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Built From Scratch: Interview with Allison O'Grady
41 Plays5 days ago
Allison O'Grady joins host Phillip Ramsey on the Uncommon Wealth Podcast to share her journey of founding St. Francis Veterinary Care. After graduating from Iowa State University, Allison's vision of creating something from nothing led her to establish a thriving veterinary clinic. Throughout this episode, Allison discusses the challenges of starting a business, the importance of a supportive partner, and the role of faith in her entrepreneurial journey. Discover how her passion for animals and dedication to service have shaped a unique approach to veterinary care.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Everyone dreams of living an uncommon life, and the best asset you have to achieve your dreams is you. Welcome to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast.
00:00:12
Speaker
We're going to introduce you to people who are living uncommonly. We're also going to give you some tools and strategies for building wealth and for pursuing an uncommon path that is uniquely right for you.
Meet Allison O'Grady: A Unique Veterinary Journey
00:00:26
Speaker
Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of the Uncommon Wealth Podcast where I'm your host, Philip Ramsey. Today we have an in-person, in-studio interview. You all know that these are my favorite. We have Allison O'Grady, which is a veterinarian.
00:00:39
Speaker
This is the first time we've ever had a veterinarian on the show. So... feel very excited about it. I am. ah So her name is Allison O'Grady. She graduated from Iowa State University. She has four amazing kids married to her love of her life. That's how we got connected. She started ah St. Francis Veterinary Care October of 2023. And she's here to tell us all about it. So Allison, welcome to the show. Thank you for coming in.
00:01:06
Speaker
Thank you. Okay, my first question. What has been the biggest highlight that you've had since you've opened up in October 2023 St. Veterinarian Care?
00:01:17
Speaker
The biggest highlight for me is creating something from nothing. yes So we started out made from a scratch vet clinic, rented a space, and now we have a functioning business that employs three awesome people.
00:01:36
Speaker
um ah So to create three jobs from where there were no jobs, just opportunity is an accomplishment. It totally is. Okay. You're going to be amazing in the show. Here's why people are like, what does uncommon wealth have to do with a veterinarian clinic? Well, I believe that uncommon wealth people start things and create things from scratch.
00:01:59
Speaker
So, uh, they really are on an uncommon path and they're maybe not doing the original financing or original wealth creation of just putting it in a 401k. They're actually getting their hands dirty and that's what you're doing.
00:02:11
Speaker
Not only are you doing that, you're creating a job for somebody else that they get to be passionate about. You get to pour into them and think, so that's what Uncommon Wealth is all about. That's why
Allison's Path to Veterinary Medicine
00:02:20
Speaker
you're perfect. So when did you decide that you were like, I want to start a business? Has this been a lifelong dream of yours or...
00:02:28
Speaker
Yeah, good question. When I was younger and decided to become a vet, that's kind of what you envision for yourself yes is being the self-employed vet.
00:02:41
Speaker
That dream has gone away and then come back over the years. um So there's been times where you know a business owner has asked me,
00:02:52
Speaker
hey, are you considering this? And I was like, oh, I left that dream in the dust years ago, but it can be resurrected. Yes, it can. Yeah, it comes and goes.
00:03:03
Speaker
That's right. So Iowa State, did you always love animals? Is that why you started going into this field? Yes. Yeah. I wanted, i needed something to do with my life. So i was like, why don't i become a vet? Yeah.
00:03:17
Speaker
and looks useful. So yeah that's what I did. Where'd you grow up? On a farm in eastern Iowa. That'll do it. Lots of animals. Where at in eastern Iowa?
00:03:30
Speaker
Albernette. it's a little tiny town north of Cedar Rapids. Okay. now your dad was a farmer? Yes. Which is like the ultimate entrepreneur. Yes. You get to run a company and then you have the weather to then deal with to see what's going to happen this year. So yeah so you've kind of had a taste of running a business, having a risk involved, right?
00:03:52
Speaker
And that is something that you wanted to get into. That's how it was started, I guess, for you, right, Allison? Yeah. Maybe not. So tell me about Iowa State. Did you have a drive to go there? Just wanted to be close to Iowa? Yeah.
00:04:04
Speaker
That is the best place to go if you want to become a vet. So I just went there for my undergrad and then stayed there through vet school. Okay. Awesome.
