The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast

What really happens when you get 60+ ambitious pet business owners in a room together and get to work?

Can two days away from work genuinely change the direction of your business?

And why do so many owners leave events like IMPACT 2026 with clarity – and the action plan – they've been chasing for years?

In this episode, I'm recording LIVE from Orlando after an incredible week that included a mastermind meeting, theme parks of both the Disney and Universal varieties, and — most importantly — IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare. After months of preparation, ticket pushing, and speaker sorting-out, the event delivered in every possible way.

You'll hear directly from attendees as they share their biggest takeaways such as launching induction programmes that are guaranteed to boost retention, finally understanding the keynote speaker's EBITDA framework to prepare their businesses for sale, and the importance of stepping out of "worker bee" mode and into true CEO leadership. The room was packed with engaged, growth-focused owners who truly committed to taking action on what they learned.

I also share details about the launch of the Dog Daycare Success Academy, the next evolution of my coaching programme, and why this new structure is designed to help serious daycare owners build stronger, more scalable, systemised businesses.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The Induction Programme Breakthrough – How better onboarding increases retention and revenue.
• From Operator to Owner – Why stepping into the CEO role unlocks growth and freedom.
• EBITDA and Exit Strategy Thinking – How building for sale makes your business stronger today.
• Systems for Everything – Why documenting what's in your head is critical for scalability.
• The Power of the Live Event Room – What happens when ambitious pet pros challenge and inspire each other.

If you want to learn more about the newly launched Dog Daycare Success Academy, click here now

If you want to be the first to find out when tickets are released for IMPACT 2027 then click here now

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

Is "luck" really holding your pet business back — or are you simply missing the right systems and opportunities?

What can Disney teach you about making more money while creating better client experiences?

And how can small tweaks to your offers dramatically increase client spend, loyalty, and retention?

In this episode, recorded while I'm preparing for IMPACT 2026, I'm continuing my deep dive into business and marketing lessons from the House of Mouse. Using real examples from Disney parks, hotels, and dining experiences, I break down how world-class businesses maximise customer value without it feeling pushy or salesy.

I explore why offering premium upsells isn't about squeezing more money out of clients — it's about giving them better choices. I also unpack how perks and incentives drive repeat business, why testing promotions is critical for growth, and why many pet business owners accidentally become the bottleneck in their own marketing by assuming clients "won't go for it."

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The Power of Premium Upsells – Why offering higher-tier services increases revenue and improves client satisfaction.
• Perks That Drive Loyalty – How small, strategic bonuses encourage repeat bookings and memberships.
• Give Clients Options, Not Limits – Why combining add-ons and service ladders maximises lifetime value.
• You Are Not Your Client – How assumptions about what clients want can hold your business back.
• Storytelling That Sells – Why detailed, emotional service descriptions dramatically increase perceived value.

Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then my Elite Pet Business Mastermind is what you need.

If you want to be the first to find out when tickets are released for IMPACT 2027 then click here now

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What can a theme park teach you about building a more profitable, memorable, and sellable pet business?

Why do some companies create loyal fans while others struggle to hold attention?

And how can small experience-driven details dramatically increase client loyalty and lifetime value?

In this episode, I'm deep in preparation mode for IMPACT 2026 and heading back to Orlando, which means Disney is front and centre in my thinking right now. So, I'm sharing some of the biggest marketing and business lessons I've picked up from my visits to Walt Disney World — and how these same ideas can transform the way you attract, wow, and retain clients in your pet business.

I dive into the concept of building anticipation before clients experience your service, why successful businesses are designed to last long after the owner steps back, and how creating special moments for your most loyal clients builds deeper emotional connections and stronger word-of-mouth marketing.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The "Beyond the Berm" Effect – How building anticipation before clients enter your world increases perceived value and excitement.
• Built to Last Systems – Why sustainable marketing, staffing, and operational systems create long-term profitability and business stability.
• Designing for the Future – How building assets and infrastructure now increases your business value and saleability later.
• Creating Superfans – Why rewarding and recognising your most loyal clients builds deeper relationships and stronger referrals.
• Experience Layers that Drive Loyalty – How small, thoughtful touches create unforgettable client experiences.

Tickets for IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare Business are almost gone, with sales closing soon.

Tickets are still available for IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare Business, happening February 16th–17th in Florida. This event is designed to give you the real-world Fast Pass for your business To grab your ticket go www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What separates pet businesses that are simply "good" from those people talk about, remember, and proudly recommend?

Why do LIVE (in-person) experiences build deeper trust than any advert, post, or email ever could?

And in an increasingly automated (and ai obsessed) world, how can you still creates real connection with your clients?

In this episode, I'm just hours away from the early-bird deadline for IMPACT 2026, and I'm joined by my Enrich U partner, Elite Mastermind member, and IMPACT speaker, Tim Jackson. Together, we dig into one of the most powerful — and most overlooked — growth tools in the pet industry: live experiences.

