What if the biggest growth opportunity in your business this year isn’t more leads, but keeping the people you already have, both your clients and your team?

In this conversation with bestselling author Joey Coleman, we dive deep into client retention, employee retention, customer experience, AI, automation, relationship-building, and what actually creates loyalty in 2026. This episode originally aired earlier in the DogCo Secrets podcast, but honestly? It may be even MORE relevant now.

As more businesses race toward automation, AI systems, and scale-at-all-costs growth models, Joey brings the conversation back to something timeless: humans want to feel seen, valued, remembered, and connected.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Why this conversation matters even more in 2026

01:20 – Meet Joey Coleman & his background

05:20 – Why humans are “beautiful and messy”

07:40 – Curiosity before criticism

11:30 – Transactional vs relational businesses

16:50 – AI, automation & the danger of losing connection

19:00 – Why businesses obsess over acquisition instead of retention

27:00 – Building loyalty through identity & belonging

35:20 – The easiest retention strategy almost everyone ignores

40:20 – Why the basics still outperform “fancy” strategies

We also talk about:

🐾 Why pet care businesses are uniquely positioned for retention

📈 The dangerous obsession with customer acquisition

🤖 AI vs real relationship-building

🧠 Curiosity vs assumptions in leadership

💡 Why remarkable businesses obsess over small moments

📸 The retention power of simple client touchpoints

🔥 Why most “advanced” strategies fail without basics

Joey is officially returning for the 2026 DogCo Summit. Want to get in on the action? Get your in-person or virtual tickets:

https://dogcosummit.com

If you’ve ever struggled with churn, team culture, scaling relationships, or building a business people genuinely want to stay with, this one is packed. This conversation with Joey Coleman is a powerful reminder that sustainable growth is built through relationships, not just acquisition. The businesses that win in 2026 will be the ones that make people feel valued long after the initial transaction or hiring date. If you want to build a business people genuinely want to stay connected to, this episode is packed with insight.

-M