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Are you a passionate veterinarian seeking to elevate your practice and make a lasting impact in the field?
Welcome to "The Vet'Ed Podcast". Join Steven Hermann, Kale Flaspohler and Lindo Zwane - industry experts and thought leaders, as they delve into tailored strategies and nurturing relationships to empower privately owned veterinary practices.
Tune in the first and third Wednesday of the month to gain invaluable insights, tips, and inspiration to thrive in your independent clinic. Together, let's build a community dedicated to advancing veterinary care. Subscribe now and embark on a journey towards lasting success in your practice.
Kale. Welcome to the Better podcast. Is that what you wanted? Is that what you want?
Kyler Saffo:That's what
Kale:I wanted, but that's
Steven:too loud. Hey. Glad to have, special guest in today. Kale, take it away. Yeah.
Steven:So, hey, we're
Kale:we're we're super excited to have Kyler Saffo from Lincoln County Animal Hospital, with us today to tell us a little bit about her story and her clinic and and the legacy of, her dad that you're carrying on now. And so, you know, I think it's always exciting to have a guest. These are my favorite episodes, and we've known each other for quite a while now. It's been several it's going on 3 years now probably that we've worked together. And so I'm sure you've loved every second of it as I have.
Kale:Thank you. But anyway, why don't you, Jeez, Gail.
Steven:Like, do you like me and enjoy the professional relationship we've had that's what we've built such a good relationship that's why we got that's why I'm gonna poke you on that kind of stuff because
Kale:thank you so much thank you so much you so you grateful for that I am super grateful for that I don't I don't know why I'm getting targeted right now about you sorry it's
Steven:going to be a great episode
Kale:oh wow okay So, Kyler, why don't you just, just for everyone else, just introduce yourself a little bit, where you're from, and give us a
Steven:little brief history about the the clinic and and your background.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Yeah. So thank you for having me on. Excited to be Of course. Excited to be here.
Kyler Saffo:My name is Kyler Saffo, and I grew up in Troy, Missouri. So about 45 miles northwest of Saint Louis. And I was a Mizzou gal, so I went to Mizzou after high school pursuing a pre veterinary program, animal science major. Mhmm. I am not good at school.
Kyler Saffo:I'm terrible at chemistry. Same. Took it twice. And I joke today, I'm
Steven:not a veterinarian, and I joke today when we need something or, you know, if we they're looking for a doctor, I'm like, well, if
Kyler Saffo:I don't have the stethoscope, I didn't pass chemistry. You know, my life would have been different. But, so I pursued a degree in, animal science, bachelor's of science in animal science. What what does one do with that? And so it was an industry representative actually that had a good relationship with my dad who is a veterinarian practice owner in my hometown.
Kyler Saffo:And, he kind of introduced me to the whole world of industry. So being in the veterinary medicine world, but just on the other side of the counter. And I had never really thought about that. I knew reps. I worked at a clinic here in Columbia in college, and then I worked at dad's practice all through childhood and then, you know, when when I was home for the summer.
Kyler Saffo:And so I pursued a, career in the veterinary pharmaceutical space for 12 years. I lived outside of Indianapolis for about a year and a half, worked at our corporate office, and then I took over a territory in the Saint Louis area, and I spent about 9 years there. And then I had a short stint in training, which was from home full time, which is not for me. I need human interaction. I need to be face to face.
Kyler Saffo:And so in that, kind of end of my time as a sales rep and starting in that, virtual training role was when the conversations happened about buying dad's practice, which is kind of unique and unheard of because I am not a veterinarian. But, that's what we did. So I'll be celebrating a year of ownership in January. So I took over in January of 2024. I left the corporate world in the spring of 23.
Kyler Saffo:So I had about 9 months where I was an employee kind of having influence and maybe making some change, but not necessarily paying bills or paying off a loan, until January. So
Kale:Yeah. Which was was actually a super it it was it was a blessing A
Steven:100%.
Kale:At the time. Maybe it didn't always feel it wasn't exactly the way we planned it, but it was a blessing that you got the opportunity to be there for several months leading up to the transition.
Steven:Mhmm. I'm
Kale:able to affect some things and and make that a much smoother, much easier transition for you. So I guess one of the things that I always like to ask is, like, did you ever think you were gonna be a clinic owner? Because you went into college thinking maybe you're gonna be a veterinarian. So, like, was that always a goal for
Steven:you?
Kyler Saffo:For sure. I was just gonna go take over dad's practice. When I was a little girl, I had a step stool. It's funny because I'm sure it's not the same step stool, but my daughter has a step stool that she'll come if she happens to come in. If she's off school, she'll come in and watch my dad do surgery, and that is what I was doing 30 years ago.
Kyler Saffo:And so I always was gonna go take over dad's practice. I was gonna be a veterinarian. I had all this crazy experience. I worked at the teaching hospital for a while, my 1st year in undergrad, and that was, like, my life plan. And so when I failed chemistry and was very active in the Mizzou Swine Club, shout out.
Kyler Saffo:I held an office there. I was very involved with my sorority. I kinda took a turn that really nobody expected. And so yeah. I think I thought ownership but I think I put that dream to rest when I didn't go to vet school.
Kyler Saffo:Because especially at that time, I mean, that wasn't really normal. I don't know that it's necessarily normal today. I think it's becoming more known, with the changes in the industry. But, yeah, I don't I think at that point, I was like, well, I guess I'm just gonna go be a rep and hope that I like it. You know, I wasn't in it for the sales.
Kyler Saffo:I was in it for the science, which that in of itself is a little different, being in a sales role and not necessarily chasing the dollar. But, yes. I think I was, but in a totally different light.
Kale:Yeah. And so so, how did how did being at your dad's practice and seeing all the things that he did, and basically growing up there, I imagine
Steven:Mhmm.
Kale:How did that prepare you for being in the field as a as a rep?
Steven:Oh, yeah.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. It was really neat. I felt like what was really important to me regardless of where I was, which clinic I was going into, I had very rural parts of, you know, different states, and then I also had some urban areas. But no matter where I went, what was really important to me was building credibility. We see sales reps.
Kyler Saffo:I mean, as a as a veterinary practice, we see sales reps all the time. Right? That's not new. But I really didn't wanna just be a sales rep coming in and being like, hey. You should buy my stuff.
Kyler Saffo:This is why. I really wanted to be able to say, hey. I've stood where you stand. I grew up in a clinic. You know?
Kyler Saffo:I know what's important to you or at least I think I do. And I used it a lot to build credibility to try to say, I know what you're going through today, or I know what might be important to your pet owners today. Or, so I definitely feel like the exposure to the hospital lended itself really nicely to be able to walk in in dress pants and say, you know, I actually have been where you've been. And and for local practices, it was kind of neat. Sometimes I would call on my dad's classmates.
Kyler Saffo:My field veterinarian, I'm sure he hated this. I love him dearly. He graduated vet school with my dad. And so I think when I started at the company and he would get in my car and come make calls with me, I think it was sort of like a full circle moment, like, woah. You know?
Kyler Saffo:So, so it was neat because I do feel like I was very well connected, especially to the Saint Louis area, just having been my dad's daughter. Mhmm. The daughter of a veterinarian.