I share how events have shaped every major turning point in my own business journey, from handing out leaflets in a pet store in the early days, to touring the UK with seminars, to running masterminds, summits, and experiential business events today. Tim shares why attending Impact and other events like it consistently leaves business owners more confident, more inspired, and more ready to take decisive action.

We also explore why, in an era of AI, automation, and digital noise, real human connection, storytelling, and shared experiences are becoming the ultimate differentiator for premium pet businesses.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The Experience Advantage – Why live events build stronger client and community loyalty.
• Information and Implementation – How interactive environments turn ideas into action.
• Human Connection in a Digital Age – Why real-world engagement is becoming more valuable, not less.
• Brand Elevation Through Experience – How standout businesses create stories clients share.
• What Makes Impact Different – Insights from inside the room with past attendees and speakers.

Early bird tickets are still available for IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare Business, happening February 16th–17th in Florida. This event is designed to give you the real-world Fast Pass for your business To grab your ticket go www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

Do you feel like you're doing everything "right" — yet still progress in your pet business is slow and frustrating?

What if business growth didn't have to be a long, slow climb, but a sprint to the top of the pile?

And what would change if you could skip the line and position your pet business at the front of the pack?

In this episode, I'm back at my desk after a busy few weeks of travel, meetings, and event planning to share a simple but powerful idea: the Fast Pass. Borrowed from theme parks like Disney and Universal, a Fast Pass lets you bypass the queue and get where you want faster. I explain how the same principle applies to business, why time is the most valuable resource you have, and why the traditional "do your time and wait your turn" approach to success is outdated.

I dive into what really accelerates progress: strategic partnerships, expert positioning, premium pricing, marketing assets that build authority, and creating an experience that makes affluent clients choose you — even when competitors are cheaper or closer. I also share my own journey of leapfrogging crowded markets by niching early, writing books, speaking on stages, and building a recognisable brand — and how these same principles apply to any dog daycare, trainer, walker, or groomer.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The Fast Pass Principle – Why speed of progress matters more than years of experience.
• Marketing Over Mechanics – Where real business growth happens once your service is "good enough".
• Positioning at the Front – How premium brands avoid price-driven competition.
• Authority Assets – Why books, media, events, and storytelling accelerate trust.
• Strategic Partnerships – How White-Hot Centre relationships pour fuel on your growth.

Early bird tickets are still available for IMPACT 2026: How to Disneyfy Your Dog Daycare Business, happening February 16th–17th in Florida. This event is designed to give you the real-world Fast Pass for your business To grab your ticket go www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What actually happens when ambitious pet business owners step away from their facilities and into a room built for growth? How do these businesses move faster in three months than others do in three years? And what changes when you stop trying to solve problems alone and start tapping into collective experience? In this episode, I'm back home at Town Farm after a whirlwind trip to the U.S., sharing behind-the-scenes audio and reflections from our first Elite Mastermind of 2026 in Austin, Texas. You'll hear directly from members as they walk out of the room admittedly tired, fired up, and already implementing serious changes. This meeting, new facility plans were being redrawn in days, there were pricing breakthroughs, and business expansions taking shape on the spot. I also unpack the recurring themes that surfaced across the two days: why most owners still default to chasing volume instead of raising value, why pricing must become a standing agenda item in any serious business, and how decisive action, even when something doesn't work out, is a hallmark of high-performing operators. If you've ever wondered what Elite actually looks like inside the room, this episode gives you a front-row seat. In this episode, you'll discover:

• The Speed of Leverage – How the right inputs can collapse months of decision- making into days.
• Pricing as a Growth Lever – Why increasing prices is still the most underused tool in pet business.
• The Power of the Room – What happens when experienced operators openly share what's working.
• Decisive Leadership – Why fast, clear action beats waiting for perfect conditions.
• Cross-Pollination of Ideas – How fresh perspectives unlock opportunities you can't see alone.

Before our next Elite meetings, we've got IMPACT 2026 coming up in Florida on February 16th and 17th — two days dedicated to Disneyfying your dog daycare and building a premium, future-ready business. Half-price tickets are available until January 31st. Go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

When was the last time you actually stopped to look at how far you've come in your business?

What would change if you judged progress over three or five years — not the last three months?

And how different would your goals be if you truly believed the next chapter could be bigger than anything you've built so far?

In this episode, I check in from the middle of the Caribbean, recording from a cruise ship en route between speaking engagements in the U.S. Sharing travel chaos stories, football fandom, and my own evolution as a business owner, we explore why most entrepreneurs underestimate what they can achieve over time while massively overestimating what should happen in the short term. And, I'm challenging you Mr and Mrs Listener to zoom out, regain some perspective, and recognise that short-term setbacks are often just blips on a much longer upward curve.

