E335- The Future of Dog Training Businesses — How to Thrive in 2026

0:00 [SPEAKER_00]: what's going on? [SPEAKER_00]: No bad dog army. [SPEAKER_00]: This is an excellent podcast with a colleague and friend of mine and he's a dog trainer who kind of just broke off from a chain of dog training. [SPEAKER_00]: and trying to do things on a zone, and so it's really about dog trainers being able to break through and how I started my career and how I was able to kind of get through the noise and create a brand and create a business and [SPEAKER_00]: Um, literally a step by step, hey, if you want more clients, here's what I would do in 2025, 2026, um, to obtain those clients to, you know, pay your bills and make a little money, do a bunch of love.

0:47 [SPEAKER_00]: And, and I think that this episode is going to be really helpful, especially for those who are in business and just kind of understanding the road map on game or clients, especially if you feel like you can't or you're stuck or you're stagnant, so we take a look at social media, we take a look at an actual actionable game plan to move forward today to start getting some more inquiries and calls in.

1:13 [SPEAKER_00]: So, hope you guys enjoy this podcast. [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much and we'll talk to you next time. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, so I wanted to have this call. [SPEAKER_01]: I know we chatted on the live, um, like two weeks ago, or something like that. [SPEAKER_01]: I want to do this call because just as like business coaching, uh, the dog training industry is really hard.

1:31 [SPEAKER_01]: As I'm sure you know, especially starting something new and trying to do it like the right way. [SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of people that are in the industry in Knoxville. [SPEAKER_01]: That like went from franchise companies. [SPEAKER_01]: And then when they went to start their own thing, they basically just stole.

1:46 [SPEAKER_01]: all of their client list and sent them a bunch of emails and like all this stuff and so they like exploded really quickly and they had been in that business for like 10 years and so they just took like half of their clients. [SPEAKER_01]: When I started I left off leash and I tried to do things like the really respectful hey I want to do my own thing I don't want you guys to fail I'm not looking [SPEAKER_01]: I had nobody that knew of my name, like Adel, like my individual name, and so trying to build that from the ground up is very challenging and exhausting and feel like I'm running into brick walls a lot.

2:30 [SPEAKER_01]: So I wanted to chat more of like a specific business idea of like, [SPEAKER_01]: I have a lot of friends in business, I've talked with them, I've met with them, but there's a difference in like them knowing the niche and knowing the dog training industry. [SPEAKER_01]: And you're someone who I trust, I respect, you know me, you know the facility, you know the industry intimately.

2:56 [SPEAKER_01]: So you might, you can definitely give more specific advice than they can. [SPEAKER_01]: So like, just, uh, [SPEAKER_01]: for instance, then I'll hear what you have to say, but like a friend of mine was like, oh, you just need people like eight weeks is too short. [SPEAKER_01]: You need people like recurring.

3:15 [SPEAKER_01]: So how can you continue to train these dogs for like two years? [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, well, if I am, I'm bad at my job, like I shouldn't be training for two years, like these owners should know what they're doing after a few weeks with me. [SPEAKER_01]: Like this shouldn't be a two year process, [SPEAKER_01]: He's like, well, I don't care if it's good for the dog.

3:36 [SPEAKER_01]: It's about money, like that's the point of business. [SPEAKER_01]: It's like, well, I hear you, but that's not ethical in the dog training industry. [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm trying to find a way to be honest ethical do the best for the dogs that I can and the owners, but also make money and I just to be candid like right now.

3:59 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm pulling like, [SPEAKER_01]: couple grand maybe a month out of the dog training business and I've been in it for a year and half. [SPEAKER_01]: So like I'm not making much at all. [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think it's a volume issue getting more dogs in, but so the the first question I guess I had was when you like you've audited businesses you've gone to people and you've looked at like their training company and you've just done this a lot what would be like three things that you would say top three things.

4:28 [SPEAKER_01]: This is what you need to look at. [SPEAKER_01]: to be successful in this industry. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's a good question. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I think first is resilience. [SPEAKER_00]: Like that's number one is great. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: You know, because it's not going to do exactly what you want it to.

4:48 [SPEAKER_00]: And I think, [SPEAKER_00]: that, that's the first thing I would say is like resilience is the probably biggest word, like buzzword, I can give anybody just in business in general, like I had a conversation even with a friend that's not in dog training the other day and she's kind of like I'm sicker, you know, I'm sick of basically doing this being it being online and selling stuff and like [SPEAKER_00]: It's definitely not for everybody, you know, but it's different for you because you're offering like a unique service But you know that I was telling her I was like, yeah, but You know you get 10 years into it and then you can start Sanwalk, oh, maybe you know, I'm kind of frustrated with this or whatever, but you know starting your own company is extremely hard and I have I still to this day have the same feelings that you feel it's just in different You know a different wavelength, right where it's like I need more I

5:45 [SPEAKER_00]: you know, sometimes we say to ourselves, I deserve more. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm working hard and you know, so resilience, I think is number one because there's been many, many times in my career. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I was saying is like, this year has been such a frustrating year because in normal years in my career, we have these like, [SPEAKER_00]: this pickup right where we pick up and we pick up and we pick up and rather it's a TV thing or a specific celebrity client or a piece in people magazine or like whatever it's just kind of like okay that feels good that feels good like this year has just been shite like not like nothing has been generated and I say that like because the years before I was like peaking and peaking and peaking and in this year was just like a normal year you know like I work to help

6:35 [SPEAKER_00]: blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_00]: So my expectations are just unrealistic sometimes. [SPEAKER_00]: And so yeah, the resilience of going in this is what like I have to you have to keep in the back of your head is like okay, well at some point things are going to pick up, but you have to also be [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's a couple of things.

6:53 [SPEAKER_00]: You also have to be good at what you do. [SPEAKER_00]: And then you also have to be, you know, being strategic. [SPEAKER_00]: So it's not just, oh, if I just stand around for the next two years, things are going to pop off. [SPEAKER_00]: Like no resilience is also paired with hard work.

7:07 [SPEAKER_00]: Like you have to constantly be like, it's kind of like, you know, going outside when it's dumping snow in your shovel and it's like, you just have to keep going in at some point, this snow will stop and you'll catch up, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And you'll, you'll have to advantage. [SPEAKER_00]: So resilience, I think, is just number one is just understanding that myself and anybody else in business that you look up to doesn't matter if it's Steve Jobs or You know, Pat co-down the road.

7:31 [SPEAKER_00]: They are dealing with the same thing. [SPEAKER_00]: You're dealing with it's just a different thing, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So nobody goes through this without, you know, some sort of, well, shit. [SPEAKER_00]: Is this the right decision? [SPEAKER_00]: This isn't paying off the way I thought it was.

7:48 [SPEAKER_00]: should I quit, should I find another job, blah, blah, blah, like nobody doesn't go everyone goes through that. [SPEAKER_00]: I go through that all the time every day, every day and I'm really hard, I will just say, like honestly, I'm really hard on myself as well. [SPEAKER_00]: And I think just being a business owner, you kind of have to be like you, you know, you don't have a boss standing behind you going out.

8:08 [SPEAKER_00]: This month's numbers are, yeah, excuse me, you know, not good. [SPEAKER_00]: So, and then the other thing is, I would say, I know you asked for three things. [SPEAKER_00]: The other thing is like stop looking around is another thing like don't compare yourself to other people because you'll lose your own path.

8:27 [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I know that you were saying like, oh, well, other people who worked for franchise is basically just dump the franchise, took all their clients and then went off and already, you know, immediately had a, [SPEAKER_00]: had a what it looks like an up and running thing and they could but you know if you play the the long game like your building you know your own brand they they aren't they aren't they stole you know they stole clients to then their brand so it doesn't mean it's not real I mean it could mean like oh well they immediately got uh 50 clients that month that's real but at the same time I don't want you to compare yourself [SPEAKER_00]: to what they're doing because they stole somebody else's clients that has already established a brand year building your own.

9:15 [SPEAKER_00]: So those are two different things. [SPEAKER_00]: So you can't. [SPEAKER_00]: So because that's a killer, you know, and listen, I do this all the time to myself, like all the time. [SPEAKER_00]: People have different. [SPEAKER_00]: paths and they're on different wavelengths and so don't because because that's like a killer it's a killer because you're Sitting there grinding your grinding your ass off and you know, you're spinning the mud and you're watching some other people like oh they got a new client They got a new client.

