Your pet business, Your way

In this episode I'm talking about why this is the final episode of the Your Pet Business Your Way podcast and why I have decided to stop it for the foreseeable future.”
I wanted to be really honest with you about why – not in a big, dramatic way or in a really sad way – just upfront and honest, because that's what this podcast has always been about.”
I'll be sharing what goes into creating each episode, from the costs and tech to the time it takes to do the interviews, the edits, the transcripts, the blog posts and the social media.”
And I hope that by talking about bringing this podcast to an end, it gives you a little nudge to let go of something in your business that you’ve been doing just because you feel you ‘should’.
Topics and timings:
0.00 - Welcome and announcement that this is the final episode of Your Pet Business Your Way
1.30 - Why the podcast is ending after six years and 270+ episodes
3.00 - Breakdown of the time involved in solo vs interview episodes
3.40 - Full workflow: recording, editing, transcript, blog post and show notes
5.10 - Creating and hand‑editing video clips from Riverside for social media
5.50 - Making the podcast accessible with transcripts, blogs and detailed notes
6.50 - How blog posts give each episode long‑term SEO value and website traffic
7.40 - The podcast as a library of assets (audio, blog, show notes, social posts)
8.20 - Why I don't just hand everything over to AI or a VA
9.20 - Issues with fully AI‑generated show notes, timings and names
10.00 - Professional writer standards and wanting everything to sound like Rachel
11.10 - Realisation that podcasting reduces coaching enquiries and income
12.00 - How promoting guests shifts focus away from my coaching work
13.40 - “Grass grows where you water it” – choosing where time and money go
15.00 - Personal challenges: relationship ending, bereavements and house moves
15.50 - Turning 50 and acknowledging the emotional toll of recent years
16.20 - Emotions Coaching Practitioner training and what it involves
17.10 - Other commitments: 2027 planner, Sunnyside Cottage and family business
18.40 - Choosing a steadier life with more time for dog, friends, family and outdoors
19.20 - Accepting that 270+ episodes is enough and it’s okay to stop adding more
Links mentioned:
Podcast search page: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/podcast/
Work with me: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/work-with-me/
Pet Business Content Planner: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop/
Sunnyside Cottage booking page: https://baytownholidaycottages.co.uk/our-cottages/property?s=sunnyside-cottage-robin-hoods-bay
Ant McGinley - how to start a podcast: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/start-podcast-ant-mcginley/
Emotions Coaching training with In Good Company: https://www.igcompany.com/emotionscoaching
Let's connect on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/rachelspenceruk
https://www.facebook.com/rachelspenceruk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelspenceruk/

When Shelina Duke started learning to train dogs back in 2020, it was just to help her own three barking poodles during lockdown.
She was shielding at home with chronic asthma, and those three dogs needed some serious help with their behaviour.
She didn't expect that teaching herself from a WordPress book while isolating would lead to building a thriving, global, poodle-only, force-free training business with clients around the world.
Shelina spent four years juggling full-time teaching as an assistant head teacher, 10 dogs, and running a growing online membership before finally leaving school in 2024.
She's won three Dog Trainer of the Year awards, qualified and shown Edith at Crufts, and built a business that fits around real life - school runs, clubs, and caring for 10 dogs - without cramming her diary full of one-to-ones.
She's also navigated a serious head injury, chronic illness, the sudden loss of her sister, and becoming a guardian to her young niece.
In this episode, Shelina talks about how she taught herself to build a website and membership from scratch, how she grew from local all-breed classes to a global poodle-only business, why she's so committed to kind, force-free training, and how she deals with the trolls.
Plus her mission to help both poodle guardians and other pet pros build businesses that work around real life, not the other way around.
Topics and timings:
0.20 - Episode intro and sponsor message from the 2026 Pet Business Content Planner sponsor.
1.45 - Shelina’s story overview, from shielding teacher to global poodle trainer.
3.26 - How it all started, from assistant head teacher to dog trainer: shielding in 2020, three barking dogs and deciding to learn dog training “just” to help her own dogs.
5.55 - Shelina’s experience of chronic asthma, nine attacks in 11 days, steroids and the fear of COVID that kept her shielding at home.