The episode also dives into goal setting, ambition, and why many pet business owners unintentionally cap their own growth by setting goals that are too safe, too vague, or too small. I explain how clarity, vision, and properly defined targets create momentum and why the best breakthroughs tend to come when you stop reacting and start intentionally designing the future of your business.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Perspective Matters – How looking back three to five years changes how you view today's problems.
• The Danger of Short-Term Thinking – Why judging progress quarter-by-quarter can quietly kill momentum.
• Setting Bigger, Better Goals – How unclear or timid goals hold otherwise capable owners back.
• Resilience Through Experience – Why you're far better equipped now than you were a few years ago.
• Designing the Next Chapter – How to think intentionally about where you want your business to be heading next.

If you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What actually happens during a full, in-person pet business consultation day with Dom Hodgson?

How does Dom spot hidden opportunities, fix leaks, and uncover an entirely new growth path in a single day?

And how can one focused conversation save you years of trial, error, and frustration?

In this first episode of 2026, I give you rare, behind-the-scenes access to a real consultation day I did with Adam Delderfield (PBIC Marketer of the Year) and Stella Seminerio. Rather than theory or tidy case studies, you'll hear raw audio recorded at the end of an intensive strategy day — capturing exactly what clarity, relief, and momentum sound like when the fog finally lifts.

Adam and Stella walk through what the day actually involved: stepping back to define what they do and don't want, tightening systems that were already working well, uncovering easy leverage points, and identifying a bigger "business within the business" opportunity that could reshape their future. Dom explains why these breakthroughs don't come from doing more — they come from seeing the business differently.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What a Consultation Day Really Looks Like – Hear from Adam and Stella as they digest their BIG takeaways from the consult day. • Fix Before You Scale – Why optimising what you already have beats chasing the next bright shiny object (or idea!) • Finding the Business Within the Business – What hidden assets do you have in your existing business that could become your biggest growth lever. • The Power of Fresh Eyes – Why clarity often comes from someone seeing what you've normalised. This is Dom Hodgsons Superpower. • Why Direction Matters More Than Speed – How knowing what you don't want accelerates everything else.

If you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What happens when you build a successful pet business… but forget to build a life around it?

Why do so many hardworking pet professionals stay busy, stressed, and tired — even when the business is technically "doing well"?

And how can you stop reacting to the year ahead… and start designing it on purpose?

In this end-of-year episode, I hit pause between Christmas festivities to reflect on what 2025 really taught me about business growth, and also about my energy, downtime, leverage, and clarity.

For me this was a year filled with travel-heavy months and packed event schedules but it was also the year I finally got intentional about rest, recovery, and building a business that supports the life you want, not one that consumes it.

I share why having a clear vision has been the single biggest driver of momentum in my own business, how losing that clarity temporarily made progress harder than it needed to be, and you'll discover why most pet business owners aren't stuck because they lack the right tactics — but because they lack a compelling picture of where they're heading.

Do you have such a vision? You will after this epsode

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Downtime Is a Strategy – How scheduled breaks improved focus, energy, and decision-making. • Vision Creates Momentum – Why clarity pulls you forward faster than discipline ever will. • Busy Isn't the Goal – The difference between growing revenue and building freedom. • Leverage Over Labour – Why the next phase of growth must rely on systems, not more hours. • Designing Your Year Ahead – How intentional planning beats reactive hustle every time.

If you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What actually separates businesses that blend in with the crowd… from the ones that stand out?

Why do some owners seem to escape the race to the bottom on price, while others feel permanently squeezed?

And what does behavioural psychology, copywriting, and niching properly have to do with running a predictable and more profitable dog daycare?

In this episode, I share a special conversation recorded at the Elite UK Mastermind with Mike Samuels — one of the most renowned copywriters and behavioural psychology specialists in the world. While Mike doesn't work in pet care, the lessons he shares land squarely where dog daycare owners need them most: positioning, differentiation, pricing confidence, and future-proofing in a changing market.

Mike breaks down why generalists always compete on price, why AI is forcing businesses to move beyond just "words on a page," and why the real value today lies in insight, strategy, and clarity. With Mike's help I then translate those ideas directly into the pet care world, showing how daycares that position themselves as trusted partners (not just service providers) escape comparison, retain better clients, and build stronger businesses.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Generalist Daycares Get Squeezed – And how clearer positioning instantly reduces price pressure. • What AI Is Really Changing – Why insight and experience matter more than ever in a crowded market. • The Power of Niching Properly – How being a "big fish in a small pond" applies directly to dog daycare. • Why Behaviour Beats Tactics – How understanding human decision-making improves sales, retention, and loyalty. • What Happens in the Room – Why masterminds and in-person events accelerate clarity and confidence far faster than online learning alone.

You can find out more about what Mike does by following him on Instagram: @thecoffeeshopcopywriter Huge thanks once again to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here: https://pawpal.uk

If you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for.

And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026

To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now

Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here: