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Vet Launch

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by John Younker, DVM, MBA

5.0(5 reviews)

13 episodes

Updated Daily

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸

Podcast Overview

As veterinarians, we are trained to handle the most complex problems in medicine and surgery. So why is it that the moment we look at a business items that we feel like we’re back in first-year anatomy? The truth is, the same brain that understands medicine can understand business concepts. If you are a clinic owner, a medical director, practice manager, an aspiring owner, or even a lead tech looking to understand the mechanics of how a practice actually runs, you’re in the right place. Every week, we’re going to tackle a new topic in the business of veterinary medicine.

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Publishing Since

1/6/2026

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Recent Episodes

June 30, 2026

Why This $3.2M Vet Practice Still Loses Money (How to Fix a Bad P&L) | Ep. 13

What separates a vet practice that clears $600K a year from one losing money on the same revenue? It's not what you'd think.John Younker, DVM, MBA sits down with Professor Jeff Sanford, MBA of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine to break down two real veterinary practice P&Ls, line by line. Same size. Same type of clinic. Wildly different outcomes. One we call "Sad Times." The other, "Good Times."Professor Sanford's has analyzed well over 1,000 veterinary practices, and in this episode he shows you exactly where the money leaks out and how to plug it, using one simple framework: the 20/40/15 rule.Here's the gut punch. The "Sad Times" clinic does $3.2M in revenue and still loses money. Cost of goods running near 29%. Payroll at 53% with underutilized doctors and too many bodies on the schedule. Overhead creeping up everywhere, including a $100K professional fees line that made Jeff's jaw drop. This owner should be clearing $600K a year. Instead they're in the red.Then we flip to "Good Times," a $3.7M practice that does it right: monthly financials, weekly KPI meetings, COGS near 22%, payroll near 36%, and roughly $783K in EBITDA. Same effort. Completely different result. The difference is discipline.In this episode you'll learn:The 20/40/15 benchmark that tells you in 30 seconds if your practice is healthyWhy COGS is the expense you have the MOST control over (and how to fix it in 90 days)The inventory behaviors quietly inflating your drug spendWhy discounting is "the cigarette smoking of the vet world"How to spot overhead creep, renegotiate fees, and catch fraud before it costs youThe DVM-to-CEO transition that stalls most practices around $3MNew to reading a P&L? Start with Episode 12, where John walks through the basics: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4RN4iceccRrw4IdxPWAgg7?si=YMWRysSmRwqcJtDyiDudAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://open.spotify.com/episode/4RN4iceccRrw4IdxPWAgg7?si=YMWRysSmRwqcJtDyiDudAA</a>🎧 Subscribe for more practical finance for veterinary practice owners. No jargon, no MBA required.CHAPTERS00:00 Tale of Two P&Ls01:11 Podcast Intro and Guest03:46 P&L Buckets Explained05:56 Benchmarks and Percentages09:28 Sad Times Practice Setup11:22 Revenue Trends Breakdown12:53 COGS Deep Dive16:26 Inventory and Pricing Fixes26:22 Payroll Problems and Capacity33:12 Owner Pay and DVM to CEO38:44 Overhead Next Steps38:53 Overhead Expense Creep40:28 Big Overhead Outliers41:30 Professional Fees Shock45:19 Negotiating Bank Fees47:34 Rent Fixed Costs48:17 Expense Discipline Fraud49:01 EBITDA Explained49:46 Why EBITDA Is Negative52:42 Depreciation Passive Income55:49 Sad Times Recap57:18 Good Times Systems59:03 Good Times COGS01:01:04 Payroll Utilization Wins01:04:27 Overhead Normalization01:06:42 Good Times EBITDA Gap01:08:00 Owner Playbook Wrap

June 17, 2026

Episode 12: How to Read a Veterinary Practice Profit & Loss Statement (P&L)

