Episode 331 - The Successful Dog Grooming Blueprint with River Lee
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Release Date: 01/04/2024
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you the most pet biz expensive in town – or are still pretending premium pricing doesn’t apply to you? BIG MISTAKE my friend! Is your ‘modest’ price actually holding your business back rather than giving it life? You bet it is! And what’s the REAL cost of undercharging in a high-potential, high-pressure industry like pet care? Well, it could be fatal for your business... In this episode, Dom pulls back the curtain on a never-before-shared segment from last year’s Pet Business Owners Assemble event A.K.A IMPACT – this was a Marvel-themed masterclass that...
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Do your staff really understand what enrichment is - or are they just nodding along and fluffing it? Are your handlers bought into your values, or just clocking in for another day in the play zone? And is your team helping you upsell enrichment - or would they rather do without it altogether? In this episode, I’m fresh off a sun-soaked break in Menorca and back in the garden with the chickens (update incoming on that front!!) Inspired by the “onboarding” process we used to integrate our new hens into the flock, I’m talking about the vital role onboarding plays - not just for clients,...
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Ever wondered why most pet businesses stay stuck in the middle while a few rise to the top? What if you didn’t have to “pay your dues” and could skip straight to the front of the line? And what would your business look like if your competitors couldn’t even see you - let alone catch you? In this sun-soaked, cocktail-fuelled episode recorded just before my summer holiday, I share a sneak peek behind the curtain of my most ambitious event yet: IMPACT 2025: Claim the Crown. You’ll hear how this Game of Thrones-inspired business summit is being crafted to help pet pros dominate their...
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Are you full of great ideas but unsure which one will actually grows your pet business? Do you keep launching new offers while ignoring the easy wins sitting right under your nose? Are you offering amazing services but suck at selling and making money fro your passion for pets? In this behind-the-scenes episode, I take you inside a week in the life of my mastermind coaching calls. These conversations aren’t wishy-washy 'manifest money at will' bullsh!t motivational sessions - they’re real business owners dealing with real problems in real time. So in this weeks show, I...
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What do you do when your staff quit without warning - and your Indeed ad pulls in nothing but no-shows and duds? Is your hiring process actually attracting the right people - or just weeding through whoever’s left? And how do some daycares seem to have a pipeline of great candidates - while you’re stuck covering shifts yourself? In this episode, I’m sharing an exclusive snippet from a recent webinar with Josh Hightower, my business partner and the tech whizz behind PetBizSuite. Josh built a hiring funnel out of necessity - back when he was running gyms, sleeping on a mattress in the...
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What can a self-proclaimed Midwest trailer park kid teach you about building a million-dollar pet business empire? What’s the right way to go from garage-grooming to a full-blown dog daycare dynasty? And how can hiring a VA finally give you back your time and sanity? In this week’s episode, I’m joined by special guest and keynote speaker of Impact 2025, Eve Molzhon. Eve shares her “8 Mile” origin story - going from nothing to running four thriving pet businesses with a combined seven-figure revenue. She opens up about how she made the leap from survival mode to CEO, why there’s...
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Are you unknowingly sabotaging your profits with outdated pricing? What’s the real cost of keeping your fees just a little higher than your competitors’? And how can a smarter pricing strategy unlock growth, better clients, and a better life? In this episode, I reflect on some of the most common pricing problems I've tackled recently - from daycare owners rotating tiny increases across services, to facilities that are full but still undercharging. I explain why so many pet pros cling to broken pricing models, and why being the “second most expensive” is no badge of honour. If anything...
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Can you really write the script of your own success story in the pet business world? What would happen if you planned a whole 12 months ahead instead of just 12 days? And how much progress (and profit) are you leaving on the table by winging it month-to-month? In this solo episode, Dom reflects on his time at the Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo in Las Vegas and shares a behind-the-scenes look at how he plans his own success across his multiple pet business ventures. Using real examples from his own journey, Dom lays out how he’s engineered growth and lasting profits with clarity, confidence,...
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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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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...
info_outlineThis week I'm talking to the amazing River Lee who runs the Savvy Groomer, a coaching business that helps groomers go from burnt out, broke and broken to healthy, wealthy and happy.
River grew up in Rhode Island, where she struggled at school where and felt like an outsider. Being neurodivergent and dyslexic meant she struggled in a traditional learning environment.
However, she always had an entrepreneurial spirit and actually ran a small pet sitting company when she just 12 years old!
She did a number of jobs, graduated, and ended up managing a doggy daycare full-time at the same time as she was training to be a vet. She ended up training to be a groomer purely as a back-up to cover the work-shy groomer who was enployed at the daycare.
At this point she was involved in a massive car accident, fell pregnant, lost her apartment, and the daycare she was working in said they would prefer it if she left, so River ended up homeless, living in her car, with no job.
Unbelievably, she knew someone who was looking to get out of a grooming lease, which River took over, and ended up opening her first grooming business four days before her son was born. She survived on ketchup sandwhiches, while her son was being washed in the bath at the salon, where they were living illegally! But, when the chips were down River showed an unbelievable determination to build a better life.
And, if you think that is amazing, then you'll love hearing how River turned her life around, to become not only a successful business owner, but an inspirational leader in the grooming industry.
Tune in to discover;
- How River switched from a low-price to a premium grooming model by doubling her prices!
- Why it can be BAD to build your business around a reputation of being a groomer who can work with any dog (especially difficult dogs)
- Why River recommends a membership model for groomers, and the cool way she designed her membership around the kind of business (and life) she wanted to have.
- Why she niched to cats for second business (and gained 100 subscription clients in less than six month)
- How to turn your neurodiverance into your superpower!
- And much, much more...
To find out more about River, and her Savvy Groomer program click here now
Shoutout to our amazing show sponsor PACCC (Professional Animal Care Certification Council) you can find out more about PACCC by clicking here now.
To grab a 'hot off the press' copy of my 2024 Pet Business Promotional Calendar then click here now
If you run a seven-figure plus pet business and want to book a private consultation with Dom in 2024, then email Beth on [email protected]. Explain what you need help with, tell me a bit about your business, and if I think I can help, if I think we're a good fit, and if I'm excited by the project we'll book a call to discuss further.
If you want more help and advice from me then you should grab a copy of my brand new book, How to Disnify Your Pet Business, click here to get your copy now
If you aren't ready for a coach but still need help with marketing then you should join the Pet Business Inner Circle, where you can get access to hundreds of trainings and ask Dom anything inside the members only private forum, then click here now
To apply to join Dom's next level Diamond private coaching program click here now