00:04:16
Speaker
Is that where you met John hiatus by the way? No, I met him at Purdue, which is another vet school. Oh really? Okay. So tell us your whole career and then we'll talk about John. Cause that's how you and I know each other. He and I play ultimate Frisbee together.
00:04:30
Speaker
And he was, as we were warming up, he was telling about how proud he was of you and where you've come, which is fun, right? You didn't know that. Anyway, he is. And, uh, I was like, tell me more. And we kind of got started. i was like, I would love to hear her story on our podcast. So that's how we got connected. So now back to you. Sorry. Yeah. So when I was a fourth year, actually throughout vet school, I had kind of two loves. One is clinical vet practice, which is kind of the typical vet that I am today. okay And then also research. So you get exposed to research in undergrad and vet school.
00:05:09
Speaker
And um so I had to kind of choose between those two. And actually, when i graduated, i went to Purdue and I was a pathology resident for a year.
00:05:21
Speaker
So that was my, if i wanted to do research, that's what I started out in. And then I kind of failed out So, but that's where I met John. Okay. um And then i was like, okay, time to go get a job. So so i I went and got, I mean, it was a job. I was getting paid as a pathology resident, but it wasn't meant to be for me.
00:05:48
Speaker
and So I went and became a dog and cat vet. Okay. That's interesting. So Purdue didn't work, but you got the love of your life. So nailed it.
00:05:59
Speaker
Hashtag winning. And then how did you get back to Iowa? um We moved here five years ago, and it was actually I followed John. So dog and cat vets are very portable. You can get a job anywhere.
00:06:15
Speaker
So we moved back to Iowa because John got a job at Corteva. Yeah, that's how we know each other. Okay. What are your kids' age? That's what i want to know. ah Mary is two. Okay.
00:06:31
Speaker
Tom is... I always have to think hard with it. That's okay. Yeah, me too. Which is silly because I'm their mom. But um Tom is eight. Okay. Rose is ten.
00:06:44
Speaker
And then Kate is five. Okay. Soon to be six. Okay. What do you think that they think that you do? Like, how would they describe what you do every day? Okay. Okay.
00:06:56
Speaker
They know that I take care of dogs and cats. ok Okay. So they know that I go and I help sick ones and some pass away. yeah Some we save their life.
00:07:09
Speaker
Some we just deworm them, kind of normal stuff. yeah That's good. Do you think they would want to go into the vocation that you did based on your response of how your business is going?
00:07:23
Speaker
Ah, yes, yes. That's a good question. So some do and some don't. Okay. Rose, the 10-year-old. Yep. She's not too into it.
00:07:33
Speaker
she She's into it enough that she wants to spend some time at the vet clinic, but her goal is to become a teacher. So kind of going the other way. yeah She wants to own animals and be the pet owner. Okay. But she doesn't want to be the pet doctor. I get it So I think she does pick up on some of this struggle yeah and that yeah the and hard work aspects of it. um But Kate wants to be a vet.
00:08:01
Speaker
that's exciting. The five-year-old. Soon to be six-year-old. Yeah. yeah And then Tom is more following his dad a little bit more into engineering okay and things like that. Okay. Mary, we don't know yet. We don't know She's a wild card.
00:08:15
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Well, think that says something, right? There's a lot of times when I counsel somebody or i just sit down and talk, I'll ask them that question and they'll say, oh absolutely not.
00:08:26
Speaker
And I want to be like, man, like how have you portrayed what you do every day? Obviously, they have struggles. Every business owner does. yeah But it seems like when people are... A resounding frustrated. You can see how their kids are like, I don't want to do any of that. So it's it's good for you that you have at least one kid who's leaning in.
00:08:45
Speaker
Right.
Starting St. Francis Veterinary Care
00:08:46
Speaker
so that's good. OK, so let's talk about the business starting. So you've now started 2023. You decide you and John, hey, we're going to do this thing. We're going to put a shingle up.
00:08:56
Speaker
We're going to try to help and run a business. Like, tell me the emotions for you going through that step. Was it easy, hard, scary, all of them? I'm a pretty kind of chill person. so i Definitely, there's been kind of different seasons to it. um So when it started, it was kind of exciting. yeah But at the same time, you're facing a a mountain of work.
00:09:28
Speaker
and And a lot of bills. Yeah, yeah. Like, i I couldn't even buy my own x-ray machine. I was like, John, you're used to spending your company's money. You do this.
