Wear Wag Repeat Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tori Mistick Wear Wag Repeat
How do you start the pet business of your dreams? What can you do to help pet parents to discover you? Can you juggle games of fetch with business growth? These are just some of the questions that award-winning dog mom blogger Tori Mistick asks in her weekly interviews with women in the pet industry.
Working with pets is a passion… it’s also a $70 billion industry! On the Wear Wag Repeat podcast you’ll get social media tips, business growth hacks and inspirational stories to turn your passion for pets into a profitable business. You’ll also hear stories about the pets who inspire our businesses, keep us motivated to bring home the bacon, and teach us to live in the moment.
The Wear Wag Repeat Podcast is an award-nominated show that's been featured in The Wall Street Journal. Guests and listeners include dog sitters and walkers, dog trainers and behaviorists, pet treat makers, pet product inventors, pet lover Etsy shop owners, pet bloggers, cat explorers and more!
Wondering how to batch your content and save time in your pet business? In this episode, I’m sharing the exact systems and tech setup I use to record and edit 4 podcast episodes in just one sitting!
Plus, more ideas for content you could be batching BEYOND social media.
This is part 1 of my mini-series all about automating and batching for petpreneurs. Whether you're creating podcasts, email newsletters, or affiliate content — there’s a smarter way to do it, and I’m showing you how.
You’ll learn:
- ✔ How I use Google Docs + AI like ChatGPT to plan my content
- ✔ The affordable tools I use for podcast + YouTube recording
- ✔ A peek into my exact batching workflow (updated for 2025)
- ✔ How I repurpose my transcript into optimized content
- ✔ Why affiliate marketing should be part of your business strategy
🎉 Try Wear Wag Repeat Society for just $24 → wearwagrepeat.com/society
🎁 BONUS: Streamline your business with my new freebie, the System Sprint Workbook: wearwagrepeat.com/systems
TOOLS DISCUSSED:
- Castmagic*: https://www.castmagic.io/?via=tori
- Kit*: https://partners.convertkit.com/rea1u...
- Wear Wag Repeat Society: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
*denotes affiliate links
Timestamped Overview
00:00 – Why I Batch Content (Lucy’s cancer story 💕) 01:09 – A Time-Saving Mindset Shift 02:16 – How I Batch Podcast Episodes 03:13 – Systems Beat Overwhelm 04:46 – How My Setup Has Evolved in 2025 06:12 – My Outline + Script Method 07:56 – My Current Recording Setup 09:18 – Editing Tips + What I Use 10:49 – Using CastMagic for Transcripts 11:46 – Generating Titles, Descriptions, and Thumbnails 13:58 – YouTube vs Audio Hosting 15:57 – Batching Email Newsletters (Kit Tips!) 17:11 – Making Recurring Income with Affiliates 18:58 – Seasonal Content You Can Reuse 20:58 – Join the Society for More Support!
Feeling overwhelmed by Instagram in 2025? In this episode, I share a simple batching strategy that will save you HOURS of time and finally make social media work for you... not the other way around. This is based on my real experience coming out of social media management retirement for a client this year!
Imagine sitting down just once a month to create all your Instagram posts — no more daily scrambling. I walk you through a realistic, repeatable batching system tailored for petpreneurs who want more time with their pups and less stress online.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔️ How batching can totally transform your relationship with social media
✔️ Tools and tricks to make IG content creation fast and fun
✔️ Why planning posts ahead is the key to growth in 2025
🎉 Try the Wear Wag Repeat Society for just $24 → wearwagrepeat.com/society
Feeling overwhelmed by all the to-dos in your pet business? In this episode Tori Mistick walks you through 3 simple automations that’ll save you HOURS each week — and help you grow your pet business. Ask yourself, "how easy can it be?"
From crafting a strategic email welcome sequence, to sending automatic customer reminders, and scheduling your social media content like a pro — these tips will make your biz run smoother, so you can spend more time doing what you love (like snuggling your pup).
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔️ Why every petpreneur needs a welcome email series and how setting one up will save you time ✔️ How prep emails can reduce confusion and give your customers a better experience ✔️ How to reclaim your time with scheduled social media posts (yeah, we're doing that again!)
🎁 BONUS: Get my free “3X Your Email Subscribers” Workshop: wearwagrepeat.com/emailworkshop
🎉 Try the Wear Wag Repeat Society for just $24 (PRICE GOES UP JUNE 1) → wearwagrepeat.com/society
Let’s make running your pet biz easy & fun again!
Wondering what it’s really like inside the Wear Wag Repeat Society? In this behind-the-scenes tour, I’ll show you exactly what happens when you join my petpreneur community.
From one-on-one coaching calls ☕️ to weekly Voxer office hours 📲, monthly implementation calls 💻, and promotional member spotlights 🌟 — this Society isn’t just a membership, it’s a movement.
You’ll get access to:
✔ Personalized support for your pet business ✔ Our deep resource library full of marketing lessons, templates & swipe files ✔ Monthly coaching and hot seat brainstorming calls ✔ Weekly feedback during office hours ✔ Opportunities to promote your biz to my 40K+ followers!
🛎 Don’t wait! Membership price increases on June 1st — join now and lock in your rate: wearwagrepeat.com/society
🐾 Ready to grow your email list? Grab my FREE Fetch 3X Subscribers Workshop and learn how to triple your email list with simple tweaks! → wearwagrepeat.com/emailworkshop
Is your inbox draining your time, energy, and focus? In this episode, I’m walking you through my 3-step system to declutter your inbox — without aiming for perfection (just sanity!).
You’ll learn how to set up a simple folder system, build healthy boundaries with inbox check-ins, and use time-saving templates that do the heavy lifting for you.
🐾 If you want the actual email templates and swipe files I use, they’re ready for you inside the Wear Wag Repeat Society — along with support from 35+ petpreneurs just like you!
Try WWR Society for a 2 week trial!
Fetch 3X Email Subscribers FREE Workshop: https://wearwagrepeat.com/emailworkshop/
🎧 Press play and start decluttering today — because you’ve got a pet biz to grow, not an inbox to babysit.
Are major pet industry trade shows like Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo worth attending as a content creator or small pet business owner? In this episode, I break down the pros and cons of these big events, why I'm skipping them, and what I'm doing instead to grow my business and make meaningful industry connections.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✔ Why major trade shows are designed for vendors and retailers—not content creators
✔ The reality of making brand deals at these events
✔ How to assess if attending aligns with your business goals and budget
✔ The networking opportunities beyond just brands
✔ Why I prefer small, niche industry events over massive trade shows
✔ How to decide what's best for YOUR pet business growth
Whether you're feeling FOMO seeing people at Global Pet or considering attending a future event, this episode will help you make an informed decision that aligns with your unique business goals.
🐾 Ready to grow your email list? Grab my FREE Fetch 3X Subscribers Workshop and learn how to triple your email list with simple tweaks! → wearwagrepeat.com/emailworkshop
🚀 Want to connect with other petpreneurs? Join the Wear Wag Repeat Society for marketing strategies, expert guidance, and an inspiring community to grow your pet business! → wearwagrepeat.com/society
Are pet parents and customers struggling to find your business? In this episode of Wear Wag Repeat, I'm walking you through a self-audit to boost your pet business’s visibility and lead generation.
This simple exercise will help you clarify your message, optimize your social media, and ensure your website is working for you—not against you!
What you'll learn today: ✔️ The social media bio check every petpreneur needs ✔️ How to pinpoint gaps in your customer journey ✔️ The one Instagram mistake that could cost you referrals ✔️ A website test to ensure your links actually convert ✔️ Why testing your link in bio is critical for lead generation
🐾 Ready to grow your email list? Grab my FREE Fetch 3X Subscribers Workshop and learn how to triple your email list with simple tweaks! → wearwagrepeat.com/emailworkshop
Want to connect with other petpreneurs? Join the Wear Wag Repeat Society! Inside, you'll get marketing strategies, expert guidance, and an inspiring community to help you build a thriving pet business. Join here → wearwagrepeat.com/society
Get more resources: wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
At a recent wine tasting, I heard this: “The best winemaker shares his knowledge with other winemakers. This raises the knowledge, innovation, and quality of the wine from their region.”
And it got me thinking—this is exactly the mindset we need in the pet industry!
Too often, petpreneurs feel like they need to guard their expertise. But in reality, when we collaborate and lift each other up, we all win.
In this episode, I’ll break down why embracing a collaborative mindset can help you build a stronger pet business. I’ll also share real stats that prove knowledge-sharing boosts success, plus actionable ways you can build meaningful industry connections.
Want to dive deeper? Check out these related episodes of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast:
- Ep 333: The Impact of Networking and Collaboration with Lashonda Geffrard
- Ep 337: Yes! Introverted Pet Pros Can Be Great at Networking with Stacy Pong
- Ep 335: Turn Your Pet Business Emails into Money-Making Connection Machines with Liz Wilcox
🎧 Hit play now and let’s explore how sharing your expertise can create more opportunities, clients, and success!
📣 Join Wear Wag Repeat Society: Ready to connect with a supportive community of petpreneurs? Join us!
You've heard of the 5 love langaues... Well, did you know your pet business has a love language, too!? And if you’re not speaking it the right way, you might be stutning your growth.
In this short and sweet Valentine’s Day-themed episode, I’m breaking down The 5 Love Languages of a Thriving Pet Business—and how you can use them to attract more clients, create better systems, and find more joy in running your business.
From Words of Attraction (aka, your marketing!) to Quality Time (working smarter, not harder!), these love languages will help you build a pet biz that loves you back. 💖
🎧 Hit play now to find out which business love language you need to focus on!
💌 Want more support growing your business? Join my membership community, Wear Wag Repeat Society, and get the tools, strategies, and support to make 2025 your best year yet!
Start your 2-week trial now: wearwagrepeat.com/society 🐾
Let’s make February the month you take back control of your time. Start small, commit to one shift, and see how much better things feel.
And if you need a community that helps you grow your pet business without overworking, my membership is here for you.
Wear Wag Repeat Society: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
Episode Overview:
- February is a short month—which makes it the perfect time to test a new routine and simplify your pet business.
- How small, intentional shifts can help petpreneurs reclaim their time and grow their business with less stress.
- How to declutter your business, set up repeatable systems, and work smarter—not harder!
"Time is your most precious resource, especially with your pets. Let’s set up simple routines now so you can get more done without working more—because your business should fit your life, not the other way around." - Tori Mistick
Want to have tons of people signing up for your opt-in freebie? You need to give them something that solves a problem! Listen to this episode to hear about a new freebie I created last week that immediately got tons of sign ups with zero promotion.
PLUS... tell me what freebie I should create for pet pros like you. Here's the options:
- 3-Day Profit Kickstart 💰 Ready to stop undercharging and overworking? Make the money your business deserves! This video workshop will walk you through pricing, sales strategy and finding money leaks in your business.
- Publicity Pack 📣 Want press features like mine in the Wall Street Journal or local TV? I'm sharing my actual pitch templates and story framework that will help you land major media coverage!
- Tech Systems on Autopilot ⏰ Overwhelmed by all the platforms and making them play nicely? Watch over my shoulder as I share how I set up the essential tools that keep my business running smoothly. My tips will save you up to 10 hours a week!
Let me know which one of these freebies would help you hit your pet industry goals in 2025!
Want more support growing your business? Start your 2-week trial in my membership community Wear Wag Repeat Society: wearwagrepeat.com/society 💖
Are you ready to embrace change in the social media landscape? This week, I share my 2nd best piece of advice for growing your pet industry business.
Discover how diversifying your marketing presence can shield you from the ding dongs running our social platforms and keep those dream clients rolling in!
- Don't depend solely on one social media platform.
- Reach your audience across multiple channels.
- Focus on sustainable, profitable growth and joyful engagement.
Need to learn how to use email marketing, blogging, SEO, Pinterest and more? Lessons on how to use these strategies are included in the Petpreneur Resource Library inside Wear Wag Repeat Society!
Join now for 2 weeks for just $24: wearwagrepeat.com/society
As soon as you join, I'll invite you to a welcome coffee chat so I can personally get to know you and your pet business goals.
Other links: Marie Forleo's B-School is opening soon! Get on the waitlist
Do you have a word of the year that inspires your pet business or your life with your pets? My word of the year for 2025 is inspired by hard times I'm currently going through with my dog Lucy. It's important for me to be present and not try to multitask.
By living my word of the year, I'm already seeing positive impacts on my stress level and how much I can enjoy every day with Burt and Lucy. After you listen, tell me about your word of the year and how it's driving your pet business success for 2025!
In this episide you'll hear about:
- Tori's challenging December: Lucy's health issues and the vet's diagnosis of a splenic mass, which usually means cancer.
- Decision-making: Opted for no surgery, focusing on Lucy's quality of life and holistic care.
- Tori's 2025 word: "One thing at a time" to simplify, focus, and live in the moment.
- Wear Wag Repeat Society: New features, including office hours and monthly member spotlights. Join now to book a kick-off coffee chat with me: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
- Podcast goals: Focus on solo episodes, consistent releases, and insights into Tori's pet business growth.
In this episode, I’m talking with super-connector Stacy Pong. It’s a funny story… we met through a virtual networking event, and I found out that she’s a networking expert and even runs a membership about it! So it felt like it was meant to be for her to be the final podcast guest to wrap up the networking and collaboration theme of this quarter here at Wear Wag Repeat.
I loved talking to Stacy because she’s not directly in the pet industry - although she does have an adorable corgi named Hashbrown! I’ve found that getting business and marketing ideas from people outside of our industry can be very inspiring.
Stacy shares actionable tips for how to make the most of networking as an introverted pet pro including example questions that you can use the next time you find yourself in the middle of some awkward small talk. Check out her W.I.N. framework below!
I also love her advice about being “sticky”! That will get your brainstorming wheels turning. If you want to talk about any of the ideas here and how to best apply them to your business, that’s what we do every month in Wear Wag Repeat Society.
🐾 Ready to grow your email list? Grab my FREE Fetch 3X Subscribers Workshop and learn how to triple your email list with simple tweaks! → wearwagrepeat.com/emailworkshop
🚀 Want to connect with other petpreneurs? Join the Wear Wag Repeat Society for marketing strategies, expert guidance, and an inspiring community to grow your pet business! → wearwagrepeat.com/society
In this solo episode, Tori Mistick shares all the exciting plans and updates to serve your pet business in December, the final month of Q4 and our Networking and Collaboration theme! Here’s what’s happening:
What’s Coming Up in December 2024: * WWR Society Lesson
+ Focus on crafting an action plan for your dream partnerships and collaborations in 2025.
+ We’ll brainstorm, work backwards to create a plan, and put actionable steps in our calendars.
+ I’m here to help you turn those dreams into reality!
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WWR Society Meetup
- Mark your calendars for December 18th — our last meetup of the year!
- Can’t wait to unveil the revamped membership for 2025, which will be my main focus next year!
Special December Offers * From December 9-31, I’m offering massive discounts on pet business services, courses and coaching:
+ 1:1 Strategy Sessions
+ Pinterest Masterclass
+ Email Welcome Sequence Writing Services
+ Deals range from 25% off to $300 off—details coming Monday, December 9. Spots are limited!
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Final Networking Event
- December 11: The last Petpreneur Virtual Networking event of the year. Don’t miss it!
- RSVP here: www.wearwagrepeat.com/petworking
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Podcast Guest Interview
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Tune in next week for the final guest interview of the year with Stacy Pong, founder of The Exchange.
- Stacy shares brilliant tips on how to make yourself “sticky” when meeting new people!
Wrapping Up the Year It’s a busy month, but I’ll be taking a much-needed break over the holidays. For those of you still working, taking care of pets, and running your businesses — I see you, and I’m so grateful for your support this year.
Let’s finish strong and gear up for all the amazing opportunities waiting for our pet industry busiensses in 2025!
In the span of 5 years, Liz Wilcox grew and sold a successful blog, got bought out of her second company, and built the third into a multiple six-figure businesses where she teaches entrepreneurs to simplify the whole “email marketing thing”.
She’s best known for her 4500+ user email marketing membership (I’ve been a member for 3 years), her 20 Minute Newsletter technique, and the Email Staircase framework she’s taught to tens of thousands of creatives, freelancers, ecommerce shop owners, and small businesses across the globe.
In this interview, Liz goes along with my Networking Theme of Q4 and highlights how email is an amazing tool for collaboration and connection.
We talk about:
- How to use email to build real connections with your subscribers
- How sharing other people’s content in your emails builds your trust and authority
Liz also told me the story of her first digital product. It was a collaboration with other RV travel bloggers back when she had her first website. While telling this story, Liz invites you to steal her idea for a pet-inspired twist! I’m so in… wait until you hear it and reach out to me if you want to collaborate on this idea!
→ Get your paws on Liz Wilcox’s FREE email templates!
This November I have a lot of exciting content and events designed to help you grow your pet business. We're continuing our Q4 theme of Networking and Collaboration.
Here's what's on deck:
- November 13: 2nd Petpreneur Virtual Netwokring event. This is free to attend, register here: wearwagrepeat.com/petworking
- Thank you to my co-hosts who are helping make this event a success! Wear Wag Repeat Society Members: Beth Lambert of Fuzzy Face Media, Alexandra of Bella B's Barkery, Jessica Bay of Templates for Pet Pros and Sharon of Sharon and Teddy Take the City.
- November Guest Expert: Enjoy an exclusive interview with email marketing expert Liz Wilcox who talked to me about how collaborating and connecting through email can build trust and grow your business.
- BlogPaws LiVE: I'm attending a pet content creator conference in Boulder, CO where I'll speak on a panel about Diversifying Success.
- Black Friday: I have a special offer on Wear Wag Repeat Society planned for you. If you attend the November 13th Networking event, you'll get early access to this deal!
What do you have going on in November? Connect with me on Instagram @wearwagrepeat and tell me what's going on in your pet industry business.
I’m so excited to have Lashonda Geffrard, the founder of Black Pet Business Network as my first podcast guest of Q4. This quarter is dedicated to learning about collaboration and networking. Something Lashonda is an expert at!
In this conversation, she shares how she came up with the idea for the Black Pet Business Network. It was born from a desire to connect with grooming shop owners during the pandemic to see how they were running their businesses amidst shutdowns and quarantines.
It's Q4 and here at Wear Wag Repeat the theme is collaboration. All podcast episodes, work in Wear Wag Repeat Society and other resources are dedicated to supporting your networking, collaborations and partnerships.
Here's what I have in store for October to help you grow your pet business:
Expert Interview with Lashonda Geffrard, CEO of Black Pet Business Network and owner of The Paw Shop, a grooming salon in Orlando, FL. We're talking about networking and how to diversify your community with real action steps. I'm already implementing her advice!
Wear Wag Repeat Society Lesson: Going live today, in my membership for petpreneurs we're looking at how to make the most or virtual networking, how to find networking calls or local events and how to make sure people can figure out how to contact you (an essential part of finding new collaborators!)
Speaking of virtual networking… you’re invited to my Petpreneur Virtual Networking event on October 9th. RSVP for this free event!
We made it to the end of the Blogging quarter in Wear Wag Repeat! I've shared amazing guest interviews and lessons about why you need to blog for your pet business and how to make the most of your content so it drives traffic and sales long term.
In this episode I answer a question that came up from a Wear Wag Repeat Society member. What do you do after you hit publish on a new blog post?
So here you go... 5 things I do after a blog post is published.
Catch up on Expert Interviews about Pet Blogging:
- Ep 323 What to Blog About to Drive Sales with Pamela Keniston, Big Paws Marketing
- Ep 326 Plyaing the Long Game with Content That Serves Your Audience with Caitlin Brown, Sparkles & Sunshine
- Ep 330 How Online Authority is Essential to SEO for Pet Bloggers with Jessica Shipman, BlogPaws
We've also covered blogging in lessons this quarter in Wear Wag Repeat Society:
- Internal Linking and How to Optimize Existing Blog Posts
- How to do Keyword Research to Write Posts that Help Your Audience
- KeySearch Demo, LinkWhisper Demo and more!
Join Wear Wag Repeat Soceity to learn how to grow a profitable pet business alongside like-minded pet lovers!
I'm hosting FREE petpreneur networking calls. The first one is October 9th. Save your spot!
If you’ve been listening to this podcast lately, then you know how important blogging is for your pet business. But does it still feel overwhelming? Then you’re going to love today’s expert interview with Jessica Shipman, the accomplished COO and CMO of BlogPaws.
Jessica and I explored some exciting trends and tactics that every petpreneur will find useful when it comes to keeping their blog organized and efficient.
We’re both excited about the shift back to long-form content! Jessica shares great advice on how to adapt your blogging and social media strategy to today's algorithms.
We also cover these pet business blogging tips:
- The top three SEO essentials you need to focus on when creating new blog posts.
- How to create a content catalog and track your blog's performance using a tool such as Airtable.
- What a content brief is and how it can streamline your writing process, making your posts more effective and focused.
- The importance of Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) guidelines and how to apply them to build trust with your audience.
Join me for BlogPaws LiVE in Boulder, CO, this November 15-16 and use my discount code for $30 off your registration! CODE: TORI30
It's September, and there's a lot of exciting things coming up this month! Listen to this solo episode with Tori Mistick, founder of Wear Wag Repeat, to learn about pet business strategies and events to grow your impact this month.
Topics discussed:
- Wear Wag Repeat Society's September Blogging Challenge is off to an exciting start! Pet pro members are setting blogging goals for the month from 1 post to 30 posts! I'm excited for weekly co-working sessions together.
- September Expert Interview: Jessica Shipman, COO & CMO of BlogPaws. We talk about how to keep your blog content organized so you know you’re writing about the most strategic topics for your business, and she explains why Google’s new EEAT framework
- Register for BlowPaws LiVE Nov 15-16 in Boulder, CO, get $30 off with TORI30.
- I will be giving 2 talks at Pet Sitter World in Niagara Falls, NY with Pet Sitters International. That event is September 19-21.
- Stay tuned for big Virtual Petpreneur Networking Events coming up in Q4!
Join the September Blogging Challenge that kicks off on Tuesday, September 3rd!
It's happening inside Wear Wag Repeat Society: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society/
This question came up on the monthly Hot Seats call in my membership, Wear Wag Repeat Society. How do you know if keyword research for blog posts is really worth it? Can you show an example of a blog post written with keyword optimization and one without?
Yes! I happen to have 2 great examples to illustrate this answer and I'll cover them in this special audio and video episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast.
The 2 blog posts I'm using as an example are:
- Keeping Up with the Jones' Dog: Dealing with Dog Mom Guilt
- Indoor Enrichment for Dogs: Ideas to Entertain Your Dog at Home
You'll see (or hear!) that the blog post I did keyword research for has performed much better over time than the one that I am equally passionate about, but didn't do keyword research for.
Want to learn more about blogging for your pet business? Check out Wear Wag Repeat Society!
See the video version of this podcast episode on my YouTube channel.
Do you feel like your blog posts are like a collection you started a long time ago and now they just sit on the shelf and collect dust?
Blogging can be discouraging if you’re not seeing traffic and results from your posts. Q3 theme - July interview with Pamela Keniston and solo episodes from me. Our August expert is Caitlin Brown from Sparkles and Sunshine Blog. I’ve known Caitlin for years and I’m always so impressed by the perseverance she has to keep creating fun, engaging and helpful content. Caitlin creates a lot of content and she’s a data nerd as much as I am, so I’m excited to share this conversation with you. Everything we discuss applies to bloggers like us and pet business owners who use blogging as a marketing strategy.
We share advice on playing the long game when it comes to your blog content and why it’s so important to write helpful content that serves your audience. If you’re putting a lot of effort into these posts, they should still be relevant a year or two from now. Or even 10 years later, like some of my most popular blog posts!
We touch a bit on keyword research, but if you want to learn more about that go listen to last month’s episode for a deeper dive. If you’re in my membership, WWR Society, we also have several lessons including screen share videos on how to find the right keywords to blog about.
OK… bit finally, Caitlin and I also talk about Pinterest on this episode. We are both big believers in Pinterest because it continues to drive a ton of traffic to our blogs. If you need help with Pinterest, make sure you’re on my email list so I can let you know when Pinterest for Petpreneurs Live is happening. Pinterest works a lot like Google, you need to give it time for momentum to build. When we do the live round of my Pinterest course we’ll be focusing on pinning winter content.
August is full of exciting updates for your pet business! After Tori shares a personal update about her dogs Burt and Lucy, she goes into everything you can expect from Wear Wag Repeat this month:
- Wear Wag Repeat Society: This month’s theme in my membership is profit-focused keyword research! Learn to use keyword research tools and Pinterest research to drive traffic to your pet business's key sales pages—products, services, online courses, sign-up forms and more!
- August Guest Expert on the Podcast: Caitlin Brown joins us on August 14 to discuss evergreen content and Pinterest. You might know her from her website, Sparkles and Sunshine Blog, where she documents life with her dogs, cats and horse.
- Learn from an Upcomgin guest Expert: Email marketing guru Liz Wilcox will be on the podcast this fall! But I can't wait that long to tell you about her new program called The Launch Course. She's teaching how to launch your new thing (course, service, product, etc.) with just EMAIL—no ads, social media, or webinars. Check out The Launch Course with Liz Wilcox.
- Pinterest for Petpreneurs LIVE: Another round is coming at the end of August! This is perfect timing to pin holiday or winter content for pet parents and drive traffic to your website on autopilot. Stay tuned for more details.
Join my email list to stay updated on everything mentioned in this episode!
In this quick episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast, host Tori Mistick shares a smart strategy to enhance your pet business: turning your frequently asked questions (FAQs) into a blog post.
While this seems too simple, there's actually a lot of smart strategy behind this!
Episode Highlights:
- Why an FAQ blog post can improve your search engine rankings
- Ways to save time by consolidating common questions
- Building trust and credibility through detailed and transparent answers
- Enhancing user experience by creating helpful content
- Bonus Tip: Using internal links to connect related content and boost SEO, just like we talked about in Episode 323 with Pamela Keniston
Links and Resources:
- Visit my website for more resources to grow your pet industry business online
- Send me a DM on Instagram @wearwagrepeat
- Check out B-School for additional business growth resources: Summer Fast Track Session is NOW OPEN!
I'm proud to be the only affiliate partner of B-School who is in the pet industry! The link above is an affiliate link. When you sign up through me, I get to provide you with extra support!
Learn actionable tips from pet industry digital marketing expert Pamela Keniston of Big Paws Marketing. This interview is all about strategically blogging for your pet business to drive traffic and sales.
Topics Discussed:
- Using keyword research and creating pillar posts as the foundation for blog content.
