Your pet business content your way

About Your pet business content your way

Welcome to Your Pet Business, Your Way - the podcast for pet professionals who want to grow their business without following someone else’s rulebook. If you’ve ever felt bent out of shape trying to do content “the right way” or pressured to keep up with trends that just don’t feel like you, this podcast is here to help you do things differently. I’m Rachel Spencer - journalist, accredited coach and mentor, author, and creator of the Pet Business Content Planner and Companion and the Pets Get Visible membership. I work with brilliant people in the pet industry who want to put themselves out there, get seen, and make a difference - without burning out or trying to be someone they’re not. Each week you’ll hear stories, strategies and mindset shifts to help you feel more confident, consistent, and in control of your content. You'll also hear from inspiring pet professionals who are doing things their way. There are no quick fixes or copy-paste strategies here. Just thoughtful ideas, inspiring stories, and plenty of encouragement to help you build your pet business in a way that feels good, sustainable, and true to you. Come and connect with me on Instagram @rachelspenceruk

Publisher

Rachel Spencer

Category

business · business · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Mar 2020

Latest episode

12 May 2026

Latest episodes

280 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 May 2026

   Behind the scenes of the Your Pet Business Your Way podcast and why it's stopping

   In this episode I'm talking about why this is the final episode of the Your Pet Business Your Way podcast and why I have decided to stop it for the foreseeable future.” I wanted to be really honest with you about why – not in a big, dramatic way or in a really sad way – just upfront and honest, because that's what this podcast has always been about.” I'll be sharing what goes into creating each episode, from the costs and tech to the time it takes to do the interviews, the edits, the transcripts, the blog posts and the social media.” And I hope that by talking about bringing this podcast to an end, it gives you a little nudge to let go of something in your business that you’ve been doing just because you feel you ‘should’. Topics and timings: 0.00 - Welcome and announcement that this is the final episode of Your Pet Business Your Way 1.30 - Why the podcast is ending after six years and 270+ episodes 3.00 - Breakdown of the time involved in solo vs interview episodes 3.40 - Full workflow: recording, editing, transcript, blog post and show notes 5.10 - Creating and hand‑editing video clips from Riverside for social media 5.50 - Making the podcast accessible with transcripts, blogs and detailed notes 6.50 - How blog posts give each episode long‑term SEO value and website traffic 7.40 - The podcast as a library of assets (audio, blog, show notes, social posts) 8.20 - Why I don't just hand everything over to AI or a VA 9.20 - Issues with fully AI‑generated show notes, timings and names 10.00 - Professional writer standards and wanting everything to sound like Rachel 11.10 - Realisation that podcasting reduces coaching enquiries and income 12.00 - How promoting guests shifts focus away from my coaching work 13.40 - “Grass grows where you water it” – choosing where time and money go 15.00 - Personal challenges: relationship ending, bereavements and house moves 15.50 - Turning 50 and acknowledging the emotional toll of recent years 16.20 - Emotions Coaching Practitioner training and what it involves 17.10 - Other commitments: 2027 planner, Sunnyside Cottage and family business 18.40 - Choosing a steadier life with more time for dog, friends, family and outdoors 19.20 - Accepting that 270+ episodes is enough and it’s okay to stop adding more Links mentioned: Podcast search page: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/podcast/ (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/podcast/) Work with me: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/work-with-me/ (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/work-with-me/) Pet Business Content Planner: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop/ (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop/) Sunnyside Cottage booking page: https://baytownholidaycottages.co.uk/our-cottages/property?s=sunnyside-cottage-robin-hoods-bay (https://baytownholidaycottages.co.uk/our-cottages/property?s=sunnyside-cottage-robin-hoods-bay) Ant McGinley - how to start a podcast: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/start-podcast-ant-mcginley/ (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/start-podcast-ant-mcginley/) Emotions Coaching training with In Good Company: https://www.igcompany.com/emotionscoaching (https://www.igcompany.com/emotionscoaching) Let's connect on social media: https://www.instagram.com/rachelspenceruk (https://www.instagram.com/rachelspenceruk) https://www.facebook.com/rachelspenceruk (https://www.facebook.com/rachelspenceruk) https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelspenceruk/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelspenceruk/)

2. 

