Let's Talk Dog Business

DESCRIPTION Are annoying clients really the problem, or could you be the source of some of their frustration? In this episode, Jo & Vicky reveal the surprising truth about why clients seem "annoying" and the role not managing customer expectations often plays when that happens. They explain how to master the art of clear communication, set realistic outcomes, and create services that truly serve both you and your clients.  If you've ever found yourself frustrated with "difficult" clients, this episode will change your perspective and give you the tools to create a more harmonious, successful business. Listen in to answer the question: Is the problem really my client, or is it me? KEY TAKEAWAYS Never assume clients fully understand what they are buying. Clearly communicate what clients can expect from your service, focusing on outcomes rather than just selling time or sessions. Set realistic expectations from the beginning, explain the process, potential challenges and the type of support they can expect. Be flexible and supportive. Avoid damaging your reputation by venting about clients in professional groups or online forums. Approach client communication with empathy. Try to understand why they might struggle to complete tasks. Be transparent about the time and effort required to achieve the required result. If you offer one-off sessions, make it clear that the problem won´t be 100% solved at the end. Regularly seek and incorporate client feedback to improve your service and communication. Be very clear about the work the client needs to do in between sessions, but be patient. Managing expectations is a multifaceted process that requires ongoing communication and support. BEST MOMENTS "Do they know what's coming next? Do they know what's expected of them? Or do you just spring stuff on them and then get annoyed that they're not doing the work." "Our role is to manage their expectations right from the outset." “You have to start asking yourself, ‘What do you want them to walk away with, and what do you want to walk away with?’” “It gets really messy, because you're essentially trying to sell an hour of your time, and you're not selling an outcome.” “Look at who you’re helping, what your service is supposed to do and how you can communicate that clearly.” "Some people find it a bit judgey, even though it's supposed to be constructive criticism." “It's not our job to be coming down them like a tonne of bricks.” 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky announce the details of the very first Canine Business Academy Live event aka CBA Live. They share why they decided to do an in-person event and what you can expect when you attend. If you are a part of the dog world, someone who's working with dogs in some way, shape or form, someone who wants more for their business, more for their life, and more for themselves, this conference is for you. Regardless of what stage you're at, whether you're just starting out, are already turning over 6 figures or are somewhere in between, CBA Live is the right room for you. It´s time to transform your dog business, so secure your spot at CBA Live - https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/cba-conference-2025. You really don´t want to miss this game-changing event. It will be 2 days of dog business inspiration, strategies that work and collaboration opportunities. KEY TAKEAWAYS Business and learning do not need to be stuffy; they can be fun. CBA Live will definitely be lively, fun and inspirational. Networking and collaboration feed growth, and the CBA Live event is the perfect place to meet like-minded people you can work with. You can expect practical, actionable advice from Jo, Vicky and their guest speakers. There will be great knowledge being shared on stage, but don´t underestimate the amount you will learn by chatting to fellow attendees. The event will have something for everyone regardless of what stage they are at in their business journey, including people who are just investigating joining the industry. BEST MOMENTS “We promise to make it something that will be unforgettable for all the right reasons.” "We want everyone to walk away feeling like they can do it, and they are worth it." “We´ve formed collaborations in those (live event) rooms that have been life changing.” “The CBA Conference means a lot to us.” “There will be dancing. There is no way that there will not be dancing.” “Positivity is what we're trying to bring, there'll be no negative vibes, nothing like that.” "We believe that everybody should love their business." "Business should be fairly simple. The simplicity is the strategy." 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky look at something that a lot of entrepreneurs get wrong – following up with would-be or existing clients. Those dog business owners that fail to follow up in the right way are leaving a lot of cash on the table, so this episode is important.  Using the tried and tested strategies Jo & Vicky share will help you to stay in touch with existing customers so that when they need more dog-related services it is you that they will turn to.  They also cover making the right impression on potential clients, fully understanding what they need, demonstrating that you offer it and follow up in a way that will persuade them to buy. KEY TAKEAWAYS Develop the right mindset about follow up. It is not being pushy. Done the right way, it is actually helpful. People´s circumstances change, so they may say yes to something at a later date. Follow up with past clients to see if you can help them with something else. Only take on clients that are a good fit for you.  