Steven:So yeah. Awesome. Awesome.
Kale:So talk a little bit about the history of the practice. Mhmm.
Steven:If
Kale:you know, when did it start? Who started it? How did your dad get into it? Like, all that stuff.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. So the original owner, we just celebrated 35 years. So this past October was 35 years of existence. I have an employee that was there on day 1, and she is still there. And so it's been three and a half decades now.
Kyler Saffo:I'm trying to think. My dad graduated vet school and then spent about a year, year and a half in a practice in Saint Charles and then bought into Lincoln County Animal Hospital, back in 93, and that was when my family moved to Troy, from Saint Charles. I grew up in Troy, but then, before, I guess, that before I say I grew up in Troy, We we moved to Troy in 93. And so my dad took over ownership at that time. He had a couple of partners, and it was mixed animal practice.
Kyler Saffo:So it was a hospital, and then there was a large animal facility behind the hospital with stalls and such. And they were doing farm calls, and they were doing some small animal as well. And then through the years, I don't know what year he transitioned the large animal facility to boarding and grooming, but I think that's physically really hard. Mhmm. And he had a young family and doing emergencies on farm calls and things like that.
Kyler Saffo:It just they kind of evolved into just a small animal practice. And so he has he has been there since 1993. And so there's been a lot of change, a lot of, you know, innovations in the technology they have, the things that they can do. They've added on some. My dad has added on, done a couple of additions.
Kyler Saffo:And so it's still the original building. Both buildings are still the original building, but, yeah, it's been there a long time.
Steven:Well, in the nineties in Troy, Missouri Mhmm. It's a little different than A 100 today. Right. I mean, it's becoming a metropolitan area from the westward expansion out of out of Saint Louis as Saint Louis urban sprawls
Kyler Saffo:For sure.
Steven:Goes out there. So that's why large animals are gonna go away too. Right? Oh, yeah. Take care of the small animal.
Steven:So no question about it. It's interesting. I I think about, your dad and what he stands for with private practices as you do. Privately owned practices as that's what we're doing here. Right?
Steven:This is for the privately owned practice. And so, yeah, he he didn't wanna see it go corporate. Mhmm. He had seen in his town Yeah. Corporate's getting bought up, and he had heard from not only people on the town, clients, you know, animal owners, but also doctors about the the change.
Steven:And whether good or bad, I don't wanna try not to make anybody Yeah. Mad here. So this is just few points. Certainly. But there's a demand.
Steven:Let's put it that way. A demand for that care by I can come talk to the person that actually owns this if something is right or wrong, either way. Right. Feedback. Your dad was adamant about Mhmm.
Steven:Seeing it continue to be privately owned. And so I I I love that about about that and the carrying on that legacy that you have and what's interesting about, yeah, you're not a veterinarian. You're a private, you know, business owner, with animal science background, the history, and all those things, but you you are not a veterinarian. Right. So that kinda brings on a whole different look what you've come across where people are like, well, you can't own this.
Steven:Yeah. If you experience that.
Kyler Saffo:I have.
Steven:You can't own this.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. So is Kale. Kale experienced that right along with
Steven:I did. I did. I did. He came rushing downstairs. I was like, can you see?
Steven:You imagine what they're saying? You.
Kale:No.
Steven:But that yeah. But that those are the the tough things a private practice does experience. Why people would think I wanna go corporate because that I get rid of my headaches. But it's gonna bring it doesn't get yeah. It may be gets rid of those headaches, but nothing ever gets rid of headaches in general.
Steven:You're gonna have other headaches. Mhmm.
Kale:There's always a headache somewhere. Yeah. So
Steven:Yeah. For sure. So really not a huge question there. More of just I wanted to, I think, point out on, you know, from Ken how he, you know, from MBMA Yeah. Which we talk about associations, how important like, people don't realize how important they are, and we'll get to that later.
Steven:But that's where we met your dad, and he had heard Wes and I talk about private business owners and legacy, and what do you do, and how do you keep it private? Mhmm. And he came to us and said, I wanna you know, we didn't really know what the direction was gonna be Yeah. Completely right in the beginning.
Kyler Saffo:And I was so nervous to tell y'all what I was doing. I was still with my company. Sure. And I remember the first time meeting you. I was like, I don't I don't want people to know this.
Kyler Saffo:Like, I don't want people to question my integrity
Steven:Right.
Kyler Saffo:Because I was calling on practices in that area, and that was part of why I stepped out of the field. But, yeah, dad was like, hey. I saw these 2 guys, and I think they're out of Columbia,
Steven:and we should just check them out. And I'm like, oh, okay.
Kale:I remember taking the phone call when your dad called the
Steven:first time, and he's like, hey. So I'm thinking about selling my practice to my daughter. Can you guys help me with that? And I was like, yes. Absolutely.
Steven:We can.
Kale:I don't recall if Brian was on the You're you're
Steven:really trying to get business. No. I feel like but like It's really closing. I'm kidding. I was I'm I'm glad
Kale:you did. But but it was like, that's a legitimate risk.
Steven:It is. It's it's
Kale:like It's
Steven:our job to point that out.
Kale:It's our job to point that out. I'm like, you know, if you wanna do you wanna go for it. That's great. I'll I'll I'd love to help you do it. But, like, it was it was one of those things that gave me some pause.
Steven:Yeah.
Kale:And so I would be curious to hear, like, what if Brian was on the call or not regardless, like, what were those conversations like, you know, after the meeting and, like, when you guys were sitting around, like, talking about, is this is this a venture that we're actually gonna do? Because there were some legitimate risks associated with
Kyler Saffo:that. Percent. Yeah. No. I think it's it's funny because I remember that conversation with you.
Kyler Saffo:And I remember being like, yeah. I feel that. I mean, I still feel like I feel that a little bit. And being in the practice I wasn't in the practice every day at that point, but then being in the practice every day and seeing at that at that point and seeing how much dad was there, and he had already you know, he had stepped away slowly, but, I definitely felt that risk. And I think with Brian specifically, he is very he is my I told him this recently, actually.
Kyler Saffo:He is my, like, voice of reason. Like, I will dream and I will have ideas and I will probably say some off the wall stuff.
Steven:And then just say a husband was a voice of reason? A 100%. Get okay.
Kyler Saffo:I just told him this. He
Steven:doesn't mean. Sorry sorry to get you off track.
Kale:No. It doesn't apply
Steven:to you. Yeah. I know that. That's what I'm saying. Can I it's possible?
Steven:I just wanna say it's possible. Okay. Sorry. It's impossible. Use your voice of reason.
Kyler Saffo:So really is. And I but it he's he thank you, Brian. Yes. So he he definitely grounds me, and I might say something. He'll be like, okay.
Kyler Saffo:But we need to consider all the options, which I find sometimes annoying because I'm like, this isn't gonna happen.
Steven:Details.
Kyler Saffo:But you have the details, and it's just a business.
Steven:Oh, ruin my dream.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Yeah.
Steven:Yeah. In a successful job.
Kyler Saffo:A very successful job.
Steven:I mean, you were you're very successful.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. I was. Very successful.