- The relevance of blogging for different types of pet businesses, particularly e-commerce.
- Pamela uses the analogy of a file cabinet to explain the structure of a blog for driving sales.
- Creating supporting blog posts for a main topic to engage pet owners.
- Importance of concise calls to action and keyword-tied meta descriptions.
Learn more about Pamela at https://bigpawsmarketing.com/
The full shownotes for this episode can be found at https://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-323
Grow your pet business online with my help! I offer courses, a membership, 1:1 coaching and done for your services to support you and your pet industry business. Learn more: https://wearwagrepeat.com/courses
July is a big month for online growth in your pet business! Here’s what you can expect from me and Wear Wag Repeat this July:
- WWR Society: Last chance to join my membership for pet pros until October! It's an unbeatable value at $69/month. Join at wearwagrepeat.com/society
- Q3 Theme: Blogging and SEO is our focus for the next 3 months. Look forward to expert insights on the podcast from Pamela Keniston, Caitlin Brown, and Jessica Shipman.
- Looking ahead to a September Challenge: I'll host an exclusive blogging challenge for WWR Society members at the end of Q3. Let's see how many useful blog posts we can write as a pack!
- Personal Update: I’m now a boxing coach. WHAT?!?
- B-School Summer: Accelerated 4-week program opens July 16th! I'm excited to once again provide support as the only pet industry partner. Stay tuned for the link!
Join my email list to stay in the loop on everything you hear mentioned in this episode!
A lot of pet indsutry business owners, pet influencers and content creators tell me they have an email list but they don't know what to send. Or maybe they haven't emailed their list of pet lovers in a long time and it's feeling a little awkward now.
In this short episode, I share 3 email ideas that you can write and send in less than 20 minutes. Promise me you'll do this before June is over!
3 emails you can send your pet industry list:
1) Sorry I've been MIA, here's what's new. Ask subscribers to reply and tell you whats new with them.
2) Re-use an email from your welcome sequence! I recently sent email #3 from mine and it performed really well. Don't have a welcome email sequence set up? I can do it for you with my new service, Leash Up Your Email Marketing.
3) Use voice to text to answer a question like, "What is something you recently saw someone doing with their pet that you couldn't believe they didn't know better?" I'm sure you have a response to that! Speak it into your phone and voila... email newsletter! Thank you to Sara Gillis for sharing this great copywriting hack on Episode 320.
For more support, accountability and personalized advice on how to grow your pet business online, join Wear Wag Repeat Society. That's the most affordable way to work with me and membership is open right now for Q3. Join us: wearwagrepeat.com/society
Email marketing is a game-changer for petpreneurs! But when it comes to automated emails, many of us are stuck thinking that only means a welcome email sequence.
In this episode with copywriter Sara Gillis, we’re taking a look at two powerful types of email sequences that you don’t want to neglect: nurture sequences and launch sequences. These strategic messages can transform your email marketing, keeping your audience engaged at different stages of your pet business.
One common roadblock Sara and I talk about in this episode is the fear of annoying your list with too many emails. But let’s flip that script! If you don't reach out regularly, you’re essentially ghosting your subscribers. Consistent communication is key! And that’s where email sequences come in handy.
If you get stuck when it comes to actually writing emails for your business, Sara shares some great hacks to beat writer’s block and give your messaging a personal touch.
Speaking of personal touch, Sara has a fun Brand Voice Quiz on her website that can help you identify your unique brand voice and provide prompts for your email and social media content. I took the quiz myself and discovered my brand voice is Charming and Joyful. What’s yours?
Join me, Tori Mistick, for a new solo episode packed with valuable insights and resources to elevate your pet business. In this episode, we’re continuing our Q2 focus on email marketing, a crucial tool for pet pros looking to grow their businesses. Tune in to discover:
- Personal Updates: Catch up on what’s happening in my life, including my latest hobbies and adventures. I'm teaching a boxing class 🥊 Hence all the boxing puns here!
- WWR Society Insights: Get the scoop on the latest resources available to my membership community, including a lesson on how to do a cold subscriber scrub and email subscriber survey sequences.
- Expert Tips: My guest expert on the podcast this month is Sara Gillis of What Sara Said. She shares advice on creating automated email sequences beyond the welcome series. That episode drops June 12th!
- Course Launches: The pet pros in my Course Creator Mastermind program are launching their courses this month! I'm so proud of what they've created and can't wait to see how the launches go!
- Resource Recap: A quick rundown of the fantastic email marketing resources I’ve shared this quarter, including interviews and lessons.
Don’t miss out on this KNOCKOUT episode filled with practical tips and expert advice to help you punch up your pet biz with email marketing! 🥊
Get on the waitlist to join Wear Wag Repeat Society for Q3: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society/
Feeling stuck on what to email your subsrobers? Not sure if your emails are strategically designed to turn subscribers into customers?
I have an idea for you! Not only will this idea help to build trust with your audience and encourage sales, but it will give you more free time this Summer!
Listen to this episode of my Short Leash series and let me know if you're going to try this idea with your email marketing this summer.
In this episode, I’m talking with Deanna Seymour, a branding and content strategy expert. Although she’s not directly in the pet industry, I’m excited to feature experts from beyond the pet world who can provide us with valuable and actionable advice!
We discuss how to build a community without relying 100% on social media. If you’re not a fan of social media platforms or if you’re not seeing results (like new clients and revenue), there are other ways to foster community and grow your pet business.
For starters, Deanna has been organizing virtual networking events with co-hosts to connect with new people and establish community. She also sends out emails to her list every Thursday. In her weekly emails, Deanna follows a formula that involves starting with a personal story then tying it into her business.
When you listen to this episode, you’ll learn Deanna's tips on generating your own stories and incorporating them into your business content strategy. One of her favorite ways to transition from storytelling to selling in email is with a fun GIF. They’re funny and establish a friendly relationship with your email list.
I initially met Deanna through her GIF making course. Use code WEARWAGREPEAT to GIF it Up for just $25!
It might only be May 1st, but I’m getting on people’s calendars for October and November! People are less responsive and more booked up than usual, so consider this your sign to plan ahead!
Here’s what you can expect from me this May:
- Guest Expert episode with content strategist Deanna Seymour (May 8)
- Wear Wag Repeat Society: Optimise your Welcome Sequence to SELL on autopilot
- Course Creator Mastermind: Lessons are being recorded and sales pages are being created for the June 12th course launch!
- Late-May Release: A new “done-for-you” email marketing service
- Personal update: I’m going on vacation to Italy!
Join my email list to stay in the loop on everything 🐾
The Short Leash is my monthly short episode designed to reel you back in to focus on one action that can make an impact in your pet industry business.
- Repurpose one of your welcome sequence emails as an email blast to your whole list of pet lovers
- Repurpose a"Secret Sauce" or "Brand Story" email from your welcome sequence as a "Reintroduce Myself" post on your pet brand's social media.
Work smarter not harder and re-use the great emails you've already written! Chances are there's a big part of your audience who hasn't seen them yet. Those who have will be reminded why they love you and the work you do in the pet industry :)
Get ConvertKit to grow an email list that works for you.
Need extra help? Book a 1:1 Strategy Session where I can help you with anything you need to grow your pet business online.
In this solo episode, I take a step back in 2 ways! One step back in strategy and also a step back in time... you'll see what I mean!
If you haven't started an email list yet, the best time to start one is TODAY. First, you need an email service provider.
My favorite ESP is ConvertKit (that's my affiliate link).
Next, I'm sharing 6 of my favorite podcast episodes from the archives that touch on email marketing. There's an episode for you no matter where you are in your email marketing journey!
GET ON MY EMAIL LIST!
On this episode, I’m talking with Kerrie Fitzgerald of Ecommerce Society. I’ve known Kerrie for years and I love a chance to get on the line with her and talk about digital marketing.
Today’s conversation is full of actionable advice. Kerrie explains the five emails that you need to send to new subscribers when they join your email list.
These five emails are written in advance and scheduled as part of an automated email welcome sequence. In my pet business, I use ConvertKit to manage my email marketing, including my email welcome sequence.
What I love about Kerrie’s strategy that I’m about to share is that she explains the reason behind all five emails. And overall, they’re designed to make sales.
Your welcome sequence is when new subscribers are the MOST interested in you and your business. So you need to take advantage of that and make it easy for them to get what they came to you for.
This episode is part of my Q2 Email Marketing theme. Stay tuned for more expert interviews with actionable advice and solo episodes that will help you reach more pet lovers who need you in their lives!
Hear what's happening for petpreneurs this April in Wear Wag Repeat:
- Kicked off the quarter with K9 in 90 goal planning workshop
- Course Creator Mastermind is underway!
- Wear Wag Repeat Society now OPEN with Q2 Email Marketing theme
- April Podcast Guest: Kerrie Fitzgerld on setting up email automations, email funnel creation, creating customer superfans
- April Solo episodes: Email list growth sprints vs. marathons, The Short Leash
- Personal update: I'm wapping up my first semester as a University Professor, working on my Italian lessons for a vacation to Italy in May
Join Wear Wag Repeat Society: Enrollment is open April 1-7 🐾
The Short Leash is my monthly short episode designed to reel you back in to focus on one action that can make an impact in your pet industry business.
- Sign up for the FREE K9 in 90 Workshop on April 1: https://wearwagrepeat.com/k9in90/
- Get the accountability you need to reach your goals for the next 90 days in Wear Wag Repeat Society. Enrollment open April 1- 7. Get on the waitlist here: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society/
In the pet hospitality industry? Check out The Dog Guru's Business Bootcamp Workshop happening live in Denver, Colorado April 10 + 11.
What does financial freedom mean to you? Is it the same as financial independence? In this solo episode, Tori shares:
- How to define these terms
- Stats about women's financial independence
- How she defines values-based financial independence
- 4 steps you can take to create more financial independence in your pet business and your life.
This is part of the Q1 Money theme in Wear Wag Repeat. Check out expert interviews and solo episodes here on the podcast and for Wear Wag Repeat Society members, there are valuable guest expert lessons on Profit Mapping, Profit First Accounting and How to Create a Give Back Program in your Pet Business.
Not a member yet? Get on the waitlist for Q2 at wearwagrepeat.com/society
In the pet hospitality industry? Check out The Dog Guru's Business Bootcamp Workshop happening live in Denver, Colorado April 10 + 11.
Did you ever think that you could raise $10,000 or even $20,000 for a local animal rescue?
My guest on this episode, Jessica Wasik of Bark and Gold Photography, has helped dozens of photographers create calendar contests that raise money for pets in need while also marketing their businesses.
Topics Discussed:
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Tori and Jessica discuss creating charitable pet calendar contests for animal rescue fundraising.
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Jessica shares her successful methods of running pet photography fundraisers.
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The importance of setting big fundraising goals and knowing your numbers is emphasized.
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Tori encourages pet business owners to consider creating online courses for additional revenue.
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The mutual benefits of charitable marketing and community partnerships are highlighted for pet businesses.
Links Mentioned:
The Dog Gurus Business Breakthrough Workshop 6 Question Quiz to Figure Out if You Should Create a Course
In this solo epsiode, I share what's happening this month in our Q1 MONEY theme, what steps you need to take after the Meta outage this week and I share a personal update. Topics Discussed:
- What's new in my life - lots of quilting and learning Italian!
- March Guest Expert Interview with Jessica Wasik of Bark & Gold Photographs drops March 13th
- Wear Wag Repeat Society March guest expert is Orazie Cook of Praline's Backyard Foundation. She will teach us about maximizing the impact we make with non-profits and rescues (even with limited resources)
- Return of the Course Creator Mastermind! Create your first online course and launch it to my audience of 40,000+ pet lovers!
The Short Leash is my monthly 10-minute or less episode designed to reel you back in to focus on one action that can make an impact in your pet industry business.
Check out my Top 3 Money Books: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers Buy the Change You Want to See by Jane Mosbacker Morris
Check out these books and share YOUR favorite money books with us. Tag me on your Instagram stories @wearwagrepeat and I will re-share with our community.
Many of us in the pet industry face this common challenge: We want to invest in our business growth but we don't have the cash to make it happen.
Have you ever had your eyes on a program you know will enhance your business, but you just don't have the cash to invest in it. Don't despair!
Today, I'm sharing 6 actionable strategies to make extra cash. From specialized pet services to pet-centric digital products, we'll explore a variety of fun and easy strategies to expand your revenue streams.
Resources Discussed: * Ibotta App: A coupon app that gives you cash back. Get Ibotta! * UserInterviews: Earn cash by offering insights to brands doing market research. Sign up for UserInterviews * Wear Wag Repeat Society: Get on the Q2 Waitlist! * B-School: Enrollment closes soon!
In this episode, I’m bringing back one of my favorite guests, Julie Swan. She’s the founder of the Dog Breeder Society and she runs a successful business breeding German Shorthaired Pointers and Rat Terriers.
But don’t tune out if you’re not a dog breeder! This conversation is full of financial tips that apply to any type of pet business. You’ll learn about the numbers you need to know in order to set your pricing, plus the one number that really doesn’t matter at all! Julie also gives us actionable steps to be more confident about our pricing.
I also loved hearing Julie’s insight on pricing gaps. You know when you see someone who has a product for $5 and another for $500 with nothing in between. That’s a pricing gap and you want to avoid having that in your business. It makes customers doubtful of the value of both the cheaper item and the expensive item.
If you want to hear more of my insights into how I would implement Julie’s advice from this conversation, there’s an exclusive bonus episode for Wear Wag Repeat Society members. This year I’m releasing a new bonus episode every month with real examples of how I would implement each expert podcast guests’ advice. A lot of the time I’m walking the walk with this advice in my own business, so if you’re curious and want that extra insight, get on the waitlist for Wear Wag Repeat Society. Membership opens for about a week at the start of each quarter - so the next chance to join is early April.
But today, here on this episode, we still have tons of valuable and actionable advice for you. Let’s dive right into the interview with Julie Swan.
If you like what you hear, remember to leave a review in your podcast app or share the episode on social media tagging me @wearwagrepeat.
In this episode I'm sharing a few of the exciting things happening this month that will help you grow your pet business.
We're sticking with the Q1 Money theme!
- New guest expert episode with Julie Swan: The Numbers You Need to Know in Your Pet Business [Coming Feb 14]
- Julie is featuring on my Top 10 Lessons I've Learned From My Podcast Guests Freebie <-- GRAB IT HERE!
- Marie Forleo's B-School is open for enrollment February 8 - 22! This 6-week live program is bursting with experts, accountability and support to help you make more money and change the world. As an affiliate partner, I have special bonuses for pet pros.
- In Wear Wag Repeat Society we have a guest expert, Kristen Ricupero, a business & personal financial coach who will be teaching us Profit First for Pet Pros. Get on the Society Waitlist if you're not a member yet!
Introducing Quick Tips. Or Short Tails. Or... suggest a better name for this series!
Each month, the week after our expert guest interview episode comes out I'll share a short solo episode with an actionable tip that you can implement in your pet business or in life with your pet.
Today I'm sharing a 14-Day challenge to manifest money miracles and develop your money magnet mindset! 💰
Does that sound like something you want to do? Take a listen and share this episode with your pack! 🐾
We’re digging into the 1st quarter theme of making more money in your pet business.
To get us started on this theme, I’m excited to share a conversation with Kara Conway Love. Kara brings to the table her wide ranging expertise in the legal world, content creation, and entrepreneurship.
As we explore topics like maximizing earnings, negotiating partnerships as pet influencers or content creators, and avoiding legal pitfalls, Kara's expertise shines through. You’ll find that our conversation offers helpful perspectives for creators and entrepreneurs alike.
One important area that we touch on is usage rights. This is something that affects all of us in today’s multimedia climate. Kara shares some great insights on how to negotiate usage rights to maximize the profitability of your partnerships.
Lastly, she provides expert guidance on how to protect your finances as a business owner and whether or not you should consider forming an LLC to do so.
There’s a lot of actionable advice and valuable takeaways in this episode. If you want to go deeper and hear the action steps that I would recommend taking after talking with Kara, please check out the bonus solo episode that will be released on the Wear Wag Repeat Society secret podcast - that is only available as an exclusive bonus to WWR Society members.
You can join today: wearwagrepeat.com/society
Do you want to make more money in your pet business this year? Of course you do!
So that’s what we’re dedicating the first three months of this year to. In this episode, I'm sharing what to expect from Wear Wag Repeat Society and this Podcast in January.
Wear Wag Repeat Society membership is now OPEN through Janaury 10: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society/
Join the K9 in 90 Workshop January 8: https://wearwagrepeat.com/k9in90/
Plus tay Tuned for an Expert Interview with Kara Conway Love coming out on Janaury 10th!
Welcome to the 300th episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast! What a journey it's been since we started in the summer of 2017.
Today, with over 177,000 downloads, I'm taking a moment to reflect on our growth, share my personal journey, and unveil some exciting plans for 2024. Join me as we dive into the world of pet business, celebrate our milestones, and embrace the bright future ahead.
Topics Discussed in Episode 300: * The Beginning: Starting Wear Wag Repeat in Summer 2017. * Growth Over the Years: Achieving 177,000+ downloads and the key factors behind that success. * Starting and Growing a Pet Business: Lessons learned and tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. * Personal and Community Growth: How the podcast has impacted my life and our community. * 2024 Plans: Focusing on valuable guest interviews with actionable takeaways, tied to quarterly themes in Wear Wag Repeat Society. * Quarterly Themes for 2024: MONEY in Q1 and EMAIL in Q2. * New Initiatives: Introduction of the FREE K9 in 90 workshops at the start of each quarter and other exciting offers.
In this episode, I have the pleasure of getting to know pet author and certified animal behavior consultant Amy Shojai. We get started with Amy’s story of how she got inspired to get into writing about pets while working in a small vet clinic in Eastern Kentucky.
At the clinic, she witnessed first hand the wide variety of treatments and pets and need to convey important information to pet parents in a way that they could easily understand. That experience got her started writing about pets for publications like Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy. She developed a signature writing style for articles that started with a story about a pet, transitioned into the featured medical information and wrapped up with an update on how the pet is doing after treatment. That structure of leading with a strong hook followed by education got people’s interest, especially when there was a happy ending to share!
Amy and I also talk about why we love to read fiction written by dog experts. Amy admits that she has thrown books across the room when the author clearly doesn't know a thing about dogs and writes unrealistic or dangerous stories about them! Same, girl! If you dream of writing about pets, or if you just want to promote your pet business through really great stories, you will enjoy this interview!
In Episode 298 I'm sharing the Dos and Don'ts of December for your Pet Business. This episode is a blend of practical business advice and personal reflections, all designed to empowering women entrepreneurs in the pet industry.
Download my new FREEBIE: Top 10 Strategies I've Learned from Podcast Guests
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Reflect and plan for 2024
- Personal updates: Dog mystery respiratory illness, hiring help this month, holiday gifts.
- DO: Show gratitude to customers with thoughtful gestures.
- DO: Balance holiday and evergreen content strategically.
- DON'T: start anything new this month (focus on planning for 2024)
This episode is all about my favorite theme… collaboration! In talking with Natalie Asaro of Petcurean Pet Nutrition, it was awesome to learn how their team works together with others in the pet food industry.
We talked about some of the trends in the pet food industry as pet parents are getting more involved and invested in the ingredients they feed their dogs. Petcurean is leading the way with research into sustainable ingredients like black soldier fly larvae. I also enjoyed learning about how they’re making nutrition accessible to all pet parents with three different brands at three different price points. It’s interesting to think about how all of us could offer something like this in our pet brands.
Another lesson we can all learn from this conversation with Natalie is about providing honest and thorough customer service. The pet nutritionist team at Petcuriean is available to share food advice with pet parents, and they might even recommend a different brand if nothing they carry is the right fit for the pet. I love how transparent that is! It shows how everyone on the team really cares the most about pet health. At the end of the day, it’s all about healthy pets!
As we approach 300 episodes I thought it would be valuable to share the top success strategies I’ve learned from women petpreneur guests on the podcast.
I’ve interviewed some of the top women in the pet industry. But if you wanted to listen to every episode, it would take over 146 hours!
I know you don’t have that kind of time… after all, you’re growing a pet business of your own.
So, I did you a favor and pulled 10 of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned from my guests.
In this episode, you’ll hear about 5 of their proven success principles. Make sure to grab the download for all 10. Find it in the shownotes: https://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-296/
Black Friday Deals: https://wearwagrepeat.com/black-friday-deals/
I always have such a great time talking to Dr. Emily Stein of Primal Health (the makers of Teef! Dental water additive). Whenever we chat, she makes super complicated scientific info about our pets easy to understand. For example, I love how she gives characters to the good and bad bacteria that are living in your pet’s mouth.
Did you realize that oral health can be connected to cognitive health and bad bacteria in the mouth actually have a correlation to dementia in pets? Dr. Stein has some great advice on how to support your dog’s health through the microbiome of their mouth. We definitely nerd out on some scientific info in this conversion. I think you’re going to love it! I also asked Dr. Stein to provide some clear and actionable takeaways at the end so we know what to do with all this great info that she shares.
Before I hit play, I want to acknowledge that this is Episode 295 of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast! That means we will hit episode 300 before the end of the year. I can’t wait to celebrate that amazing milestone!
In this solo episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my 2023 pet business income goals.
Join me as I examine the shifts in my business income streams, the strategies I've used to more than double my affiliate sales, and the insights gained from pet business and social media industry trends.
Topics Discussed * My monthly accounting routine and goal to triple affiliate income in 2023 * The transition from sponsored content to earning more through membership, courses, and coaching * How conversations with industry experts influence my business decisions * The vital move from social media management to petpreneurship * The importance of a strategic, year-long focus on specific business goals * Upcoming community events to help you set and smash your 2024 goals
I'm excited to introduce you to Remy Bibaud, the co-founder of Pet Perennials, a company that has carved out a unique niche in the pet industry by focusing on an often overlooked aspect - pet loss. Remy's journey is a testament to the power of attention to detail and the importance of making customers feel special, even in a niche that many shy away from discussing.
One of the key takeaways from our chat is the importance of attention to detail in business. Remy's meticulous approach to creating thoughtful and personalized gifts for pet owners dealing with loss is a lesson in how focusing on the small things can make a big difference.
Get ready to hear directly from Remy about her journey, the lessons she's learned, and how you can apply these insights to your own pet business. Whether you're a seasoned business owner or just starting out, this episode is packed with valuable advice that will inspire you to look at your business and the customers you serve from a new perspective.
Resources mentioned:
- 35 Meaningful Dog Loss Gifts + Thoughtful Gestures
This episode is a sneak peek into an upcoming expert social media panel that I'm hosting on November 10, 2023. The virtual panel discussion and live Q&A is free to attend for all Wear Wag Repeat Society members.
Overview of this Episode:
- Sneak peek and details about the upcoming expert-led social media panel
- Strategies for leveraging social media platforms for more engagement
- Insights into emerging social media trends for petpreneurs
- The benefits of joining the Wear Wag Repeat Society community
BLACK FRIDAY IN OCTOBER DEALS: https://wearwagrepeat.com/black-friday-deals/
In this episode, I'm sitting down with Kelly Ison, the brilliant mind behind Einstein Pets, an all-natural organic pet treat brand.
From her corporate background to shaping a brand deeply anchored in love – both for her dog Abbey and for better pet nutrition – Kelly is a role model for every aspiring pet business owner. In this conversation, we get into her insights on the importance of step-by-step business growth, the vital role of impactful packaging, and why it’s important to truly collaborate with independent pet retailers.
I loved hearing about Kelly’s brand story and the passion behind each ingredient in her recipes. You’ll learn that Einstein Pets is all about using really high-quality ingredients… and enough of them so that you can really smell the ingredients when you open the bag of treats! The smell factor is important!
Every chat with an industry leader like Kelly is a treasure trove of wisdom, and today is no exception.
My main takeaway? I hope this episode inspires you to grow your business in a sustainable way that works for you. We want your business to be growing and thriving 10 years from now and 20 years from now. Don’t feel the pressure to do everything all at once and get burnt out.
But don’t take it from me… here’s Kelly to share her story and the key to her pet business growth.
We’re diving into one of my favorite topics: email marketing! In this episode, I’ll be sharing real numbers from my ConvertKit account and revealing how I achieved an impressive 48% open rate on my emails. Trust me, that’s no easy feat.
I'm sharing my journey of how I grew my engagement, replies, click-through rates, and daily email list growth.
Get the Liz Wilcox Email Marketing Yearly Pass (exclusive early access!) Get FREE Email Swipes from Liz!
In this new podcast episode, I’m talking with Ellie Hansen, the host of the Dog Research Exposed Podcast. Our conversation starts with Ellie's journey into the pet industry. It all began 16 years ago when she opened a pet bakery in Billings, MT. With the tremendous support of the local community, her business has flourished, expanding to two locations that she still operates today. In addition to the bakery, Ellie's business now also includes a self-serve dog wash and a full-service grooming salon. I loved learning about her business, but the bulk of our conversation in this episode revolves around animal testing. This subject sparked Ellie’s interest when she stumbled on a video on Facebook several years ago.
This inspired her to connect with a rescue organization dedicated to rehoming beagles that had been subjected to laboratory testing. When Ellie brought her first rescue beagle home and around her shop in Billings, her friends and customers were shocked to discover that dogs are still being used for testing purposes.
Motivated by Marty's resilience and the interest she felt from the community around her, Ellie focused on advocacy work for laboratory test animals, using her book and podcast as platforms to raise awareness. I asked Ellie for something we can implement in our own day to day lives to make an impact for this cause. She helped me to discover how important it is to make sure that every home cleaning product or beauty product you buy is cruelty free. Look for the leaping bunny symbol and tell your friends to do the same.
I want to warn you that parts of this interview maybe be difficult to listen to due to the mention of animal abuse. However, I hope you will take the time. While it may be challenging for us to hear about the abuse, it pales in comparison to what so many innocent animals are subjected to every day.
To delve deeper into this issue and discover actionable steps that can significantly impact the cause, please visit dogresearchexposed.com.
As a fellow petpreneur, I understand the challenges and overwhelm that come with running a business in the pet industry. That's why I want to share my personal journey and some actionable tips on how to tackle the overwhelm that often creeps in.
In the latest episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast "Overcome the Overwhelm," I dive deep into the three main challenges every petpreneur faces: time, money, and analysis paralysis.
We can all relate to the struggle of never having enough time in the day and trying to manage our finances while underpricing our services. And don't even get me started on analysis paralysis... that overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start or what to do.
In this episode, learn how to set yourself up for success and reach your goals in Q4!