Focus on understanding the needs of your clients and what they are trying to achieve. When you do that you automatically make more sales. Often, during their initial contact, customers hold back a bit. Use gentle questioning to uncover what they actually need.  Most people are not naturally good at sales. They struggle to get the balance right, so don´t be discouraged. With sales, practice, definitely makes perfect. The more leads you follow up on, the better you become at making sales. Don´t let the fact that what you are offering has a high-ticket value put you off from following up. If a client needs that type of help, they will find a way to pay for it at some point. Remember you are trying to persuade the human, not the dog. BEST MOMENTS “If you can have a strategy that focuses on retaining your existing client base, your business is onto a winner.” "You may feel like it's icky and pushy and not your place to change somebody's mind." "You're not in the business of dogs. You are in the business of people…. really think about the person again and what they need." "You can't sell something that costs £997 to somebody that you don't believe is going to give them the outcome." “Ask the right questions… it shouldn’t feel like you are selling.” "It's not your job to persuade somebody. You don´t have to justify yourself. The person you are talking to has to see the value." “You have to come from that place of service and integrity, and you have to look at people as people.” 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky look at the negativity bias that all humans have – the tendency to fixate on what is wrong and get unnecessarily worked up about it. Beating yourself up for past mistakes you made years ago, constantly comparing yourself unfavourably with others and being overly critical are all examples of our negativity bias taking over, which leaves you feeling stressed and deflated. In a gentle and sometimes funny way, Jo & Vicky share how to recognise negativity bias in yourself and stop it from ruining your day and holding you back. KEY TAKEAWAYS Every human has some level of built in negativity bias.  Some people are naturally more positive than others, but positivity can be learnt by even the most negative person. Using the example of social media, Jo & Vicky explain exactly how to recognise when your negativity bias is getting in the way and what to do about it. Comparing yourself with others is mostly pointless, each business is unique, so what others are doing might not be right for you. Being clear about what you want helps stop you  wasting time and energy, so you progress faster which makes it easier to stay ahead of negative thoughts. Continually looking back and kicking yourself for what you didn´t do is very counterproductive. Failure is absolutely not a bad thing. You need to fail to learn. Be realistic, things are going to go wrong. Reframe, you learn new skills and become more resilient. Don´t be afraid of being wrong and stop beating yourself up when you are. You're constantly learning and growing, so being wrong sometimes is normal. Stopping yourself getting angry about little things makes a huge difference to your overall positivity e.g. It's not being a keyboard warrior or shouting at the telly. Constantly whingeing about things with friends is an easy trap to fall into. BEST MOMENTS “Humans literally go to the glass half empty first.” “Train your brain to look at something other than the negative.” “If you're asking them what they would do, you're asking the wrong question.” “Allow yourself to fail…graciously.” “Be aware of how you are reacting.” “Stop comparing yourself to everybody else, you are on your own journey, and that is all you need to worry about .” EPISODE RESOURCES An overview of negativity bias studies - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3652533/#:~:text=There%20is%20ample%20empirical%20evidence%20for%20an,to%2C%20learn%20from%2C%20and%20use%20negative%20information 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this candid solo episode, Jo & Vicky discuss the true meaning of happiness, especially as it relates to your business life. They share why success isn't just about reaching financial milestones and the role embracing challenges plays in creating growth in both your personal and business life, which in turn boosts your happiness levels.  As well as the role understanding your personal goals, avoiding comparison, and finding fulfilment in your unique journey play in creating an enjoyable life. KEY TAKEAWAYS Happiness isn't just about money - it's about time, experiences, and being grateful for what you already have. Pausing and realising what you have already achieved boosts self-belief. Self-care isn't about following trends. It´s about finding what truly refreshes and realigns you personally. Don't compare your business journey to others, it is draining and pointless. Everyone's path to success is unique and requires different strategies. Happiness is not a destination you reach. It´s a feeling you experience in the present moment, even amid life's complexities. Being comfortable with discomfort is crucial. You will have difficult days. You can be happy overall even when specific areas of your life are challenging. Happiness is about overall balance, not perfection. Don´t delay happiness by saying I will be happy when xyz is done.  