Steven:I had just We knew what you're making and going. Relationship.
Kyler Saffo:Uh-huh. And the car and the insurance and all the things you don't Yeah. Think about. Mhmm. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:And I was on a leadership path. I had joined a future leaders organization I I was selected for. So it certainly was a very abrupt turn and, you know, and not really how we planned it either, which we kinda talked about. But I think with him, he brought a lot of that to light too. And I he maybe he was on that initial call, and he was like, I'm kinda scared about this.
Kyler Saffo:And I'm like, I I agree. And at the time, we had one other associate who had been there a long time. She's still there. And, but still, you know, even if something happened to just one of them going down to one doctor practice and me not being able to step in and produce is a huge risk, but I think that was very much, like, the faith piece of it. Like, I
Steven:Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:I have faith that this will work. I feel like I was called out of my job to come and do this. I still think I'm navigating the why on certain days.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:But I think for me, it's put me in a space that I am leading these people in a very different way. You know, I am a different generation than my dad. I'm a female. I think there's certain aspects to that that are very different than the way it was run for 35 years just in just in the way the philosophy, the things that I really am passionate about, and the things that really don't ruffle me are just different. And so I think that piece of it was really exciting, but also a little bit nerve wracking.
Kyler Saffo:And I think too, through all of that, I randomly on a Friday called you and I was like, hey. This guy called me and wants to come and interview with me and doesn't wanna fill out an online application. And he's a doctor and he's been out for a year. And I my dad and I are gonna sit down with him on Sunday, you know, and then within and that happened so fast. That happened within the first 60 days.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Yeah. He came aboard before it had been 90 days. Yeah. So now I have 2a half.
Kyler Saffo:You wanna talk about full time Yeah. Prevalence probably. But, yeah. So a little bit more of a cushion, I would think, bringing another individual in. But I still think about that.
Kyler Saffo:You know? That's still a huge risk. That's that's what's unique about it. I can't step in and produce. I can do all I want from marketing, pricing structure, you know, different things that we can do on the business side.
Kyler Saffo:But at the end of the day, I can't step in and do a yearly visit. Mhmm. You know? So
Steven:that a lot to unpack in in what you just said. I mean, a lot of great a lot a lot of diamonds in there. Yeah. I heard, hey. I'm a female business owner Mhmm.
Steven:In Troy, Missouri probably. Right? Yeah. You know? Right?
Kyler Saffo:Yeah.
Steven:You know, I think to the your optimism, which your your faith in the ability to have the culture, how the things go right to have doctors succeed. And the one thing is interesting to bring out is that as a veterinarian who who is a business owner, so that person Mhmm. Has 2 hats they have to wear. Mhmm. That's a struggle.
Steven:Kayla and I talk about it, and we're we're rolling this around. It's like, as a veterinarian, you do have that animal science hat on that is rules based. Yep. That is like, you don't you step outside these rules and do malpractice. You're in big trouble.
Steven:Mhmm. So you're you're just really rules based. Then you come over to here as a business owner, and you don't yeah. You don't really what rules do you have?
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:I mean, you do. Right? Yep. Right? Right.
Steven:But you get to paint the picture Yeah. Of what you want the practice to be, how you want impression of clients coming to whatever that is. You you have an blank canvas Right. On that side. So, yeah, I go back to, yeah, chemistry wasn't your thing because you're thinking, I don't really care about covalent bonds and right.
Steven:Right. Uh-huh.
Kyler Saffo:You're right.
Steven:Electrons, neutrons, protons, like, how many combine and make this and that? H two is water. I know that, but I. Yeah. Right?
Steven:Yeah. And so, yeah, you were thinking not about the details. Mhmm. It wasn't that you couldn't do chemistry. Right.
Steven:It was the, you know, one. You said you know when you're younger. Yeah. So all those things come together, I think, that make for a really unique opportunity on your side to yeah. Kale, Kale's looking ahead, which is the right thing to do to go.
Steven:You you we we wanna help you out. Work with when we work together, we love working with veterinary business owners, especially if someone's gonna be literally a business owner of a veterinary practice. It's just the business owner. It's pretty cool. But do you realize those things out there and the challenges that that are in in front of you?
Kyler Saffo:Mhmm.
Steven:But you but what you believed in your ability, your knowledge to put the team together. Right? And that's your job. Yeah. So if you're gonna shy away from that
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:And you can bring a different set of, culture probably than your dad could ever bring, and your dad knew that about you. Right. He knew you could run, take the business to the next level.
Kyler Saffo:Oh, he gave me the reins, like, before. I mean, that's I really was implementing change prior to signing the paperwork, but
Steven:How's that been?
Kyler Saffo:Wonderful.
Steven:Good.
Kyler Saffo:A lot of you know, it's funny because people will say, how is that working with your dad every day?
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:I think my dad and I are a lot alike. I really do. We really haven't had, like, head butting issues. We might have different opinions on stuff, but it's never anything that's, like, a big I feel this. I don't feel this.
Kyler Saffo:And I ask his opinion all the time. My x-ray went out the end of last week. That's been what's taken up the past 5 days in my Yeah. Mental space. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:And I called him last night when I had all the information. I said, what would you do? You know? And then he'll sit there and tell me. And so it it's been wonderful.
Kyler Saffo:I love I not every day anymore love that I've been able to give that to him, but we have coffee together multiple times a week, and I love that.
Steven:Good.
Kyler Saffo:So That
Steven:that's that's so we're talking about a family business here too. I'm gonna get off script because I think that here's a big thing about family business. I come from family business, and we had a very successful family business, but I thought I always did. Mhmm. I went right into it.
Steven:And one of the things and and and the family business was sold later on down the road because we just couldn't come to the who's gonna buy what, who's gonna get what kind of stuff. Right? It wasn't about success of the business. It was about the transition, the toughest thing to do.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah.
Steven:You went out and prove, though, you know, to yourself that you could go do your own thing. And one of the key things to success in a family business is for the next generation to go do their own thing.
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:And then if you still wanna come back Yeah. It's still there. Mhmm. So you you didn't it's amazing how these things have lined up for you. Oh, yeah.
Steven:Yeah. Right?
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Oh, certainly.
Steven:Like
Kyler Saffo:And my brother had no interest, so I'm one of 2. Yeah. That was a conversation we had early on was like, well, if you're gonna do this, like, do we need to make sure your brother's good with this? You know? And he he was super supportive.
Kyler Saffo:But in a conversation with him very recently, he was like, it's crazy because you've really gone full circle. When we were children, not little little children, but let's say middle school, dad would give his employees the holiday off, and we would open our presents probably painfully early in the morning. And then we would go to the clinic and do kennels. And so, like, from that to working there in high school and college, which probably gave my dad some gray hair. And then, you know, leaving for 12 years and then coming back, it really some of these employees I've known since I was 4 years old.
Steven:Yes.
Kyler Saffo:And that's hard.
Steven:I understand that. Yeah. That's beautiful. I actually understand that. I do.
Steven:Yeah. I I had the ones weighing me on the produce scales as babies Yeah. As a baby. Yeah. Literally.
Steven:And I'm I'm I'm the boss in my twenties.
