Your pet business, Your way

Helen Wainwright is co-founder of the Dog Trainer School, a supportive online community for professional dog trainers that she runs alongside her partner Lee.
Before working with dogs, Helen spent nearly a decade as a product tester and journalist at Good Housekeeping magazine, and later worked in community development.
Going from glossy mags to working as a dog trainer meant taking a huge chance, but you'll hear in this chat how it turned out to be exactly the right preparation for what she does now.
We talk about how the Dog Trainer School came to be, the brilliant new Dog Trainer School Approved scheme, and what Helen has learned about running a business on your own terms without burning out in the process.
We also get into the stuff that doesn't always get talked about - the pressure to prove yourself, the hustle culture that follows dog trainers around on social media, what enough actually looks like.
Key topics and timings in this episode:
0.20: Episode overview.
0.50: Sponsor message – 2026 pet business content planner.
2.20: Helen introduces herself and the Dog Trainer School.
3.09: Why the Dog Trainer School exists — the gap that nobody was filling after qualification.
4.04: Putting together support for trainers from class plans to Canva and SOP documents.
6.51: How Helen and Lee bring in their real-life experience and reassurance into the Dog Trainer School as they're still out there training dogs.
8.44: Imposter syndrome in the dog training industry and why it's so common.
10.14: Helen's background as a product tester and journalist at Good Housekeeping magazine and the Good Housekeeping Institute.
11.32: Being burnt out and going from community development to co-founding the Dog Trainer School, and the boss who believed in her.
12.36: What Helen learned in the Good Housekeeping Institute and behind the scenes on life there testing everythings from wellies to washing machines.
15.46: The Dog Trainer School Approved scheme — how it works, what brands get, and why it matters.
16.50: Testing out the ideas at PATS in 2025 and getting her first brands on board.
17.24: How the testing works and why 30 dog trainers testing a product gives brands something genuinely valuable.
19.30: The value in the validation and what's involved if you do work with TDTS.
22.42: The full circle goal: getting the logo on packaging so dog owners can find ethical trainers.
27.15: Standing out in a busy market and why Helen's biggest advice is to stop watching what everyone else is doing.
30.19: The enoughness conversation — what success actually looks like when you work for yourself.
32.10: Why you don't need to have a high ticket offer and to do what works for you.
35.04: The pressure dog trainers face from family and friends who don't take it seriously as a career.
38.18: The move towards taking pressure off yourself and asking 'am I happy.'
41.28: Finding a way of creating content that is fun and relatable.
42.58: Working with your partner and finding the balance.
44.51: Why Helen goes to the gym every day and won't book meetings over it.
48.37: The coaching relationship Helen walked away from in December, and trusting your gut.
50.47: Helen's recent example of staying true to what the Dog Trainer School is actually for.
53.48: Being mindful of the advice you're consuming as a business owner.
57.16: The importance of ensuring her clients feel like they're not a number.
58.18: What's next: helping dog trainers feel more confident in the practical side of their work.
59.28: Acceptance and commitment — doing the scary thing anyway.
1.01.09: How to find Helen and the Dog Trainer School.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Website: www.thedogtrainerschool.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedogtrainerschool/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedogtrainerschool
Dog Trainer School Approved scheme: https://thedogtrainerschool.co.uk/tdts-recommended
Related posts
Creating content for your clients, not other pet pros
Jane Ardern on running a dog training business where you put yourself first
Sasha Louise Smith on using your strengths to build a business you love
The rollercoaster of running your own pet business
How to find your voice in your pet business with Rikki Sullivan
How to use the pet business content planner
Why the right pet business community matters
How to create a social media calendar for your pet business
Should you buy my pet business content planner?

Each year, Theo Paphitis hosts the Small Business Sunday winner’s event to celebrate small businesses and give them a boost.
It’s a brilliantly inspiring day where Theo and a line-up of speakers share lessons, practical advice, and lots and lots of encouragement.
