In this episode of the DogCo Secrets Podcast, I sit down with Dan Reitman, owner of Dan’s Pet Care, to unpack a Facebook post he shared in my community that deeply resonated across the pet care industry.

What started as a message to dog walkers and pet sitters working through Thanksgiving turned into a powerful conversation about conviction, sales, mindset, and how tools like AI can help service-based businesses grow without sacrificing integrity.

Dan shares the real story behind a Black Friday campaign that generated over $100,000 in four days, why sales isn’t a dirty word, and how belief in your work directly impacts results.

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• Why sales and compassion can coexist in pet care
• Why conviction matters more than perfection
• What actually drives high-performing promotions
• How AI tools like ChatGPT support ethical marketing
• Why long-term consistency beats shortcuts

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Why I wanted to have this conversation
0:16 – Dan’s background and the post that sparked it all
2:47 – Reading the Thanksgiving post and its impact
4:37 – From $40K in 18 hours to $100K in four days
7:08 – DogCo Launch case study
8:32 – Why sales applies to every pet care business model
12:10 – Reframing sales as service and education
18:14 – Conviction vs perfection in business growth
26:15 – How to start planning now for Black Friday 2026
36:21 – Final thoughts on belief, trust, and leadership

🎵 Let's Connect!
What does it take to scale your pet care business?
I want to send you a case study showing how one of my clients grew monthly revenue from $19,000 to over $73,000 in just one year. 👉 Visit dogcolaunch.com/case-study to get the case study and learn more.

🔗 Resources & Mentions
•  Business frameworks inspired by Alex Hormozi
•  Marketing philosophy influenced by Gary Vaynerchuk
• Industry wisdom from Kristen Morrison
• Tools discussed include ChatGPT, email segmentation, form builders, UTMs, and CRM systems

🔔 Subscribe & Stay Connected
If you’re building or scaling a pet care business and want honest conversations about leadership, sales, and sustainable growth, subscribe to the DogCo Secrets Podcast for weekly episodes.

-M

We are officially stepping into a new year, and in this episode, I want to talk about how to make 2026 a year that actually feels different. Not just busier, not just louder, but more intentional, more impactful, and more aligned with what you really want from your business and your life.

I walk you through three specific shifts I believe make the biggest difference for entrepreneurs, especially pet care business owners who are scaling and carrying a lot of responsibility. These are changes I am actively focusing on myself, and they are rooted in time clarity, execution, and the courage to face hard things sooner instead of later.

This is not about setting vague resolutions or chasing more ideas. It is about focus, follow through, and creating real momentum by doing fewer things better.

Key Takeaways

• Why understanding where your time actually goes is foundational to growth

• How doing less, but executing better, creates faster and more sustainable results

• Why pushing hard conversations and difficult decisions into the future keeps you stuck

• How facing discomfort directly creates the biggest breakthroughs as a leader

If you are stepping into 2026 wanting real change, not just good intentions, this episode will help you reset your focus and choose where to apply your energy in a way that actually moves the needle.

If you want to learn more about how I support pet care business owners through growth and strategy, you can explore resources and case studies at dogcolaunch.com.

Thanks for being here, and I hope this episode helps you start the year with clarity and confidence.

Cheering you on.

-Michelle

2025 stretched me, refined me, and clarified what actually matters. In this episode, I am reflecting out loud on the wins I am proud of, the areas where I fell short, and the lessons I am carrying into 2026 as a founder, coach, and human. If you are closing out a demanding year and thinking deeply about how you want to grow next, this conversation is for you.

This is not a highlight reel. It is an honest look at health, momentum, leadership, systems, and what it really takes to build something sustainable without burning yourself out.

✨ Key Takeaways

• Why prioritizing health changed how I show up in business
• What investing in myself taught me about clarity and momentum
• The hidden cost of growing without clean systems and data
• Why planning further ahead is now non-negotiable for me
• How closing the loop on projects creates real client success
• What I want 2026 to feel like, not just look like on paper

⏰ Timestamps

0:00 Intro and why I wanted to reflect publicly
1:23 The sweatshirt, discipline, and following the plan
1:36 My biggest personal win in 2025
3:48 What surprised me about DogCo this year
4:49 Why investing in yourself creates clarity
6:59 The DogCo Summit and momentum heading into 2026
7:45 Why the podcast became one of my favorite projects
9:03 Gratitude for the DogCo team
10:26 Planning further ahead and communication gaps
12:44 Data, metrics, and systems debt
15:46 Shipping full cycles and closing the loop
19:41 Hopes, plans, and personal goals for 2026
24:35 Final reflections and closing thoughts

I also want to say happy holidays! 🎄 I sincerely hope you had a restful, meaningful holiday season and were able to spend time with the people who matter most to you. Thank you for listening, for supporting this podcast, and for being part of the DogCo community. I am incredibly grateful for you and excited for what we are building together in the year ahead!

