Are your clients already buying food, treats, toys and other pet products from somebody else every month?

Have you thought about adding retail to your daycare, boarding or grooming business, but don’t know what to sell, how much stock to carry or where the hell to start?

And what if the easiest way to make retail work isn’t filling your reception with hundreds of products… but finding a handful of carefully chosen items that enhance the services you’re already selling?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by Melinda Stanford, owner of Bark & Bone, a luxury grooming, mobile grooming and pet retail business in Carmel, Indiana. Melinda shares the lessons she’s learned since buying an existing business in 2022, including why she’d rebrand much faster if she did it again, how creating a clear ‘brand kit’ now guides everything from recruitment and customer communication to the products they stock, and what it’s really like building a business alongside her husband.

Melinda also reveals some of the mistakes she’s made while growing the retail side of Bark & Bone and shares practical advice for daycare and boarding owners who want to introduce retail without turning themselves into a pet shop. 

She explains why service businesses should start with products they can bundle into existing packages, how adding just $6 of retail product helped them increase the perceived value of a $35 grooming upgrade, and why low-cost, high-margin impulse products can be a much easier starting point than food. 

Dom and Melinda also explore community partnerships, co-marketing and how becoming the trusted place clients turn to for MORE of their pet’s needs can create additional revenue without constantly hunting for new customers.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Huge thanks to our sponsor Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support: focustele.com

Thanks also to our amazing guest this week Melinda Stanford, connect with Melinda on Facebook here

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here now. Episode Highlights

[03:16] – Dom shares a lesson from his first dog-training mentor about why great enrichment doesn’t require expensive equipment.
[05:28] – Why daycare owners don’t need a dedicated enrichment room or fancy equipment to start providing better experiences for dogs.
[11:09] – Dom previews his brand-new four-hour Pet Care Mastermind Experience at the Hershey Expo.
[15:52] – Why Dom has attended masterminds for ten years and the impact they’ve had on his own business and coaching.
[19:40] – Melinda introduces Bark & Bone and explains how she moved from veterinary medicine into grooming, nutrition and retail.
[21:00] – The pros, cons and hidden surprises Melinda discovered after buying an existing pet business.
[24:20] – How Bark & Bone’s brand kit became the filter for products, recruitment, communication and the entire customer experience.
[28:16] – Melinda gets candid about running a business with her husband and why learning to disagree has actually strengthened their relationship.
[31:50] – How to introduce retail into a service business, including Melinda’s strategy for bundling physical products into premium packages.
[40:00] – Why community events, strategic partnerships and co-marketing can help pet businesses reach entirely new groups of clients.

What would happen if another pet business copied the name, logo or slogan you’ve spent years building a reputation around?

What if they trademarked it before you did… and then legally forced YOU to stop using it?

And how much would it cost to rebrand your entire business, rebuild years of goodwill and explain to all your existing clients why you’ve suddenly changed your name?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by pet industry attorney Shahrina Ankhi Krol to talk about one of the most valuable — and most overlooked — assets in your business: your brand. Shahrina explains why your business name, logo and slogan aren’t simply bits of marketing, but valuable assets that need protecting, and shares the frightening story of a pet business owner with four facilities who assumed nobody would ever care enough about her business name to take it… until a larger company did exactly that and eventually sued her to stop using it.

Dom and Shahrina also break down the difference between trademarks and copyright, the mistakes pet business owners make when using photographs and other people’s content, and the increasingly complicated question of who actually owns something created using AI. Shahrina explains why growing your visibility without protecting your brand can actually increase your risk, what can happen to years of customer goodwill if you’re forced to rebrand, and why trademark protection should be viewed in much the same way as insurance — something you put in place BEFORE something goes wrong.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Huge thanks to our sponsor Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support: focustele.com

Thanks also to our amazing guest this week Shahrina Ankhi Krol, connect with Shahrina at ankhikrollaw.com

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here now.

Episode Highlights

[03:59] – Dom introduces Shahrina Ankhi Krol and the importance of trademarks, copyright and protecting your pet business brand.
[08:19] – Dog versus Vogue: the trademark battle that provides a perfect introduction to this week’s topic.
[10:22] – Shahrina explains her legal work with small businesses, startups and pet industry clients across the United States.
[11:16] – From archaeology and excavating Viking sites in Denmark to unexpectedly becoming an attorney.
[18:29] – How a very extravagant cat birthday party helped Shahrina discover a huge gap in the pet industry.
[20:11] – Why most business owners don’t think seriously about trademarks until something bad happens.
[21:01] – Why your name, logo and slogan could be three of the most important assets your business owns.
[25:34] – The four-location pet business owner who ignored the risk, only to eventually be sued and told to stop using her own business name.
[31:55] – Trademark versus copyright: Shahrina gives a simple explanation of the difference and what each protects.
[33:35] – Can you copyright something created using AI? Shahrina explains the current grey area around human and AI-generated work.