9:38 [SPEAKER_00]: It's like yeah, but They really didn't like they stole somebody else's client and you decided to go more ethical like I'm not gonna steal This franchise is email list and tell him I've done something else Although somebody else did so [SPEAKER_00]: So those are the two first things off the top of my head would be no matter again, no matter how good you are, no matter how good your content is, no matter Like what clients you're working with, it doesn't matter if like you know just in people called you tomorrow, I was like, yeah Like it doesn't matter like you have to understand like there's going to be resistance, there's going to be frustration, there's going to be setbacks There's going to be like starting your own company is so hard

10:18 [SPEAKER_00]: And so your, you know, I don't want you to compare yourself to other people who look like they started their own company when they didn't, they basically took somebody else's clients and said, hey, now I'm over here and then they went like that's not, yeah, that's not fair for you because what'll happen is is you're kind of put your head down going man like.

10:35 [SPEAKER_00]: either I wish I did that to the franchise I used to work for or man I'm working so hard and I know that I have better skills than them and you know I'm doing it the right way and it's like at some point they're gonna have to pay the paper like at some point that's that ship is gonna like yeah run out you know and then and then the third thing I would say is you have to have a strategy like you have to think of [SPEAKER_00]: what do you want and then how do you get it, right?

11:07 [SPEAKER_00]: So one of the things that I read I read I read I'm reading this book last night and it's basically like okay forget the name of it but it's like you don't you shouldn't believe everything that you think about or something you shouldn't believe everything in your head or something like that and it was it was talking about the difference between a thought and thinking.

11:24 [SPEAKER_00]: right and so thinking it will let's just start a thought is something that pops into your head that you can't really control like I thought is something that pops your head rather it's like oh they got another client man I wish I had another client I suck they they're better whatever or you know whatever whatever it is and then thinking takes a ton of energy and focus [SPEAKER_00]: for you to think about something.

11:48 [SPEAKER_00]: You are putting these things together, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And so that was kind of like a profound thing for me to read because I was like, wow, that's huge because when thoughts pop into your head, you can either like accept it or reject it, but you can't control if they come or they go.

12:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Thinking you can control about. [SPEAKER_00]: Thinking you can actually chew on it and put energy into it and then manifest other things. [SPEAKER_00]: So my point by saying that is, [SPEAKER_00]: What I do and it kind of gave like a cool example and things that I do so I kind of felt good is, you know, to give you a very real, I guess, analogy or an example would be like, for me, [SPEAKER_00]: I want to, you know, and that you can insert this into your life, but it's like, I want to grow my podcast.

12:33 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: So it's like, you know, because I really like doing it, like talking to people, it's fun. [SPEAKER_00]: It's cool conversations. [SPEAKER_00]: And it helps a lot of people. [SPEAKER_00]: So it's kind of like what I did 10 years ago, where I was like, I want to start a YouTube channel to put out content to help people.

12:44 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, now I want to [SPEAKER_00]: not completely switch gears, but I want to add to the repertoire. [SPEAKER_00]: So here's this is what this is good format for you. [SPEAKER_00]: So you literally write down, okay, I want more clients or whatever it is. [SPEAKER_00]: And then you go through the steps in which you need to take to get more clients, right?

13:06 [SPEAKER_00]: Like literally every step. [SPEAKER_00]: And so for me for the podcast, he was like, okay, I need [SPEAKER_00]: You know, maybe for an example, a new videoographer that can specifically work on just my podcast and then do all the edits blah, blah, blah, like every so every single step that you have to take, you have to think about.

13:23 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that makes sense. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So those are the three things. [SPEAKER_00]: I would say first three at a rate would be just understanding that resilience is a part of this like building your own company again like holidays were around. [SPEAKER_00]: I meet up with people from high school, you know, and there's nothing wrong with this, but you know, they're working for the man, if you will, like they're doing something they're nine to five in.

13:48 [SPEAKER_00]: and they're doing great and they make great money and they go on vacations and they have beautiful homes they have a beautiful family but it's interesting like as the night kind of gets on they're like man I love you know that you know there I'd love it to go do it's you do bubble bond it's like you can it's just not a safe bet and you have to have like this deep rooted resilient grind of like if if I get told no [SPEAKER_00]: I have to smile, turn the other cheek, and then go, right?

14:18 [SPEAKER_00]: And so resilience is number one, and then number two is, again, like, don't look around and compare yourself to other people because that kills what you're doing. [SPEAKER_00]: And these are things that I do regularly, but I'm mindful of it. [SPEAKER_00]: And then the third thing would just be, you know, really understanding the steps you need to take, because you're not just going to like think about it all day and go, oh, man, I wish I could get here or I wish going to have this many clients like you have to put [SPEAKER_00]: an actual step so it's like how do I get more clients is like okay how much advertising overdoing how much social media we're doing but then it goes until like granular steps as well so it's not just okay if I hired a so here's what do you want me to tell you what I do sure this helpful we're great yeah I'm ready to stuff down so if it looks like I'm typing that's what I'm doing

15:04 [SPEAKER_00]: So like for me, for an example, like if I needed more like and let's rewind me to six years ago when I was operating every day at my facility, getting clients and building up state canine, right? [SPEAKER_00]: To now where it's, I go in once a month, train people from out of the state and then I leave, right?

15:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Because the business is self-operational. [SPEAKER_00]: So, but let's fast forward five or six years ago, or even before that, let's fast forward like eight, nine years ago, where it was just me, excuse me, and then I was doing in homes, I didn't have a facility. [SPEAKER_00]: There were so many times, dude, where I would be like, I have to, like, I can't do this, like, I can't, I can't pay my bills, I can't, like, so I, you had to think about like, alright, how do I get more clients?

15:58 [SPEAKER_00]: And there was like actual steps that I took, [SPEAKER_00]: to get more clients. [SPEAKER_00]: And that was okay, you know, if I can afford, I can't just try to remember, like this is like a decade ago, is in my 20s. [SPEAKER_00]: It's good times. [SPEAKER_00]: But if I get a Ford advertising, then I would call an advertising company and like go through the thing, be like, hey, listen, if I give you $500, if I give you $500 a month, [SPEAKER_00]: I need at least 550 back or whatever.

16:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Like I can't invest money into your advertising company or campaigns without an ROI. [SPEAKER_00]: Like it turns. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I can't do it. [SPEAKER_00]: Like cause that's what happens a lot. [SPEAKER_00]: It's so many people deal with that. [SPEAKER_00]: They give money to an advertising company.

16:43 [SPEAKER_00]: Like we just did, we'd Louis, I'm saying people, we just did this this summer. [SPEAKER_00]: We hired this company. [SPEAKER_00]: for advertising, for our merchandise, our equipment and our courses because 95% of every penny that we make is organic. [SPEAKER_00]: It's through socials, right?

17:04 [SPEAKER_00]: And so, [SPEAKER_00]: There was a time where, you know, my wife and I were like, okay, we're giving them $3,000 a month, they're making us $3,000. [SPEAKER_00]: So let's say we give them $3,000 a month for ad spend and then they're making us $3,000 and then they charge us $1,500 to run the ads.

17:22 [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, okay. [SPEAKER_00]: Because they're like, oh, we made 3000. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, okay, but now we're negative 1500 because we had to pay you. [SPEAKER_00]: So these things don't make sense. [SPEAKER_00]: Like these are things that, so my point is is not ever, like this is something I learned.

17:34 [SPEAKER_00]: You know, this is a million, not a million dollar, but hundreds of thousands of dollar mistake here is not every advertising company is the same. [SPEAKER_00]: Just like not every dog training company is the same. [SPEAKER_00]: So when you go out and you have these meetings, they're gonna, you feel good.

17:46 [SPEAKER_00]: They can sell you. [SPEAKER_00]: Like they actually hire people from other countries. [SPEAKER_00]: to sell you like that's their job like they literally get on a phone and they sell you and then they transfer you to their team. [SPEAKER_00]: They're not even part of the actual team. [SPEAKER_00]: They're only job at the home setters.

17:59 [SPEAKER_00]: The only job that they do is sell Tommy and Tom Davis packages in the delivery, you know, they over promise and don't deliver, right? [SPEAKER_00]: Not all of them, but most of them. [SPEAKER_00]: So you really have to have these like I got [SPEAKER_00]: So again, every company wants more clients.

18:18 [SPEAKER_00]: And so, you know, that's obviously something that you want to. [SPEAKER_00]: And we'll talk about ways that you can have more residual income and stuff in a minute. [SPEAKER_00]: But if you want more clients, you have to have these conversations with people like advertising, like advertising people.

18:31 [SPEAKER_00]: And you just have to be honest to say, hey, [SPEAKER_00]: Here's my budget. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, in a lot of times, if you find the right company and you have to interview them to just be like, hey, like, I have a service that I know can do better and I'm struggling with gaining more clients, I need help, I need more reach, I need more, I need a microphone, I need an amplifier.