8.10 -Using shielding time to build a new future: teaching herself WordPress from a book, creating a website and setting up her first membership.
10.57 - The poodle family: how she went from four dogs to ten, and how Arthur, Albert, Edith and Ophelia each came into her life.
18.46 - Reaching ten dogs: adding Ophelia, her first standard poodle, and completing the four‑poodle crew.
19.50 - How her business changed from Go With The Flow - all breeds, local classes and agility - to poodle‑only, online‑first training.
21.22 - Growing the free poodle Facebook group into the thousands and launching her first poodle‑only membership (mostly US‑based owners).
24.04 - How Shelina stepped away from earning around £50k as an assistant head and beginning to plan how her poodle business could replace that income.
25.36 - What life looked like doing both - long school days, evenings and weekends filled with 1:1s and classes.
27.50 - Shelina's head injury: severe concussion, damaged vestibular nerve, migraines, nausea and learning to live with balance problems.
31.44 - How her life changed overnight following her sister’s sudden death and becoming guardian to her four‑year‑old niece.
35.58 - Changing her mindset from “I have to” to “I get to do this” to cope with grief, parenting and business responsibility.
38.05 - Having the best job - spending her days with her own poodles and poodles on screen all over the world.
39.29 - The Shelina effect and why her clients love her approach.
40.30 - Turning a hobby into a real business: challenges, masterclasses, membership and testing different offers.
42.50 - Using AI to organise her ideas into clearer content, messaging and launch plans.
44.40 -What makes a difference in terms of messaging and focusing on how behaviour feels for the owner (stress, embarrassment, overwhelm) rather than just the dog’s actions.
48.51 - The downside and how she deals with negative comments, one very abusive post and deciding “my group, my rules."
52.44 - Switching her personal Facebook to professional mode and seeing a big jump in reach and Reel views.
54.56 - What changed since 2021: why free challenges and masterclasses filled differently in 2024/25 and what she learned about buyer behaviour.
57.46 - Resisting hustle culture and designing the business around freedom instead of recreating a 9 - 3 school‑style day.
58.40 - How a business programme with non pet people helped with starting to think like a business owner, not “just a dog trainer.”
1.00.59 - How Shelina's business looks like now: membership, live reactivity programme, self‑paced barking course and 1:1s, all fitted around caring for her niece and 10 dogs.
1.06.57 - Her highlights - three‑time Dog Trainer of the Year (SE England & London), showing Edith at Crufts, mentoring pet pros and leading a mission to rethink traditional training for modern poodles.
1.15.02 - How to connect with Shelina and find out more.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Follow Shelina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelinathepoodletrainer/
Join her Free Poodle Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/434932511664042
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelinapoodletrainer
Shelina's website: https://www.withtheflo.co.uk/
Buy a planner: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop
Further reading/listening:
Meet Kellie Wynn the Beagle Lady
How to run a dog training business that works for you with Jane Ardern
Walking in your clients shoes with Helen Motteram
10 reasons to be an award winning pet business
How to get press coverage from Crufts
The rollercoaster that is running a pet business
Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?
Should you buy my pet business content planner?

This is a behind-the-scenes look at what I've learned from running a dog-friendly holiday property for the last three years.
Having a holiday cottage has always been a dream for me and getting the keys for Sunnyside Cottage in Robin Hood's Bay in April 2023 was so exciting.
In this episode and blog post I talk about what has happened at Sunnyside over the last couple of years, the changes I've made at the cottage and the impact of that.
The last time I did a behind-the-scenes episode was in 2024 and I've learned a lot and changed lots of things at the cottage.
I talk about what's worked in terms of visibility, from going viral to working with influencers and how I've been working on developing my skills when it comes to standing out and attracting guests.
And I also share information on the people I've had supporting me, from Instagram advice to putting new windows in, because there is no way I could do this on my own.
You'll find all the links to the people and businesses I mention at the end of this post and if you're interested in staying send me a message.
