5 Things I Believe Now that I Didn't 5 Years Ago | Ep. 119

5 Things I Believe Now that I Didn't 5 Years Ago | Ep. 119

In this episode, I’m reflecting on five beliefs that have fundamentally changed for me over the last five years as a business owner.   When I look back at who I was coming out of the pandemic, I see someone who was working hard, growing quickly, and learning constantly, but I also see someone who held very different assumptions about leadership, feedback, success, time, and personal growth. This conversation is less about tactics and more about perspective. The beliefs we carry shape the decisions we make, the risks we take, the opportunities we see, and ultimately the results we create. I talk about why I no longer believe business success is primarily driven by luck, how my relationship with feedback has completely changed, why I’ve come to view myself through the lens of inputs and outputs, and the mindset shift that has helped me stop labeling myself as “bad” at certain parts of business. If you’ve been in business for a while, I think you’ll recognize some of your own evolution in this conversation. And if you’re earlier in the journey, hopefully some of these lessons help shorten the learning curve. And if you’re looking to accelerate your growth alongside other ambitious pet care business owners, I’d love to have you at the DogCo Business Summit this October. 👉 https://dogcosummit.com ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Looking back at who I was five years ago 1:35 – Belief #1: Success is not primarily luck 3:39 – How data changed the way I lead a business 5:55 – Belief #2: Feedback is a kindness, not a burden 7:01 – From reactive leadership to proactive coaching 8:17 – Belief #3: Thinking in inputs and outputs 10:12 – Belief #4: Time is more valuable than money 11:43 – Belief #5: I’m not bad at it, I’m just unpracticed 13:03 – Reflection and listener challenge 🧠 Key Takeaways • Data creates clarity when circumstances feel uncertain • Business outcomes are influenced more by decisions than luck • Feedback is one of the most valuable gifts a leader can provide • Proactive coaching outperforms reactive correction • Inputs drive outputs, both in business and in life • Personal performance can be improved through intentional inputs • Time is often a business owner’s highest-leverage resource • Resource allocation matters more than resource accumulation • Most skill gaps are practice gaps, not talent gaps • Growth often begins with changing the stories we tell ourselves 🚀 Join Me at the DogCo Business Summit If you’re serious about becoming a stronger leader, building a more resilient business, and learning from some of the best minds in the pet care industry, I want you in the room at the DogCo Business Summit. October 2nd–4th in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In-person and digital tickets available here: https://dogcosummit.com -M

When a Good Manager Starts Underperforming | Ep. 118

In this episode, I’m talking through one of the more difficult leadership situations that almost every growing business owner eventually faces - what to do when you have a genuinely good manager or team member whose performance starts slipping.   This is not a conversation about bad hires or obvious culture mismatches. This is about the harder and more nuanced situation where someone has already demonstrated that they can succeed in the role, but something has shifted, and now leadership has to decide how to respond. I walk through how to approach these conversations with both empathy and directness, why avoiding early intervention usually makes situations worse, and how leaders can unintentionally create bigger relational fractures by waiting too long to address problems. We also get into one of the most important leadership frameworks I’ve personally used for years: SBI, Situation, Behavior, Impact. Instead of making assumptions about intent or character, I explain why effective leaders stay focused on observable behaviors, the impact those behaviors have on the organization, and what needs to change moving forward. This episode is really about leadership maturity. How do you care about people deeply while still protecting standards, culture, accountability, and the health of the business? Because ultimately, avoiding hard conversations does not create kindness, it usually creates confusion, resentment, and larger problems later. 🧠 Key Takeaways • Good employees can still require course correction • Early intervention prevents deeper relational fractures • Directness and empathy are not opposites in leadership • Avoiding difficult conversations usually compounds problems • Leaders should address behaviors, not assume motives • SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) creates clearer communication • Feedback conversations should focus on clarity, not shame • Accountability strengthens healthy cultures when handled well • Team culture is shaped by what leadership tolerates • The ability to receive feedback is critical for long-term growth 🚀 Join Me at the DogCo Business Summit If you’re serious about becoming a stronger leader, building healthier systems, and scaling your pet care business with intentionality, I want you in the room at the DogCo Business Summit. 📍 October 2nd–4th 📍 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 🎟️ In-person and digital tickets available 👉 https://dogcosummit.com -M

Repost: No One is Coming to Save You | Ep. 117

In this episode, I’m getting very direct about three mindset patterns that I believe quietly keep business owners stuck: avoidance, learned helplessness, and the belief that working harder is always the answer. I recorded this conversation because I genuinely want to see people win this year, and sometimes the most important shifts are not tactical, they’re mental. The way we think about difficult conversations, control, responsibility, growth, and effort shapes the outcomes we create in our businesses far more than most people realize. We talk about why delaying hard decisions usually compounds problems, how limiting beliefs influence leadership behavior, and why sustainable growth often comes from slowing down long enough to build more strategically, not just pushing harder. This episode is honest, practical, and probably a little uncomfortable in spots, but it’s meant to encourage you toward the version of your business and leadership that you actually want to build. And if you’re serious about growing your pet care business alongside other ambitious operators, I’d love to have you at the DogCo Business Summit this October 2-4: www.dogcosummit.com ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Why I’m being more direct in this episode 0:48 – Mindset #1: No one is coming to do the hard things for you 1:47 – Avoidance compounds business problems over time 2:34 – Mindset #2: If you believe it’s outside your control, it will be 3:25 – Examples of limiting beliefs inside pet care businesses 4:24 – What we CAN control during difficult external events 4:40 – Mindset #3: Working harder is usually not the solution 5:28 – Why slowing down strategically creates better growth 6:08 – Final encouragement for business owners this year Key Takeaways • Avoidance tends to make business problems harder over time • Owners have more influence than they often believe they do • Mindsets shape leadership behaviors and business outcomes • Learned helplessness limits growth and adaptability • Hard work alone is rarely the true bottleneck • Strategic thinking creates more leverage than constant effort • Slowing down can improve clarity and decision-making • Sustainable growth requires intentional leadership shifts Join Me at the DogCo Business Summit -  If you’re serious about building a stronger, more scalable pet care business, I want you in the room at the DogCo Business Summit. October 2nd–4th in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Get your in-person and digital tickets: https://dogcosummit.com

The Role Your Business Actually Needs You to Play | Ep. 116

In this episode, I’m talking about something I’ve been thinking about a lot this year, my identity as a business owner and the role my company actually needs me to play right now.   One of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs make is assuming their role should stay static as the business grows. But different stages of business require different versions of leadership, and part of growth is learning how to reassess where your highest leverage actually is. Sometimes your business needs you to focus on marketing and growth. Sometimes it needs you to solve operational bottlenecks. Sometimes it needs you to build systems, cultivate leaders, or develop infrastructure that allows the company to scale beyond your direct involvement. I also talk about the difference between being a participant in the business versus becoming an architect of the business, and why that transition can feel uncomfortable for owners who genuinely enjoy the day-to-day work. This is a short episode, but an important one, especially if you feel stretched thin, stuck in the weeds, or uncertain about where your energy should actually be going as your company evolves. 🧠 Key Takeaways • Your role as an owner should evolve as the business grows • Different business stages require different leadership approaches • The highest leverage opportunities deserve the most owner attention • Bottlenecks reveal where leadership focus is needed most • Owners often avoid the hardest but most important problems • Businesses need architects, not just participants • System-building creates long-term scalability • Staffing and retention systems are growth infrastructure • Many owners stay in the field because it feels more immediately valuable • Sustainable growth requires reassessing your identity regularly 🚀 Join Me at the DogCo Business Summit If you’re serious about scaling your pet care business and becoming a stronger operator, leader, and strategist, I’d love to have you at the DogCo Business Summit this October. October 2nd–4th 📍 Winston-Salem, North Carolina In-person and digital tickets available 👉 https://dogcosummit.com

Exiting a 7 Figure Business with Rachel Bowers | Ep. 115

In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Bowers for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on the podcast about the realities of scaling a pet care business.   Rachel built Brooklyn Bark from a solo dog walking business into a large-scale New York City operation handling hundreds of visits per day, and this conversation goes far beyond growth tactics. We talk about what scaling actually feels like when you’re managing people, risk, emergencies, safety systems, client expectations, insurance, training, and the emotional weight that comes with caring for live animals inside other people’s homes. This episode also dives into the overlap between entrepreneurship and emergency response. Rachel now works in pet first aid, consulting, and volunteer firefighting, and the way she thinks about preparedness, SOPs, leadership, and crisis management has completely reframed parts of how I think about pet care businesses. If you own a pet care company and want to scale responsibly, this is one of the most important conversations we’ve released this year. 🧠 Key Takeaways • Pet care complexity increases dramatically with scale • Managing people is fundamentally different from providing service directly • Emergency preparedness must be proactive, not reactive • SOPs reduce panic during crisis situations • Teams need structured communication during emergencies • Fight, flight, freeze responses affect decision-making • Insurance gaps can create massive business risk • Safety protocols vary depending on geography and service model • Great leadership requires thinking several moves ahead • Preparedness builds confidence, trust, and operational stability 🚀 Join Us at the DogCo Business Summit Rachel Bowers will be speaking live at the DogCo Business Summit this October, diving deeper into safety systems, preparedness, crisis planning, and operational leadership for scaling pet care companies. October 2nd–4th 📍 Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In-person and digital tickets available 👉 https://dogcosummit.com ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Introducing Rachel Bowers & the DogCo Summit 1:19 – Building Brooklyn Bark into a large NYC pet care company 3:18 – Why pet care businesses are more complex than outsiders realize 7:25 – Scaling from solo operator to managing large teams 13:33 – Rachel’s transition into consulting, CPR & firefighting 22:28 – Safety systems & “oh sh*t” planning for pet care companies 24:02 – Michelle’s story about training a GM for crisis management 27:38 – Why emergency SOPs matter more than most owners realize 33:00 – The liability realities of scaling a pet care company 40:10 – “Safety is a system, not a vibe” -M