How many potential customers call your pet business every week while your team are too busy looking after dogs to answer the phone?

How much could just ONE of those missed calls be worth if it was a boarding stay, a regular daycare client or a customer who stayed with you for the next ten years?

And how do you make sure every caller gets a brilliant, personal experience without employing somebody to sit beside the phone all day?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by Barbara Ireland from Focus Telecommunications to explore a problem that affects almost every busy pet business: missed phone calls. 

Barbara explains how a specialist answering service can become an extension of your existing team, learning your values, understanding how you want clients to be treated and even accessing your systems to take bookings, complete intake information and deal with enquiries. 

Later, Dom catches up with Pet Boarding & Daycare Magazine editor Rebecca Shipman for a preview of this year’s Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo in Hershey. Rebecca reveals why the growing event has added a fourth seminar room, the increased focus on business, marketing and CEO-level topics, and some of the new speakers and experiences attendees can expect. 

They also preview Dom’s brand-new four-hour Pet Care Mastermind Experience, Brian Remo’s interactive keynote, the huge trade show and the networking opportunities that make Hershey much more than simply four days of sitting in seminars.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Huge thanks to our sponsor and this weeks special guest, Barbara Ireland Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support: focustele.com

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking Episode Highlights

[01:28] – Dom previews the episode, including conversations with Barbara Ireland and Rebecca Shipman
[03:26] – Dom shares the sad news of losing Derek, his Dogue de Bordeaux, just a few weeks before his 11th birthday.
[08:00] – Barbara Ireland explains how Focus Telecommunications works as an extension of a pet business rather than simply taking messages.
[10:15] – Why hiring naturally caring people matters when someone is representing your business on the phone.
[13:43] – How Focus learns a business’s philosophy, customer service standards and personality before answering calls.
[15:16] – The new business pet resorts could be losing when prospective customers reach voicemail instead of a real person.
[19:00] – How outsourced call handling can reduce staffing costs while taking bookings, completing intake forms and managing customer enquiries.
[27:40] – Rebecca Shipman joins Dom for a preview of the 2026 Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo in Hershey.
[30:21] – Why this year’s Expo has more elevated business, marketing and CEO-level content than ever before.
[32:07] – Dom previews his first Pet Care Mastermind Experience at Hershey, plus the keynote, networking events and everything happening across Expo week.

Are you still setting your prices by looking at what every other daycare and pet resort in town is charging?

Do you worry that increasing your prices will drive clients away, even though your costs, wages and overheads keep going up?

And what if the reason you’re working harder, looking after more dogs and dealing with more stress… but still not making enough money is because you’re sitting in the wrong place on the pricing ladder?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom shares highlights from his popular The Price is Right presentation and explains why copying competitors is one of the worst ways to price your services. Every market has cheap, middle and premium providers, and where you sit on that pricing ladder isn’t predetermined by your location, your competition or how long you’ve been in business. It’s a choice.

Dom explains why pet businesses should be constantly looking for opportunities to move upstream, attract more affluent clients and increase margin rather than relying on cramming more dogs through the door. He also reveals the warning signs that suggest you’re undercharging, why premium pricing can actually help you attract better clients, and why the biggest thing standing between most owners and higher prices isn’t their customers at all… it’s themselves.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Huge thanks to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support: focustele.com

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – September promotional opportunities, from Scooby-Doo Day and Talk Like a Pirate Day to turning clients’ dogs into comic book superheroes.
[04:29] – What luxury pet-friendly hotels can teach daycare and resort owners about premium upsells.
[08:29] – Dom previews his new Pet Business Pricing Power Index and introduces highlights from The Price is Right.
[10:11] – Do you actually have a pricing strategy? Why making pricing deliberate makes the rest of your business easier.
[13:35] – The expensive chicken feeder and the danger of having a “sales prevention department” inside your business.
[16:22] – Why you should never copy your competitors’ prices when you have no idea if they’re actually making money.
[20:00] – The pet business pricing ladder and why there’s no predetermined pecking order in your market.
[23:00] – Why business is a game of margin, not volume, and the importance of continually swimming upstream.
[26:00] – The clients spending $800 and $1,500 on dog enrichment and birthday experiences, plus real examples of major price increases.
[31:02] – The real business bottleneck, the fear that stops owners raising prices and the warning signs that you’re undercharging.