Topics and timings in this episode:
0.00 – Episode introduction and what this behind‑the‑scenes look at Sunnyside Cottage will cover
1.45 – How Sunnyside connects to the “Your Pet Business Your Way” message and an introduction to the pet business planner
3.40 – What’s inside the planner: audience tracker, awareness days, diary, income trackers and “Pause and reflect” sections
5.30 – Recap of year one at Sunnyside: doubling income and testing visibility strategies on her own pet business
7.10 – The wider climate in 2026: cost of living crisis, war, rising costs and why customer experience matters more than ever
8.40 – A big refurb year: new windows, Floors for Paws, carpets, bathroom, decor, pointing, sofa, mattresses and lighting
11.45 – Money talk: spending over £25k on the refurb, other running costs and why losing only a few thousand still feels like a win
13.00 – Investing in guest experience: photography, handmade treats, branding, dog robes, bowls, welcome packs and dog‑friendly touches
15.00 – Visibility foundations: social media, blogging, awards, press coverage and choosing not to have a separate cottage website
16.10 – Awards and media: PIF Awards, Dog Friendly Awards, SBS, Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Living, Your Dog and more coverage
18.00 – Working with influencers: Kate from Dotty4Paws, Sal from Woof Wag Walk and how repeat visits showcase updates
19.40 – Hosting The Yorkshireman, short‑form video, YouTube content and the impact of influencer collaborations
21.00 – Training investments: TikTok training with Alex McCann, why TikTok wasn’t the right fit and repurposing what she learned
22.10 – Instagram membership with Camilla at Pink Storm Social and how it has shifted her content strategy
23.10 – Reels that performed well: Blue Monday, Christmas in Robin Hood’s Bay, dog safety at Sunnyside and the power of consistency
24.40 – The Storm Chandra viral reel: what happened, why it took off and the “iceberg” of work behind one lucky post
26.20 – The hidden work: almost 30 years in journalism, major investment in learning and the reality behind visibility wins
27.20 – Tough feedback: being called “stupid” for being generous, “desperate” for being visible and why she continues anyway
28.40 – Reach vs results: 3M+ views, audience growth and still only one direct booking from Instagram
29.50 – A realistic view: why press and viral content don’t equal instant fully booked calendars (and why she keeps testing)
31.00 – The importance of support: Sam and Sian from Baytown Holiday Cottages and why they’re more than “just agents”
32.00 – Juggling a new business with grief: getting the keys to Sunnyside while caring for a dying uncle
34.10 – Crisis moments at the cottage: boiler issues, leaks, broken locks and the value of a trusted local team
36.20 – Why reliable on‑the‑ground support is crucial when the owner isn’t local or is facing big life events
37.30 – More supporters: photographers Kerry from Fur and Fable and Liz Gregg, and how their shoots elevated Sunnyside
39.00 – Brand partners: The Canine Menu, Leo Charley and Me, Send the Dog a Bone, The Dog and I and Jess’s Sunnyside illustration
41.00 – The trades team: windows, stonework, flooring, plumbing, electrics and handyman work that transformed the cottage
42.30 – Gratitude for guests: feedback, repeat bookings, social shares and what “home from home” means at Sunnyside
44.00 – Final reflections: running a dog‑friendly business in challenging times and staying focused on guest experience
45.10 – Where to find Sunnyside Cottage online, how to book and how the Pet Business Content Planner can support other pet businesses.
Further reading/listening
Lessons learned from my first year running Sunnyside Cottage
Doing visibility my way at Sunnyside Cottage
Should you buy my Pet Business Content Planner?
The rollercoaster of running your own business
The Theo Paphitis SBS award and how it can help your pet business
10 reasons to be an award winning pet business

When Wendy Thomson Melling started her cat sitting business back in 2017, it was to earn a bit of extra cash caring for creatures she loved.
She didn't expect that in just a few years she'd be able to ditch her old career as an accountant and set up a franchise business caring for cats across the country.
My Three Cats first started in Warrington, Cheshire, and now Wendy has 350 clients across Warrington, 18 sitters on the team, and FIVE franchisees already operating in Blackpool, Bury, Preston, Sidcup and Orpington and Lowton, Atherton and Leigh.
We recorded this interview in March and in just two months, Wendy had two new franchisees come and join her.
Wendy and I have known each other since the 1980s when we went to St Wildrid's Primary School in Grappenhall, and when she started My Three Cats we worked together on a press release.
That was back in 2021 and it was the fastest story published - we had the call and her story was online the same day.
