Episode 289 - Helping Dogs and Healing the Industry with Michael Shikashio
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Release Date: 03/06/2023
Episode 400 - The Secret to Bullet-Proof Business Confidence
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
A short, sweet but very special (400th) episode this week. See, I debated putting together a big montage of past show clips, but in the end I decieded to share an intimate moment from behind the scenes at the recent Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo... You’ll hear two inspiring stories from AJ and Lynnie, staff member and owner of Positively Perfect in Montana, who reflect on how a single conversation from last year sparked a powerful mindset shift around pricing and confidence. AJ explains how she’s already planning to implement seasonal marketing strategies to simplify upsells...
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Episode 399 - Behind the Scenes Stateside with Dom: One Week, Two Masterminds, Unlimited Pet Business Opportunities
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Ever wondered why the top business owners in any industry attend a mastermind every quarter? How can stepping into a hot seat in front of fellow owners change your business perspective? And what surprising lessons do you learn when you stop working in the business and start working on it? In this episode, I’m bringing you along for a unique peek behind the scenes of not one, but two mastermind meetings. In the beautiful city of Annapolis, I hosted my first ever USA Elite mastermind meeting where you’ll get to hear from members like Kim from Fetch Dog Resort, Kim and...
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398 - Pet Care Staffing Summit Secrets: Smarter Hiring, Stronger Teams, Better Business!
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you hiring with confidence or just simply hoping for the best? Do you ever worry what would happen if your whole morning crew called in sick? Can you use automation to attract better staff and save your sanity? In this episode, I’m sharing highlights from the first ever Pet Care Staffing Summit - a game-changing event for dog daycare, boarding, grooming, and pet retail businesses that need to build better teams. We hear first from Eve Molzhon who opens up about the chaos that led her to finally bring on a virtual assistant. Next up is Allison Jacobs, who delivers a hard truth about...
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Episode 397 - How to Be Your Dog's Superhero: Behind the Scenes at a Book Club Discussion with Jamie Engerdahl
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Something different in this weeks special episode, where I’m the guest - not the host! Amazing dog trainer Jamie Gerald invited me to join her international dog trainer book club to talk about my very first book, How to Be Your Dog’s Superhero. What followed was a fantastic discussion about why real connection beats control, and how playing with your dog (yes, on your hands and knees!) can radically transform behaviour and bond. I share the story behind writing the book, the early mistakes I made as a dog walker, and why building a superhero-level relationship with your dog...
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Episode 396 - Stop the Pet Biz Payroll Bleed: How to Slash Labour Costs and Boost Profitability with Sean Felty
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Could your staffing costs be draining your profits? How do you scale pet care services without multiplying mistakes? What’s the easiest way to increase profitability without adding more clients? In this episode, I sit down with Sean Felty from Greenlin Pet Resorts - owner of six busy facilities and founder of Next Tree Strategies - to talk about how he’s helping pet care businesses plug their biggest profit leak: labour inefficiency. Sean shares how one payroll misstep at his own company sparked the creation of a labour benchmarking system that’s now saving operators thousands per pay...
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Episode 395: Why a Better Team Means Bigger Profits In Your Pet Business
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Do you want a pet business that makes money without running you into the ground? What’s the difference between a business that grows efficiently—and one that just gets busier? And how can better systems set you free while boosting your bottom line? In this episode, I’m joined by Josh Hightower, who shares how pet business owners can create a scalable, automated hiring funnel that attracts, qualifies, and converts great staff. Josh explains how to treat hiring like a sales process—complete with lead magnets, automation, and pre-qualification steps that save you hours and help you...
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Episode 394: Pet Care Staffing Summit Preview: How to Fix Your Pet Care Hiring Problem
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are your staff stuck at a dead end with no room to grow? Could a simple enrichment tweak transform your team’s motivation and retention? What if the key to attracting A+ hires was hiding in plain sight on your website? In this special Pet Care Staffing Summit preview episode, I’m joined by two fantastic guests -Tim Jackson and Joe Latona - who share the strategies they’re using to fix common hiring headaches in the pet industry. First up is Joe Latona from WalkerScout, who outlines the five crucial pieces every pet business owner needs in place to build a high-performing team. From...
