Afleveringen
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Hating every single part of your business right now? Don’t panic—you aren't alone, and those rough moments usually hide the best golden nuggets. This mashup episode brings together the absolute best bits from our upcoming CBA Live 2026 speakers to completely reshape how you look at growth, money, and boundaries.
We are tackling the addictive danger of riding only the highs, why "Bob" (your defensive brain) keeps trying to keep you safe, and the humbling reality of how your ego might be pushing you forward while pulling you back. Plus, get ready for some serious tactical advice on building off-platform assets—because relying solely on hacked-prone social media pages is a recipe for disaster. We are also breaking down the real truth behind burnout, why charging "affordable" prices is actually draining your energy, and how aligning your business with your highest personal values changes everything.
5 Key Takeaways
Highs are Addictive: Celebrating big wins is easy, but learning to navigate and measure the unsexy low days is the true marker of a sustainable entrepreneur.
Befriend "Bob": Your defensive brain works in feelings rather than facts; treat it with love, but don't let its pessimistic bias dictate your business choices.
Own Your Data: Social platforms are borrowed land. Building an email list protects your business from being erased by sudden hacks or algorithm shifts.
Burnout is Often Under-Earning: Burnout isn't always from working too hard; it’s frequently a state of low rewards, high financial stress, and not paying yourself.
Corner Pieces Matter: Your mission, vision, and values aren't just flippant corporate words—they are the foundation that shapes your entire customer experience.
5 Direct Quotes
"Highs are a very dangerous place to be. It becomes addictive."
"Bob works in feelings big time. 'I feel this and I must react.'"
"The reason that people burn out is because they're not spending enough time doing the stuff that they love doing."
"Email marketing done well outperforms social media in client acquisition massively."
"Burnout is actually a state of you not earning enough. It's not that you're doing too much."
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.
With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.
đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:
– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)
– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025
– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024
– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards
They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.
Their philosophy is simple:
Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Most force-free trainers feel like accidental business owners and reluctant marketers - brilliant with dogs, but suddenly expected to be marketers, salespeople, and content creators. Add AI into the mix and it can feel impossible to stand out without selling your soul.
Today, we are joined by Ricky Sullivan, The Canine Copywriter. She helps dog trainers get crystal clear on what they offer, who it’s for, and writes the content for their website, emails, and other marketing. Content that makes the right people’s ears perk up and tempts them to get out their credit cards.
We discuss why creating ethical, human copy is essential and how to do it and improve your visibility without having to live on social media. As well as how to use AI in a way that ensures you still sound like you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Copywriting is all about using the right words. Words that catch the attention of the right people and demonstrate to them that you are the person who genuinely can help them to train their dog and provide them with relief.
Jargon-heavy copy that reads like you are trying to prove how much you know, instantly turns people off. Their eyes roll, they think "what the hell does that mean or that sound soooo complicated." - then click away.
Pet owners want a human they can relate to and understand. Someone they know will truly solve their problem.
Be honest about what your offer. The more genuine you are the more you will attract clients you can help and the more likely it is you will please them and attract good reviews.
If you think you are not a good fit, don´t work with that client.
Pick marketing methods that work for you. If you don´t like writing, produce your content by talking instead.
Using social media is optional, staying consistently visible isn’t.
Generic, identical AI images and content erode trust and stop you standing out.
BEST MOMENTS
“Copywriting is writing words, but words for marketing. Words that are designed to persuade.”
“You just cannot stand out if everybody's stuff sounds exactly the same, and everybody's images are AI generated.”
“It's a fine line between understanding what people need to hear and not using their pain points against them.”
“Most force-free dog trainers didn't get into being a dog trainer because they wanted to be on social media.”
“Don't over complicate it, just be yourself, just show up, talk about what you care about, talk about how you can help people.”
ABOUT THE GUEST
https://thecaninecopywriter.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/thecaninecopywriter
https://www.instagram.com/thecaninecopywriter/
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Most dog trainers are still using a 90s-style model: six-week courses, one-off sessions, and long gaps between classes. A model that rarely works in today´s crazy busy world that is full of highly distracted and already over-stretched clients. They can´t take in and apply what you teach and training their dog tends to slip down their to-do list. Leaving you and them very frustrated.
In this episode, we explain that owners don’t want to have to become mini-dog trainers, they want simple methods that work. That needs long-term support, repetition, patience from you and asking better questions. That creates calmer clients, stronger relationships, and results that actually stick.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A 90sâstyle pickâandâmix of oneâoff sessions and short courses no longer works. When owners only get you in tiny snippets, it’s hard for them to build new habits and see lasting change, especially with puppies.
Clients are not short on information, they’re short on capacity. Kids, jobs, stress and 10,000 daily ads and messages eat their bandwidth. They can’t absorb and implement everything you say.