00:09:41
Speaker
So I couldn't even do it myself. so i So, yeah, that was that season. And then there's kind of the getting started season, which had a lot of...
00:09:54
Speaker
um ups and downs. So like I had to fire someone and that's a first for me, you know? Um, and then, you know, and then lately it's been a lot of happiness, honestly. Good. Um, so kind of a happier season because I have two workers that, you know, they've been there over a year now. Um, so, you know, they're working out.
00:10:21
Speaker
Um, and, um, Finally, we have enough systems in place that we have a vet clinic that doesn't need. It needs managed, but it doesn't need the overtime management that you do in like at the startup. Yeah. Right. Yeah.
00:10:39
Speaker
Oh, proud of you. Because it's really only been about a year and a half, right? Yeah. That's pretty good. that's why I was excited about to get you on the show. Just like this initial seasons, I think that is how you said it is like there's good times and there's tough times.
00:10:58
Speaker
And yet at the end of the day, when you so take a step back and you see what you've created, you get pretty excited about, you know, the future. So tell me, so you have, you said three people working for you? I'm the third.
00:11:10
Speaker
Okay. so I have two people working for me. Yeah. Nice. Okay. um So tell me this, who helped like mentor you in this, or were you just going, you and John winging a prayer, let's see what happens. Or did you have somebody kind of guiding you?
00:11:25
Speaker
Uh, There is a group purchasing organization called Veterinary Growth Partners. Okay. and I signed up with them. Good. And you can kind of pick and choose how involved you want them to be with your business.
00:11:41
Speaker
So I did um invest like a little bit in them in order to have some mentorship from them. um and Money well spent. It was. Yeah. Yeah.
00:11:53
Speaker
Tell me about the name. St. Francis Veterinarian Care. I've got to hear about it. Oh, sure. So John and I are Catholic. So St. Francis is saint i'm like the Catholic saint. He's a monk.
00:12:06
Speaker
Okay. i Lived a long time ago in Assisi, Italy. he like animals? so Yes. He did. okay So had birds, you know wild animals, and and domestic.
00:12:17
Speaker
um So... We kind of picked that as a name just because it incorporates that into our our business. I like it. And we actually happened to open on St. Francis Day. Oh, that's fun. That was kind of fun. Yeah.
00:12:34
Speaker
Very cool. Tell me about how your faith has played a part in opening up your, I guess, taking this step out and doing something on your own.
00:12:45
Speaker
So I would say our faith kind of drives us as far as— Serving the community, i feel like, um you know, when you you get up and you go out and you go to work every day, um that that service of others is kind of our way of showing them Christian love. Sure. You know, um is is providing ah a reliable service, um going above and beyond for their pets.
00:13:23
Speaker
good. And... and um and trust is part of that i guess as well for sure yeah yeah it's funny i i've had a conversation with a couple people that have turned into be missionaries so and i feel like i have a very different viewpoint on missionaries now and i would say that business as a mission is kind of where i would fall when somebody's going out to missions the missions field it's like hey start a business so you can improve their environment and the you can do something in the economic structure and they can come to you and you can show them the love of Jesus through that.
00:13:58
Speaker
Right. Which is kind of what you're doing with your business is, okay, how can I go serve other people in order for us to show the Lord that we get to serve? Right. Which is so cool. So I love that.
00:14:10
Speaker
I'm all about that, by the way. And I think it's a really good idea, and this is why I get so excited about it, is because when you're doing something outside of just maybe sharing the gospel, you can tell people and they can see your heart by the way that you serve other people.
00:14:25
Speaker
Instead of like, hey, let me tell you about Jesus. Okay, great. But like, then you see him... interact with somebody and you're like that doesn't seem a lot like what you just said versus somebody can come in the door and you can really care for their pet in this example and they can see like that was different right when i go to allison and her team it just seems different so very cool okay sorry i got in my soapbox tell me about how your husband has played a role in your business ah He has been supportive i' from the get-go.
00:14:58
Speaker
Granted, I came to him and I said, John, I'm going to start a business. He was like, what? um And I had to kind of look at him and say, it'll be a now now you got kind of two choices here. before you say anything, know that this is probably the time that you need to um be supportive. So I just kind of told him that before he said anything.
00:15:25
Speaker
And he has, he, he, you know, made that choice. He signed a lease. um He um has supported me throughout. um And i I've had to lean on him some.