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Episode 393: The 2025 Pet Care Staffing Summit is on! Fix Your Hiring Nightmares Once and for All
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you tired of posting job ads only to hear crickets… or worse, getting flooded with unqualified applicants who disappear after two shifts? Why does it seem like every other business is poaching the best employees while you’re stuck with a revolving door of unreliable hires? And most importantly—what can you do to fix it? The hiring crisis in pet care is real. Business owners are stretched thin, juggling marketing, operations, and an endless cycle of recruiting and retraining. But what if hiring didn’t have to be this hard? That’s why I’m hosting the first-ever Pet Care Staffing...
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Episode 392 - Dom’s Five Step Guide to Pet Business Glory
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you relying too much on social media to attract clients? What’s the secret to getting the best customers to refer you to their friends? And how can you ensure your business evolves in a way that keeps YOU profitable and happy? In this episode, I share the next five pet biz rules that will help you build a more profitable, stress-free, and future-proofed business. I recently attended a mastermind, where I mapped out the next steps for my own business - focusing on what I enjoy, what actually works, and what needs to change. I also dive into why in this digital age we live in, offline...
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Episode 391: Simple Pet Business Sales Secrets with Adam Delderfield
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
How do successful entrepreneurs make BIG breakthroughs in their pet business? More to the point, are you getting the help you need to elevate your thinking (and your vision, for where your business will go next?) See, for Dom this week has been all about helping others to move forward, AND I've been getting some help with my business challenges too. Many pet business owners are too stubborn or stupid to invest in the help they need. I regularly invest in coaching, consulting and masterminds, and this week after hosting my own mastermind I spent the day in Southampton with a...
info_outlineThis weeks guest is agression dog specialist Michael Shikashio.
Michael grew up in a suburb of Rhode Island, as part of the only Japanese family in a big town of Irish and Italians families.
He was encouraged by his parents to follow a maths based career, but struggled to settle studying engineeering, so ended up doing restaurant management.
He worked as a sushi chef to put himself through school, which led to a job working as a chef, and eventually as a butler in the world famous Foxwoods casino, which he did for 20 years.
Michael always had an entrepreneurial drive, and over the years had fostered a lot of dogs, who he helped with their behavioural issues, this led to a passion for working with agression cases.
He toyed with the idea of running a doggy daycare, but in the end started a side hustle career as a dog trainer, which he ran for five years alongside is job at the casino.
He eventually went all in with the training business, specialising in agression cases. Now he helps dogs, owners and aspirining dog trainers through his Agressive Dog brand.
As well as sharing his full story, Mike also opens up about a recent interview he did, which sparked off a social media furore between different factions in the dog training world, and almost broke the internet!
This is an unmissible episode...
Tune in to discover;
- How Mike started honing his canine communication skills dealing with celebrities working as a head-bulter at the casino
- Why entreprenuers in the pet industry should use lessons and stories from their previous careers to help market their business
- Why building referral sources with local vetrinarys and pet stores is the best way to build a pipeline of clients for your pet buiness
- Why having a specialisation and owning a niche is crucial to massive growth of your dog training business
- Why hiring faster is the key to scaling up your training business, because you can help more people with a team around you
- Why he is so passionate about spreading positivity and kindness, by starting conversations in the dog training world, to encourage better shared knowledge, for the betterment of dogs everywhere.
This is a very open and honest interview with a very giving pet professional. Sincere thanks to Mike for sharing this story
To find out more about Michael Shikashio, his programs, podcast and events click here now
To find out about Dom's USA tour of his Grow Your Pet Business FAST! seminar click here now
You can grab a copy of my brand new book How to Disnify Your Pet Business, click here to get your copy now
To grab a ticket to IMPACT 23 - The Disnify Your Pet Business Success Summit, click here now