You come away feeling enthused and supported, because you’re reminded why you started, and you’re in a room full of people who get it.
This year marked 15 years of Small Business Sunday (SBS) and the theme of the day was ‘Resilience Rocks.’
In this blog post and podcast episode, I’m sharing my 15 lessons from the day from Theo, Katie Piper who did the fireside chat, from the small business panel, and from Kypros Kyprianou, CEO of the Theo Paphitis Retail Group, and the host of the SBS conference.
Katie Piper is a British author, presenter and charity founder of The Katie Piper Foundation who survived a horrific acid attack in 2008 that completely changed her life.
After extensive surgery, she spoke publicly about what had happened to her, sharing her story in a Channel 4 documentary and later in bestselling books.
She went on to set up the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports burns survivors with specialist rehabilitation and emotional support, in St Helen’s, Merseyside.
Katie was the perfect person to talk about resilience, as someone who has turned something devastating into something that now helps thousands of other people rebuild their lives.
Topics and timings:
0.20 - Episode outline.
1.55 - Sponsor message - 2026 planner.
3.02 - What is the SBS conference?
4.12 - The benefits of being in the SBS community.
5.16 - 15 years of SBS and the theme, resilience and what that means.
7.29 - About my in person event the day before.
11.05 - Lesson 1 - business is lonely.
11.56 - Lesson 2 - things will go wrong
12.31 - Lesson 3 - learn from your mistakes
12.52 - Lesson 4 - don't do a half tackle
13.43 - Lesson 5 - keep talking about your business
14.56 - Lesson 6 - protect your energy
16.14 - Lesson 7 - your business is part of who you are
17.31 - Lesson 8 - believe in yourself
18.55 - Lesson 9 - keep your pity party short
20.11 - Lesson 10 - move from why me to what now?
24.03 - Lesson 11 - use pain, don't let it use you
24.48 - Lesson 12 - no isn't a reflection on you
28.07 - Lesson 13 - your why will carry you
29.08 - Lesson 14 - build something bigger than you
30.35 - Lesson 15 - confidence is 'I'll be fine if they don't like me.'
32.35 - SBS stats
33.45 - what to do if you want to be a SBS winner.
Links mentioned:
Jenna Wilson (Little Dreams)
Little Dreams Consulting is the first UK franchise of baby and child sleep consultants, with eight territories.
Hanan Tantush (Intotum)
Intotum garments now ship to 25 countries, Hanan has won over 15 awards, and grown her community to over 40,000 people.
Sophia Lorimer (Fine Tuned Wardrobe)
Fine Tuned Wardrobe is a sustainable styling service, and has been running for six years, helping women build confidence and enter rooms of change.
Further reading:
How winning Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday can help your pet business
Theo Paphitis launches SBS Invest
Should you buy my pet business content planner
Takeaway from SBS 2025
Seven lessons from SBS 2024
10 reasons to be an award-winning pet business
The rollercoaster of running a small business
How to choose the right pet business membership
Why community matters for you and your pet business

Rikki Sullivan is The Canine Copywriter - a specialist dog copywriter and marketing strategist who helps pet professionals put themselves out there without wrecking their nervous system.
In this episode, we talk about confidence, visibility, and how to become a more confident writer because to grow your business, people need to be able to find you.
Rikki went from working in the corporate world to setting up as a dog walker, then did a dog first aid course that completely changed the direction of her life.
Rikki started by blogging to articulate how she worked and what she did for the dogs in her care and this led to an obsession with SEO and building a business helping others find their voice.
We talk about falling for magic formulas, the pressure to promise results you can’t categorically guarantee, and why marketing doesn’t have to be manipulative or pushy to work.
Rikki explains why she chooses to market gently to protect her nervous system, and how sensitive, empathetic pet professionals can build confidence without making themselves do things that don’t feel right.
She also shares client stories - including one who grew to 5,500 website visits a month through SEO blogging - and why there isn’t just one way to grow your business.
