DogCo Secrets

About DogCo Secrets

Ready to scale your pet care business? Practical advice you can implement easily and quickly to 10x the growth of your business, musings on the current state of the pet care industry, and all the tips and tricks I've learned from coaching over 200 companies in the last two years.

Publisher

Michelle Kline

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Mar 2025

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

153 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Your 90 Day Plan To End 2026 Strong | Ep. 153

   We're coming off the DogCo Business Summit, opening enrollment for 2027, and heading into the final stretch of the year. In this episode, Michelle Kline shares a different approach to finishing the year well: instead of chasing another big goal or launching something new, what if you focused on the small, consistent actions that actually move you forward? Michelle breaks down her approach to building momentum through the end of the year, from identifying the daily inputs that support your biggest goals to tracking your consistency and protecting time for reflection and rest. She shares examples from her own health and business goals, including how to turn a long-term vision into specific daily commitments. Whether you're feeling energized by everything you want to accomplish or overwhelmed by how quickly the year has gone, this episode is a reminder that you don't necessarily need a new strategy. You might just need to execute the one you already have. 🧠 Key Takeaways - Why the final quarter of the year doesn't need to be about launching something new - How to identify the daily actions that will move you closer to your biggest goals - The difference between measuring outcomes and tracking the inputs that create them - Why consistent execution can be more powerful than constantly setting new goals - How to build accountability by tracking your daily commitments - Why entrepreneurs need to resist the temptation to abandon consistency when it starts feeling boring - How to plan meaningful end-of-year reflection and rest before setting goals for the year ahead - Why your next year's goals should reflect a genuine commitment to the work required to achieve them 🚀 Ready to Scale Your Pet Care Business in 2027? DogCo Launch is now open for 2027 enrollment! If you're looking to grow your pet care business alongside a community of ambitious owners, learn more about the program and explore whether it's the right fit for you. The enrollment process includes a complimentary scaling audit conversation with an experienced DogCo client, giving you an opportunity to discuss your business, explore potential solutions, and learn more about the program. Learn more at dogcolaunch.com/mastermind -M

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   How One Experience Can Change Your Trajectory | Ep. 152

   Running a pet care business can be so independent that we get used to working without much connection to other owners. As the DogCo Business Summit begins, I’m sharing why bringing people together matters to me beyond the visibility or business opportunities a conference creates. In this short episode, I talk about the community gap I see among pet care business owners, how meeting in person can deepen relationships we’ve built online, and why those connections have become such a meaningful part of my own experience with DogCo. My encouragement is simple: get out of your comfort zone and spend time with people who understand your day-to-day life, share your goals, or are further ahead on the path you want to take. 🧠 Key Takeaways - Independent work can make it easy to overlook the need for community - The value of an industry event goes beyond its immediate business return - Digital community and in-person connection can support each other - Spending time together can deepen relationships with fellow owners and teammates - Those relationships are worth nurturing throughout the year, not just during a conference - Seek out people who understand the day-to-day realities of your business - Make time for owners who are further ahead or working toward similar goals - Getting out of your comfort zone is part of making meaningful connection a priority 🚀 Join Me at the DogCo Business Summit As this episode goes live, we’re kicking off the 2026 DogCo Business Summit. If you’re not joining us this year, I hope to see you in 2027. Keep an eye out for next year’s event and make room for time with people who understand what you’re building. Learn more about the Summit 👉 dogcosummit.com -M

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Should You Pay Per Piece Or Hourly For Your Pet Care Team? | Ep. 151

   Should you pay your dog walkers and pet sitters per visit or by the hour? I’ve used both models, and while I prefer hourly pay for most team-based pet care businesses, there are situations where I would leave a working per-piece model alone. In this episode, I explain how pay structure affects labor costs, the applicants you attract, and compensation for training and additional responsibilities as your company grows. I share what changed when I moved my own team to hourly pay, plus what to consider before changing yours. These are general business principles, not legal or state-specific HR advice. Please verify the requirements for employee pay, time tracking, and mileage reimbursement in your state before making changes. #PetCareBusiness #EmployeeCompensation #DogWalkingBusiness ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 - Hourly vs. per-piece pay and important considerations 2:12 - A hiring resource for owners starting to build a team 3:20 - My experience moving from per-piece to hourly pay 4:52 - When I would leave a working per-piece model alone 5:58 - Comparing per-visit payouts with hourly labor costs 8:27 - How pay structure can influence the applicants you attract 9:44 - Anchoring compensation to time instead of individual tasks 10:55 - Paying trainers for assessments and follow-up work 11:55 - Building a pay structure that supports employee progression 12:46 - Digital Summit tickets close September 30th 🧠 Key Takeaways • Evaluate your pay model through labor costs, compliance, hiring quality, and employee retention • Switching to hourly pay reduced labor costs by about 12% in my own business • A compliant per-piece model that supports healthy labor costs and a stable team may not need changing • Compare per-visit pay with its hourly equivalent, accounting for drive time and service volume • Consider how your compensation structure communicates the type of job you are offering • Clear expectations around availability help you understand staffing capacity and plan for new clients • Hourly pay anchors compensation to working time rather than a separate payout for every task • Additional responsibilities should come with additional pay, including when employees become trainers • Training assessments and follow-up work need a clear place in your compensation model • Think ahead about how field, trainer, admin, and management pay fit together as your team grows 🚀 Join Me Digitally at the DogCo Business Summit In-person ticket sales are closed, but digital tickets are available until September 30th for the DogCo Business Summit, October 2nd-4th, 2026, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I’d love for you to take advantage of the education and bring new ideas back to your pet care company. Explore your digital ticket options 👉 dogcosummit.com -M

Who has been a guest on DogCo Secrets

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dave Peterson
• Doug Keeling
• Dan Reitman
• Robert Strickland

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

27 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

97

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact DogCo Secrets

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  The Pet Business Hiring Podcast

• 

  Pet Sitter Confessional

• 

  Bella In Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

• 

  Prosperous Pet Business

• 

  The Professional Pet Sitter

• 

  Boss Your Business: The Pet Boss® Podcast with Candace D'Agnolo