317 | Mentorship, Motherhood, and Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Liz Strahl
Peggy Coffeen sits down with Dr. Liz Strahl of St. Anna’s Veterinary Clinic, part of Heritage Vet Partners, to talk about building a career—and a life—in dairy practice. A Wisconsin farm kid turned large animal veterinarian, Liz shares how 4-H, early mentorship, and vet school shaped her commitment to strong, trust-based producer relationships. She unpacks what she calls “unbreakable” bonds between veterinarians and dairy teams—rooted in responsiveness, communication, and delivering value beyond the chute.
The conversation also explores mentorship as a two-way street, navigating confrontation early in her career, and how motherhood reshaped her perspective on work-life balance.
Liz discusses why many women leave bovine practice, the importance of supportive clinic culture, and how active learning helps prevent burnout. She highlights functional fitness and wellness as essential for the physical demands of large animal work, along with her goal of becoming board-certified in dairy practice.
Her key takeaway: stay curious, ask more questions than you think you should, and be unapologetically yourself.
This episode is brought to you by Heritage Vet Partners
Heritage Vet Partners is the nation’s leading veterinary partnership, specializing in mixed and large animal practices. Heritage Vet Partners provides a unique partnership model that preserves local practice legacies, serving dairy and other livestock producers and companion animal owners through shared services, data, and strategic growth. Learn more at HeritageVetPartners.com.
01:11 Sponsor Heritage Vet Partners
01:35 Choosing Vet Medicine
02:44 School and Early Career
05:05 Unbreakable Producer Bonds
08:07 Mentorship in the Truck
13:54 Hard Lessons Confrontation
15:34 Motherhood and Identity Shift
18:15 Why Women Leave Bovine Practice
20:17 Burnout and Active Learning
23:46 Wellness and Functional Fitness
25:16 CrossFit Origin Story
29:17 Trust Flexibility Challenge
32:14 Connecting with the Team
36:16 Active Learning and Authenticity
39:15 Big Goals and Getting Boarded
41:01 Wrap Up and Podcast Outro
