Inventory Nation with Nicole Clausen - All Things Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals

Epizode

• Ep. 101 | Why Your Inventory Numbers Are Always Off (And What to Do About It) 16.06.2026 25min

  This week's episode was sparked by a really great question posted in the Veterinary Inventory Management Facebook group, and honestly, it's one I hear all the time: Why are my inventory numbers never accurate, even for something as simple as ear cleaner? If you've ever felt like your inventory is completely out of control and you're not sure where to even start, this one's for you. We dig into the two main "levers" that affect your inventory accuracy in your practice management system: invent...
• Ep. 100 | The Leadership Secret That Turns Struggles into Superpowers with Ron Sosa 12.08.2025 45min

  Our veterinary office practices are built on control or conformity, but this very special episode of “The Inventory Nation Podcast” focuses on a different priority: connection. Join host Nicole Clausen for a fascinating conversation with Ron Sosa, a certified veterinary practice management expert, all about neurodiversity in the workplace and the transformational results that can occur when leaders incorporate inclusivity. It’s all about simple measures to incorporate things like sensory regu...
• Ep. 99 | For When Your Stressed... A Calming Guided Meditation 16.09.2024 22min

  SUMMARY: Welcome back! We’re so glad you can join us for this very special – and very important – episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast. Because she’s been there, Host Nicole Clausen knows intimately how the stress of managing inventory can wreak havoc. That’s why she has chosen to devote this episode to an amazing form of self-care: Meditation. Tune in to learn how to divert high anxiety into total relaxation through the simple act of bringing mindfulness. Our host invites you to tak...
• Ep. 98 | Behind the Scenes of Writing My First Book: Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals 13.09.2024 23min

  Episode Summary: Welcome back to another episode of the Inventory Nation podcast! In this special edition, host Nicole Clausen takes you behind the scenes of her first-ever book, "Inventory Management for Veterinary Professionals." Nicole shares her heartfelt journey—from conceptualizing the book to the challenges she faced during the writing process and her ultimate inspiration. The book, designed to be accessible and neurodivergent-friendly, addresses the common struggles faced by inventory...
• Ep. 97 | Optimizing Your Inventory COGS with Emmitt Nantz 11.06.2024 38min

  SUMMARY: “Don’t shoot for minimization or maximization. Shoot for optimization!” So says our expert and co-founder of Inventory Ally, Emmitt Nantz, on this episode of Inventory Nation. Host Nicole Clausen welcomes this leader in the field of veterinary operations improvements to explain why Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is currently a high priority and how systems have evolved to increase efficiencies. In particular this conversation highlights the power of harnessing predictive data analyt...
• Ep. 96 | COGS Mini Series: What Should Your Inventory Costs/COGS Be? 21.05.2024 26min

  When it comes to managing Cost of Goods Sold, it’s critical to have a strategy for tracking and reducing expenditures – which is why our Veterinary Care Logistics community always has lots of questions on the topic! It’s also why we’re all about COGS on this episode of Inventory Nation when Host Nicole Clausen shares her step-by-step approach to securing your clinic’s all-important bottom line. We’re looking at how to define your clinic’s operational profile and understand the best practices ...
• Ep. 95 | Lessons I Learned the Hard Way as a Beginner Inventory Manager 30.04.2024 43min

  How did our host, Nicole Clausen, come to be a thought leader for veterinary practices nationwide? On this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast she shares with us her origin story and lessons learned on her professional journey from logistical overwhelm to veterinary clinic management mastery. We are learning about the “aha” moments and highly successful systems Nicole developed through trial and error, along with roadblocks we can all expect to encounter along the way. You’ll hear about N...
• Ep. 94 | My 3 Favorite Ways to Know When Hospital Supplies are Low 29.08.2023 23min

  What is it about “back to school” season? It just feels like a great time to start fresh! And if you’re a veterinary inventory manager, that probably means taking control of unnecessary guesswork – and stress! Nicole Clausen, host of The Inventory Nation Podcast, gets us started with a strategy for reliably managing reorder points. You’ll learn about tried-and-true methods for keeping your inventory operation running smoothly, with some help from things like reorder tags, bins, or shelf label...
• Ep. 93 | How to Remove Financial Barriers to Care with Aimee St. Arnaud 15.08.2023 35min

  SUMMARY: There it is: The dreaded “payment due in full at time of service” sign at your front desk. For many pet owners it can make the difference between seeking treatment and walking away. Sad, uncomfortable conversations about the financial bottom line are a huge cause of burnout for care providers, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Our special guest on this episode of Inventory Nation is sharing a systematic approach to tailoring a clear, flexible financial strategy that fits your...
• Ep. 92 | Are you the Purr-fect Inventory Manager? How & Why Inventory Matters 11.07.2023 28min

  On this jam-packed episode of Inventory Nation our Host Nicole Clausen is reminding us why we do what we do and how to answer that all-important question: Am I doing a good job? You’ll learn why it’s important to establish a baseline and how to put in place objective measures to assess the health and functionality of our inventory management systems. We don’t want to wear rose-colored glasses, for sure, but inventory managers also tend to be super-hard on themselves, which doesn’t help anyone...
• Ep. 91 | What to Do When Your DVMs Want ALL the Options 20.06.2023 26min

