiness, and success.