Join Wear Wag Repeat Society for support right now: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
Today I’m sharing a conversation with Chicago-based dog trainer Daphne Mendoza. Daphne is all about spreading the message of responsible dog ownership.
What captivates me about Daphne's story is her background and the unique cultural influences she brings to the table. Growing up in Mexico City, she had a real hands-on experience with dogs because her grandfather was the chief of police. Together, they'd catch stray dogs, get them spayed or neutered, and either find them new homes or set them free again.
These experiences, combined with her own journey as an immigrant to the United States, inspired her to start her own successful dog training business. And she's not afraid to call out the lack of diversity in the industry. Coming from an indigenous background herself, Daphne is all about pushing for inclusivity and a more community-focused approach.
Throughout our chat, Daphne really drives home the importance of being a responsible pet owner. She challenges the whole idea of treating dogs as "fur babies" and emphasizes the need to respect them as individuals.
We also dig into the challenges of having dogs in the city and how crucial it is for them to have proper space and exercise. Daphne's training approach revolves around incorporating dog care into everyday life, making sure our pups can be themselves while still thriving in their urban surroundings. This conversation with Daphne will leave you reflecting on the pet industry and the changes we can make for the better.
In this solo episode, I'm talking about the power of making small changes. I'll share a mind-blowing story about how two simple changes to my blog resulted in doubling my ad revenue. It's a game-changer, and I can't wait to share it with you.
Sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest ones. So, if you're feeling stuck or like you're pushing a boulder uphill, this episode is for you. Stay tuned for the mind-blowing story and get ready to make small changes that can lead to big results.
But before we dive into that, I want to emphasize the importance of having a supportive community. That's why I love fostering conversations and relationships in my membership community, Wear Wag Repeat Society. We're a tight-knit group of women who understand the struggles and successes of running a pet business.
I want to give a quick shoutout to this month's guest expert in Wear Wag Repeat Society, Kati Keyes from Max Pet Marketing. She'll be discussing brand evaluations and how to improve your brand. If you're looking for a supportive community and expert insights, join us! Together, we can achieve our dreams and grow our pet businesses online.
In this episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast, we're getting into a heartfelt chat with the lovely Carla Finzel, a District Veterinary Nurse based in the UK. In this conversation, we cover the emotional depths of caregiver compassion fatigue – that real strain pet guardians feel when trying to administer care to their pets.
Carla was in the trenches at an emergency vet clinic practice for years and shared a fascinating tidbit from her journal. She observed that so many pets who came in, while not in immediate danger, could’ve hugely benefited from an in-home veterinary nurse visit. By being there for pet owners in this unique way, Carla’s not only lending a hand to pets and their people but also easing the load on veterinarians.
We also explore the invaluable human-animal bond we share with our pets and its incredible significance.
What we want to leave you thinking about is the immense value that in-home veterinary services can bring. They can prevent bigger health issues, shorten illness durations, and ultimately ensure we get to enjoy more time with our faithful companions.
Welcome back to another solo episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast. This one’s all about how to implement surveys in your pet business. If you caught episode 282, you remember we discussed the immense value of connecting with our community through well-crafted surveys. Today, we're expanding on that foundation, exploring where and when these tools become invaluable for your brand.
🎉 Special Partnership Announcement! 🎉
But first, some exciting news! I've collaborated with the amazing Kati Keyes from Max Pat Marketing for something truly special. Kati has created a brand-new mini-course: How to Stand Out & Win Over Pet Owners. This course is absolutely FREE to enroll in.
If you love that and want more: this September, Kati is re-launching her Pet Brand School to help you build an outstanding pet brand and marketing plan. Sign up using my affiliate link, and you get FREE access to my "Pinterest for Petpreneurs" Masterclass (valued at $147)!
If you missed it, listen to Part 1 of this series: https://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-282/
In today's episode, we're taking a deep dive into the future of pet nutrition with Dr. Shannon Falconer, CEO and founder of BioCraft Pet Nutrition. Shannon, a biochemist and animal rescue volunteer, is leading a revolution in the pet food industry with cultured meat — a sustainable, cruelty-free alternative that offers optimal nutritional benefits.
We chat about everything from the environmental paw print of the pet food industry to the concept of cultured meat. Unlike vegan meat for people, BioCraft has the advantage of not needing to make their meat resemble a chicken breast or a burger because it will end up being used in pet food.
I learned so much hearing about the formulation of BioCraft's cultured meat, and how it's fine-tuned for bioavailability of nutrients, in some ways, making it healthier than conventionally farmed meat. We also uncover the ecological impact of the pet food supply chain, and explore how cultured meat compares to traditional meat products in terms of cost and sustainability.
This conversation is as eye-opening as it is insightful. Please share this episode with your friends and get the cruelty-free cultured meat conversation started!
Are you utilizing the powerful tool of surveys in your pet business? In this solo episode, Tori dives into the essence of understanding what your audience really thinks about your products, services and more.
What if the feedback you receive could help you craft an even more compelling sales page? Or what if a simple closed-ended question could reveal more than an open-ended one? Dive in to find out!
OVERVIEW OF THIS EPISODE:
- The importance of social proof for your business
- Crafting the right questions for effective feedback
- Tips for transitioning open-ended questions to closed-ended ones
- Testing your survey
- Providing incentives to get more survey responses
- A sneak peek into next week's exciting episode on sustainable pet food
Join Wear Wag Repeat Society: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
On this episode, I’m chatting with a woman who calls herself a serial inventor. Lisa Lane is always listening to the people around her and what their problems are to see if she can come up with a solution.
One of those solutions is the Rinseroo. I loved hearing how Lisa is riffing on the Rinseroo to create new products to solve common problems.
While the Rinseroo works with your faucet or shower head to give you a handheld sprayer… perfect for washing dogs after a sandy day at the beach… the Dust Daisy is a newer product that slips onto a vacuum hose to clean out dryer lint. My dryer lint is 90% dog hair soI can see how this would come in handy!
I also loved hearing about how the TikTok Shop is working for Lisa and her products. She’s getting 10X the views on videos with products linked.
But before you start setting up a new sales channel for your pet business… please listen to Lisa’s advice to excel at 1 thing before moving on to the next. For her, that was Amazon and now she’s branching out.
Lane Innovations will grow to $5 million in sales this year! So this is a very inspiring episode with a woman entrepreneur who has grown to this level of success with just her and her son running the business.
Are you struggling with perfectionism? Join the club! In this episode I hope we can all learn to embrace "done is better than perfect". I’ll share a story about a retreat I recently went on with a few entrepreneurial friends that has inspired me to shift my mindset.
What if doing less was actually better? What if the tasks we needed to do for our business were easy?
Related to this, in Wear Wag Repeat Society last month we were talking about work/life balance. I asked how everyone would spend extra free time if they had it. I’d love to hear about your answer, and I’ll share mine in this episode.
Join Wear Wag Repeat Society: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
On this episode, I’m excited to welcome 2 guests who I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with over the past month. Sara Carson is the dog trainer behind The Super Collies. She’s currently traveling the United States performing alongside her dogs.
Sara joins me and Jane Bernard of dog hip and joint supplement brand WagWorthy Naturals, to host the Old Dog / New Tricks 10-Day Challenge that’s happening from August 1st through the 10th.
It’s been fun to have the three of us working on this together. Jane brings her scientific approach to joint health, Sara is the expert at teaching dogs of all ages new tricks, and I get to flex my canine enrichment skills. Teaching your dog new tricks throughout their lives is so important because it keeps them moving and thinking - two essential components to living a long and happy life.
In addition to talking about our 10-Day Challenge, I also got to ask Sara about her journey to becoming a celebrity dog trainer - my words, not hers! And I always appreciate learning more about joint health from Jane. Her supplement is one of the few that I give my dogs every single day.
I want to personally invite you and your dog to join us for this fun FREE 10-Day Challenge. Click here to sign up!
In this new solo episode, I open up about my entrepreneurial journey and how I make decisions about new projects and ideas. A lot of my decision-making skills are from lessons in Marie Forlio's B School. I share how I've used the strategies and skills I learned in B-School to tailor my latest project to make the most of my unique skill set.
This new project I'm embarking on is centered around canine enrichment! In the episode, I share the reasons why I'm so optimistic about it and how I know it will be a success. I hope that my story and the lessons I've learned from B School encourage you to take your business to the next level. Don't overcomplicate it. Remember... simplify to amplify!
Enroll in the 4-Week Summer Session of B-School: https://wearwagrepeat.com/marieforleo
Today, you’ll hear from Dr. Kelly Diehl, the Senior Director of Science and Communications at Morris Animal Foundation. During our conversation, we explore the role of the foundation in funding important animal health research. Kelly shares some intriguing case studies that have come from the research they’ve funded including work on the Parvo virus, which is close to my heart.
We also discuss the impact of Morris Animal Foundation's work beyond pets, touching on species-specific studies like the one on yellow-eyed penguins in New Zealand. Another exciting initiative of the foundation is Data Commons. It’s a hub of animal health data that is free and available to researchers working on pet cancer studies and other topics.
Something else we discussed that applies to all of us in the pet industry is collaboration. In the foundation’s work, Kelly highlights just how important it is to collaborate with others in the animal world. This was such a jam-packed conversation that we also touched on the foundation's "Stop Cancer Fur-ever" campaign. Listen to learn about some of the potential risk factors for cancer in dogs.
I think you’re going to enjoy this deep dive into the world of animal health research! And just like Kelly explains, collaboration is key if we want to make a positive impact in the pet world. If you’d like to connect with like-minded women petpreneurs who are just like us… check out Wear Wag Repeat Society. That’s my membership that helps you grow your pet business online each month. You can learn more and join at wearwagrepeat.com/society
On this episode of Wear Wag Repeat Podcast, Tori discusses the importance of accountability and consistency in achieving success in your pet business. She begins by sharing the success story of her blog traffic increasing by 17% in June thanks to consistently posting high-quality content.
Search engines recognize and trust websites that maintain a consistent posting schedule. One of the best ways to stay consistent with your efforts to grow your business online is with an accountability group.
You can create your own accountability group or connect with like-minded petpreneurs in Wear Wag Repeat Society. Tori shares how proud she is of the community she has created and shares a testimonial from a member who resonates with the group's mission.
Find consistency and accountability in WWR Society, join us: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
- How Tori's consistent high-quality blog content led to a significant increase in traffic
- Wear Wag Repeat Society offers support and accountability for petpreneurs
- Mid-year check-ins help reflect on goals and stay on track
- Accountability partners increase task completion by 65%
- Consistency and accountability are key to success in the content creation world.
In today’s episode, we acknowledge the growing awareness and acceptance of mental health within the pet industry. However, it's essential to recognize that current conversations may not provide sufficient resources for individuals struggling with pet-related mental health. Jess Adam, through her business Handlers & Humans, is creating a bridge to fill this gap.
Jess and I discuss why telling someone to "calm down" is not an adequate solution when they’re stressed about their reactive dog (or any other situation). Jess advocates for a people-focused dog training approach. Through her resources, she enables dog trainers to guide clients through the emotions associated with raising and training a dog while also addressing their own feelings of frustration and burnout.
Additionally, towards the end of our conversation, Jess provides tips on how to cope with significant emotions related to one's pet. Her online course is available to pet partners, and she has an upcoming cohort designed specifically to assist dog trainers.
I also want to share resources we have available here at Wear Wag Repeat to help with that overwhelm feeling. We’re at the halfway point of 2023 and I want to know how you’re coming with reaching the goals you set in January. If you need to check in with those goals and make a plan to course correct, we got it covered in Wear Wag Repeat Society.
The July theme is a Mid-Year Check In to give you the tools, accountability and support you need to reach your pet business goals this year. Join us today!
In this episode, I'm sharing a work hack that could change your pet business – and it only takes 15 minutes! This time-management approach that I've found a lot of success with recently is based on the popular Pomodoro method.
Many years ago, I learned about the Pomodoro method where you work for an amount of time, then take a break. When the break is over you either move on to the next task or continue with the same task. The key is sticking with your timer and actually taking the breaks!
Why is this approach so impactful? There have been many studies that prove that regular breaks actually make you significantly more productive!
Honestly, when I use the Pomodoro method I can't wait to get back to work each day!
How does this apply to your pet business? You can break down tasks like planning social media content, responding to emails, sending out influencer pitches, or editing videos. What if you're working on something big like a new course or writing a book? You'll be amazed how much you can get done when you focus on a big task for 1 hour per day.
Need extra accountability to reach your goals? Join Wear Wag Repeat Society!
In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Angela Schneider, the remarkable woman behind Big White Dog Photography and One Last Network. Angela’s life, shaped by the companionship of her beloved dogs Shep and Bella, led her to establish businesses that empower women to find their unique place in the world, with their pets by their side.
After experiencing personal loss, Angela embarked on a new mission - becoming a certified grief coach and pet loss grief companion, stepping up to fill a gap she noticed in the pet industry.
We delve into a truly heartfelt discussion exploring how Angela has discovered profound meaning in her own experiences of loss. We discuss the power of storytelling in her work as a pet photographer and grief educator, and the healing potential of professional pet portraits. Angela generously shares personal, often vulnerable, stories that have shaped her life and career.
For all petpreneurs out there, Angela shares valuable insights into the role of pet loss grief counseling in our industry. She shares why joining One Last Network and embracing grief training could revolutionize your service, giving you the tools to support your clients in their toughest times and ultimately, reach more people.
This is a conversation that’s full of wisdom, passion, and a deep love for pets and their profound impact on our lives. I hope you enjoy it.
On this episode of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast, I'm diving into a topic that's been at the top of my mind lately. I can't stop thinking about the power of long-form content and how it can benefit the marketing strategy for your pet business.
When we're in the business of caring for people's pets, trust is absolutely paramount. Long-form content allows us to provide comprehensive, helpful information that not only benefits our pet parents but also fosters trust and loyalty. It’s about providing value that reaches beyond quick tips in a 15 second video.
When you are taking the time to really thoroughly explain something, it's going to build a lot more trust.
One tool that has significantly supported my long-form content is Pinterest. I’m always happy to share how you too can leverage it to drive traffic to your pet business website or blog. For those joining the Wear Wag Repeat Society this month, I have a special June lesson about Pinterest lined up for you. When you join, you also gain access to over 28 months of valuable archived content and our amazingly supportive community.
In this episode, I’m talking with Beth Herriman, the inventor of DooLoop. Discover how Beth's experience of fostering two Bassett hounds led her to create the Dooloop, a handy leash accessory designed to give you a helping hand while walking dogs — and picking up after them!
Beth shares why she prioritizes sustainability and local job creation in the manufacturing process of her dog waste management tool made from recycled plastic. In our conversation, we also talk about the importance of picking up dog poop in a way that doesn’t offend your neighbors and the impact of pet waste on the environment.
Beth's story highlights the impact that one woman can make on the dog world with a sustainably made invention that helps with an issue we all face - dog poop! Listen to learn more about the DooLoop leash accessory.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: * Course Creator Mastermind * Life Skills for Therapy Dog Teams * Wag to Growl: Dog Body Language for Families *get on the waitlist * Pawsitive Hiring Course: How to Build Your Dream Pet Care Team * Social Video Unleashed * SuperZoo
In today's episode, I'm digging into affiliate marketing, focusing on a game-changer for your pet business: the Resources page. If you're unsure what that is or why you'd need one, that's okay. I discuss why a well-curated Resources page is an essential tool for your business and a valuable asset for building trust with your audience.
Check out my brand new Pet Parent Resources Page to get ideas on how to set up your own.
If you listened to my last solo episode, you heard my latest takeaways and advice on using ChatGPT to strategically get more done in your pet business. To sum it up in one sentence: ChatGPT is great for helping you with writing outlines, creating content calendars, or providing quick answers, but there's no replacement for actually writing the words in your business.
So, for today's episode, I've dug into my podcast archives and selected some of the best interviews I've done with women in the pet industry, focusing on the topics of branding, storytelling and writing.
The three interviews serve as solid proof that copywriting truly matters! Whether it's a catchy brand name or a full-length blog post, using your own words makes a significant impact and helps attract the right audience.
In this compilation, you'll hear from talented dog trainers, a dog YouTuber, and a cat blogger, each sharing their unique experiences and insights.
While I continue to rely on AI tools to assist with the grunt work, when it comes to the final words I publish online, I believe they should come directly from me! This month we’re getting expert help with copywriting in Wear Wag Repeat Society.
Today I want to ask you to welcome a new member to our pack! It's not the usual four-legged friend you might be imagining (I didn't get a new pet!), but it's something that could be a reliable companion in your pet business. I’m talking about ChatGPT!
In this episode, I share my own experience tapping into the power of ChatGPT, an AI tool that's changing how I create content and plan for all kinds of things in my pet business. Whether you're working on engaging newsletters, social media posts, or refreshing product descriptions for your online shop, ChatGPT is like having an extra team member. That is… if you train it right!
We've been talking about how to use ChatGPT in my membership Wear Wag Repeat Society. Get in on the conversation and take advantage of this month's guest expert, copywriter Angelica Ross, when you become a member: https://wearwagrepeat.com/society
Join the conversation in the Wear Wag Repeat Labs FB Group!
In this episode, I’m talking with Caroline Wilkinson of Barket Place, an online dog training and pet coaching business based in the UK.
After several years working in person with clients, in 2018 Caroline began to offer online dog training courses to expand who she was able to reach. She noticed that online courses and training eliminated a lot of the stress that pets and their people experience when going to an in-person session.
Since then she’s expanded her online offerings to include a membership and webinar series with guest experts. Her courses cover everything from pet first aid to separation anxiety and puppy classes. I had to ask… and Caroline generously shared with me how she determines pricing for some of her courses and why she’s offering 5-pound special for an upcoming webinar. That’s around $6.25 for us Americans.
We also talked about how Caroline generates leads and interest in her membership and courses… the key is two free challenges per year. One is coming up on May 23rd if you want to check that out.
I hope this conversation inspires you and how you can grow your pet business online! If you’re wondering if an online course would be right for you, I have a quiz to help you find the answer! Go to wearwagrepeat.com/coursequiz to answer a few quick questions and see if an online course would be a good addition to your business.
As always, all of the links and resources mentioned in this episode are available in the show notes at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode, I'm talking about my rescue dog, Burt, starting with the journey to adopt him. One of the reasons Burt was in the shelter for over a year is that he has epilepsy and requires daily medication. Since bringing him into our family and improving his lifestyle, I've been able to reduce his meds significantly and he's only had two seizures in the last five years.
In addition to his health journey, I also talk about Burt's unique personality and some of his early mischief. That mischief is ongoing, of course! At 11 years old, Burt proves that you're never too old to get into good trouble! Finally, learn about Burt's hobbies and preferences, such as his favorite sport, Barn Hunt. I also share Burt and Lucy's differences and the special bond they share.
Learn more about Burt in this love story I wrote after adopting him.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be chatting with Kerry Martin, a Melbourne-based international dog photographer who's mastered the art of phodography™ – capturing heartwarming portraits of our beloved canine companions.
During our conversation, we dive into the secrets of capturing better photos of your dog, working with a photographer to elevate your brand, and making the most out of professional images. We'll also discuss how to seamlessly blend your own content with professionally shot photos for social media.
Kerry also shares some stories from her road trip experiences photographing dogs for her book, Dog Tales of Australia.
I hope this episode sparks your creativity and inspires you to capture plenty of images of your own pets!
In this episode I’m talking about the biggest inspiration for my pet business… my dogs! Someone on Instagram recently asked if I have an episode all about Lucy or Burt and I realized that I do not. But what a great idea! The dogs are the inspiration behind every blog post and my motivation to grow my business and thrive as a self-employed single woman. As they say, I work hard to give my dogs a better life.
There is so much I can say about Burt and Lucy so I’m splitting this up into two solo episodes. Today I’ll share everything there is to know about Lucy and in 2 weeks you’ll hear all about Burt. Although they look alike and every day someone asks if they’re siblings, my two dogs have very different life stories! I’m excited to share some stories with you and see if there’s anything you didn’t know about Burt and Lucy.
My blog is dedicated to documenting my life with my dogs including travel, training, food, products we love and more! Check it out at wearwagrepeat.com
In this episode, we're diving into the world of animal-assisted therapy with Sherrie Rohde, a therapy dog expert who revealed some surprising ways pets can help us in therapy. Sherrie holds a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, she’s a professional dog trainer, and the host of Therapy Dog Talk, an Instagram-Live show turned podcast dedicated to interviewing Therapy Dog teams around the world to learn more about their experiences.
In this conversation, we discuss the benefits of animal-assisted therapy and how pets can help clients achieve their therapy goals. Sherrie describes different types of animal-assisted methods including play therapy.
Sherrie also offers advice for those interested in becoming a therapy dog team. And for the other podcasters listening… we chat for a few minutes at the end about some of the latest software that’s making the Therapy Dog Talk podcast easier to produce and more accessible to Sherrie’s followers.
The Course Creator Mastermind starts SOON!
In this episode, I'll explore the world of pet industry course creation and discuss the benefits of creating your own online course... both to help pet parents and petpreneurs! I'm sharing my own journey of how I grew my pet business with online courses and how this move allowed me to achieve freedom and financial independence.
I'll also discuss some tips for creating effective online courses and promoting them to your target audience. What's great about courses is that you can create one that helps pet parents or you can teach other pet pros how to do what you do!
In today's episode, we’re exploring the power of online education and how it's helping pet pros to reach a bigger audience and make a bigger impact on pet parents around the world.
I pulled clips from previous episodes and we’re going to hear from three petpreneurs who have successfully created online courses that are changing the way people learn about pets.
First, you’ll hear from Dr. Monica Tarantino, a veterinarian who is helping senior dogs thrive with her online courses. She also creates resources to help new veterinarians starting in the industry - so that’s a great conversation! Next, you'll learn about how Louise Daigle of Red Pointy Dog Training, pivoted to online training during the pandemic and never looked back. Finally, you’ll hear part of my conversation with Vasi Siedman, a pet photographer who teaches pet parents how to take better photos of their furry friends.
Are you looking to expand your pet business and reach a wider audience? In this solo episode, I discuss how to come up with ideas for a successful course. Whether you're a seasoned pet pro or just starting out, you'll learn valuable insights on how to amplify your pet expertise in your first online course.
This episode is the perfect compliment to my new quiz! Creating a course that doesn't resonate with your audience can be ruff, but my quiz will give you honest and personalized results based on six easy questions about your pet business and your goals for the future. Discover if a course is right for your business: https://wearwagrepeat.com/coursequiz/
I originally learned about doing a strength dfinder test while doing a lesson in Marie Forleo’s B-School. I was recently reminded of how valuable this personality test can be while reading the book We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rogers.
In this episode, I explain how to identify your natural talents and make a list of all the life-changing valuable things you do in your business. Then I’ll share some of the personality tests you can take to learn about your strengths - and I’ll tell you what my results said! And finally, we’ll look at how you can harness your strengths to dive deeper into your zone of genius.
B-School has been extremely valuable to my business and time is running out to enroll for 2023! Enroll with my link to get my petpreneur bonuses and 1-on-1 support!
In this episode I’m talking to Josie Gonzales, the inventor of a solution specially designed for people raising puppies. Her invention, the Puppy Nanny looks like a stuffed animal dog, but it’s eqippped with 6 feeding nipples for nursing puppies. Josie came up with the idea when she was raising a litter of 11 pups who needed bottle fed and she just didn’t have enough hands for that!
With my recent foster work I’ve heard so many stories about puppies who are separated from their mamas, and Josie told me that some mama dogs don’t produce enough milk for their litter. For the right customer, Puppy Nanny is a must-have item! I enjoyed talking to Josie and hearing about how she’s getting this new invention into the hands of breeders and rescues.
We also talk a bit about the manufacturing process and what’s next in the Puppy Nanny family. I love talking to entrepreneurs and inventors who create solutions like this. It’s a very specific product, but when the right person is in need, this is a must have!
As you listen, think about your own business and what you provide that is a MUST HAVE for a specific customer. If you don’t do everything you can to get your amazing product or service into their hands, you’re actually robbing them of that experience. I know it’s dramatic! But this is a piece of advice I got from Marie Forleo when I went through B-School. Marie is always reminding me that the world needs that special gift that only you have.
Maybe your special gift is bottle feeding 6 puppies at once, or maybe it’s a unique way of helping reactive dogs, or even the special touches you add to every order you send out. You need to make sure that the people who need what you got… can find you! Learn more about B-School while enrollment is open!
Enroll in B-School through my partner link for petpreneur bonuses
Video is one of the most powerful tools in the marketing toolbox for your pet industry business. It allows you to demonstrate your products and services, connect with customers and reach new people.
Studies have shown how powerful it is to connect with people through a screen. Appearing on video gives you influence and presents you as an expert to viewers.
So let’s talk about how to shoot and edit compelling videos with the basics of video production and the Hook Formula. Plus, I have a tip from a TikTok veterinary star with over 900,000 followers that will instantly make your videos more personal to viewers!
Want to do more with video? This month we're playing Social Video BINGO in Wear Wag Repeat Society! We’re making video fun, easy, and more engaging while giving away prizes to members who get bingo! Click here to learn more about playing along and becoming a member.
I sat down with Katie Miller of Forever Homes Communications to talk about elevating your pet brand beyond Instagram. Katie and I both agreed that we’ve made a lot of friendships and connections through Instagram, but that email is the key to connecting with your core audience. Email also lets you segment your audience in a way that social media doesn’t.
One thing that I was surprised to learn in this conversation is that Katie started a daily email newsletter. Every day she features small business and animal rescue news while also promoting her own online marketing services. That goes to a segmented list of people who signed up for the daily newsletter.
This conversation also took a little detour to touch on the new AI copywriting craze ChatGPT. Can you use this tool to write your emails and blog posts? Hear what Katie and I think!
If you love this conversation and want to learn more about email, copywriting and the latest tools to grow your pet business online, come join us in Wear Wag Repeat Society! My monthly membership is currently open for enrollment. We’re getting ready to kick off a social video challenge with a BINGO board I created (since it’s bingo, yes there will be prizes!).
Today’s episode is about working smarter, not harder! I found my inspiration for this topic while going through Marie Forleo’s B-School back in 2021. There was an exercise in the first module called Profit Picture that helped me realize a big mistake I was making in my business.
I was putting more effort into marketing and selling a $7 bracelet than I was putting into marketing and selling my flagship $300 online course. When I realized this and corrected it I was able to make over $10,000 with the course (versus the $100 I made off those bracelets!).
