The Poodle Trainer Shelina Duke on swapping the classroom for dog training
When Shelina Duke started learning to train dogs back in 2020, it was just to help her own three barking poodles during lockdown. She was shielding at home with chronic asthma, and those three dogs needed some serious help with their behaviour. She didn’t expect that teaching herself from a WordPress book while isolating would lead to building a thriving, global, poodle-only, force-free training business with clients around the world. Shelina spent four years juggling full time teaching as an assistant head teacher, 10 dogs, and running a growing online membership before finally leaving school in 2024. She’s won three Dog Trainer of the Year awards, qualified and shown Edith at Crufts, and built a business that fits around real life – school runs, clubs, and caring for 10 dogs – without cramming her diary full of one-to-ones. She’s also navigated a serious head injury, chronic illness, the sudden loss of her sister, and becoming a guardian to her young niece. In this episode, Shelina talks about how she taught herself to build a website and membership from scratch. How she grew from local all-breed classes to a global poodle-only business, why she’s so committed to kind,force-free training, and how she deals with the trolls. Plus her mission to help both poodle guardians and other pet pros build businesses that work around real life, not the other way around. Listen in on the player link below and you can read the key points covered in the Q and A at the end of this post and find all the links to connect with Shelina. How did you go from being a teacher […]
Taking My Three Cats from side hustle to franchise and why Wendy Thomson Melling believes Cats Deserve More
When Wendy Thomson Melling started her cat sitting business back in 2017, it was to earn a bit of extra cash caring for creatures she loved. She didn’t expect that in just a few years she’d be able to ditch her old career as an accountant and set up a franchise business caring for cats […]
Katrina Bayliss on neurodivergence, burnout and supporting your clients
Would you like to improve your understanding of neurodivergence? It might be in relation to your own experience, or around how you support your clients. Katrina Bayliss is The Neurodivergent Dog Coach and she supports pet professionals and dog people in improving the way they communicate with their dogs and one another. Katrina has the […]
Sweary bow ties and not caring what people think with Kerry Whitney from Franky’s Bowtique
When Kerry Whitney split up with her boyfriend, lost her dad and had to move back home to her mum’s, it led to her starting her dream business. It was back in 2015, and she’d just started an Instagram account for her Pug Frank, and started making him fun bow ties as a way of […]
Helen Wainwright on the Dog Trainer School, doing things your way and putting your community first
Helen Wainwright is co-founder of the Dog Trainer School, a supportive online community for professional dog trainers that she runs alongside her partner Lee. Before working with dogs, Helen spent nearly a decade as a product tester and journalist at Good Housekeeping magazine, and later worked in community development. Going from glossy mags to working […]
How to become a more confident writer with Rikki Sullivan
Rikki Sullivan is The Canine Copywriter – a specialist dog copywriter and marketing strategist who helps pet professionals put themselves out there without wrecking their nervous system. In this episode, we talk about confidence, visibility, and how to become a more confident writer because to grow your business, people need to be able to find […]
If you were made homeless tomorrow, would you give up your pet? Jade Statt from StreetVet
Jade Statt is the co-founder of StreetVet, a charity supporting people affected by homelessness and their pets. Jade, her co-founder Sam Joseph, and their volunteers, support animals in 23 locations in the UK and there are 350 vets and nurses who are part of StreetVet. It all started when Jade, a vet, was on a […]
Branding that feels good with Kate Hendry from Finbo Studio
Kate Hendry is the founder of Finbo Studio – a branding and design agency that helps pet businesses create a visual identity that feels just like them. In this episode, we talk all about how your brand is so much more than just a logo – and how to put yourself out there in a […]
Bleu Stessia – How My Cat Grass is helping cats live healthier, happier lives
Bleu Stessia is the founder of My Cat Grass – the UK’s only fully compliant producer of fresh cat grass. Back in 2018, he had the idea to create his own grass after Monte, his British Shorthair, experienced problems with his digestion. Bleu researched what could support him and discovered cat grass, and started growing […]
Gemma Stocks – The Herbal Dog Co – From kitchen table to biggest pet brand on TikTok
Gemma Stocks is the founder of The Herbal Dog Co – the biggest pet brand on TikTok which she built after making natural products for her own dogs at home. It all started back in 2017, when she was struggling to find natural solutions to treat skin problems for her own pets and began making […]