Let's Talk Dog Business

Most dog trainers started their business because they’re passionate about helping dogs and their people. But it’s easy to slide into simply “paying the bills” and building a life that feels more like a grind than a choice.

Are fear, “sensible” decisions, and other people’s noise quietly stopping you from running your business in a way that actually supports the life you want?

In this episode, Jo & Vicky get honest about how they’ve been stuck there too – and how they got out. They unpack the trap of waiting for the “right time,” how we squander our best years by playing safe, and how to uncover your unique dog training superpower so you can build a business (and life) you love now, instead of doing what most people do - waiting until you retire.

We've got a brand-new business health check for you - it´ll show you exactly where your business is working really fucking well, and where you are haemorrhaging time, money, and energy - all in the time it takes to make a cuppa. Just click the link to take our business health check quiz - https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Don’t wait for “someday” to live the life you want. The harsh reality is that someday you will be less physically or mentally capable of making living the life you want actually happen.

You don´t have to be “special” to have an impact. Every single person has unique capabilities that when used to the full can transform important aspects of other people´s lives.

It’s human nature to play it safe – our brains use “sensible” plan like waiting until we’ve saved more cash as a way to keep us from taking risks. Then we spend that extra cash on fixing the washing machine and never move forward.

You need to shift your mindset and push yourself to take action instead of endlessly waiting for perfect conditions.

There will be challenges and you will still have to fulfil your responsibilities, but with planning and taking consistent action, you will transform your life.

BEST MOMENTS

“We make life so much harder for ourselves, nobody else is doing it…. we're applying that pressure on ourselves.”

“I believe every single person out there has a unique ability, a unique skill set, a unique superpower that, if they chose to lean into, could do amazing things.”

“Flip that - Don't go but it might not work … ask well, what if it did work? What could be happening right now if you did do the thing and it worked?”

“That was all in his head and that was causing him stress.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss - https://www.amazon.co.uk/4-Hour-Work-Week-Escape-Anywhere-ebook/dp/B006X0M2TS

SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity

Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705

Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.

With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.

🏆 Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:

– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)

– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025

– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024

– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman Awards

They’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.

Their philosophy is simple:

Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.

Dog trainers spend a lot of time worrying about big issues that could damage their business - bad launches, slow enquiries or picking the wrong niche. 

Yet some of the most damaging things you do businesswise actually start quietly in your own head.

In this episode, we talk about how our decision to only work with force free trainers was 100% right on paper, but still knocked our confidence, visibility, and momentum. How we went from “f**k yeah, this is brilliant” to doing the bare minimum, hiding behind excuses, and calling it strategy.

We unpack what fight, flight and safety mode really look like in a dog business, how that shows up in your marketing and client delivery, and how we’re climbing back out of our rut by getting back to what we do best and actually being ourselves again.

We've got a brand-new business health check for you - it´ll show you exactly where your business is working really fucking well, and where you are haemorrhaging time, money, and energy - all in the time it takes to make a cuppa. Just click the link to take our business health check quiz -https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Not being yourself and holding true to your values is a huge mistake. 


There is nothing wrong with listening to the opinion of others, but when you start letting what people think govern how you act, it becomes toxic. Staying true to your values is essential.


Once self-doubt creeps in often you stop taking action. You start to play small and try to stay below the radar. Or you enter a defensive fight the world mode. Both are mentally and emotionally exhausting and very bad for business.


Regular self-reflection helps you to avoid this pitfall.


If you are in a rut, use what Jo & Vicky share in this episode to climb back out.

BEST MOMENTS

“That feeling of being lost and not knowing what to do for the best, that paralyses your ability to show up in any way, shape, or form. That is how you can damage your own business.”

“We fell off a cliff, and now we’ve climbed back to the top.”

“There will always be fallout, no matter what decision you make.”