Kyler Saffo:That's a huge transition.
Steven:Yes.
Kyler Saffo:And that's been that's hard that's been a really hard piece for me is separating that. You know what I mean? Like, I need you to understand my viewpoint, and I know we have a very close personal relationship, but this is what I'm thinking. This is why. What do you think?
Kyler Saffo:You know? And that's been hard to navigate because I love these people. I've seen them through wonderful times of celebration and then very hard hardships of life, you know? And now I'm their leader, their boss. And so it is that's a it's a unique
Steven:Did you anticipate that beforehand, that feeling?
Kyler Saffo:No. Right. Maybe a little bit. But I think the one of the biggest surprises of this whole thing is I have been in leadership positions before.
Steven:Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:And this is so different. You know? Because Yeah. I had a team of HR or benefits people Mhmm. Or things that I didn't have to handle, or I could call on resources or, you know, other people.
Kyler Saffo:And, like, I am HR. Mhmm. I am the janitor or the fixer, you know, whatever, which is funny because I don't do any, you know, effort. Right. I hang pictures now.
Kyler Saffo:I do all kinds of fun stuff. Doctor Brandon did put together the new the new chairs in the lobby, which I was going for. Thank you, Brandon. But, yeah, I'm all the things. I talk about benefits.
Kyler Saffo:I talk about pay. I do you know what I mean? The onboarding, all the HR stuff, all the marketing Mhmm. You know, the questions.
Steven:Yeah. See, it's interesting, you know, talking about your husband seems more details. Right? Thinking about these things, which might prevent someone from launching an ownership. Yeah.
Steven:Someone that thinks about the details too much, probably is not gonna do it because they're gonna be like, what about this and what about that? And you're like, we'll roll it out. We'll figure it out. Yeah. I'm not gonna think about all the details.
Steven:My I need 2 details. We got revenue and then we make money. And then we'll figure out the rest in between. I mean, that's Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:That's what I do every day.
Steven:Right? Yeah. And then what what pops up? What happens? And so, yeah.
Steven:No. That's a that's a a dichotomy of differences there on that. But, well, I think your path, your story there is really as as we sit here and talk, I mean, these are things that, pop in my mind just from coming from a family business. My dad, my grandpa started the store in 68 or bought the store in 68, and my dad comes family of 8.
Kyler Saffo:Oh, wow.
Steven:They're 4 older and 4 younger, and the oldest brother was the first in the business. Mhmm. And my dad came back after college, and I went to college, and he'll tell you why. It goes because of the Vietnam War was going on. Yeah.
Steven:Vietnam War is not going on. I don't go to college. Yeah. And he said, but, he dad asked grandpa asked dad to come back, so he did. And having 2 sons in the business with 2 different directions, and I don't know all the stories, but there's a a creative family rift.
Steven:So what you said earlier about, yeah, is your brother
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:Okay with this? I'm lucky you don't have a it says not huge family then? Just the 2 of you?
Kyler Saffo:Just the 2 of us.
Steven:Yeah. That's what yeah. That's what looked like my dad. There's still a rift to that day. Yeah.
Steven:I mean, because there was a part where another brother came in the business while I was running the business. Because I think it was we were having a struggle. Like, my dad was thinking in his mind about telling me, like, I need a backup plan. Yeah. I can see Steven getting frustrated.
Steven:Maybe he's gonna leave, which
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:I did. But then that didn't work out because that guy got and god bless him. You know? Yeah. Yeah.
Steven:Good guy, but to throw him in and expecting to run
Kyler Saffo:A multi generational
Steven:business. It's 50 years old. Right? All those things, multiple occasions. It's, it's a so yeah.
Steven:It's it's so cool how these steps that have gone along to get you to where you are have happened. Yeah. I mean, they really did you know 10 years ago? Like No. 5 years ago?
Kyler Saffo:Uh-huh. Probably 5. 5. K. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:So we see we saw it. We are still seeing a shift in veterinary medicine, and I felt that in the pharmaceutical world. You know, if I have a practice that's been a wonderful customer and I'm going to baseball games and Christmas parties and retirement parties, and then all of a sudden they're purchased
Steven:Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:By a large entity, that changes the game for my business in there Yeah. You know, which is such a small part as a as a rep. But I think I could see that sort of change happening, and I think it is really appealing to say, what if I could do my own thing? What if I could be my own boss? Could I do that?
Kyler Saffo:Could I manage those people I've known forever?
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:Would I be good at that? And some days, I'm like, okay. I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. And some days, I'm like, what on earth have I done? You know?
Kyler Saffo:And I think that's natural. I think that's part of, kind of figuring out my my purpose in every single day. But, yeah, it's it's been a road.
Steven:You're yeah. You you said navigating your why earlier. Mhmm. What is that? Why?
Kyler Saffo:So I feel like it's multifaceted. I love the science. I love veterinary medicine. I think pets are special.
Steven:They are.
Kyler Saffo:They are. And so that piece of it has always been there. Right? Whether I was trying to pursue, to be a veterinarian, pursue that schooling, or going into the pharmaceutical world. But I think as I've gotten older, and seen my town grow, my community grow, I think I think being a small business owner, I will think twice now before I buy something.
Steven:Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:If I know somebody in the industry or I know that there's a business in town, I will do that. And I think that's an important component.
Steven:Buying for small independent businesses. Right?
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Make and now don't get me wrong. IBM's on Prime. Sorry, dad. He's so
Steven:Oh, that convenience is hard to get. It's hard to break. They've got us.
Kyler Saffo:They have us.
Kale:You know, that's a good
Steven:thought, though, because, like, you know, last night, we went to Mad Cow here in town, locally locally owned, veteran owned business. Yeah.
Kale:But, like, I go to them. It might be a couple dollars more. I go there more often 100%. Because I know that they're locally owned veteran owned business than I do go to Canes or something on the way home or something.
Steven:Right? Occasionally.
Kale:Yeah. It's it's worth it to me to do that.
Kyler Saffo:And I think we still see that. I mean, I still I can still I don't know all of the owners yet. It's funny because I'm getting to know people. I I've been amazed for my whole life that some of the team members, my dad included, can sit there and reference a case or a pet or a pet owner. And I'm like, how do y'all know this?
Kyler Saffo:It's just in your brain, and I'm getting there now. It's funny. I can, like, have a seat at the table. Experience. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. And I know these people, but to see them and if somebody is going through a hard ship and it's a dire emergency with their pet, you know, I can come in and and maybe have some flexibility with what does this look like. Yeah. I think it's being able to decide hours and holiday hours and make changes on the fly that we have the ability to do because it's me they're coming to and asking me.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:And I see that. I see the importance of that, all the time.
Steven:Mhmm. And
Kyler Saffo:so I think that's a huge component to my why is I think we still see small businesses in the community, and that's still preserved. That feeling is still preserved where I live, and that is important. And I I make choices, like you said, about about what I do or where I go based on that. And so I feel like that's a big professional, you know, part of the why for me as well.
Steven:But your impact on people. Right. Right? And you can have that impact that way. Mhmm.