How to Read a Veterinary Practice Profit & Loss Statement (P&L): Benchmarks, EBITDA, and Monthly DecisionsJohn Younker, DVM, MBA explains how veterinary practice owners can read and use a profit and loss (P&L) statement to make better business decisions. He uses an analogy comparing it to a car’s speedometer with profit at the bottom, revenue pushing up and expenses pulling down. He clarifies why profit on a P&L won’t match cash in the bank due to debt principal payments and capital expenses, and notes cash flow statements and balance sheets cover those areas. He breaks P&L rows into four expense groups—COGS, payroll, overhead, and other expenses—then defines EBITDA and how it’s used for performance comparisons and practice valuation. He recommends getting the P&L by the 15th monthly, reviewing it with a practice manager, and tracking six key numbers with benchmarks: revenue, COGS (20–23%), total payroll (≤40%), staff payroll (14–20%), overhead (~15%), and EBITDA (20–25%).00:00 Financial Literacy Wakeup01:25 P&L as Dashboard02:37 Profit vs Cash03:36 P&L Layout Benchmarks04:45 Expense Groups Overview05:02 COGS Explained06:01 Payroll and Owner Pay06:31 Overhead and EBITDA08:20 Other Expenses Net Income09:29 Monthly Review System10:25 Six Numbers to Track11:44 The 20 40 15 Rule12:30 Revenue Trend Checks13:04 COGS Control Levers14:46 Total Payroll Ceiling15:15 Staff Payroll Fixes16:58 Associate Pay Hiring19:38 Overhead Fixed Costs20:37 EBITDA vs Net Income22:25 Benchmarks and Tradeoffs23:32 TLDR Checklist26:35 Wrap Up Next Steps

May 28, 2026

Episode 11: Business Entity & Tax Strategy for Veterinarians

Business Entities & Tax Strategy for Veterinary Practice OwnersDr. John Younker continues his Vet Launch Podcast conversation with Ruben Cruz of <a href="https://crulliance.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Crulliance Accounting</a> on business entities and tax structures for veterinary practice owners, explaining how entity choice affects liability protection and taxes. They compare sole proprietorships, LLCs, S corps, partnerships, and why C corps are uncommon, including when to make an S corp election to potentially reduce payroll taxes and the importance of setting reasonable compensation to avoid IRS reclassification and penalties. They cover using payroll providers, paying quarterly estimated taxes, and tax planning over multiple years. The episode explains depreciation, Section 179/bonus depreciation, and when accelerating deductions makes sense, plus cost segregation studies for owned commercial property and why real estate is often held in a separate LLC. They discuss legitimate strategies like the Augusta rule and hiring children, warn against running personal expenses through the business, and emphasize coordination between a CPA and financial advisor.00:00 Welcome Back And Agenda01:58 What Is A Business Entity03:31 Entity Types Explained06:51 When To Elect S Corp11:07 Costly Entity Mistakes12:21 Planning For Sale And Real Estate14:49 Reasonable Compensation Rules19:14 Payroll Setup Best Practices21:56 Quarterly Estimated Taxes25:24 Depreciation And Section 17928:02 CapEx Vs OpEx And Cash Flow30:42 Depreciation Timing Strategy33:26 Cost Segregation Basics36:26 Augusta Rule Explained37:54 Hiring Your Kids Legally40:36 Personal Expenses Warning44:25 Social Media Tax Myths47:01 CPA and Advisor Alignment52:00 Day One Setup Blueprint54:40 TLDR Entity and Tax Recap59:49 Final Takeaways and Outro

13 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

What is Vet Launch?: As veterinarians, we are trained to handle the most complex problems in medicine and surgery. So why is it that the moment we look at a business items that we feel like we’re back in first-year anatomy?

The truth is, the same brain that understands medicine can understand business concepts.

If you are a clinic owner, a medical director, practice manager, an aspiring owner, or even a lead tech looking to understand the mechanics of how a practice actually runs, you’re in the right place. Every week, we’re going to tackle a new topic in the business of veterinary medicine.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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