Learn more strategies to work less and make more in your pet business when you JOIN MARIE FORLEO'S FREE 3-DAY Dream Business Bootcamp. It’s happening February 7, 8 and 9. Register to attend and for a chance to win $20,000 in prizes: https://wearwagrepeat.com/businessbootcamp
If you started off the new year super pumped and then got a little overwhelmed by the goals you set for yourself and your pet business, today’s episode comes at the perfect time. I’m talking with Karoline Edmonds of Dog Mom Mentality. I love how Karoline normalizes talking about mental health for pet parents.
In this conversation, we talk a lot about Karoline’s new journal to help you tap into your own emotions around life with your dog. We also discuss some of the nuts and bolts of creating a journal like this and some other products that Karoline sells online.
On her own podcast, Dog Mom Mentality, Karoline always shares her “Happy’s and Crappy’s” of the week. I thought that before I hit play on the interview, I’d kick off this episode with my own “Happy’s and Crappy’s”.. My happy this week is my new foster dog Chloe. She is a Black Mouth Cur Shepherd Mix from rural Mississippi. She’ll be available for adoption from Animal LIfeline Pittsburgh.
On the other hand, my crappy this week is how many friends have had to say goodbye to their dogs lately. Several of my dogstagram and dog blogging friends have watched their dogs cross the rainbow bridge or they know it’s coming soon. I’ve cried over a lot of them because I know the pain their humans are going through.
I feel so grateful and lucky to have a worldwide community of people that I know so well and care about so much… all because we like to talk about our dogs on the internet! If I”m not already following you, please slide into my DMs on Instagram @wearwagrepeat and make sure you’re following me on TikTok @wearwagrepeatpodcast. I’d love to get to know each other better!
After listening to this interiew, go check out Karoline’s dog mom mental health journal and use code WWR10 to get a discount.
This year I'm kicking off a new format for the podcast based on feedback from my listeners! I'm always hearing how much you enjoy my solo episodes. So starting now, I'll alternate solo episodes and interviews.
Changing the format like this - and sticking with it - is one of my goals for the first 90 days of the year. In honor of that, I'm sharing my 90-day goal-setting strategy with you on this episode.
OVERVIEW OF THIS EPISODE: * + Why 90-day goals are so effective + Creating SMART goals + How to make a vision board that works + Alternative ways to manifest your goals + Sharing one of my big dreams for the year
Find a community to support your pet business goals in Wear Wag Repeat Society. My monthly membership helps you learn new online marketing skills, refine what you're already doing and connect with like-minded women. We are here to support you!
We’re kicking off the New Year with a conversation I had with Daniella Morgan-Pascualvaca, one of the key people at Mella Pet Care. I got to know Mella while speaking on a panel about influencer marketing for Leap Venture Studio last year. We also connected in person at SuperZoo in August. I thought this interview would be the perfect conversation to share this January because Mella is all about making it easier to keep your pet healthy.
Their first product to launch is an underarm pet thermometer that integrates with a mobile app. I order the thermometer and used it a bunch of times on Burt and Lucy in September to establish baseline healthy temperatures for them. I’m so happy I did because when Burt wasn’t feeling well in November I was able to take his temperature and have the peace of mind that he didn’t have a fever.
In our conversation, Daniella also shares a great story about how she got involved with Mella, going from intern to Chief of Staff, which I know you’ll find inspirational. She also hosts their podcast the Mella Moment, which I’ll be a guest on next month.
If you enjoy this conversation and want to check out Mella, use my affiliate link to order your own underarm pet thermometer.
I am so excited to celebrate hitting a major milestone of 250 episodes on the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast! When I came up with the idea to do a podcast about women in the pet industry in the Summer of 2017 I has no idea I’d still be doing it 5 years later. If you’ve been a guest or a listener, thank you so much for making this possible!
To celebrate 250 episodes, I’m doing a special recap featuring 5 memorable interviews with women in the pet industry. I can’t say these are the best or my favorite, because I learn something from every single person I talk to. I hope you enjoy listening back and can find inspiration for the future of your business in the wise words you’re about to hear.
Before I play some of my favorite moments, I want to thank PetPocketbook for sponsoring the podcast this month. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 250 episodes than by partnering with a female-founded software that serves dog walkers and pet sitters. According to Pet Sitters International’s 2022 state of the industry survey, 91% of pet sitting business owners are women. If that’s you, check out PetPocketbook, an all-in-one software to run your business on the go.
In this episode I’m talking to Morgan Weber. We had so much to talk about because she’s the owner of an award winning pet sitting and dog walking company and founder of Memory Flame Candle Co. Morgan created her candle brand after her dog Olive passed. She felt firsthand how hard it was to process the grief of losing a pet and found comfort in rituals like lighting a candle.
The holidays can be an especially hard time for anyone who has lost a pet. If you know someone in that situation, I hope this episode is a good reminder to send them a little note that you’re thinking of them. As Morgan explains, Ssmall gestures can make a big impact.
Another emotion that can be hard this time of year is burnout. I know I’m feeling it myself and I’m looking forward to taking some time off before we start the new year. Morgan shares how she realized that she was burning herself out and the systems she put in place to make sure she doesn’t get to that point again.
I know you’re going to love this episode and enjoy getting to know Morgan. This is the final interview of the year. Next week’s episode is #250 and I’m preparing a special compilation of some highlights from the last 5 years of this podcast.
I want to thank PetPockebook for sponsoring the podcast in December. Head over to petpocketbook.com to check out this affordable all-in-one software to run your pet sitting or dog walking business on the go. Using a tool like this will help you grow your business without burning out!
I’m so pleased to share this interview with you today. I’m talking with Orazie Cook, the founder of Praline’s Backyard. Her impactful dog daycare and boarding facility is inspired by a sobering statistic that affects women and dogs around the country. 10 million people in the US are affected by domestic violence each year. With roughly 50% of Americans owning dogs, that’s 5 million dog owners who are impacted.
The rough part is, the percentage of domestic violence shelters that can take pets is only about 15%.
Orazie plans to make a difference in those numbers by providing housing for pets of individuals who are in a housing transition due to an unsafe relationship. Especially at this time of year, I hope that this episode warms your heart to know that there are people out there making a difference in the world.
In addition to talking about the soon-to-be daycare and boarding facility, Orazie shares some great advice about changing careers to follow your passion for pets. Even if you feel that you don’t have any pet industry experience on your resume - you do have a skillset and a zone of genius to tap into!
Speaking of a zone of genius… Are you a dog walking or pet sitting professional? Head over to petpocketbook.com to check out this all-in-one software to run your business on the go. Thank you PetPocketbook for sponsoring the podcast this month!
In this episode, I’m talking with Shannon Ross about her pet product business Springer. She shares the origin story of the brand and their first product. In just the last year since launching, the business has grown pretty rapidly!
Shannon has been able to partner with trend-setting brands and even appear on national television. You won’t be surprised that none of this was by accident. Shannon has a clear vision for the brand and where it’s headed. One of the ways she’s bringing her vision to life is by running the business remote-first. That means her whole team works remotely and is encouraged to travel and enjoy life while growing Springer. I was so inspired to hear about Shannon’s time spent in Costa Rica and her plans to travel to India next year, while never missing a beat in the business.
Would you be able to do that? It takes organization, planning and really intentional operating procedures. But it sounds like a dream life! I’m totally in!!
Before we hit play on this great interview, I want to thank PetPocketbook for sponsoring the podcast this month If you have a dog walking or pet sitting business, head over to petpocketbook.com to check out this all-in-one software to run your business on the go. That’s petpocketbook.com
In this episode I’m talking to Diana Akelman, a pet tech entrepreneur who founded PetPocketbook. Her app helps pet sitters and dog walkers run their business so they can focus on what they’re passionate about - caring for pets.
I was interested to learn that Diana has been working on this business for 10 years and the app is still invitation only. We talked about how important it is to stay persistent and never give up on your dreams. It can take years to find the right people to bring your vision to life, and then years beyond that to get feedback from customers to fine-tune your product into something that’s functional, looks good, and helps people.
I also enjoyed hearing Diana’s story of going from dog mom to human mom and the challenges that came with that. She’s passionate about bringing attention to the fact that we shouldn’t be expected to swoop in and instantly be super moms - or super bosses or super dog moms. This whole journey can be scary. Diana points out that often the scariest part is the unknown, so she’s a big believer in doing a lot of prep work.
Listening to her story, I saw a lot of similarities between how she prepared to run a business, how she prepared to be a dog mom to her Siberian Husky Remington and how she prepared to become a mom to her daughter.
As we near the end of the year, I’m excited to share that this podcast will be hitting 250 episodes at the end of December. I need your help to put together a best-of episode! Please reach out and let me know about your favorite podcast interviews and moments.
In this solo episode, I’m sharing some tips on how to break down your customer’s wants so you can sell them what they need. To have a successful pet business, it’s important that pet parents have a ton of trust in you and your brand. The best way to do that is to figure out what your customer values, share stories that help build trust and then show them how your products and services will help them.
The most reliable way to communicate with your audience and build that long-term trust is with email. This week I’m partnering with my 2 favorite email marketing tools for Black Friday Special Deals! Get all the details here: https://wearwagrepeat.com/2022-black-friday-deals/
Esther Salata is the founder of Benesafe Solutions. She created a pet-safe pest control product that safely kills mosquitos in your backyard while keeping you, your pets, and the environment safe. It was important to her to use natural, plant-based ingredients. This is where her background in biology came in handy to find what ingredients would be really effective and the regulations around different pesticides.
In addition to her own findings, Esther found mosquito labs and reached out to professors to see who would be able to help her conduct a scientific study of her product. She explains why this kind of efficacy data was needed to justify the business. Benesafe turned out to be more effective than the learning competitor - so I’d say that study was definitely worth it!
Running a minority woman-owned business all by herself, Esther has to play the part of marketing, sales, distribution, website development, social media management… and everything else it takes to start and grow a business. She shared with me the struggles of being a one-woman operation.
Her advice is to embrace your struggles and failures because they mean you’re taking a risk. And you can’t grow without taking some risks.
If you spend time on social media, you’re probably bombarded with images of things you need, shopping haul videos, and this time of year, gift guides! A lot of those promotions are for things with all the latest bells and whistles and there’s always a new release dropping every Tuesday - or something like that.
It’s fast fashion and it’s coming for the pet industry! But not everything is built to last or designed with intention.
This is exactly why I’m excited to bring you a conversation with someone who really knows dogs and how to design products we really need for our lives together. Jane Lee from WildeBeest created a line of no-frills, functional everyday accessories. She’s pretty much the anti-fast fashion of dog gear. I’ve been using Wildebeest dog gear for a while now and I can see how much attention is put into the designs so there’s nothing unnecessary. Every tab, reflective strip or D-ring has a purpose!
Jane told me about how she finds inspiration, her design process and a day in the life of an indie-pet brand owner in San Francisco.
If you enjoy this interview and want to check out Wildebeest, please use code TORI15 to get a discount at wildebeest.co
In this episode, I’m talking with Julie Holmes of Unique Pet Care. Julie’s company creates solutions for cleaning pet stains and odors in your home. She talked to me about how important it is to use the right words to communicate with pet parents in her target audience - thinks “tinkle” instead of “urine”. Of course, we also talk about the formulas themselves and why it’s important to have a clean-up solution with bacteria, not just enzymes. This is the good bacteria that will clean up a mess and keep working until it leaves nothing behind.
Besides talking about tinkle, poop, and puke… we also managed to talk about business! Julie is a big believer in networking within industry groups. She recommends that you find a group within your niche or get involved in groups that help with a specific thing like SEO or manufacturing. You don’t always have to go to big events and tradeshows. Sometimes the more specific and small events are even better. Although I’ve known Julie through email for a while, we did get to meet in person this summer and I completely agree that the relationships you form in person can’t be replicated 100% on zoom.
I hope you enjoy this interview and use it as inspiration to research some small in-person events that you can attend to network for your business in the new year. It’s coming up very soon!
Today’s episode is all about creating quizzes! My guest isn’t technically in the pet industry, but she is a dog mom! Jessmyn Solana works at Interact Quiz Builder, the software that I use to build my own quizzes. I thought it would be cool to invite her on the show to share the why and how of building your own pet parent quiz. When I first set up my podcast playlist quiz, one of my main goals was to collect email addresses. But Jessmyn points out that there’s so much more to quizzes than lead generation!
Quizzes are all about curiosity and self-discovery. They can help your audience learn more about themselves and they can also be a great way to see what areas of your business you should put more effort into. For example, your quiz results might tell you that pet parents who take it want to learn more about single-ingredient dog treats instead of Instagrammable Gotcha Day cakes.
I know it’s a busy time of year and you might be inclined to put this on the back burner. But, Jessmyn shared so many great ideas of how to repurpose your existing content using a quiz. If you’ve put a lot of work into making an ebook or a blog post or a gift guide, you can use a quiz to direct pet parents to the right place and make them feel like you’ve curated this content just for them. She recommends that you create a quiz that can be answered in under 2 minutes! So it does not have to be long and complicated at all.
If you want to dive right in, Interact also has free courses and an online community to help you create a killer quiz. I have an affiliate link to share with you… go to get.tryinteract.com/tori
There’s a 14-day free trial and after that there are very affordable paid plans.
In this solo episode, I want to talk about the importance of telling people who you are. As a business owner in the pet industry, you know that you need to be visible and recognizable to build a relationship with your audience. Your brand cannot exist on cute pet photos alone. Pet parents want to see the human they’re buying from. As a small business, this gives you a huge advantage against the big corporate brands that don’t really have 1 real person that buyers can identify with.
But did you know that you need to keep reinforcing who you are and what you do? It's not enough to just put your name out there once - you need to tell people who you are again and again. This will help you create a strong brand identity and establish you as the go-to person for whatever it is that you specialize in.
In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation with an entrepreneur I met in person at SuperZoo this past August. Kerry Cooke is the founder of Tail Chasers and the inventor of Spleash - a water holding spray leash handle. She told me how she came up with the idea while walking her dog in the warm California weather (and always forgetting to bring a water bottle and dog bowl). The Spleash can spray your dog with water to help them cool off and it can also be used as drinking water for them with the attached bowl.
In addition to designing and launching this product, Kerry is also Vice President of Sales at a biotech company. She shared with me what it's like to create a dog gear startup, get publicity and push for conversions while juggling many other responsibilities.
The element of the Tail Chasers business that stands out the most to me is the charitable component. Kerry and her daughter have a very personal story about the impact of therapy dogs and they’re dedicated to making that wonderful resource available to more people.
Kerry was such a pleasure to talk to! If you enjoy what you hear in this episode, please share it!
In this episode, I’m talking to the delightful Chichi Enu. I got to know Chichi through Instagram during the pandemic. At the time, she was starting a pet sitting business and I invited her to come on the podcast and talk about that experience. I love featuring women who are in all phases of business growth. There aren’t a lot of resources where you can hear directly from someone who’s figuring it out at the start all the way up to someone who's grown a six-figure business. I love being that outlet!
But, when I originally reached out the Chichi she kinda declined the invitation. In the nicest way possible, of course. Finally, about a year later reached out to say she was ready for the interview. But it’s not about how to start a pet sitting business… instead, it’s about what to do if you realize that your dream pet career isn’t the right fit. I’m so grateful to Chichi for openly sharing how she discovered that pet sitting wasn’t a good fit for her over a year into the business and what she’s doing now instead.
Over the past few years, “pivot” was the big business buzzword! And you know what, it’s OK to do a total 180, too. There isn’t one right way to do anything. As long as you have a passion for what you do, that will come through in your business. Whether it’s pet sitting, blogging, podcasting, making treats and accessories, training pets or anything else.
Speaking of… did you know I created a quiz to help to find your ideal petpreneur playlist? With 238 episodes, it can be hard to find the interviews that resonate best with you. Answer 4 quick questions to find out your petpreneur personality type and get a custom 12 episode playlist curated for exactly where you are in your pet business now.
In this episode, I’m talking with fellow dog blogger Candy Pilar Godoy. We talk about how she grew her blog Boogiethepug.com from zero to over 50,000 sessions per month in just a few years. Of course, SEO played a big part and Candy shares her favorite online course to learn more about that.
In addition to her blog, over the past couple of years Candy started two new online dog lover communities on Instagram. One is Dogs of NYC and the other is A History of Dogs. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that she ran A History of Dogs, it’s one of my favorite accounts. And I was surprised to learn that she’s grown it to over 42,000 followers and counting without doing many Reels. In fact, out of 570 posts, only 36 of them are Reels.
It’s possible to pursue your pet industry dreams your way! This conversation with Candy shows that you can have great success building your online community of dog lovers when you do what works for you, not what everyone tells you to do. Ahhh… my favorite moral of any story! Just be yourself!
In this episode, I talk to Julie Swan about how talk of an impending recession is affecting the pet industry. Are there ways that you can recession-proof your pet business. Julie has some sugessions and observations on how to best serve your pet parent customers so you can make your business thrive.
Julie is a full-time dog breeder who also teaches an online course and membership program for breeders. Her experience and expertise in the psychology of how pet parents shop applies to any type of pet industry business. In this conversation we talk about examples for a variety of pet businesses, but if you want Julie’s take on recession-proofing your responsible dog breeding program, listen to Episode 52 of the Honest Dog Breeder Podcast.
One thing that came up in this conversation, that I always recommend, is to diversify your income stream. You never want to put all the good squeaky tennis balls in one basket! If you’re interested in teaching an online course about your zone of genius about pets, I would love to help you zero in on your course idea, outline the lessons and create a launch plan. Sign up for a 1-on-1 strategy session with me at wearwagrepeat.com/coaching
Have you considered creating an online course for your pet business? If you’re a dog trainer it seems like an obvious fit. But no matter what type of business you have in the pet industry, there’s an online course you could create to help pet parents and other pet pros.
In this episode I share my experience creating several online courses and my membership and pull examples from 7 previous podcasts guests who have created their own online courses and virtual programs.
Learn why it’s important to narrow down the topic and objective of your course, the pros and cons of various formats and the equipment needed to create and launch your new online course.
If you need help coming up with your course idea, outlining the lessons and creating a launch plan, I’d love to help you during a 1-on-1 strategy session.
I love using Teachable for my online courses and membership. Check out their pricing plans with my affiliate link.
Sometimes people come into your life at the perfect time. That’s the case with Amanda Megara. She does so many things in the pet space, including starting her own business last year. One of her roles is foster coordinator for a local animal shelter. I was excited to be able to talk to Amanda about what to expect when fostering since I’ve committed to being a foster dog mom this year!
But that’s just a small part of this interview. We spend the bulk of the conversation talking about Amanda’s new business, Scarlett Jo’s Redemption. She educates new puppy parents and supports shelters and breeders in an effort to end early euthanasia and surrender to shelters. Working in the veterinary field and volunteering with shelters, she knows this is a problem that needs attention.
Wear Wag Repeat Society is open for enrollment right now! This isn’t like any other membership you’re in! It’s business strategy with dog people so no topic is off limits. See what it’s all about at wearwagrepeat.com/society
I just got back from spending three days in Las Vegas at the largest pet industry trade show in North America. SuperZoo had over 14,000 attendees and over 900 exhibitors with just about everything you need for your life with pets.
In this episode, I’ll share dog food and treats trends, hot ingredients to keep an eye out for, what was happening in terms of canine enrichment, something called palatability testing plus my personal favorite part of SuperZoo!
While I had a great time and met lots of wonderful people, it was clear that we need to keep working to amplify and support women in this industry. So it couldn’t be a better time to open up membership in Wear Wag Repeat Society! I love this community of women and how well we’ve gotten to know each other. Get on the waitlist now so you know when membership open in early September. Go to wearwagrepeat.com/society
I’m excited to share a dynamic interview with Susanne Kogut, the President of Petco Love. Susanne spent the early part of her career in corporate law before deciding to dedicate her life to animal rescue and welfare. She made such an impact as the Executive Director of an SPCA because she ran the shelter like a business. So there’s a lot for everyone to learn here!
I can’t believe how much we were able to fit into this conversation! We talk about Susanne’s career trajectory, and the work she now does with Petco Love including lost pet programs and disaster relief efforts. Plus we talk about the impact that fostering has on the rescue community.
Do you ever feel like you're not sure if your social media strategy is actually paying off? In this episode, I'll tell you how to evaluate what you’ve been doing and see if all that hard work is getting you any closer to your pet business goals.
I hear from people in the WWR community all the time that they are getting burned out keeping up with everything. I can totally relate! I’m the queen of trying every shiny new marketing strategy that pops up.
But time is money and I don’t want to waste my time on a whole lot of work that doesn’t get me closer to my goals. So, let me tell you how to track your results so that you can be confident that all your marketing efforts are actually making an impact.
Nobody has practiced more medical cannabis on pets than Angela Ardolino. Back in 2015 she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and rather than taking synthetic prescribed medications, she started taking cannabis to help with the pain. She found that it also helped relieve the stress and anxiety around her diagnosis. She was so impressed that she sold her business at the time and threw herself into the cannabis industry.
In her research, Angela learned that dogs have more cannabinoid receptors than humans do, making CBD even more effective for them. And this is how she found her passion for combining cannabis and animals.
This conversation covers her business journey and how to choose the right CBD products for your dogs. We also touch on medicinal mushrooms, which is turning out to be quite the hot topic of the past few weeks.
Mentioned in this episode: Looking for a mobile vet who comes to you? Check out BetterVet.com and use my code BVBFFTMISTICK to get $100 off your first home visit!”
In this episode, I’m excited to share a conversation about pet wellness, intuition and holistic healing practices. I had such a cool conversation with Aisha LuVert, she’s the founder of Emisha Wellness. Through her brand, she creates all-natural CBD dog treats, medicinal mushroom-based supplements and more to help your dog live a naturally healthy life.
Coming from a career in the human medical world, Aisha brings so much knowledge and curiosity to what she does now. She also has an amazing viewpoint on using resources from the earth to help us live life to the fullest.
In this episode, I’m talking all about the best essential oils for dogs with Sara Grace Newhall, founder of Dog Love Oils. About four years ago, she created a blend of pure essential oils to help her dog, Sadie, overcome chronic hot spots - a skin condition that's very itchy and can take a long time to heal. When the owner of a local pet supplies shop saw how Sadie’s condition improved, she asked to carry the products in her store.
Since then, Dog Love Oils has grown to include 10 different blends that can help our furry friends with everything from skin issues, to sore joints and digestion. These are safe for pets and pet parents to use together - I’ve been trying out the digest assist spray alongside Burt and Lucy!
In our conversion, you’ll learn what kinds of essential oils Sara Grace uses and how certain carrier oils can help spread them across your dog’s body. I was also interested to learn how topical application using a spray bottle can help something like digestion and joints because of how these oils penetrate the skin.
I’m re-sharing an episode from last summer that’s greatly impacted my business. Dawn LaFontaine talked to me about how she secures tons of great press coverage for her brand Cat in the Box. She makes whimsical and delightful cardboard cat playhouses and when you go to her website you’ll see, front and center, a collection of media logos for some of the many places she’s been featured.
The way Dawn secures all this press coverage is using a free tool called Help a Reporter Out (HARO). I followed Dawn’s advice on how to use HARO and since talking to her I’ve received national press coverage in Business Insider and Yahoo News. The Business Insider article was also featured in the Apple News app and in Japanese outlets!
I’m excited to share a conversation with Ava Dorsey who started her brand Ava’s Pet Palace as a kid-reprenur when she was just 8 years old. Now she’s 15 years old and her USDA certified organic pet treats are carried in over 200 stores around the United States.
In this interview we talk about how she got started with her very first recipe and what Ava’s big dreams are for the future… She sees Ava’s Pet Palace being a real in-person destination that might include a pet restaurant and other fun attractions.
That sounds so amazing but there’s also some big things happening right around the corner. We talk about the upcoming SuperZoo event in Las Vegas where Ava will be introducing her new line of cat treats in the new product showcase! Up until now her mom was still making their cat treats by hand at home!
At the end of our chat, I also asked Ava what advice we could share with young girls in our lives who want to start their own businesses. Her sage advice applies to women of any age - just go for it!
On this episode, I’m talking with Cassidy LaMair, the owner of a pet care and dog walking service in Southern California. Cassidy is passionate about providing personalized care to her furry clients and talked to me about why she loves working one-on-one.
We also talk about the importance of building trust with clients. As a dog walker and sitter, you’re going into people’s homes, you’re around their families and spending a lot of time with their beloved pets. Cassidy focuses on attention to detail and transparently communicating with pet parents.
That also comes into play when it comes to pricing. Rising gas prices and inflation are affecting a lot of pet care providers. Cassidy told me how she cuts back on expenses to get a better profit margin. When she does need to raise prices she offers more options to her clients so they can feel like we’re all in this together - which we are!
In this solo episode, I explain how affiliate marketing can create an additional revenue stream in your pet business. If you clients or customers ask you for recommendations, why not share an affiliate link with them? This is a great strategy for dog trainers and groomers, pet photographers, bloggers and pupfluencers.
In 9 years of pet blogging, I’ve tried a lot of strategies to share affiliate links with my audience. I’ve found that it’s always best to be passionate and authentic about the products or services you’re promoting. I also like to be honest with my audience about what happens when they shop using my links - “It costs you nothing, but it means the world to me!”.
Of course, I have my own affiliate program for Wear Wag Repeat courses and Society membership. If you’d like to learn more about that, please reach out!
On this episode I’m talking to Jessica Bevilacqua about fresh food for dogs. She founded her company Dog Standards with a mission to raise the standard of the food we give our dogs. But she doesn’t want you to think of her fresh human grade food as spoiling your pup. Health is not a luxury, it's a canine right.
It took about 8 months of research and development to launch Dog Standards in January of this year. In that time, Jessica said she got so much help and support from everyone she worked with. People really wanted to see her succeed. Since launching, she’s also able to use feedback from her customers to come up with fresh ideas for new products. Did you know that Kangaroo is the hot new protein source for dog food? Apparently it is!
This is a great episode to share with your pet parent friends. Just tell them their dogs wants them to listen!
In this episode I’m talking with Alexandra Smith who is developing a new tool to provide physical and mental exercise to dogs. Her automated agility course will make these kinds of enrichment activities accessible to people with mobility issues or those who don’t have time to be home with their dog as much as they’d like.
I loved hearing how Alexandra came up with the idea for this Canine Innovation and leap into action getting a patent, doing a pitch competition and partnering with researchers and experts in canine cognition. The automated agility course is currently seeking doggy day cares as beta testers so the backend can gather data from a variety of dogs and doggy care givers.