Plus, her Rambling Method, which is all about giving yourself space to think, write, and explore your ideas before trying to be concise.
And using AI as a thinking partner without losing your you-ness, and why in a world full of generated content, sharing your life and your experiences matters more than ever.
Key topics and timings:
0.20 - Episode overview.
1.24 - Sponsor message - 2026 pet business content planner.
2.34 - How Rikki went from corporate to dog walker to specialist dog copywriter.
3.49 - The dog first aid course that totally changed her life when Rikki learned about dog body language.
4.46 - Why Rikki started blogging, fell down a rabbit hole and how it helped her own business.
6.56 - Why we need to step away from listening to the mistakes we’re being told we’re making and be ourselves.
9.07 - Why none of us are immune to falling for ‘easy ways,’ and magic formulas.
10.37 - How Rachel ended up spending a fortune on a course during a wobbly time in her business.
13.46 - Matching your values with your marketing activity.
14.59 - Why Rikki would rather market more gently for the sake of her nervous system.
17.26 - The challenge around being visible when you’re sensitive.
18.23 - My random viral video.
21.12 - Why trying to go viral won’t work because it’s often down to creating less perfect and practicing your skills.
24.17 - Finding your own way to market and be out there and reach people.
25.07 - Client example - Becki from East Coast Dog Training and how she used SEO blogging to have 5,500 visits to her website each month.
27.02 - Client example - Rikki’s client who runs live events and uses ads to grow her audience and business.
28.52 - Attraction-based marketing and ignoring the demands of the algorithms.
30.52 - Why I used to try to persuade people that my approach was right.
31.56 - Why we are so convinced we need to make life hard for ourselves.
34.12 - Finding people who will appreciate the way you help them to the outcome they’re looking for.
35.48 - Rikki's thoughts on making promises you don't categorically know you can keep.
38.35 - Trusting your gut.
39.23 - The easiest business to run is the one that solves a problem or desire from something you’ve experienced.
40.44 - Starting out with storytelling and taking baby steps.
41.53 - Why pushing through the uncomfortable part will help you build your confidence.
44.21 - The Rambling Method and giving yourself space to say what you want to share, and be more you in your content.
49.09 - Using AI as a thinking and writing partner.
51.42 - Getting your ‘you-ness’ into AI and then using it to help you write and get comfortable with writing.
54.01 - The importance of being you in your content to build a connection and stand out from the pattern of AI.
56.27 - The dog trainer who posts about crochet and shows the human side.
58.12 - Using Rikki’s journal as a content tool and a bank of stories and thoughts.
59.39 - Writing to help you figure things out.
1.02.02 - Free writing and building your confidence and skills as a writer.
1.06.57 - Finding your titles, headlines, and intros at the end.
1.08.27 - Ways to connect with Rikki, find out about her 20-minute marketing method, and journal.
1.09.15 - Ways to work with Rikki.
1.10.42 - What’s next for Rikki and why she’s taking the pressure off.
Find out more about Rikki:
Visit her website: www.thecaninecopywriter.co.uk
Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecaninecopywriter
Connect on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecaninecopywriter
Learn more on Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rikki-sullivan-88b76925
The 20 Minute Marketing Method: https://www.underdogsunleashed.co.uk/offers/aooT2sCB/checkout
The Journal: https://mybook.to/ramblejournal
Related posts
How to find your voice in your pet business with Rikki Sullivan
How to use the pet business content planner
A simple content plan to cover SEO, social media and email marketing
How to create a social media calendar for your pet business
How to start a pet business blog
How to create a repeatable content plan
Should you buy my pet business content planner?

Do you need to write a press release about your pet business?
You're in the right place!
This episode will cover everything you need to know when it comes to creating a press release for your pet business.
But what I’m really keen to stress is that there is more to landing press coverage than writing a press release.
What journalists want are stories, and by the end of this episode, you’ll have a sense of how to go about finding them in your pet business, plus what you can do if you’d like some support.
