Since 2015, I've never been without a coach or mentor.

Why?

Because the two years before that were some of the most painful of my business life...
See, I'd had huge success when I launched Pack Leader Dog Adventures, so I foolishly assumed my next venture would be just as straightforward.

It wasn't.

I launched an online pet store, which was a disaster.

Like, a total nightmare.

Over two years I spent tens of thousands of pounds on websites, SEO, pay-per-click, social media experts... you name it.

None of it worked.

I don't really blame them. I blame me. I had no strategy, no vision, and nowhere near enough knowledge to build the business I wanted, so eventually I pulled the plug.

It was an expensive education, but it taught me one lesson that's shaped every business decision I've made since.

I needed help.

What kind of help, though? I'd already been burned by industry "experts," so I was wary of investing more money. This is something a bunch of my clients tell me when they eventually join my coaching program, too.

 

They're nervous to take the plunge with coaching when they've spent a small fortune on stuff that hasn't worked.

So, let me tell you how I broke that pattern.
I did a ton of research and browsing of the web. And I went looking for people who'd already achieved what I wanted to achieve in my business.

People who were successful in their field, and in some way their philosophy chimed with me.

Looking back, it was probably their values, their story, and their results.

I found myself thinking, "This person seems super smart, AND they seem like someone who gives a sh!t, and they've attracted people to them who seem like my kinda people."

Now, here's the interesting thing...

Back then I thought I needed more information, and there was NO shortage of information.

The internet was (even then) already full of blogs, videos, and articles from experts telling me what to do. I found some people I liked listening to, so I subscribed to their inner circles, bought books and programs, and I ended up consuming a TON of good information. But that STILL didn't make me successful.

I was missing the action-taking piece of the puzzle.

What I actually needed was someone to tell me which advice to ignore, which opportunities to pursue, and then hold my feet to the fire until I'd actually done something about it.

So, I sacked off all the money I was spending on information, and plugged into one coach who could help me come up with a plan of action.

Looking back now, I can honestly say hiring a coach has been, and continues to be, one of the highest ROI investments I've ever made.

See, a good coach will ask you questions, challenge your thinking, and give you the confidence to make bigger decisions much faster.

Which brings me to something I've been asked a lot recently...

Because from the outside it can look like I'm teaching the same things I already write about in this newsletter, talk about on the podcast, or share from stage when I'm speaking.

Things like:
    - Raise your prices.
    - Build memberships.
    - Email your list.
    - Create better experiences.
    - Become the expert choice.

 

If I talk about those things all the time... then why do people pay to join a program where they can hear me talk more about that, albeit in much more detail?

Because my friend, coaching and consulting is about a lot more than just sharing innovative ideas.

So, over the next few posts, I'm going to share five HUGE (sometimes hidden) benefits of hiring a coach that I've experienced in my own business.

And Number #1 is...

Yes, for sure, a coach will give you new ideas, but what they really give you is clarity.

They help you decide what actually matters over the next 90 days, which should feed into the goals you've set for the next 1, 3, and 5 years.

And you do have goals, right?

If not, you need 'em, which might mean you need a coach...

See, as business owners we have SO many opportunities, especially in the pet industry, which is ever growing and changing.

But which opportunity deserves your attention now?

Truth is, you don't have a system to identify that. I didn't back in the day. Hence, I just kept consuming info, but still being stuck because I wasn't taking action.

I remember the first mastermind I attended back in 2016. I was nervous about the hot seat.

I had a successful local business, I had been burned with my online store, and I had an idea to start coaching other pet business owners, many of whom had started asking me for help and advice.

Yet, I left that meeting with a focused plan. Within 3 months, I had fully systemized and staffed my dog adventure business, and I'd created a lead magnet to help me build a list of dog business owners, many of whom went on to become clients.

The next 12 months, I experienced what Dan Kennedy calls "the Phenomenon," which is where you make more progress in 6 months than most people do in 6 years.

