Episodes

  • Stop Scatter-Gunning - Instead, Focus On One Thing At a Time and Do That Really Well

    Stop Scatter-Gunning - Instead, Focus On One Thing At a Time and Do That Really Well
    Jan 8 2025

    For this solo episode of the Let´s Talk Dog Business Podcast, Jo & Vicky discuss the importance of focusing on one business strategy at a time. Using examples from their own experience and that of their mentees, they demonstrate why splitting your time and energy and trying to achieve too much at once is counterproductive.

    They then explain how a business that currently offers numerous courses can distil and hone things so that they can offer one product and focus on that. Sharing how to do that in a way that enables you to make higher profits. They also explain how to identify which business tasks you need to focus on first.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Focusing on one thing. Getting really good at it will take your business further faster.

    • Not focusing usually means you end up only half doing things and not maximising opportunities.

    • Once you are good at something you know for sure whether it is profitable or not.

    • Offering one programme makes marketing far easier and more effective. How to distil everything down into one product or course is explained during the podcast.

    • Learning one new skill at a time is by far the fastest way to learn and hone that skill.

    • Religiously using the right calendar is a simple way to ensure that you always focus on the right thing at the right time.

    • Plan out your time and stick to that schedule. Initially, it will feel restrictive but taking that focused action will quickly end up providing you with more freedom.

    • Stop trying to cover too much in your classes. Instead, focus on getting your client to the stage where they can do the thing that will solve their problem, and do it well.

    • Trying to cover too much in one lesson just overwhelms and frustrates clients.

    • Ask the right questions to get your clients to think. When you do that, lightbulb moments happen, and your clients progress faster.

    BEST MOMENTS

    “Focus on understanding why your business exists and that outcome for your client.”

    “The biggest thing we did was to streamline all of our services into one.”

    “It's pointless dipping into loads of different areas. You've just got to do one thing.”

    “We should just be focusing on one thing per class. Just by doing that we hugely elevate that class.”

    “Set the expectation and dare to be different.”

    “Doing everything at once is not the answer.”

    SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

    https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

    https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

    Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

    Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/

    ABOUT THE HOSTS

    Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    48 mins
  • Become a Pet Business Disruptor to Grow Fast with Clayton Payne

    Become a Pet Business Disruptor to Grow Fast with Clayton Payne
    Jan 1 2025
    DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Clayton Payne, a pet and animal industry expert, podcaster and serial pet industry entrepreneur who is currently the C.O.O. at the Bug Factory. It is an insect company that develops industrial breeding systems for insects that are used in animal foods and feeds. Clayton has worked in the pet and pet food industries all of his life. He has created, grown and sold multiple businesses in the sector. So, the information he shares here is invaluable and has been adapted to be especially relevant for owners of dog training businesses. KEY TAKEAWAYS Think outside the box. Get creative. If you keep doing things the same way you will get left behind. Trends change. Twenty years ago, dogs mostly ate canned food, now high meat content dried foods and raw meat are in high demand. The dog training industry is changing too. The way people live has changed, so the way dogs live and the problems they need help with have changed too. Adapting your training to a specific breed or personality type is a good way to specialise. The fact that you deeply understand that type of dog and have adapted how you teach to suit its needs is a huge selling point. Sell why you are so good. Appealing to people emotionally, using logic and creating urgency enables you to sell more. Don´t get frozen by fear. Get on with things and learn from your mistakes. Get customer feedback, so you are clear on why your product or service sells. Try new products or services out with people you trust to get feedback. Several ways to do this are discussed in the episode. As a service provider you can still create urgency by limiting demand. If there are products you love why not sell them? It´s a win-win. Many manufacturers are interested in working with dog trainers to sell their products. Often, they will offer special deals and discount codes. BEST MOMENTS “If you keep doing things in the same way, you're going to get left behind.” “From a young age, I was thinking - I'm going to have to innovate. I'm going to have to do things differently.” “Look and think – Who´s buying this? And why are they paying money for it?” “You have to change your mentality from a mentality of, what do I like, to what makes my customer part with their money combined with what I like, because you're not selling to yourself .” “If you have a product or service, try and niche it. ” “People struggle with criticism because they don't see it as a chance for learning.” ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pet-business-disruptors/id1759599442 Mealworm kits - https://bugfactory-mealworm.com SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/ ABOUT THE HOSTS Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Your Dog Business Questions Answered – Q&A Session

    Your Dog Business Questions Answered – Q&A Session
    Dec 25 2024

    For today's episode of Let's Talk Dog Business, Vicky & Jo do something a little bit different. They answer some of the questions that you've submitted to them via the Facebook group.