We've worked together more closely for a few years now in Pets Get Visible, and watching everything she has done growing My Three Cats, then starting her Cats Deserve More and now franchising has been amazing.
In this episode Wendy talks about what it was like leaving a secure job in accountancy to standing on stage at The Cat Show Live and all she's learned.
Topics and timings in this episode:
0.20 - Episode intro and what to expect.
1.53 - Sponsor message - Pets Get Visible.
2.59 - Wendy intro.
6.13 - Starting cat sitting after her divorce in 2017 to get some extra cash to take the kids on holiday.
8.23 - How cat care has changed over the last 10 years.
10.31 - The Cats Deserve More campaign Wendy started.
15.17 - What the really fast growth has been like for Wendy.
18.35 - Wendy's experience of the franchise process.
20.35 - Behind the scenes of a franchise business.
23.15 - Taking a leap of faith with a huge stand at The Cat Show Live and talking on stage.
24.15 - Her first franchisee joining after her talk.
27.06 - What it's like working with her daughter.
29.49 - How coworking has helped Wendy focus and have a routine.
31.53 - What's worked in terms of visibility for Wendy and the importance of showing your face as a pet care brand.
33.18 - Having the confidence to pitch to the press.
34.58 - Getting comfortable on social media.
37.08 - Having a steady plan and putting the brakes on to avoid burnout.
40.16 - Going back to The Cat Show Live in September 2026.
43.12 - How to find out more about Wendy.
Links mentioned in this episode
If you’re a pet business owner looking for support, community, and confidence to put yourself out there, come and join us in Pets Get Visible at www.rachelspencer.co.uk/pets-get-visible
Find out more about The Cat Show Live on September 12th 2026 here: https://thecatshowlive.co.uk/
Want to connect with Wendy and My Three Cats
Website: www.mythreecats.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-thomson-melling-143910211/
Further listening/reading:
Katie Gwilt from the Kat Lady on running a cat business you love!
Victor Carpio on Dragons Den and creating a toothbrush for cats
Bleu Stessia’s mission to boost cat health with My Cat Grass
Claire Harris from Pets2Places on franchising and pet travel safety
How to write a press release for your pet business
Should you buy my pet business planner

Are you planning to launch a new product or service and want to get an idea of what to expect?
This episode is a behind the scenes account of launching my Pet Business Content Planner for 2026.
This is a product I created in 2025, so this year was the second year and I wanted to put this episode out to give an insight into the work involved.
I'm sharing a 'warts and all' insight into my planner launch as I think hearing how it's actually gone - the wobbles, the grit, the moments of doubt - is more helpful than a polished success story.
If you'd like to listen in to me talk very openly about the experience, this episode is for you.
Topics and timings in this episode:
0.00 – Episode introduction and what this behind-the-scenes is about.
1.40 – Why I created a planner and how planning supports my clients.
3.15 – The first planner, why I wanted it to be different and the scrappy 2025 launch.
5.40 – Developing the 2026 planner.
8.20 – The different elements of the planner this year, including the 12 'Words for when' exercises.
9.45 – Sourcing awareness days and collaborating with my designer Kate Hendry on the structure.
11.25 – PR and media coverage I secured for this year’s planner launch.
13.15 – Talks, workshops and collaborations I did with pet industry communities.
15.05 – My charity campaign for StreetVet.
17.00 – Email campaigns, sales, pricing changes and deciding to let people “choose what you pay.”
18.50 – Coping with slower sales, social media overwhelm and the role of AI.
19.10 – Remembering my dad and keeping going when things are tough.
20.40 – My Costa Coffee wobble with Maria and remembering my belief in the planner.
22.30 – Creating the Planner Club: co‑working, quarterly planning and accountability.
23.55 – Feedback from Elizabeth and how the Planner Club helps pet business owners.
24.06 – Thank yous to everyone who helped shape and support the planner.
To order a planner head here: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop/
Further reading/listening
Should you buy my Pet Business Content Planner
How to use the Pet Business Content Planner
How to create a Pet Business Social Media Calendar
How to create a repeatable content plan
The rollercoaster of running a business
The confidence experiment and how to be more brave
Building habits in your pet business you can stick to
Creating a plan that matches your strengths, skills, goals and values