What if some of the dogs causing the biggest problems in your daycare aren’t actually difficult dogs at all?

What if they’re simply in the wrong programme?

And what if changing the way you deliver daycare could reduce staff burnout, lower labour pressure, improve the experience for the dogs AND create entirely new revenue streams for your business?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by Kristen Perrus from the award-winning Scouts Honour Pet Retreat to talk about how their approach to daycare has evolved, why they moved away from relying entirely on all-day group play, and how their hybrid model has helped reduce staff burnout, manage labour costs and provide a better experience for dogs who simply don’t thrive in traditional daycare.

Kristen also takes Dom behind the scenes of Scouts Honour’s rapidly growing training department and explains how their Play & Train programme has developed from Kristen training dogs by herself into a team of six trainers and a department that now accounts for around 20% of the business. 

By focusing on puppies and family dogs, solving the everyday problems owners actually care about and combining practical training with play and enrichment, they’ve achieved an incredible 85% continued training rate and created an entirely new profit centre alongside daycare and boarding.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Huge thanks to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support: focustele.com

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Huge thanks to Kristen Perrus and Allison Jacobs from Scouts Honor Bloomington, Indianna. Find out more about Scouts Honor by clicking here now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom introduces Kristen Paris and the story behind Scouts Honour’s move from all-day group play towards a hybrid daycare model.
[04:52] – Kristen shares how her own reactive dog inspired her to become a trainer and eventually create a different kind of training programme.
[07:19] – The lesson Scouts Honour learned the hard way: not every dog is a good candidate for daycare, and that’s okay.
[11:14] – Why Scouts Honour created Hybrid Camp to combine socialisation, group play and individual enrichment.
[12:11] – How educating clients about dog behaviour helped Scouts Honour successfully introduce a completely different daycare experience.
[16:17] – Kristen explains how the Play & Train programme grew from one trainer into a rapidly expanding departmen[19:33] – Allison Jacobs joins the conversation and explains why identifying their ideal training client helped the programme finally take off.
[22:23] – Why Scouts Honour focuses on creating the “perfect family dog” instead of teaching impressive but impractical obedience skills.
[29:36] – The incredible 85% continued training rate and why repeat clients have allowed Scouts Honour to grow the department so quickly.
[34:04] – Six trainers, multiple services and approximately 20% of the entire business: how big the training department has become.

What if there was another revenue stream sitting inside your pet resort that could generate thousands of dollars every month?

What if you already have the space, the customers and even the potential staff members to make it happen?

And what if the answer to the groomer shortage isn’t finding the perfect experienced groomer… but creating your own?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by Brandy Reese from Paragon School of Pet Grooming to explore the huge opportunity grooming represents for dog daycare and pet resort owners, and how businesses can overcome one of the biggest obstacles standing in their way: finding reliable, qualified groomers.

Brandy has more than 30 years of experience in the grooming industry as a Certified Master Groomer, salon owner and educator. She explains why the current shortage of skilled groomers is causing many pet businesses to leave serious money on the table, with each grooming table potentially worth $12,000–$15,000 a month in revenue.

Rather than endlessly advertising for experienced groomers, Brandy shares a different approach: hire for culture and fit, then develop the technical skills. She explains how daycare and resort owners can identify reliable employees already inside their business, upskill them through structured grooming education and create their own pipeline of talent instead of becoming dependent on one difficult-to-replace employee.

Dom and Brandy also explore why grooming is such a powerful addition to an existing daycare or boarding operation. Not only can it increase average customer spend and create regular recurring revenue, but grooming clients can become daycare and boarding clients too, creating a service ecosystem where every department feeds the others.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Huge thanks to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support: focustele.com

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Want to plug the Enrichment University program into your facility? Click here to enroll now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:52] – Dom introduces Brandy Reese and explains why the shortage of qualified groomers represents a major lost-profit opportunity for pet resorts.
[02:04] – Dom shares some of the huge wins from his latest DDSA Immersion, including one member who has built an entire grooming department across six facilities.
[08:08] – Brandy introduces Paragon Pet School and its evolution from a traditional brick-and-mortar grooming school into online education.
[11:07] – Why there’s a shortage of good groomers and the huge amount of demand many pet businesses are unable to serve.
[15:02] – The unique challenge of managing groomers and why some business owners end up feeling held hostage by their grooming department.
[16:46] – Brandy explains why businesses should hire for culture and fit, then train the grooming skills afterwards.
[19:43] – Why grooming creates incredibly valuable repeat customers who can stay with the same groomer for 15 years or more.
[23:03] – Brandy breaks down Paragon’s different training levels and how someone can progress from basic bathing skills to full-service grooming.
[30:32] – How businesses can calculate the return on investment from training their own groomers.
[32:23] – Why grooming doesn’t just generate grooming revenue—it can drive more daycare and boarding business too.