Could a product like this make agility more accessible? Could it make dogs happier and more fulfilled? Alexandra definitely has an amazing idea here and it’s exciting to hear about it in the early stages.
Plus, have you heard about the Cat and Dog Bill of Rights under consideration in California? We touch on that towards the end of the interview.
On today’s episode I’m talking to Jess Berger, the founder of Bundle x Joy. Jess is launching this new brand with over 15 years of experience in knowing what it takes to sell a product at stores like PetSmart and Whole Foods. She’s using that experience to create a dog brand that fills a gap in the marketplace.
Jess shared with me that pet ownership in the minority community is growing 5% faster than in the mainstream. So Bundle x Joy is all about community and inclusivity - making dog health, nutrition and education accessible at any price point.
We also talk about something that caught my eye when I first reached out to Jess about coming on the podcast. She’s created a 3% give back grant program and other opportunities to help underrepresented and purpose driven petpreneurs get their products in front of Bundle x Joy customers.
On this episode I’m chatting with Liz Nowell of Best Life Leashes. We chat about what sets her products apart and how they’re so much more than a product, she’s really building a community through the 2 stripe symbol for rescue dogs. I loved learning about the symbolism and meaning behind the stripes and how they’re educating people about rescue dogs. Liz also shares the product development process and how her leashes have evolved over time based on customer feedback. Lastly Liz explains how important customer testimonials are and how they come into play in her marketing strategy.
If you love listening to this conversation, there’s more where this came from! Liz actually interviewed me for her vlogcast series on the Best Life Leashes YouTube channel.
See Liz interview Tori on the Best Life Leashes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWnK59dqAsaLzDyh6vrlIYQ
This month I’ve been doing a social media experiment on both of my Instagram accounts. A few weeks ago I was struck by how judgemental and negative comments impact me. They disrupt my creative process and get in the way of me doing what I do best - helping pet parents and petpreneurs! In this episode I’ll explain how I’ve been experimenting with ignoring the comments and insights on Instagram. I’ve been preaching for years that you should never, ever “Post and Ghost”! But that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
This experiment has opened up so much more space in my mind and my schedule. I’ve been able to have deeper conversations with my audience over DM and email. And what if I told you the accounts engaging with mine are up 75% this month compared to April? Would you try posting and ghosting on your account?
Liz Wilcox $9 Email Membership: https://bit.ly/wwrlizwilcox
Liz’s Open Rate Training on Friday: https://bit.ly/3yYrRc2
Today I have a special double feature episode featuring two interviews with two wonderful petpreneurs. The common theme for both of these interviews is repurposing!
First up… Dog trainer Ruth Hegarty shares her expertise around adoptable dogs and how to set them up for success in your life. In a sense, adopted dogs are kinda repurposed. When you rescue, you have the chance to give a dog a new life. There are a lot of diamonds in the rough out there!
Next, in part 2 of this double feature episode, Skarlet Rockwood talks about how to give new life to your content through repurposing. She explains the pawprint method of turning 1 piece of long form content into 30 things you can share to promote your pet industry business.
On this episode, I’m sharing a conversation with dog trainer Chelsea Nelson. What we talked about is the importance of being able to have conversation in the dog space. A canine conversation that isn’t an argument and isn’t about proving who is right and who is wrong. Instead, we need to focus on how we can help pets in the best way we know how.
Chelsea and I have an assignment for everyone listening today: Think about something you don’t specialize in but that you get asked about all the time. Can you think of something? Now go find someone who does that thing and reach out to them to say hi. That’s it. You don’t need to form an official partnership or even do anything together. Just say hi, introduce yourself and try to get to know them better.
If we can do this in the dog community, maybe this spirit of conversation without judgment can spread to all other areas of our society.
On this episode I’m sharing a conversation with Jocelyn Mizrahi, the founder of Dog Mom Lifestyles subscription box. Jocelyn talked to me about how she was inspired to get into the pet industry after becoming physically ill from the stress of her previous career. Although entrepreneurship isn’t an easy ride, it’s amazing how pursuing something that you’re passionate about can make an impact on the quality of your life. If you’re listening to this, I’m sure you get it! Working with our pets just makes everything better!
Before we hit record Joceyln shared with me that this is really the first time that she’s sharing her health issues that were caused by stress. Since she decided to be transparent about this story she’s felt a huge shift. She told me that being 100% you removes a lot of fear because you’re being honest all the time, there’s nothing to worry about being revealed.
Have you ever wanted to start a dog podcast of your own? Podcasting is one of my favorite elements of my pet industry business! But it’s a lot of work. Today I’m sharing an interview with fellow pet industry podcaster Erin Scott of Believe in Dog Podcast. Erin has been interviewing dog lovers on her show since October 2019. And in March 2022 she launched a second podcast co-hosted with Kim of the dog blog Keep the Tail Wagging.
In this conversation Erin and I talk about what goes into creating each podcast episode for our shows, what we look for in a great guest, how to pitch yourself to a podcast about dogs or another niche and what to consider if you want to start your own podcast.
Towards the end Erin mentions how much reviews mean to us as podcast hosts. It’s true! Please take a few minutes to subscribe, rate and review our shows on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.
Last week I shared that the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast hit 100,000 downloads! To celebrate that milestone, this week I’m sharing the most downloaded episode ever. This is an interview with Julie Swan, aka The Honest Breeder.
Julie and I had an interesting conversation about pricing. As a dog breeder, pricing is a very important component of her business. The right pricing structure can attract the kind of quality puppy parents she wants for her dogs. You’ll hear about the psychology behind this and get inspiration for how you can implement this mindset in your own pet business.
Do you want to relive more great interviews from the podcast archives? I created a quiz to help you discover your ideal petpreneur podcast playlist. From an Underdog Champion to a Pros-purr-ous Petpreneur… there are 5 playlists curated just for you! Take the playlist quiz today and fetch your results!
On this episode I’m celebrating a major milestone for the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast. As of this week we hit 100,000 downloads! That’s 100,000 times listeners took action to hear inspiring interviews with women in the pet industry. In this solo episode I’ll take a look back at the past 4 years of podcasting about business and dogs.
I also have an exciting new quiz to help you discover your Ideal Petpreneur Podcast Playlist! There are over 200 episodes in my archives. Instead of making you dig through them, I curated 5 playlists to help you reach your pet business goals. From the Underdog Champion to the Pros-purr-ous Petpreneur… there’s a playlist just for you! Click here to take the quiz and fetch your results!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Get to know Candace Meade, the creator of dog accessory brand Duke & Fox. Candance told me how she went from a hobby sewist to selling baby blankets and burp cloths to an Etsy shop to selling over 70,000 dog items in just the last 5 years.
Lately I’ve noticed a lot of changes on Etsy, so I was really interested in asking Candace about her experiences with the platform. It’s a love/hate relationship, but the love parts definitely win. She said the customer base just can’t be beat. That being said, she is working on building up her own website and mentioned some of the SEO efforts she’s doing over there.
Of course, I couldn’t end the interview without asking about her own dogs. From mutts to german shepherds to scotties and a mini poodle… Candance has had quite the fur family!
In this episode I’m talking to Dana Ben David of Montreal-based dog wellness brand Healthybud. Her team’s passion for nutrition lead them to create dog treats, toppers and meals that are all about superfoods. They worked with researchers to ensure their formulas were making the most of each ingredient. They are so dedicated to getting the recipes just right that when they launched they only had 2 products. That goes to show that you don’t need to wait to have a shelf full of options before launching. As a new brand trying to get their name out there, Dana does a lot of outreach on social media. She’s a big fan of sending voice note DMs to followers. For her, building community is all about being a real person and treating all of your followers like real people, too. Speaking of getting real, I asked about the Healthybud ambassador program because I’m always getting questions from the Wear Wag Repeat community about how to run one. I loved that Dana told me she doesn’t have it all figured out, but what’s important is knowing your goals and brand values and thinking in a creative way that goes beyond the promocode.
In this episode, I’m talking to Leslie Yellin, the founder and CEO of Animal Science Labs. Leslie’s company is in the business of selling happiness! They’re using molecular science to help dogs cope with separation anxiety. There was a study done at Emory University that showed how a dog’s pleasure receptors in the brain light up when they smell their owner. And that is why Leslie is pioneering a method to use your very own scent to help comfort your dog using the most powerful tool they have — their noses! In addition to talking about the K9 Comfort Spray, I asked Leslie what the most rewarding part of being CEO of her own company is. She shared that after working for other brands for decades, now it’s really wonderful to have control of the leash at her own brand.
I’m so intrigued by the K9 Comfort Spray that I will be testing it out with Burt in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for the results!
This solo episode is part 2 of a series about starting a new dog service business (or not!). I’ve been looking for a way to find excitement and motivation in my business after getting burned out over the last couple of years. I’ve taken steps to become certified as a Canine Enrichment Technician because I believe that knowledge would improve pets’ lives. Since talking about this in Part 1 on Episode 204, I’ve spent time brainstorming with a pet industry friend, evaluating my goals and performing a SWOT analysis on this dog service business idea.
In this episode I share my latest thoughts on how I feel I can best impact the lives of pets through canine enrichment education.
In this episode I’m sharing a conversation with Ali Smith of Rebarkable. Ali is a dog trainer who has relocated to Maryland from the UK. She’s been able to use blogging and a smart search engine optimization strategy to maintain her business no matter where in the world she is. Ali explains that content marketing through blogging and social media is your way to get in front of your ideal audience. Many petpreneurs think Instagram is the only way to do that. But did you know that according to consumers, information found through search engines is believed to be more trustworthy than info found on social media. That makes blogging and SEO essential for pet industry pros.
In addition to a content marketing strategy, Ali also talked to me about working with reactive dogs and how to draw the line between giving free advice on her blog and charging for dog training.
This is my favorite kind of conversation because it’s equal parts business and dogs. If you’d like to connect with more women who love to talk shop with their pets by their sides… Wear Wag Repeat Society will be opening back up to new members in April. Get on the waitlist now at wearwagrepeat.com/society.
B-School is closing soon! Read my review to see how B-School works for pet businesses: https://wearwagrepeat.com/marie-forleo-b-school-right-for-pet-business/ and enroll before March 3rd!” In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to the amazingly animated and highly informed Lorien Clemens, the co-founder of PetHub. She is passionate about getting lost pets back home. That involves a lot of consumer education about proper pet identification. She told me that pet loss prevention is a “3 legged stool” consisting of microchips as a safety net, a collar ID tag that has current information and then a local pet license that serves as proof that your dog belongs to you. Lorien also shares advice for launching a pet industry start up - first off, do your research! You may not be the first person with that brilliant idea. Although that’s not a dealbreaker, you need to know the landscape. Second, you need to know your audience well to make sure your product or service is something they want and need.
She says that if you are ready to dive in, start reaching out now to people in your niche to get feedback and build relationships.
In this episode you’ll also hear about Marie Forleo’s B-School. If you’re serious about building a meaningful, profitable pet business online, this program is the essential guide. Don’t wait another year. Enroll through my affiliate link and start working on your dream pet business!
“B-School is now open! Read my review to see how B-School works for pet businesses: https://wearwagrepeat.com/marie-forleo-b-school-right-for-pet-business/ and enroll before March 3rd!” On this episode, I’m talking to to Rosie Robinson of WUF Design. She’s sharing SEO tips for dog walkers and other local pet businesses to get your website discovered by potential customers. This includes using free tools from Google and optimizing your keywords. Rosie explains why it’s essential to list out descriptive keywords so customers can find you through search engines. What about online-only pet businesses? I had to ask Rosie for some advice for you, too! She explained some SEO strategies you can use beyond your own website such as mentions in other people’s blogs, podcasts, the press, etc.
Inspired to take action right now?! Rosie says that SEO improvements are best when they’re implemented slowly over time. So while you hear us talk about all the things you can be doing to improve your website, please don’t feel like you have to sit down for the whole weekend and do every single thing. It’s actually more strategic and better for your mental health to do one thing per week.
In this episode you’ll also hear about Marie Forleo’s B-School. If you’re serious about building a meaningful, profitable pet business online, this program is the essential guide. Don’t wait another year. Enroll through my affiliate link and start working on your dream pet business!
Find the full shownotes at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
What will you do on your pet’s final day? It’s something nobody wants to think about. But it’s something we will all face. And that’s why I’m excited to share this interview with you. I had a lovely conversation with Natalie Venosi about a product she’s created to change saying the final goodbye to our pets from a sad time to a beautiful celebration of life. Natalie told me how family friends in Bali lead her to discover the items that would go on to inspire this product and her brand Sweet Goodbye.
This story this may cause tears, it did for me! But I’m so grateful to have had this conversation and spark a mindset shift for myself - and hopefully for you, too.
Natalie and I had so many questions and business topics to discuss that we didn’t have time for in this interview. However, I still think there’s a big strategy takeaway lesson here. And that is how powerful and impactful your personal story can be. Even if it’s about a topic that you feel like nobody wants to hear about - like our pets dying.
Talking to Natalie opened my mind and my heart to discussing this topic more freely. Are you ready? Enjoy the interview!
Find the full shownotes at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
On this solo episode, I’m going to be sharing with you some thoughts and brainstorms I’ve been working on for the past 6 months or so in my own pet business. I've been thinking about starting a new dog walking business. But there are a lot of moving parts to that, so I'm letting you in on my thought process around this potential new venture. I’ve been a dog blogger for almost 9 years and I like to try new things to keep my business fresh. I’ve done over $100,000 in brand sponsored campaigns, I have my online shop, this podcast, online courses and my membership Wear Wag Repeat Society. Not to mention working with Lucy as a Therapy Dog volunteer team and training Burt in Barn Hunt. Oh yeah, and having a life.
A lot of people ask me how I do it all. I think it has a lot to do with always being excited about my work.
So, in this episode I’m going to be really honest and share with you where I haven’t been feeling excited lately and what I’m doing to change that. Could it be starting a new dog walking business? I’m not 100% sure yet, but I want to let you in on my thought process and how I go about deciding to add on a new element of Wear Wag Repeat.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m talking to Zoe Lee, the creator of an Instagram account just for the dog moms of Tampa Bay, Florida. She started the account as a place to share local dog friendly places she was visiting with her dog Kali. When she inquired with local businesses to ask if they allowed dogs, a few started to offer her prizes to give away to her audience and some asked about hosting a meet up. That sparked the idea for monthly dog mom meetups at local businesses, dog parks and beaches. Now the account is run by 6 dog moms spread out around the Tampa Bay area. And this past holiday season they took on their biggest project yet, a calendar of the Dogs of Tampa Bay featuring over 150 local dogs. At the time of our conversation, this calendar was expected to raise about $4,000 for local animal rescues. The biggest takeaway for me from this interview is the power of connecting with other pet-obsessed people! If you want to connect with more like minded women, join me in the Wear Wag Repeat Labs Facebook group. It’s the best place to learn, connect and experiment with ideas to grow your own pet industry business.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
On this episode I’m excited to share a conversation with veterinarian Dr. Monica Tarantino. She’s made it her mission to focus on senior dogs and how pet parents can give their seniors the best life possible. She talked to me about the unique challenges and perks of senior dogs and shared 3 things that she wishes every senior pet parent knew. Dr. Tarantino also talked to me about her new online course geared toward senior pet parents. The course is a comprehensive guide to everything someone might want to know about their senior dog and covers a lot of the questions she gets from clients in the exam room. That course is co-created with another vet we love… Dr. Lisa Lippman (who you can get to know on Episode 162). I also wanted to ask Dr. Tarantino about stress management advice for people in the pet industry. There are a lot of demands on people who work with pets. My biggest takeaway from her advice was that you’re not alone! That person who you think has it all together, they’re probably stressed out too! So don’t strive to be perfect, just strive to be the best (well rested) version of you.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m talking to Liz Williams who has had a dog hiking business in the Bay Area since 2015. In early 2020, sparked by pandemic shut downs, she started selling the biothane leashes she’d been making for herself. Her initial audience was other local pet professionals. In the last year and a half, she’s expanded the product business to offer more variety and reach dog lovers across the country. She shared with me some of the keys to starting and growing a product business while simultaneously continuing to operate the dog hike services. It has a lot to do with hiring help and building trust with your team so you can learn to let go.
Should you offer products to your clients, local community or pet lovers around the country? Come brainstorm about it in the Wear Wag Repeat Labs Facebook group. There are other petpreneurs in there who juggle multiple businesses, too!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
You might know today’s guest, Kimberly Freeman, as City Dog Expert. In this interview, Kim told me about how she started out as a dog walker, then professional dog trainer, while at university in Scotland. When she moved to New York City she saw the need for resources for city dogs and started blogging to share her expertise and recommendations.
Now she’s back in the U.K. and pivoting again while turning City Dog Expert into Europe’s number one city dog blog. We talked about the importance of getting certified and licensed or joining professional organizations to market your pet business. Kim also told me why studying canine body language is important for all dog care providers.
This interview also marks 200 episodes of the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast! In the past 4 years, I’ve interviewed over 150 women in the pet industry starting with Milla Chappel of Real Happy Dogs on Episode 1. I’ve talked to pet-obsessed women in the US, Canada, Australia, England and Germany. Plus, this episode will take us over 90,000 downloads! It’s a milestone week for the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast!
I admire every single woman I’ve had on here, and every single person listening. You never know who’s story will inspire you. And that’s my favorite thing about hosting this podcast. I get to talk to women who are just starting their pet business and others who have been in the industry for many years.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m telling you all about the 2022 plans for Wear Wag Repeat Society! This is my monthly membership that helps you grow your pet business online. Members get access to monthly lessons, virtual co-working, mastermind-style hotseats, networking yappy hours, a private Facebook group, content bonuses and more!
What we have in common is a love of working with pets! But members of WWR Society have a variety of businesses in this industry including content creators, pet service providers, artists, photographers, product makers and more. Enrollment is only open 4 times a year! Learn more and join us at wearwagrepeat.com/society
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m giving you an inside look at the most recent lesson from Wear Wag Repeat Society, my membership that helps you grow your pet business online. In this lesson, I explain the why and how of doing a year in review audit of your business. As solopreneurs and small businesses, it’s hard to audit yourself. But reflecting on what worked and what didn’t in the past year will make 2022 all the more successful and fulfilling.
If you like what you hear in this episode, join me for a FREE workshop to help you set goals for 2022. It’s called K9 in 90 and it will help you set 9 goals for your pet and your pet business for the first 90 days of the year. I hosted this last year and everyone loved it, so you don’t want to miss this! It’s happening on Thursday, January 6th at 7pm EST. Save your spot for that at wearwagrepeat.com/k9in90
On this episode, I’m talking to Katy and Shell. In the last year they took over one of my favorite OG dog blogs, Pretty Fluffy. It was really great to hear about how they got started in the pet world by doing in-home pet family photography, a style that exposed them to Pretty Fluffy several years ago, and when the opportunity came up to take over the site in late 2020, they decided to go for it! I really enjoyed hearing about their plans for the site’s content and what they’ve been working on so far.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
On this episode, I’m talking to Dr. Kathy Burnell, a veterinarian who is also the creator of Puplid, a dog gear brand designed to help pups with sun sensitivities. A lot of dogs can be sensitive to the sun. Kathy and her husband Tony were inspired by their dog Buddy’s struggles to create this new product. When Buddy’s hat got compliments at the beach and around town, Kathy knew Puplid could be a business!
Her veterinary expertise combined with Tony’s engineer skills helped them to create a hat that not only looks cute, but serves a protective function and is more comfortable for dogs to wear than other alternatives. She talked to me about some of the challenges of running a product business and how important it is to hire a good team to help you grow.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Brittany Brown has been running her dog Rosie’s Instagram account since before her puppy was born in early 2020. She quickly got into sponsored posts, and since then has become a go-to resource for people just getting started in the pet influencer world.
We talked about how to land paid brand sponsorship deals, what brands are looking for and how to define your goals. Part of our conversation that got me excited was defining transactional brand deals versus long term relationship deals. There’s a big difference in how they work, and how they make you feel as a content creator.
Plus, Brittany shared a hashtag tip I’ve never thought of before!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
I get so many questions about how to start a pet industry podcast. A lot of pet bloggers, dog trainers, pet sitters, vets, nutritionist and more are interested in learning how to start and run a successful show. If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone! Over 150,000 new podcasts came out in 2020.
But what do you need to do to create a lasting podcast for pet parents or petpreneurs? The first episode of this show came out on November 1st, 2017, which means I’ve been podcasting for over 4 years. So, I would say I can share a thing or two about how to run a show that lasts.
Podcasting is definitely a lot of work and has expenses associated with it. However, it’s one of my favorite elements of my business. And as of 2021, it’s turning a really nice profit for me! I’ll explain more about that in this episode.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Amy Lynn, the founder of The Dog Guide San Antonio. She told me how she got the inspiration to start an online resource of dog-friendly activities, places and things in her city. This guide, through the website and social media, has grown to include dog obsessed events, fundraisers and more. Amy talks about some of the different mutually beneficial ways that she works with local businesses and organizations.
For her site’s 3rd anniversary earlier this year, Amy hosted 30K for Canines, a community pet food drive. The fundraiser not only hit the goal of raising 30,000 pounds of pet food… they actually doubled it!
I thought this would be the perfect interview to share with you this week while we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US and Small Business Saturday this weekend.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode, I’m welcoming back Jessica Williams who first appeared on my podcast on episode 19 where we talked about how to optimize your pet content to get more people to your website. Today, Jessica and I are discussing how to monetize your pet blog. She’s been growing traffic to her main blog You Did What With Your Wiener? for about 10 years, and recently added 2 new blogs to her portfolio. Together these sites bring in $5,000 - $10,000 in ad revenue each month.
In addition to ads, Jessica points out that it’s important to have different streams of revenue for your pet blogging business. Listen to this conversion to hear more about her strategies.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode, Charlotte Lehman explains how she got started on Instagram with an account for her dog Starsky. Four years into it, she realized that cute photos and simple captions weren’t fueling her fire. She started to post more about her own life, mental health struggles and her authentic life with adventure dogs.
Charlotte found another sweet spot with Reels. She’s gained 15,000 new Instagram followers thanks to her creative dog videos. She explains how they fit into 3 categories for the most part: entertaining, educational or narrative style. We also discuss how to get paid as a pet influencer and why we deserve a fair wage.
Save Your Spot in this free Pinterest for Pet Pros Webinar: www.wearwagrepeat.com/pinterestwebinar
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In today’s episode, I’m talking to Wendy Chen and Ersalina Lim, the founders of start-up freeze dried treat brand Luca Pets. Ersalina talked about some of the ways they’re making Luca Pets a sustainable brand by partnering with TerraCycle to recycle their packaging and using a compostable alternative to the silica gel packets usually found in most treat bags.
They’re launching their brand on Kickstarter right now. It was interesting to learn about how Kickstarter can be used not just for funding but more as a marketing strategy. Wendy talked about how they determined their funding goal and some things they wish they had done differently.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this solo episode, I’m talking about how to create merch for your pet brand. You might want to consider screen printing in bulk or print on demand. I’ll explain some of the pros and cons of each option for printing branded t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, etc.
If you want to learn more about setting up an on-demand shop, check out my Masterclass to Launch an On Demand Online Storehop for Pet Lovers! Enrollment is open now! Within weeks you'll have one or more on-demand products, your online shop will be ready to accept orders and your audience will be cheering for you!
The first part of this episode is an update on my dogs Burt and Lucy. Burt and I have a new hobby that we’re passionate about. But on the other hand, Lucy is getting older and I’m struggling with that. I hope you enjoy hearing about my dog mom life behind the business!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Have you ever used a dating app just for single pet lovers? Sheryl Matthys came up with the idea for what is now an app called FetchaDate when she got her first Greyhound while living in New York City. She discovered the power of having a great WingPet™ to make the introduction to potential new friends.
Since then she’s hosted events, written a book, launched a website and an app for the Google Play and Apple App Store. With so many great experiences to pull from, Sheryl and I talk about everything from Covid dating and dog-friendly date ideas to trademarks and website hosting!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode, I’m talking to a fellow dog blogger! You may know Melanie Demi from her Instagram and TikTok accounts @herboozytails. She shares with me why she added a blog to her content platforms about 2 years ago and why it’s a good thing to consider for other petfluencers.
Melanie also shares her advice around pivoting content and how she decided to change the name of her name on social media accounts last year. If you’ve ever considered changing your name, you’ll want to hear Melanie’s advice.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Amanda Yu-Nguyen is the creator of Barkuterie Boards, the highly Instagramable charcuterie board creations just for dogs. In under a year, she’s gone from door-to-door deliveries in the Atlanta area to local markets and now she ships non-perishable Barkuterie Boards all over the United States. In this interview, Amanda shares advice on how to manage it all while building an engaged community. We also discuss the challenges of shipping her product in a way that is eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Get to know Ilana Karcinski, the co-founder of FairyTail Pet Care. It’s more and more popular to include dogs in weddings, but with all your loved ones attending as guests or in the bridal party, who’s going to look after the dog? Ilana and Kelly Maronpot started FairyTail Pet Care to be your dog’s plus one! In the last few years, they’ve refined their services to give the best possible experience to pets and their people. Plus, they’ve gone viral on TikTok with tons of videos getting over 1 million views and flooding their inbox with inquiries to provide pet care at weddings around the world.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Get to know The Honest Breeder Julie Swan. She’s passionate about German Shorthaired Pointers and matching families with dogs that make a positive difference in their lives. After accidentally getting into dog breeding years ago, Julie has since immersed herself in everything she can learn about the health of the dogs and how to be successful in the business of dog breeding.
One of the most interesting topics I wanted to talk to Julie about is pricing. She has such insightful stories about how price can affect the pet parent customers you attract and the perceived value of what you are selling, even if that is something priceless like puppies!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Pinterest is always a priority in my pet business. This month Pinterest is a special focus because it’s the theme in Wear Wag Repeat Society. I believe that every pet business that has a website should be on Pinterest using their own original pins to drive traffic to their website. It’s effective for online businesses, in-person pet services and everything in between. If you’ve been putting off getting your Pinterest business account optimized, this episode will get you headed in the right direction. Even if you already have things set up, it’s worth listening to discover if there’s a tweak you could make to help grow your account, and grow traffic to your website!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode, I’m talking to Krista Karpowich of Wag Out Loud about her career path in canine nutrition and wellness. It’s lead her to create a podcast and grow an affiliate marketing revenue stream. Krista is full of creative ideas for ways to partner with pet businesses and she gives several examples that you might want to implement in your own business.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
After years spent working for corporate marketing agencies, Stephanie Dumon called it quits in 2018. She then wandered the streets of Toronto photographing pets and their people, made connections in the rescue community, and came up with the idea for her business, StreetDog Marketing. In this episode, Stephanie and I discuss the emotional connection that sets the pet industry apart from marketing other products and services.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m giving you an inside look at one of the most popular monthly lessons from Wear Wag Repeat Society. Blogging for SEO in your pet business can attract new customers to your website and help grow your business. A strategic approach to your pet business blog will also save you money by bringing organic traffic to your site. You can benefit from the lessons I’ve learned in 8 years as a professional dog blogger.