True success means designing a business that aligns with your personal lifestyle and goals, not someone else's definition of success. BEST MOMENTS "We all try and strive for this happiness thing." “Comparing yourself to others all the time is fu**ing exhausting, because nobody is you.” “What is your version of happy?” “It's not only double the income, it’s like half the work, it’s just a win, win.” "No matter what you do, there is always a cost to something. And you have to ask yourself, like, what cost are you willing to pay." "Recognise that there are going to be moments, more often than you would like, where it is going to feel painful." "Psychological pain can be just as painful, if not more than the physical." “If you never get pushed, you're never going to grow, you're never going to move forward.” "If you are not happy in this exact moment in time, then you are not living, in my opinion, because happiness is not a destination." EPISODE RESOURCES Gordon Burcham episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-power-of-living-life-happy-and/id1727170978?i=1000679139891 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky discuss "time vampires" - those sneaky activities that drain your productivity and steal your precious time. They share their own battles with the issue and explain how they deal with the temptation to spend hours on social media, scrolling, playing mobile games, pursuing hobbies and doing chores that can wait until they have finished what they are meant to be doing. They share practical ways to reclaim time, boost efficiency, and align daily actions with personal and professional goals. Approaches that enable you to enjoy a balanced family and personal life. KEY TAKEAWAYS Time vampires are anything that distracts you from doing what you need to be doing. Time vampires do not always involve screens. Some people get distracted by hobbies, walking the dog, even cleaning when they should be doing something else. If you identify just 3 or 4 things that suck up your time and stop doing them, you gain back hours every week, sometimes every day. Try deleting any apps that are sucking up your time. Setting aside time and blocking out all distractions enables you to double what you get done. Setting hard deadlines helps you to stay focused. Don´t be afraid to pay someone to do things for you e.g. the cleaning. But be sure to use the time that frees up productively. For a few days, or a week, track how you spend your time. You will be stunned by the results. Time blocking is a very effective way to free yourself from your time vampires. There is no right or wrong, everyone wants a different life, which means one person´s time vampire is someone else’s important task or leisure activity. Talk to your family and loved ones. Together come up with ways to balance how you and they spend their time so everyone´s needs are met. Where you spend your time and money reveals where your priorities are. BEST MOMENTS “You have to have the ability to be super critical of your own time and where you spend it.” “I reckon easily up to five hours a day I could spend on that game.” “I would binge six episodes of something in one night, and it would be two o'clock in the morning and I needed toothpicks to keep my eyes open .” “I will even procrastinate by making cups of tea.” “We all go through those periods where loved ones struggle with our choices.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.amazon.co.uk/90-Day-Brand-Plan-Competition/dp/1394221096 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION For this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by veterinary behaviourist Dr. Katrin Jahn, who has 25+ years of veterinary experience and heads up Trinity Veterinary Behaviour in the UAE. Katrin shares her entrepreneurial journey including running a veterinary clinic in Abu Dhabi, creating an online educational platform that breaks down professional barriers, supports vets across the world and empowers them to serve pets and their owners better.  They discuss the importance of collaboration between veterinary professionals and dog trainers. The episode explores entrepreneurship, professional growth, and the power of having a clear mission in the pet care industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Often behaviour and pain are intertwined. A dog that is in pain, not sleeping well, or with cognitive issues or anxiety cannot respond to training in the same way a healthy dog does. For trainers, being able to speak to and learn from a certified veterinary behaviourist or the animal's vet when they are struggling is transformative. If you notice something odd about the way an animal moves or behaves while being trained, groomed or cared for by you encourage the owner to take them to the vet. Support the owner and vet by precisely and concisely explaining what you have noticed.  