About Dr. Dave
Hi, I’m Dr Dave Nicol,
These ‘About Me’ pages are weird, awkward beasts, aren’t they? You’re expected to write about yourself in the third person, puff up your chest, and tell the world just why you are totally awesome in an entirely toe-curling sort of way.
Mostly, they are a kind of awful cringe-fest. So, this is my effort at something a little different.
Instead of me talking distantly about myself, I’m going to write like we just met and we’re having a chat, which (when you think about it) is almost exactly what this is… the start of a conversation and, possibly, a relationship.
The question you probably came here to answer was, “Who is this Dr Dave Nicol fellow, and is he worth another second of my attention?”
Which is a great question, so let's start with my reason for doing this work.
Despite the at times slightly depressing mood-music in veterinary medicine, I genuinely believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to be both successful and happy. To accomplish this two things need to be true. Practice owners need to provide great, safe and nurturing places of employment. And individuals in employment need to take ownership of their skill and emotional development.
The size of the client and the sort of assignments I work on may change, but the reason for working with me does not. When we work together, we will be working to help you find your version of success, achieve your objectives, and help the profession and our planet improve because we work together. And we'll do that not by chance, but by using the systems, frameworks, and knowledge I've developed during my career as both a vet, practice owner, and consultant. I actually couldn't tell you how many people I've worked with or influenced at this point, but it's likely in the thousands. The number doesn't really matter though, it's the quality of experience I'm most concerned with.
I've been a veterinary surgeon for more than 25 years, and I've been running veterinary businesses for more than fifteen of those years. In that time, I've been a head vet of two multi-doctor teams (14+ vets) on different continents. I've owned and managed four of my own veterinary practices, brought several innovations to the world of veterinary business, and travelled the world speaking and publishing content to help people and practices get along better. I even had the honour of winning the speaker of the year award at VMX in Orlando twice!
In all of this time, one thing has never left me: I love being a vet, and I love this profession. It is the most rewarding job I can imagine. Whether it's serving pet owners in the consultation room or meeting vet professionals while on the road at conferences, or working with practice owners globally to help build better workplaces. I love being a part of this space. And I want to leave it better than I found it.
Let’s talk about what you can expect from me.
Perhaps this is your first encounter with me or your first time on this website. If so, welcome! Perhaps you're interested in improving your life as a practice leader, in which case you'll find a wealth of fantastic free content, including blog posts, podcasts, webinars, reports, and more, posted on my email list, blog, and social media spaces. This content will add tremendous value to your performance, productivity, and happiness.
Why do I offer all of this value freely? I’ll be upfront with you (as I am with all my clients). I provide these free, actionable goodies because when you put some of this information to work and see results, you’ll start to build trust in my ability. I hope that you'll share the same belief I have and want to create your own unique and remarkable part of veterinary medicine where life is good.
It might be that you are struggling to run your practice, or it has stopped feeling like fun and now hangs around your neck like a lead weight. Or you might have big plans to take on the world and want to get it right the first time, but you're not quite sure where to start. In which case, do check out the webinars section, where I'm confident you'll find something useful.
Then the real fun starts. As long as you and I believe the same thing, that life in veterinary medicine can be successful and happy for everyone. Then we'll work together great!
If you are still thinking “Hmmm, I’m still not convinced,” then that’s totally cool. The easiest way to figure out if you think we’ll be a good match for each other or not is to try some of my free content. If you like it, then you’ll almost certainly enjoy my paid content. If you don’t, then you won’t. Easy. No harm done. (PS - 90% of my content I give away freely. And anything you pay for comes with a satisfaction guarantee.)
My career…(in brief)
Rather than waste further words on my career path, here a fun infographic. I'm quite a visual learner, so I love these widgets!
OK, that’s over with. So now let’s talk about some specifics.
Exactly how I can help you grow as a person or practice….
If you are a young vet in practice, then I have a brilliant book and course that is 100% dedicated to teaching you the life skills to thrive as a vet. It's called So You're A Vet...Now What? And it costs just $99 for a series of 12 transformative webinars that will help you get started on the right foot. Go here to check it out.
If you are a practice owner, and you struggle with strategy, hiring people, or managing your team, then you will want to check out the Veterinary Leadership Academy resournce and services. We help people like you build their Remarkable Vet Practice™ and we're changing lives in vet med for the better all over the world!
I take on a very small number of clients in a coaching or consulting capacity each year. If you are passionate about getting better at what you do and want a coach to be your sounding board or accountability partner. Or just someone who will listen and help you to stay on track without judgment, then please get in touch.
Finally, I also write books, host two of the original and most listend to podcasts (Blunt Dissection & The Veterinary Leadership Success Show), and speak at events globally. So if you'd like to buy a book, listen to my show, or come see me speak, that would be amazing!
In short, if you curious about building your own Remarkable Vet Practice™, AND you are willing to show up and do the hard work needed to bring your dreams to life... I and my team are ready to help you along the way.
What’s your next step?
The best move you can take now is to head to my blog and podcast page The Hamster Wheel, and listen or read some of the content there. Very often they will link to a free resource I offer. So go ahead and download the resource and if it looks like a good fit, put the information to work for you. That’s totally on me. And if that’s as far as we go then thanks for stopping by.
But if you like what you found there, then buy a book, or course (graduate, or leadership), a t-shirt or complete the form below and book a 30 minute consult with one of my Remarkable Practice consultants. I’m confident you’ll be glad you did.
So that's me, now over to you. What do you believe? And what action are you going to take to make your dreams a reality? Let's talk.
Dr Dave Nicol
BVMS Cert Mgmt MRCVS
Stay in touch with me
Keep up to date with everything I post and publish.
My business profile and also where I post opportunities to work in one of my businesses.
My life in photos & video. The place I spend most of my time and find most positive.
For video blogs, free educational content and video versions of my podcasts.
All of my podcasts are available on iTunes, subscribe here.
Listen to any of my podcasts, SYAV, VLSS or Blunt Dissection on Spotify
Get in touch via email for business enquiries.