   5 May 2026

   Shelina Duke The Poodle Trainer 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. Topics and timings: 0.20 - Episode intro and sponsor message from the 2026 Pet Business Content Planner sponsor. 1.45 - Shelina’s story overview, from shielding teacher to global poodle trainer. 3.26 - How it all started, from assistant head teacher to dog trainer: shielding in 2020, three barking dogs and deciding to learn dog training “just” to help her own dogs. 5.55 - Shelina’s experience of chronic asthma, nine attacks in 11 days, steroids and the fear of COVID that kept her shielding at home. 8.10 -Using shielding time to build a new future: teaching herself WordPress from a book, creating a website and setting up her first membership. 10.57 - The poodle family: how she went from four dogs to ten, and how Arthur, Albert, Edith and Ophelia each came into her life. 18.46 - Reaching ten dogs: adding Ophelia, her first standard poodle, and completing the four‑poodle crew. 19.50 - How her business changed from Go With The Flow - all breeds, local classes and agility - to poodle‑only, online‑first training. 21.22 - Growing the free poodle Facebook group into the thousands and launching her first poodle‑only membership (mostly US‑based owners). 24.04 - How Shelina stepped away from earning around £50k as an assistant head and beginning to plan how her poodle business could replace that income. 25.36 - What life looked like doing both - long school days, evenings and weekends filled with 1:1s and classes. 27.50 - Shelina's head injury: severe concussion, damaged vestibular nerve, migraines, nausea and learning to live with balance problems. 31.44 - How her life changed overnight following her sister’s sudden death and becoming guardian to her four‑year‑old niece. 35.58 - Changing her mindset from “I have to” to “I get to do this” to cope with grief, parenting and business responsibility. 38.05 - Having the best job - spending her days with her own poodles and poodles on screen all over the world. 39.29 - The Shelina effect and why her clients love her approach. 40.30 - Turning a hobby into a real business: challenges, masterclasses, membership and testing different offers. 42.50 - Using AI to organise her ideas into clearer content, messaging and launch plans. 44.40 -What makes a difference in terms of messaging and focusing on how behaviour feels for the owner (stress, embarrassment, overwhelm) rather than just the dog’s actions. 48.51 - The downside and how she deals with negative comments, one very abusive post and deciding “my group, my rules." 52.44 - Switching her personal Facebook to professional mode and seeing a big jump in reach and Reel views. 54.56 - What changed since 2021: why free challenges and masterclasses filled differently in 2024/25 and what she learned about buyer behaviour. 57.46 - Resisting hustle culture and designing the business around freedom instead of recreating a 9 - 3 school‑style day. 58.40 - How a business programme with non pet people helped with starting to think like a business owner, not “just a dog trainer.” 1.00.59 - How Shelina's business looks like now: membership, live reactivity programme, self‑paced barking course and 1:1s, all fitted around caring for her niece and 10 dogs. 1.06.57 - Her highlights - three‑time Dog Trainer of the Year (SE England & London), showing Edith at Crufts, mentoring pet pros and leading a mission to rethink traditional training for modern poodles. 1.15.02 - How to connect with Shelina and find out more. Links mentioned in this episode: Follow Shelina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelinathepoodletrainer/ (https://www.facebook.com/shelinathepoodletrainer/) Join her Free Poodle Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/434932511664042 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/434932511664042) On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelinapoodletrainer (https://www.instagram.com/shelinapoodletrainer) Shelina's website: https://www.withtheflo.co.uk/ (https://www.withtheflo.co.uk/) Buy a planner: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop) Further reading/listening: Meet Kellie Wynn the Beagle Lady (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/niche-dog-trainer-beagle-lady-kellie-wynn/) How to run a dog training business that works for you with Jane Ardern (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/putting-you-first-pet-business-jane-ardern/) Walking in your clients shoes with Helen Motteram (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/stand-out-social-media-helen-motteram/) 10 reasons to be an award winning pet business (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/winning-pet-business-awards/) How to get press coverage from Crufts (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/how-to-write-a-pitch-or-press-release-about-crufts/) The rollercoaster that is running a pet business (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/rollercoaster-of-running-your-pet-business/) Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you? (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/pets-get-visible-right-for-you/) Should you buy my pet business content planner? (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/should-you-buy-pet-business-content-planner/)

3. 

