Here’s why I leapt—and why I think you should too.
Here’s why I leapt—and why I think you should too.
Dr. Alex Deal, Livewell Animal Hospital of Katy
Hey there, future founding veterinarian,
If you’re reading this, you’re probably where I was about 9 months ago: enjoying what I do, but wondering what the next step in my career is. I’d thought about practice ownership, but the thought of $600k+ in build-out and equipment loans, five-to-seven-year payback periods, hiring, firing, and marketing felt overwhelming. Ownership felt like the next logical step, but the process seemed daunting.
Then I found an ad for a Livewell in my community and everything changed.
Here’s why I leapt—and why I think you should too.
First, the scary part disappears. There is no half-million-dollar loan hanging over your head. No personal guarantee that keeps you up at night wondering if a bad parvovirus season is going to take your house. Livewell builds the hospital (gorgeous, modern, built-for-veterinary flow layouts), buys the equipment, handles the HR, payroll, benefits, marketing, inventory, utilities… all of it. You walk in on day one with the keys to a turnkey, brand-new clinic and zero debt.
Second, you actually get to practice medicine your way. I was terrified this would be some corporate checklist nightmare where I’m forced to push Hill’s food or follow a rigid vaccine protocol written by someone who hasn’t touched a stethoscope since 2008. The reality is the opposite. Livewell’s philosophy is “You’re the doctor, doctor.” Want to do every dental with full-mouth radiographs and regional blocks? Done. Want to run a truly fear-free practice with separate cat and dog entrances, Treatables for every patient, and adaptive care plans for anxious dogs? They literally said, “Tell us the budget and we’ll make it happen.”
My favorite example: I told them on the first site visit that ultrasound is non-negotiable for me—I cannot practice the way I want without one. They didn’t blink. They purchased a brand new Esaote and I couldn’t be happier about it.
You also get to build your own culture from the ground up. I had a hand in hiring every single team member myself. My hospital manager and I wrote our own employee handbook (with plenty of help from Livewell’s templates so I didn’t reinvent the wheel). We have a flexible work schedule where working everyday is not expected. My team laughs every single day, and our client Google reviews mention the vibe more than the medicine—which tells me we’re doing something right.
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it: you’ll still work hard. Opening a brand-new hospital from zero patients is not for the faint of heart. There will be a lot of pallets to unload and things that need to be put together. But every ounce of sweat is yours. The wins are yours.
If you love veterinary medicine but traditional ownership feels like financial Russian roulette, Livewell is the third door you didn’t know existed. You get to be the doctor you went to school to be, build the practice you’ve always dreamed about, and still sleep at night.
I leapt without a parachute and landed in a pile of memory foam. If any of this resonates, send in your resume—even at 1 a.m. with a ridiculous subject line. I’ll be the one reading it and smiling, because I know exactly how you feel.
Hope to welcome you to the team soon,
Dr. Alex Deal, Livewell Animal Hospital of Katy