18:53 [SPEAKER_00]: And then you say, but, you know, I can't really afford a lot right now, but I can tell you that if you help me kind of build this engine, [SPEAKER_00]: I'll stick with you and pay you as we can, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And a lot of companies, especially like local companies, are pretty cool about that, usually.

19:10 [SPEAKER_00]: And so if you say like, OK, I need, like right now, I'm getting five clients a month and I need 10. [SPEAKER_00]: And so my point is, is that have these conversations with marketing companies, because that's what marketing companies do. [SPEAKER_00]: Their job is to get you more stuff. [SPEAKER_01]: Is there a higher one?

19:25 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: I've hired a marketing company. [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, they specifically exist on Google, so they run Google ads. [SPEAKER_01]: I paid them $540 a month. [SPEAKER_01]: They did redo my website completely for free. [SPEAKER_01]: That's part of the 540 a month. [SPEAKER_01]: The only problem is, are only differences.

19:50 [SPEAKER_01]: If I ever left them, they take their website back, unless I pay them three grand for the website. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: But it's five tricky thing. [SPEAKER_01]: And then plus ad spend. [SPEAKER_01]: So I've got to spend whatever the ads are. [SPEAKER_01]: So they keep my Google business profile up and running.

20:08 [SPEAKER_01]: If anything changes on the Google side, I can just forward it to them if they send me an email. [SPEAKER_01]: And then they take care of it. [SPEAKER_01]: Like they have access to everything, and they just do it. [SPEAKER_01]: They've done a pretty good job at getting me clients, but it's so cyclical and just challenging.

20:25 [SPEAKER_01]: And what we keep coming back to every single time [SPEAKER_01]: we're competing for space with the bigger companies, essentially, like on, and so like the, how much I'm having to pay for ad words and stuff like that. [SPEAKER_01]: Like I'm having to outbid even what Google is saying that these cost, I'm having to bid over that just to get more.

20:52 [SPEAKER_00]: Are you paying them right now? [SPEAKER_00]: Sure. [SPEAKER_01]: Who? [SPEAKER_00]: The marketing company. [SPEAKER_01]: Yes. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, boost local is their name. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if that matters, but it doesn't matter. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just like, like when I go into, you know, when I go into, like, if I just Google dog trainer Knoxville, [SPEAKER_00]: Google Florida, Jacksonville, I should have like there.

21:29 [SPEAKER_00]: You don't come up. [SPEAKER_01]: That's what I'm saying, right? [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm paying this company 540. [SPEAKER_01]: And they keep telling me that like the reason I'm not coming up is because the other companies like the franchise company More just bidding bidding way more. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, for those spots.

21:46 [SPEAKER_01]: That's what they keep telling me and I keep telling them I'll then spend more like whatever I've got to do to be up there. [SPEAKER_01]: Let's do it and they're like, all right We'll do this and then we'll we'll talk back and then they do it and I'll get like some traffic for a week or two and then it'll die And then I meet with them again.

22:02 [SPEAKER_01]: They're like, man. [SPEAKER_01]: They're just spending more than you. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: No, I know it's gonna pay to play [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and so I don't know if that's, is that part of it like you just got to pay to play? [SPEAKER_00]: Dude, such a good question. [SPEAKER_00]: It is, it is, but it isn't like, so, uh, so it's a good question.

22:19 [SPEAKER_00]: It's a great question. [SPEAKER_00]: So it is like, definitely 100%. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, if you're paying the game to say, hey, I need to spend money. [SPEAKER_00]: to get in front of people. [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely. [SPEAKER_00]: Like it's going to go to the highest bidder. [SPEAKER_00]: That's how that's how CPMs work.

22:36 [SPEAKER_00]: That's how all that stuff works on Google. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's like the benefit of a franchise, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And that's that's the hard thing about owning your own business. [SPEAKER_00]: So, [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, but there's other things you can do. [SPEAKER_00]: So, like, what I would do is, like, if you feel like that's not realistic, then you would say, okay, like, I can't compete because it seems like, yeah, I mean, Knoxville's, it's a pretty big, you know, it's a pretty big area, but, you know, there is competition.

23:08 [SPEAKER_00]: There's always competition, no matter where you go, there's always competition, doesn't matter really how you go. [SPEAKER_00]: That's, that's inevitable. [SPEAKER_00]: But personally, like if I were you, I would say, okay, this isn't really sustainable for me. [SPEAKER_00]: Like paying somebody this amount of money and to be fair, like a $500 ad spend limit isn't a lot when you're trying to be number one on Google, because Google, like, you know, you have to pay the $500 is just to have them as a company.

23:37 [SPEAKER_01]: And then I'm spending the ad spend that I'm spending is way more. [SPEAKER_01]: So currently right now, I mean, what we're telling Google I'm willing to spend is like two grand a month or two grand a week sorry. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah, now they're not spending it. [SPEAKER_01]: Google's not spending it because other people are out bidding me, yeah, my guess.

23:56 [SPEAKER_01]: So I mean, I'm only spending probably 1500 in total. [SPEAKER_01]: So 500 for the company and probably $1,000 in ad spend. [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm getting three to five clients from it a month. [SPEAKER_01]: And if they convert, then like, yeah, it's profitable. [SPEAKER_01]: Sustainable as a company and for especially having a new family like that.

24:16 [SPEAKER_01]: That's not sustainable. [SPEAKER_01]: You know So yeah, I'm at this catch 22 where it's like if I tell you okay I'll spend $10,000 this month. [SPEAKER_01]: Can you get me more clients? [SPEAKER_01]: They're like yeah for sure It's like well if I spend $10,000 and I don't get those clients then I can't spend $10,000 next month Yeah, like it's just this catch 22 of like do I need to pay to play the game or?

24:42 [SPEAKER_01]: Is there other ways to go just around it and maybe that's what you're talking about. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, so I talk about this a lot too, especially when I do like my shadow program at the facility where people come in and they ask kind of these questions and I have such an advantage.

24:59 [SPEAKER_00]: I have a it's it's an advantage. [SPEAKER_00]: It's not an unfair advantage because I worked hard to you know get the authority that I have, but it is an advantage, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, for me went, okay, when I star I was actually thinking about this last night when I started [SPEAKER_00]: So I don't, we do do advertising for local services, board and train, etc, because we do live next to New York City and so we do get a lot of clients from New York City, especially when they want to go up state and then.

25:36 [SPEAKER_00]: But it's this real, it's part of a big system, excuse me, it's part of a big system. [SPEAKER_00]: So all the things have to make sense, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So a couple of things I would say is Google, I mean, Google is kind of like a game where, in my opinion, the number one thing that you should, like you didn't, you didn't come up at all.

26:00 [SPEAKER_01]: So I just, I just googled it. [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like the second thing that pops up so I wonder if it's because of like the IP address. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, go into specifically. [SPEAKER_00]: Go into incognito. [SPEAKER_00]: Do you have a MacBook? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Go to your file, go to incognito window and then do it and see if you come up.

26:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Because it also could just be because I'm in New York and it's not like, I don't know. [SPEAKER_00]: It could be messy with that, but that's what I would do. [SPEAKER_00]: Go into incognito mode, search dog trainer in Knoxville, Tennessee. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't come up at all. [SPEAKER_00]: There you go.

26:32 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, so that's not going to come up for other people either. [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to come up for you because it knows that you've clicked on that before, and you've been interested in it, and you've engaged in that's just how life works now. [SPEAKER_00]: So, my suggestion. [SPEAKER_01]: If you look at sponsored dog training, you have to click for more pet trainers, but if you...

26:51 [SPEAKER_01]: click on that. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like six. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: So I'll just tell you this. [SPEAKER_00]: Why don't you if you're in a UN Google? [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: Syrian Google. [SPEAKER_00]: Are you in in Cognito? [SPEAKER_00]: Still?

27:09 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Google like just just for [SPEAKER_00]: Um, we come they can't get me. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: Tell us. [SPEAKER_01]: You come up twice. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So doggy day care and daughter. [SPEAKER_00]: Here's what I want you to look at. [SPEAKER_00]: Look at our reviews in the dog training.

27:38 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: Don't actually look at him, but look at the amount of them. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: 405. [SPEAKER_00]: 405 reviews. [SPEAKER_00]: So we are going to likely outperform everybody regardless of how much people spend because we have an elite. [SPEAKER_00]: history of providing good services on in our area.