Being surrounded by people who are working towards building their own business has a hugely positive impact. Katrin has worked with mentors at various stages to take her business forward. Having a coach gets you off the hamster wheel, enables you to see opportunities and create the life you really love. Note and examine every idea you have, even the off the wall ones, Katrin did and created an amazing new vet business model. BEST MOMENTS “Once you've worked that way (collaboratively), you almost think like, ‘Oh my God, why does everybody not work like this? .” “A lot of vets don't know enough about what trainers and behaviourists do.” “Being a little bit more kind of data oriented and trying to give precise information that the vet can then do something with helps.” “If your inner self isn't right, you can have the best strategy in the world, and it's not going to get you anywhere.” “I think (having a mentor) is almost a must have if you're wanting to create a business that's actually going to serve the clients you want to serve, but also serve you and make you happy. EPISODE RESOURCES https://trinityvetbehaviour.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepetbehaviourcommunity https://www.instagram.com/trinityvetbehaviour 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com http://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/ 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky sit down together to address some of the issues other dog business owners have raised on their Facebook group and in other places online. Including when to give up your day job and do dog training full time, how to manage the uncertainty you are afraid of and building a strong foundation for your business. They also share how to follow up when people who have shown an interest in your service don´t get back to you and how to get over a reluctance to actively sell and become an effective salesperson. KEY TAKEAWAYS Do your research, make reasonable preparations, but be careful not to drift into waiting for that perfect moment to make the leap; it will never come. Preparing yourself mentally is essential. You have to accept that not everything is going to go smoothly and that you are going to have to push through and make your business work. Make sure your business is foundationally sound, so it can survive slow periods. Don´t just learn about dog training, build up your knowledge of business too. Consider niching down and getting really good at one thing. Being the best is an effective way of standing out. All business owners need to get good at sales. Jo & Vicky share some approaches that work. Be persistent. Follow up with people until they tell you to f**k off. Ask questions that enable you to find out more about what the person contacting you wants. Be attentive and show you care. During the sales call you are in service mode, working out what the person needs and how you can help them. BEST MOMENTS “You can always put something in the way, there is never the right time, unexpected bills will always come in.” “Mentally prepare for the fact that you are going to have to do some graft and are going to have squeaky bum moments.” “If your mindset is open and you are willing to learn a different way, go for it.” “The human race has been brought up in a world where sales is considered bad.” “You´ve got to get f**king good at sales.” “Assume they are coming to you for a reason.” EPISODE RESOURCES Jo´s story - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/from-passion-to-profit-how-jo-scaled-her-dog-training/id1727170978?i=1000711087315 Vicky´s story - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-power-of-coaching-a-story-of/id1727170978?i=1000710192544 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Jo & Vicky are joined by Kane Baron who runs Disruptive Media (formerly Progressive Media), the UK’s largest podcast agency. They specialise in branding and monetising content for commercial purposes, particularly podcasts and long form content. Kane learned his trade when Rob Moore, a serial entrepreneur who has clocked up billions of views across multiple media channels and has millions of followers, made him his business partner. To say Kane knows a thing or two about branding, marketing and building a business is an understatement. You can be sure that the advice he shares in this episode will be invaluable for you and your business.  If this episode leaves you hungry for more from Kane, why not join the Canine Business Academy - Kane is one of the mentors that delivers our pod classes - https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/the-membership KEY TAKEAWAYS Business opportunities are everywhere. As a 5-year-old, Kane made £30 to £40 fetching drinks for guests at his parents´ wedding and being allowed to keep the change. Be curious, ask people about their businesses. When you do, you will see new opportunities for your own business. When you experience bad times, which you will, just keep going. Finding a good mentor is your shortcut to success. Because of their experience, your mentor will see potential in ideas you would otherwise dismiss. Listen to your customers’ moans, they tell you what they desperately need from you. Your USP, unique selling point. Productise yourself and your offering. When you do, making sales is far easier. Sell outcomes – tell the customer what they will get out of your product. If you don´t sell packages of lessons your customer won´t be with you long enough to see results. Don´t undervalue your product, it´s better to start high and maybe bring your price down a bit, than it is to start low. If you don´t reinvest you will stop growing. BEST MOMENTS "My speciality is branding (and monetising) content for commercial purpose."   "Said with love...suck it up. It's kind of what you signed up for."  "If you want to get incredibly successful in your business, go find a mentor.. it´s the shortcut."  "If you´ve started a business, you are now a salesperson, we all have to become salespeople."  “Investing in yourself is the best thing you could ever do .” “You don’t ever want to sell to the low end of the market. You always want to be reassuringly expensive.” “Productise yourself and your offering… that’s what allows you to up your prices.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/kane-baron-064b0a178/ @thekanebaron SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS Take our business brain quiz now for FREE - http://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness www.caninebusinessacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/ Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION Have you ever felt that your dog business brand is just another generic logo with a paw print? If you have this is a must listen episode for you. Jo & Vicky are joined by Kate Hendry from Finbo Creative Studio who explains how to create a purposeful, authentic brand for your pet business.  She shares how to uncover your unique mission and what makes you different, then use that to build a brand that will get you noticed and remembered. Kate shares practical strategies that any dog business, regardless of size, will be able to use. KEY TAKEAWAYS Branding your business changes your mindset. It stops you from thinking of yourself as just a small local business and helps you to grow. Branded small businesses have an edge over large corporations. Their brands are more personal and easier for customers to identify with. Lean into the things that you are passionate about. Identify something that is different about you and build that into your brand e.g. If you sing while walking your dogs – you could be the singing dog walker. It can be a tiny thing, something that makes you more human and personable is ideal. Build a purposeful brand rather than a professional brand. It tells people so much more about who you are and what they will get from working with you. Don’t be afraid to niche down. Kate´s business really took off when she did that. Niching down provides clarity – you know exactly who you are targeting and how to reach them. A clear mission and what makes you different from the competition are the foundations on which to build your brand. People crave human connection, and when you are authentic and share who you are personally, customers will be drawn to you. Kate teaches people to tap into psychology to design their website and advertising materials to make customers more likely to buy from them. BEST MOMENTS “A brand is not just a flat thing. It can have a personality, and it can match your personality.”  “As a small business, you have a whole lot more power in the fact that it’s you running it, and it’s not a team of faceless people.” “By the end of it (Kate´s training), they're like - that last piece of content took me 10 minutes because I have the foundations and know what I am talking about.” “We're just so blind to some of the special things about us…we put ourselves in a box.” “I just leaned into where I was in my life and the things that I'm passionate about.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://finbostudio.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/finbo_studio 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Shelina Duke The Poodle Trainer who switched from teaching primary school children to training dogs and specialising in Poodles. Shelina  very quickly went from only doing dog training in the evenings to working with clients from across the world.    She shares how family circumstances pushed her to change her mindset and seek out business training and mentorship that enabled her to grow at an astounding rate. KEY TAKEAWAYS   If you think of yourself as a small business, that is what you will continue to be – a small, local business. Changing your mindset is crucial. From the very start treat dog training as a business rather than a hobby. Invest in business training. You can learn a huge amount from non-dog training businesses. Stop caring about what other dog business owners think of you. Invest some of what you earn back into your business. Do not fall into the trap of working every single minute of the day. With social media you've got to keep showing up, it takes time for people to trust you. You need a strategy to get the most out of social media. The way you think about money and your business and the words you use hugely impacts how successful you are. If you don´t think you can grow and make a lot of money, you won´t. Comparing yourself with others keeps you small. If something doesn´t work, don´t hide from it, learn from it, tweak things and go again. Stick to your values and be client focused. BEST MOMENTS “I´ve never had freedom like this.” “As soon as I knew more about business, I asked myself – Why am I keeping myself so small?” “You are almost conditioned to stay in your lane.” “It’s really not as scary as it seems to put yourself out there on social media.” “Bringing staff on is f**king scary.” “Mindset is huge, and it is scary, but you’ve got to give into it.” “I stopped enrolling in every single course. They taught me to train better, but it didn’t help my business.” “The more you practice it, the easiest it is to get over it.” “Now I look back, and I genuinely don’t know how I did it without going insane.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.facebook.com/shelinathepoodletrainer https://www.withtheflo.co.uk/training-your-poodle https://www.instagram.com/trainwiththeflo 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/   Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705   Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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.   