Key topics and timings in this episode:
0.20 - Introduction to the podcast and topic.
0.46 - Why I've re-recorded this episode from 2020.
1.38 - My background and how this will help you with your press release.
4.28 - Why journalists aren't bothered about press releases and what they really want instead.
4.57 - What to expect from this episode.
5.19 - Definition of a press release.
5.54 - Why you as a business owner are capable of writing one yourself.
6.55 - Why there's never been an easier time to connect with the press.
7.44 - Why have a press release and how being in the press gives third party validation.
9.20 - When you might need a press release.
10.53 - Examples of what makes a story from Zoe, Rachel and Sarah.
16.33 - Story idea prompts for if you're stuck for ideas.
17.40 - How to write your press release.
19.00 - Why you want your story to be click-baity.
22.59 - What else you need to include with your press release.
25.27 - What you shouldn't do with your press release.
28.01 - Options for working together if you'd like support.
28.45 - How press coverage has helped my dog friendly business go from ghost town to fully booked.
29.36 - What to expect from the membership.
31.18 - How my 1-1 calls work.
Background on the host:
If you’re new to the podcast and you’ve clicked on this episode because you need to write a press release, here’s a little background about me.
I’m a journalist and have been since 1999, a whopping 25 years ago, writing for local, regional, and national newspapers.
In 2006 I went freelance, and since then, I have continued to work for national titles, women's magazines, and websites. I found myself writing about the pet industry after adopting my friend's dog Daisy in 2009, and this led me to start my own pet blog.
My blog, www.thepawpost.co.uk, appeared in the top 10 UK pet blogs, and businesses and brands would approach me about being on it, and when they found out I was a journalist, they asked for help in landing press coverage.
This led to me writing a book, 'Publicity Tips for Pet Businesses,' starting a Facebook group, working one-to-one with people, starting an online course, this podcast, then a membership.
Since 2019, I’ve helped over 1000 pet business owners appear in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, including BBC Breakfast, websites, podcasts, and more.
Further reading or listening if you enjoyed this episode:
Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?
How to prepare for a radio interview with Anna Webb
What happens on a Get Your Pet Business in the Press 1-1
Dos and Don't when dealing with journalists
In the spotlight with Sarah Jones from My Anxious Dog
In the spotlight with Niki French and what happens when you go viral
How to get your pet business in the press in five simple steps
Do I need to use a Press Release Distribution Service?
How to find the right journalist to contact with my press release

Is getting some press coverage something you’d love to achieve for your pet business?
You might see other people in the industry getting brilliant media coverage and wonder ‘how do they do it?’
Well, the good news is you don’t need a huge budget and a fancy PR company to appear in the media and make sure your business is seen.
In this podcast episode I’m sharing five simple steps you can follow to if you’d like to Get Your Pet Business in the Press.
There’s also a PDF you can download here that takes you through each step, with space for notes and ideas and additional resources.
Key topics and timings in this episode:
0.30 - Introduction to the episode and how to get the PDF download which walks you through each step.
2.00 - Why you don’t need a PR company or agency to get in the press.
3.13 - How getting in the press can help you grow your pet business.
5.22 - The difference in the number of people you can reach through media coverage versus social media.
6.26 - Case study Zoe Willingham.
7.15. - Step one - consider who you want to reach.
9.52 - Step two - think about where you would like to be featured.
13.27 - Step three - come up with a story idea.
20.10 - Step four - find the right person to pitch to - the one who is likely to be interested in what you have to say.
23.41 - Step five - write your pitch.
25.22 - Be prepared to have the journalist call as soon as you send your pitch.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Download the Five Steps PDF
Read How to prepare for an interview in ten simple steps
How to prepare for an interview in ten simple steps
Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?
How to write a press release for your pet business
How to find journalists contact details
What’s the difference between a pitch and a press release
Three moments you can use as story ideas