Judging clients e.g. thinking “they shouldn’t have a dog” shuts down your ability to help them. Even if you are careful to say nothing directly to them, they will still pick up on your disapproval. How you feel leaks out in subtle ways.
Take note of your frustration or issues with people and work to put things into perspective. Ask - What might be going on in their life that I don’t see yet?
Respectfully talk to your clients to uncover the underlying issues that are holding them back.
Sounding like a broken record can be frustrating, but if you don´t you can´t break through all of the other noise.
Build repeated explanations, reminders and checkâins into your course or sessions.
Longerâterm, relationshipâbased support makes it easier for both sides. You get time to really understand the client and adapt how you help; they get space to be honest, try, wobble, and come back without feeling like a bad owner.
BEST MOMENTS
“It's more human connection now.”
“You'll see more of that person, and they will let you in more into what's going into their lives, and it will allow you to be more empathetic.”
“You need to sound like a broken record… If they've only heard it one time, they're not going to retain it.”
You've got to come CBA Live, 9th and 10th of July, Solihull – Just book here - https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/cba-live-2026
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
If your normalcy, is juggling dogs, clients, kids, partners, piles of washing, dozens of undone chores, and a brain with 47 tabs open, this episode is for you. It is all about the reality of running a dog business while looking after family and dealing with a long list of other responsibilities outside of work.
We talk openly about those rockâbottom moments where you wonder if it would be easier to just go back to being “normal,” identity crisis, handling grief and being overstretched. You’ll hear how to simplify your business, prioritise tasks and surround yourself with a community of people that provide the support you need instead of inadvertently making things worse.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Feeling overwhelmed by life and work doesn’t mean you’re not cut out to run a business, it means you’re human.
Developing a rinseâandârepeat business model frees up headspace and time.
Discomfort is part of growth.
The right mentor stop your overthinking. They help you see where you are making things harder than they need to be.
Who you surround yourself with massively affects your belief in what’s possible and how hard everything feels.
When you feel fear or overwhelm spike about money, clients, big decisions or other things, pause, and say, “This is my brain trying to keep me safe.” Then ask: "If fear wasn’t driving this, what would I choose?"
Periodically, audit your business for tabs that don´t need to be open and plates you no longer need to keep spinning. List out everything you’re trying to do, decide what actually moves the needle and what can be parked.
For regularly repeated tasks, develop simple rinse and repeat processes, and follow them.
BEST MOMENTS
“How often, do you feel you've just got too many tabs open in your head, or you're spinning too many plates?”
“Life is busy, life is short, so actually spend it with people you love. Spend it with people that are going to encourage you.”
“Often, we are afraid to put ourselves first.”
“What thoughts are yours, and what are other people's that have infiltrated your brain?”
If you’ve not grabbed your CBA Live ticket yet, get your arse in gear and sort it here:https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/cba-live-2026/
Across two days we cover everything we’ve talked about in this episode (and a lot more): real-life business stories, mindset, money, systems, and strategies you can actually use.
You’ll connect with other force-free trainers, and you’ll have the chance to join the CBA community full-time so you’re not left doing this on your own.
CBA Live is the business event for force-free dog trainers and behaviourists.
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
www.caninebusinessacademy.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream. With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact. Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast. Their philosophy is simple: Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Treat visibility as relationship-building, not just posting. Local vets, rescues and pet businesses, plus simple authority videos that reframe common problems, often move the needle faster than another generic reel.
Put basic systems in place so every enquiry gets a fast reply, undecided leads are followed up automatically, and review requests go out without you having to remember a single sticky note. The faster you reply the more likely you will be booked.
BEST MOMENTS
“If it's not resonating with the audience… that nice (website) design isn't going to go very far.”
“We're not actually in the business of dogs; we're in the business of people.”
“I've landed on this website, I'm in the right place, I'm hearing words that relate to me, and I'm already feeling a weight lifting off my shoulders.”
“I definitely don't think a new dog trainer needs to go spend $10,000 or even $1,000 on a website … just a simple web page to start.”
“I think it's a massive risk relying on the safe route of not putting yourself out there.”
ABOUT THE GUEST
https://digiwoof.com
Socials - @digiwoof
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.
With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.
đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:
– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)
– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025
– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024
– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards
They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.
Their philosophy is simple:
Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Most dog trainers didn’t become selfâemployed because they craved spreadsheets, tax returns, and lateânight admin. They started because they loved dogs, loved learning, and wanted to do something that wasn´t soul sucking.
Fast forward a few years and many are burnt out, underâearning, and stuck in limbo – half in, half out – between a “proper job” that is pure drudgery and a dog business they don’t fully trust to support them.
In this episode, we strip back the glossy story and talk honestly about why you’re in business, how you got here (accidentally or intentionally), and why that is important. We discuss how to keep going when things get hard. You’ll hear our real stories of turning down safe promotions, taking redundancy, leaving big salaries, and redefining purpose after grief and major life events. Including, the ripple effect those decisions had on family, money, self-belief, and our entrepreneurial lives.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
How your business started shapes your mindset and expectations of what you can achieve.