- M

In today’s Hot Take Friday episode, I am sharing three specific, tactical things I want you to focus on next year if your goal is to increase profit in your pet care business. These are not abstract ideas or long-term theories. These are levers you can actually pull, starting now, that I see move the needle for companies over and over again.

I am talking about labor costs, recurring service models, and before and after hours fees, and I am being very direct about where I see businesses getting stuck, what growth will not fix, and where profit actually comes from in this industry.

If you feel burned out, underpaid, stuck, or frustrated that growth has not solved your financial problems, this episode is for you.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Labor costs above 60 percent will always bottleneck profit and growth

• Growth does not fix high labor, it often makes it worse

• Recurring service models protect margin better than one off visits

• As needed services should cost more, not less

• Before and after hours fees are one of the fastest ways to increase net profit

• Profit creates stability for you, your team, and your business long term

🎯 Mentioned in This Episode

• Episode 067 with Lauren Dunkle, where she shares how she reduced labor by over 24 percent in a high cost market

• Real examples from companies inside DogCo that have implemented these strategies successfully

🚀 Ready to Go Deeper?

If this episode is hitting close to home and you want hands on support applying these strategies to your business, mastermind enrollment is now open - doors close December 31, 2025.

The Mastermind enrollment page is - dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

We only open enrollment once a year. If working with DogCo is on your radar for 2026, now is the time to take action.

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

If you have the ambition to grow a seven-figure pet care business, I want to share a few ways I would encourage you to start operating right now, even if that level still feels far off.

In today’s Hot Take episode, I break down three core behaviors I consistently see in companies that successfully scale past the seven-figure mark. This is not about chasing growth for growth’s sake. It is about learning to think long term, to build the right systems early, and to prepare your business for volume before it arrives.

If you are feeling stuck, burned out, unsure why profit feels tight, or frustrated that growth feels harder than it should, this episode is for you. These shifts do not happen by accident; they happen by intention.

I also share why tracking data earlier than you think matters, how future-focused problem-solving separates growing companies from reactive ones, and how asking “what breaks if we double?” can completely change the way you lead your business.

If working with DogCo has been on your radar, Mastermind enrollment is now open. We only enroll once per year.

Learn more and schedule a consultation at:
dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

Key Takeaways

• Seven-figure companies think long term, not just in short-term wins

• Building systems early makes scaling dramatically easier later

• Tracking data when you are smaller gives you a major advantage

• Growth requires proactive problem-solving, not constant reaction

• Building for volume starts long before you reach it

Cheering you on, 

Michele

What if your business could support your life instead of consuming it?

In this episode, I sit down with Angela Watts to talk about what it really looks like to intentionally design your role inside your business, rather than letting the business dictate every hour of your time. Angela shares her full journey from early hustle, burnout, and chaos to building systems, leadership, and a role that protects her energy while supporting real growth.

This is an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, identity, delegation, community, and why you cannot scale chaos, but you can scale systems. If you are building a pet care business and want it to serve you long term, this episode is for you. 

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and why this conversation matters
1:24 Angela’s early story and starting a pet care business
4:34 Transitioning from field work to leadership
7:54 Hitting burnout and almost selling the business
10:35 Asking for help and building management
12:26 Community as a turning point
15:57 Investing in yourself and education
18:37 Joining the DogCo team and mentoring others
21:08 Advice for business owners entering a new year
25:15 Final thoughts on designing your own path

✨ Key Takeaways
• You cannot scale chaos, but you can scale systems
• Designing your role requires intention, not perfection
• Delegation and leadership unlock sustainable growth
• Community can prevent burnout and isolation
• Investing in yourself directly impacts business health

🚀 Ready to Build a Business That Works for You?
Mastermind enrollment is now open, but doors close December 31.