    They cover how to increase your perceived value, getting clients to do what is asked of them, working out how much to charge and how to create your client avatar.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Offering something that other trainers in the area do not offer or providing 100% of what potential customers need helps to increase your perceived value.

    • Focus on attracting the right clients, don´t waste energy chasing people you are not a good fit for.

    • When clients book and pay for blocks of lessons, be clear about the date by which the sessions need to be completed.

    • There are several ways to work out how much you should be charging. During the episode, Jo & Vicky explain each one and highlight the best way to do it.

    • When working out what to charge, don´t just go with an hourly rate, especially not a low one. If you simply do that you are not factoring in what it costs to provide the service e.g. insurance and rent.

    • What you charge needs to reflect your expertise, you are sharing experience and knowledge that few people have.

    • You need to do more than earn enough to cover your bills. People will spend what they are happy to pay, if you are happy too, it is a win-win.

    • Factor in where your potential clients live when choosing which platforms to use.

    BEST MOMENTS

    “The perceived value of your client isn't necessarily your own perceived value,”

    “If we're leaving it to the client and they're not doing it well, our job is to lead and guide them to make sure that the journey for them is absolutely amazing.”

    “Everything should be really clear and simple for the customer.”

    “You are responsible for that dog. You are there to care for it.”

    “Without you, that person couldn't go on holiday, or they couldn't do what they're doing.”

    “Everything should be really clear and simple for the customer.”

    “If someone's happy to pay you £1000 for 5 training sessions and you're happy to receive it. It's a win-win.”

    “Do you need to start using different words and phrases because of the age of your audience?”



    SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

    https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

    https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness



    Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

    Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/




    ABOUT THE HOSTS

    Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    27 mins
  • Changing the Public´s Perception of Muzzled Dogs with Clara of The Muzzle Movement

    Changing the Public´s Perception of Muzzled Dogs with Clara of The Muzzle Movement
    Dec 18 2024
    DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Clara who worked for many years as a senior trainer and behaviour advisor at Dog´s Trust. In 2022, she founded The Muzzle Movement as a way to advocate for muzzled dogs and their guardians. Something she felt compelled to do when she adopted Tolly, who needed to be muzzled. The experience they had while out and about compelled Carla to change the public´s perception of muzzled dogs. It also inspired her to shake up the muzzle space by developing a new type of muzzle. One that provides far more freedom of movement, while still being effective, comfortable and hardwearing. In under 2 years, 20,000 have been shipped worldwide. Carla shares her story, including raising £46,000 on Kickstarter. KEY TAKEAWAYS Carla hired someone on Upwork to create the CAD plan for her. The first muzzle was 3d printed. Being able to feed and drink water while wearing a muzzle is a big benefit. A dog wearing a black or brown muzzle looks scarier to most people than one that is wearing a blue or brightly coloured one. Hire help as soon as you can. Your business will grow faster, and you will avoid burnout. When Clara hired a team her turnover hit £1.2 million in 12 months. Hire people who share your core values and passion for what you are doing. This is particularly important during the startup stage. Be clear about your purpose. Without that clarity, you will not have the drive to get through the tough times. Offer true solutions for actual problems, not something only you perceive to be an issue. Stick to your values. Carla shares why they are doing this and why they turned down £2 million worth of orders. Hire a mentor as soon as possible. It will accelerate your growth. Regularly review what you are doing and improve. As an industry we need to pull together and stop criticising each other. There is way too much negativity in the dog industry. BEST MOMENTS “I wanted to be able to feed my dog through the muzzle really easily.” “I should have hired people sooner.” “A business needs to make money to be able to continue being a business and be able to support more people in the future.” “Your business decisions should be made off the back of those values.” “We'll take that loss of £2 million orders that we could have had next year if it means that over time, the right things are happening anyway.” “It impacted my business because I was surrounded by negativity the whole time.” “I don't think they're fearful of what their potential clients would say, they're scared about the peer group.” “Reach out to people and say that's amazing … it really helps the other person.” ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.themuzzlemovement.com Socials - @themuzzlemovement SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/ ABOUT THE HOSTS Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • It's Tough Being a Woman in this Industry

    It's Tough Being a Woman in this Industry
    Dec 11 2024

    In this episode, Jo & Vicky take a look at why the dog industry is mainly made up of women.

