Back in May 2025, when I was just starting my page and writing blog articles, I reached a point where I was getting tired of doing radio.
Every radio program required almost an entire day. I had to travel to the station, prepare myself, rehearse, and read from a script, all for a one-hour show.
I asked myself,
“Is there a better way to share what I know?”
That was when I decided to write.
Then one day, Dr. Randy Galutan challenged me.
“Why don’t you compile your articles and write a book?”
I accepted.
I immediately gave myself a deadline.
I told myself it would probably take 10 to 11 months to finish. My original plan was simple: get an ISBN and self-publish it through Amazon the following year.
Looking back, one lesson stands out.
Dreams become goals the moment you attach a deadline to them.
Without a deadline, they’re just wishes.
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Month after month, I kept writing.
Not every day was productive. Some days I wrote one page. Some days just a paragraph.
But I never stopped.
Ironically, I wrote almost the entire manuscript on my cellphone using the Notes app.
I already had a vision.
I didn’t want a book filled with long, complicated paragraphs. Veterinarians are busy. I wanted something easy to read, practical, and something they could open to any page and immediately learn from.
Little by little, the manuscript grew.
The hardest part wasn’t writing.
It was finding the title.
Then it suddenly hit me.
What is veterinary business to me?
It’s a game.
Not because it’s easy.
But because every decision has consequences.
Every move creates opportunities or setbacks.
Much like playing Monopoly, success doesn’t depend on luck alone. It depends on strategy, discipline, patience, calculated risks, and learning from mistakes.
That’s when the title came naturally.
The Veterinary Business Game Theory.
When I finally compiled everything and emailed the manuscript to myself, I was shocked.
Over 800 pages.
That’s when reality sank in.
“I think I need a publisher.”
Thankfully, John Vie found Bookshelf Philippines.
We had several meetings before everything came together.
There were countless revisions.
Even the back cover wasn’t exactly how I originally envisioned it.
But looking back now, those revisions made the book better.
Publishing is truly a collaborative effort.
I would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped transform my manuscript into a finished book.
- Jessica Ty, our Publishing Manager, who patiently guided the entire publishing process.
- Porsha Mangilit, our Managing Editor, who helped shape the manuscript into its final form.
- Gia Concepcion, our Graphic and Layout Artist, who transformed plain words into professionally designed pages.
Our talented illustrators:
- Rizza Balagat
- Selma Duron
- Angelo Laguiab
- Felicity Victoria, who contributed to the graphics that completed the visual identity of the book.
People often see only the author’s name on the cover.
But behind every published book is an entire team working quietly behind the scenes.
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Today, when I hold my first book in my hands, I don’t simply see 400 pages.
I see:
- Hundreds of mornings spent writing.
- Deadlines kept.
- Sacrifices made.
- A challenge accepted.
And most importantly…
I see proof that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things when they commit to finishing what they started.
If there’s one message I’d like to leave with you, it’s this:
Write your goals down. Give them a deadline. Then show up every day until they’re finished.
You don’t have to be the most talented person in the room.
You simply have to be the one who refuses to quit.
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Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a veterinarian. Like and follow if you’re with us.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
