Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Kylie Lindsay - Clinic Services Manager - pt 1/2 - 1033
From Client to Clinic Leader: Kylie Lindsay on Energy Vets’ Growth and Team Culture Kylie Lindsay didn’t originally join Energy Vets as a staff member — she joined as a client. Growing up in rural Inglewood with horses and other animals, the clinic (then Inglewood Veterinary Services) cared for the animals on her family’s lifestyle block. One day, while a vet was visiting one of her horses, Kylie asked whether there might be any work available at the clinic. Her timing was good. A role had ju...
From Client to Clinic Leader: Kylie Lindsay on Energy Vets’ Growth and Team Culture
Kylie Lindsay didn’t originally join Energy Vets as a staff member — she joined as a client.
Growing up in rural Inglewood with horses and other animals, the clinic (then Inglewood Veterinary Services) cared for the animals on her family’s lifestyle block. One day, while a vet was visiting one of her horses, Kylie asked whether there might be any work available at the clinic.
Her timing was good. A role had just opened on the after-hours phone team.
More than twenty years later, Kylie is now Clinic Services Manager, overseeing reception, companion animal services, and stock across Energy Vets’ Inglewood and Waitara clinics in Taranaki on New Zealand’s North Island.
In this conversation with Julie South, Kylie reflects on the growth of the clinic over the past two decades, how teams rotate across both clinics so clients receive consistent service, and the professional development opportunities available across the whole team — including reception and support staff.
She also shares one of the clinic’s quieter success stories: the number of kennel hands who have gone on to train in the veterinary industry, with several returning to work at Energy Vets after completing their studies.
When asked to describe the team in three words, Kylie chooses: welcoming, supportive, and professional.
Next week, Kylie talks about the type of veterinarian who fits the EnergyVets team and her own journey from answering after-hours phones to becoming a shareholder and director in the business.
In This Episode
00:04 – Introduction to the REAL+STORY episode with Kylie Lindsay
01:33 – Kylie’s role and how long she has been with the clinic
02:02 – Joining the clinic after originally being a client
03:45 – Growing up in the Hutt Valley, Rotorua, and settling in Taranaki
04:34 – Raising children and schooling in rural Taranaki
08:19 – Sporting opportunities and life in the region
08:49 – Growth of the clinic since 2005
10:41 – Professional development and leadership training
12:34 – Rotating teams across the Inglewood and Waitara clinics
15:27 – How Kylie’s role evolved as the clinic grew
17:10 – Examples of team members stepping into leadership roles
19:16 – Energy Vets’ “best kept secret” — the culture
21:14 – Kennel hands entering the veterinary profession
22:57 – Former kennel hands returning to work at the clinic
23:31 – Three words Kylie uses to describe the team
Hiring Link
Energy Vets is currently looking for an experienced small animal veterinarian ready to co-lead the companion animal team.
Learn more here:
vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets
Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?
If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.
The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs
KYLIE LINDSAY - CLINIC SERVICES MANAGER - ENERGY VETS TARANAKI
Julie South [00:00:04]: Welcome to Veterinary Voices, culture storytelling conversations about what makes veterinary clinics places vets and nurses are excited about going to on Monday mornings because they've found their kind of people. I'm Julie South, and this is episode 1033.
This is a Real Story episode — real Veterinary Voices telling real veterinary stories. Today we're hearing from Kylie Lindsay, who's the Clinic Services Manager at EnergyVets in Taranaki on the West Coast of New Zealand's North Island.
As I'm recording this, EnergyVets is looking for their next experienced small animal veterinarian — someone ready to co-lead the companion animal team and mentor the next generation of vets. Links are in the show notes for you to find out more.
If you're considering your next career move, listen out for when Kylie talks about how she first joined the clinic — because it's not your regular route — how the team has grown over the past two decades, and the culture that's developed inside EnergyVets.
Julie South [00:01:27]: Let's get started.
Kylie Lindsay [00:01:33]: I'm Kylie Lindsay. My role at EnergyVets is Clinic Services Manager, and I've been working for EnergyVets — and prior to that, Inglewood Veterinary Services — since 2005.
Julie South [00:01:49]: Kylie, off air you gave me an interesting backstory about how you came to be working for EnergyVets. What was that?
Kylie Lindsay [00:02:02]: I was actually a client before I worked for EnergyVets. I grew up in the rural Inglewood area — we moved here when I was 16, after my parents purchased a lifestyle block. We had a small menagerie of cats, dogs, and horses. I've been a horse owner since around 11, and EnergyVets — Inglewood Veterinary Services at the time — were the vets who looked after our pets, horses, cows, and everything else on that lifestyle block.