    They also discuss the differences between female and male energies and the pros and cons of the two approaches.

    As well as talk about the common pitfalls your natural way of thinking and being can lead you into. Before explaining how to take account of all this and adjust the way you manage your business so that you can stay true to yourself, become a more effective business owner and take care of your family.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Most people involved in the dog industry, especially the women, really struggle to charge what they are worth.

    • The fact that so many trainers started their careers almost as a hobby, as a side hustle plays a role in people underestimating what they should be charging.

    • Frequently, the person setting up the dog business is not the main wage earner in the household. Certainly not, during the startup phase. This also has an impact on how much they are willing to charge.

    • Many women lean into the nurturing side of helping dogs and owners to overcome their issues, but to the point where they feel they should be offering that help unconditionally. An emotional thought cycle that can make it harder to charge for their time.

    • Some dog trainers find it hard to charge enough if they feel that the person in front of them is struggling financially.

    • Successful business owners learn to tap into both feminine and masculine patterns of behaviour.

    • At times being in business is tough, and you have to be tough too to get through those times. But it is not always wise to bring that energy home with you, where as a mother you are fulfilling a different role that requires a different energy.

    • When guiding clients, tapping into your masculine energy can be helpful. It makes it easier for them to accept that in this situation you are the professional.

    BEST MOMENTS

    “Multitasking can be a good thing, but it also can be negative, because you maybe don't complete the tasks.”

    “With the transition of me growing as a person and growing this business, my role at home has now changed. I'm there a lot less.”

    “I think there are elements of feminine energy in all of the men that we've worked with.”

    “I do find that masculine and feminine energy really interesting because I see it show up in how people run their businesses.”

    “That caring nature bit of but I can help, I want to help, I need to help. So, if I can, I will, and if you can only afford this, then that's okay .”

    SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

    https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

    https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

    Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

    Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/

    ABOUT THE HOSTS

    Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    31 mins
  • The Power of Living Life Happy and With Purpose with Gordon Burcham

    The Power of Living Life Happy and With Purpose with Gordon Burcham
    Dec 4 2024
    In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Gordon Burcham, a 3 times Martial Arts champion who runs his own martial arts school and has helped 1000s of other entrepreneurs to build successful martial arts businesses. He is also a public speaker, author and business & personal development coach. Gordon shares his journey to help you understand the connection between personal development, happiness and business success. In the process of doing so, Gordon, Jo & Vicky explain how to empower yourself for growth. KEY TAKEAWAYS Honing your business skills will only get you so far. The other half of the equation, the most vital part, is personal development. If you don´t work on yourself you won´t get much further than you are now. Personal development and growth empower you to be your true self and equip you to navigate the storms of life. You are the one that is holding yourself back. Look internally for the answers. Life is not about what happens to you, what you do with your experiences is what really matters. Don´t fall into the trap of being a victim. Your critical inner voice is wearing you down, take the wins as your wins. You won because of your efforts and ability, not because of luck. Self-love is vital. Love yourself for who you are, absolutely everything you are. Judgement is horrible, it´s a virus, give yourself a break. Instead, accept yourself and others. Toxicity comes from a lack of abundance, a lack of love. You worry that if someone else gets something or you share there won´t be enough for you. Empathy is powerful, it enables you to stop judging. Stop tearing each other down, accept that there is more than one way to do things. Not everyone has to do it like you. Embrace change don´t fear it. Be grateful for everything, even the small things e.g. the rain that grows your food, the sun that warms you. Living in gratitude generates joy and makes you happy every day. BEST MOMENTS “If I am looking externally for someone to help me, I lose all my power.” “His passing was a blessing in many ways because it led to me writing Live Life Happy.” “Get rid of the sh**t from the past.” “I beat the person that I've been battling for years, which was myself.” “The world is toxic because of judgement.” “This toxicity comes in, and this is where we're actually destroying an industry from within.” “Pause, don´t go straight in with that judgement.” “Your personal development journey is never done, it´s never finished.” ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonburcham https://www.gordonburcham.com Books - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Gordon+Burcham SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/ ABOUT THE HOSTS Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    1 hr
  • The Pros and Cons of Running a Dog Business as an Autistic Person with Cat Topham