28:03 [SPEAKER_00]: So my suggestion to you and this is like a long-term thing as well. [SPEAKER_00]: Like my suggestion to you is to and then we have like and again like because we have two facilities we have the so both of my companies pop up and one of them is just a daycare but even just the daycare is outperforming.

28:23 [SPEAKER_00]: reviews than other, you know what I mean? [SPEAKER_00]: So here's the thing. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, it's what's cool is like your daycare has 34 reviews, which is not, I mean, your 10 years in business. [SPEAKER_01]: So I think that they're going to exactly. [SPEAKER_01]: So look at that, too, but that's not as many reviews as some other people.

28:40 [SPEAKER_00]: No, but still. [SPEAKER_00]: No. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: But we come up organically like the other people like this, this company, I don't, I don't know who it is, but they're paying to get in front of us, but as a consumer, [SPEAKER_00]: when you come down and you look at like oh this company has pretty good reviews five years in business four point eight a hundred and ten reviews and then you look at upstate came on academy and it's four point eight four hundred and five reviews seven plus years in business and they have another facility ten years in business four point so my point is is if we're talking to Google game [SPEAKER_00]: like you need to take advantage, but here's the the most important thing, okay?

29:15 [SPEAKER_00]: So when think about this and I do this to as a consumer, like if I'm looking at restaurants or I'm looking at a hotel to book in Switzerland or whatever the hell it is, like if I want to do extent and know a lot of people do this, they do extensive research to to make sure that they're the people that they trust with their dog, [SPEAKER_00]: Like they do extensive research.

29:36 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: So surface level is going to be like, Oh, this upstate can't like if you don't know who I am or anything about me and you haven't been referred or whatever there's so there's layers to this I just want to tell you like the system that we have to kind of keep the things churning even in uncertain times.

29:56 [SPEAKER_00]: excuse me, you know, like with the economy and stuff. [SPEAKER_00]: So if you look at up Satan on the academy, and you're like, okay, here's, here's a sponsored dog place one and it says sponsored, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So if you're in the world of the internet, whatsoever, you would see sponsored and go, okay, they're paying to be here.

30:14 [SPEAKER_00]: They're not really here, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So you would look at the organics, which I'm top two in the organics on my end. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what it says in your end. [SPEAKER_00]: But so let's say, okay, we click on Upstate Keynote Academy. [SPEAKER_00]: We go to the website and we look at all the things, right?

30:29 [SPEAKER_00]: We look at the website. [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, wow, this looks nice. [SPEAKER_00]: It's not just some piece of crap and blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_00]: So you have to go through, you have to have the whole kit and can bootle. [SPEAKER_00]: So when people are comparing you to other people, your website has to also look nice, which it sounds like yours does.

30:45 [SPEAKER_00]: But there's the whole system of, you kind of have to have a full circle thing. [SPEAKER_00]: Like when people click on your website, you know, you want it to be [SPEAKER_01]: This is the funnel. [SPEAKER_00]: Right. [SPEAKER_00]: Example idea? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.

31:02 [SPEAKER_00]: A funnel. [SPEAKER_00]: So you might go to our website and look at it and be like, oh, okay, cool. [SPEAKER_00]: And then kind of like go through like about us and then you look at like, oh, this is what it is. [SPEAKER_00]: You see a UC professional photography. [SPEAKER_00]: They're not stock photos.

31:15 [SPEAKER_00]: You see our big facility, you know, you might see. [SPEAKER_00]: You know me there on TV or something like so when you stack me up like if you're if you are completely blind Going into this and you compare my company with other companies visually and Ex you know experiments or sorry experience These are things that You know and even our website we we're gonna redo this this coming year, but anyway the point is is [SPEAKER_00]: you know, you got to be able to compete there.

31:46 [SPEAKER_00]: But outside of that, I think the most powerful thing right now would be your organic and UGCG. [SPEAKER_00]: Wow, user generated content, UGC. [SPEAKER_00]: So when when I first started, this goes back to like having the advantage. [SPEAKER_00]: Like when I work with people, they ask me this question, like, oh, how do I compete with other people, blah, blah, blah.

32:11 [SPEAKER_00]: How do I deal with clients who don't trust me or how do I deal with clients who are asking me about blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_00]: That's just part of it. [SPEAKER_00]: Like not everybody has [SPEAKER_00]: 350 podcast episodes and, you know, 500 YouTube videos in 4K and they may not see you on the today's show, they may not see you on GMA, like, and I'm not too deep in my horn, I'm just saying, like, I do have an advantage so when people do come to work with me, [SPEAKER_00]: if you compare do you know what they're getting yeah yeah yeah and so but I've worked really hard at those things right so it's not just like oh Tom must be it must be nice to do these things it's like I've also created those opportunities so it's because I knew that that was gonna separate me from most people and it does and it is and so I have an advantage there but for you like one thing that I

33:06 [SPEAKER_00]: really like how I got a lot of clients in the beginning was on social media. [SPEAKER_00]: Still, like still to this day at how I get, Tom, like that's how I get 90% of my clients, personal clients. [SPEAKER_00]: So we kind of have this separation where there are some clients that come into the Upstate Canyon Academy who have no idea who I am, which is totally fine and normal.

33:30 [SPEAKER_00]: That's probably a 30% margin. [SPEAKER_00]: And then the rest of the clients who come in have been funneled from either a YouTube video or whatever. [SPEAKER_00]: And they come in and they're excited. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's a whole experience. [SPEAKER_00]: They're like, and just like with me, like when I go to like, [SPEAKER_00]: Um, you know, a place where I'm like, oh, this is where it all.

33:48 [SPEAKER_00]: This is where they film. [SPEAKER_00]: This is where they do this. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know, if I go to New York City, I'm looking at film locations or Casey Neistats, like, um, office or like, that gets me excited because I'm familiar with that. [SPEAKER_00]: I know who they are. [SPEAKER_00]: So I was the first time I came to Upstate K9 for Arizona.

34:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, cool, and that's something I'm so like proud of because you can't pay for that, like you coming in and immersing yourself in an experience that you've been [SPEAKER_00]: watching like dude I heard all the time like some people don't even look at me and they just hear my voice and they snap their head because they're like I listen to your but you know it's like yeah that's so cool to have and I think ever any personally I think anybody can do it if you put your mind to it but the point is is the most powerful thing that you can do to create a loyal and continual and sustainable following is just [SPEAKER_00]: you know, expose yourself like really so I notice like with the content you're making right now, you could do better at

34:56 [SPEAKER_00]: getting more clients through like a big thing for me in the beginning was before and afters. [SPEAKER_00]: So super easy to do and it's very, very powerful and it's free like you don't have to pay anything, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So for example, one of the things that I did way back in the day, you know, again, when Instagram was becoming popular, it wasn't what it is to help TikTok didn't exist, YouTube shorts didn't exist, reals didn't exist, blah, blah, showing my age here.

35:23 [SPEAKER_00]: Not that I'm old, but it was a different time. [SPEAKER_00]: It really was. [SPEAKER_00]: It was completely, like, advert, you know, I was 23-ish, 24-ish, and so, like, when Instagram became popular and, like, really started blowing up and then Meta bought it, whatever. [SPEAKER_00]: So what I did is I took, like, a dog coming in, I took my phone out, I filmed a dog getting, because you know as a dog trainer, this dog isn't gonna leave like that.

35:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: The owner gets dragged in, they get you. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: Um, this, that's the best marketing that you can do and it's free and it's powerful, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So that's some of the, and then what I, so let me, let me back up. [SPEAKER_00]: I film a client coming in with whatever behavior I'm going to help them with and I know it's going to change whether it's jumping, pulling, barking, reacting, [SPEAKER_00]: And then what I would do, I'd film it really quick.

36:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, yeah, just walk around. [SPEAKER_00]: They're getting dragged perfect. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, put my phone away. [SPEAKER_00]: I work with them for the session at the end of the session. [SPEAKER_00]: I put my phone out and I film them completely different. [SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes depending on the client if they're cheeky and fun and outgoing, I would say, how do you feel?

36:30 [SPEAKER_00]: This is amazing. [SPEAKER_00]: This is incredible. [SPEAKER_00]: Holy shit, I can't believe this blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_00]: And they don't think or even know that I'm gonna be using this as a marketing material and it's not malicious at all. [SPEAKER_00]: It's just, it's not like they're gonna say, you must come to Tom Davis or up to the game and that's not what it is.

36:46 [SPEAKER_00]: I just knew that they came in a certain way and within an hour, they're gonna leave a certain way. [SPEAKER_00]: And most good skillful dog trainers can do that in a session. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's something that you can do. [SPEAKER_00]: So right now what I'm noticing on your page a lot [SPEAKER_00]: like an opening talking like you need to establish.