00:15:39
Speaker
and sure. during those times, he you know ah ultimately was was supportive, which is great, has been great. um He manages people in his job. So there's been times where I'm like, hey. um What do we do? Yeah, like, um you've had experience with this. How how do I do that?
00:16:03
Speaker
And that's been helpful. Yeah. Let's talk about the biggest challenge or obstacle that you've had to overcome in the past year and a half of owning your business.
00:16:14
Speaker
Okay.
Challenges and Culture in Veterinary Practice
00:16:18
Speaker
I would say probably the biggest challenge is getting a team together that's going to work. yeah and So finding ah the right employees, that's that's key, and that's probably the biggest challenge that we've had.
00:16:36
Speaker
um Because everything else you can figure out and muddle through, and and with time you'll you'll get there. Okay. What about team culture? Obviously, it's pretty important.
00:16:48
Speaker
How do you say that you set the pace of team culture in your company? Or do you? i don't know. You can say no. There's somebody else that does that. Yeah. I would say probably do set it in our little company.
00:17:02
Speaker
So... um
00:17:06
Speaker
We have our our kind of um value we have put on the wall. And it's very kind of simple, and then everything else flows from that. And so our our goal is to...
00:17:22
Speaker
give pets richer, fuller lives and their people kind of secondary to that. So, so it's, it's short, it's um simple.
00:17:35
Speaker
So everything else kind of flows from that. And so anything culture wise that supports that we try and do. Sure. um Whether it's,
00:17:48
Speaker
Take the time to fully explain a situation to a pet owner. um Take the time to educate them about what's going on with their pet. a Doctor actually means teacher.
00:18:01
Speaker
like The word means teacher. So we not only need to prescribe a medicine, but we need to educate that that pet owner so they know how to manage their pet.
00:18:12
Speaker
pet's medical condition. So we do a lot of that. Our culture is take the time to do good job is kind of a big key while still being efficient in order to... Right, got run a business. Yeah. And also you want to be able to help more pets and the way you help more is to be efficient with your time. Do you look at your business like clients? Like we have this many pets, clients, or like how do you look at that? I don't know. This is new to me.
00:18:47
Speaker
So our medical records, we have pets and then we have clients. um so So um we have like, for instance, different tabs and they're they're pet owners. And you click on that owner and you'll see tabs at the bottom that are all their pets.
00:19:03
Speaker
ah So like one owner might have a couple pets. Do you call them kiddos? I don't. Okay. I love you. You are the best. My veterinarian, they call him kiddos. and I was like, this is not my kid. This my pet. Thank you. So one of my staff members does. So I think it's like a personal yeah um choice. I get it.
00:19:25
Speaker
So I do not, um like John and my priest, he has a couple dogs. He does not. yeah so like that's kind of our culture that we're we're in. But some, like one of my staff members does and I accept that. Like I'm not going to argue with her about it or anything. Yeah. Okay, what do you do with dogs that are like the worst and don't like to get groomed?
00:19:49
Speaker
That's basically my dog. This is a personal question. Yeah. Do you give them meds? you knock them out? What do we do? Yeah, that is a good question. So it depends. um So some pet owners are very opposed to medications. We still work with them. okay and But ah there's definitely a lot of dogs that benefit from medication for grooming. And then...
00:20:15
Speaker
and then um So what I typically try and do is um usually give medications and then try and work with that pet, get them desensitized to grooming, get them trained, and try and wean off the medications with time. sure um And that's a huge success is if you can eventually groom that pet without meds. It doesn't always happen depending on the pet, but that's kind of the goal.
00:20:45
Speaker
Okay, where's your location? it's in Grimes, right? Yes. Okay, Grimes, Iowa. So that's fun. Not very far away. All right. um Okay, craziest case you've ever worked on. All right, so the question is, the craziest case you've ever worked on.
Unique Experiences and Future Goals in Veterinary Practice
00:21:02
Speaker
Okay. There's been a lot of them. Yes. Oh, that's exciting. Yeah.
00:21:11
Speaker
Well, recently and we took off a six-pound tumor from a dog. So it's a big chocolate lab, but six pounds is really big. That's big as my dog. And it went really well.
00:21:23
Speaker
So he had a drain in for a while, and then we recently pulled his drain, so I was very happy with the whole thing. um There's all kinds of crazy things that can happen, though.
00:21:36
Speaker
And it's mainly dogs and cats. But has there any ever been anything that you were like, I wasn't expecting a python today, and you're dealing with a python? Yeah, yeah. One day we had a possum come in. Oh, a pet possum?
