The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast

Becky Mitchell wanted to work with dogs since she was a little girl growing up in Plymouth, and set up Beckys Walkies in 2010. To improve her knowledge she embarked on a dog training journey that added behavioural and training services. This led to her working long hours 7 days a week and almost burning out. Becky shares how she streamlined the services, increased prices, took on a staff member, a...

Hannah's dog Kobie inspired her to become a dog trainer, and after she tooled up her training knowledge she sensibly started figuring out how to market those skills, which led her to PBIC Diamond. She shares how putting her personality into her marketing has helped create deeper connections with her tribe, AND how hit she swiftly and successfully switched to online training when lockdown hit. You...

Today I'm joined by my good friend Alex the Video guy who has just bought a house. Exciting times! We chew the fat about when is the right time to buy AND more importantly for your pet business when is the right time to 'move' on to better clients. Also featured in this episode is a £415 new years eve takeaway,  Dom and Beths rags to richer story, advice on how you can make 3 times more then your...

This week I'm joined by my good friend Phil Agostino who specialises in Executive Body Transformation, which is helping business owners and professionals to look great, live longer and perform better. Phil kindly shares the ups and downs of his business story, and some incredibly useful fitness tips that will help you build a fitter body and a fitter, more profitable pet business. For more tip and...

This weeks guest went from pet shop worker to professional groomer, and then travelled the work perfecting his craft. After a stint in the states he came home, and began touring the U.K with his popular dog grooming seminars. This led to him authoring a book, developing his own line of grooming products AND this year he stars as a judge in the upcoming Pooch Perfect T.V. Show. He's also a very gen...

Like many pet business owners Ryan Donovan did a lot of different jobs before starting his business like painting houses, worked in retail, he delivered flowers AND (this is a first for the show) for a number of years worked as a pastor. Then a year after of struggling to exercise their own dog, Ryans wife Leanne suggested they start a dog walking business, so Vancouver Dog Walkers was born. You'l...

Step into Santa Hodges secret grotto, and discover the 12 days of pet bizmas! These are the 12 pet business building secrets that will help you smash the sh!t out of your 2021 business goals. You'll unwrap why you need to avoid the 11 lemmings leaping and the 8 whinging pet pros, AND how 10 Regular Clients, 6 passive incomes streams-a-laying and 3 Step follow will bring you untold success next yea...

Like many pet professionals, Jen Tserng didn't set out to start a dog business. She actually started dog walking to help bring in pocket money while she was at medical school. Then when she was offered an unpaid internship in NYC she turned into a nomadic dog walker, saving on extortionate rent fees by pet sitting her way through school. This is an interesting and unusual pet business that will ap...

Prior to launching Edition Dog Jennifer Dow was employed as a youth worker, psychology and criminology lecturer and also ran a series of car magazines and events with her husband. A lifelong passion for dogs bubbled to the surface and resulted in the creation of Edition Dog Magazine, a trusted resource for dog owners who need help, advice and some confidence building from experienced expert writer...

Sarah Stevens has been a groom, a childminder, a busy mum, a teaching assistant to starting a dog walking business on the side to taking the leap to launch a doggy daycare with husband Pete, and now also employs three other family members. Sarah hit rock bottom when she missed out on a holiday of a lifetime because she was rushing around like a busy idiot and couldn't find her passport in time! Fi...

HELP! I'm not good enough! We've all had that sinking feeling when imposter syndrome makes you doubt your skills and you feel like a fraud.....BUT, what if you genuinely aren't good enough? What to do when you realise you don't possess the 'real life' skills to move your pet business forward? First up don't panic, this happens to everyone (even Dom) It's crucial you IGNORE the motivational 'gooroo...

In this weeks show my good pal Alex the Video guy shares why he has created a special 'Rec the Lockdown' series of short films. It's a classic example of how you step up, show up and be of service to your community when they most need help. This is exactly what my PBIC Pitbulls did during the first lockdown. When you help others  you help yourself and this will help Alex grow his business this yea...