37:04 [SPEAKER_00]: your ability. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is my opinion. [SPEAKER_00]: I think you should be a step and I do and I need to do better at this too. [SPEAKER_00]: But I think you need to establish more of your ability and skill sets rather than tell people what they shouldn't should do. [SPEAKER_00]: Although the shouldn't do should be part of your posting cadence because it's helpful.

37:26 [SPEAKER_00]: Like, hey guys, I noticed that when you come in with a slip collar and a hanging down here instead of being fit behind the [SPEAKER_00]: But like what's going to, like right now, it's all about attention, like you have to get attention. [SPEAKER_00]: And so what's super powerful and has never really failed is if you post a problem that other people are having, you're immediately going to get their attention.

37:49 [SPEAKER_00]: So if you post a dog getting pulled, like an owner getting dragged, right, and you get a couple angles of it and you like, you know, whatever, [SPEAKER_00]: if somebody's scrolling through and they have that issue in the way that Google and Instagram and Meta work now, it's just kind of creepy and you know some years it's even illegal.

38:08 [SPEAKER_00]: Is if at any point in time they were talking to their friends, they were talking to their family about their dog pulling or they even Google or email anything about like fixing that, you're likely going to pop up in their feed. [SPEAKER_00]: So the [SPEAKER_00]: the easiest way to kind of market yourself.

38:27 [SPEAKER_00]: Those are the things I would be doing for you is because, in my opinion, people aren't going to be, you need to establish more of what you can do before you put out things of like, I'm an expert, you should listen to me, not that you're not an expert and not that people shouldn't listen to you, but you need to build more of a authority.

38:52 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's great. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, for sure. [SPEAKER_01]: That's great. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I was in the spirit of trying to be helpful. [SPEAKER_01]: It's like in the spirit of trying to be helpful. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm saying things as like an authority without people knowing that I can actually get the job done.

39:12 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm just I'm just some of that they don't know. [SPEAKER_01]: They don't know who I am to that makes sense. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, man. [SPEAKER_00]: So here's what I would do is like, you know, I'm just on your Instagram right now. [SPEAKER_00]: So open your ins, like, don't open your Instagram right now.

39:28 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just saying like when you open your Instagram videos like if you look through your feed without looking at anything, right, you're just scrolling through like it just starts with you saying like, you know, for an example, showing pulling [SPEAKER_00]: harness like harness tips for strong pullers it's you with the harness which is great like to me that makes sense to you that makes sense but the reality is is people are watching don't care because you haven't you know proven to yourself of being like [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I need to listen to you because I've seen that you can get the job done.

40:00 [SPEAKER_01]: You know what you're talking about. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So you so open your videos with the problem, like don't don't say, Hey, I'm Tommy from Nope. [SPEAKER_00]: Open your videos with a big problem that you know people are struggling with like again, for an example, a dog is getting getting dragged right they're getting dragged right that's a problem.

40:21 [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of people make oh shit. [SPEAKER_00]: That's my dog. [SPEAKER_00]: you know, and then you can go in and be like, hey, you have a couple of different options, right? [SPEAKER_00]: But you can go in the dogs drag in the owner, right? [SPEAKER_00]: Then you can go in and excuse me, then the owner's not getting tracked, right?

40:45 [SPEAKER_00]: And a simple thing that you can do that I've done that's helpful and I don't know if you're familiar with this, but there's a company called [SPEAKER_00]: And anybody that you follow, you know, including me are using the using this automation and so essentially what you can do in many chat and it's not that expensive but it's like your own marketing team so for you here's what I would do is I would really get back down to like.

41:10 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: I need to get more clients. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: So again, here's here's here's the question to be asking yourself. [SPEAKER_00]: I need to get more clients. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: Why would people call you? [SPEAKER_00]: Why would people give you money?

41:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Those are the questions like I need more clients. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: In order for you to get more clients, you have to solve people's problems. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: So then we're going to next step. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: I need more money in the door.

41:30 [SPEAKER_00]: I need to get more clients. [SPEAKER_00]: I need to solve more problems. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_00]: If people don't know you can help them solve their problems, [SPEAKER_00]: They're not going to call you, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So if you're like, hey, I'm Tommy Blackburn. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm a dog trainer and I'm going to show you what harness is suck.

41:42 [SPEAKER_00]: Cool. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know who you are, so I don't trust you, or I don't know who you are. [SPEAKER_00]: My other trainer said, you know, you have to show them that like, yeah, you can do it. [SPEAKER_00]: That's, and, and, you know, I'm going to be saying this to my kids a lot, but it's kind of like, do as I say, and not as I do.

41:59 [SPEAKER_00]: So like, I'm at a point where I don't do this stuff anymore, because I'm just focused on other things, right? [SPEAKER_00]: But it's so powerful. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, if I did this, my business would do better at the facility. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just like, [SPEAKER_00]: You know, so this is so powerful, but if I were to get into a pinch, I was like, I need to make as much money as I possibly can, right now.

42:18 [SPEAKER_00]: And this is what I did. [SPEAKER_00]: Like back in the day, dude, I was... [SPEAKER_00]: at that point. [SPEAKER_00]: But I've been at your point, you know, a dozen times, you know, where you're like, dude, I started this business and nothing's coming through. [SPEAKER_00]: And so the resilience of going, like, not always me, not, I'm not good enough.

42:39 [SPEAKER_00]: You have to, like, dude, I used to be [SPEAKER_00]: I used to, I used to have a big, I used to have a big problem with that, you know, whether it's ego or it's maybe an immature or maybe just being young and starting my own company or just not having mentors because I'm like the first person in my family to do something like this, right?

42:58 [SPEAKER_00]: So it's not like my dad was like, oh. [SPEAKER_00]: you know, here's a million bucks on like no I came from nothing nobody knew anything about certain it is I didn't know anything but part of the problem I used to do is I was like why am I not getting more clients I can help people I'm good at what I do you know and it's frustrating so you kind of sit there and you're like ah you know they'll come and it's like yeah but you got to you know you also have to like you know so [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

43:21 [SPEAKER_00]: You have to be able to give, give your clients a reason to call you. [SPEAKER_00]: Like if you post the video of, and here's, and I'm going to give you obtainable things that you can do this week. [SPEAKER_00]: Post the video of a problem and write down like okay. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna do two recall videos.

43:41 [SPEAKER_00]: .com.com.com. [SPEAKER_00]: God doesn't come back. [SPEAKER_00]: Splice it. [SPEAKER_00]: The next video.com. [SPEAKER_00]: The dog comes back. [SPEAKER_00]: Holy shit. [SPEAKER_00]: How'd you do that? [SPEAKER_00]: My dog will never come back. [SPEAKER_00]: Right? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And you can even do that with your own dogs.

43:52 [SPEAKER_00]: Like you can edit it in a way where like you can do it with your own dogs. [SPEAKER_00]: Like you can say a different command that your dog just like I don't know what that is. [SPEAKER_00]: And then you can say come or hear and the dog comes flying. [SPEAKER_00]: And then that. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's you got to kind of like [SPEAKER_00]: Fage it to you make it, so then you do before and after, and then you put it on Instagram, and then you obviously pair it with your meta, and then you might want to go to your marketing company and go look.

44:18 [SPEAKER_01]: What does that mean? [SPEAKER_01]: Pair it with your meta. [SPEAKER_00]: Your Facebook, so as long as you're okay, because the meta interface is much better to run ads with, you can be very targeted, like you can target your neighbor with the dog if you wanted to in meta, you know, [SPEAKER_00]: So instead of trying to compete with other people through, I'm going to spend more money getting in front of people, really, you know, where you're at right now, if you're like, that's not sustainable.

44:44 [SPEAKER_00]: Like, so here's another thing I remember when I first started is there were things that older dog, like, back at dude, I'm not going to be lied to you. [SPEAKER_00]: When I started my, [SPEAKER_00]: YouTube channel. [SPEAKER_00]: It was Larry Cron, Robert Cabral, couple positive reinforcements and only trainers.

45:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Michael Ellis, but he wasn't really on YouTube, right? [SPEAKER_00]: You kind of saw this on shit, right? [SPEAKER_00]: But he wasn't like putting out content on YouTube, really. [SPEAKER_00]: So there really wasn't anybody, like it was just, so I'm like in my head, I'm like, [SPEAKER_00]: I just need to be different than those guys.

45:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I need to create my own thing. [SPEAKER_00]: I need to like, you know, and I was, I was like different. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I was a younger person with blue hair and tattoos and like a completely different thing. [SPEAKER_00]: And I was probably more relatable to a lot of people who were watching YouTube at the time, right?

