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

If you have ever wondered whether you can turn a struggling pet care business into a strong, scalable company, this episode is for you. Today I sit down with my friend, DogCo Team Member, and DogCo Mastermind member, Lauren Dunkle, to unpack one of the most inspiring business transformations I have ever witnessed. Lauren went from ending a year at a major financial loss with a 78 percent labor cost to becoming profitable, paying herself a real salary, and building a team with insane retention.

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 Welcome and why this episode matters
0:17 Meet guest Lauren Dunkle
0:52 The financial breaking point in 2023
2:03 Entering DogCo with a 78 percent labor cost
3:40 Learning to understand the numbers
4:50 How Illinois labor laws shaped her business
5:47 Transitioning from ICs to employees
7:01 Discovering and repairing the labor cost gap
8:48 Cutting labor cost from 78 percent to 52 percent
10:36 Paying staff well without destroying margins
12:49 Protecting profit and protecting your team
14:25 The mindset shift that changed her business
17:16 Why she did not fire anyone to fix the problem
20:32 Why profit matters for long term stability
23:00 Developing a data skill set from scratch
26:09 Deciding to drop pet sitting using clean data
33:01 Systems that allowed her to onboard 120 clients
36:00 Lauren joins the DogCo team and final reflections

This conversation is real, honest, tactical, and incredibly empowering for anyone who wants to run a healthier business without sacrificing values, team culture, or long term goals. I cannot wait for you to hear it.

✨ Key Takeaways
• How Lauren cut her labor cost from 78 percent to 52 percent
• Why labor cost is the most important number in a team based pet care company
• How to make data based decisions even if numbers make you nervous
• What it looks like to restructure a business without losing momentum
• The truth about growth curves, slow seasons, and emotional resilience
• How to position staff pay, benefits, and pathways in a high cost of living state
• How letting data guide decisions can help you scale cleanly and profitably

🚀 Ready to Scale Your Pet Care Business?
Mastermind enrollment is open for January 2026. If you want to work with DogCo, this is your window. Schedule your consultation at: dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

🎧 Listen on Your Favorite Platform

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube

Cheering you on, 

Michelle

In today’s Hot Take Friday episode, I am slowing down a bit and sharing something personal. This week felt like the perfect time to pause, reflect, and talk honestly about what I am most thankful for inside DogCo right now. Running a relational business can be messy and beautiful all at once, and I wanted to bring you behind the scenes of what that looks like for me.

If you are growing a pet care company and feeling stuck, tired, or unsure of what comes next, I hope this episode encourages you to look at what is already working, who is already beside you, and why those relational anchors matter more than we sometimes admit.

This episode covers three things I am deeply grateful for, pulled directly from what I have experienced this year in DogCo.

✨ Key Takeaways

• Running a relational company is not always simple, but the richness it adds to your work is unmatched.

• Bringing on the right people changes the energy of your entire business and allows you to grow in new ways.

• Feeling aligned in your priorities, systems, and direction gives you the energy needed to scale to the next level.

• Growth does not happen by accident. When you are ready, the right support can change everything.

💛 A Note From Me

Thank you for being here. Whether you are a long time client, a DogCo Secrets listener, or someone who just found this podcast today, I am thankful for you. I am excited to finish this year strong and step boldly into the next one together.

Cheering you on,

Michelle

If you are building a long-lasting, scalable, and stable pet care company, you will love this conversation with Kristin Skelton, founder of Floofins and Company. We talk about starting small, growing a team, planning for long-term success, navigating seasons of life and business, creating a supportive network, and building a business that supports your life. This episode is packed with insight for pet care owners who want to think bigger heading into 2026. 

📣 Ready to grow your business in 2025? Join the DogCo Mastermind.
Mastermind enrollment page is dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 Welcome and introduction to Kristin
0:52 How Kristin's business began and the story behind the name
4:51 Early bottlenecks and moving quickly into hiring
6:05 Realizing she was running both a pet care company and a recruiting company
8:26 Why ongoing recruiting is essential to staying ahead of demand
10:05 Why Kristin invests heavily in learning and conferences
11:03 Building groups like PCP and the early days of NAPS networking
12:56 How COVID forced major pivots in the business
14:30 Why in person learning accelerates growth dramatically
16:57 Entering new seasons as a parent and business owner
17:47 Digital learning versus in person transformation
20:01 Why the pet industry has massive opportunity going into 2026
21:20 Building a business that supports your life stage
23:08 Industry growth and higher expectations for professional care
25:35 Why finding your trusted circle is critical
27:10 Pet care as a real career path for teams
28:44 The mindset required for long term growth
29:35 Creating “almost overnights” and evolving service packages
31:47 Reducing service menus and finding the right model
32:56 Accepting imperfection and continuing to refine
33:39 Closing reflections on learning, community, and growth

✨ Key Takeaways
• Scaling a pet care company means mastering hiring and recruiting
• The industry is full of opportunities for owners who stay adaptable
• In-person learning creates breakthroughs that digital content cannot
• Your business model will evolve as your life evolves
• Long-term success requires refining systems again and again
• Networking and your professional circle directly impact your trajectory
• Growth is not linear and requires courage to keep changing

#DogCoLaunch #DogCoMasterMind

-M

In today’s Hot Tip episode, I am walking you through a 2026 financial planning crash course. We are only weeks away from a brand new year, which means this is the perfect moment to take stock of your finances, tighten up your money systems, and set yourself up to scale with confidence.

