The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast
The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast

373 - 2025 Post Mortem & Predicting 2026

01 January 2026 10:02 Dr. Andy Roark

Listen to episode

About this episode

Ryan Leach, founder and host of The Bird Bath podcast and principal at First 100 Veterinary Growth Consulting, joins Dr. Andy Roark for their annual year end tradition, breaking down the biggest veterinary industry stories of 2025 and what they mean for 2026. Feeling whiplash from corporate consolidation, tightening budgets, AI everywhere, and practices wondering what comes next? You are not alone. Andy and Ryan unpack what they call “the great compression,” from private equity shifts and practice group shutdowns to leadership changes at major players, all while keeping it light, honest, and very real. They also dig into the rapid rise of AI scribes, why they are more than just note takers, and how artificial intelligence could fundamentally change how practices use data without blowing up day to day medicine. You will walk away with clarity, perspective, and a better sense of how to think strategically about the future of veterinary medicine, plus a few laughs along the way. Gang, let’s get into this episode!


LINKS

The Bird Bath: https://www.thebirdbath.io


First 100 Veterinary Growth Consulting: https://www.first100.io


Ryan Leech on TikTok


Dr. Andy Roark Exam Room Communication Tool Box Team Training Course: https://drandyroark.com/on-demand-staff-training/


Dr. Know-It-All Card Game


Dr. Andy Roark Charming the Angry Client Team Training Course


Dr. Andy Roark Swag: drandyroark.com/shop


All Links: linktr.ee/DrAndyRoark


ABOUT OUR GUEST

Ryan Leech is an experienced leader with a history of growing businesses through highly scalable sales models. With a background that spans multiple industries, Ryan led sales for startups that raised over $100MM in funding and ran his own sales consulting firm. In his role at Digitail, he is responsible for overseeing collaborations and integrations with industry leaders and innovators to drive digital transformation in veterinary medicine.



In addition to his professional experience as Director of Business Development at Galaxy Vets and Hippo Manager Software, Ryan is also the host of "The Bird Bath" podcast.

Want to find AI jobs?

Join thousands of AI professionals finding their next opportunity

We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

© 2026 The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast. All rights reserved.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about how DevFound's AI matching, resumes, and referrals work.

DevFound's AI Copilot ingests your profile, goals, and live job data to deliver curated matches in seconds. Every match includes a resume variant, suggested referrals, and interview prep so you can act immediately. The more feedback you provide, the sharper the Copilot becomes.

AI-led job searches shrink the hours spent sifting through boards and formatting resumes. DevFound pairs automation with your personal outreach, so you reserve energy for interviews and negotiation. Traditional networking still matters, but AI gives you a lift before you even send a message.

Modern AI roles expect comfort with production-grade code, data fluency, and practical ML tooling. The strongest candidates pair deep technical chops with storytelling—translating model impact to product, GTM, and exec partners. Continuous learning keeps you ahead as stacks evolve.

DevFound rewards active seekers. Keep your profile fresh, respond to match quality prompts, and enable alerts so you never miss a role. The AI prioritizes companies and teams that align with your feedback, accelerating both introductions and interview invites.

High-density tech hubs continue to host the deepest AI talent pools, yet distributed teams are catching up fast. Use DevFound filters to hone in on onsite, hybrid, or fully remote roles and watch openings expand across time zones.

DevFound aggregates thousands of remote AI openings and flags the nuances—core hours, async culture, and visa needs—up front. The Copilot also recommends how to position your distributed work experience so hiring managers know you can thrive on a remote team.