“All of that's because I was listening to everybody else instead of owning my own space.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

Going 100% force free trainers’ episode  - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/owning-our-decisions-reflecting-on-a-challenging/id1727170978?i=1000736342020

SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity

Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705

Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies are dog behaviourists, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy—the UK’s go-to hub for dog professionals who want more than just a logo and a dream.With a combined passion for dogs and business done properly, Jo and Vicky have helped hundreds of canine professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in real impact.🏆 Their award-winning work has earned recognition including:– UK StartUp Awards: Business to Business (Midlands)– Small Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Small Business 2025– Business Awards UK: Most Innovative Pet Product 2024– Plus shortlists at the Women in Business and Great British Businesswoman AwardsThey’re also No.1 bestselling authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy, featured on BBC Radio, FOX, NBC, and more—with 63,000+ downloads of this very podcast.Their philosophy is simple:Give a shit. Get shit done. Get results.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

For any dog business, trust is the most important currency - and every client interaction either tops up or drains your clients’ “trust account.”

Yet, building trust is becoming more difficult. Consumers are increasingly suspicious of what they see. So, dog pros need to ask: “How do I show up as genuine in a world where the first thing people ask is - is this real or AI?

In this episode, Jo & Vicky break down what trust actually looks like in a dog training business today. They cover using AI without losing your voice, why using your clients’ real words matter more than polished trainer speak, and how sharing the small, real, behind-the-scenes moments quietly make it easier for the right people to say yes to what you offer.

We've got a brand-new business health check for you - it´ll show you exactly where your business is working really fucking well, and where you are haemorrhaging time, money, and energy - all in the time it takes to make a cuppa. Just click the link to take our business health check quiz -https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


AI can be useful, but obviously AI-written content feels inauthentic and makes subconscious withdrawals from your audience’s trust account, especially if it doesn’t sound like you.


AI works best as a thinking partner that helps you articulate ideas when you’re stuck, not as a shortcut that replaces your own brain and voice.


Get out of the habit of writing to impress other dog trainers. Your audience is real-life dog owners that need help. Make content that speaks directly to them and use the exact language they use. Unintelligible jargon kills trust.


Big brands can lean on their logo; solo dog pros can’t. Showing your face, name, story, and even mundane life moments e.g. laundry on the bed behind you is what lets people feel safe choosing you.


It´s not enough to share your founder story and leave it at that. Your story is a thread that people follow, so keep sharing as you progress or things change.


Clients are growing sick of being given some basic instruction then being left to get on with things. They want real human support – more connection and guidance.


Showing what goes on in your business behind the scenes builds trust. People get to see how much effort you put into looking after them and their dogs.


Being your true self helps the right clients to opt in.

BEST MOMENTS

“I'd say it probably takes longer, in some instances, to use AI to write stuff.”

“It's not going to resonate if it's not what your people would be saying.”

“It's not that nobody's spending they're just adding a few more steps into their spending process.”

“If it comes from the heart, it will come across in whatever format you choose.”

“You can't expect somebody to hand over some cash if there's no element of trust there.”

SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity

Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705

Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE HOSTS

We’re Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies. Force-free dog trainers, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy. Collectively, we’ve been dog training for nearly three decades, built a six-figure dog training business, and grown CBA into a multi–six-figure global brand, all while raising kids, a university degree and life life'ing. Featured on BBC, FOX and NBC, and authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy. Giving a shit is the strategy. Getting shit done is the method.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Many dog trainers obsess over methods, protocols and doing things “the right way” -  which 99% of the time means their way!

They tend to forget clients learn in a variety of ways - if you don’t adapt, they stall and disappear from your classes.

In this episode, Jo & Vicky share a simple personality framework (D.I.S.C) that explains why some dog owners want quick, direct instructions while others need time, detail, and reassurance, then explain how to tweak your style to fit their different personalities. 

They also cover how to use that framework to improve your own performance, business partnerships, make more sales, hire the right people, and inspire them to work at their best.

We've got a brand-new business health check for you - it´ll show you exactly where your business is working really fucking well, and where you are haemorrhaging time, money, and energy - all in the time it takes to make a cuppa. Just click the link to take our business health check quiz -https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


To get better client results, you must match how you teach and support to how different personalities actually learn, decide and act.


If you build offers, sales pages and processes that only work for your own personality type, you´ll miss out. You need simple options that work for all four personality types.