Steven:And happens to be, yeah, through animals, which are are fun. I mean, Kale, we were talking a couple episodes ago about dogs and cats and bonds and Lauren's allergic cats. We don't have cats. We have dogs. And so I'm like, do you have really that
Kyler Saffo:close this episode. Yeah. Exactly. Don't have
Steven:that with a cat. Yeah. So the but this, we're over at, at some friend's house for dinner, Saturday couple. Saturday yeah. Right for Thanksgiving.
Steven:Saturday night, they have a cat. And Lauren, as long as she doesn't touch but this cat came up to me and started just weaving my legs. You know? Doing you know, going up in the cap, purring. I'm like and I'm thinking, okay, Kale.
Steven:I see. Yeah. This cat is like sweet. Yes. This cat's sweet on me.
Steven:It's like and I was like, yeah. I'm like, I'm gonna pet this cat. I can't, like, make sure I go wash my hands. Like like Lauren. Yeah.
Steven:Cashell. But now it was like, yeah. So I I was like, okay.
Kale:Cats are cool, man.
Steven:They really yeah. I don't I don't have the experience with them. And so, yeah, the animals are cool. So I wanted to go back to that and be like, yeah. The cat.
Kyler Saffo:I remember you. So I listened to that episode, and I remember you saying that, and I laughed. I'm still trying to make Brian a cat daddy. We have 2 cats now. He hates them.
Kyler Saffo:Hates them. So Okay.
Kale:A lot of outside to play occasionally.
Kyler Saffo:To play and never be seen again. One of them. I grew up I was always allergic. I have asthma and all the things. I really feel like being in a practice and exposed to it every single day has helped tremendously, and we now have 2 cats.
Steven:You better get over it.
Kale:Alright. I love the fact you're
Steven:I'm allergic to cats, so I bought a vet clinic.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. And we had cats growing up. You know? I don't know at what point we found this out.
Kale:Was your dad did your dad just say, hey. She's gonna get over it?
Kyler Saffo:I you know, I just feel like it was I I don't know. I I would bring them home and keep them in my room. Like, my mom wouldn't know. Like, it was a whole the the reason they had so many cats was because of me, and then I just left them there. And cats live, like, 20 years.
Kyler Saffo:I mean, it's not
Steven:the same They've been for themselves. They're pretty they're pretty sustainable. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:And so my daughter, was really we both the the 2 cats we do have are, like, the terrible, sad, traumatic cases, you know, and so they're kind of special needs cats. And, and my daughter has that. She is very much, like, give me the animals. I will take care
Steven:of them.
Kyler Saffo:Oh, yeah. So I'm shocked we got one. I I am beside myself that we have 2. And the second one is gonna do us. And the Christmas tree is still not up because that is a whole thing in and of itself.
Kyler Saffo:But Oh, yeah.
Kale:I'm dreading I'm dreading that about myself.
Steven:Kale, you got a nice agenda put together that I you know, I'm good at explaining. It's okay. It's okay.
Kyler Saffo:I know. I'm talking
Steven:about Kale. It's a Christmas tree.
Kale:So one of the things I always wanna ask people on these is, like, before ownership, was it was there anything that just scared the crap out of you that you were up at night thinking about what if this happens, what if that, what if that? And was there anything that you thought about that? And then my follow-up question to that is which of those came true and which of those, like, never showed their face?
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. So I feel like we touched on a little bit being a non veterinary owner was a huge risk. Mhmm. Having a payment, like, having a loan payment, and I would I had seen the financials. You know, I was helping dad essentially run it when I was there as an employee, but I wasn't on the hook for anything.
Kyler Saffo:You know? And so I think that piece of it was always sort of there in the back of my mind. I think one thing that we think about in probably any medical field is, like, could could we be sued? You know, you think about malpractice. I'm not a practicing veterinarian.
Kyler Saffo:What does that look like? That one did come true. Not malpractice. Something more record keeping sort of sort of frivolous. But Yeah.
Steven:Needless to say Not sort of. I navigate that. It was frivolous. Yeah. It was And it yeah.
Steven:I wanna I wanna preface this with this lawsuit. We're all like, are you this person's are you kidding me?
Kale:You're gonna why would you bring this?
Steven:You shouldn't even be allowed to be sued for this.
Kyler Saffo:It was crazy.
Steven:Yeah. But sorry.
Kyler Saffo:No. You're right. Yeah. But I learned so much from that. Like and that's true in anything you do.
Kyler Saffo:I think it's just you're faced with adversity. You really have to figure out what the best course of action is, and then you try to glean what you can from it. I learned a lot. We've changed some of the way we do record keeping and ownership of pets as a result. But, but, yeah, that that came true.
Kyler Saffo:And that was sort of, oh, this might happen at some point in the course of ownership, whatever that looks like, but that was, like, month 5.
Steven:Well, can you talk a
Kale:little bit about what happened? Yeah. Just just for some
Steven:color about how actually ridiculous this truly was?
Kale:Yeah. Ridiculous this truly was.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Yeah. So, basically, it was a a dispute between 2 people who, on very, very long amount of time, we had seen a pet under both people, had brought it in and filled out new client paperwork. And I think they got into an internal dispute about who owns those records. And, they're legal documents.
Kyler Saffo:When we create medical records, when my technicians were still writing, we're working on that. We might be getting paper light here very soon. When my technicians or my doctors write anything, that's a legal document. And so, basically, what had happened is a person was asking for the records that they didn't technically own, and we had no permission to provide those. And so, there was a lot of drama around that physically in the practice and, you know, legal action was threatened.
Kyler Saffo:And so, at that point, I'm like, dad, what do I do? Because that's what I do. Dad, what do I do? And he was like, why don't you call them VMA? Like, see if there's something you can do.
Kyler Saffo:See it were MVMA members and
Steven:MVMA or AVMA?
Kyler Saffo:MVMA. Missouri. Yeah. Mhmm.
Steven:So called down there.
Kyler Saffo:So I called Jeff City, and I was like, hey. This sounds crazy. I don't actually have a lawsuit on my hands, but if it I'm a catastrophizer sometimes. Like, what could happen? How can I prepare for what could happen?
Kyler Saffo:And, so I said, I don't have a lawsuit yet, but this is the situation. It's really over records. It's not any medical wrongdoing. I just need some guidance on this. And she was like, actually, we have an attorney that'll give you a a free consult.
Steven:Okay. So I get
Kyler Saffo:in touch with this attorney and he talks to me through and he kinda said the same thing. Like, oh, you're you're good. Like, I know a lot about the Missouri Practice Act. I know a lot. I've I've learned a lot.
Kyler Saffo:And he basically walked me through everything. And he said, you know, I am actually the practice liability, attorney for your area. So if this does turn anything, it'll be me. Like, okay. So great talking to you.
Kyler Saffo:Hope I don't have to talk to you again. Yeah. But good to know. And then I don't remember the amount of time. It was probably 6 or 8 weeks from that phone call.
Kyler Saffo:I was served with papers. Never that's never happened in my life. Yeah. And so he was my attorney, and it was all taken care of under my practice liability, but we went to court. Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:And he used our new client forms, like, in front of the judge. That was piece of, I guess, you would say evidence. Yeah. And so I think the big key learning was the importance of what we're doing, how we're doing it, how we're documenting these things, and then just may and I use that as a tool to train my staff with. Because I had a documented timeline of ownership based on notes and different things that we had in our documentation, but, it was wild.