I am sharing the exact things I am doing inside DogCo as we grow our team. These are the foundations I believe every pet care business should have in place before the new year hits.

This episode will help you get crystal clear on what to focus on for stronger financial health, how to protect your net profit while still investing wisely, and how to prepare for your biggest year of growth yet.

What You Will Learn

• How I am planning my own 2026 financial strategy
• Why net profit protection matters more than top line growth
• The two financial support roles every pet care business needs
• How to prep your savings and tax accounts the smart way
• What to audit before the new year to keep your business lean
• Why planning ahead creates massive clarity for your goals
• The simplest way to map the gap between where you are and where you want to go

Mastermind Enrollment Now Open

If you want support scaling your team-based pet care company in 2026, this is your moment.

Enrollment for the DogCo Mastermind is officially open, and we only take companies once a year.

Learn more and schedule your consultation at dogcolaunch.com/mastermind

#petcarebusiness #businessfinancialplanning #dogcolaunch

If this episode gave you clarity or momentum, share it with another pet care business owner who wants to level up next year. Cheering you on as always.

-M

In this episode, I sit down with my friend, long time client, and now DogCo team member, Maris Sonnabend, to talk about the real journey of scaling a pet care business, navigating big life changes, and building a company that truly supports your future.

Maris shares how she went from doing everything herself to running a thriving team of 27, stepping out of the field, taking maternity leave, and now using her experience to help other companies grow through DogCo.

If you have ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of your next move, this conversation is full of clarity, actionable insight, and the permission to build a business that works for the life you want.

Want to work with DogCo in 2026?
💡💡💡 Mastermind enrollment page: dogcolaunch.com/mastermind 💡💡💡

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:37 How Michelle and Maris met
01:25 Maris shares her business story
03:05 From doing everything to hiring a full team
04:40 Eliminating services that did not serve the business
06:50 What it took to get out of burnout
08:40 The role DogCo played in restructuring profitable service lines
10:24 Preparing for maternity leave while still scaling
12:05 Why investing in yourself matters
14:45 Implementing coaching vs only consuming it
16:00 Time blocking and getting unstuck
18:05 Learning to prioritize freedom and family
20:00 Why Maris joined the DogCo team
22:35 Honest conversations about fit and readiness for the Mastermind
25:00 Advice for companies stuck before the new year
27:00 Believing your business is within your control
28:40 Why reinventing the wheel slows companies down
30:10 The real value of proven SOPs and systems
31:50 The new DogCo Process Builder tool
33:40 Maris emotional story of growth
35:05 The invitation to schedule a consultation

🔥 Key Takeaways
• You do not have to offer every service to be successful
• Eliminating mismatched services often unlocks profit and sanity
• Investing in yourself pays off when you actually implement what you learn
• Time blocking creates clarity, momentum, and freedom
• You can still scale even in complex life seasons
• Your business can serve your life, not the other way around
• Proven systems save years of trial and error
• Scheduling a consultation costs nothing, and can change everything

dogco #michellekline #petcarebusiness #petbusinesscoach #smallbusinessgrowth 

-M

In this week’s Hot Take episode, I want to talk about what happens when you’re halfway in on your business, and why that middle ground is the hardest place to be.

I’ve had seasons where I was half-in and half-out, and they were always the most exhausting, confusing, and least successful seasons of my life. I’ll share a conversation I had with my husband that changed the way I approach my work, and how giving myself permission to go all in on DogCo completely shifted my momentum.

If you’re feeling torn between paths or hesitant to commit, I want to encourage you, clarity and progress only come when you make the call. Whether that means going all in or all out, you deserve to move forward with full alignment and energy.

✨ Key Takeaways

• Being half-in keeps you stuck longer than failing fast

• Clarity comes when you commit to one direction

• Sometimes stepping back fully is the healthiest decision

• Alignment and peace beat divided focus every time

• Go all in on what you truly want to build

💡 Join the DogCo Mastermind

If you’re ready to go all in on your business, the DogCo Mastermind is the place to do it. Enrollment is open now at dogcolaunch.com/mastermind.

What if the biggest thing standing between you and your next level isn’t strategy, but self-belief? In this episode, I dive into how mindset shapes growth. Not only in business, but in how you define what’s possible for your company.

I think its critical to reframe self-talk like “Can I do this?” into “What would it take to do this?” I share how this subtle shift can change everything about the way you lead, grow, and scale. If you’re ready to reframe the way that you think about your own capabilities, this one’s for you.

✨ Key Takeaways
• Success starts with how you view your own capability
• The right question isn’t “Can I?” but “What would it take?”
• Every goal has trade-offs — decide which are worth it
• Growth is about wisdom, not just feasibility
• Stop asking if it’s possible, and start building your plan

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 – Welcome and episode overview
0:35 – Why “realistic” goals limit entrepreneurs
1:18 – Shifting from feasibility to wisdom
2:06 – The belief that anything is possible
3:03 – Understanding trade-offs in scaling
4:01 – Paying for growth with time or resources
5:08 – Replacing “Can I?” with “How could I?”
6:06 – Scaling with intention, not ego
7:01 – Closing reflections and next steps

🚀 Join the DogCo Mastermind
Ready to take your business to the next level with expert coaching and community? Enrollment is now open for the DogCo Mastermind — visit dogcolaunch.com/mastermind to learn more and apply.

🎧 Also listen on:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

-M