So many trainers are in a place where they are working their asses off to try and make their businesses sustainable and are having to work harder and harder simply to run their businesses in a way that provide the life they want and need.

And it can be frustrating, overwhelming, scary af and feel almost impossible to change.

I've got you. Join a past client, phenomenal dog trainer and all round stellar human being Jamie Shellington and me in our recorded chat about the problems with a traditional dog training business model (if you rely on private sessions, group classes or board and trains as your business model, then this is for you) as well as what to do instead.

The term Impostor Syndrome is used widely in the dog industry.

The fear of putting ourselves out there in case people figure we don’t know everything (or anything if the fear is really loud!)

The belief that we just need one more certification/webinar/seminar and THEN we’ll be ready to charge more, or do the work we really want to that feeds our soul.

The loudness of our itty bitty shitty committee as it tells us no one will pay us THAT much or people won’t hire us if they really knew (insert big ugly thing we hate about ourself here) about us.

It keeps us small by tricking us into believing small is safe, when in reality small just makes our imposter syndrome even worse.

I’ve never met a dog trainer who didn't struggle with it in some way.

But what if you understood where it actually came from? (Because hint: you're not broken, it's not a "you" problem.)

And what if, even more importantly you could do something about it?

Watch the video to find out how you can shut your imposter syndrome the fuck up.

I’m so over social media… Do you feel the same?

Too many fucking irrelevant notifications… a bazillion valuable posts gone unseen… missed opportunities vanished because the algo decided I’d be better off with a sea full of ads.

I used to have a free Facebook group, where the goal was to be able to help trainers get connected to the information and support they needed to step OUT of their comfort zone and INTO their businesses.

And I succeeded, till the algorithms turned against us all. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let the bastard algorithm keep you from getting the help you need.

I wasn’t having fun in my group anymore. I didn’t want to burn my energy fighting to get my help in front of you against a tide of crap.

So I’m doing what so many of you have asked me for.

And cos it’s me, I’m going all in with new ways to get connected to what you need, when you need it (minus distractions).

As I say over and over, if what you're doing to connect with people, build relationships and market isn't sustainable and fun for you, then it's not going to work and you shouldn't be doing it...

I'm making exciting changes so you can access the help and support you're looking for in a way that works better for you AND better for me.

So many of you told me you prefer to consume your content via audio, so that's what I'm delivering for you.

I'm launching a PRIVATE podcast - where I can talk freely about the stuff that I can’t share on my public podcast. We’re going to be delving deeper and answering specific questions for those of you in there with me. It's the place you can plug me into your ear while you're driving or walking or exercising (or whatever else that isn't sitting in front of social media)...And actually get to HEAR what I'm saying, get your questions answered and get YOUR support without having to wade through a million Facebook groups and notifications.

Being on my email list is where you get to interact with me and ask your specific questions that you need help with, or want me to answer in the private podcast.

So if you want a more personalized, connected, visible, accessible way of learning and growing in your business…

One of the problems with the traditional business model for dog trainers is clients having to go and see a vet to determine whether any health issues are contributing to their behaviour.

Not every vet is going to be helpful in those situations. Not every client is going to see the benefit to them. The extra steps involved often mean it takes a lot longer to get the help they need and there’s additional costs involved that clients may not have been anticipating or prepared for.

But what if you could have that initial vet consult included in your program? At no additional upfront cost to your clients, and no additional cost to you?

This video will tell you how!

Ever found yourself hesitating before posting something because you’re scared of how other trainers are going to respond?

Or flat out not posting at all?

Do you watch the trainer wars in absolute horror about what is going on in our beloved industry?

Try to keep your head down and avoid conflict as much as possible?

Does conflict make you wanna throw up a little (or a lot!)?

Conflict can be hard and scary at the best of times, and it’s also something we have to learn to navigate if we want to be growing our business and helping people and dogs.

In this video I talk about:

How to best talk about the important things in a way that leads to solution rather than devolving into a fight;

How to respond (and protect ourselves) when others are shit slinging;

How to protect your mental health while having these hard conversations.

Dog trainers and money, amiright??

One of the most fucked up things in our industry is this underlying, pervasive belief that you can either care about the dogs and want to help OR you can charge enough that you make good money.

Well, I call bullshit. Caring about your job doesn't mean you should do it for free.

Or for an amount of money that doesn't actually meet your financial needs.

You're not greedy if you want to be financially solid. Nor does it mean you don't give a shit about the dogs.

Sarah Stremming and I sat down to have this very important discussion, on her Cog Dog Radio podcast.

It's a good idea, right?

It's something we all should be doing, right?

It's something we all should be helping our clients do too, right?

Right.

And also…

There's a whole bunch of shit that can get in the way of people being able to advocate for their dogs.

Hannah Brannigan and I sat down and had a fucking fantastic chat about it.

So if you don't always know how to advocate for your dog in certain situations, or wish you were better at it.

And/or if you wish your clients were better at advocating for their dogs and want to know how you can help them do that.

And you haven't listened to this episode yet (I mean really, even if you have, give it another listen!)

This episode of the Drinking from the Toilet podcast is for you!

Building a dog training business is hard enough when things are going well in the world.

But now, holy shit, the world is on fire in so many ways and we are all impacted by it (yeah even people who prefer to put their hea in the sand, they just don’t know it yet).

We want to be as ethical as we can. We want to be able to help people and dogs. We need to be able to pay our bills.

And we have children running the world. Their whims and temper tantrums having ripple effects on our lives and businesses in every conceivable way. Cost of living is soaring. Healthcare is somehow a luxury, the world is owned by basically 3 companies.

There are so many people who need our help outside of business as well as our clients. And it’s tough as hell on our mental health to watch all of this going down and not know which way to turn.

Burying our head in the sand isn’t the right choice, because then we become part of the problem.

Hyperfocusing on the problems isn’t it either, because then we become non functional. So what the actual fuck are we supposed to do?

Let’s talk about it. Watch the video to get some insights and help into what we can do to help and still grow our businesses.