Many trainers stay in “safe” jobs they hate because they don’t fully trust the business model or themselves to make it work financially.
Tough life events often act as forced turning points that push you to finally say, “there is no good time – I’m doing it anyway.
There’s a difference between the motivation to start and the motivation to continue and work your way through the drudgery.
If you’re constantly moaning about enquiries, clients, or cash, you eventually have to stop the moaning and change how you run your business.
What do you want your life to look like? – that is your first question, answer that question and change things to make it happen.
BEST MOMENTS
“What's the blocker here? Why are lots of people struggling to get those brilliant results?”
“I love that transformation; I love people getting brilliant results.”
“All the stuff that we're moaning about, all the things that we find difficult. What are we doing about it?”
“What is your motivation when it's hard, what's keeping you going? Where do you want to go with it? Where do you want your life to be?”
EPISODE RESOURCES
The Judgy Carrott episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-stop-unintentionally-telling-prospective-clients/id1727170978?i=1000768641524
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Most dog trainers are losing hours of headspace to what we call “comparatinitis” – the constant urge to measure your business against everyone else’s.
A new trainer appears in your area, someone launches real-life puppy classes, or their social media looks slicker than yours, and your brain goes straight to: “They’re going to take all my clients,” “I should be doing that,” or “I’m not good enough.” Before you know it, you’re doom-scrolling their website instead of building your own business.
In this episode we unpack where that fear really comes from, covering money, ego, industry culture, and nervous-system level panic. Then show you how to flip comparison into fuel. You’ll hear how to get more specific about what you actually want to be known for, design a business model that doesn’t need 50 clients a month, and stop trying to copy trainers whose strengths and goals are completely different to yours.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Constantly comparing yourself to your competitors keeps you secondâguessing your prices, offers, and skills. It leads to you building your business around fear instead of intention.
Get really specific about the dogs, people, and problems you want to be known for solving. That stops you from treating every other trainer as a direct threat.
Build a business model that doesn’t rely on packed classes and fifty clients a month. A handful of wellâpriced, longâterm programmes is all you need.
There really is plenty of clients out there for everyone. 41% of UK households have at least one dog.
Put boundaries on your stalkyâstalk time - use that energy to take one concrete action to boost your own business e.g. follow up on a lead.
Use what other trainers are doing as proof that there’s demand, rather than seeing everything as evidence that you’re failing or are “too late to the party.”
BEST MOMENTS
“Let's flip that (new competition) into something that drives us forward, that makes us better – Ask, how can I see this as a possibility?”
“The more specific you get, the more likely you are going to get that owner that you really want, as a client.”
“You shouldn't try to be somebody else, and you can't just copy what somebody else is doing …you can do whatever the f**k you want to do.”
“I had a model where if I was making 3 sales a month at £2k I was like, there was six grand coming in for me. I was quite happy with that. I didn't need to go and get 50 people.”
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream. With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast. Their philosophy is simple: Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Most forceâfree dog trainers are finding it increasingly hard to attract clients. They are passionate, educated and deeply committed to canine welfare - yet their businesses struggle. Not because they’re not good enough, but because their judgyness of dog owners is quietly telling great prospective clients to f**k off.
Without meaning to do so, many trainers are saying “you and I are not a good fit – go work with someone else.”
Today, we explore how the way you talk about ‘ideal clients’ and commitment can accidentally leave well-meaning dog owners feeling judged and not good enough. You’ll see how certain phrases, website copy, and enquiry processes act like a big ‘keep out’ sign and what to do instead so the right people actually lean in.
Expect uncomfortable truths, relatable confessions, and practical mindset shifts you will be able to immediately apply to your messaging, sales calls and offers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hidden judgement in your marketing copy, policies, videos, and website quietly tells great prospects to go elsewhere - long before they even speak to you.
Most dog owners say “obedience” because that’s all they’ve ever heard. It’s a knowledge gap, not them being arseholes and "bad" owners.
If you only speak to “ideal clients,” you shrink your pool down to a handful of alreadyâconverted unicorns.
Demonstrate how you work and your philosophy using stories and examples. This, attraction marketing approach ensures people don't feel shamed by your content.
You’re not in the business of dogs, you’re in the business of people - meet people where they’re at to help more dogs, earn more, and resent your clients a hell of a lot less.
BEST MOMENTS
“A lot of us are unintentionally telling prospective clients to f**k off.”
“The more invested, more passionate we get, the harder it is for us to understand what it feels like to be a dog owner, and this is where that resentment of people comes in.”
“You're failing the people if you don't meet them where they're at, and you don't acknowledge that their knowledge level is very different to yours.”