What if enrichment wasn’t just something that made dogs happier but the very thing that could transform your pricing, your staff culture and the value of your business?

Why do some daycare owners seem able to charge premium prices while others are still competing on who can offer the cheapest place for a dog to spend the day?

And what if the future of pet care isn’t about supervising more dogs but creating better experiences for every dog?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom shares an edited version of one of his most popular presentations from the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo: The Enrichment Economy.

Drawing on lessons from the world’s most innovative businesses, leading zoos and his own journey from dog walker to international pet business coach, Dom explains why enrichment isn’t simply another service to bolt onto your daycare. It’s a philosophy that changes the way you think about dogs, staff, marketing and profit.

Along the way, you’ll hear how a chance encounter with legendary trainer John Rogerson completely transformed Dom’s approach to working with dogs, why the world’s leading zoos have moved towards outcome-based enrichment, and how businesses across the globe—from Disney to Apple and Amazon—have stayed successful by constantly innovating rather than clinging to the way things have always been done.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Thanks also to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support. focustele.com

Remember, registration is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Want to plug the Enrichment University program into your facility? Click here to enroll now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom introduces one of his most popular Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo presentations and explains why enrichment is the “golden key” to business growth.
[04:05] – Why innovation drives long-term success and what pet businesses can learn from companies like Apple and Amazon.
[08:24] – Dom shares the story of Barry, his Dogue de Bordeaux, and how his enrichment journey first began.
[11:27] – The John Rogerson lesson that completely changed Dom’s approach to dogs and dog training.
[13:52] – The “Dog Audit” and why building individual relationships changes everything.
[17:11] – The hidden problems with traditional daycare and why enrichment creates happier dogs and happier teams.
[20:37] – Lessons from the world’s leading zoos and the move towards outcome-based enrichment.
[27:44] – Practical ways to restructure your daycare around personalised enrichment experiences.
[31:25] – Real-world examples of enrichment programmes from successful daycare facilities.
[35:06] – Why enrichment improves staff motivation, reduces burnout and creates career progression.
[39:00] – Premium enrichment services, E-ticket experiences and why clients are happy to pay more for better outcomes.

What if the biggest problem in your pet business isn’t your marketing, or your staffing, or the economy? What if it’s your pricing?

How do some pet businesses command premium prices, attract better clients and continue to grow while everyone else is caught in a race to the bottom?

And why is it that almost every successful business owner eventually admits the same thing… “We were undercharging”?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom tackles one of the most important – and misunderstood – subjects in business: pricing!

Drawing on more than a decade of coaching over 3,000 pet business owners, Dom explains why almost every daycare and pet resort owner is charging less than they should be, the hidden beliefs that keep prices artificially low, and why those beliefs are costing businesses far more than they realise.

Along the way, Dom explores the psychology behind premium pricing, the famous Chivas Regal effect, why affluent clients actively seek higher-priced services, and why competing with the daycare down the road is one of the fastest ways to build a stressful, low-margin business.

The episode concludes with practical advice on how premium businesses justify higher prices through authority, positioning, customer experience and better marketing, along with a preview of Dom’s upcoming Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo presentation on escaping the race to the bottom.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Thanks also to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support. focustele.com

Remember, is now open for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to grab your ticket now!

Want to plug the Enrichment University program into your facility? Click here to enroll now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach? Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom introduces one of the most important business topics of the year: pricing, and explains why nearly every pet business owner is undercharging.
[03:50] – Dog News: A Tufts University study reveals how much owners truly value their dogs—and the marketing lesson hidden inside the research.
[09:34] – Why pricing affects almost every decision you make in your business.
[12:38] – The Chivas Regal story and the surprising psychology behind premium pricing.
[15:50] – Reason #1: Why believing everyone buys on price is costing you customers.
[19:15] – Why listening to your cheapest customers is one of the biggest pricing mistakes you can make.
[22:30] – Why benchmarking against competitors keeps businesses trapped in the middle of the market.
[24:12] – The emotional reasons pet business owners struggle to charge what they’re worth.
[30:14] – Why adding “more stuff” isn’t the answer to premium pricing.
[37:10] – The marketing assets every premium pet business needs to justify higher prices.

Why do some pet businesses seem to grow effortlessly year after year while others are constantly spending money trying to replace the clients they’ve just lost?

