From Startup Sparks to Steady Glow: Building a Legacy That Lasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Your Practice Deserves a Marketing Plan as Unique as You Are

To help you navigate the digital landscape more effectively, we’re offering our podcast listeners a complimentary Digital Visibility Audit. Lila Stone, Marketing Advisor at the Veterinary Business Institute and Marketing Director of ekwa marketing, will take a close look at your online presence, local SEO, and competitive environment. You’ll receive a customized plan filled with practical recommendations to enhance your visibility and connect with more clients.

Book your complimentary session here at a time that’s convenient for you

This isn’t a sales pitch—it’s our way of giving back to the veterinary community we truly care about .

In this inspiring episode of the Veterinary Business Podcast, Claire Pickens, founder and CEO of Claire-ity Group LLC, explores what it truly takes to build a sustainable, fulfilling, and growth-oriented veterinary business. With years of experience guiding veterinary entrepreneurs, Claire shares powerful mindset shifts and practical strategies for turning early excitement into enduring success.

The conversation begins by unpacking the common pitfalls veterinarians face when transitioning from startup enthusiasm to long-term business stability. Claire explains how to preserve entrepreneurial creativity while avoiding “grind mode” habits that can turn a passion into a job. From preventing costly early mistakes to engaging teams in dynamic, recurring business playbooks, she outlines how leaders can build practices that thrive through innovation, inclusion, and intention.

Listeners will discover how to balance structure and creativity—treating systems like family recipes filled with heart, not impersonal rules. Claire delves into process mapping as a gateway to innovation, utilizing fresh perspectives to identify inefficiencies, alleviate team burden, and enhance retention. She also shares how starting business planning with dreams and culture—not just numbers—leads to more meaningful, aligned growth.

Whether you’re an emerging veterinary entrepreneur or an established leader seeking sustainable momentum, this episode offers actionable guidance on leadership, team engagement, and mindful business design. Learn how to build not just a profitable practice, but a lasting legacy grounded in clarity, innovation, and purpose.

Key Takeaways & Time Stamps

• 00:00 – 04:00: Introduction and Entrepreneurial Mindset Shift
  Claire Pickens, who discusses the essential mindset shift for veterinary entrepreneurs—from seeing their new practice as a job to embracing an inventor’s mindset, was introduced. Claire emphasizes the importance of avoiding outdated corporate habits and instead continually reinventing the business.
• 04:00 – 12:00: Early Mistakes and Importance of Experience
  Claire explains common pitfalls in the first year after launching, such as idealism without understanding practice finances and operations fully. She advocates for learning from others’ experiences, seeking mentorship, and admitting knowledge gaps early to avoid costly management mistakes.
• 12:00 – 20:00: Building a Recurring Playbook for Stability and Growth
  The focus turns to developing a team-inclusive, regularly updated business playbook that fosters culture, engagement, and retention. Claire discusses the importance of revisiting plans every few years to adapt to changes and utilizing process mapping workflows to enhance operational efficiency.
• 20:00 – 28:00: Systematizing Without Losing Culture
  Claire addresses fears that systematization leads to impersonal corporate feel, using the analogy of a family recipe to illustrate how processes can preserve and express culture and heart. She explains how process improvements reduce burnout and improve client and staff satisfaction.
• 28:00 – 38:00: Dream-First Business Planning Process
  Claire shares her unique approach of starting business plans with visionary, dream-based questions before tackling financial details. This helps build a business aligned with personal goals and sustained passion beyond numbers on paper.
• 38:00 – 46:00: Handling Challenges and Vulnerability
  Claire opens up about the challenges of early leadership and the importance of vulnerability in asking for help. She recounts how reaching out to experts saved time and money and stresses the value of admitting when you don’t have all the answers.
• 46:00 – 54:22: Innovation and Future Opportunities
  Closing the episode, Claire identifies process flow optimization as the key innovation area in the veterinary business, encouraging practices to leverage technology and continuously refine workflows to thrive amid industry changes.

Claire Pickens, EMBA, CVPM

Founder & CEO, Claire-ity Group LLC
Author | Artist | Narrator and Creator

Claire Pickens is a dynamic business executive and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience leading operations and driving growth across the veterinary and small business sectors. Based in Orlando, Florida, she is the Founder and CEO of Claire-ity Group LLC, a consultancy that helps entrepreneurs launch and grow pet-centric businesses through expert business planning, startup project management, and industry connections.

Claire holds an Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute, a Bachelor’s in Human Resources with a Marketing minor, and multiple certifications, including CVPM, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Fear Free. Her career includes senior leadership roles at organizations like Heartland Veterinary Partners and Thrive Pet Healthcare, where she managed multi-million-dollar portfolios, led nationwide operational initiatives, and built high-performing teams.

A published author, speaker, and creative mind behind Claire’s Unicorn Adventures, Claire combines strategic insight with a passion for education and innovation. She’s delivered talks on leadership, EQ, and communication, and continues to inspire others through both her professional expertise and creative projects.

When she’s not mentoring future entrepreneurs or spearheading animal health innovations, Claire enjoys life with her husband Jamie, their two adult sons, and a lovable trio of pets—Bradley the Golden, Muffin the Schnauzer, and Spot the cat.

Connect with Claire:

• LinkedIn
• Website