Kyler Saffo:That was a wild experience.
Kale:So you did absolutely everything you were supposed to do Uh-huh. And still got sued for it.
Steven:Uh-huh.
Kyler Saffo:Yep. But not medical. That's what so that and that's even what my attorney said was, like, I've I've been doing this for 20 something years, and I'm, like, I hate when the sentence starts like that. Like, well, let me give you Yeah. A once in a lifetime opportunity.
Steven:This is the show me steak. Yeah. Whoo. Yeah. So So show me Uh-huh.
Steven:We will. Yep. We did.
Kale:It was dismissed, taken care of.
Steven:Mhmm. Yeah. Easy. Easy on that side, but still the Still
Kale:had to go.
Steven:Thought process that goes through. So, yeah, how do you turn in that experience in something positive? Mhmm. Because there's a lot of nerves, a lot of unsettled even though you know you're in the right Right. It still is like, I want I want the gavel to go down and be like No.
Steven:Boom. You're good.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. And I've never been in a courtroom. You know? I Yeah. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:It was wild.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:But I think, you know, understanding what we could do better. So we have it happens all the time for different reasons. But especially if it's a sick pet, you know, my mom is gonna bring the pet in or my girlfriend's gonna bring the pet in. If it's someone who's not on the account, we have a form now that they sign giving similar to what you and I would do, like HIPAA. You know, who can yeah.
Kyler Saffo:Who can who can I release your records to? Mhmm. And so we have that now. And I think it was just really a big awareness check on everybody at the hospital, you know, and what we're doing and who's giving consent and what that looks like. And, yeah, it was that was a wild experience.
Steven:You're telling me about yeah. You're trying to avoid the no good deed goes unpunished kind of thing. Right? You're like, I it I know you. Wanna believe you.
Steven:I I know I know I know you're someone's mom because we we Yeah. We grew up together. Right? Right. Yeah.
Steven:Gotta get it ready. I played at your house. I know this is your daughter's dog.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah.
Steven:But, yeah, I I I Mhmm. For your benefit and my benefit Yep. Let's do this. We gotta do it by the by the book. Yeah.
Steven:So that's what a good learning experience that'll clean things up, make things Mhmm. More efficient and Mhmm. Smoother. Yeah. Look good.
Steven:So Silver lining.
Kyler Saffo:Was crazy.
Kale:You stressed about anything that didn't come true?
Kyler Saffo:I well, we instead, I was so worried at that time. It was dad and one associate, and I was so worried about that. But we added an associate. And so I think so far that hasn't come true about, like, what happens if I lose a doctor even in conversations about, like, upgrading diagnostic equipment in our lab. You know, it's not necessarily you're gonna pay this amount for this machine.
Kyler Saffo:It's like you're gonna commit to this using this many dollars or tests or whatever. And that's so scary because if I lose a doctor, I can't directly influence that. You know? So I think that's always going to be there, but it hasn't come true. Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:Gain one. Good. Yeah. My dad has Saturdays off for the first time probably ever in his life.
Steven:That's awesome.
Kale:Yeah. That is phenomenal. Mhmm. So one of the one of the I don't know that I've asked you this. Maybe we've talked about this.
Kale:But one of the things that I think is so cool is the day that you guys closed, you sent me a picture of you and your dad and your daughter in, like, the title office Yeah. Signing that.
Steven:Yeah.
Kale:So is there aspirations that she might
Kyler Saffo:I don't know. So she is the step stool in the OR. My son wants nothing to do with it. He loves the animals.
Steven:So, like, you can handle the blood and Yeah. All of a sudden, Bob. Percent. Yeah. That's the first test.
Steven:If you pass that, you're
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. I can handle maggots. So not everybody on the team can handle maggots. And, like, I they've
Steven:tapped me
Kyler Saffo:in for that. K. Only months. But, yeah, I'm pretty okay with that. And she is too.
Kyler Saffo:I don't know. I don't know what she'll do with her life.
Kale:It's too way too early
Kyler Saffo:to tell. It really is. On the 1st day of 2nd grade she's in 3rd grade now. On the 1st day of 2nd grade, you know, I have the cute little board. It's like, what do you wanna be when you grow up?
Kyler Saffo:And her answer to that at 8 years old was, to be a stay at home mom. And I would, like, send it facetiously to some of my friends. I'm like, I am making the working mom gig look real cool because my daughter wants to stay home. So who knows what little Clara will do?
Steven:Oh, that's that's actually yeah. It's like Isn't that good? Yeah. What's my mom doing?
Kyler Saffo:I know. She has no idea
Steven:why she stay at home.
Kyler Saffo:Mom, why are you at why am I the last kid at aftercare? That is the fight I have more often than not. At
Steven:the Now you're doing the right thing. She you're you're teaching your daughter the
Kyler Saffo:I hope so. It's
Steven:a modern world.
Kyler Saffo:She's getting kittens out of it. So, I mean, there is some
Steven:Yeah. You know?
Kale:Yeah. So See, I I don't know. I just the way your story is kinda lined up Yeah. It would it would just only make sense that Yeah. You know, she goes to that school or even is doesn't and continues on in your guys' legacy.
Kale:Because how cool of a picture would that be in 20 or 30
Kyler Saffo:I had never really even thought about it. And the only reason she was with me, my husband was on a dot like, had been planned for a year dot con.
Kale:On the Platte River.
Kyler Saffo:On the Platte River. Once in a lifetime.
Kale:Beautiful, scenic Allegedly. One of the bucket
Kyler Saffo:And so he was not there at the closing, which was wild. My daughter was on Christmas break. Isn't that nice?
Steven:I'm not
Kyler Saffo:I called the
Steven:voice of the I plead the 5th. Are we in court till I plead the 5th? I don't recall. I don't recall.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. So but she was there just because she was off school. I mean, I don't think I would have normally planned to bring her along, but that was super I had not really thought about that. So you are right. That was a really cool day.
Kyler Saffo:It was the 4 of us.
Kale:Yeah. Yeah. That'd be kinda neat.
Kyler Saffo:Mhmm.
Kale:So, one of the things that I always I also like to ask is, what are you what are you most proud of?
Steven:I mean,
Kale:you've been doing this now for for a year. When this when this episode airs, it will be a year. Okay. So what
Steven:are you what
Kale:are you most proud of?
Steven:Oh, man.
Kyler Saffo:I think the growth and the change and the advancements, I feel like whether it's been planned or not, I've I've made some technology advancements in the hospital. And I think having the growth and the change and the positive, I hired a cleaning company that's been huge. Having all of that, but maintaining the the feel of a small town locally owned hospital.
Steven:Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:I think we've done a really good job. At every staff meeting, I have them once a month. And at every staff meeting, I read some Google reviews, and I will go back and look in our practice management software who saw that pet all the way from receptionist to, you know, technician, doctor, whomever interacted with them. And then I I say that, and I'm like, this is the why. This is why we do that because you made a difference here.