“If we've done the judgy thing, not necessarily in person to them, but through our messaging and through our marketing…you actually turn people off.”
“People skills are something we have to keep working on.”
“You can be passionate without being a judgy carrot.”
Make sure you check out CBA Live - THE business event for force-free dog trainers and behaviourists.
Two days of Real talk & Practical strategies - July 9th & 10th 2026
Save big with our Early Bird discount – https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/cba-live-2026/
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream. With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards. They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast. Their philosophy is simple: Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Many dog trainers accidentally build businesses that burn them out: 60-hour weeks, low prices, blurry boundaries, and no real way to step back. It doesn’t have to be like that. Treating your training business as a real company – with vision, pricing, and systems – is what changes everything.
Today, we sit down with Amber Quann from Summit Dog Training, a 20-year industry veteran who scaled from solo trainer to a 12-person team and used that growth to buy her own commercial real estate. We unpack how the pandemic puppy boom pushed her into severe burnout and how a year of coaching helped her separate her identity from the company and promote herself to CEO.
This episode is about shifting from “I just love dogs” to running a serious, profitable, CEOâled training business – with real pricing, real systems and a company that can survive (and even be sold) without you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Don’t build your business as “I just love dogs, so I’ll train on the side.” Decide early that it’s a serious company and promote yourself from lead trainer to CEO.
Separate your identity from the business - that emotional distance is what makes growth, delegation and even exit possible.
Price for profit and sustainability, not guilt. If you want to pay good wages, give raises and survive rising costs, you must charge enough and accept that some clients will leave.
Treat software and card fees as the cost of doing real business.
Automated, upfront payments slash noâshows and admin.
Set a clear North Star so you stop chasing every “good idea.”
Look to other industries for better models, launch at 10%, then iterate – perfectionism is what keeps you stuck.
Build a business that exists beyond you: systems, brand and a trained team turn dog training from tiring selfâemployment into an asset you could one day sell.
Aim for a healthy relationship with your business over the year, not perfect work–life balance every week.
If you only want to train dogs, that’s fine – but then bring in ops/CEO support instead of trying to wear every hat.
BEST MOMENTS
“Folks told me no one's gonna pay that for training - Now I charge three times that.”
“Look at something and take the bits out of it that are going to be relevant to you. You don't have to completely replicate it.”
“It's kind of just been this, North Star almost, but continuing to reorient around it as the years have passed.”
EPISODE RESOURCES
https://summitdogtraining.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/summitdogtraining
https://www.facebook.com/summitdogtraining
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
At some point, most dog trainers feel incredibly frustrated and unsure of themselves. Their clients are rarely anything like ideal students, and the end results are often disappointing. Today’s episode is about what really happens when textbook dog training techniques collide with messy human lives. When training “doesn’t work” it is rarely because the methods are wrong – real owners are busy and often skip the “boring” foundations.
Most owners follow bits of the plan, hit wobbles, never fully buy into the why behind the protocol and change their goals as training progresses. The net result is that everyone, including the trainer, ends up feeling like the training has failed.
In this episode, Jo & Vicky explain how to redesign your coaching, conversations, and programmes so that even when real owners are busy, inconsistent, and primarily focused on making their own lives easier, the training still works and everyone stops feeling like a failure.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
To get better outcomes, trainers must design coaching for messy, timeâpoor realâworld owners, not fantasy clients who do every rep.
Often, owners don´t do the homework just because of a lack of time. To them the “boring” foundations don’t feel clearly connected to the few specific behavioural problems they want solved.
When dog trainers don’t make the why of each step obviously relevant to a client´s real-life goals, they only do bits of the plan, hit wobbles, lose confidence, and quietly disengage before the method has had a chance to work.
Quick wins create perceived value for clients. They build trust and motivate them to keep going and do the harder things.
When trainers explain why each step matters, and the consequences of skipping it in terms of how well-behaved the dog will be in real life, owners can make informed choices and are more likely to commit to the work.
BEST MOMENTS
“Give them something that is going to get them a result quickly, that is going to add to that bank account of trust.”
“You want to create an environment where they can give you that information without feeling judged and without feeling like it's going to be a s**t answer.”
“It is gonna be up and down -- it's not ever gone smooth sailing, because it's not supposed to. That is not how we learn as people, as humans.”
“This industry that we've created for ourselves is crippling us with imposter syndrome.”
EPISODE REOURCES
https://podcasts.apple.com/cz/podcast/how-to-stop-speaking-dog-trainer-and-start-speaking-human/id1727170978?i=1000762968318
https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
From “rock bottom” to national crime-scene cleaners turning over six-figures plus. Donna and Dennis share how they built a premium, values-driven cleaning business and coaching brand. Weirdly, there’s a lot of crossovers into dog training - and they prove it. Their lessons on pricing, mindset, recruitment, and client relationships map uncannily well onto the realities of running a dog training business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Don´t start your business as a hobby – “I just love doing this thing” doesn´t work. You need a business and growth mindset.