I launched the Pet Business Inner Circle, ran a two-day bootcamp, wrote my first pet business book, and launched a high-ticket, small-numbers coaching program.

All that came because I had total CLARITY about what I wanted AND what I needed to achieve to get there.

I wasn't 6 months (or 6 years) smarter. I just stopped trying to do everything and started focusing on the handful of things that actually moved me towards my goals.

And this is one of the BIG things we help people with inside of the DDSA.

When you first join my program, all my members do a life and business audit where we identify exactly what they want.

Before we talk about pricing, marketing, or memberships, we get crystal clear on where they want to go, what's standing in the way, and the handful of projects that are going to really make an impact on the business over the next 90 days.

And by make an impact, I mean:
   - Increase profits
   - Free up time
   - Remove stress
   - Enable the team
   - Remove a big business blocker

One of my favorite examples of this is Sean and Jenn from Greenlin Pet Resorts.

When they joined me, they already owned six successful facilities.

They had built an amazing business, and ideas weren't the problem.

But, in Sean's words, they were "often in the idea phase."

They'd discuss opportunities. Analyze them. Second guess them.

Then... carry on doing what they'd always done.

 

They couldn't decide which opportunity deserved their attention first.

However, once we got everyone aligned behind a handful of key priorities, things changed quickly.

We implemented price increases, introduced a new induction program, started emailing more often, changed up how they demonstrated their expertise in their social media, added new enrichment activity packages, and a ton more stuff.

This resulted in higher customer spend, way better marketing, and much more momentum.

There's no more feeling stuck when you work with a coach who brings clarity.

Sean summed it up perfectly when he said they'd made more positive changes in a few months than he could remember making in years.

That's exactly what I experienced, and it's what clarity will give you.

Look, running a pet business is brilliant, but it's also hard...

We LOVE it, but it's hard work.

Even if you've got great managers, solid systems, and a brilliant team, you still only have so many hours each week to work on the business instead of in it.

So, here's my question...

The three things that, if you actually got them done, would make your business more profitable, less stressful, and more valuable.

Do you know what they are?

Or are you hoping you'll somehow stumble across them?

Because a good coach will help you identify the high-leverage, business-critical things that can't (and shouldn't) be ignored.

You'll finally have clarity. And once you have it, big changes happen fast.

Right now, it probably feels like you are driving through thick morning fog.

At first, you can only see twenty yards in front of you. Every decision feels uncertain, or dangerous even. So, you creep along at a sloth-like pace, second-guessing yourself, wondering if you're even on the right road.

Then, suddenly, the mist lifts.

The road hasn't changed. It was there all along.

Only now, you can finally see where you're going.

That's what clarity feels like in business.

With a clear goal, you have the ability to cut through all the noise, identify what actually matters, and then commit to getting it done.

You stop lying awake wondering if you're working on the right things.

You stop chasing every new idea that pops up on Facebook or at the next conference.

 

Instead, you wake up knowing exactly what needs to happen next.

I'll be honest... It feels like a superpower.
And that's one of the reasons I still invest in coaching today.

Anyway, hope you found this useful.

Have a top Sunday.

Keep it unreal,

Dom

One final thing...

If you're trying to figure all this stuff out on your own, stop.

I did that. It cost me two years and tens of thousands of pounds.

If you have a successful facility, but you lack clarity about how to take it to the next level, then I'll be honest: the last thing you need is another book, another podcast, or another Facebook group.

You need to work out where you want your business to go, identify what's stopping you from getting there, and build a practical 90-day plan to move you forward.

If you'd like my help putting a plan together, you should 100% check out the Dog Daycare Success Academy.

Inside the DDSA, we specialize in helping you build a business that's more profitable, less stressful, and a lot more fun to own.

Every Sunday, I deliver the unfiltered marketing and operational blueprints I've used to help 2,500+ frustrated dog daycare owners, to stop running a low-margin facility and start building the most expensive (and most wanted) pet destination in town.