45:31 [SPEAKER_00]: And it wasn't that I was better or different or had more experience because that's not the case. [SPEAKER_00]: They're all older than me and been doing this since I was in diapers. [SPEAKER_00]: I just was trying to figure something in my head on like, how can I be different? [SPEAKER_00]: I was harder to break through, but there wasn't as much noise.

45:49 [SPEAKER_00]: Now there's just, dude, there's so much noise. [SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah, everyone in their brother is on YouTube about how I'm training here. [SPEAKER_00]: Or just everywhere, dude, everywhere, Facebook, Instagram, whatever. [SPEAKER_00]: So then what you do is you put a little money behind those posts.

46:05 [SPEAKER_00]: So you posted on your Instagram really good before and after. [SPEAKER_00]: I would do like two different posts per, you know, per issue, leash pulling, recall, jumping, whatever. [SPEAKER_00]: And then I would do like two different ads on them to see what works. [SPEAKER_01]: And I would just play the A and B ads like the, uh, [SPEAKER_00]: test two things to see how they yeah I do yeah a lot of AB testing is more predicated off of like usually it depends on what platform but it's like thumbnails or titles or descriptions but yeah you can be AB testing like different ads to see which performs because you do be an on social media like one word can change like one word in your title can change the difference between your video flopping or

46:53 [SPEAKER_00]: you know going viral right so that's what I do so you are you do think that sponsoring or boosting post is a good thing to do I do that's I mean you put that the problem is is you just really have to know where you're putting your money because you can waste your money really easily because meta will say I don't care how you're like you go into your meta and you said that that's what I'm saying is like you should talk to your marketing company and they may say like oh we don't want to put money behind these things a big okay well listen you got so right now here you think [SPEAKER_00]: Here's what's happening.

47:24 [SPEAKER_00]: People are googling, dog training, they're getting 10 different things, and then if you pay more money, you'll be up top, but it doesn't take the other ones away. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, they're still there. [SPEAKER_00]: So there's a good chance, right? [SPEAKER_00]: You're paying, but your competition is still right there.

47:38 [SPEAKER_00]: So there's a good chance. [SPEAKER_00]: You have a 5050 chance, they're going to pick you. [SPEAKER_00]: Because even if you spent a million dollars on being number one, you still have four people that organically show up. [SPEAKER_00]: The me's, that organically show up. [SPEAKER_00]: No matter how many hundred reviews.

47:53 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they didn't spend anything, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So first things first, [SPEAKER_00]: email all your people right now. [SPEAKER_00]: Hey happy new year so happy you know you guys have worked with us this year It'd be super helpful if we can get a review from you guys on Google like like that's first things first like start you can get links To just send out like that's if you're not doing that that's super helpful because obviously as you organically searched me like [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not paying any money to be there and I'm there.

48:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Like that's invaluable. [SPEAKER_00]: Like nobody's touch. [SPEAKER_00]: I am 300 reviews away from everybody, right? [SPEAKER_00]: But I work with four times as many clients. [SPEAKER_00]: And we've been in business double the amount of times that anybody else has been around. [SPEAKER_00]: So...

48:39 [SPEAKER_00]: There's that. [SPEAKER_00]: So there is like an advantage and then there's also just, you know, so I would be come up with an idea to say, hey, I'm going to get into many chat in a minute, but come up with an idea to say, hey, I'm going to email out like all my past clients. [SPEAKER_00]: You should have that email list.

48:54 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you guys so much for a great 2025 as we gear up for 2026. [SPEAKER_00]: It would be amazing for you guys to leave a positive review or leave a, if you had a good experience with this, leave a review on our [SPEAKER_00]: And then hopefully you get 10 people to do it and then boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, you start climbing, right?

49:13 [SPEAKER_00]: And you should do that like, and then now in the future, anybody that comes in, you say, hey, you get a free slip leash if you leave us a review or whatever. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, you have it, I don't like doing that. [SPEAKER_00]: My wife and my team are really great at that. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't like incentivizing people like that because it feels forced.

49:26 [SPEAKER_00]: But you do do you have to, you have to keep up like you have to. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Like is it bad or is it is it a cringy to ask people for a five star review? [SPEAKER_00]: No, yeah, to me to me it is what I do to me it is to yeah, yeah, to me it is like when people are like, hey, if you don't mind Give us a five so review.

49:45 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, well, I mean, you did good, but don't ask me for that, right? [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of times like what I do is I'm fair, but but at the same time it is very valuable like they're free little one click [SPEAKER_00]: Um, it's huge. [SPEAKER_00]: So what I do, what I used to do when I would be hands on on all this like now I'm not hands on any of this anymore because I don't need to be right.

50:06 [SPEAKER_00]: So right when I used to do is like hey If you had a good experience, we'd love to hear your feedback. [SPEAKER_00]: Here's our link [SPEAKER_00]: Right, but you are only doing this with clients who you know that you really like gone above and beyond because there are going to be clients that are like, I don't know, you know, because you haven't established that authority yet.

50:21 [SPEAKER_00]: So you're, there's still trying to figure out like, man, I should have picked the other company, you know, whatever, like that's just the reality like yours. [SPEAKER_00]: So if you work with somebody and they're, you know, and that's what I was going to say is like, [SPEAKER_00]: you know when I first started in every client I work with is still the same it hasn't changed but I remember when I first started and I was like I am going to change this person's life when they come in here in an hour that was my goal and so when they so then weren't so word a mouth started picking up let's just like a good restaurant dude [SPEAKER_00]: Like, if I'm a Knoxville, like, hey, where's a good restaurant?

50:52 [SPEAKER_00]: You're going to tell me, like, I had great experiences here, good food here, go here, period. [SPEAKER_00]: So anybody that opens, so, so, so, so now you have all these little foot soldiers that are walking around, like, if somebody posts right now locally, I need a dog trainer for my aggressive dog.

51:06 [SPEAKER_00]: I can almost guarantee you my life that at least five people are gonna at some capacity tag my business because I've helped that many people in the area, right? [SPEAKER_00]: Not to, and it has nothing to do with my social media presence and being on TV and doing all our shit. [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, I've actually put boots on the ground and I have helped thousands of people in my area the last 13 years.

51:25 [SPEAKER_00]: So there's that, like the established companies just like the restaurant in New York City that's been there since the 40s, [SPEAKER_00]: They have a huge of it. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't have to advertise shit. [SPEAKER_00]: They don't even have a freaking sign on the wall, dude. [SPEAKER_00]: They're just, they're that good, right?

51:37 [SPEAKER_00]: So, so that's what I would be doing is putting a, put five bucks a day behind an ad and just localize it. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, you can pick where do you want this to go? [SPEAKER_00]: Who do you want to see this? [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I want this to be in the nox greater noxial area, dog owners between 23 to 65, whatever.

51:53 [SPEAKER_00]: And just spend five bucks a day and just do what happens. [SPEAKER_00]: But, [SPEAKER_00]: Many chat is an automated program where you can go in and do a bunch of different automations and it's powerful. [SPEAKER_00]: So if you've ever seen me or anybody else go comment this below and I'll send you this.

52:09 [SPEAKER_00]: That's an automation. [SPEAKER_00]: So if I put in... [SPEAKER_00]: So let's say the next post I'm going to do I want to sell a course I want people to be I want people to be exposed to my new podcast that just came out right so I post a really good clip of an orthopedic Kyoprachter Surgeon veterinarian of 60 years that says and she did this and we're working on this that harnesses are one of the most dangerous things You can do to your dog because it crushes their organs and their orthopedic structure [SPEAKER_00]: This is a this is a chiropractor like a legit like you can't argue you could but like There's not many dog chiropractors that that work on the functionality of a dog's orthopedic Movement right and she's she'd look really my face and she did harnesses the worst They cause more damage than any other she's like I'm actually using a prawn collar and I'm like Go on, you know, so so my point is is I know that when I post that clip people are gonna be like

53:07 [SPEAKER_00]: So dog trainers who are balanced are going to go share that like crazy dog owners who don't know me because the video is going to do what I already know like I just know that video is going to do well I'm going to be like oh my god I use a harness why I want to watch this so in my many chat automation you just you have to play with it a little bit but you literally put in what post you wanted to work on and the automation is send a direct message to their inbox [SPEAKER_00]: harness.