   28 Apr 2026

   Behind the scenes at Sunnyside Cottage Robin Hood's Bay

   This is a behind-the-scenes look at what I've learned from running a dog-friendly holiday property for the last three years. Having a holiday cottage has always been a dream for me and getting the keys for Sunnyside Cottage in Robin Hood's Bay in April 2023 was so exciting. In this episode and blog post I talk about what has happened at Sunnyside over the last couple of years, the changes I've made at the cottage and the impact of that. The last time I did a behind-the-scenes episode was in 2024 and I've learned a lot and changed lots of things at the cottage. I talk about what's worked in terms of visibility, from going viral to working with influencers and how I've been working on developing my skills when it comes to standing out and attracting guests. And I also share information on the people I've had supporting me, from Instagram advice to putting new windows in, because there is no way I could do this on my own. You'll find all the links to the people and businesses I mention at the end of this post and if you're interested in staying send me a message. Topics and timings in this episode: 0.00 – Episode introduction and what this behind‑the‑scenes look at Sunnyside Cottage will cover 1.45 – How Sunnyside connects to the “Your Pet Business Your Way” message and an introduction to the pet business planner 3.40 – What’s inside the planner: audience tracker, awareness days, diary, income trackers and “Pause and reflect” sections 5.30 – Recap of year one at Sunnyside: doubling income and testing visibility strategies on her own pet business 7.10 – The wider climate in 2026: cost of living crisis, war, rising costs and why customer experience matters more than ever 8.40 – A big refurb year: new windows, Floors for Paws, carpets, bathroom, decor, pointing, sofa, mattresses and lighting 11.45 – Money talk: spending over £25k on the refurb, other running costs and why losing only a few thousand still feels like a win 13.00 – Investing in guest experience: photography, handmade treats, branding, dog robes, bowls, welcome packs and dog‑friendly touches 15.00 – Visibility foundations: social media, blogging, awards, press coverage and choosing not to have a separate cottage website 16.10 – Awards and media: PIF Awards, Dog Friendly Awards, SBS, Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Living, Your Dog and more coverage 18.00 – Working with influencers: Kate from Dotty4Paws, Sal from Woof Wag Walk and how repeat visits showcase updates 19.40 – Hosting The Yorkshireman, short‑form video, YouTube content and the impact of influencer collaborations 21.00 – Training investments: TikTok training with Alex McCann, why TikTok wasn’t the right fit and repurposing what she learned 22.10 – Instagram membership with Camilla at Pink Storm Social and how it has shifted her content strategy 23.10 – Reels that performed well: Blue Monday, Christmas in Robin Hood’s Bay, dog safety at Sunnyside and the power of consistency 24.40 – The Storm Chandra viral reel: what happened, why it took off and the “iceberg” of work behind one lucky post 26.20 – The hidden work: almost 30 years in journalism, major investment in learning and the reality behind visibility wins 27.20 – Tough feedback: being called “stupid” for being generous, “desperate” for being visible and why she continues anyway 28.40 – Reach vs results: 3M+ views, audience growth and still only one direct booking from Instagram 29.50 – A realistic view: why press and viral content don’t equal instant fully booked calendars (and why she keeps testing) 31.00 – The importance of support: Sam and Sian from Baytown Holiday Cottages and why they’re more than “just agents” 32.00 – Juggling a new business with grief: getting the keys to Sunnyside while caring for a dying uncle 34.10 – Crisis moments at the cottage: boiler issues, leaks, broken locks and the value of a trusted local team 36.20 – Why reliable on‑the‑ground support is crucial when the owner isn’t local or is facing big life events 37.30 – More supporters: photographers Kerry from Fur and Fable and Liz Gregg, and how their shoots elevated Sunnyside 39.00 – Brand partners: The Canine Menu, Leo Charley and Me, Send the Dog a Bone, The Dog and I and Jess’s Sunnyside illustration 41.00 – The trades team: windows, stonework, flooring, plumbing, electrics and handyman work that transformed the cottage 42.30 – Gratitude for guests: feedback, repeat bookings, social shares and what “home from home” means at Sunnyside 44.00 – Final reflections: running a dog‑friendly business in challenging times and staying focused on guest experience 45.10 – Where to find Sunnyside Cottage online, how to book and how the Pet Business Content Planner can support other pet businesses. Further reading/listening Lessons learned from my first year running Sunnyside Cottage (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/sunnyside-cottage-12-months/) Doing visibility my way at Sunnyside Cottage (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/behind-the-scenes-sunnyside-cottage/) Should you buy my Pet Business Content Planner? (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/should-you-buy-pet-business-content-planner/) The rollercoaster of running your own business (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/rollercoaster-of-running-your-pet-business/) The Theo Paphitis SBS award and how it can help your pet business (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/theo-paphitis-sbs-pet-business/) 10 reasons to be an award winning pet business (https://rachelspencer.co.uk/winning-pet-business-awards/)

Who has been a guest on Your pet business content your way

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

• Clayton Payne
• Kate Hendry
• Laura Hebberd
• Roz Healey
• Lucie Culley

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 60 / 100

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

Quality

99

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Your pet business content your way

Guest appearances

Books guests

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