Episode 404 - The Dog Daycare Hiring Playbook with Josh Hightower
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Release Date: 06/06/2025
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
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...
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What would happen if you stopped for a moment and actually looked at how far you’ve come in your business? How much easier would things feel if you recognised the wins, the lessons, the mistakes, and the mentors who helped you get here? And what breakthroughs might you unlock if you took stock of everything you should be thankful for as a pet business owner? In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, I take a breather from the post-Hershey whirlwind to reflect on the major moments, decisions, and people that have shaped my business journey. From leaving Imperial Tobacco, to finding the right...
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Ever wondered what actually goes into launching a book that could reshape the way dog daycares think about enrichment? What happens when you return from a whirlwind U.S. expo, jump straight into coaching calls, and then dive headfirst into recording your next audiobook? And what is it about enrichment that has daycare owners buzzing, levelling up, and leaving rave reviews within days? In this episode, I check in from a frosty, Christmas-tinged Town Farm to share the story behind the launch of Mission Enrich, my newest (and most unusual) pet business book. Fresh off the plane from Hershey,...
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What really happens when you take your business across the pond and into one of the biggest pet care expos in the world? How do you turn an event stand into a sales machine, attract 20+ new members, and launch a brand-new book in the middle of it all? And what does it take to keep your energy (and sanity) when you’re juggling clients, speaking gigs, and international travel all in one week? In this episode, Me and Tim Jackson check in from Heathrow Airport after an unforgettable week at the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo in Hershey. Between two days in New York, the Mission ENRICH...
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Ever wondered what breakthroughs are possible when you step away from the business and into a room full of people who “get it”? And what did a room full of those ambitious pet pros learn that helped them raise prices, specialise, and start leading their clients (instead of being led by them)? Did you see we missed last week’s episode and wonder if I had finally taken a day off?, Well, fear ye not because in this episode, I return after a non-stop US trip to share what went down at my latest business bootcamp. After a marathon week in Maryland and Washington — including masterminding...
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Still running your business with sticky notes, spreadsheets, and late-night messages? What if you could turn that chaos into a seamless system that saves you hours, grows your profits, and upsells clients automatically? And what happens when a dog daycare grows 200x in size—and creates the tech to make it all work? In this week’s episode, I sit down with long-time Elite members Sarah and Pete Stevens of K9 Adventures and Pawpal UK to reveal how they went from a disorganised dog van full of cash and confusion… to running one of the UK’s most advanced, organised, and profitable pet care...
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Are you still trying to fix your business problems alone because you’re afraid of outside influence? What could change if you let a fresh pair of eyes look under the hood and point out what you’re missing? And how much faster would you grow if you stopped winging it and started working with people who’ve already been where you want to go? In this week’s episode, I share a field report from Elite member and Enrich U co-founder Tim Jackson, who spent 24 hours on site with fellow Elite members, and Enrich U scholars Sarah and Pete Stevens at K9 Adventures London. Tim reveals how their...
info_outlineWhat 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 back office, and drowning in staff drama.
That same funnel is now being used by daycares across the U.S. to attract, screen, and onboard reliable new hires - without spending hours sifting through applications or chasing no-shows.
You’ll learn how to create a lead magnet for recruitment, how to build a waiting list of candidates and how to stop relying on gut instinct or last-minute panic hires. We also talk about how mindset plays into hiring—and why the most dangerous part of your hiring process is often the bit between your ears.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• The 7-Step Hiring Funnel Playbook – The exact system Josh uses to attract, screen, and onboard quality candidates automatically.
• The Problem with “Now Hiring” Posts – Why you’re attracting the wrong applicants (and how to filter out the time-wasters).
• Lead Magnets for Hiring – How to build a waiting list of potential staff the same way you’d build a list of potential clients.
• Automated Screening & Follow-Ups – How to use tech to sort applicants, send reminders, and schedule interviews without lifting a finger.
• Mindset Shifts for Confident Hiring – Why hiring is just like marketing, and how to stop being the bottleneck in your own business.
Want the full system set up for you?
Go to www.petbizsuite.com/getstarted and plug the Hiring Funnel Playbook directly into your business today.
Need help fixing your business? To join my pet business development program go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/diamondnow
If you’re ready to attract better clients, increase your profits, and grow with confidence, then you should apply to join Dom's Diamond Coaching Program click here to start now