We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Ranetta Perkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Ranetta, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

As a veterinary student, I promised myself at graduation that I would own a veterinary practice one day. I had no idea how and with what money! I had no mentor or example of the type of leader that I wanted to be. I didn’t know someone that could talk me through the process or advise me on how to best be successful. No road map. No business acumen. No financial investors. All I had was my learned clinical skills and a desire to be excellent. As an associate working for other private vets and corporations, I experienced discrimination and hostile work environments that were discouraging and deeply disheartening. Instead of leaving the profession, I became really determined to create a safe space where my staff and my clients felt respected, appreciated and acknowledged. I have said all this to say that it is risky to try to build something that you have only seen in your imagination. If there is something that you want, map out the steps required to achieve that goal and do it. Don’t hold yourself back by being afraid to take risks.

Ranetta, 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?

I am a veterinarian!!! So, that means I provide wellness, medical, surgical, and end-of-life care for companion animals. I decided to become a vet at 12 years old when I received my first puppy as a family pet from my dad. Her name was Diamond and she was a real deal terrorist. Seriously, if Dennis the menace was a dog, it was Diamond. Despite her unwillingness to listen, I developed a very deep bond and love for her and cared for her as a family member. I decided that was all there was for me — veterinary medicine. I am the most chatty and communicative vet that you will meet. If you have worries about your pet, text me, day or night. I will respond. I will reassure you. I love to help. I am most proud of my team. They are rockstars and I definitely couldn’t do my job without them. The name of my vet clinic is Little Urban Vet Clinic or LUV, as we like to call ourselves. That acronym epitomizes my mission statement for my clinic. We strive to do all things with love. We exemplify inclusiveness and the beauty of being kind to everyone.

Any advice for managing a team?

I absolutely believe that the key to maintaining high morale amongst a team is mutual respect and camaraderie. It is hard to be the boss and try to meet the individual and collective needs of a team, but if you lead with respect and trust, then that is a great recipe for success.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I would absolutely choose vet med 10 times over! The only missed opportunity in my career is that if I could do it again, I would choose to specialize in internal medicine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://littleurbanvet.com
• Instagram: @littleurbanvet
• Facebook: Little Urban Vet Clinic
• Other: TikTOk – @littleurbanvetnashville