Each month in Wear Wag Repeat Society, I teach a new lesson to help you with online marketing for your pet business. Enrollment will be open for a very limited time at the beginning of September. Get on the waitlist and learn more about my monthly membership for petprenerus.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m talking to Vasi Siedman, a Florida based pet photographer and founder of PetPix Academy. Vasi got into pet photography because she believes that everyone should have beautiful photos of their pets to remind them of the wonderful memories they created together. While working on pet portraits for private clients over the years, many people asked for tips to take better photos when they were on their own with their pets.
That lead Vasi to launch PetPix Academy, an online course, membership and podcast that teaches pet parents to take better photos and edit on their smartphones.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m talking to Nicole McKay of AugiDog about creative ways to give back to animal rescues while growing your business. She told me about how she volunteers with adoptable dogs and actually paints with the dogs to help them find their furever families.
Nicole also shares how a life threatening accident with her dog Augi inspired her to create custom pet portraits so that pet parents can hold onto the memories of their beloved pets. Nicole’s story and business are so inspiring that while we did this interview we decided to host a virtual fundraising art PAWty! Head over to my Instagram account @wearwagrepeat to find the details on that and get involved!
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
In this episode I’m branching out beyond dog moms to talk to Emily Hall, a cat adventure expert and the founder of KittyCatGO. Emily has built a highly engaged audience of cat parents with her Facebook Group and Adventure Challenge - over 200 cats around the world participated in the last challenge, many of them completing over 50 tasks to earn certificates and prizes. Emily shares how she made that a success and her plans for the next round. We also touch on some other things Emily is working on to grow her cat lifestyle business such as an online shop and affiliate marketing.
The rest of the shownotes can be found at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
This episode features one of my favorite pet blogging friends, Jen Sotolongo of Long Haul Trekkers. Jen recently released her first book about hiking with dogs, published by Falcon Guides. As a blogger, I’ve heard people say for years that writing a book is just like writing a whole bunch of blog posts. Is that really true? Jen told me all about the process of writing her first non-fiction dog book in our conversation.
In our conversation, I also ask Jen about one of the hot topics of the year. According to social media, off leash dogs and irresponsible owners are running amok! I let my dogs off leash all the time, so I had to ask Jen if I’m part of the problem.
Before we dive into this episode, I want to give you one last reminder that enrollment in Marie Forloe’s B-School ends very soon! I’m so proud to be a partner for the program this year! That allows me to offer over $1,000 worth of petpreneur bonuses to people who sign up through my link wearwagrepeat.com/b-school.
Build a profitable pet business that makes a difference. Enroll in Marie Forleo’s B-School before July 29th and get access to Wear Wag Repeat petpreneur bonuses: wearwagrepeat.com/b-school
I’m someone who likes to do “all the things”, as Marie Forleo affectionately calls a multi-passionate entrepreneur. And even though she doesn’t believe that we need to pick one thing in order to have a successful business and life, we do need to simplify our passions so we can amplify our impact. One of my favorite takeaways from Marie Forleo’s B-School is “Simplify to Amplify.”
This advice is especially relevant for petpreneurs and pupfluencers. If you spend a lot of time on social media, seeing what other people are doing and it brings up FOMO feelings, Marie’s mindset and approach to business is going to make a huge impact for you!
Build a profitable pet business that makes a difference. Enroll in Marie Forleo’s B-School before July 29th and get access to Wear Wag Repeat petpreneur bonuses: wearwagrepeat.com/b-school
In this episode I’m talking to Carly Liedtke, who you might recognize from her own podcast called With a Dog. She recently went solo with the show after co-hosting it with her fellow dog loving friend, Issy. We talk about the pros and cons of working on a business with a friend and how the two of them decided to pivot when Issy needed to step back from the podcast. Dog podcasting isn’t the only thing Carly and I have in common, she also spent some time living in London so we got a chance to talk about the differences in dog friendly culture between the US and England.
Get access to the free video training by Marie Forleo, "6 Essential Steps To A Thriving, Profitable Business” at wearwagrepeat.com/bschool
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In this episode I’m talking to Dawn LaFountaine. She started her business, Cat in the Box, about 3 years ago after realizing that there was a need for fun, safe and stylish cardboard box playhouses for cats. We start by talking about her inspiration for this product and the science behind why cats love cardboard boxes - which is fascinating!
Then we dive in another area of Dawn’s expertise, which is getting free press coverage for her business. She uses Help a Reporter Out to pitch her expertise as a cat lover and business owner and has received a ton of coverage including the Boston Globe, Pop Sugar and Readers Digest. We talk about the many benefits of press coverage beyond just getting sales. And Dawn generously shares all of her tips for successfully landing theres types of features.
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In this episode I had the pleasure of talking to Tara Robertson, the founder of PupStars Pet Care in Chicago. Tara first started her business walking dogs on her own back in 2006. With increased demand from her customers for boarding and grooming, she hired help and moved her operation to a brick and mortar facility in 2014. Right before the pandemic hit, she upgraded to a larger space where she can offer almost anything her doggy clients need. From daycare to transportation, and grooming to first aid classes.
Hearing about her business and services, the number one priority for Tara is safety. She and her team work closely with pets and their people to do temperament tests, offer training advice and sometimes, recommend daily walks instead of day care.
In this episode, I’m talking to Jessica Abernathy who is a pet sitting industry expert and current president of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). Jessica has a ton of great stories to share about getting started as a pet sitter and what she wishes she did differently from the beginning. One thing she wishes she knew about sooner is NAPPS! I was so interested to hear about the wealth of info and resources they offer to their members including certification for pet sitters and also a pet parent membership level.
Jessica also talks about the number one thing that prevents most people from growing their pet industry business. It might not be what you think it is! Listen to find out.
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In this episode I’m talking to the founder of Dog Bakery Academy, Minyoung Morita. While launching and growing her own dog bakery business over 7 years, Minyoung saw the huge demand for healthy and fun bakery style dog treats. But there literally weren’t enough dog bakeries to supply the stores! So she had the idea to create an online course to teach others how to build their own dog bakery business. Her course covers everything from buying a domain to the rules and regulations broken down by each state.
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In this episode I’m sharing my best advice around batching content for your pet business. If you’re creating blog posts, reels, Instagram posts, Pinterest pins, podcast episodes or anything else to market your business on a regular basis then you know how time consuming that can be. Batching your content by doing many similar tasks at the same time can make all of that content creation more efficient.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Jessica Bay who says she’s found her calling with her current business, Templates for Pet Pros. After years of experience in a variety of different aspects of the pet industry, she’s using her knowledge of what pet business owners need to help them with their online marketing. We got to talk about how great Canva is and how Jessica’s unique templates are geared towards dog day cares, dog walkers, pet product makers and more.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Kerrie Fitzgerald about the secrets of growing a 6-figure pet product business. One of those secrets is to focus on customer acquisition in places other than Instagram. As Kerrie grew her high-end pet subscription box she focused on things that brought free traffic from Google like an affiliate program, blogging, and SEO. Kerrie also shares some actionable examples of ways you can reward current customers to turn them into superfans!
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In this episode, I’m sharing a delightful conversation with Leda Akyuz about her journey to grow her dog accessories brand Woof + Wonder. If you ever get stuck in a comparison trap or have anxiety about how fast or slow your business is growing, this conversation is going to get you unstuck! Leda and I talk about a bunch of forbidden topics like fear, money and where to find inspiration without feeling like a copycat.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Tennille Teague who launched a cruelty free pet accessories brand called JUST FRED. She shares some great examples of how to write product descriptions in a visual way to elicit an emotional response from potential customers. Tennille also shares how she’s simplified inventory management and fulfillment with strategic partners and reveals what has surprised her in growing this new brand.
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In this episode, I’m excited to share a conversation with a pioneer of the pet CBD industry, Julianna Carella of Treatibles. She shares stories about the challenges she's faced as a female business owner in a male dominated industry, how she's kept up with the ever-changing cannabis laws and regulations, and more.
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We all know from spending time on social media that your reach matters. But it’s frustrating to post on Instagram or Facebook and see that your post only reaches a small percentage of your followers. In today’s episode, I’m sharing two strategies that you can use to expand your pet brand’s reach. I’ll tell you how I’ve used Pinterest and Podcasting to grow my brand, increase my revenue and find more time to spend with Burt and Lucy.
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In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Dr. Lisa Lippman. You might already be one of her 156,000 Instagram followers or you might know her from her podcast We Don’t Deserve Dogs. In this interview, we touch on how she’s been keeping up with the podcast, with the help of her partner, during the pandemic and how she uses her Instagram influence to share honest and authentic advice for pet parents.
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In today’s episode, I’m talking with Kalina Stormer. Over the course of 2020, she and her husband focused on growing the online store for their brick and mortar pet boutique in Nashville. When they found out some big family news, they listed the online store for sale on a whim! Within weeks they found the perfect buyers who are continuing on the brand values that Kalina and her husband worked so hard to build up over several years. Have you ever thought of selling your pet business and what that might mean for your life? It’s something to think about! Kalina and I also talk about what she’s working on now - and how mindset and marketing go hand in hand.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Chaz Olajide about her fashionable online dog shop, Sir Dogwood. After working in marketing and communications in the art world, Chaz decided to pursue something that allowed her to be more creative as an entrepreneur. Inspired by her dog at the time, Winston, she launched Sir Dogwood in 2016. In this conversation, we talk about how she finds unique brands to carry and how input from her die-hard customer fans can impact what products end up in the shop. Chaz also shares how pandemic puppies have inspired her to write new blog content on her website.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Beth Miller to learn about the research she does at Wagtown about dog friendliness, how to define what that even means and how we can make our towns more dog friendly. Beth shares her insight into the complications of working with local government and regulations. We discussed how a lot of laws surrounding pets are related to public health and safety and don’t address the benefits of having dogs in the community. Now that dogs are considered a part of the family in our society some of those regulations could use an update!
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In this episode, listen in on a conversation between myself and one of my earliest Instagram dog friends, Sonia Jones of Huskies in the Hatch. Sonia and I talk about storytelling and why she’s creating long-form video content when everyone else is rushing to make 15 second clips. It’s inspiring to hear about how she’s collaborating with creative friends to turn dog and adventure videos she’s been holding onto for years into cohesive stories for the new Huskies in the Hatch YouTube channel.
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Katie Ast of Just Dog People joins me to talk about building a community of dog lovers, treating your staff like family, keeping your team members trained and knowledgable, and how you can continuously raise the bar at your business.
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In today’s episode, we’re back on the topic of TikTok with Chelsea Barstow of Willow Bee Goods. Chelsea’s advice helped me create a viral TikTok video that’s reached almost 1 million views so I’m excited to share her expertise with you here today. We talked about a content strategy to get started with a new account, how to create fun videos even if you’re a total introvert and what hashtags to use on your TikTok videos. We also talk about how you can use affiliate links to monetize your video content.
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In this episode, I’m excited to share a great conversation with Liz Illg, a business consultant and the owner of Puff and Fluff Grooming & Pet Sitting in Phoenix. Liz shared with me her entrepreneurial story of going from an in-debt student pet sitting on the side, to buying her first grooming shop and growing it into a 6 location business that practically runs itself.
Liz shared that the hardest part of growing her grooming business wasn’t building up to 6 locations, it was actually going from 1 to 2 locations. The key to growing her pet business was delegating tasks to her staff and creating a systematic guide to every question that previously she would have had to deal with one by one.
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I started my blog as a hobby almost 8 years ago. I thought I'd use it to document my love of style and dogs. My original tag line was "I wear it, they wag it, then we repeat!" Although I had my site for many years, I didn’t go full time with it until 2 years ago. In this episode, I’m going to share with you how made the leap to full-time, some of the highlights of the last 2 years and the most important lessons I’ve learned. I hope my story helps you brainstorm ways to grow your own pet-obsessed business!
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In this episode, I’m talking with Jamie Ruden who’s spent her quarantine building a new online community for pet parents. She was inspired to created Dog Spotted after fostering and then adopting a dog last year. The website, which is launching this month, provides expert advice on dog training, health, wellness, gear shopping and so much more. But all that advice doesn’t do much good without an audience! Jamie shares how she’s been using edutainment content and events to build up an audience of thousands of dog parents before the site even goes live!
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Michelle Stern of Pooch Parenting has built a niche business around helping families with new babies or small children who need dog training support. You know I love talking about niching down! Michelle shares her perspective on the value and importance of narrowing down what you offer to your audience.
There is such a thing as too much information and it’s impossible to be good at everything. I loved Michelle’s advice to focus on 1 thing that you’re really good at then have a team to who you can outsource work that you’re not confident in tackling yourself.
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On this episode, I’m talking to Melinda Kirk Stenger, the creator of PetCakes and YumYum Bones. Recently, Melinda has gone from pet treat manufacturer to pet lifestyle entrepreneur with the creation of her new canine cookbook called Brunch and Bitches. When the pandemic put a damper on her plans for a furry friendly book tour, Melinda got creative and has been working with local businesses and animal rescues to host drive-thru book signings.
She told me that one of the keys to staying in business for the long haul is to be comfortable with making a pivot and being open minded to new directions. I know you’ll enjoy hearing her story and this conversation will inspire you to do amazing things with your own pet business this year.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Julie Napolitano about her affordable luxury dog skin car brand, Pup Wax. She shares her inspiration behind creating an all-natural, non-toxic paw balm and how she sets her product apart with high end packaging that delights the sense. Julie and I also talk about the tech side of starting your own pet brand like email opt-ins and digital downloads designed to educate customers.
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There are many monthly membership programs specific to various specialties in the pet industry. These are nothing like the professional memberships and associations that your parents belonged to! Most of these memberships are virtual and many of them have a majority of female members. In this episode I’ll tell you about 9 different pet industry membership programs from a pet photography membership to a membership for animal communicators.
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In this episode, I’m going to ask you to THINK BIG! What do you want success to look like when you get there? That’s the topic of this interview with Gila Kurtz, the co-founder of Dog Is Good and an expert in helping petpreneurs define what success really looks like. As a dog trainer and dog mom herself, she knows how important it is to be motivated and inspired by the enthusiasm that our dogs bring to every day. We talked about why it’s so important to surround yourself with people (and dogs) who push you to be the best version of yourself, and Gila shares what she considers to be the essential foundational skills for entrepreneurs.
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For this episode, I had so much fun talking about fashion, art, business, and pets with Ann Greenberg of A Pet with Paws. She used her 20 years of experience in the fashion industry to pivot her own handbag line into a collection of eco-friendly, functional, and stylish pet carriers and accessories. Ann shares great advice on how to pivot in your career and why it’s so important to have enthusiasm about your product.
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I’m excited to get back to my roots and talk about Instagram dogs with Courtney Lynne, aka the Dog Mom Boss. Courtney talks about how she got started growing her Instagram account when she got her first dog Hammy a couple of years ago and grew the account into something where she shares her passion, makes some money and now, teaches other pet influencers.
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In this solo episode, I’m answering a few listener questions and sharing some plans I have in store for petpreneurs like you with Wear Wag Repeat in 2021.
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On this episode, I’m excited to dive into a topic I didn’t know anything about before today. Jeni Becht is an expert at selling her pet products through her brand Fido Fizzies on Amazon. She took the time to share insider tips about how she got started as an Amazon seller and what it takes to keep her business running smoothly. It turns out you don’t have to be a big, corporate, mass-produced brand to be successful on Amazon! Jeni really opened my eyes to a world of possibilities and I love her attitude about looking at situations as opportunities rather than competitions.
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In my conversion with Laura Gendron of Miss Behavior, we discuss the journey Laura has been on to build confidence around promoting her business. She’s learned to get comfortable doing live videos, hosting an online dog training membership program and even appearing on Good Morning America! This year has certainly forced a lot of us to change how we run our businesses. If you’re still struggling to put yourself out there online, Laura is here to help you make courageous moves in your pet business.
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How do influencers partner with brands that align with their values? On today's episode, I'm discussing how to get clear on your values, how to identify and find the right brands, and how you should flirt and reach out to the companies.
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As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US this week, it’s a great time to reflect on what you’re thankful for. With that in mind, I’m very excited to share this interview with Stacie Bianco, owner of the The Good Dog Cause, a for-purpose company on a mission to help fund projects for non-profit organizations that raise, train, and place Assistance Dogs. We talk about creating print-on-demand products that catch your eye and suit your target customer.
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Jen Kirby started Piggyback Treats Company to make dog and cat treats from unused, human-grade foods that would otherwise go to waste. She joins me today to talk about what it takes to create a successful and sustainable pet business. And we also obsess over out chocolate labs for a while - her dog Candy sounds like a love match for Burt!
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Pure Earth Pets' founder Leanne Pinard Baum joins me to talk about her eco-friendly subscription box for pets, how you can make your business more sustainable, how to limit the barriers that a customer might run into when they consider buying from you, and more.
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Photographer and influencer Corey C. of @jaxandthepack joins me today to talk about how to get your start in photography, growing your pet imagery skills, and how to collaborate with brands.
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Event planning dog mom Taylor Brione Ballard joins the show today to share what makes a pet-friendly event a success and suggestions on how to incorporate sponsors. We also talk about her upcoming virtual yappy hour coming up on November 4th.
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I'm sharing the 5 things you need to do to set up and optimize your account on Pinterest for your pet industry business. With the tips I share in this episode, I’ll teach you how to set your account up correctly so you can benefit from all the pet parents who are already searching for what you offer!
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The Pet Summit co-founders join me in this episode to talk about their new virtual pet influencer conference coming up October 24th + 25th. Chelsea Evans and Paige Chernick are bringing over 100 speakers from all over the world and all areas of the pet industry to deliver panels, live talks, and education sessions.
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In this episode, I’m talking to a young entrepreneur who is passionate about dog training, rescues and her Etsy shop. Victoria Harmon is just 18 years old and she’s already making an impact in the lives of pets and their people. In our conversation, she gives great tips to get to your first 100 sales in your online shop, how to encourage reviews and work with influencers for original photographs and market research. Victoria also shares suggestions on how to get involved in your own local animal rescue.
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In this episode, I’m talking with Paige Nadeau about her cat blog Live Long and Pawspurr. This year she’s learned a ton about SEO, grown her blog to over 50,000 pageviews per month and been accepted to Mediavine. She shares some of her favorite resources for learning about search engine optimization, which has been the key to her blog growth this year. We also talk about her Pinterest strategies that drive about 50% of her website’s traffic.
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In today’s episode, I’m talking to Veronica Guzik of Yay Hound (formerly Pupcycle). Veronica curates sustainable dog toys and supports local animal rescues and efforts to keep the earth an awesome, green place to live. In this conversation, she shares advice on how to get the most out of your dog’s toys so you throw away less, and she also gives some great ideas for low-to-zero cost ideas to make your pet business more eco-friendly.
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In this solo episode, I'm sharing some tips for how to market your pet products and services on Instagram. These four tips will help you optimize your profile and content to increase conversions, get more customers to interact with your posts, and ultimately promote your products to get more sells.
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In this week’s episode we’re diving deep into one of the news exciting features of Instagram. You’ve probably heard of Reels and seen plenty of them, but have you created one yourself? I’m talking to Lauren McGlade of @nelson.the.pup about everything you need to know about Instagram Reels for your pet business or pupfluencer account. She shares content ideas, trending song suggestions, as well as tips and tricks to get the most views on your videos.
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In this episode, I’m talking to certified dog trainer Mikkel Becker, who is here to offer her advice on getting comfortable in front of the camera, dealing with criticism, and how to be authentic on video. For the second half of this interview, Mikkel shares some timely advice on working through separation anxiety with your dog - a challenge many people are facing due to Covid.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Goldie Kretzschmar, a bookkeeper specializing in the pet industry. At Pedigree Bookkeeping, she works with dog trainers, groomers, pet sitters and more to make sure that they know how much money is coming in and how much is going out each month. She has so many great tips that you can use in your own business, whether you manage your books yourself, or if you outsource it.
In this episode, I’m talking to Melissa Mitchner, founder of The Bark Shoppe. Since launching her business in just 90 days, community engagement and customer service have been her top priorities. She touches on advocacy for inclusion and diversity, guerrilla marketing, fighting off the critics, and more.
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Canine behaviorist Cheri Lucas joins the podcast today to talk about how we interact with our dogs. Dogs want us to be leaders. Not only has Cheri developed her own unique methods around this mentality, but she also works with other dog trainers to help them build their confidence and become the leaders that they were born to be.
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Maria Ducasse joins me today to talk about her non-profit, East New York Dog Lovers, that helps people avoid separating from their dogs due to a hardship such as an illness, losing their job, or losing their home. Through her program, she’s been able to keep pets out of animal shelters so that they can keep spots open for the dogs who really need them.
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Are you looking for a creative way to make your pet business stand out? Having custom artwork commissioned isn’t just for big brands with big budgets! Working with artists is something that is completely within your reach, no matter what size your business is. Unique artwork is a great way to increase your brand awareness. It can help you sell more products. And it’s also a great way to support independent artists. Listen to this episode to learn about the many ways you can incorporate custom artwork into your pet business.
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In this conversion, dog trainer and advocate Kelli Parker shares advice on how to get involved in local policy changes that can affect our pets. Most importantly, she recommends starting with kindness and connecting with local leaders. She also shares how fostering adoptable dogs led her to pursue dog training.
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Today’s guest is Natasha O’Banion, who scaled her dog walking business in the Washington D.C. area to 6-figures in just 6 months. She did so by having a clear plan and a mission to create a business that gave her and her family the freedom to travel the country in their RV for a year. She also shares some of her favorite automation tools and how she’s added business coaching and a drop-shipping ecommerce boutique to diversify her business even further.
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On this episode, I’m talking to Jio Alcaide & Taylor Barconey, a team of CPDT-KA dog trainers who have created the in-your-face brand of Smart Bitch Modern Dog Training. Their brand embodies the fun and positive approach they bring to dog training. They continued to serve their customers and their dogs during the pandemic by creating online training packages that include group classes over Zoom, private consultations, and 1-on-1 DIY training.
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In today’s episode, I’m talking to Desh Valcin, the creator of The Miss Dog Mom Pageant. She joins me to talk about her dog friendly event planning company, some of the challenges around planning dog friendly events and why hosting off-leash events is a signature element of her company, her experience as a black women in the pet industry, and how you can audition to be 2020's Miss Dog Mom.
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In today’s episode, I’m talking about one of my favorite marketing tools! Email marketing doesn’t sound as fun as Instagram, but I’m going to tell you why I think all pet businesses and pupfluencers should prioritize their email list. Learn the common mistakes pet business owners make with their list, such as collecting addresses and never using them! I’ll also share a few of my favorite automations you can implement in your email list now to foster relationships with your customers and followers on auto-pilot. Finally, I’ll share how often you should be emailing your list and the best software I recommend for managing your list and sending emails.
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In today’s episode, I’m talking to Rebecca Rose, who transitioned from the world of women’s healthcare to focus on improving the health of woman’s best friend with dog supplements! I loved asked Rebecca some of the frequently asked questions that I see in my online community such as... how early and often should you be supplementing your dog’s diet? And I hope you’re not eating lunch while you listen because you can’t talk supplements without talking about dog poop!
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Today’s guest is Stephanie Wolfinger, a labrador lover who has channeled her passion into dog breeding, shows titles and more. She explains some of the DNA testing done on her dogs and how that translates into what judges evaluate in the show ring. Stephanie also explains some of my biggest confusions about the show ring, how great it is to be able to bond with your dog, and more.
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In this episode, I’m veering away from all things dog to talk to an Australian pioneer of cat exploring. Catexplorer founder Hasara Lay has created a community of people who love to explore the world with their cat by their side. She’s created informational guides, a podcast and an online store all dedicated to getting out with your cat. Most recently, Hasara has launched a membership program to connect cat lovers all over the world.
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Dog trainer Louise Daigle joins me today to talk about how she pivoted her business to offer an online course during the coronavirus pandemic. She also takes some time to talk about how to create a course, the importance of collaboration, and preparing your dog for you to go back to work.
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Today you’ll hear from Animal Communicator Liz Murdoch of Talking With The Dogs. She shares how she first discovered that she could communicate with animals, she explains how her methods of communicating can help pets and people live better lives together, and she even takes some time to talk to Burt!
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In this episode, I’m talking to Shahrina Ankhi-Krol, an attorney specializing in the pet industry. She talks about common issues that she sees pet businesses make, why it’s important to protect yourself and your business with insurance, and why she made an app that makes it easy to network with entrepreneurs.
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In this episode, I’m sharing two Wear Wag Repeat initiatives that I came up with, launched and have successfully run during the quarantine! These pivots have allowed me to give back while growing my business and I hope they inspire you to think of new ways to operate your business in a compassionate way. Listen to hear about a Buy 1, Give 1 program I did with my online course, and a special collection in my online shop that gives back to our local pet food bank.
In this episode, I’m talking to Dani Pedraza who runs a dog walking company as well as a popular Instagram feature account. We talk about how she uses her large following online to help raise awareness for pet adoption. And in light of everything going on in the world lately, Dani talks about how she and her business partner are getting creative to find ways for their dog walking business to generate income online.
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In this episode I had the pleasure of talking with Angela Pantalone, the founder of the canine culture hub Wag Central. Learn about how she makes it all work with the help of an amazing staff. Listen for her story about how an Instagram video she did the morning of this interview almost immediately resulted in a new day care client signup.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Maddie St. Gelais, an online shop owner who is an advocate for shopping small and community over competition. Maddie has some great ideas to share about getting involved with your customers through Instagram, she strives to be on a first-name basis with many of her followers which really brings a sense of community to her account. Her customers-turned-ambassadors are actually so invested in her brand’s success that they created a hashtag campaign to share her wares every week.
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In today’s episode, I’m going to share my own story about growing my Instagram account and how it’s enabled me to have a successful pet industry business. Having over 40,000 followers is great, but the best part is that Instagram has enabled me to be independent, introduced me to a supportive community and made me available to spend as much time as possible with my dogs. Learn how you can approach your Instagram account with the kind of attitude that will bring you tons of positivity and success in return.