00:21:49
Speaker
It was a wild possum. Okay. And it had been caught in a trap, so its arm was mangled. And I did um send that one to Ames because they have a wildlife care clinic there. yeah So I gave him some pain meds and kind of got him started on the right track and then I send him to hopefully someone who knows more about possums than me yeah that's good okay uh fast forward five years from now where is St. Francis at then St. Francis Veterinarian Care where is where is your business yeah
00:22:24
Speaker
I would say hopefully it has grown somewhat. um I don't want it ever to get huge. um But the AVMA, so the American Veterinary Medical Association, had a survey about like da veterinarian happiness.
00:22:41
Speaker
And it indicated if you have about a four doctor practice that your your people are happy. oh and If you get bigger than that, not so much. If you're smaller than that, right now I'm a single practitioner.
00:22:55
Speaker
so I'm kind of all on my own. um Might be a little bit less than ideal. So I hope to grow in five years. To about four practitioners? Sure.
00:23:05
Speaker
Wow. Okay. that's Eventually, someday. yeah Good for you. Yep. So hopefully we grow and add not only doctors, but vet techs as well and receptionists.
00:23:20
Speaker
Okay, so if you grew to the size you want, you'd probably have to get a new location. Maybe. Our building is pretty small that we're in right now. so And is it's rented, so we'd have to talk to the landlords, see what we can do to get more space. yeah um And then maybe eventually we'd have to get a new location if we got that big. You're right. Where do you go after practitioners? Just out of college? or like where do you yeah How does one go about that?
00:23:50
Speaker
So if you hire a new grad, definitely you have to spend a month or two training them because doctors kind of have the the easy route of they get an internship and they get a residency before they're sent on their own. Whereas veterinarians, we really...
00:24:12
Speaker
learn on the job once we graduate. um So you'd have to train a new grad. um And not only that, really, um we kind of peak five years into our career. oh and So for those first five years, if that that new grad has a mentor for for five years, that's going to maximize their potential and make their life easier and yeah more pleasant. right um So...
00:24:41
Speaker
if If you're hiring an experienced vet that's already five years into their career, you probably at have minimal minimal training, just a couple days and then they'd be on their own they'd be going. right Is there a lot of people that start their own veterinarian clinic are they usually like stepping into a practice?
00:25:01
Speaker
Usually they're stepping into a practice. really Some practices are sold. um In recent years, veterinary medicine has been moving to corporate veterinary medicine, which...
00:25:14
Speaker
I have mixed feelings about. yeah and There is one other vet who started her own practice in Polk City, Dr. Krauser. Okay. And then there is at least one in Ankeny as well.
00:25:26
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. Good. Okay. Man, this has been fascinating, Allison. I'm proud of you. Good for you. Okay. what um Any final thoughts that you'd have about the veterinary clinic or going the uncommon wealth space or like trying to do something on your own, creating something?
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
00:25:47
Speaker
I would say if you want to unlock your earning potential, definitely consider ah creating your own business.
00:25:58
Speaker
Yes. And location is key. So I picked a good location. Yeah. And the first step, I think, is the USDA has a website that has numbers.
00:26:11
Speaker
um So good numbers of pet owners, numbers of veterinarians. You can find a location where there's a need. That's good. Yeah. Allison, you're a wealth of knowledge. Thank you so much for taking the time with myself and also the listeners. Just inspire them to just do something, create something on their own.
00:26:29
Speaker
I'm grateful for what you're creating and I'm grateful for John. So good job. And no matter what season it is, we're here to help encourage you and just be a cheerleader for you. We're huge fans. Thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you listeners for listening.
00:26:43
Speaker
And I think the biggest takeaway for me that I got from Allison is just having that kind of... Just a calmness, knowing that there are times where it's going to be crazy and chaotic, but there's also times of happiness and really a lot of joy.
00:26:59
Speaker
And then also, and this is always a theme, about how supportive the spouse is in the whole endeavor. So, you've been listening Uncommon Wealth Podcast. Thanks again for listening. Until next time, go be uncommon. Thanks listening.
00:27:13
Speaker
That's all for this episode brought to you by Uncommon Wealth Partners. Be sure to visit UncommonWealth.com to learn more about our services. Don't miss an episode as we introduce you to inspiring people who are actively pursuing an uncommon life.