The Simple Routine That Stops You Going Dark And Keeps You Invisible - ep.247

The Simple Weekly Routine That Stops You Going Dark - episode 247

Host: Julie South [00:00:04]:

Last week we talked about how trust builds before timing and how those everyday moments become quiet deposits in your clinic's culture trust bank.

This week we're turning those insights into practice. Because once you understand the why, the next question is always how? How do you actually keep culture storytelling going without it taking over your week?

Stay with me to the end, because I'm going to give you a 15-minute weekly routine that you can start on Monday and start showing you why the boring content you're dismissing is exactly what works.

Welcome to Veterinary Voices—Culture Storytelling Conversations that help vet clinics hire great people. I'm Julie South and this is Episode 247.

Veterinary Voices is brought to you by VetClinicJobs, the culture storytelling platform for forward-thinking vet clinics.

Host: Julie South [00:01:24]:

Your Perfectionism Is Killing Your Culture Storytelling

Now, if you're like most vet clinics, I know you're waiting for something impressive to happen before you post—the big team achievement, the perfect all-hands photo, a notable win.

And that's where most vet clinics stay stuck. Because their camera roll is full of ordinary moments, but they've dismissed them as being too small to share, too insignificant to share—I'm using air quotes here—too small to share and too insignificant to share.

You scroll past Monday morning's carrot cake in the tea room or Wednesday's mentor moment with a new grad. Maybe Friday's rescue kitten weigh-in where everyone's cooing. You scroll past those photos because you think none of these are worth posting.

Host: Julie South [00:02:02]:

You're waiting for something bigger, something better, something more significant.

And while you're waiting for that something impressive, other clinics are showing up with exactly those ordinary moments. Week after week, same day, same time. And they're building ambient familiarity.

By the time vets and nurses start job hunting, those clinics who are already posting ordinary stuff are already familiar. And you're still invisible. You're still dark.

Host: Julie South [00:02:42]:

Unfortunately, it's your perfectionism that's killing your culture storytelling. Here's the thing about working in veterinary—you're trained to get it right. Perfect sutures, perfect diagnosis, perfect client communication. It's part of what makes you great at what you do.

But sadly, perfectionism is killing your culture storytelling. Your camera roll is full of moments you've dismissed because they're not professional enough or polished enough or impressive enough. They're ordinary.

The team laughing over Monday's carrot cake? Too casual. The mentor moment with a new grad? Too ordinary. Friday's rescue kitten weigh-in? Too silly. That photo where everyone's smiling? Too blurred. That one from the tearoom—the light's not good enough.

So you wait for something award-winning, something meaningful, something perfect. Meanwhile, your clinic is staying dark.

Host: Julie South [00:03:47]:

It's staying unseen, invisible to future vets and nurses who are your type of people. But they don't see you.

So it's time, and I say this with love and respect, it's time for you to get over yourself, to start sharing what a wonderful team you actually work on and alongside.

Some of those messy Monday photos, some of those blurred photos, some of those ordinary Wednesdays—sprinkle them in between your client posts about pet care tips. Intersperse them amongst your vaccination reminders.

Start becoming visible before you have a vacancy. Start sharing your culture stories for your future teammates. The stories showing how your team actually works.

Host: Julie South [00:04:44]:

Here's Why Boring Consistency Wins

And just so you know, we're not talking about you trying to go viral here. We're talking about how you can stay visible before your vacancies so you're remembered.

And memory doesn't come from intensity, it comes from repetition.

Those Monday morning carrot cake photos feel too small to matter, but post something from Monday morning every Monday for a month or so. The carrot cake one week, the team huddle the next, someone's homemade muffins another week—and you'll start to see something shift.

Host: Julie South [00:05:34]:

Vets and nurses scrolling their feeds start noticing, not consciously—they're not stopping to comment every time, but they're registering it. They're registering, oh yeah, that clinic. That's ambient familiarity and you're building it.

And ambient familiarity is what puts you on a vet's or a nurse's mental shortlist before they're even considering their next career move, even before they start looking.

The polished team photo you're waiting to take—that might get more likes, sure, but it won't build the same steady recognition as boring, consistent, ordinary moments, the real moments.

Rhythm beats perfection. Repetition beats perfection every single time.

Host: Julie South [00:06:27]:

The Three-Part Routine That's Easy to Build

Here it is. You want a routine, a rhythm that works in about 10 to 15 minutes a week.

One moment—scroll through your camera roll and pick something real from this week. Don't wait for impressive.

One minute—choose the best photo or line. Don't overthink it. Just choose.

One message—one sentence about what this moment says about who you are. You're not writing a bestseller, so remember to make it simple and relatable.

Host: Julie South [00:07:04]:

That's it. Do it once a week. Make it a routine. Same day, roughly the same time. Because when you keep the beat, consistency becomes your credibility. Each short post tells your long story and that's what compounds.

This Week's Action Plan

This week, open your calendar, open your schedule and block a 15-minute block for culture storytelling. Set a repeating reminder. Pick a time that works for you. It doesn't matter when it is, so long as it works for you and so long as you do it during that slot.

Scroll your camera roll. Pick one ordinary moment that maybe you would have dismissed as being too small or too blurred or not professional enough. But post it anyway.

Not for your clients, but as a culture story for your future teammates so they can see that you're their kind of people. No polish, no pressure, no waiting for impressive. Just rhythm and routine.

Host: Julie South [00:08:12]:

Keep that up for a couple of months and you'll start noticing two things. You'll notice that posting gets easier and engagement will quietly start to build.

The hardest part isn't creating the content, it's giving yourself permission to share the ordinary, imperfect, small stuff. I'm inviting you to run with that permission. Give it heaps.

And if you hear that little voice in your head tell you that that's too ordinary or not perfect, tell them to back off and do it anyway.

You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone

You don't have to figure this out alone. If you're listening to this and thinking, I get it, but I'm still not sure what counts as worth sharing, get in touch. Email me at julie@vetclinicjobs.com or message me on LinkedIn and we'll talk about what a sustainable culture storytelling routine could look like for your clinic.

Host: Julie South [00:09:17]:

Quick Recap

Remember, you're not waiting for content. You already got it and you're dismissing the ordinary moments that actually build trust. Your perfectionism in this case is working against you.

While you wait for something award-winning, other clinics are showing up weekly with boring consistency and building ambient familiarity.

Remember, your action plan is to block 15 minutes today for next Monday to pick one of those not good enough moments or blurry photos from your camera roll and share it as a culture story for future teammates.

Your focus is on future people, future vets and nurses. Not another client post.

Host: Julie South [00:10:16]:

Next week in Episode 248, we're going to talk about how to bring your team into your culture storytelling routine so it's not all on you.

This is Julie South signing off and inviting you to go out there and be your most fantabulous—because you work alongside amazing people you're proud to showcase via the boring, blurred and ordinary moments to help attract vets and nurses who identify as your kind of people because they love what you're sharing.