Meet Nicole Lenz | Veterinarian and Owner of BarkWell Animal Care Center

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Lenz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Since I was a very young child, I always had a passion for animals and the outdoors. I was the child that spent weekends and holidays exploring the flint hills around our family cabin in rural Kansas. As I grew up, this love for animals developed into a desire to become a veterinarian, and the time I spent at our cabin helped me to see the beauty of our rural areas and small-town communities — I wanted to serve these communities and their animals.

I initially thought that I would join an established practice and then take over the clinic when the owner wanted to retire. However, after working several years under other veterinarians, a unique work opportunity for my husband presented itself and life took us back to his family’s farm in northeast Colorado.

At that point in my career, with several years of experience carried with me, I reflected on the type of veterinary medicine I enjoyed and on the type of animal care needs of the local area. I knew that my greatest area of enjoyment and interest was in small animal medicine (companion animal medicine) and there currently was a need for these services in our area. So together with my husband’s and family’s support I decided to take the leap into business ownership.

Veterinary medicine is not my career—it is my lifestyle, my passion, my lifelong commitment to spend each day dedicated to caring for those animals entrusted to my care. I enjoy educating and gaining the trust of client families so that pets and their people can live happy, healthy lives.

My professional goals are to continually build upon my medical, surgical, and communication skills to help offer the highest possible veterinary care for each animal I see. As a veterinarian, my goal is to utilize thorough examinations, cost-effective diagnostics, client education, and constant self-education to manage patient health – from growing puppies to geriatric pets—and build lasting bonds with my clients. Opening my own business allowed me to focus on these goals each and every day.

What should our readers know about your business?
I hope what sets me apart is the fact that veterinary medicine is not just my career—it is my lifestyle, my passion, my lifelong commitment to spend each day dedicated to caring for those animals entrusted to my care. I enjoy educating and gaining the trust of client families so that pets and their people can live happy, healthy lives.

At BarkWell, we are not only focused on treating animals, but also on teaching the next generation about veterinary medicine. One thing that excites me when I walk into BarkWell is to see the enthusiastic face of a student volunteer or intern who is going to spend the day with us. Sharing my love of veterinary medicine with others is something I greatly enjoy.

When reflecting back on my business startup experience, I first think of the trusty notebook I carried everywhere with notes and questions, dates and contact numbers scribbled from cover to cover – This was the little business bible that made the daunting learning process manageable. I had no business experience, but life had taught me how to learn. So learn I did. I learned about inventory, zoning, loans, staff management, plumbing, hardware installation, etc. etc. I overcame these challenges by tackling each task individually, instead of looking at the whole daunting list in the notebook. Over time, the challenges became smaller as I learned and grew as a business owner.

Along the way, I have learned to have faith in myself, to delegate tasks, and to trust the knowledge of others.

At BarkWell, our goal is to “keep pets on paths to wellness.” By improving the lives of pets, we can have a positive impact on their human families, and consequently improve our human experience.

If you had asked me on my first day in vet school what my career path would be, I would not have predicted that it would include a leap of faith to move to a new state, buy and renovate a building, and start a business from scratch, but here I am!

Life is full of opportunities, and I hope that my story can be a reminder that anyone with a little idea, and a large amount of passion and persistence can accomplish much.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you are to come visit us, stop by BarkWell and say hello! After that, I highly recommend visiting one of the local restaurants (great authentic mexican food, and a delicious BBQ place in town called Happy Jack’s!) then head over to the fair grounds for a walk around the beautiful park – remember to bring your pups to enjoy the pretty day, or grab your frisbees for frisbee golf. If you are here in the summer, be sure to coordinate your schedule around the local fair or schedule a trip when we have our annual car show. Walk up and down main street and check out the local shops, one of my favorites is The Oak Tree, and the owner is a fellow entrepreneur. If you are looking for an agriculture experience, get in touch with a local farmer and see if you can ride along during harvest (potatoes, corn, wheat, just to name a few). I am so very proud of our hard-working farmers and ranchers; I grew up in a city and it has been extremely interesting and inciteful learning about how our food is produced.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Who else deserves recognition for BarkWell’s success and my success? So many people! First and foremost, I would like to thank my family and friends for they overwhelming support they have shown, and elbow grease they have provided during building renovations and business startup to make my dream a reality. Without them, BarkWell would not exist as it does today. A very special thank you to my father, the most humble and dedicated man I know, who helped me tackle a building project far larger than I could have handled alone. Last but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing community – a community that has welcomed me and my business with open arms and has helped BarkWell to grow with each passing year.

Website: www.barkwellvet.com