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo shares her dog training success journey. At the age of only 29, Jo was an advertising account manager responsible for some huge brands including Skoda. She had a great life, but getting and training her Husky prompted her to change direction and become a dog trainer. In her 1st year Jo earned £30k and soon scaled up to achieve monthly earnings of £25k. She did all of this despite Covid and personal setbacks.   Jo explains how she achieved this high level of success in such a short time. She also shares her experiences of various dog training courses, including The Kennel Club, Bark Busters, CPD, The UK Dog Whisperer, Sarah Whitehead , Elite Closing Academy and compares some of the techniques she learned.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   Continuous learning fuels success. It keeps you current, develops new skills, boosts your enthusiasm and can be used to attract more clients. Investing in yourself only pays dividends if you take action.  Make sure the training is of good quality e.g. The course includes practising what you learn. Business training is vital. You progress so much faster when you run your business properly from the start. Don´t underestimate how much you can learn from books. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone. The right mentor will motivate you as well as provide advice that will transform your business very quickly. Big goals are motivating but also having smaller goals that are like steps to get you there works best. See everything you do as an opportunity to learn. Learning to adapt and make the most of the tools and resources you have available ensures you make progress even during the tough times. Joe did this during CoVid. Surround yourself with the right people. Respect your business partner and the fact that their experience gives them a different perspective on things. Always be open to new opportunities. BEST MOMENTS “The opinion was, don't get a husky for your first dog, you idiot, they are not pet dogs.” “I thought, ‘I want to make money off of dog training. I want to make really good money doing something I enjoy.” “If you're not going to do it, what's the point? don't invest, save your money.” “I will never be able to put into words the power that the community gave me.” “What work are you willing to put into this to make it work for you? ” “Step into the unknown and see where it leads.” 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/   Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705   Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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.   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode, Jo & Vicky reshare the story of how they met, why and how they set up The Canine Business Academy and Let´s Talk Dog Business Podcast which have both grown at a phenomenal rate. Vicky shares how meeting Jo and being coached by her transformed her approach, which enabled her to go from charging only £80 for her dog training to having clients scrambling to pay her £1,500.  This eye-opening episode contains some real golden nuggets and ah-ha moments. It will help you understand why it´s time to invest in yourself so you can take your current business to the next level and leverage your knowledge to create multiple streams of income.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Following the traditional dog training paths only got Jo & Vicky so far. They were working long hours for little reward. Trying to be a Jack of all trades and offer too many services wasted a lot of energy. Having to work so many hours and still not making ends meet was soul destroying and unsustainable.  When you are working too hard, it is difficult to find the time to pause and reflect on what you can do instead. But if you don´t do this and change how you are working, you remain stuck living a life that drains you. You have to invest in yourself to be able to take things to the next level.  Coaching is highly effective, you learn fast and get incredible support from someone who has been where you are now, Once you have committed to changing your business, go all in. The right coach will push you, so you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Once you have created one successful business, setting up another one is much easier. You need to believe in your true value and charge accordingly. When Vicky went from charging £80 to £997, clients who´d done the puppy class for £80 went ahead and paid Vicky £997, then £1,500. BEST MOMENTS “It´s physically hard work. It's mentally hard work, because you've got all these different parts to think about, all these different dogs.” ““I was accidentally building this bl**dy empire of dog walking that I didn't actually want.” “I genuinely think mindset is what sets people apart.” “Merging just worked beautifully because we had those same values. We were running businesses that were essentially the same.” “Ask - what positive action can you make today to start making a difference.” “There are so many versions of success.” “When you've got that support system …. You all have the opportunity and ability within you to create something that you never dreamed possible. 