    The Pros and Cons of Running a Dog Business as an Autistic Person with Cat Topham
    Nov 27 2024
    In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Cat Topham who talks about her experiences of living with autism and working as a dog trainer. Cat shares a fascinating insight into the impact autism has on running a business. Including, how being autistic is both beneficial and challenging when training dogs. Cat covers finding clients that fit with what you have to offer, dealing with social media when it´s all a mystery to you, being more understanding with clients and adjusting the way you communicate with them. She also explains how she manages where her energy goes to avoid burnout. KEY TAKEAWAYS Autism is a bit like a breed difference e.g. terriers' and collies’ brains are wired differently, so they have different behaviour traits. There is no point in ignoring difference, you have to adapt your approach e.g. if noise overwhelms you, recognise that and reduce your exposure to noise. All business owners benefit from learning to manage their time and energy better day to day to avoid burnout. Dogs don´t require you to mask how you are feeling, which is part of the reason neurodiverse people have such a strong connection to dogs. Many autistic people become obsessed with things they are passionate about. This makes them very knowledgeable about those things. Cat´s autism makes it hard for her to read people. She shares examples in the podcast. Seek out the right clients for you, people who want what you offer. Autistic people spot patterns, so can very easily pick up on precursor behaviours e.g. a dog's muscles tensing or ear moving just before it is about to do something. Being diagnosed as autistic empowered Cat. She understood herself better and found it easier to adapt to the challenges she faces, while further strengthening the abilities autism enhances. Social media does not come naturally to Cat, as it doesn´t for many dog trainers. BEST MOMENTS “The average neurodiverse person takes in 40% more of what's going on around them than a neurotypical person…that in itself is more tiring.” “I only have 3 hours a day to speak to people face-to-face because communication is so much harder.” “Many neurodiverse people have a connection with dogs.” “As a neurodiverse person, it isn't like excuses. You just want accommodations in certain situations.” “I just hate doing It (social media), that's the problem and I'm not bad at it.” “The way I would speak is very, very direct. I have to be very careful to not be interpreted wrong, like to say the wrong thing.“ “Running a dog training business, isn't really about dogs, is it? … It's about people” ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.instagram.com/chtopham https://www.valleydogs.uk SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/ ABOUT THE HOSTS Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    59 mins
  • Pet Sitter Confessional with Collin Funkhouser

    Pet Sitter Confessional with Collin Funkhouser
    Nov 20 2024
    In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Collin Funkhouser from Pet Sitter Confessional. He and his wife run a pet-sitting and dog-walking company which employs 13 people, while homeschooling their kids. They also run a podcast and socials that help dog professionals across the globe to share their tips, experiences, and stories. During the discussion, Collin touches on everything you need to know to establish and grow a dog business. But he goes into depth when it comes to deciding when to hire your first employee, finding the right people, training them, and nurturing their talents. He also explains how to create a company culture that ensures that your service continues to improve, and your business can grow without you being there every minute of the day. KEY TAKEAWAYS If your business is seasonal smooth out the troughs by offering other services. Let your business partner take control of the things you are not good at. If you work with your life partner, don´t talk about the business during family time. Hire good help as soon as you can. It makes your business resilient. Hiring employees rather than relying on freelancers enables you to train them and keep standards high. Hire people who are confident in their abilities yet humble enough to ask questions. Put in place the right processes and continually improve them. In a competitive market niching down works. Every dog owner has a different lifestyle, so the dog care each one needs is different. Every time something goes wrong ask – what could I have done differently? Your marketing language has a significant impact on whether the service you provide looks like good value for money. Use video to connect with your client and show them how happy you make their pet. Providing the owner gives permission it is also great for marketing. Remember that taking care of someone´s pet well makes a huge positive difference in their life. Put in place boundaries and stick to them e.g. not working on your kid´s birthdays. You are not alone, join an online dog business group to find support and understanding. BEST MOMENTS “Everybody's better when we're sharing and telling our own stories.” “To be clear is to be kind…we want our employees to know exactly what it means to have done an amazing job.” “Soft skills are the most important thing in the success or failure of people in your business.” “We´re still learning.” “Downtime takes practice because we're small business owners we're wired to …. get out there and conquer.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.petsitterconfessional.com https://www.facebook.com/petsitterconfessional https://www.facebook.com/groups/412597292686603 https://www.instagram.com/petsitterconfessional SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/ ABOUT THE HOSTS Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.
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    1 hr and 16 mins