Daily Inspiration: Meet Charles McMillan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles McMillan.

Hi Charles, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey to owning a veterinary hospital is probably a little different from most, mainly because it wasn’t a dream I chased from the beginning. For most of my career, opening a hospital of my own wasn’t even on my radar. I’ve always loved practicing medicine, but I never saw myself as the person who needed their name on a building or wanted to juggle P&Ls and payroll.

It wasn’t until a few years ago, after doing some real introspection, that I started thinking about how I could make the biggest impact. I asked myself what the next step in my career trajectory should be and how I could influence change on a broader scale — not just case by case, but in the profession as a whole. That’s when the idea of ownership started to feel less like an abstract concept and more like a meaningful next chapter.

Around that same time, I was encouraged to build a digital footprint and become a little more forward-facing. I didn’t expect much to come from it, but putting myself out there opened doors I didn’t even know existed. One opportunity led to another, and eventually it put me in front of the business partners I now work with. From the first meeting, I felt comfortable with them. I believed in their model, their philosophy, and the way they approached leadership. That alignment made the leap into ownership feel not just possible, but right.

I’ve practiced in just about every corner of veterinary medicine — relief, emergency, urgent care, and general practice. Each one shaped me differently. But stepping into the role of a business owner and head of several hospitals was a brand-new hat to wear. It stretched me in ways medicine alone never could, and it continues to challenge and motivate me daily.

Looking back, the path wasn’t planned — it unfolded as I grew, reflected, and stayed open to new possibilities. And that’s how I ended up here today, leading my own hospital and working to create the kind of culture and impact I once only hoped to see.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road definitely hasn’t been smooth — not in getting here, and not in the day-to-day work of leading multiple hospitals. I’ve always believed in what I call the law of effort: anything worth having requires discipline, commitment, and a willingness to push past comfort. Ownership has reinforced that belief tenfold.

As veterinarians, we’re trained to diagnose, treat, and prescribe. Our brains are wired to think in algorithms and clinical pathways. But stepping into ownership required me to exercise entirely different parts of my mind. I had to learn to see things from multiple perspectives, to marry different philosophies and leadership styles, and to make decisions that didn’t just affect one patient — but entire teams, hundreds of clients, and the health of the hospitals overall.

Suddenly I wasn’t just responsible for medicine. I was responsible for people — their growth, their morale, their stability — and for navigating all the moving parts that come with running a business. That shift was challenging. And to be honest, there have been seasons where the responsibility took a personal toll on me socially, mentally, and even physically.

But even with the difficulties, when I zoom out and look at the alternative, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. The challenges come with purpose. It’s meaningful work. And every time I see a team member grow, a hospital stabilize, or a client feel truly supported, it reminds me why the hard road was worth choosing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a small-animal veterinarian, which means my training and scope of practice include dogs, cats, and pocket pets like hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, and ferrets. That said, the overwhelming majority of the patients I treat are dogs and cats.

Clinically, I’m known for being pretty didactic and very literature-driven. I like staying current with advances in the field, and I get a lot of second-opinion cases because of that. I’m a diagnostician at heart — I love complex cases, puzzling presentations, and situations where an owner may have been told there were no other options. There’s something deeply rewarding about finding clarity in the gray areas and giving a family hope or a path forward they didn’t know existed.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the way I communicate with clients. I try to combine compassion with transparency and directness. My goal is never to confuse people with medical jargon but to help them genuinely understand what’s going on and why we’re recommending certain steps. I’m also comfortable practicing anywhere along the spectrum of care — from incremental approaches to gold-standard workups — so clients feel supported no matter their circumstances.

What really sets me apart is the emphasis I place on communication and follow-through. We over-communicate on purpose: emailing medical summaries and lab results, calling to check on patients, and making sure families never feel left in the dark. I like being able to take a client from point A to point B without wasted steps, uncertainty, or unnecessary detours. The goal is always clarity, partnership, and making them feel confident that someone is truly in their corner.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is from when I was around 13 or 14. My dad used to drive me around to veterinary clinics, pet stores, and any pet-leaning business we could find so I could apply for jobs or get experience. I was young — definitely too young for most places to hire me — but he let me walk in anyway, shake hands, and introduce myself like I belonged there.

What sticks with me the most is how completely supportive my parents were of my dream to become a veterinarian. Even when I faced rejection after rejection, they never let me waver. They cultivated that passion early, and there was never any doubt in our household that one day I would become a veterinarian.

Those moments — riding around with my dad, walking into places that could’ve easily said no, and feeling that unwavering support — are some of the earliest and strongest memories tied to the career I have today.

Pricing:

• We are offering 50$ off across all my Atlanta hospitals for 1st time clients
• We offer affordable wellness plans

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goodvets.com/locations/atlanta
• Instagram: @yourfavoritepetdoc (my personal IG); @goodvets_atl (Business IG)