We were lucky to catch up with Kathryn Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathryn, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Before having my daughter, I only defined myself as a Veterinarian. With a profession that has a history of being demanding of personal time, I selfishly thought that becoming a Mom would dampen my career. It was my husband pointing out all of the working professional females around me, to realize, “I can do that!” But in true Katie fashion, I thought, “We can do better. Veterinary medicine should do better.” Being a Mom was the most wonderful change I have ever made in my life. It made me realize, I now have the strength and purpose to pave the way for other working professional parents, both men and women. Before my having my daughter, I could have never truly understood the importance of this task and the importance of changing my trajectory from working on horses to working in veterinary medicine for the betterment of young graduates, young professionals, and young moms and dads.

Kathryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Dr. Kathryn Miller. I am a Mom, Wife, Equestrian, Competitor, Entrepreneur, Leader and Veterinarian. You might know me from unfiltered content of what veterinary medicine in a rural mixed animal practice looks like on Instagram. But I hope you know me from helping you or your friend understand why their horse can’t compete anymore. Or why we really do need to consider humane euthanasia for your long time best friend. Or, why you, absolutely can achieve your goal of being a Veterinarian, but you need to understand the challenges and rewards of the profession. I, by trade, am trained to work on Equine athletes, specifically those in the western discipline. Reining horses will always have my heart. I love bringing a personal connection to a professional trade. My true strength lies in communicating with horse owners, helping them navigate important decisions when they lack the knowledge or experience to determine the best course of action.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Autonomy. I think autonomy in how your practice and how you communicate with clients is absolutely what makes a good veterinarian, a good boss, a good employee and a good practice atmosphere. Doctor’s, or rather any employee, don’t want to feel “locked into” a box of how they practice their trade. No matter that be practicing veterinary medicine or creating art. Allowing your team and yourself autonomy is crucial.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

Yes. Rocking KM Vet was originally a field practice only, meaning we had no brick and mortar facility. In 2018, we purchased an existing facility, with an existing client base. I completely underestimated the trials of this acquisition. As many privately owned veterinary facilities are, the practice was owned by a retiring Veterinarian who was looking for his exit strategy. Right now, those options include selling to corporate veterinary medicine or selling to another Veterinarian, like myself. The practice we acquired lacked business structure and growth. As many of it’s kind, the retiring veterinarian was in veterinary medicine for the love of veterinary medicine and didn’t give the business portion of the practice as much time. Or at least, had grown tired of that portion of the work. When I acquired, price increases were needed. Employee benefits were needed. Pay raises were needed. Equipment updates were needed. Change is hard. Change is hard for everyone! We made it through all of that, and my goal is to create a bit of a blueprint for those in my shoes down the road. There definitely has to be a better way to do things, than they way I did!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rockingkmvet.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockingkmvet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockingkmvet

Image Credits

Genna Gallaher