One day, Dr Greg Hall came out to see one of my horses, and I asked him whether there might be any vacancies at the clinic — perhaps in reception or another area — for someone like me who wasn't a qualified nurse or vet. I was lucky with my timing. There happened to be a role becoming available in the after-hours team — the team who answer the phone and take after-hours calls on behalf of the clinic.
Julie South [00:03:35]: If I understood you correctly, you moved to Inglewood — but are you Taranaki born and bred?
Kylie Lindsay [00:03:45]: No, I'm actually from the Hutt Valley. I was born there, then we moved to Rotorua when I was young for my dad's job, and then relocated to New Plymouth when I was 8.
Julie South [00:04:01]: So Taranaki is very much home now.
Kylie Lindsay [00:04:04]: Yes, very much so. I don't think of myself as anything other than a Taranaki person.
Julie South [00:04:14]: And you've raised your kids in Taranaki?
Kylie Lindsay [00:04:17]: Yes. I've got three children — they've attended school in our local rural area. They're aged between 12 and 27, so some have left home and we've still got our youngest with us.
Julie South [00:04:34]: So if someone's listening who has school-aged children and is perhaps from a bigger city — what would you say to them about rural schools in Taranaki? Was boarding school ever a consideration for you?
Kylie Lindsay [00:05:07]: For our family, no — that wasn't a consideration. We're fairly close to our local rural school, and there are quite a few rural schools dotted around the mountain. It's a region of rural industry — dairy, sheep and beef — so there's still a substantial number of rural schools operating.
They worked really well for us. We loved the community atmosphere. The kids grow up knowing each other, local families all chip in, and it has a great community feel. It never crossed my mind that it wasn't the right environment for my children to grow up in.
That said, there's still plenty of access and transport through to the city schools in New Plymouth if that's what a family needs. The rural schools provide very good education — right up there with the city options. My kids have done very well.
Julie South [00:06:40]: If you asked your kids, what do you think they'd say about their schooling?
Kylie Lindsay [00:06:51]: I think they'd tell you they've loved every minute of it. The concern for some people is probably around sporting opportunities — whether a small rural school has enough children to put together a team. But the schools here are very good at coming together to create combined teams so no child misses out.
My daughter catches the school bus, and on that bus there are children from three different schools — all travelling to their respective schools together, whether that's their rural primary, which often includes intermediate, or the local high school, which has a very good reputation in its own right.
Julie South [00:08:19]: You mentioned sporting opportunities. Hasn't Taranaki produced quite a few All Blacks?
Kylie Lindsay [00:08:26]: It certainly has — its fair share, and I'm sure that will continue. It's not a forgotten little region off to the side of the island. There are plenty of opportunities here.
Julie South [00:08:49]: You joined in 2005 — and as we're recording this, it's 2026, so that's 21 years. What changes have you noticed over that time? You've already mentioned the name change from Inglewood Veterinary Services. What else has changed?
Kylie Lindsay [00:09:12]: The biggest thing has been the incredible growth within the business. When I joined reception in Inglewood, we had one small animal vet and one nurse in each clinic. That's grown considerably — we now have 10 nurses across the two clinics. Reception has doubled too. The growth has been huge, and it's been well managed. The communities of Inglewood and Waitara have grown as well, which has helped drive that.
The other thing that stands out is the people. We have staff who've been here for many years — longer than me, in fact — who've simply enjoyed it so much that they've stayed. The relationships, the team, the business — they've all grown together.
Julie South [00:10:41]: What about professional development — not just for nurses and vets, but for admin and support staff too?
Kylie Lindsay [00:10:56]: My own story is a good example of that. I started on the after-hours phones, moved into reception, and then roles evolved as opportunities came up. I've been sponsored through leadership training, which has helped me grow as a manager and lead my teams more effectively. We've had customer service training where those opportunities have been available, and we bring in reps to educate the frontline team — not just nurses and vets, but everyone — because it really is a team effort.
We also want to encourage growth in the team leaders below me. Our reception supervisor, nursing supervisor, and others will have the opportunity to go through leadership training at the appropriate level. We try to support that wherever we can.
Julie South [00:12:34]: You mentioned that nurses, vets, and reception staff rotate between the two clinics. Does that apply to you as well?
Kylie Lindsay [00:12:52]: Yes, our reception team roster across both clinics. The benefit is that everyone feels comfortable working out of either location — they know where everything is, they can find things quickly, and they're giving clients consistent information and consistent service. It also means there's no "us and them" between the two clinics. We're one team, and everyone gets to work with everyone.
From a client perspective, it doesn't matter whether you normally go to Waitara or Inglewood — you can expect the same level of service, the same answers, and the same core values reflected at either clinic. I think that makes both our clients and our team feel very comfortable.
Julie South [00:14:24]: What does your role actually look like day to day?