53:36 [SPEAKER_00]: So when I post, hey guys, if you're interested in listening to this whole conversation with Dr. Frick, comment, harness below, and I'll DM you a link. [SPEAKER_00]: Boom. [SPEAKER_00]: So if I put money behind that, then that gives me an opportunity to hook people in on [SPEAKER_00]: You know, again, like, feel the hook right here, it's like orthopedic, um, chylepractor, veterinary, and surgeon, DBM, specialists, blah, blah, says, you know, that's her tag harnesses suck because of these reasons.

54:05 [SPEAKER_00]: And then I put five bucks a day behind it, and it just goes to people who don't know who I am, don't know my podcast, but they're like, I use a harness or, yeah, my harness, my dog pulls through my harness. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to know more. [SPEAKER_00]: And then they comment harness below and I immediately send them.

54:22 [SPEAKER_00]: a link. [SPEAKER_00]: But it's automated. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't have to do anything. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't have to do anything. [SPEAKER_00]: And you can do, you can do it with so many cool things. [SPEAKER_00]: And so that's like a really good system that you can put in the place yourself, that in my opinion is going to be much more powerful because you're not competing.

54:39 [SPEAKER_00]: You don't, you're not competing. [SPEAKER_00]: Somebody's sliding through and you put in the demographics of your target market. [SPEAKER_00]: Dog owners harnesses equipment aggressive dogs and it pops up on their thing It's like and they're like holy shit. [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't know that why it why does it crush their heart?

54:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Why could it cause heart failure? [SPEAKER_00]: Why could it? [SPEAKER_00]: Why does it? [SPEAKER_00]: You know all these things that she's and I don't have to do anything I'm just sitting there like yep. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I know you know So so that's a good way for me to or like I want to say or because it is organic But I'm putting a little I'm putting a little bit of money for exposure because you have to pay to play [SPEAKER_00]: So you just have to, you have to really audit like, if you're putting, let's say you're putting 500 dollars in a month to basically be next to all your competitors and hopefully you stand out.

55:27 [SPEAKER_00]: Versus. [SPEAKER_00]: And again, my suggestion would be working with a company that actually special. [SPEAKER_00]: I can give you some companies that actually, and it's not that much money. [SPEAKER_00]: It's like $1,500 a month, and they manage ads for you on meta. [SPEAKER_00]: And they very hyper-focused with it.

55:43 [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I can give you companies that will do that for each cheaper than what you're doing now. [SPEAKER_00]: And if you do pulling to not pulling, like, and at the end, you're like, hey, if you're in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, comment, [SPEAKER_00]: pulling below, and I'll send you a $10, $100 off coupon.

55:59 [SPEAKER_00]: Boom, there you go. [SPEAKER_00]: So now you target market, all of a noxville in the surrounding areas, of literally anybody that has a pulling dog, and you can say, like, I can help you with these results, just like I helped Toby over here, comment harness below, and I'll send you a link to my page, and I'll give you $100 off your first session.

56:17 [SPEAKER_00]: Boom. [SPEAKER_00]: So there's a... [SPEAKER_00]: Literally, if you want to put five bucks behind it and you get 10 clients from it, like your target marketing, but you're also using your own, but you're also, it's more powerful because you're telling, it's not showing people, yeah, if you're showing people that you can do it.

56:37 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's how I started my whole company is I literally put out videos over and over and over and over again on me helping people and people are like, man, I think you can help me. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and now it's now you now I have my courses and now I have my one day and then I have my three day and I have my board and training and I have my equipment and it's all like.

57:01 [SPEAKER_00]: You know, and in the beginning I was very very very like I forgot to charge people every day like my wife I had to come in and be like okay cool that you're not charging people, but we can't pay rent now You know, I'm not that guy. [SPEAKER_00]: I just realize I'm like, oh, you know, if I have people like hey, what treats to use what true pouch to use what leash to use [SPEAKER_00]: And I had this conversation again because one of my friends started to get into social media and they're like, I hate plugging stuff and I'm like, I get it, but if you do it in a way that makes sense and it's not just forced like every company that we feed raw, um, impact, create dog truck.

57:33 [SPEAKER_00]: These are companies I already use. [SPEAKER_00]: They were just like, hey, right, do you, do you want to say give you money for this? [SPEAKER_00]: Like sure. [SPEAKER_00]: Right. [SPEAKER_00]: Same thing with like my leash or my, or my treat pouch or my course people are like, I need a little more.

57:44 [SPEAKER_00]: I want that true pouch. [SPEAKER_00]: I'll just make my own. [SPEAKER_00]: So you can just get it right here. [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it wasn't this. [SPEAKER_00]: So it organically became a business. [SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't me being like I want to make a bunch of money. [SPEAKER_00]: It was me being like, Well, instead of giving me all the time, so why not?

57:57 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, instead of giving Joe Schmell all this business. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't even know, you know, what's going on over there. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, I'm putting her three people. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's what I would do is I would start off with. [SPEAKER_00]: emailing all your clients that you've worked with this year.

58:09 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for a great year. [SPEAKER_00]: Super happy. [SPEAKER_00]: I've had a good experience with this at all. [SPEAKER_00]: It'd be great for you to leave as a review or a positive review, however you want to order that. [SPEAKER_00]: Just putting the chat to you and they'll tell you what to do.

58:20 [SPEAKER_00]: I would get any chat. [SPEAKER_00]: It's not that expensive. [SPEAKER_00]: It is a monthly fee. [SPEAKER_00]: It's not that much. [SPEAKER_00]: And I would be filming. [SPEAKER_00]: And here's the kicker. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is what I did very early on. [SPEAKER_00]: And now I'm doing it again for a different reason.

58:35 [SPEAKER_00]: I would be doing low cost to free training to get content to then promote. [SPEAKER_00]: So, hey guys, looking for the worst leash puller in Knoxville, I'm going to do a free free dog training session if you think that's you. [SPEAKER_00]: So two things happen, email me at Tommy Blackburn at Knox whatever.com, two things happen.

59:00 [SPEAKER_00]: People are immediately popping your inbox going, I have that dog, so you're casting. [SPEAKER_00]: This is what I do. [SPEAKER_00]: Like if my YouTube strategist says, we need a video on leash aggression or leash pulling or [SPEAKER_00]: Resource Guardian. [SPEAKER_00]: I'll basically post my Instagram like, hey, I'm going to do a $400 session, which is, you know, a one fourth of whatever cost, whatever.

59:23 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, right, because I need this video. [SPEAKER_00]: I can't do it for free, but that way I can get the content to then do other things. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's really powerful too is like, you know, go on your, go on your local Craigslist, go on your Facebook, go on your business Facebook and just say, hey, looking for the most aggressive, looking for the [SPEAKER_00]: and then just say tag your friends.

59:45 [SPEAKER_00]: So people start, so here's, it kind of washes itself. [SPEAKER_00]: First of all, it's free. [SPEAKER_00]: So there you go. [SPEAKER_00]: People immediately start tagging all their friends with dog issues. [SPEAKER_00]: They check out your page. [SPEAKER_00]: And if you give them an email or contact, they're basically applying for this low-cost session.

59:59 [SPEAKER_00]: And you, this is your opportunity. [SPEAKER_00]: You don't be like, oh, it doesn't really fit where we're looking for a sea later. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, it just is, maybe I'll get you in. [SPEAKER_00]: You film some content. [SPEAKER_00]: You do before and afters. [SPEAKER_00]: Now you have 10 before and afters.

1:00:12 [SPEAKER_00]: You can go out and start boosting. [SPEAKER_00]: You've started the, hey, um, we already found somebody for this, but I'll tell you what. [SPEAKER_00]: I know that you're really struggling. [SPEAKER_00]: I'd love to help you out. [SPEAKER_00]: I'll give you, um, you know, whatever your prices are.

1:00:23 [SPEAKER_00]: I'll give you $200 off your first session. [SPEAKER_00]: I'd love to help you up. [SPEAKER_00]: You want to come in. [SPEAKER_00]: Boom. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So now you start, like, even though you're, like, listen, you got to do what you got to do. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, if you, if you need money through the door, be smart and strategic about how you're getting people through the door.

1:00:38 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: So right now, I offer a, a free consultation. [SPEAKER_01]: And essentially it's my way of like showing people why they should choose me of everybody else and what I've learned is when people call me on the phone, getting them into that consultation, the percentage is not that high.

1:00:57 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, maybe 40 or 50% and you know why I would say is because they just want they just when they hear free consult they're like, I'm going to call this guy and he's going to give me some free shit about my dog. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, right, sure. [SPEAKER_01]: I think I think the reason why it's lower is because I'm competing with other companies.

1:01:13 [SPEAKER_01]: So they're looking at like five different training companies. [SPEAKER_01]: They call them all and so what I'm trying to do is say, hey, if you come in, it's a free console and I can show you what I can do and then once they come in the door and I do the consultation, I'm at like 85% conversion.

