Episode 422: Stop Going It Alone: Why Smart Dog Daycare Owners Get Help (and Stubborn Ones Stay Stuck)
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Release Date: 10/17/2025
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_outlineAre 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 team is levelling up their daycare with new facilities, a killer scent space, and staff-led enrichment—but also what most daycares get wrong about enrichment (and how to fix it).
Then I dive deeper into one of the most important business lessons I’ve learned—why getting outside help isn’t a weakness, it’s the ultimate growth shortcut. From my early days as a dog walker learning from mentors like Dave Davies, to my recent investment in a new high-level coaching programmes, I explain why every big leap in my career started the same way: by asking for help… and why YOURS should too.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
What Fresh Eyes Reveal – Why an outsider can spot opportunities and blind spots you’ll never see alone.
The Power of Enrichment in Action – How Pete and Sarah turned Enrich U ideas into real-world results (and calmer dogs).
Staff Buy-In That Sticks – What Tim learned about training teams who want to do enrichment, not just tick boxes.
Coaching Over Guessing – How paying for expert help saves years of trial and error.
Growth Mindset vs. Ego – The simple shift that separates those who scale from those who stall.
If you’ve been thinking, “I can figure this out on my own,” this episode should your wake-up call...
To enroll in Enrich University - and get access to a full pet care enrichment curriculum AND done-for-you marketing materials each month, click here now
To get the recordings from the 2025 Pet Care Enrichment Summit click here now.
A huge thanks to our new show sponsors, the fantastic PawPal who are providing pet businesses with an effortless, bespoke booking system that is simple and seamless for owners. Find out more about PawPal here.
Don't forget I'm hosting my own dog daycare business bootcamp in October in Annapolis, you can grab your ticket now at: www.petbusinessmarketing.com/bootcamp
Need help fixing your business? To join the worlds leading 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