This week I'm talking to my good friend Jane Arden, who shares her inspiring business journey from very humble beginnings to now being an expert dog trainer, author, speaker, successful business owner and inventor of the Smartpup Box! It hasn't been an easy ride though and in this honest and open chat, Jane shares the blood, sweat, tears, mistakes, mishaps and key action points she learned along t...

Do spooky spirits give you the shivers, or does blood, needles, small spaces or the dark make you fill your pants like a toddler whose had too many rusks? Course not! Well, did you know the pet business journey has more fearful and anxious moments than a Scream boxset! In this Halloween Special I'm sharing the five levels on the pet business scare-o-metre so you can see exactly where YOU are, and...

Do you want to know the easiest, best and fastest way to get on in life? (That includes business or anything else you crave success with?) It's to put some  skin in the game. See, talk is cheap and it's easy to simply 'say' you are serious about growing your pet business.  There's a MASSIVE difference between being a 'freebie seekers' and someone who has invested cold, hard cash in their personal...

Do you ever lie awake at night worrying about the money your pet business makes? Does tax planning turn you off and would you rather pick up dog poo than look at a spreadsheet? Fear ye not pet biz owner, cos this week Dom is joined by his accountant Lorraine Ellison of Simply Additions. Lorraine shares how you end the headaches and stress you feel about money, so you can take control of your finan...

How did dog trainer Annie Grossman go from teaching dog training classes in her living room apartment, to opening a School for the Dogs in New York City that included a puppy kintergarden, day school dog classes, a school dog yard run AND a store! Well, it wasn't easy, she had to contend with sky high real estate prices, a fire and then covid! Get the full inspirational story by checking out episo...

Tracey Oliver had the idea to start a dog business over a curry and a glass of wine (I approve of this kind of planning!) She got Cozy Canines off the ground while she had some time off from her main employed job, and worked to a deadline where she HAD to make a certain amount of money, by a certain date IF she was to turn her dog walking dream into a reality. Find out how she embraced premium pri...

Growing a pet business is bloody hard work! You need websites, leaflets and a social media presence but you don't know how to be interesting! You know you need to increase prices but you don't know how without losing clients. And you may need to take on staff but you don't know where to start! Well, in this weeks episode Dom shares how you can get all the answers in one complete, Dog Walkers 'Busi...

Do you ever feel like giving up, that your pet business will never take off or that you just aren't cut out to be a business owner? If the lockdown left you listless and you are worried about the upcoming recession, then this episode of the show will put a rocket up your butt and give you the boost you need to keep going. Alex the Video Guy is back and we have a plan to help you adapt and keep goi...

This week I'm going stateside and interviewing Colin and Meghan Funkhouser who run a family pet business in Missouri and they also produce the excellent Pet Sitter Confessional Podcast. They originally started a pet sitting business while studying their masters degrees in Texas, then they moved back home to be nearer family and started again from scratch. Dicover how they used online and offline m...

This week I'm talking to long-time PBIC member, 'The Collie Coach' Tam Wilson, who runs the award winning Born 2 Run Pet Care (a business that inspired me when I was setting up in 2011). Tam shares an inspiring, entertaining rollercoaster of a pet business story that saw her overcome relocating to a new town, loads of competition and running her pet business as a single mum, to create an award win...

Today I'm on the beach with Alex 'the video guy' Wardle, and we are talking about why now is the time to dust off the BIG pet business plan you shelved when lockdown hit. To keep growing and developing your pet business you need to embrace the growing pains that come with success. I share how you can keep growing AND build a profitable and fulfilling pet business. Also near the end of the pod Alex...

This week I'm talking to one of my PBIC Diamond members, dog grooming sensation Anna Pollard, who along with her business partner Selina, owns The Dog House Salon in Leicester. Anna tells how she went from doing no marketing (and having no clients) to implementing 80/20, premium pricing, upsells, add-ons and produced a kick-ass paper and ink newsletter which has transformed the business fortunes. ...

Todays guest is PBIC Diamond member Phil Houston. In 2016 Phil actually bought the dog wallking business he was using at the time. He grew it and last year added a doggy daycare business called Tails from the Lake. You hear how Phil used to be a busy fool who was sh!t scared about increasing his prices (but did it anyway), how 'follow up' has transformed his marketing, AND why now he concentrates...