1:01:29 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's like really high because I know when people come in, it's not the dog training that I'm struggling with. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not the dog, it's not the owner. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not the personableness. [SPEAKER_01]: It's not any of that. [SPEAKER_01]: It's the competition in getting people in.

1:01:42 [SPEAKER_01]: So I think I love what you're saying and like the whole, if I just have been thinking this for a long time, honestly, like I'm kind of tired of competing on the Google space because again, I'm just a name on a screen and they don't see what I can do. [SPEAKER_01]: that's why I like socials because I can shoot like it's like my resume can be more out there for people to see but I agree I need to establish more of an authority of like I actually can help you with this versus just telling you.

1:02:11 [SPEAKER_01]: I've got a lot of talking head videos where I'm talking but I know [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, do less of that like once you get to a point where people are going to be just watching whatever you do and you have an ability and a big reach to just like you open your phone and you say like harnesses are not great because of this reason you're going to get tons of people watching like that's when you can start doing that um yeah well the reason I the reason I was doing that to be totally candid is because I don't even offer boredon trains right now I just do classes [SPEAKER_01]: And so it's hard for, and maybe I just need to figure it out.

1:02:46 [SPEAKER_01]: I just didn't do it, but it's hard for me to shoot. [SPEAKER_01]: And if at any point in time, you got to go. [SPEAKER_01]: I know that we are technically over. [SPEAKER_01]: Just let me know. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, I find we got to come more minutes. [SPEAKER_00]: I have another one, but we'll just wrap it up here in a minute.

1:02:58 [SPEAKER_00]: But keep going. [SPEAKER_01]: So the, I have a hard time shooting during the session, because I don't know if it should be a tripod. [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I don't have a videographer. [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know how to get good footage here without it just looking like, [SPEAKER_01]: planned.

1:03:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Does that make sense? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, but don't don't shoot for like a cinematic look. [SPEAKER_00]: Just shoot for a fact. [SPEAKER_00]: Like you can film the dog coming in and and you can just tell anybody in your your group, your family group or whatever. [SPEAKER_00]: Like hey, can you just come?

1:03:31 [SPEAKER_00]: And you don't have to this. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you could do it by yourself. [SPEAKER_00]: But like, dog comes in. [SPEAKER_00]: You film the dog, do in the thing. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna change this. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And at the end, give your phone to somebody and be like, hey, do you mind just, you know, putting this, just film the dog not.

1:03:45 [SPEAKER_00]: Or better yet, film the dog doing the thing with the owner. [SPEAKER_00]: And at the end, film the dog walking and engaged healing with the owner. [SPEAKER_00]: Both the other. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So then you don't even have to say anything. [SPEAKER_00]: You can just do text on screen, like, [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to stop your talk from pulling comment pulling below and I'll send you a link like you don't have to Yeah, dude like you nobody needs to see who you are right now like that's and you're not selling yourself you're selling your services And if you can tell people and you can show people that you can get don't nobody cares dude like unless you're like You know unless you're like a hot girl, you know that's walking around into bikini selling stuff like

1:04:23 [SPEAKER_00]: nobody cares what you look like fortunate no i know just saying like it's not like you know people are coming in like nobody cares what you look like they just want to know what you can do you know right and unless you get to a point where you're your name and your face and your branding becomes this international recognisable [SPEAKER_00]: identity in this IP like nobody cares like if you watch something of like Michael Ellis you can probably tell like okay this is what is going to talk about this is a long is going to talk about it is what is going to say this you know like you know what I mean so you don't need to do that right now you just need to you need to you need to prove a point and you need to tell people what you can do and show people what you can do and don't worry about you don't worry about talking heads you know just just put out what you can do

1:05:08 [SPEAKER_00]: Like that's what you want to do. [SPEAKER_00]: I want to I want to help dog owners. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, you show you helping that's how I started my whole career. [SPEAKER_00]: Dude, go back to my early videos when I put a tripod in the corner and it looked like shit. [SPEAKER_00]: And the audio was crappy.

1:05:19 [SPEAKER_00]: It was me helping to dog over and over and over and over again. [SPEAKER_00]: And then the phones are started ringing. [SPEAKER_00]: I saw you help this dog. [SPEAKER_00]: Excuse me. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's what that's that's my opinion. [SPEAKER_00]: What you should do sign up for many chat.

1:05:33 [SPEAKER_00]: start putting a little bit of money behind your your ads and just just post on Facebook like hey doing on doing a free dog training class for the most aggressive dog and in Knoxville doing a free dog training class for them was the the biggest hardest lead you're going to get all these people tagging their friends and family tag your friends and family if they have it so then you get exposure [SPEAKER_00]: you get good engagement and then you get the emails coming in of the people you want to help and you can say like hey does this day where that's what i do right now when when we need a good youtube video i'm basically i'm helping people but i'm also you know casting for it because a lot of times you need to bend in my seminars people who pay the $3,000 or whatever to work with me for the two days

1:06:16 [SPEAKER_00]: You know, they're nothing compared to the person who can't afford a hundred dollars with their dogs are really gnarly You know, and not that not to say like some of my seminar dogs haven't been that because they have but The people who're gonna for it usually aren't the dogs who need it and so if you turn around and go hey, I'm gonna give a hundred a free dog training sessions or You know $100 session or whatever it is 50 bucks whatever's worth your time and I would just be cutting content and stop talking about [SPEAKER_00]: Like, don't talk about it, do it.

1:06:47 [SPEAKER_00]: Like show people what you can do over. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I did, dude. [SPEAKER_00]: Over and over and over and over and over and over for years. [SPEAKER_00]: For 10 years, I've been putting out professional full length. [SPEAKER_00]: You fork it. [SPEAKER_00]: No dog has been too much.

1:06:59 [SPEAKER_00]: And so if you're out there and you have a dog that leash poles is aggressive, won't come back. [SPEAKER_00]: I have a decade of evidence that you can go and see right now on multiple platforms, audio, video, blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_00]: I can one thousand percent help you. [SPEAKER_00]: No questions asked.

1:07:19 [SPEAKER_00]: There isn't. [SPEAKER_00]: I wonder if you can help me. [SPEAKER_00]: Nope. [SPEAKER_00]: No questions. [SPEAKER_00]: Zero. [SPEAKER_00]: I can help you. [SPEAKER_00]: A hundred percent. [SPEAKER_00]: There's not even. [SPEAKER_00]: Right. [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean? [SPEAKER_00]: Right.

1:07:26 [SPEAKER_00]: But if I'm talking about it, I'm like, I can help you. [SPEAKER_00]: I can help you. [SPEAKER_00]: I can help you. [SPEAKER_00]: I've helped this person. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, okay. [SPEAKER_00]: but like that's not as powerful of a dog getting dragged in and then the dog walking peacefully with the owner holy shit dude how'd you do that comment harness below and i'll send you link you can send up for my next class that's what i would be doing that's way more power for them what you're doing right now oh yeah that's great [SPEAKER_01]: Um, last thing, and then I know you have to go.

1:07:56 [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, sir. [SPEAKER_01]: Do you think Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, all of them? [SPEAKER_01]: Should I focus on meta, Facebook, Instagram? [SPEAKER_01]: First, then go YouTube. [SPEAKER_01]: Doesn't matter. [SPEAKER_01]: Does it? [SPEAKER_01]: What do you thoughts? [SPEAKER_00]: I think right now, like you got to get your, your boat afloat.

1:08:10 [SPEAKER_00]: So YouTube is more of a, a branding mechanism. [SPEAKER_00]: Like YouTube is building your brand. [SPEAKER_00]: It's not necessarily. [SPEAKER_00]: It, it will get you clients at some point. [SPEAKER_00]: But like your localize call me if you have this problem is going to be really, really, really like the strategy should be meta and it'sogram.

1:08:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Like, as you can localize it and target it, like you put a lot of, I mean, you should just be taking your shorts that you're doing on these socials and then posting them on YouTube for sure, but like don't put any money or anything behind YouTube, just focus on your meta. [UNKNOWN]: Okay.

1:08:45 [SPEAKER_01]: and then posting often like every day. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, at least. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, okay, multiple times today. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: All right, brother. [SPEAKER_00]: It's good to talk to you. [SPEAKER_01]: Cool. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, thanks so much, man. [SPEAKER_01]: Appreciate your time.

1:08:56 [SPEAKER_01]: You're welcome. [SPEAKER_01]: See you. [SPEAKER_01]: All right. [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk soon. [SPEAKER_01]: See you.