Kyler Saffo:And I think to be able to provide that and give them input and flexibility and what do you think we should do? You know, how even buying the x-ray, I asked a couple of them. Like, what do you think about this? Or, you know, so I think being able to grow and change and evolve, but also still maintain what the practice is known for and has been for 3 decades. I think that's what I'm probably most proud
Steven:of. Yeah. That's awesome.
Kale:That is awesome. That's awesome.
Steven:That is a balance. It's interesting because, this could be it's a whole podcast about, like, as that'll be separate from here, but really diving into that. Business owner, not a veterinarian. Do you have industry experience? But then I'm a veterinarian, and you're gonna tell me what equipment I need.
Steven:Mhmm. Right? There's a lot. Yeah. Yeah.
Steven:And then that's
Kyler Saffo:Oh, for sure.
Steven:But that's For sure. That's a whole hour conversation at least. And
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. It's a whole Maybe a
Steven:whole year long series.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Yeah. Here we go. It's a whole that is a very delicate balance. And I'm very conscious of that.
Kyler Saffo:I mean, legally, I have to be.
Steven:Absolutely.
Kyler Saffo:But I think especially with products, like, I'll get in the weeds on heartworm preventatives because that was my bread and butter, and I'll give you my opinion. Mhmm. But anything else, I I very much am kinda hands up, you know, hands off of that. The doctors have to decide. What's interesting though is, like, I have 3 different opinions sometimes, you know.
Kyler Saffo:And so then I kind of lean on my appointed medical director. But it is a it is a delicate balance for sure.
Steven:Which that's what allows you to own the practice. Yeah. Because you have an appointed medical director who who, has a doctor of veterinary medicine. Yep. D a a d a.
Steven:Right? I mean, you you can't Oh, I can't. Yeah. I can't do any of that. Yeah.
Steven:Obviously. Yeah. Mhmm. Not by drugs. Mhmm.
Kyler Saffo:No. Yeah.
Steven:Yeah. So
Kyler Saffo:and and we have
Steven:pay for them. I can pay for them. Pay for them.
Kyler Saffo:That's what was funny navigating, you know, someone telling me I couldn't have an account with this vendor because I wasn't an owner. I'm like, this just came up by happen stance because I said, hey. Do we need to put my name on this? And then this it came to a screeching halt. And I'm like, I've been paying this bill since January.
Kyler Saffo:You know? I mean, I so Yeah.
Steven:It Nuances.
Kale:Well, that's where it comes back to your team, though. Right? Because we the the the attorney that we work with, phenomenal Mhmm. Phenomenal attorney, was like, here's literally the text where it tells you in the where that you can do this.
Steven:Yeah.
Kale:So Yeah. Just put your mind at ease because we're both catastrophizers.
Kyler Saffo:It was that was a crazy I don't even remember the time frame or, like, what else was happening at that point, but that was wild, like Mhmm. To be
Steven:told that.
Kyler Saffo:And then I was so gun shy about, like, sharing it with the community. Like, oh my gosh. What if what if I've done something wrong? Like, you know, keep me out of jail.
Steven:He comes down to my desk, and here's who I am, like, screw that company. We're gonna take them, and we're gonna blah blah blah because we're in the right I'm just me. Right? I'm like Yeah. It's funny.
Steven:You know, pro partners wealth, you know, is where Wes and I started on the, you know, Wes started pro partners well, which is the financial advising part. We're pro partners team now for veterinary business strategy, sport, you know, all that kind of stuff. And it's funny though, the PPW acronym, I would say, is proving people wrong. That's that's me. I'm always like, you wanna go?
Steven:So so whenever he comes down with sort of challenge, I'm like
Kyler Saffo:Let's go. Yeah. Let's do
Steven:it. That's not my stand.
Kale:That's not him. He's I don't
Steven:he's he comes down like
Kyler Saffo:Deer in Medley?
Steven:I know we're in the right. I know we're in the right, but I'm like, no. We're in the right. Yeah. I because, like,
Kale:I can logic through it, but I'm still the catastrophizer. It's like, well, here's how all these other people have done the exact same thing and it were It's fine.
Kyler Saffo:So Well, and that whole system was shut down. So, like, that was directly impacting our ability to practice medicine in that moment. So I'm out back pacing on the phone with him because dad's like, awkward. I'm like, okay.
Steven:I hope
Kyler Saffo:you answer, Kale.
Kale:Yeah. Yeah. And then and then, like, you
Steven:you never call me when serious things happen. Wow. It's like I mean I've
Kyler Saffo:been getting better about that.
Kale:You have been getting better about that.
Kyler Saffo:I'll just send them texts. Like, here's the updates.
Steven:Like, 3 weeks ago, we had this super crazy thing happen. It's like, why didn't you call me?
Kyler Saffo:I know.
Kale:Yeah. Anyway, it's alright. It's all good.
Kyler Saffo:She's trying to spare you. I know you're gonna go there with me.
Steven:Gonna catastrophize on and be like, she can't call me. She know. She can't
Kyler Saffo:call me.
Steven:She can't
Kale:call me. No. No. I I have thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you and your dad both, and it's it's been a blessing to help you through what your vision for this was.
Steven:Yeah.
Kale:It's been it's been great to work through. And then one of the things that it didn't really strike me until we just started talking about it about 45 minutes ago, but there are so many people like yourself that probably went to college thinking I'm gonna be a veterinarian Mhmm. And then did not
Steven:Mhmm.
Kale:Become a veterinarian for whatever reason.
Steven:Right.
Kale:The opportunity does exist for you to still do something like this. Yeah. You know, you're not gonna be the one Right.
Steven:You know, practicing. You're not gonna
Kale:be the one doing that.
Steven:But that doesn't mean you can't own a practice. You can't still
Kale:have a positive impact in the community.
Steven:Oh, goodness. And I have
Kyler Saffo:no idea how they do do it. Like, I don't know how dad took on the headaches that I take on and also saw patients and also dropped everything in a moment's notice if there was an emergency. I'm at that, you know, he gets there really early in the morning, which is great. Mhmm. That is I love that.
Kyler Saffo:I'm a morning person, but, like, I have response. I made gingerbread shaped waffles this morning. Yeah. You know, I got stuff going on. I can't go in and that but that was his answer to it is he would get there at 6 in the morning, make a pot of coffee, and get all the stuff done.
Kyler Saffo:Because then as soon as that door opened, he's practicing medicine, you know. And so that is a shift and, you know, because I don't know how he
Steven:did do it, but you can do it.
Kale:You can.
Steven:It's a
Kyler Saffo:little scary. You can call
Steven:me. Terrifying.
Kyler Saffo:I'll give you any advice. I don't know. But, yeah, it is it is it's kind of like I was able to reengage a dream that I'd had that I kind of laid down, because I had gone into industry and, you know, I wasn't gonna pursue my DBM. But
Steven:here here we are. Here we are. Well, I had a call from, some couple of guys that got hooked up to me through Bank of America. They're wanting to buy, you know Mhmm. Trying to be private equity guys.
Steven:Right? And start one up. Like, we're looking at this practice. It's got this one doctor. And I go, one doctor?