Charge premium prices and structure for cash flow from day one.
Don´t be afraid to break through the VAT barrier.
Look out for new opportunities and services you can add to create a more resilient business.
Don´t be afraid to recruit.
Know your core values, hint at them in your job advert and hire for the character traits you need.
Having a strong purpose creates a lot of positive energy. Wanting to help others is a particularly good driver.
Expect complaints and wobbles you will rarely achieve perfection, be ready to deal with oversights (don´t call them mistakes).
Build clear processes to minimise risk of oversights and deal with them. This also makes it easier to teach your staff and others the skills they need.
Overserving for free is not good for you or your client. You can help but need boundaries.
Learn to bridge the knowledge gap: meet clients where they are at, not where you are. Pitch at their level.
You are going to have those “I should just go get a 9-to-5 job days” – refocus on why you are running your business, the things you enjoy and how working in Asda would make you feel.
BEST MOMENTS
“Everything we do, or we train our staff do to, we've done ourselves on the ground.”
“I have got that purpose, and I have got the ability to change people's lives and it's massive.”
“Recruit for character.”
“There is space for everyone. If you don't believe there's space for you, there won´t be.”
“The universe puts in front of you what you need to see.”
“I have never stopped pushing. I just find different ways to push.”
EPISODE RESOURCES
https://thespecialistcleaninggroup.co.uk
https://donnahall.co.uk
DISC profiling for recruitment - https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
As a dog trainer or behaviourist – who are you actually marketing to? And who should you be marketing to?
It sounds like a stupid question, but in this episode, you’ll see it’s the key to why so much of your content lands beautifully with other trainers… and completely misses the dog owners you are actually trying to attract.
Jo and Vicky explain why dog trainers need to stop worrying about what their peers think and stop marketing to the fantasy “perfect client” who doesn’t exist. Instead, they show you how to talk directly to real dog owners – the ones saying things like “I just want my dog under control” – and why hearing that kind of language should be a green light to connect and educate, not an automatic red flag.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Stop marketing to your dream client. People who already fully understands how dog training really works are very rare.
Market in a way that appeals to real dog owners. People who are tired, confused, and just want their dog to behave.
Sell what dog owners think they want - an obedient, under control dog. Then, deliver what they actually need – realistic expectations, understanding of their dog, and a stronger relationship with their dog through force free behaviour change.
If your marketing sounds like a science lecture, your ideal pet dog owner has already scrolled past.
Keep the language simple, human, and totally jargonâfree.
Words like “dominant,” “obedient,” and “control” are not badâclient alarms. They’re just repeating what they’ve heard. Use those words as a starting point to connect. Then gently reframe.
If you instantly have a negative reaction when you hear would be clients use words like "obedient" or phrases like "I just want the dog sorted" you will miss out.
Think of your marketing as a shop window - its only job is to get the right people to step through your door.
BEST MOMENTS
“We forget how it feels to be a normal dog owner.”
“I guarantee, from a marketing perspective, I am more likely to connect with people now with my very limited knowledge than I am when I know more.”
“If you talk like that outwardly, you are a tw**t .”
“Marketing is only a shop front window - it's the very diluted version of what they're going to experience when they work with you.”
Ready to stop winging it and start earning consistent 3–5k months?
Grab your free spot on our 90âminute masterclass and we’ll show you exactly how to stop guessing, structure your dog business properly, and get paid like a pro – not a hobbyist.
Just click here - https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/90-min-masterclass
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
www.caninebusinessacademy.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream. With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards. They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast. Their philosophy is simple: Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Dog trainers are told online income is “easy.” Create a course. Stick it on Kajabi or Thinkific. Say “buy my thing.” Wake up to money in your sleep.
If that is true, why are so many online memberships, £7 offers and “video vaults” quietly gathering dust?
This episode is all about why “easy online income” is a myth and what you actually need in place before online courses, memberships and low-cost digital offers will work for your dog business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is a perception that online training is as simple as create a course, stick it on a platform, stick it on your website, and say - here's a course, buy my thing, and then voila, you're making money whilst you're sleeping.
Easy online income is a myth: lowâticket video courses and memberships are often harder to sell than one to one service.
Giving buyers access to a big video vault just does not cut it. Free dog training advice is everywhere; people pay not for information, but for you, your personality, story, experience, guidance, and a clear, simple path to a result.
Technology, including remote or online services do have a place within most dog businesses, but it needs to be used in the right way. A way that genuinely makes sense for your customers and produces good results e.g. delivering one to one lessons over Zoom.
If you do run an online membership, make sure you are present and offer in-depth advice and a genuine community that owners can use to support each other. It´s not making money in your sleep
Online offers only work when you already have audience, trust, and community in place. So, your first step is to actively build an audience.