  Here’s a scenario you may have experienced (and stressed over): Your DVMs seem to want ALL the options on the shelves and right NOW! On this episode of Inventory Nation our host, Nicole Clausen, shares a systematic framework to help you navigate what’s already in stock, massage the flow of products and create ordering procedures to accommodate (but not over-provide for) the demands of your practice. For many care providers, an understandable (but unnecessary and unhelpful) scarcity mindset ca...
• Ep. 90 | Going from Selling 2 in a Month to 17 in a Day -- What to Do Next! 05.06.2023 18min

  We’ve all experienced it – those unpredictable surges in demand that come out of nowhere and throw us totally off our game. On this episode of Inventory Nation, Host Nicole Clausen walks us through this unsettling scenario. More importantly, she’s giving us a methodical approach to figuring out why these spikes happen and how (with a little planning) we can stay ahead of the curve. Given how hard we work to keep our systems running smoothly and everything readily available for our teams – whe...
• Ep. 89 | 11 Tactics for Helping Your Team to Enter Charges Correctly 23.05.2023 29min

  Do you have an inventory management hero? Or maybe you’re the unsung hero? This episode of Inventory Nation introduces something brand new from Vet Care Logistics: Inventory Manager Appreciation Day, which this year takes place on June 7th and will also mark the opening of nominations for Inventory Manager of the Year! So stay tuned for accolades as well as exciting gifts for our honorees! Host Nicole Clausen is also giving us the run-down on her Top Tips for keeping your inventory systems ru...
• Ep. 88 | Getting Your Inventory Set Up with Inventory System Deep Dive 25.04.2023 21min

  Overwhelmed? Confused? Sometimes even waking up at night with inventory anxiety? Nicole Clausen, host of the Inventory Nation Podcast, well remembers having exactly those feelings when she was just starting out – and wishing she had a comprehensive resource. That’s why she has created a new inventory ecosystem methodology – the program she wishes she’d had access to back in the day! This episode introduces the Inventory System Deep Dive, a lifetime playbook for you and your inventory....
• Ep. 87 | 5 Inventory Things that Shouldn't Be Normalized in Vet Med 18.04.2023 35min

  Time flies! On this special episode of Inventory Nation, Host Nicole Clausen is celebrating six years of serving her favorite people – us! When she started Veterinary Care Logistics in 2017, it was out of a strong desire to help the many inventory managers who feel overwhelmed or beaten down by their job descriptions. Having once been there herself, Nicole knows well the behaviors and assumptions that have been normalized when it comes to inventory managers and what their jobs entail. And she...
• Ep. 86 | 5 Steps for Getting Your Team Excited About Change 04.04.2023 23min

  Change is never easy and – especially in a fast-paced clinic environment where so many variables pop up every single day – it can even be destabilizing. That’s why Host Nicole Clausen is devoting this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to Five Simple Steps to reduce the fear factor when it comes to adopting new systems or processes. She walks us through practical approaches that will smooth transitions and promote buy-in from team members all along the way. So grab a notepad and h...
• Ep. 85 | The Tightrope of Controlled Substance Regulations: Improving Your Compliance with Lauren Forsythe, PharmD 21.03.2023 33min

  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Penny-wise and pound-foolish. Either of these adages apply perfectly to the topic at hand on this episode of Inventory Nation. Dr. Lauren Forsythe – a controlled substances expert and Pharmacy Service Head at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital – highlights for Host Nicole Clausen how risk mitigation can prevent costly regulatory compliance issues before they start. Their conversation focuses on why it’s important to establi...
• Ep. 84 | 3 Things to Remember When Being an Inventory Manager Feels Impossible 07.03.2023 22min

  Help! Have you ever gone from feeling in total command of your inventory to … what?? The wheels suddenly seem to have come off the bus, thanks to an unexpected rush or a crush of back orders. Don’t worry! Host Nicole Clausen has your back and is devoting this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to managing through – practically and emotionally – when things start to fall apart. And, by the way, inventory snafus happen to everyone – so no beating yourself up! You’ll come away from this sho...
• Ep. 83 | Quantifying Your Value as an Inventory Manager 21.02.2023 15min

  Ever wondered how to showcase the value you bring as an inventory manager? Or wanted to truly shine during a salary negotiation or on your latest resume? Host Nicole Clausen devotes this episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast to giving you strategies to demonstrate – in very concrete ways – the huge benefits this work bring to to veterinary practices. And there’s nothing squishy about it since metrics are of course at the heart of great inventory management! You’ll learn how to quantify clea...
• Ep. 82 | Tactics for Creating Systems for Your Inventory 14.02.2023 28min

  SUMMARY: Passion is at the heart of every great romance and it’s no different went it comes to Host Nicole Clausen’s ongoing affair with all things inventory management! This episode of The Inventory Nation Podcast offers you a front-row seat on what it feels like to Fall In Love With Your Inventory! Returning with her first podcast of 2023 (and since the loss of her beloved Tank), Nicole jumps right into the nuts and bolts of putting systems in place – not just in order to get a handle...