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For my 100th episode, I asked my listeners to call in with questions for me. I got so many great questions, that I broke them down into two episodes. Today, listen to Part 2 of answering listener questions. You’ll learn about the best way to find pet influencers for your brand, suggestions for natural flea prevention, my thoughts on a philosophical dog blog and lastly, what innovation I wish would happen in the pet industry this year.
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I thought I was really prepared for today’s interview with Pattie Zeller, but I was surprised when she told me how she got started in the pet industry. What she shares is such a cool story that perfectly illustrates a concept I’ve been learning about recently that helps you find what you should do with your life based on the intersection of passion, talent and opportunity. Pattie found that, by learning how to communicate with animals and discovering that there was a need in her community for resources on natural pet care.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of us into working from home, and while that by itself can be stressful, it can prove to be an adventure if you have a dog! On this special episode, I go over how working from home with your dog can be great for your happiness, creativity, and overall productivity. I also take some time to share some general work-from-home tips.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Candi Wong of Designs by Wildside. She walks us through how she’s grown her dog collar business from an Etsy store to a full e-commerce website that's now experimenting with wholesale. If you’re a small brand and considering going into wholesale, definitely stay tuned for Candi’s advice and bear with us as we try to explain profit margins!
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In this interview, Liza Fisher-Munroe of The POP Company shares her experience selling her dog-mom focused products at local markets and through her online store via Instagram. She’s passionate about supporting other women though cottage sewing programs and fabric makers on Etsy, and she shares why it’s important to have relationships with your suppliers.
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Do you dream of running a successful pet care business? In this episode, I talk to Susan Briggs of the Dog Gurus. She’s a pet industry business coach who helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their dog daycares, boarding facilities, training classes, and more. A lot of the advice in this interview will help you grow your business. But, more importantly, it will help keep the dogs in your care safe, happy and living their best lives. Susan also shares her expertise on dog body language and growing trends she’s seeing in the pet care industry.
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I’m continuing coverage of Pet Dental Health Awareness Month by talking with Dr. Emily Stein, the co-founder and inventor of TEEF. Poor oral hygiene can cause a wide range of health problems for dogs, so Dr. Stein walks us through why cleaning your dog's teeth is so crucial, why treats and brushing aren't the best solutions, and how TEEF is trying to bring awareness to the issue.
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To celebrate the 100th episode of the Wear Wag Repeat podcast, I’m answering questions about the pet industry, dog blogging and telling a story about one of my own dogs.
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I’m kicking off Pet Dental Health Awareness Month by talking with Gail Beregovich and her son Andres of Jax & Cali. Gail and Andres walk me through coming up with the idea for paw wipes, lessons they learned trying to sell their product door to door at pet shops around the country, and the importance of listening to feedback from industry professionals.
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Jen Costello, the creator of the popular award-winning dog blog My Brown Newfies, joins me today to share her blog and content strategies, why she believes it's important to engage with your community, and why she's happy sticking to her niche. She also shares fun (and embarrassing) stories about her dogs, including the backstory for her recent viral Tiktok video.
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In this episode, I’m talking to Johnna Devereaux, a clinical pet nutritionist and small business owner of Fetch RI and board member to pet product startup Bow Wow Labs. She shares her best tip for making your dog's meal healthier, how her rescue dogs inspired her to get into pet nutrition, and how her indoor dog playroom has become a great space for dog owners in the community.
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On this episode, I’m finally interviewing someone in the pet talent industry! Paula Stewart of Urban Paws UK joins me today to share some great stories about dogs and cats on film sets, what it takes to make it as a dog model, how to work with celebrities, and more!
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In this episode, I’m talking with a very inspirational dog mom. Marika Meeks, along with her dog Stella, is the founder of IncredibullStella. Marika is always up to something new and today you’ll get to hear about her new book, a partnership with Papa John’s Pizza, a pilot for a TV show and a screenplay that she’s writing! One of my biggest takeaways from our conversation is about timing. Marika talks about re-pitching great ideas a year or two later… what might have been a flop a few years back could be a huge hit now.
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Happy New Year! I’m revisiting another episode from the Wear Wag Repeat archives today to help ring in the new year. For this episode, I’m looking back at my conversation with Dr. Judy Morgan of Naturally Healthy Pets. On Episode 62: Using Food Therapy To Help Your Dog Live a Healthier Life, we discussed what type of food we feed our pets. The interview I did with Dr. Morgan is a special one as the episode has been recently selected by the Dog Writers Association of America as a finalist in the Podcast category for their annual competition!
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Instead of interviewing a guest for my Christmas episode this year, I'm going to revisit one of my favorite Wear Wag Repeat episodes, Episode 25: Creating an Online Shop! When that episode originally aired, the Wear Wag Repeat shop had just opened. A year and a half and a lot of growth later, I thought it would be fun to listen to my past advice and to see how it all still applies today!
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On this episode, I’m talking with Theresa Piasta, the founder of the Puppy Mama community and the author of a new book sourced from real dog mom stories alongside advice from trainers, groomers and vets. We talk about the importance of creating a community around dogs and the nitty gritty details that it took to create this new book. We also touch on Theresa’s plans for her next book that will include advice on how to take your dog to more places so you rarely have to leave them behind.
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On this episode, I interview Terran Bayer, a professional pet photographer and the owner of Westway Studio. We talk about how she makes clients feel extra special through Limited Edition studio sessions around the holidays and how she partners with a local rescue to create a fundraising calendar that generates over $6,000 for pets in need each year. We also discuss her work as a commercial pet photographer and how she brings emotion into product images.
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On this episode, I’m talking with two friends who started their own online doggy boutique with a twist. The Gift Spawt is designed so that you can send special birthday, holiday or thinking of you gifts to your Instagram dog friends anywhere in the world. They’re sharing their best advice for working with a friend and tips on growing an engaged Instagram community - spoiler alert, being authentic is super important for both! Since this episode is coming out during peak holiday gifting season, I hope it inspires you to send a special something to the dogs that bring you so much joy all year long!
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In this episode, I’m talking with Mary Sue of UNLEASHEDlife about how to find your purpose in life. Mary explains how her rescue dog Finley taught her to be present and live in the moment. Now she’s sharing that mindset with other purpose-driven dog lovin’ ladies. She’s inspiring others to have fun, be kind, take care of themselves and be joyful members of their communities. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
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In this episode, I’m talking to one of the pet blogging OGs! Carol Bryant has been blogging about dogs, specifically her Cocker Spaniels, for about a dozen years. In this interview, we talk about what makes pet blogging so special and how to make a career of it. Carol partnered with another pet blogging superstar, Maggie Marton of Oh My Dog! Blog, to co-author a book all about pet blogging for love and money. That’s right! It can be a passion project and also profitable. Today, Carol tells us how!
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On this episode, I’m talking to Julie Krauss who is the co-founder of HuggleHounds, the maker of some of our favorite dog toys. Each year HuggleHounds re-designs their holiday collections, and Julie shares with us what that process is like from starting the designs a year and a half in advance to the final delivery which includes inspecting every single toy to make sure they meet their safety standards. It’s no surprise that HuggleHounds is also a dog friendly workplace, so listen to hear what it’s like to have 7 dogs in the office. We talk about all that and more, let’s dive in!
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In this episode, I’m talking to Kristen Kidd, a social worker turned photographer who has combined those two passions into a new coffee table book called The Woman’s Best Friend Project. In this conversation, she shares a few of the stories from the book that really stand out in her mind and we talk about how she captures the emotional bond between women and their dogs (or other loved ones) in photos. She also shares some of her advice for standing grounded while managing a busy business.
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Today on another solo episode, I'm sharing my expertise on doing a photoshoot for your brand. Professionally photos are great assets that can be used on your social media, your website, your store and products, or even for personal use. In the episode, I'm sharing resources and tips for finding photographers and locations, picking out your wardrobe, planning a shot list, and even how to pose with your dogs.
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This episode is full of so much great info for any dog mom. Today’s guest is an author and also a dog trick evaluator who has some really cool ideas on new tricks that you can teach your dog to create a stronger bond with them, or even make them an Instagram star! We also talk about how her work can assist in therapy dog programs - from reading to children to showing off tricks for seniors. Oh and if you’re interested in getting your brand featured in dog magazines, she has advice for that too!
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In this episode, I’m talking with Courtney Nichols-Gould of SmartyPaws. She’s on a mission to make your whole family healthier - even your dog! We talk about how to get started in the pet industry, from deciding if your product solves a real problem to how you can get more visibility in a competitive market. Courtney also talks about how important it is to consider the environment and pet parent lifestyles in your business decisions. Stick around to the end of the episode to hear how she met her two rescue dogs - Pig and Bandit.
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On this episode, I’m talking to Brooke Lima, the creator of [found by] fetch about starting an online shop for people and pups. We discuss the pros and cons of carrying inventory versus drop shipping, how to assemble a team to help with photos, graphics, brainstorming and more. And then we also talk about finding inspiration - both from the amazing women makers in the pet industry and the animal rescue organizations that give all of this work meaning.
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In this episode I’m talking to the dog mom of Mary Evelyn Studio Art, she’s an artist I’ve gotten to know over the past few years and she’s done watercolor portraits of both Lucy and Burt! We talk about how she got into pet portraits, specifically in watercolor, and how she’s grown her business to include commissions, workshops, online classes and collaborations such as a new illustrated book series. As this episode comes out, Mary Evelyn celebrates Puptober in a series of portraits that you can find on her Instagram account.
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On this episode, I’m talking to Catherine Whiteman of the dog bedding and accessories brand, Three Wags. We talk about how her products make people and pet’s lives easier and better, especially through her Awareness bandanas. I think you’ll love the touching story about how those came to be. We also discuss the challenges of having to tackle it all as a solopreneur in the pet industry.
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In this episode, Tori Mistick shares the latest information she learned about CBD (AKA cannabinoid) products for your dog when she attended the SuperZoo pet industry trade show in August 2019. Tori will talk about how CBD can help your dog's quality of life, what she learned from three major brands at the trade show and keywords you should look for on labels of CBD products before you use them with your pets.
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In this episode, I’m talking to a pet sitting and dog walking business expert who grew her own business over the course of 18 years. We talk about how to hire your first few employees, and how important your gut intuition is in those decisions. With the right employees, you can achieve that work life balance that you got into this business for in the first place! Today’s guest fine-tuned her staff to the point where she was able to take 6 months off to live in Bali! Get your vision boards ready and lets dive into this episode!
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On this episode, I’m talking to a certified dog trainer who’s taking her modern dog training education to the masses through online courses. We talk about how this makes a positive impact on people’s and pet’s lives around the country and the logistics of how she created the lessons. She’s also making a difference in her local community by supporting assistance dog programs and volunteering her own time as a therapy dog team that helps kids find the confidence to read.
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Summer might be coming to an end, but as you’ll hear on this episode, it’s always gelato season! Today’s guest started making gelato for dogs in her own kitchen, and now has her product carried in shops around the West Coast. We talk about how she made the transition from corporate life to a dog-inspired life and what keeps her motivated every day. She also shares some of the biggest struggles of starting her own pet industry business.
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On this episode we’re getting real… talking about how important it is to be authentic and show the human side of being a dog influencer. Today’s guest talked to me about how she decided to document her dog mommming through social media and blogging, how she uses bookmarks to keep her growing to-do list organized and her tips on creating engaging Instagram stories.
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In this episode, we get to hear from a press and publicity expert who specializes in pet stories and brands. Learn how to translate your popular social media posts into press coverage, what you need to include in a pitch email and also hear about how you can use the media to make a difference in pet’s and people’s lives. Today’s guest is also a pet blogger and she has some great suggestions to get your own pet blog filled with engaging stories.
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In this episode, I’m talking to a pet photographer who has built a full time business in less than 2 years by creating a strong visual style and sticking to her guns when it comes to pricing. She shares advice on how to get your new pet business off the ground. And we also address the myth that pet photography is a local-only business - this photographer has had dogs travel across state lines to sit in front of her camera!
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In this episode, I’m talking to an experienced pet industry pro with a background in corporate retail and professional FUN. The owner of Bow Wow Dog Bakery, Leel Michelle is sharing some great advice about creating a successful brick and mortar pet business like incorporating services into your retail shop. We also talk about how important pet birthdays are and how you can make them part of a special experience for your customers.
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In this episode, I’m talking to the dog mom behind Hami in Miami about what it’s like to be a dog influencer and the importance of having an online presence, like a blog, as your brand grows. We also discuss how rewarding it is to share dog joy with the world through Instagram. However, juggling life, work and blogging can be alot, so listen to the end to get some advice on living in the moment while also capturing content for your blog and social media.
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I get questions from people all the time on Instagram (and in real life) asking me what it’s like to be an influencer. Although it feels strange to describe myself with that term, the fact is that I’m influencing people with my online presence. I hope I’m influencing them to be happy, dog loving people! But I’m also suggesting places to go and products to buy that I believe in. By doing that through sponsored posts and affiliate links, I’m able to make an income with my influence. Want to hear what it’s really like to be a dog influencer? I’m pulling back the curtain in this episode!
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On this episode, we’re geeking out on Instagram! I got to talk to the dog mom behind @MyCanineLife, a huge account that’s all about exploring, camping and living it up with dogs. We discuss her top Instagram growth tips, how to handle accounts with multiple dogs and some gear recommendations. This is a great episode for anyone looking to reach more people on Instagram, whether you have a brand or you’re a dog momager!
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When you think about working with dogs, probably one of the first careers you think of is dog training… yet I haven’t covered that topic very much on this show. That’s why I’m so excited to share with you this interview with a woman who has spent that last 15 years helping dog trainers create successful businesses. There’s way more to it than learning basic commands - you also need to know how to run and market a small business. No matter what you do in the pet industry, I know you’ll get a lot from this episode!
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In this episode, we’re not just talking about products, sales or marketing, we’re talking about how to make people’s and pets lives better. I absolutely love that today’s guest said that one of her favorite resources is the dog park - I know that I get most of my news, shopping tips, recipes and dog momming advice from my park friends so that advice is on point and so authentic. You’re going to love this conversation, let’s dive right into it!
On this episode, I’m talking to an artist who’s taken her creative skill set and combined it with business experience in a variety of industries to create a successful pet brand. Style and design are at the core of everything she does, but operations, hiring, and accounting are necessary components that she’s figured out through trial and error and with the help of a support network. Listen until the end to hear all about her dog’s obsession with Chewbacca! Let’s dive in!
(00:00) Intro (00:30) Introducing Sarah Rowe(02:40) What was Sarah’s path that led her to Lion and Wolf(08:08) How does sourcing help Sarah with her textile printing(9:29) How she manages her time between operations and creativity(14:43) What are the qualifications when hiring a seamstress(17:10) How her business grows organically(24:57) Hear about Sarah’s dog Pheiff
(27:08) Where to find Sarah Rowe
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I’m so excited to bring you this interview with a dog harness designer based in Paris, France. Her lifelong passion for dogs and history with some unique rescues inspires the collection that’s all handmade in Germany with 100% vegan materials. I think you’ll be so inspired by the passion she has for dogs and how that translates into a really unique and fun product.
(00:00) Intro (00:29) Introducing Jennifer Schwientek(02:11) How Jennifer was inspired and started PetitVoyou(05:12) What Jennifer’s dog Santana was a part of her process(14:56) How she came up with the different styles and types(17:33) How she got the word out in only 2 years(19:50) Where PetitVoyou is being carried(22:56) Hear about Jennifer’s two current puppies(28:31) Where to find Jennifer Schwientek
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In today’s episode, we’re talking about a much-requested topic - Kickstarter! Today’s guest has a live Kickstarter campaign that already been successfully funded and continues to gain support. Hear about how she prototyped her design with the help of her mom’s sewing skills and then found a manufacturer when she was ready to produce at scale. Of course, you’ll also want to hear about her rescue dogs who inspired the product and this entrepreneurial venture.
(00:00) Intro (00:29) Introducing Gretchen Dill of Muttruk(04:06) Gretchen Dill’s Inspiration for making her new product design(15:13) What led Gretchen to crowdfund this project on Kickstarter(17:22) What have you learned about the crowdfunding process(19:48) Tips on making a good video for Kickstarter(21:38) How to get the interest of the crowd(24:06) The backstory of how Phoenix and Lander came into Gretchen’s life(27:27) Where to find Gretchen Dill
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One of the best ways to market your online store is to have customers who already love you singing your praises to their friends. In this episode, I’m going to walk you through how to set up a rewards program for your online shop. I’ll cover various apps you can use to build it, things to consider when structuring your program and how to get the word out about it.
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On today's episode, we’re taking a deep dive into what we feed our pets. Food is life, so what you feed your dog is going to make a big impact on them. Today, you’ll hear from an integrative veterinary medicine expert on how the right foods can help your dog live a longer, happier and healthier life. If you're interested in learning more about pet nutrition, check out episodes 60, 57, 35 and 20. At the end of this conversation, you’ll also get inspiring advice on the entrepreneurship journey that we’re all on.
(00:00) Intro
(01:15) Introducing Dr. Judy Morgan
(03:53) What is an integrative approach to pet health
(08:16) Advantages of making your own dog food or dog treats
(13:05) What is the superfood for dogs
(20:35) Food therapy as part of the cancer treatment
(26:26) What natural ways there are to protect our pets from parasites
(35:32) Where to find Dr. Judy Morgan
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On this episode, I’m talking to a woman, along with her sister, about how they started an app to help single dog lovers find love (without 4 legs). They created a dating app just for dog owners and the people who “get them.” To get the word out about their new businesses, the sisters hosted events all over the country and even created a national holiday! We’re gonna break it all down in this episode!
(00:00) Intro (00:55) Introducing Leigh Isaacson(02:00) Leigh’s story of how she came up with the idea of creating Dig(08:45) What makes Dig different from other dating apps(12:25) The steps she took to develop the Dig app(15:20) How they launched the app on Valentine’s Day(23:46) Why Dig made a Dog Mom’s Day an official holiday (26:28) Hear about Leigh’s dog, Penny(29:04) Where to find Leigh Isaacson
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On this episode, I’m talking to a woman who’s taking canine gut health mainstream. For years, investors, retailers and the press just didn’t get it - but she stuck with this business and now it’s taken off! You’ll hear how she markets a product that’s both fun and practical plus inspiring advice about never giving up!
(00:00) Intro(00:51) Introducing Meg Meyer, The Bear and The Rat(01:30) Meg’s story about getting recruited for Shark Tank(05:44) How Meg’s business was impacted by Shark Tank(08:10) What one of the biggest trends is in the pet food industry is(10:24) The hardships of a frozen product(19:01) What has been Meg’s best marketing strategy(19:57) How Meg manages her time(21:57) The moment Meg almost quit(28:19) Where to find Meg Meyer
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On this episode, I’m talking to a party planning entrepreneur who discovered an opportunity to create a product that she couldn’t find anywhere else. You’ll hear how she found inspiration, the risks she took to get it off the ground and how she found success by scaling back. You’ll also get some tips and ideas for planning your own puppy celebrations.
(00:00) Intro(00:55) Introducing Mandy Diaz, Pawty in a Box(02:21) How Mandy started her business from her own personal shopping trip(05:02) What the first pawty box was(09:30) What goes inside these boxes12:17) Where Mandy keeps all the boxes and who helps her with shipping(18:30) Advice on how to plan an awesome pawty for your pup(19:57) How Mandy manages her time(21:36) Mandy’s advice for dog moms starting their own business(24:56) How Handsome, Mandy’s dog, came into her life(26:02) Where to find Mandy Diaz
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On this episode, I”m chatting with a branding expert and designer who’s been working with pet brands to help them reach their goals. She asks the tough questions with her clients - so listen in to get ideas for what you should be asking yourself before pursuing a website or logo redesign. She also shares some great resources that you can use to take your design to the next level!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Kaila Piepkow of Dox Design(03:09) Backtrack of Dox Design(06:44) Why did Kaila focus on pet businesses(08:27) What personality traits Kaila shares with her dogs(13:45) How Kaila help her clients on their brand to stay relevant to their target audience(17:10) How to incorporate brand into social media images without hiring a camera crew(23:28) Favorite tools or apps and resources (26:06) Where to find Kaila Piepkow
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On this episode, we’re talking a lot about life-changing dog nutrition. The origin story of this business starts with a Doberman who was given just 6 months to live, but through a major diet change he went on for nearly 3 more years! Now that nutrition advice and knowledge is being shared with dogs all over the country - changing the way dog moms give treats to their pups. Today’s guest also gives some great advice on how to launch a business that’s different from the status quo.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Ruby Balaram of Real Dog Box(02:13) How Real Dog Box started and the kinds of products they sell(03:51) The backstory of the Doberman who inspired Ruby to start the business(10:59) Something you could feed your dog to give them a better life(15:14) What meal prep Ruby does for her dog(16:54) The startup phase of Real Dog Box(25:39) Advice for people who have a revolutionary idea(28:24) Favorite tools or apps and resources (29:53) Where to find Ruby Balaram
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Welcome to Wear Wag Repeat Episode 56: Creating A Dog Empire - How to Start a Niche Business, Grow Big & Pivot. Do you dream of taking your little niche blog and turning it into a multimedia brand? See what’s worked and what didn’t for me as I launched an online shop and started a podcast in the last two years.
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On this episode, I’m talking to a woman who’s been making a difference in pet dental health for about 2 decades. She’s educating pet owners and helping them improve their dog’s overall health starting with their mouths. Did you know that about 80% of dogs have some kind of periodontal disease? That’s a scary statistic and the motivation behind this marketer’s passion for her products and business. Learn how she uses Amazon, affiliates, influencers and grassroots marketing to get the word out.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Melissa Gulbranson of Oxyfresh(03:25) A backstory of how Oxyfresh started (09:50) Ways that Oxyfresh stands out in the Pet Industry (11:19) Importance of products made in the USA for Pet Industry(17:36) How to grow your ecommerce business using Amazon(18:45) The way Melissa works with bloggers and influencers(23:29) What winning one of the Pet Age Women of Influence awards meant to Melissa(27:39) Hear about Melissa’s two pets(30:32) Favorite tools or apps and resources (32:53) Where to find Melissa Gulbranson
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
No matter what you do in the pet industry, you have a business and that means you’re trying to sell something to someone. I hear from people all the time that they don’t want to appear “salesy” so they tiptoe around what they’re offering. In this episode, I’ll let you in on a little secret mind shift I made so that I never feel sleazy and salesy. I’ve learned how to authentically and effortlessly sell sponsorships, items in my online shop, signups in my online course and influence purchases through affiliate sales.
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to a dog mom who started her pup’s social media accounts just a few years ago on a whim, grew them to 50,000 followers on Instagram and over 80,000 on Facebook! Now she’s come out with a children's book inspired by her dog Max and his adventures. She explains how she self publishes the book using Amazon print on demand.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Lisa Shawver of One Up Max Adventure Series (01:58) The backstory of how Max come into Lisa’s life(06:37) What inspired Lisa to start a social media account for Max(08:59) How Lisa started to grow Max’s Social Media Accounts(14:31) Learn the process of self-publishing a book(26:18) Favorite apps and resources (30:41) Where to find Lisa Shawver
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
Today’s episode is a little longer than usual, but it’s so worth it! I got a chance to talk to an entreprenur who’s grown a solo pet sitting and walking business into a full on empire! You’re going to be so inspired when you learn about her business philosophy. It’s all about being authentic. That approach allows you to sell without being pushy, build a strong company culture and provide tons of value to your community. We also talk about how to approach your business idols when you meet them in person and a few resources that she relies on to run and grow her pet industry business.
(00:00) Intro(02:45) Introducing Adina Silberstein of Queenie’s Pets LLC(03:25) The backstory of Queenie’s Pets LLC|(09:11) What the Queenie’s Pets facility holds(14:14) How Queenie’s Pets monetizes their education platform(20:37) How Adina has grown as leader(26:49) Who Adina admires in the pet industry(29:04) Adina’s approach to meeting big named industry leaders(33:10) Favorite tools and resources (38:05) Where to find Adina Silberstein
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to an entrepreneur who’s passion for giving back to animal rescue organizations has lead her to create a booming online store with t-shirts and more. You’ll love hearing how the business started with her and her mom making tons of dog treats in their home kitchen and how they’ve transitioned to a much more scalable business model that raises money for animal rescue. She has great advice on finding inspiration, staying focused on profits and of course, you’ll get to hear all about her dogs!
(00:00) Intro(01:39) Introducing Kaitlin Anderson of Treat Dreams(02:01) How Kaitlin and her mom came up with the t-shirt ideas(03:56) The first t-shirt designs they came up with(06:39) How they handle the logistics of a t-shirt shop(08:40) The way they structure their giveback program(11:11) Where you should invest in your business(14:39) Kaitlin’s favorite social platform for advertising(17:39) Where Kaitlin gets her inspiration(19:58) What shelters and rescues Kaitlin supports(23:14) Kaitlin’s goals for her business(25:28) Meet Kaitlin’s dogs(29:18) Where to find Kaitlin Anderson
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
Welcome to episode number 50! I’m so excited to celebrate this milestone of the Wear Wag Repeat podcast with a very special interview. I really admire the style, craftsmanship and originality of this luxury dog brand and I’m excited to learn more about it from the founder. We’re talking about forming major partnerships with brands and influencers, her commitment to quality and how her dog inspires the business. Make sure you listen until the end for the most heartwarming advice about running your business.
(00:00) Intro(01:07) Introducing Holly Simpson of Teddy Maximus(02:22) How Teddy Maximus got started(04:16) Why British craftsmanship means so much to Holly(06:32) Hear Holly’s partnership with the Mandarin Oriental hotel(09:58) How long Holly thinks about the Teddy Maximus experience through her products(13:57) How Holly meets with influencers(15:31) How Holly arranges the partnerships(16:12) Where the name Teddy Maximus came from(17:28) What do Holly and Teddy do together(20:40) What makes the Teddy Maximus carriers to special(22:38) Holly’s advice for getting into publications like Conde Nast and Vogue(24:01) When to start hiring for PR help(25:25) Holly’s favorite business apps(28:23) Where to find Holly Simpson
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to a design savvy pastry chef who’s turned her skills toward the pet industry and creates goodies that not only look Pinterest perfect, but are healthy for your dog! We talk about how she finds inspiration, the key to working with brand ambassadors and a few tools that enable her to run this whole business on her own.