Steven:I was a doctor. And suddenly, like, they're just like, and have they been trying to hire you? And I go, you really want like, oh, we can figure this out. And I'm like, no. You can't figure that out.
Steven:Right? Yeah. That that doesn't that doesn't need that needs a whole lot a whole lot of work. Yeah. So I think one of the key points in the how does it work is that you've gotta have a a hospital already has a culture to it.
Steven:Right? Right. That already has functionality. I think where people get wrong is they go, oh, I I can do this. I can do this without understanding those things.
Steven:And and you knew you could do it because you actually knew
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:Knew what's going on, and you didn't understand it. It's it's it's neat. It's fun. And so, yeah, there's there's also those that are out there that
Kyler Saffo:Mhmm. And that's a hard hiring a doctor regardless of where you are.
Steven:Even if you are a doctor Who owns
Kyler Saffo:a pet. Owns a TriNet. Yeah. That's the whole hiring Brandon was such a crazy story. I'm so grateful.
Kyler Saffo:I had no idea. I remember telling you this. Until I had hired him, I had no idea who he was in conversations with.
Steven:And
Kyler Saffo:he was in conversations with people that there's no way I could have competed with.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:But what he wanted was that local business, small you know what I mean? Small business feel. And so I think we were a beautiful answer to that. Mhmm. In the town that I mean, he went to high school there.
Kyler Saffo:He lives a little bit further north of Troy, but he went to school there.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:And so I think that was very that was a very we found ourselves in a very unique position. I remember that, and it was in a hurry. And dad hadn't hired anybody in 20 years.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:So, that in and of itself is a feat, you know, whether or not even if you are a veterinarian. So yeah.
Steven:But probably seeing you as, you know, the owner, longevity, there's not questionability question questionability. There's not questions on succession anymore. Right. Is this gonna go corporate? Is it gonna shut the doors?
Steven:That's what so Yeah. There's a lot of things that we talk about when you recruit and hire, that person has see themselves be able to have a future Mhmm. At where they're at. And I think it's one big parts of the problem is when people are about tight hard to hire. Yeah.
Steven:Yes. But the problem is is there's probably an internal problem that you have Yeah. That you don't you're not addressing that's causing the hiring to be hard. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Steven:And we
Kyler Saffo:have some of that too. I mean, we've had one kind of revolving door of a technician that we just haven't found the best person yet.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:In the same time, trying to grow and change and work together as a team too with a new I added it. They got a new owner and a new doctor all within, like, 90 days. Yeah. You know? So that's a
Steven:that's a lot. A lot.
Kyler Saffo:You know, from a person who's been there, I bet the average tenure at my practice is upwards of 17, 18 years because I've got quite a few that are north of 20. Yeah. And I love that. That's a beautiful thing. But that's also that's gonna be a lot of change for somebody that's lived through, you know, everything that veterinary medicine has endured.
Steven:I've been doing it this way for 2 decades. You're gonna bring on these new thoughts and new ideas. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's fun.
Steven:Mhmm. Challenge you. Mhmm. Challenge you. Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:It is. Yeah.
Kale:So I guess to kinda wrap it up, is there anything that you wanted me to ask you that I did not ask you about? Because this is kinda your your moment to Oh. To have a have a one off.
Kyler Saffo:I don't know. I think that I think that it's a I think that figuring out my why and and how it relates to veterinary medicine was a huge part, but I also feel like I I can step away and do I am I am very passionate about mental health advocacy.
Kale:Yeah. Talk about that.
Kyler Saffo:I'm part of a ministry. Yeah. So I I work with a ministry out of Saint Louis. And right now, we're in a we are we launched a program earlier this year. It's called Soul Shepherding, and it's kind of a holistic approach to the mental health crisis in teen girls.
Steven:Yeah.
Kyler Saffo:And, so I found myself in this position of I own a practice. I'm really busting my tail to try to get it to produce and make sure that, you know, we're firing on all cylinders. And every day, it's a different cylinder that, you know, has to be juggled. But then I also have this beautiful ability to kind of do things on the side that I might not have when I was working in my corporate career. And that's a big part of my my life and my story is is mental health.
Kyler Saffo:And that's I mean, we could sit here and have a whole podcast. Wow. Just community. Yeah. And so I think that has really been a neat part of it too is understanding that, yes, I I am a a small business owner, but I'm in a very unique space.
Kyler Saffo:It's not normal, like you said, but it could be. You know, you could do this. You you could pursue you if you failed chemistry and your parents were really upset with you that you weren't gonna try to go to vet school. I'm still here, you know, and I'm still doing it, and that's a that's a really cool thing.
Steven:Mhmm. How do you find out more about what you're doing with soul shepherding?
Kyler Saffo:So it's fearless unite.com.
Steven:K.
Kyler Saffo:And it's a soul shepherd program.
Steven:Soul shepherd.
Kyler Saffo:Soul shepherd.
Steven:Soul shepherd.
Kyler Saffo:Soul shepherd. Shepherding souls.
Steven:Okay. Yeah. So I think that's wonderful. We can if alright, you could add a link to that if something
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. I did not intend it. Yeah. That's very sweet of you. Definitely.
Steven:I'd say mental health is it's real.
Kyler Saffo:Mhmm.
Steven:It's real. It's, we got a lot of
Kyler Saffo:people of the industry, the age, the gender Well, if demographics.
Steven:Females. Mhmm. Youth female. It's, yeah, I read a big article yesterday about, you know, women aren't wanting aren't have have find have a hard time finding men that are Mhmm. Meeting Yeah.
Steven:You know, that aren't still this. Yeah. This bro thing. Right? That's and it's Right.
Steven:And women are yeah. You're in a lot of pressure. Yeah. I mean, I have a feminist for a wife. PhD Who's a mom?
Steven:A mom. And so I'm a feminist myself by, you know, by that relation. I understand not on a feminine level
Kyler Saffo:Right.
Steven:But on a masculine level and try to work with my boys on Mhmm. On that because real.
Kyler Saffo:I'm understanding that. Oh, yeah.
Steven:Real. So thank you for real. Thank you for shepherding that. Shepherding. Yeah.
Steven:That's wonderful. Mhmm. We're here for you too. Whatever we can do.
Kale:Thank you. Tyler, thank you so much for making the trip down here today. We'll probably do this again.
Kyler Saffo:I would love it.
Kale:Yeah. We'll probably do this again at some point. But, yeah, no. We appreciate, the relationship that we've built.
Steven:Mhmm.
Kale:And I'm just can't wait to see what you do with it and where this goes in the future.
Kyler Saffo:Yeah. Thank you, guys.
Steven:Kyler, thank you so much. Yes. Hey. Thanks, everybody. It's listening out there.
Steven:If you like what we're doing, please subscribe, like this episode, share this episode too, and especially something at the end there too that's so important in mental health. An independent business matters. You showed this today that independent businesses matter in our community. You're gonna talk mental health. What matters is having someone that can care for for you.
Steven:Yeah. And that's an independent business owner. You the CEO of a major corporation has different things to work on. They can't care about the local community. So it matters.
Steven:Thank you for what you're doing to carry on the independent business legacy. Thanks to all listeners.
Kale:Yeah. Peace of blessings.
Steven:See you guys.