Episode 374 - Mentors, Masterminds, and Mistakes: Lessons from My Pet Business Journey
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Release Date: 11/01/2024
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
What can a theme park teach you about building a more profitable, memorable, and sellable pet business? Why do some companies create loyal fans while others struggle to hold attention? And how can small experience-driven details dramatically increase client loyalty and lifetime value? In this episode, I’m deep in preparation mode for IMPACT 2026 and heading back to Orlando, which means Disney is front and centre in my thinking right now. So, I’m sharing some of the biggest marketing and business lessons I’ve picked up from my visits to Walt Disney World — and how these same ideas can...
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What separates pet businesses that are simply “good” from those people talk about, remember, and proudly recommend? Why do LIVE (in-person) experiences build deeper trust than any advert, post, or email ever could? And in an increasingly automated (and ai obsessed) world, how can you still creates real connection with your clients? In this episode, I’m just hours away from the early-bird deadline for IMPACT 2026, and I’m joined by my Enrich U partner, Elite Mastermind member, and IMPACT speaker, Tim Jackson. Together, we dig into one of the most powerful — and most overlooked —...
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Do you feel like you’re doing everything “right” — yet still progress in your pet business is slow and frustrating? What if business growth didn’t have to be a long, slow climb, but a sprint to the top of the pile? And what would change if you could skip the line and position your pet business at the front of the pack? In this episode, I’m back at my desk after a busy few weeks of travel, meetings, and event planning to share a simple but powerful idea: the Fast Pass. Borrowed from theme parks like Disney and Universal, a Fast Pass lets you bypass the queue and get where you want...
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What actually happens when ambitious pet business owners step away from their facilities and into a room built for growth? How do these businesses move faster in three months than others do in three years? And what changes when you stop trying to solve problems alone and start tapping into collective experience? In this episode, I’m back home at Town Farm after a whirlwind trip to the U.S., sharing behind-the-scenes audio and reflections from our first Elite Mastermind of 2026 in Austin, Texas. You’ll hear directly from members as they walk out of the room admittedly tired, fired up,...
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When was the last time you actually stopped to look at how far you’ve come in your business? What would change if you judged progress over three or five years — not the last three months? And how different would your goals be if you truly believed the next chapter could be bigger than anything you’ve built so far? In this episode, I check in from the middle of the Caribbean, recording from a cruise ship en route between speaking engagements in the U.S. Sharing travel chaos stories, football fandom, and my own evolution as a business owner, we explore why most entrepreneurs underestimate...
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What actually happens during a full, in-person pet business consultation day with Dom Hodgson? How does Dom spot hidden opportunities, fix leaks, and uncover an entirely new growth path in a single day? And how can one focused conversation save you years of trial, error, and frustration? In this first episode of 2026, I give you rare, behind-the-scenes access to a real consultation day I did with Adam Delderfield (PBIC Marketer of the Year) and Stella Seminerio. Rather than theory or tidy case studies, you’ll hear raw audio recorded at the end of an intensive strategy day — capturing...
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What happens when you build a successful pet business… but forget to build a life around it? Why do so many hardworking pet professionals stay busy, stressed, and tired — even when the business is technically “doing well”? And how can you stop reacting to the year ahead… and start designing it on purpose? In this end-of-year episode, I hit pause between Christmas festivities to reflect on what 2025 really taught me about business growth, and also about my energy, downtime, leverage, and clarity. For me this was a year filled with travel-heavy months and packed event schedules...
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What actually separates businesses that blend in with the crowd… from the ones that stand out? Why do some owners seem to escape the race to the bottom on price, while others feel permanently squeezed? And what does behavioural psychology, copywriting, and niching properly have to do with running a predictable and more profitable dog daycare? In this episode, I share a special conversation recorded at the Elite UK Mastermind with Mike Samuels — one of the most renowned copywriters and behavioural psychology specialists in the world. While Mike doesn’t work in pet care, the lessons he...
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What happens to your business when the economy shifts, jobs disappear, and your clients start feeling the pressure before you do? How resilient is your pricing, your positioning, and your client base if AI starts replacing roles your customers rely on? And what really changes when you experience Dom’s coaching in person — not through a screen, not in theory, but live and unfiltered? In this episode, Dom pulls back the curtain on why Teija Heikkilä was the only choice for keynote speaker at IMPACT 2026 — and why her message lands harder now than ever before. Teija isn’t talking...
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What if you could transform your daycare into the Disney of your town, the place affluent owners brag about, pay more for, and refuse to leave? What would happen to your business if you mastered experience, enrichment, pricing, systems, and upsells in just two days? And what could next year look like if you finally stopped running a wacky warehouse… and started running a wonderland for dogs? In this week’s episode, I come in hot with the announcement I’ve been dying to make: The Disnify Your Dog Daycare LIVE Impact Success Summit is coming to ORLANDO in 2026. And it’s going to be the...
info_outlineDo you need more specialist help as you scale up your business?
Wasting money on (bang-average) courses and coaches that just don’t deliver?
In this episode, I pull back the curtain on my journey from dog walker to pet business leader, sharing the no-BS lessons I’ve learned from investing (and sometimes losing) thousands in coaching programs.
As always, I try to tell it like it REALLY is: what worked, what didn’t, and why finding the right mentor and peer group is more crucial than any “secret formula" the gooroos try to sell you...
You’ll hear about the key moves that made the biggest difference to my business AND my life - like my decision to quit throwing money at fancy marketing tools I never used, or the moment I pivoted from a failed online store and launched a series of game-changing coaching programs, and why I invest thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles each year to be a part of a TRUE pet business mastermind.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Mentorship Mastery: How I learned to invest wisely in the right mentors who align with my values.
• Turning Mistakes into Momentum: The costly lessons that caused me to press reset on my business direction.
• The Power of Accountability: Why structure, guidance and lazer focused goal setting are essential for sustainable growth.
• Finding Your Focus: Why cutting out distractions will SPEED up how you build a brand.
• Game-Changing Growth: How the right mastermind group can unlock new levels of success.
If you’re done with dabbling and ready to go all-in, I’ve got the hard-earned insights to help you make your next move the right one.
To add your name to the waiting list for my USA Elite Mastermind click here now
A huge shoutout to our amazing show sponsor PACCC (Professional Animal Care Certification Council) you can find out more about PACCC, and apply to join by clicking here now.
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