Kylie Lindsay [00:14:30]: My role is Clinic Services Manager — similar to what other clinics would call a practice manager. I oversee three teams: reception, the companion animal area, and stock. It involves plenty of hats and moving between both clinics depending on what's needed. I want to make sure products are available consistently across both sites and that I'm staying across what's happening on the ground.
Julie South [00:15:20]: Were you the first person in this role, or has it evolved as the clinic has grown?
Kylie Lindsay [00:15:27]: When I started, Paul Whittle — who is now our on-farm rep — oversaw what became my role. Over time, it became clear that Paul's real strength was out on the road, liaising directly with clients. He has a broad knowledge base, particularly around drenches, and it made absolute sense to get him into that space. That created the opening for me to step up, and the role also expanded to include the companion animal side, which Paul hadn't held.
Julie South [00:16:39]: What I heard in that was that the team identified a strength in Paul that wasn't being fully used — so a role was shaped around him to let him do his best work. Are there other examples of that?
Kylie Lindsay [00:17:10]: Yes — there's been growth within teams from people moving up through the ranks. Nikki Smith, our head nurse, came to us as a nurse. We could see she had strong people skills and team-leading ability, so she was the obvious choice when the head nurse role came up. We've had head nurses before, and in the past those roles were often filled from outside the business. But Nikki's interpersonal skills made her stand out, and she's absolutely fulfilled that.
We've also had Karina Robinson, who came to us from a Manawatu clinic around 11 years ago. She started in reception, moved into stock, went off and had two children, and came back to work with me in the stock area. And Stacy — she started in reception and is now our head receptionist.
Julie South [00:19:02]: Listeners, Stacy will be the next episode in this series, so watch for that. Kylie, what would you say is EnergyVets' best kept secret?
Kylie Lindsay [00:19:16]: The culture. When people join the team — whether as a new vet, a receptionist, or a nurse — they often wait for that initial warmth to wear off. You know how it is when you start somewhere new and everyone's being kind and helpful, and then the pressure comes and you see who people really are. People tell me they wait for that moment here.
It doesn't come. The culture, the team — it genuinely doesn't wear off.
And it's across the whole team. From the kennel hand who comes in after school, through to reception, nursing, and management — everyone is included, and nothing is above anyone else. If I walk through reception and a dog has had an accident on the floor, I'll clean it up. If the phones are ringing and reception is flat out, the large animal vets will pick up. That's the strength of this team. That's the secret.
Julie South [00:21:01]: Left-field question — you mentioned kennel hands. Have any of them gone on to study and come back?
Kylie Lindsay [00:21:14]: That's a story I love sharing. I'd say probably three-quarters of our kennel hands have gone on to train in the industry. These are high school students who come in after school from around 4 to 5pm to help the nursing team — cleaning kennels, doing rubbish runs, that kind of thing.
Most recently, Jess, who was our kennel hand at the Waitara clinic, has just been accepted into vet training at Massey. And Melanie, who was here for around six years, started as a kennel hand and went on to complete her diploma in nursing. Several of them have not only trained but come back to work for us.
Kylie Lindsay [00:22:26]: I think that's another sign of the culture here. They come back looking for a job with us. The feedback we've had is that the people, the mentoring, the environment — it's had such an influence on them that they've wanted to stay in the industry. And they've wanted to come back here specifically.
Julie South [00:22:57]: That must be a real proud moment — watching them leave for study and then come back qualified.
Kylie Lindsay [00:23:11]: Very much so. Watching those young people grow up, become young adults, and want to come back to this industry and to this clinic — it's a really good feeling.
Julie South [00:23:31]: Kylie, three words to describe the team?
Kylie Lindsay [00:23:39]: Welcoming. Supportive. Professional.
Julie South [00:23:53]: That was Kylie Lindsay, Clinic Services Manager at EnergyVets in Taranaki on the West Coast of New Zealand's North Island. Magic spot if you haven't been there.
In this first half of our conversation, Kylie shared her unusual entry into the clinic more than 20 years ago, the growth she's witnessed inside the business, and the culture that shapes the EnergyVets team today.
In the second half next week, Kylie talks about the kind of veterinarian who fits the EnergyVets team, the leadership expectations for the role, and her own journey from answering after-hours phones to becoming a shareholder and director in the business.
As we recorded this episode, EnergyVets was looking for their next experienced small animal vet — someone ready to co-lead the companion animal team. You can find out more at careers.vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets. There's a link in the show notes.
If you're responsible for recruitment at your clinic and you're thinking, "we have stories like this but we don't know how to tell them" — I'd love to have a chat. Get in touch at julie@vetclinicjobs.com.
Thank you for staying to the end. Tune in next week for the second half of Kylie's story. This is Julie South signing off and inviting you to go out there and be your most fantabulous self. And remember — when vets and nurses can see that you're their kind of people, you stop hiring strangers and start welcoming people who already feel like they belong at your place. Until next time.