Interview with CACVT Board Member, Miranda Schroeder, Conducted by Leslie Niedermyer

February 23, 2023

CACVT President sat down with another new board of directors member, Miranda Schroeder. Miranda is a Colorado native from Grand Junction, who has been a CVT (now RVT) since 2012 after graduating from the Penn Foster Program. She started working in the field as a tech and then practice manager and is now the co-owner of Monument Veterinary Hospital. She lives in Delta with her husband, 4 dogs and 2 horses.

Miranda was kind enough to share what it's like to be RVT turned practice owner, how she has seen the industry change since the start of her career and what she enjoys most about her current role.

Leslie: How have you seen the industry change in the last 10 years, and how does being a practice owner look different to you from working as a CVT?

Miranda: There have been some positive changes; the focus on mental health and wellness have been encouraging, as well as an increase in the work on team and culture. Being a vet tech is no longer just a job that you clock in/out of, it's more of a lifestyle.

Being a CVT first in my career set a foundation where I see everything through my tech glasses but it has opened up things to the business side, the client experience and the community. This is an entirely different side of what most techs see when they work in practice. It's also nice to have a seat at the table and have a say in things in the way the practice is run.

Leslie: How did you decide to become a practice owner?

Miranda: I really remember when I was working at my previous practice, and it was announced that they would be partnering with Banfield/Mars. They had some of the higher-level people come talk to the team, and they asked about my goals. I said “I want to own my own practice”, they said “That's nice, but we can’t help with that” and gave me a nice salary bump. This conversation opened my mind to thinking about why just DVM’s are practice owners. Doctors have so much on their plates already.

Leslie: What steps did you take to become a practice owner?  Do you have any tips for veterinary technicians who are looking to become a practice owner or be more involved in the business side of their practice?

Miranda: I've always been open about my thoughts and ideas. When the doctors I co-own with opened our practice, they gave me the opportunity to join in on ownership. Building trust with the right people is extremely important, and while the medicine side is interesting, the people side is even more interesting. I really enjoy the CE and training along with the people and culture side. I was not familiar with numbers and metrics, so I’ve been forced to learn these things.

I recommend taking every opportunity to learn and find people who support you and support the people around you too.

Leslie: What's your favorite part about your job? 

Miranda: I love when I get to build up my team, watch them grow and surprise themselves. There's often something that they were afraid to do, but then months later they do it every day. When I sit down with them and talk about where they were and how far they’ve come, it’s extremely rewarding. 

Leslie: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Miranda: My husband and I travel, enjoy scuba diving, snowmobiling, dirt bikes and side by sides. I also like hanging out with my dogs and enjoy reading and running.

Leslie: If you could tell our members 1 thing, what would it be?

Miranda: I’m so proud of them and where we’re at. Being in CO and being RVT’s now, it's super exciting and historical, let's see what's next.