If you are ready to intentionally design your role, protect your energy, and scale your pet care business with support, learn more at
👉 dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

🎧 Listen to the DogCo Secrets Podcast on
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

The holidays are here, and if you run a pet care company, you already know this season can feel like a beautiful mix of gratitude, chaos, logistics, and stress. In today’s Hot Take episode, I am breaking down the most effective ways I have found to support your team during the busiest and most emotionally loaded weeks of the year. This is one of the most important leadership topics we cover inside DogCo because the way you show up for your staff during the holidays has a ripple effect on retention, culture, and the trust people place in you as their leader.

I am sharing practical strategies that are simple, implementable, and based on what I have seen work across hundreds of pet care companies. These ideas will help you ease the load on your team, reduce friction with clients, improve communication, and add touches of delight that make holiday work feel a little more human. This is a great episode for any owner who wants to nurture a healthy culture even in a high-demand season.

What You Will Learn

• How client-side expectations can drastically reduce stress for your staff

• Why shift-based scheduling is a major holiday sanity saver

• Small surprise and delight moments that have a huge cultural payoff

• What “status” looks like and why public appreciation matters

• How to reinforce healthy boundaries without sacrificing the client experience

• Ways to keep your team motivated during the toughest stretch of the year

Join the DogCo Mastermind

If you want to work with me in 2026, enrollment is open right now and we only accept companies once per year. This is your window to join us and completely transform the way you grow and scale your business.

👉 dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

Most pet care owners do not have a planning problem - they have a rushing problem. In this episode, I break down the five skills that separate reactive business owners from strategic ones. If you want 2026 to be your strongest year yet, it starts with learning how to slow down, follow the data thread, ask the right questions, and manufacture real accountability.

If you want support in scaling your team-based pet care business in 2026, enrollment for DogCo Mastermind is open now. Apply at 👉 http://dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 Welcome to the episode
0:15 Why I am already planning for 2026
0:29 The art of planning well
0:47 Five skills for becoming a better planner
1:01 Tip 1: Slow down
1:12 The client story that changed how I think about planning
2:05 Giving yourself the gift of time to think
2:39 Why rushing sabotages good planning
3:27 If you feel stuck in your pet care business, here is why
3:48 Mastermind enrollment is officially open
4:24 Tip 2: Follow the thread
5:01 Letting curiosity lead your planning
5:48 My personal quarterly planning ritual
6:41 Tip 3: Break big goals into actionable steps
7:26 Why defining next steps increases follow-through
8:12 Writing steps down to make them real
8:30 Tip 4: Ask better questions when planning
9:19 What does done look like vs done well
9:20 Identifying failure points and pivots
9:45 Tip 5: Manufacture accountability
10:08 Why accountability improves discipline
10:50 The trainer story and changing your environment
11:46 The truth about hitting goals
12:33 Final thoughts

✨ Key Takeaways
• Great planning begins by slowing down and resisting the pressure to rush
• Following the thread of your curiosity reveals insights you normally miss
• Break every goal into next steps so action becomes inevitable
• Ask the four questions that create clarity for any plan
• Accountability is not a character trait, it is a structure you can build

📣 Work With Michelle in 2026
DogCo Mastermind enrollment is officially open and we only bring in new companies once a year. If scaling your pet care business with clear systems, stronger leadership, and better profitability is a goal for next year, submit your application now at 👉 http://dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

🎧 Listen on Your Favorite Platform
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube

-M

In this Hot Take Friday episode, I am sharing three honest truths that I wish I could tell coaching clients when they are deep in the struggle. These are insights I hold closely in my own business, and they shape how I coach, how I lead, and how I navigate hard seasons. Some of these truths are not always easy to hear in the moment, but they absolutely transform how you show up in your business long term.

If you ever feel like you are carrying too much, worrying about things you cannot control, or frustrated by slow progress, this episode is for you. I hope it gives you a sense of grounding, power, and clarity for the road ahead.

✨ Key Takeaways

• If it is outside your control, it is not worth the time and energy you are giving it

• You have more control than you think, and extreme ownership can change everything

• The work has to get done regardless of how you feel about it

• Your mindset is one of your strongest business assets

• Avoidance feels safe in the moment but creates more pain in the long run

🔗 Helpful Links

• Explore the DogCo Mastermind and apply at dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

• Follow along on Instagram for more coaching insights

• Share this episode with a pet care owner who needs a little clarity this week