Pet Industry Mentor

In this episode I sit down with pet mum and pet influencer Mitali, paw parent to Chiku the Cavoodle. We chat all things from the first special connection to a pet, right through to the challenges of trust that come with trusting a pet professional I questioned Mitali on exactly what is it a pet parent looks for and wants in a service provider and how she can feel supported in knowing she has chosen the right person If you want to know how to keep booked and busy - listen to the pet parents! You can find her on Instagram @chikuthecavoodle If you want to work with me so you can start directly connecting with what pet parents want and how to successfully sell your services to them - you know where to find me

I’ll happily spend $1000’s on Halloween decorations - would you? Maybe, maybe not. What is valuable to one person is worthless to the next Relevance? Well, I really need you to stop valuing your services based on what YOU are happy to pay for them or what you FEEL they are worth Tune in, feel inspired, do the damn price rise pronto

Having difficult conversations with your staff is one of the most uncomfortable parts of owning a business, especially when you care about your team, want to keep the peace, and don’t want to be seen as the “bad boss.”But avoiding the conversation doesn’t make the problem disappear. More often than not, it allows frustration to build, standards to slip and resentment to creep into the business.In this episode of the Pet Industry Mentor Podcast, I’m talking about my own recent experience of finally addressing issues that had been bothering me for some time, and what happened when I stopped trying to keep everyone comfortable and started having the conversations that actually needed to happen.We talk about the difference between being kind and avoiding accountability, why your staff are allowed to be unhappy with feedback without that automatically meaning you’ve done something wrong, and why someone’s reaction to a reasonable boundary or expectation can tell you a lot.I also unpack something I think a lot of business owners need to hear: your job as a leader isn’t to prevent your staff from ever feeling uncomfortable. Your job is to communicate clearly, set reasonable expectations, address problems when they arise and protect the standards of the business you’re responsible for.Sometimes a difficult conversation leads to improvement. Sometimes it exposes a much bigger problem. Sometimes a staff member decides the expectations of the role no longer work for them.All three outcomes give you more clarity than months of walking on eggshells.If you’ve been rehearsing a conversation in your head for weeks, overlooking behaviour because you don’t want the confrontation, or finding yourself changing how you run your business because you’re worried about how one particular staff member will react, this episode is for you.In this episode:Why business owners avoid difficult staff conversationsThe difference between kindness and people-pleasing in leadershipWhy clear expectations are not unreasonable expectationsWhat happens when small issues are allowed to buildWhy you can’t control how someone responds to feedbackHaving conversations based on facts rather than emotionWhy documenting conversations mattersWhat a staff member’s reaction can revealAccepting that sometimes accountability changes the relationshipWhy protecting your business sometimes means being willing to have an uncomfortable conversationYou don’t need to become cold, aggressive or overly corporate to lead your team well.You do need to be willing to say the thing that needs to be said.

There is a good reason the saying is ‘hire slow fire fast’ The wrong employee can cause financial and emotional strain that can take months to recover. I know because I’ve experienced it more than once If this episode hit home for you, reach out for a chat Instagram: @petindustrymentorwww.petindustrymentor.com