(00:00) Intro(01:39) Introducing Jen Mello of Spotted Dog Bakery(03:32) What makes Jen’s cakes unique(05:16) How Jen finds inspiration(09:27) What trials and errors Jen experienced starting her dog bakery(13:25) How Jen approaches collaborations with other dog brands(15:45) How to create an ambassador program for your dog brand(18:58) How Jen’s 3 dogs have influenced her business(21:53) Why Jen has branched out of just selling cakes(23:26) What cake Jen is most proud of(24:46) What tools Jen uses in her business(28:20) Where to find Jen Mello
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
Have you ever considered that dog treats could change the world? Anne Carlson left the corporate pet industry to start her own sustainably minded brand that uses an unusual protein source that requires far less water and has a smaller carbon footprint than tradition ingredients like beef and chicken. We discuss how she’s managed to get the word out though creative in-store sample placements and by working with micro influencers and a local dog photographer.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Anne Carlson(01:40) How Anne came up with the idea of using crickets for treats(06:32) Where in the world crickets are raised(08:05) What other food options Jiminy’s will have(10:06) What skills Anne brought to the table from working in the pet industry(11:37) What Anne did market research in to find the best way to communicating with customers(17:11) What’s common practice for pet food companies to test(18:11) What other sustainable practices does Jiminy's practice(21:23) How Anne gets great user-generated photos for their Instagram(25:37) How often Anne gets their own photos done(28:36) Where to find Anne Carlson
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
This week I bring you a very special Valentines’ Day inspired episode with Lilly Smartelli of The $5 Dog Wedding. While Lilly has accomplished some things that I usually cover on this show - such as publishing a book and getting publicity - the reason why I wanted to talk to her, especially this week, is because she’s one of the kindest and most selfless people I’ve ever met. I hope that her story inspires you to share love and joy with everyone you interact with. As women in the pet industry, we’re an extra compassionate group and we can use our influence to make other people’s and pets’ lives better.
Before we get into the interview, I want to remind you that this February I’m asking you to share how much you love this podcast by leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. At the end of the month, I’ll pick one reviewer to win a $50 gift card to the Wear Wag Repeat Shop! To leave a review, just open the Podcast app on your phone (it’s a purple icon), search for Wear Wag Repeat, click on the photo of me and Lucy, then scroll down towards the bottom where you’ll find reviews. I promise it only takes a few minutes. I’ll love you for it and you could win a fabulous prize!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Participate in the February contest - leave a review and one lucky winner will get a $50 gift card(01:50) Introducing Lilly Smartelli(04:57) How the idea for Lilly marrying her dog came about(08:03) What Lilly felt getting her diagnosis as a nurse who delivers that news before(11:01) How the New York Times article came to be(14:27) The most delightful wedding announcement you’ve ever heard(16:23) What happened after Lilly’s story came out in the New York Times(18:45) What types of weddings Lilly writes about in her book(25:07) How receptive the dog mom community is(27:39) The power of puppies on Valentine’s Day(29:37) Where to find Lilly Smartelli
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, we’re diving into some product development and manufacturing talk. Do you have a dog product somewhere in your imagination that you’d like to make a reality? This interview will help you figure out how to do that. We also talk about the importance of being available for your customers - whether that’s by DM, email or phone - communication is an important part of entrepreneurship!
This February I’m asking you to share how much you love this podcast by leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. At the end of the month, I’ll pick one reviewer to win a $50 gift card to the Wear Wag Repeat Shop! To leave a review, just open the Podcast app on your phone (it’s a purple icon), search for Wear Wag Repeat, click on the photo of me and Lucy, then scroll down towards the bottom where you’ll find reviews. I promise it only takes a few minutes. I’ll love you for it and you could win a fabulous prize!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Participate in the February contest - leave a review and one lucky winner will get a $50 gift card(02:18) Introducing Marilyn Pianelli of Headlight Harness(07:20) Learn what Marilyn’s husband suggest be their first product(11:08) Hear Marilyn’s process of creating a product and getting it to market(12:23) How to find great manufacturers(16:15) How Marilyn got the word out on social media about the harnesses(20:38) Get to know Marilyn’s dog, Mo(22:42) Find out some productivity tips(27:52) Where to find Marilyn Pianelli of Headlight Harness
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m interviewing a woman who was inspired by a very cold camping trip to invent a solution to keep her dog warm and cozy on future trips. She tells us how she used kickstarter to fund the first run of production, how she connected with people online to figure out how to even do that and towards the end of the interview she shares a really touching story about how her company gives back to the community.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Rachel Bauman of Whyld River(03:13) Why Rachel named her business Whyld River(05:00) Why Rachel loves being in the pet industry(08:26) Rachel’s advice about Kickstarter(12:41) The secrets of finding a manufacturing partner(16:45) Learn about Whyld River’s giveback program(20:25) What apps Rachel uses for her business(25:21) Hear about Rachel’s dog27:33) Where to find Rachel and Whyld River
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode we’re talking all about online marketing for your pet industry business. I’ve talked a lot about email lists on other episodes (like this one with Kelsey from Barklyn Grace), but we’re diving into it again since it’s so important for your growth! We also talk about creating a positive mindset and how that can have an impact in your business - community over competition, ladies!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Mikaela Samuels of Pet Marketing Unleashed(01:55) The unconventional way Mikaela started Pet Marketing Unleashed(07:03) Advice for new pet business owners(11:13) A book that changed the way Mikaela works(12:33) Marketing insights for pet business owners(15:26) Why email marketing is a non-negotiable (19:20) Mikaela’s 2019 marketing predictions - listen up!22:55) A way to track your growth (29:13) Where to find Mikaela Samuels of Pet Marketing Unleashed
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to a TV news anchor turned dog mom blogger and cookbook author! It’s amazing what she’s accomplished in just 3 years since since starting her site. We talk about how she’s been able to get it all done, from photos to recipes and more with the help of her favorite apps and tools - make sure you listen until the end to see what those are!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Melissa Gundersen of Proud Dog Mom(05:34) What inspired Melissa to start a dog blog10:20) How Melissa’s newsroom experience helps her with her blog (12:23) Tips for people interested in interviewing (14:45) Why Melissa wrote a dog cookbook(19:44) How to publish your own book(22:32) What recipes you’ll find in Melissa’s cookbook(28:14) What tools Melissa uses in her business daily
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to a woman who’s made caring for geriatric and special needs pets her business. As you listen you’ll hear how important it is to be passionate about what you do if you want to work with pets. She also talks about various dog sitting apps and the virtual community of pet sitters that she’s building so everyone can connect with likeminded pet industry entrepreneurs.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Ramsey Timmons of PetPawneur(03:21) Ramsey shares what her full time work is(11:25) The real reason why Ramsey started PetPawneur(14:45) Advice for start out as a petsitter(22:41) How Ramsey markets her services(29:50) The subscription tool Ramsey recommends for petsitters
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
In this episode I’m outlining a few different formats for Instagram giveaways, listing their pros and cons and explaining how to run your giveaway in an FTC and Instagram approved way! Whether it’s big or small, I highly recommend hosting a giveaway on your dog’s account this year.
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I got to talk to a major dog lover! I thought everyone might like to hear from someone who’s a little different than my regular guests. This dog mom is making a big impact in the lives of dogs through her work in the veterinary field, as a groomer, dog sitter and now a trainer! The biggest takeaway I hope you get from this episode is to take chances and be open minded about where your career path is headed - as long as it is somehow related to dogs, of course! You don’t always need a fancy degree or decades of experience, you can pursue your dreams just like today’s guest is!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Shannen Standiford of Pups on the Coast(02:12) Shannen describes her first job with animals(06:15) The depths of dog beauty academy(10:45) Shannen details the pros and cons of each dog job she’s had(13:03) What Shannen’s favorite dog job is(15:59) The hiring process for All Things Pup(20:04) Shannen shares about Chance, her new golden retriever puppy(24:51) Shannen’s recommendations for learning more about the dog industry
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to a pet photographer who’s turned her expertise in that industry into an educational empire! I hope she doesn’t mind me referring to it that way, but when you build up a Facebook group to 8,000 members, I think you’re at empire status! We discuss photography tips, productivity apps, business advice and of course we talked about her rescue dog. If you’d like to improve your pet photography (either for business or as a hobby) then this episode will be super helpful!
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Nicole Begley of Nicole Begley Photography(02:48) How Nicole got started in pet photography(05:00) What pet photographer excursions look like
(07:40) Tips for getting good pet photos(10:59) Find out if you need to know photoshop for good images(12:10) How Nicole started educating other pet photographers(13:30) Nicole’s recommendation for people creating online courses(15:23) Apps that make Nicole’s life easier(17:50) Advice for future pet photographers(22:04) How Nicole created a Facebook group of over 8,000 people(26:25) The meeting between Nicole and her pet, Zoe(29:23) Where you can find Nicole Begley Photography
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I’m talking to a solopreneur who started a clothing line inspired by her love of dogs about 3 years ago. She’s single handedly grown it into a major brand with 50,000 instagram followers and over 2,000 brand ambassadors. The most inspiring part is that everything she does is cause based - a percentage of every sale goes to rescuing homeless dogs. Listen in to learn about how to get your own dream off the ground, email marketing tips and how she finds unique products and partnerships.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Kelsey Gallipeau of Barklyn Grace(02:26) How Kelsey figured out how to make her designs(05:07) The timeline of planning the designs for an ecommerce shop(08:36) Kelsey’s strategy for working with other pet brands(10:55) Email marketing tips + tricks(16:36) What Kelsey is most proud of when it comes to Barklyn Grace(19:10) Meet Kelsey’s dogs
(21:42) What automations help Kelsey run Barklyn Grace(22:26) Advice about taking the leap from your 9 to 5
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode you’ll learn how an e-commerce pet store also serves as an online community of dog lovers and supports rescues across the country with every purchase. Learn how this mother daughter entrepreneur team finds vendors for their store and connects with experts to guide their customers. In turn, they’ve become experts themselves and they use that as their main social media content strategy.
(00:00) Intro(00:29) Introducing Cory Turner of Dogly(03:06) What brands and products you can find on Dogly(06:02) Why Cory decided to do an online store versus brick and mortar(08:47) How Cory runs Dogly(10:38) The breakdown of how their nonprofit charity component works
(13:15) Why working with rescues was important to Cory(15:25) How do pet nutritionists, holistics vets, and trainers contribute to Dogly(17:03) The top questions they get asked on Dogly(20:11) What Cory’s favorite marketing tool is(23:42) What it’s like for Cory to work with her mom(27:45) Meet Cory + her mom’s dogs(29:58) Where to find Cory + Dogly
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, I share the 7 tools and tricks I use to run my pet business on autopilot. Keeping my shop, blog and podcast running can get really crazy! But since I use a lot of automation, I’m able to have more time time to play with my dogs! I’m so excited to share these with you because I’ve been getting so many Instagram DMs from family and friends! Listen in!
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
On this episode, we’re talking a lot about pet wellness and nutrition. Do you include probiotics and phyto plankton in your dog’s diet? Listen to find out why you should! All this advice and much more is coming from Amanda who owns a natural pet food store and offers holistic pet wellness consultations. We also talk about why it’s so important to stay authentic in the pet business. Let’s dive in!
(00:00) Intro(00:30) Introducing Amanda Rose of Holistic Pet Radio(02:25) How Amanda got into the holistic pet wellness space(04:55) Why Amanda started Holistic pet radio(06:07) The top questions Amanda gets around holistic pet nutrition(07:47) Amanda’s recommendations for finding a great vet(11:16) How Amanda juggles the pet food store, health consultations, and a podcast(15:14) Why Amanda decided to go with a franchise versus her own independent store(18:27) Her top recommendations of food and supplements(25:14) Meet Amanda’s dogs(29:03) Where to find Amanda
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
Welcome to Wear Wag Repeat Podcast Episode 34: Jen Fox of Bumble Bee Pet Company saw an opportunity to apply her sewing and design problem solving skills to the pet industry. Her brand new start up is focused on creating products based around making the dog walk a better experience. We discuss how she and her co-founder (who’s also her brother) found a local manufacturer who gives back to the community. If you’re a maker or just curious about design, you’ll love this interview!
(00:00) Intro(00:30) Introducing Jen Fox of BumbleBee Pet Company(01:22) What BumbleBee Pet Company is all about(03:14) What in Jen’s background helped her create her company(05:55) Why Jen decided to outsource manufacturing(07:37) How Jen chose her manufacturer(11:30) How to get over burnout(13:49) What experience she’s gained from starting BumbleBee Pet Company(15:41) How Jen created paw balm(17:54) Why Jen is passionate about the dog walking niche(19:18) Jen shares about her two pups(23:05) What it’s like to work with a sibling
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
In this episode, you'll hear from Erin Mastopietro, the founder of Dope Dog, a hemp product line that helps dogs who struggle with anxiety, joint pain, and even epilepsy! There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to giving your dogs cannabis products. Find out the answer to the most common concern about your dog getting high and hear Erin’s best business advice!
(00:00) Intro(00:30) Introducing Erin Mastopietro of Dope Dog(02:31) Learn what Dope Dog sells(04:56) The uses for CBD oil for dogs(07:30) Hemp products and epilepsy(08:18) Biggest myths about cannabis for dogs(10:54) How Erin and her boyfriend started Dope Dog(12:55) Where Erin found retailers to carry their products(14:23) Erin’s experience working in the packaged goods industry(15:42) The best business advice along their journey(17:31) Erin’s top business books suggestions(19:32) How to stay focused in business(20:55) Advice Erin would give herself early in business(21:40) Get to know Erin’s two dogs(23:46) How Erin is like her dog Zoe(24:55) Where to find Dope Dog
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
In this episode, Christie Horvath, Founder of Wagmo, a pet wellness business and Trina Pappadia who helps run the company, speak about the importance of regular vet visits. We cover a lot of topics from managing my sweet Bert’s epilepsy to cool underground marketing strategies. If you don’t have pet insurance, this is a must listen!
(00:00) Intro
(00:30) Introducing Christie Horvath and Trina Pappadia of Wagmo
(02:15) How Christie came up with the idea of Wagmo
(04:16) Christie shares a story about how pet insurance saved her thousands of dollars
(05:26) Tori opens up about how Bert (her new pup) has epilepsy
(07:19) Christie talks through Wagmo’s preventative care
(08:40) What is the difference between Wagmo and other pet insurance plans
(09:44) How is Wagmo making any money
(11:20) Where to find lower vaccine costs
(13:33) What the best part of starting your own business
(16:49) Trina speaks on being able to represent dog moms
(18:23) Christie talks all things hiring
(20:58) Christie shares more about her dog Aspen
(21:54) Trina shares about her pup Louis
(22:43) Christie + Trina shares an underground marketing technique
(24:34) Where to find Wagmo
The rest of the shownotes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast.
In this solo episode Tori Mistick updates listeners on the progress of her online shop for stylish dog moms that launched on August 1, 2018. She's evaluating what sold and what didn't, exploring print on demand with local artists and looking into press and advertising opportunities. Plus, Tori finally got Instagram to integrate with her Shopify account after troubleshooting for 2 months! Visit the Wear Wag Repeat shop for context on this episode at shop.wearwagrepeat.com.
Show notes are at wearwagrepeat.com/podcast
Kim Dow is an entrepreneur who's combined her creative spirit with her drive to empower women and her love of animals to start three award-winning businesses. Her flagship company is Sass Studios specializes in supporting and empowering women-owned and pet-related businesses by helping them cultivate their visual “voice”.
Do you know who your target audience is? We’ll get into why you need to know and how it will help you grow your pet related biz. Plus learn about productivity apps that are great for people who run multiple businesses.
Victoria Schade is a dog trainer, author and entrepreneur who chatted with me about her new novel, Life on the Leash. It's a romantic comedy about a dog mom who finds herself translating her dog training skills to her love life. This book also serves as an opportunity to educate and improve the image of Pit Bulls. We cover a ton of interesting topics in this interview including marketing ideas and behind the scenes secrets of The Puppy Bowl!
show notes: https://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-29/
Sheri Soltes of Service Dogs, Inc. runs a Texas based non-profit that trains rescue dogs to become service animals for people with disabilities. If you love heartwarming stories of life-saving dogs, then you’ll love this conversation. Also, September is National Service Dog Month, a time designated to raising awareness and showing appreciation for the extraordinary work service animals do every day for the people in their care. Share this episode to help honor these amazing dogs and people!
Maitri Mody of Honey I Dressed the Pug and Ari & M is using her experience in the fashion industry to create a brand for stylish dog moms. Her Instagram motto is Twinning is Winning - and that concept has helped her create a dedicated fan base to support the launch of her own line of dog accessories. Listen for advice on starting your own brand and becoming a social media influencer.
Show notes: https://wearwagrepeat.com/episode-27
Liz Rubinstein of GingerLead had trouble helping her golden retriever get around post-surgery. Instead of putting up with less than impressive solutions, she invented a new tool to help dogs and their owners get around safely and comfortably. Hear her story and learn about the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study that her current dog Jake is a part of.
Show Notes: https://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-26/
I'm so excited to share the Wear Wag Repeat Shop with you! I've been thinking about this concept since March and diligently working on it all Summer so it's with a lot of nervous excitement that I tell you it's NOW OPEN! Part of what I love to do is support other dog moms. That's why everything in my shop is handmade by dog moms and also why I recorded this episode in case it can help you pursue your dream of working alongside your dog.
Learn how Asia Dabrowski grew her dog’s Instagram account and then used that community of dog moms to built a new account just for crazy dog moms like us! In just the last six months, she’s built up that account, launched a website and sold branded goods to her followers who now tag her in posts on a regular basis. We get into specifics on website platforms and shipping processes. If you’re dreaming of starting a dog related business, this episode will give you a push to get started!
Candace D'Agnolo of Pet Boss Nation used her experience running a local pet shop with multiple locations, a doggy day care, and other ventures to create an educational community for pet bosses. Did you know that of all the pet supplies purchases made each year, just 9% come from online sales? That means brick and mortar is big business in the pet industry.
Isa Zapata of Soulmates Collection is an inspiring artist and dog mom who was inspired by her love for her dogs to create a collection of wearable dog mom art. She talked to me about the journey to get where she is today, through many false starts and the long process it took to figure out how to make her dream a reality.
In this episode I interview myself! My guests have told me that they'd like to get to know me better (I usually spend my recording time asking all the questions!). So listen to hear about how I got into dog mom blogging, the conferences that inspired me to pursue my creative passion, the one thing I wish I knew sooner and my plans for Wear Wag Repeat going forward!
Emily Lagasse adopted a dog while serving the Peace Corps in Africa, only to get home and realize that highly processed American dog food made her pup sick. One day she found a flyer for a dog food cooking class, and it’s fair to say that class changed her life! Listen to hear how she turned her home cooked recipes into a business now known as Fedwell Pet Food.
Show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-20
Jessica Williams, the owner of PetTalk Media, is a bit obsessive about online communication and social media. She uses her life-long passion for connecting with people to help pet-focused brands craft content that resonates with their target customer.
Her passion stems from her award-winning blog - You Did What With Your Wiener? - a pet lifestyle blog focused on climbing mountains, breaking stereotypes, and living the good life with her two Dachshunds.
Show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-19
Kristin Trudeau of Dog Love Repeat is a woman who started an online dog boutique that carries handmade artisan dog products may of which are made by women. She has formed unique partnerships that have allowed her to collaborate on exclusive prints, designs and treat flavors that you’ll only find in her shop.
Show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-18
Amy Kim of Chasing Monkey is an industrial designer who is reinventing the dog crate. Imagine having a safe, functional and pretty crate for your dog. She launched a Kickstarter campaign to get the PAWD crate off the ground.
She started Chasing Monkey as an Instagram account for her dog Monkey and turned it into a company when Amy came up with the idea for this cool product while living in NYC. Amy is also a single mom to a 3 year old boy and has a full time job while pursuing her dream of making PAWD a reality.
Show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-17
Dana Humphrey is a creative pet PR guru known as The Pet Lady. Our conversation will definitely get your wheels turning and you’ll be inspired to plan a buzz worthy event for your brand. This advice is good for companies large or small, whether you have a product or a non-profit.
Dana's passion for pets extends beyond dogs, listen to hear about her pet frog Prince Charming!
Hannah Zulueta of Maggie Loves Orbit is sharing tips on growing your Instagram account. I’m talking to this marketing expert and Boston Terrier mom about how connecting online can grow your influence and your business. But there’s nothing like IRL friends, especially when it comes to your dogs! So, listen for her advice on starting a pack walk group in your city.
Hannah Zulueta's first career was in travel sales and marketing. She decided to take the leap of faith to start her own social media consultancy so that she could work out of her home and live a life that included her dogs.
Natalie Williams of Grey Dog Photo Studio recently relocated from Denver to London. She's talking to me about how her dog helped her adjust to life in a new city, sharing why you should try all your terrible marketing ideas to get to the good ones, and you’ll get dog photo editing tips to take your photos to the next level.
Natalie left her dream studio in Denver, CO just 6 months ago to follow her other dream, living and traveling in Europe with her husband, Casey and dog, Roger. Starting from scratch is no easy feat, but Natalie is determined to take London by storm with her pet photography and development of her own pet-centric content agency.
Jen Sotolongo of Long Haul Trekkers is taking us on a trip through Europe and South America. Hear about what it takes to travel internationally with your pup and how this trio raised awareness for rescue dogs in their travels. We'll also talk about writing for major publications like National Geographic.
Jen is a blogger and photographer at Long Haul Trekkers, among other fun trades like writer, digital influencer, and vegan recipe developer. From 2015 to 2017, she and her partner took their dog, Sora, a rescued Australian Shepherd on a bicycle tour across Europe and South America.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-13
On this episode we get into the details of how to create a dog accessories brand - from coming up with a concept and identifying your customer, to finding manufacturers and wholesale accounts. At a startup you have to wear many hats, so listen to find out how this entrepreneur handles it all.
Wolfpack NYC was founded by Australian native Hayley Whitfield and was fueled by her desire to create a beautiful winter coat for her mini-poodle Rosa. Hayley is currently based in New York City.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-12
Jeannie North of Ripley & Rue is talking to us about the diverse background that lead her to create a dog accessories boutique. Hear how she scaled her business through outsourcing and online tools, plus meet her doodle pups who inspire it all!
All products are handcrafted in the U.S. by the R + R team and other talented makers nationwide.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-10
Jenny Karlsson of Financials for Creatives is talking to us about money! Dog treats don't grow on trees, so how can you create a budget for your business and your dog? Learn how you can use tarot to tap into your financial personality... and get some professional tips on the best way to capture your dog's personality in photos.
Jenny Karlsson is the founder of Financials for Creatives and has been a pet photographer for over 6 years.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-9
I’m so excited to bring you the Official 2017 Wear Wag Repeat Gift Guide! Lucy and I have personally tried every item here and have determined that they are some of the best gifts of the season. As I was thinking about what stands out most to me with these items, I realized it’s the people behind each of them.
To put together a guide like this, I work closely with the people behind each brand. They are all passionate about their items, how much you will enjoy them and how they can enhance your life with your dog. Many of the business are dog mom owned and operated. Listen to this episode to learn more about them. There’s something for absolutely everyone in this guide! From essentials (like treats), to a dream gift (did someone say Italian car?), I hope you enjoy listening and shopping. Tell them Lucy sent you!
Leah Wiegmann of Spruce Pup is working with her husband to create a better travel dog bed. Their Pit Bull mixes are the focus group for this new product and it’s really interesting to learn how they impacted the design. We also discuss Leah's love of design and hear about some of her favorite products.
Leah worked side-by-side with her husband building a small start-up baby gear brand into a multi-million dollar business. They realized they wanted to take their knowledge about business and product design and apply it to the things they use day in and day out with their puppies Scooter and Moe. So they created Spruce Pup!
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-8
Crystal Serowka of Woof & Walls talks about how she created one of the most colorful feature accounts for dogs on Instagram. Hear how she continues to drive engagement for her account and the best hashtags to search to find street art in any city. You’ll also learn about a new digital publication she creates called Pawlished that highlights independent dog accessories brands around the world.
Crystal and her pups Paris and Emmy Lou live in Chicago.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-7
Megan Sutherland of Pictory Productions explains how to be inspired by you dog's ability to live in the moment to prioritize your work-life balance. Learn what a puppy proposal package is (you'll want to share this episode with your guy!). You'll also get some tips on having your dog at your wedding.
Megan Sutherland is a videographer that loves to film weddings and creative brands. She lives in downtown Pittsburgh with her husband and French Bulldog, Harold.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-6
Marilyn Yacobovsky of PawPointer will help you find the perfect dog for you from a responsible rescue or breeder. We discuss the challenges of starting your own business and the importance of having a mentor. Listen to the end for tips on finding fashionable dog walking clothes!
Two years ago, Marilyn left her career in the Bloomingdale’s Buying Office to start PawPointer after having a difficult time in her own search for a dog. Though she still enjoys keeping up with the latest fashion trends, she’s now focused full-time on helping others navigate the process of finding their new best friend without supporting puppy mills and cruel breeding practices.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-5
Megan Rose is one third of the website Gal's Best Friend. She's a Texas girl living in New York City. She works for an amazing dog company called Dog Parker. She has 2 border collies and 1 Dominican pup!
Hear from a dog mom so passionate about animal rescue that she turned her last Caribbean vacation into a rescue mission. Listen and you'll learn about how she creates custom branded merchandise for her blog with two friends and all about a cool high tech solution to tying your dog up while running errands.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-4
Milla Chappell of Real Happy Dogs is a documentary dog photographer based in the East Village who specializes in "Day in the Life" sessions of dogs and the people who love them. As a personal project, Milla works with local rescue groups to photograph and share success stories of rescued dogs in order to raise awareness about the importance of adopting senior, handicapped, and abused animals.
Learn her top tips on capturing great photos of your dog, her favorite dog friendly parks and businesses in New York City and you’ll also hear about how her Boxer adjusted to life in the big city after their move up from Pittsburgh.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-1
Maggie Welsh is a textile artist, handbag and pet gear designer. She went to New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology and worked for several women's handbag brands, but most recently she's known to be the designer of the 'Pups Who Pack' dog backpack and designer pet gear line. Hear about her passion for combining design and utility, how she got her dog backpacks featured on celebrity dogs and her favorite dog friendly destinations on a cross country RV trip.
For show notes: http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-2.
Bambi and Sienna Edlund of Beatrix & Midge built a successful illustration print on demand business by focusing on one of their favorite dog breeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs. Learn from these dog moms about their creative process, breed focused Instagram strategy, and how they plan to grow the business with a retail location later this year.
For show notes and additional information head over to http://wearwagrepeat.com/podcast-episode-3/.
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If you want to learn about creative ways to enjoy your life with your dog, check out my blog www.wearwagrepeat.com.