Going From Part-time to Six-figure International Dog Trainer in Only a Few Years with Shelina Duke

DESCRIPTION In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Shelina Duke The Poodle Trainer who switched from teaching primary school children to training dogs and specialising in Poodles. Shelina  very quickly went from only doing dog training in the evenings to working with clients from across the world.    She shares how family circumstances pushed her to change her mindset and seek out business training and mentorship that enabled her to grow at an astounding rate. KEY TAKEAWAYS   If you think of yourself as a small business, that is what you will continue to be – a small, local business. Changing your mindset is crucial. From the very start treat dog training as a business rather than a hobby. Invest in business training. You can learn a huge amount from non-dog training businesses. Stop caring about what other dog business owners think of you. Invest some of what you earn back into your business. Do not fall into the trap of working every single minute of the day. With social media you've got to keep showing up, it takes time for people to trust you. You need a strategy to get the most out of social media. The way you think about money and your business and the words you use hugely impacts how successful you are. If you don´t think you can grow and make a lot of money, you won´t. Comparing yourself with others keeps you small. If something doesn´t work, don´t hide from it, learn from it, tweak things and go again. Stick to your values and be client focused. BEST MOMENTS “I´ve never had freedom like this.” “As soon as I knew more about business, I asked myself – Why am I keeping myself so small?” “You are almost conditioned to stay in your lane.” “It’s really not as scary as it seems to put yourself out there on social media.” “Bringing staff on is f**king scary.” “Mindset is huge, and it is scary, but you’ve got to give into it.” “I stopped enrolling in every single course. They taught me to train better, but it didn’t help my business.” “The more you practice it, the easiest it is to get over it.” “Now I look back, and I genuinely don’t know how I did it without going insane.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.facebook.com/shelinathepoodletrainer https://www.withtheflo.co.uk/training-your-poodle https://www.instagram.com/trainwiththeflo SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/   Let´s Talk Dog Business Strategy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Talk-Dog-Business-Strategy/dp/1068791705   Email [email protected] ABOUT THE HOSTS   Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/