Don’t Put Yourself Last

Standing in the back room of a veterinary practice, I’m watching the practice owner rush from one appointment to another.

She’s juggling patient care, team issues, and a hundred other fires.

She looked like she hadn’t taken a breath in days.

I see myself in the practice owners like this.

Years ago, I had dreams of building something. But lived with that voice telling me:

  • “Now’s not the right time.”

  • “What if I fail?”

  • “Who am I to think I can do this?”

For me, life was complicated.

My husband was gone a lot—military assignments. 

I kept the household running, raised the kids, managed the chaos…

I didn’t leave any room for myself.

It wasn’t until much later that I gained the confidence and made time for myself to start this business.

But I wish I had started it 10 years ago. Or even 15 years ago. I could have done so much more with it.

So if you’re a practice owner, and you’ve ever:

  • Delayed your goals to keep the peace.

  • Put your own development behind every patient, staff member, or family obligation.

  • Thought, “I’m not smart enough” or “I’ll do it later”…

Please hear me when I say this:

Don’t put yourself last.

Whether it’s investing in your team, updating your systems, offering new services, or rethinking your business model, don’t wait.

You don’t need perfection. You don’t need permission.

If you ever want to talk about how to take that step, whether it’s about business strategy, pricing, or just making space for yourself, I’m here.

Let’s chat about making time for what you want to accomplish.

Hendrik-Jan Francke