BEST MOMENTS
“The online space is so noisy…You're no longer competing with other dog trainers for attention. You're competing with the entire advertising system.”
“If it really were that simple, why is everybody not raking it in.”
"The marketplace is shifting for everybody … we're craving human connection … because the tech's overwhelming everybody."
“It's the equivalent of an in-person business just online.”
“You got to stand out in a way that works for you, in a way that aligns with your brand.
Join our free 90âminute webinar where we’ll walk you through what’s working right now for dog pros who want a business that actually supports their life. Sign up here - https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/90-min-masterclass
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.
With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.
đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:
– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)
– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025
– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024
– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards
They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.
Their philosophy is simple:
Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Many dog trainers burn out because they work long hours for very little money – It doesn´t have to be like that. Fixing your business finances automatically solves that problem.
Today, we sit down with Bobbie Logan a financial empowerment coach and multiâawardâwinning bookkeeper to discuss why burnout is so strongly related to how you hand your business finances. We bust the money-related myths that are holding you back - “I can’t charge that,” “accountants are a luxury,” and “I’m running this for the dogs, not for profit.”
We also unpack how to develop the practical money habits you need to break this negative cycle. Including, monthly money dates, simple bank account setups, and tax pots, and asking better questions of your accountant.
We've got a brand-new business health check for you - it´ll show you exactly where your business is working really fucking well, and where you are haemorrhaging time, money, and energy - all in the time it takes to make a cuppa. Just click the link to take our business health check quiz -https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Treating financial support as a luxury creates hidden risk. Early, ongoing bookkeeping and strategic input will reduce tax, smooth cash flow, and support better decisions.
Hiring a decent bookkeeper from the start pays for itself many times over.
Choose a bookkeeper that uses language you understand and is happy to answer all of your questions. Why pay for someone who only handles your tax return when you can have an expert there to help you build your business.
Most of us have a negative mindset around money e.g. the belief that “money doesn´t grow on trees.” That holds us back. Bobbie explains how to address that issue.
When you don´t charge what you are worth, you are holding your customers back as well as yourself.
BEST MOMENTS
“Burnout is actually a state of you're not earning enough - It's not that you're doing too much.”
“Knowing your numbers is the one thing that will drive your business and really drive you to make more money.”
“If you are not charging your worth, you already feel worthless.”
“As a business owner, you don't do it for free. You're not a charity. You are there to share your knowledge.”
If this episode has hit a nerve around money, you need to be at CBA Live on the 9th and 10th of July. Bobby will be there in person, going deeper into money mindset and sharing simple, noâjargon tips to improve your dog business´ bottom line.
đ Grab your ticket now at https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com/cba-live-2026
GUEST RESOURCES
https://www.instagram.com/thewanderfulbookkeeper
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards. They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast. Their philosophy is simple: Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Dog trainers often ask, “What else do I need to offer to make enough sales?”
This episode shows you it’s not about adding more. It´s about changing your focus, which can even mean you end up doing less.
You’ll hear why so many trainers are trapped offering lowâpriced classes and working endless evenings, how to challenge the “truths” you’ve absorbed about what clients will pay, and how one purposeâdriven, higherâvalue offer plus simple, personal sales can change your income, your schedule, and your enjoyment of the work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
You are in control. If you hate what you are doing and it does not align with your purpose, what you are passionate about - you can change that.
Choose a product that you are passionate about and focus on developing that. You will stay engaged, help people you really can help and deliver fantastic training people love and are willing to pay for.
Challenge the “truths” that are holding you back - when you question beliefs like “people won’t pay that here” or “clients don’t value what I do,” you realise most of your limits are selfâimposed, not marketâimposed. Fix your mindset to fix your business.
In a world where human connection is becoming rare making the effort to respond personally is huge e.g. responding to a sales enquiry by sending a short video reply.
BEST MOMENTS
“Your purpose will lead the way. If the purpose is passion driven.”
“We need to be led by that passion. Because you'll get sick of what you do if you're not enjoying it.”
“Mindset - It’s not that your mind is broken. It's how set are you in your brain?”
“If you're going down a path that doesn't excite you and light you up if you're working with people that you fucking hate - It's all down to you. You get to change this .”
“If you learn how to sell better and sell air quote properly, this is what's going to massively change your life.”
“We genuinely believe human connection is of the highest importance, because we're not having it anymore.”
Want to find out more and start reshaping your dog training business? Join our free 90âminute webinar at caninebusinessacademy.com and see how one core offer, a stronger mindset and humanâfirst sales changes everything.
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
Most dog trainers are having plenty of conversations and getting the clicks â yet very few people are actually buying.In this episode, we look at why so many people stop you in the park or Google âdog training [your area],â land on your site⌠and then quietly disappear. We unpack how business cards, vague websites and too many options kill momentum, even when people are genuinely interested.For each touchpoint in the customer journey, youâll learn how to create a simple, frictionless ânext logical stepâ, how to use above-the-fold space so visitors instantly know theyâre in the right place, and why you shouldnât worry about fancy funnels or lead magnets until youâve nailed a basic path that takes dog owners from curiosity to paid client.KEY TAKEAWAYSRegardless of whether someone finds your website or approaches you in the park you need to take that potential customer on a journey â a journey that quickly demonstrates that you can help and makes it easy to book with you.Your customer journey has to be frictionless - quick and simple. If people cannot find out what they need to know, they will go elsewhere. Reserve aboveâtheâfold space on your website to answer the questions: âAm I in the right place. What do I do next?â if you don´t youâll lose sales. Use the language your customers use. If they search for or talk about dog trainers instead of dog behaviourist, use dog trainer on your website.Keep your offer simple and make booking frictionless. Identify how people are finding you and double down on improving the customerjourney on that platform.BEST MOMENTSâThat customer journey can get really complicated. Or, we can simplify it and just go, what issomebody looking for? What's the next logical step?ââAsk - How easy is it to buy something from you?ââIf people are saying they're finding you on Google and you're spending all your time onFacebook âŚ. put more effort into Google.ââRealistically, if your business⌠isnât generating up to 100k consistently every year onturnover, then we don't need all these fancy things.âSOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKShttps://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusinesshttps://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusinessWebsite www.caninebusinessacademy.comCommunity Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunityLet´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705Email: [email protected] THE HOSTSJo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-foundersof Canine Business Academyâthe UKâs go-to hub for dog professionals who want more thanjust a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helpedhundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in realimpact.Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:â UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)â Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025â Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024â Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsTheyâre also No.1 bestselling authors of Letâs Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBCRadio, FOX, NBC, and moreâwith 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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Pressing pause on a business is rarely as clean as shutting the doors. Sometimes it simply goes quiet. No big announcement. No official closure. Just life shifting focus elsewhere.
After 18 months of near silence, the dog training side of the business is being reconsidered, not because CBA is going anywhere, but because the demand never fully stopped. Enquiries have continued. The audience is still there. Google Business is still live. There is proof of life.
This episode explores what it really looks like to resurrect a service business that has been dormant but not dead.
The first mindset shift is crucial: you are not starting from scratch. There is an existing Facebook group with 326 members. A page with 1.7k followers. Inbound enquiries still landing despite doing nothing for a year and a half. That is not a cold start. That is warm ground.
Restarting properly is less about complicated funnels and more about visibility and trust. When people have not heard from you in 18 months, the fastest way back is honesty. A simple public reintroduction. A post acknowledging the gap. Human, direct, slightly self-aware. Trust rebuilds through consistency, not perfection.
If immediate cashflow were needed, the strategy would be simple and proactive: direct outreach. Messaging the existing audience individually. Reintroducing via video. Asking a clear question such as, “Who do you know that’s just got a puppy and needs help?” No elaborate campaign. Just conversation. Service businesses grow through relationships, not algorithms.
Showing up publicly again would follow quickly. Drip-feeding value into the group. Talking about real puppy struggles, biting, toilet training, overwhelm, unrealistic expectations. Sharing practical, usable advice. Re-establishing authority by being helpful.
An easy next step would be essential. A Zoom session to reconnect. A local in-person meet and greet or mini workshop. Trust accelerates when people can see and hear the humans behind the brand.
Our Socials and Important Links:
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website https://www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/
Our Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1068791705?dplnkId=5f9c7bc7-26fa-4f85-b1aa-a1230cb9599a -
Most dog trainers started their business because they’re passionate about helping dogs and their people. But it’s easy to slide into simply “paying the bills” and building a life that feels more like a grind than a choice.
Are fear, “sensible” decisions, and other people’s noise quietly stopping you from running your business in a way that actually supports the life you want?
In this episode, Jo & Vicky get honest about how they’ve been stuck there too – and how they got out. They unpack the trap of waiting for the “right time,” how we squander our best years by playing safe, and how to uncover your unique dog training superpower so you can build a business (and life) you love now, instead of doing what most people do - waiting until you retire.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Don’t wait for “someday” to live the life you want. The harsh reality is that someday you will be less physically or mentally capable of making living the life you want actually happen.
You don´t have to be “special” to have an impact. Every single person has unique capabilities that when used to the full can transform important aspects of other people´s lives.
It’s human nature to play it safe – our brains use “sensible” plan like waiting until we’ve saved more cash as a way to keep us from taking risks. Then we spend that extra cash on fixing the washing machine and never move forward.
You need to shift your mindset and push yourself to take action instead of endlessly waiting for perfect conditions.
There will be challenges and you will still have to fulfil your responsibilities, but with planning and taking consistent action, you will transform your life.
BEST MOMENTS
“We make life so much harder for ourselves, nobody else is doing it…. we're applying that pressure on ourselves.”
