Automation is not always about doing more faster. It is about getting your time back so your business can actually support your life.

In this episode, I sit down with my friend, mentor, and DogCo automation expert Robert Strickland to talk about how pet care business owners can use systems, AI, and intentional automation to reduce burnout, reclaim time, and scale sustainably.

Robert shares his journey from corporate process work to building and scaling a multi-state pet care business, and how automation became the unlock that changed everything. If you feel buried by daily operations, stretched thin, or unsure where automation actually helps, this episode is for you.

🔗 Connect with Robert Strickland
Next Level Pet Businesses Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/nextlevelpetbusinesses

This is where Robert teaches practical AI and automation strategies alongside some of the sharpest minds in the pet care industry.

✨ Key Takeaways
• Automation should protect your time, not create complexity
• Most bottlenecks in growing businesses start with the owner
• Client onboarding and employee management are the biggest time drains
• Tracking your time reveals what actually needs automation
• AI is changing SEO, discovery, and how clients find pet care companies
• Systems should support your life goals, not just revenue growth

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 – Welcome and introduction to Robert Strickland
1:20 – How Michelle and Robert first connected
3:40 – Robert’s background in corporate systems and tech
5:15 – Hitting burnout as a solo pet care owner
6:06 – Treating your side hustle like a real business
7:24 – Why automation changed everything
9:50 – Time return vs money return
12:20 – Scaling impact beyond one on one work
14:13 – Building DogCo as something bigger than one person
17:09 – Automation as a path to autonomy
19:47 – Identifying yourself as the bottleneck
21:17 – Tracking time to find what should be automated
24:22 – What Robert hopes DogCo members experience next year
25:17 – AI, SEO, and the future of client discovery
28:41 – Where to find Robert and how to connect

🚀 Work With DogCo
If you are ready to scale your pet care business with intention, clarity, and real systems support:

👉 Mastermind enrollment page:
https://dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

Enrollment opens once per year and spots are limited.

-M