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/ Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 Email hello@caninebusinessacademy.com 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Hannah Antrobus aka The Spaniel Guru. She helps Spaniel owners to better understand and love their dogs. Hannah explains how she ended up niching down and focusing on one breed helped to grow her business.   She provides some great tips to help you to build your brand, overcome imposter syndrome, ensure you charge enough, build rapport with clients and successfully collaborate with other dog professionals. KEY TAKEAWAYS   People like authenticity. Sharing your lows as well as highs enables you to really connect with others. You will be trolled. Be ready for it and don´t take it too personally. In Hannah´s case it actually helped her to rank. Don´t be afraid to charge enough to earn well and enjoy a good standard of living. Other professionals are not afraid to do that, nor should dog trainers be. People who are always questioning what you are doing will in the end pull you down. Help your clients understand the positive impact your training will have, so they can see the value. Charging appropriately creates more freedom and enables you to develop a better business and service. Stop thinking of dog training as a charity service. It is a career.  Not giving everything away does not mean you don´t care. Always start your day positively, it frames how you feel and impacts how well the rest of your day goes. Life happens. Even when you are successful you will still face challenges and experience some slow periods. Being adaptable is an invaluable skill. Just do what you do well and stop worrying about things that are not your responsibility. Niching helps you focus your efforts. Niching down makes it easier to build a strong brand. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other professionals and collaborate. Invest where appropriate. Get face to face with clients to build rapport. You can still do this using Zoom. BEST MOMENTS “There was a little bit of trusting my own intuition.” “If you drop that guard, you build rapport with them.” “We need to know when to learn and invest, but also not feel we have to absorb and be able to do everything.” “Progression doesn´t equal perfection.” “It´s getting comfortable with sometimes being uncomfortable.” “That time and energy you're spending on worrying about that person is time and energy you're not spending doing the things that you love.” “Keep doing you.” “Try not to overthink it.” “You are really client led.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://thespanielguru.com https://www.instagram.com/thespanielguru 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/   Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705 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. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode, Jo & Vicky sit down to discuss all things strategy. They explain what a proper business strategy looks like, how to break that down into steps, choose the right tactics to achieve each step and implement them successfully. Jo & Vicky discuss the most common errors that business owners make when working out their strategies and share highly effective ways to make sure you do not make the same mistakes.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Your strategy is where you want your business to be. Tactics are how you get there. Without a strategy your chances of succeeding are low. Be realistic about your strategy. If you want to achieve £10k a month, how many £35 sessions do you need to sell, can you really do that? If not, review your strategy. When you are sure of what you want to achieve, you choose the right tactics, so that you don´t waste time doing things that won´t work. Thinking only about the next step makes it more likely you will head in the wrong direction. When you run a workshop, work out what the next step for those clients could be and set them up to take it with you. That way you retain them. You have to take consistent action and be persistent. Be realistic about the effectiveness of each tactic e.g. Using social media for marketing is a good tactic, but because of the algorithm if you post only once you won´t get clients. Don´t give up too soon on a tactic that is working for others. Try it, analyse it, then tweak things. As you do things, ask yourself why am I doing this? This helps you double check that you are doing things that fit in with your strategy. Don’t use a tactic just because others are doing it. Double check that it is a good fit for you. Continue to learn but be wary of getting distracted from the path you have chosen. Constantly review, reevaluate and tweak your business strategies and tactics. Your strategy and tactics depend in part on what stage your business is at.     BEST MOMENTS “There´s so many different ways to look at strategy.” “Some people blur strategy with tactics.” “You have to take action.” “We're forever tweaking our strategy.” “With a brain dump, you can just see all your ideas.” “You are constantly reassessing and re-evaluating all of the different tactics.” “With strategy mindset is linked to every single piece of it… It’s like connective tissue.”   EPISODE RESOURCES hello@caninebusinessacademy.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/   Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705   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.   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/