“I believe every single person out there has a unique ability, a unique skill set, a unique superpower that, if they chose to lean into, could do amazing things.”
“Flip that - Don't go but it might not work … ask well, what if it did work? What could be happening right now if you did do the thing and it worked?”
“That was all in his head and that was causing him stress.”
EPISODE RESOURCES
The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss - https://www.amazon.co.uk/4-Hour-Work-Week-Escape-Anywhere-ebook/dp/B006X0M2TS
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.
With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.
đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:
– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)
– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025
– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024
– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards
They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.
Their philosophy is simple:
Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results. -
Dog trainers spend a lot of time worrying about big issues that could damage their business - bad launches, slow enquiries or picking the wrong niche.
Yet some of the most damaging things you do businesswise actually start quietly in your own head.
In this episode, we talk about how our decision to only work with force free trainers was 100% right on paper, but still knocked our confidence, visibility, and momentum. How we went from “f**k yeah, this is brilliant” to doing the bare minimum, hiding behind excuses, and calling it strategy.
We unpack what fight, flight and safety mode really look like in a dog business, how that shows up in your marketing and client delivery, and how we’re climbing back out of our rut by getting back to what we do best and actually being ourselves again.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Not being yourself and holding true to your values is a huge mistake.
There is nothing wrong with listening to the opinion of others, but when you start letting what people think govern how you act, it becomes toxic. Staying true to your values is essential.
Once self-doubt creeps in often you stop taking action. You start to play small and try to stay below the radar. Or you enter a defensive fight the world mode. Both are mentally and emotionally exhausting and very bad for business.
Regular self-reflection helps you to avoid this pitfall.
If you are in a rut, use what Jo & Vicky share in this episode to climb back out.
BEST MOMENTS
“That feeling of being lost and not knowing what to do for the best, that paralyses your ability to show up in any way, shape, or form. That is how you can damage your own business.”
“We fell off a cliff, and now we’ve climbed back to the top.”
“There will always be fallout, no matter what decision you make.”
“All of that's because I was listening to everybody else instead of owning my own space.”
EPISODE RESOURCES
Going 100% force free trainers’ episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/owning-our-decisions-reflecting-on-a-challenging/id1727170978?i=1000736342020
SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness
https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness
Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com
Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity
Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705
Email: [email protected]
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.đ Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/ -
For any dog business, trust is the most important currency - and every client interaction either tops up or drains your clientsâ âtrust account.âYet, building trust is becoming more difficult. Consumers are increasingly suspicious of what they see. So, dog pros need to ask: âHow do I show up as genuine in a world where the first thing people ask is - is this real or AI?In this episode, Jo & Vicky break down what trust actually looks like in a dog training business today. They cover using AI without losing your voice, why using your clientsâ real words matter more than polished trainer speak, and how sharing the small, real, behind-the-scenes moments quietly make it easier for the right people to say yes to what you offer.KEY TAKEAWAYS AI can be useful, but obviously AI-written content feels inauthentic and makes subconscious withdrawals from your audienceâs trust account, especially if it doesnât sound like you. AI works best as a thinking partner that helps you articulate ideas when youâre stuck, not as a shortcut that replaces your own brain and voice. Get out of the habit of writing to impress other dog trainers. Your audience is real-life dog owners that need help. Make content that speaks directly to them and use the exact language they use. Unintelligible jargon kills trust. Big brands can lean on their logo; solo dog pros canât. Showing your face, name, story, and even mundane life moments e.g. laundry on the bed behind you is what lets people feel safe choosing you. It´s not enough to share your founder story and leave it at that. Your story is a thread that people follow, so keep sharing as you progress or things change. Clients are growing sick of being given some basic instruction then being left to get on with things. They want real human support â more connection and guidance. Showing what goes on in your business behind the scenes builds trust. People get to see how much effort you put into looking after them and their dogs. Being your true self helps the right clients to opt in.BEST MOMENTSâI'd say it probably takes longer, in some instances, to use AI to write stuff.ââIt's not going to resonate if it's not what your people would be saying.ââIt's not that nobody's spending they're just adding a few more steps into their spending process.ââIf it comes from the heart, it will come across in whatever format you choose.ââYou can't expect somebody to hand over some cash if there's no element of trust there.âSOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKShttps://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusinesshttps://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusinessWebsite www.caninebusinessacademy.comCommunity Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunityLet´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705Email: [email protected] THE HOSTSWeâre Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies. Force-free dog trainers, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy. Collectively, weâve been dog training for nearly three decades, built a six-figure dog training business, and grown CBA into a multiâsix-figure global brand, all while raising kids, a university degree and life life'ing. Featured on BBC, FOX and NBC, and authors of Letâs Talk Dog Business Strategy. Giving a shit is the strategy. Getting shit done is the method.This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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