Most “difficult” clients, team members or business partners aren’t difficult. Often, it is just that their default style e.g. task vs people, fast vs slow is clashing with your go to approach. 


Identifying and understanding your own personality type enables you to deliberately “dial up” or “dial down” your traits to achieve better results.


The strongest teams and partnerships are a combination of people with different personality profiles. It covers all of the bases but only works if each member of the team is flexible enough to adapt, when necessary.


Understanding personality types also helps with the sales process. It enables you to tweak your message and the point at which you pitch your offer to work for the person you are talking to.

BEST MOMENTS

“I had to learn … I have to adapt if we're going to make this beneficial for everyone, having this awareness in how you coach as well.”

“I need to meet them where they are at.”

“Learning all of this stuff, it's given me the ability to step back and go, it's not you. It's a trait that you have that's clashing with mine.”

“Ask the question - what do you need from me to make that a success?”

EPISODE RESOURCES

The Impact Your Personality Profile Has on Your Business with Andy Nisevic

 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-impact-your-personality-profile-has-on-your/id1727170978?i=1000668232509

SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity

Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705

Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE HOSTS

We’re Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies. Force-free dog trainers, business strategists, and co-founders of Canine Business Academy. Collectively, we’ve been dog training for nearly three decades, built a six-figure dog training business, and grown CBA into a multi–six-figure global brand, all while raising kids, a university degree and life life'ing. Featured on BBC, FOX and NBC, and authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy. Giving a shit is the strategy. Getting shit done is the method.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Dog trainers love the idea of offers that sell themselves from a post, a page, or a button. No calls. No awkward conversations. Just checkout links.

That works well for low ticket items – but when you want to sell higher-ticket services, that faceless model quietly caps your income. Your fear of picking up the phone keeps the most profitable clients at arm’s length.

If you want to break free of that fear, you only need to listen in, get a little brave and use our techniques to take the right action.

We've got a brand-new business health check for you - it´ll show you exactly where your business is working really fucking well, and where you are haemorrhaging time, money and energy - all in the time it takes to make a cuppa. Just click the link to take our business health check quiz -https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


If your current low-contact model isn’t giving you the income or enquiries you want, speaking to people and adding human touchpoints is what you need.


Low-ticket items are easier to sell facelessly online, while high-ticket sales almost always require you to have a real conversation with someone.


Speaking to people via phone calls and in-person makes it easier for you and your would-be client to identify the problem properly and assess whether you are a good fit for each other.


Most people struggle with making phone calls, we are no longer used to doing it and prefer speaking online.


“No time,” “they’re probably busy,” or “I need all the info first” are often stories masking fear, discomfort, or imposter syndrome.


Having a clear framework in mind before making the call makes things much easier. A few opening sentences, what to ask and how to close the conversation reduces anxiety and makes sales calls more effective and less awkward.


Practice is what removes fear. Like dog-training mastery of phone conversations comes from repetition. 


Accept that first few calls will be a bit clunky, do it anyway, don´t beat yourself up about it, take a few deep breaths and make your next call. Do this until you get good at it.


Being fully yourself matters. That includes how you talk, swear and joke. Being your true self filters out the wrong people and attracts clients who genuinely fit you and your way of working.

BEST MOMENTS

"It's the human-to-human connection that's missing." 

"If you are thinking, I'm busy enough. However, I'm not earning as much as I would like, and or maybe I'm not getting enough inquiries in or earning enough, or then this is where speaking to people is going to massively set you apart."  

"This works for introverts too."

"If you feel confident in a starting point, an end point, and what you do in between, then the rest kind of just flows and comes more easily."

"To create the habit - do the thing."

https://quiz.caninebusinessacademy.com/health-check 

SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity

Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705

Email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE HOSTS

We’re Jo Moorcroft and Vicky Davies. Force-free dog trainers, business strategists and co-founders of Canine Business Academy. Collectively, we’ve been dog training for nearly three decades, built a six-figure dog training business, and grown CBA into a multi–six-figure global brand, all while raising kids, a university degree and life life'ing. Featured on BBC, FOX and NBC, and authors of Let’s Talk Dog Business Strategy. Giving a shit is the strategy. Getting shit done is the method.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/