Like many writers, my earliest career fantasies were shaped by fictional women, like Carrie Bradshaw, Peggy Olson, Anne Shirley, and Skeeter Phelan. These women made writing feel not just possible, but aspirational. Every time I watched Sex and the City, Mad Men, The Help, or Anne of Green Gables, I became a little more enamored with the idea of becoming a writer.

Then it happened. 

“You’re a really good writer,” my professor at the University of Colorado Denver told me. “Have you ever thought about writing as a career?” 

That moment gave me the confidence to apply for an editorial internship at Denver’s 5280 Magazine. A few months later, when the April 2011 issue landed in my mailbox, I flipped eagerly to the masthead. There it was: my name listed under “Editorial Interns.” Two short pieces followed, each stamped with “By Sarah Rumple.” Thousands of Denverites would flip through this magazine. It felt surreal, and I was hooked. 

For years, I assumed career growth was linear: employee → business owner → retirement. What I didn’t expect was that growth might also mean coming full circle, back to being an employee again, but with far more clarity, confidence, and intention than I had the first time around.

 

Becoming “The Vet Writer”

 

In June 2011, I was hired as a marketing copywriter at the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). I loved animals, and I loved writing, so the role felt like a perfect fit. For nearly 5 years at AAHA, I wrote industry-facing and pet owner-facing articles and marketing copy, managed and edited newsletters, and developed advertising campaigns.

Somewhere along the way, the veterinary industry grabbed hold of me, and it has never quite let go.

By 2016, colleagues and industry contacts were regularly asking for help with copywriting projects. I decided to see whether I could turn that momentum into something bigger: a veterinary-specific freelance writing business. But first, I’d need to start an LLC.

Since I had no clue what I was doing, I scheduled a free appointment with a volunteer advisor from the Denver Small Business Administration. I met the gray-haired, no-nonsense man at a coffee shop in Golden, Colorado. Before I could even pull out my yellow legal pad, he launched into a rapid-fire overview of everything I needed to know to start a business. An hour later, armed with the gold mine of information on my legal pad and feeling equal parts exhilarated and terrified, I headed home and began working on step 1. 

 

From copywriter to business owner

Sarah Rumple at a laptop

Rumpus Writing and Editing LLC was born in October 2016. For the first 18 months, “Rumpus Writing” was really just me. As the business grew, I quickly realized that I couldn’t—and didn’t want to—do it all alone. 

I wasn’t just looking for good writers. I wanted writers who understood veterinary medicine from the inside: veterinarians and veterinary technicians who knew the medicine, the language, the pressure, and the realities of clinical practice.

Today, Rumpus Writing’s full-time team of four includes a veterinarian, two veterinary technicians, and me. Over the past nine-plus years, we’ve worked with hundreds of clients, sent nearly 1,800 invoices, and generated over $4 million in revenue. What began as a solo freelance experiment grew into a business, and, in many ways, an identity. 

 

From business owner to Editor-In-Chief

I wrote my first article for Today’s Veterinary Business, a North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) magazine, in 2018. Shortly after, I met the editor, Ken Niedziela, in person. Over the years, we worked together on many pieces. When Ken told me he planned to retire in early 2026—and that he thought I’d be a strong candidate to succeed him—I began to imagine a new professional chapter. 

My first day as Editor-in-Chief of Today’s Veterinary Business is January 5, 2026. I’m deeply excited for this opportunity, and I know it’s the right move for me. At the same time, I’m grieving the transition away from Rumpus Writing—the company that has been my “baby” for nearly a decade. 

In many ways, this move feels like a return to being an employee again—but not a step backward. It’s a choice I’m making with eyes wide open. 

I’m comforted knowing that Rumpus is in excellent hands: Chief Operating Officer Dr. Angela Beal is stepping into the role of owner and CEO, and the company will continue providing exceptional copywriting services to the veterinary industry. 

 

Lessons learned along the way

Sarah Rumple holding a kitten

As I transition from business owner to employee, I’ve found myself reflecting on what the past 15 years in the veterinary industry have taught me. Here are a few lessons I’m carrying into this next chapter:

  1. Life is a series of chapters. Before I became a writer, I was a respiratory therapist. I hated it, so I went back to school. Five years ago, I assumed I’d run Rumpus Writing until retirement. When burnout crept in and a new opportunity appeared, I chose change. If you’re feeling stuck, chances are you’re not—you’re just between chapters. 
  2. You can do hard things. Running a business has meant hiring and firing people, saying yes to things I had no idea how to do, and gaining and losing big clients and projects. It has brought tears of joy and sadness. Every time I’ve felt frustrated or hopeless, I’ve come out stronger and more resilient on the other side.
  3. Your support system is there. Use it. My instinct has always been to internalize fear and uncertainty. Being a business owner taught me that my husband, sister, friends, and colleagues truly want to help. Asking for support isn’t a burden—it’s a bridge. 
  4. Trust your gut. I’ve received plenty of advice over the years—some helpful, some not. But when it came to the decisions that mattered most, my gut consistently proved to be my most reliable guide.
  5. Trust your people. Delegation is terrifying, especially when a business feels like an extension of yourself. But when you empower the right people, they rise to the occasion, and your business becomes stronger for it. 
  6. Always do your best work, no matter what work you do. Whether I’m writing a single blog post for a solo practitioner or a months-long campaign for a multi-million-dollar organization, I give it my all. I read it a thousand times. I obsess over every word choice, and I make changes every time I read it. Effort and care matter.
  7. Kindness and relationships matter more than profits. Have I been particularly business-savvy? No. Should I have charged more for our services? Probably. Was I sometimes too generous with my time? Oh, definitely. This approach won’t maximize revenue, but it has maximized trust, reputation, and relationships. For me, that tradeoff has always been worth it. 

 

There will be many more lessons ahead. Here’s to change, growth, and whatever the next chapter brings.