Back in August 2018, I decided I was going to write a book in 30 days.
At the time, I’d created a pet blog called The Paw Post, a platform where I could share stories about amazing people making a difference for animals, amazing animals, products, services, travel, all kinds of things.
I’d worked as a journalist for nearly 20 years by the time I launched the blog in May 2017, and I wanted a platform of my own to share stories on.
The blog did really well, and got into the top 10 UK pet blogs in its first year.
After that, people started getting in touch because they wanted to be featured, and when they realised I was a journalist who could help with press coverage, or getting featured on bigger platforms, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, they started asking about that too.
Why I decided to write Publicity Tips for Pet Businesses
I was having a lot of back-and-forth conversations over email about what people could do, and I decided the best thing would be to put everything I knew into a book and point people there instead.
So I decided to spend all of August holed away writing it, then put it on sale on Amazon.
It would be a really affordable, accessible way for people to get publicity, something they could keep on the bookshelf or the desk, with everything they needed at their fingertips.
How I wrote a book in 30 days
It wasn’t long after my first dog, Daisy, had died when I had the idea, and rather than be at home, which made me sad because I missed her, I’d go and work in a co-working space in Newcastle city centre.
So while I was writing the book, I took myself there every day, sat down and wrote until I’d finished a chapter, or finished my work for that day.
I set myself the goal of 1,000 words a day, had all the chapters mapped out, and I’d worked as a writer for years, so although it might sound like a lot, it was manageable for me.
I’d go to the co-working space, do my writing, then go home for the day. That’s how I got through it.
I also had to find a cover design, and found someone from a Facebook community I was part of, called Amy, who did gorgeous cartoons and designed my first cover.
Then I needed someone to lay the book out, so I went on PeoplePerHour and found someone there. By the end of August, the book was ready.
I learned how to upload it onto Amazon KDP, and that was really it.
Creating the accountability to get the book done
I also built in some accountability. I knew that if I was going to hit my goal of getting the book written and out there in 30 days, I needed it.
So I told people on social media what I had planned, and a few said they were interested in buying it.
That meant there was nowhere for me to hide. I had to do what I said I was going to do, and have the book on sale by the 1st of September.
What happened when the book came out
People bought the book, and I decided to open a Facebook group called Publicity Tips for Pet Businesses, the same name as the book.
If people had bought it and read it and wanted to ask questions, they could come into the group and ask me directly.
It quickly snowballed to include people who hadn’t bought the book too, which was fine, because I wanted to connect with pet businesses, and if they had questions, I could always point them to the book.
It also led to people asking if they could book a one-to-one, to chat through their story idea and get my support.
I remember doing my first one with a brilliant lady called Kirsty Skeates, who’s been interviewed on the podcast a couple of times.
How it helps to be an award winning pet business with Kirsty Skeates
From hydrotherapy to making AI for pet businesses with Kirsty Skeates
At the time she had a hydrotherapy business and wanted help with a press release to let people in the area know she was there to help their dogs. I charged £75 an hour for these calls.
More and more people started asking, so I did my first online course, about blogging, since that was how I’d got myself out there in the first place.
I ran two rounds of it, in March and June 2019.
During that time, more people were asking about press coverage, so I launched my first Publicity for Pet Businesses online course in September 2019, a three-month programme.
Lots of the people who went through it are still clients today, people like Kim from Leo, Charley and Me, and Kate from Dotty4Paws.
It was such a brilliant experience, and it showed me I could build an online business alongside my work as a freelance journalist, which mattered more and more as freelance income got harder to come by.
Where my business is today
Fast forward to now, and I’ve had a podcast, three online courses, Publicity for Pet Businesses, Kickstart Your Pet Business Blog, and The Be Bold Bootcamp, and three memberships, Publicity for Pet Businesses, Pets Get Visible, and The Planner Club.
I’ve also had three planners out, the 2025, the 2026, and now the 2027 Pet Business Content Planner.
My business today is focused on planning.
The planner is my product
The Planner Club is my membership
I run an online planning day in November
I run in-person events focused on planning too
People come to those events with a goal in mind, something they’ve been dreaming about doing, wanting that nudge, that encouragement, that support to be brave and go and do the thing.
Usually it’s about putting a plan together to make it happen.
And finally, there’s my coaching, which is really about the same thing, thinking about your goals and having the plan in place to make them happen.
So if there’s something you’ve been itching to do, whether it’s writing a book in 30 days, starting your own community, or even starting a new part of your business, this is your nudge. You never know what it might lead to.
If you’d like to chat about coaching support along the way, someone in your corner making sure you keep coming back to the goals you set yourself, let’s have a chat.
And if you’re interested in the 2027 Pet Business Content Planner, head here to get your copy for £30.
Related posts
Should you buy my Pet Business Content Planner
What is The Planner Club and should you join
Why I am an accredited pet business coach
Do qualification matter as a pet pro?
How to choose the right pet business membership
How to start a pet business blog
