Meet Debbie Boone | Veterinary Practice Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debbie Boone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debbie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I believe that my brand has been successful because I genuinely set out to help people enjoy their work. Since I work in veterinary medicine many of the people in the profession prefer animals to humans. However, it is ultimately a people business because the animals owner is the decision maker. Without their cooperation we can’t do our job to help the animals get the needed care. I have focused on teaching communication skills along with customer service and leadership to the practice teams I work with.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a veterinary practice consultant, I work with hospitals to help them become more effective and efficient in their business. I focus strongly on culture and team building. My firm belief is that when you get the people right the business will come. I was fortunate enough to work for a veterinarian who was also a good businessperson. He taught me a great deal about running a successful practice. I brought my hospitality skills to medicine from my restaurant experience and the business flourished.

I think the most important lesson I learned was about networking to grow my company. I always took time to meet with my industry representatives and respected their knowledge and time so when it was time for me to start my company, I reached out to them and offered my services. They immediately put me to work as a value-added service to their customers. Then I took an opportunity with a new education platform launched by a veterinary distributor and that exposure gave me a larger network of people who liked my work all over the country.

Thanks to networking I have spoken in person to veterinary teams all over the US and Puerto Rico and Canada and remotely in the UK and Australia.

Networking gave me a sponsor for the writing of my new book – Hospitality in Healthcare, which not only teaches veterinary teams how to show hospitality to their clients but also shares my experience as a breast cancer patient navigating human healthcare and how those teams can learn to offer better experiences to their human patients.

I believe most people are wonderful and have much to offer when we take the time to deeply pay attention to them and show respect and empathy. I know that my business would have never flourished without so many people who reached out with an opportunity or an idea.

Being an Entrepeneur is not easy but it is possible if you are willing to find something you are passionate about and then find your audience. Of course, it is a business so you must learn to run a business correctly. I was trained early in life on the importance of monitoring your cash flow, costs, marketing consistency and constantly monitoring your market for the next important thing. I am proud of the fact that many young entrepreneurs and aspiring consultants now reach out to me for advice on their ideas and that I have been able to help them.

To me I wanted to make a difference in the veterinary profession for the better and I am proud when people tell me I have.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I live at Myrtle Beach I would certainly take them to the beach but in Atlanta the animal lover in me will always go to the Georgia aquarium. One of my former veterinary clients is a diver who volunteers to clean the glass from inside the tanks. The JW Marriott is one of my favorite hotels in the city and I think the World of Coke is fun. I still have my souvenir, Coke. Right outside the area is one of my favorite restaurants in all my travels. Henry’s Cajun Restaurant in Acworth, GA has this dish called Shrimp Oolalla. OMG! Of course, I love history and Atlanta has so much to offer. I would visit Civil War sites and museums and then take a day trip to Helen and float down the Chattahoochee River.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to shout out to my parents who trained me to give good service to the public at a young age. I was 12 when I began as a hostess in our family restaurant and then worked as a server during college. I learned hospitality skills that have helped me in all my career moves.

Website: https://debbieboonecvpm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbieboonecvpm/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiebooneveterinaryconsultant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/debbieboonecvpm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbieboonecvpm

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@debbieboone-2managevets875

Image Credits
Black and white image – Tara Photography