14/06/2025
❤️💪
WHEN A NEW CLINIC OPENS NEAR YOU:
Coping with the Mental Torture of Uncertainty
By Dr. Geoff Carullo, DVM, Dip., PCCP, Dip., PCVS
Let’s be real.
Sometimes, the hardest part of being a veterinarian isn’t the patient care.
It’s not the bloodwork, the surgeries, or the long hours.
Sometimes, the hardest part… is what happens inside your head.
Like when you suddenly hear:
“May bagong clinic na itatayo sa tapat niyo.”
And your chest tightens.
Your thoughts spiral.
“What if clients leave?”
“What if they’re cheaper?”
“What if they’re better?”
“What if this is the start of my downfall?”
You try to act calm.
But deep down, it feels like someone just built a wall on your peace.
A storm you didn’t ask for.
A threat you didn’t see coming.
And the worst part?
You start to mentally torture yourself with questions that don’t even have answers.
THE TRUTH ABOUT COMPETITION
It’s normal to worry.
You’ve built something with your whole soul—
of course it’s hard to imagine someone else stepping into your space.
But here’s what you need to remind yourself:
Someone opening a clinic near you
doesn’t erase what you’ve already built.
They’re not you.
They don’t have your journey.
They don’t carry your scars, your story, or your client’s loyalty.
What you’ve built is rooted in time, trust, and truth.
Competition doesn’t cancel your worth.
It just calls you to evolve.
HOW TO COPE WITH THE UNCERTAINTY
If you’re struggling, here’s how to hold yourself together:
1. Pause the Panic.
Before you assume the worst, take a breath.
You’re reacting to a possibility, not a certainty.
Don’t let a mental “what if” ruin your current “what is.”
2. Protect Your Mental Borders.
Limit your stalking. Don’t keep checking their renovations, posts, or promo boards.
That’s not strategy—that’s self-harm disguised as “research.”
3. Refocus on What You Can Control.
You can’t stop them from opening.
But you can improve your systems.
Upgrade your service.
Train your staff.
Reconnect with your clients.
Competition can make you anxious—
but it can also make you sharper.
4. Remember Who You Are.
You’ve already survived worse.
You’ve started from zero.
You’ve had slow days, lean months, and miracle recoveries.
You’re still standing.
That means you’re stronger than your fear.
THE MENTAL REFRAME
Every time a new vet clinic opens near you,
don’t see it as your downfall.
See it as proof that your area is growing.
That the industry is thriving.
That more pets are getting care.
And most of all…
See it as a reminder:
You were here first.
And you’re still here for a reason.
You can’t silence all the noise.
But you can choose not to be consumed by it.
And if the fear ever gets too loud,
say this to yourself:
“I built this once.
And by God’s grace,
if I ever have to—I’ll build it again.”
But this time…
stronger.
wiser.
and already proven.
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