What if the biggest opportunity to increase your profits wasn’t finding more customers but keeping the ones you already have?

And what if the secret to building a more valuable business wasn’t better advertising at all but better systems?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom continues his conversation with customer experience expert Vance Morris, this time focusing on one of the most overlooked drivers of long-term business success: customer retention.

Vance explains why most business owners dramatically underestimate the cost of constantly chasing new clients, why customer retention deserves a much bigger slice of your marketing budget, and how businesses like Disney create loyal customers who return again and again. From newsletters and customer appreciation events to memorable experiences that keep your business front of mind, he shares practical ideas any pet business can implement.

After the interview, Dom builds on those lessons by explaining why great marketing alone isn’t enough. He shares how successful daycare owners engineer retention directly into their business model through memberships, structured induction programmes and recurring attendance, creating businesses with more predictable income, stronger client relationships and significantly higher profitability.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Huge thanks to this week special guest Vance Morris. Find out more about Vance by going to by going to Deliverservicenow.com

Thanks also to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support. focustele.com

Remember, registration opens soon for the biggest Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo on the planet, which is happening at the famous Hershey Lodge. Click here to add your name to the waitlist so you are first to here when registration opens!

Want to plug the Enrichment University program into your facility? Click here to enroll now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach? Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom shares a lesson from singer CMAT about criticism, personality-led marketing and why standing out inevitably attracts attention.
[08:30] – Dog News: What a rescued Labrador and research into tennis ball addiction teach us about enrichment and balanced dog care.
[14:48] – Vance Morris explains why customer retention is dramatically more profitable than constantly chasing new clients.
[20:20] – The six-touch customer retention system that keeps businesses front of mind all year round.
[26:00] – Customer appreciation events, memorable experiences and why businesses should invest in existing clients first.
[29:35] – Why Disney’s 80% repeat visitor rate should inspire every pet business owner.
[33:26] – Using premium pricing to fund better customer experiences and stronger retention.
[52:18] – Dom explains why memberships transform unpredictable daycare businesses into recurring revenue machines.
[56:30] – How a structured induction programme improves retention, increases client commitment and creates premium positioning.
[59:30] – Why the goal isn’t simply filling tomorrow’s daycare… it’s becoming part of every client’s weekly routine.

AI can write your emails. It can create your social media posts. It can even answer your phone.

But what happens when every pet business starts sounding exactly the same?

How do you stand out when everyone has access to the same technology?

And why might your greatest competitive advantage over the next decade have nothing to do with AI at all… and everything to do with being more human?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by two special guests to explore what premium pet businesses should be focusing on as AI becomes more powerful.

First, customer experience expert Vance Morris returns to the show to explain why authenticity is becoming one of the most valuable assets any business can possess. Drawing on lessons from Disney, Chick-fil-A and his own customer experience philosophy, Vance explains why technology should support great service, not replace it, and why those first few seconds of interaction with a prospective client matter more than ever.

Later in the episode, Dom catches up with 2026 Pet Business Marketer of the Year, Kim Buchanan. Kim shares how she transformed her 4,000-square-foot daycare into an enrichment-led, members-only business, increased revenue by more than $125,000, hired a General Manager and Enrichment Manager, and built a premium client experience that allows her to charge significantly more than the competition.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Huge thanks to this week special guest Vance Morris. Find out more about Vance by going to by going to Deliverservicenow.com

And thanks to ‘Pet Business Marketer of the Year’ Kim Buchanan for sharing her business story. Find out more about Kims incredible facility by clicking here

Thanks also to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support. focustele.com

Want to plug the Enrichment University program into your facility? Click here to enroll now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach? Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom introduces two special guests and explains why authenticity has become one of the biggest business challenges in the age of AI.
[02:59] – Dog News: What New York’s Bastille Day Dog Parade teaches us about promotional marketing and borrowing ideas from the world around us.
[07:00] – Vance Morris explains why businesses shouldn’t allow AI to replace genuine human connection.
[16:07] – The Rock ‘n’ Roll Insurance Agent and the simple phone greeting that transformed an ordinary business into a category of one.
[18:35] – Understanding “Moment Zero” and why the first few seconds of every customer interaction matter so much.
[23:00] – Pet Business Marketer of the Year Kim Buchanan shares how enrichment transformed her business.
[32:04] – How Kim increased annual revenue by $125,000 without increasing daycare capacity.
[33:00] – Client appreciation gifts, hospitality and creating marketing that lives inside your clients’ homes.
[37:47] – Why newsletters, onboarding and origin stories build stronger customer relationships.
[42:04] – Kim explains why great businesses never stop experimenting, measuring and improving.