Why Working Harder Might Be Undercutting Your Growth | Ep. 161

Have you ever felt like you're putting everything you have into your business, but somehow you're not getting the results you're working so hard for? I've absolutely been there. My natural tendency has always been to put my head down, push harder, and find a way to get it done. But I've spent a lot of time this year recognizing that sometimes working harder isn't the answer. Sometimes we're simply putting all that effort behind the wrong things.In this episode, I'm sharing why I think one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is learning to step back and evaluate where their time and energy are actually going. We talk about how businesses accumulate tasks over time, why familiar work can feel productive even when it isn't moving the company forward, and how to recognize when your own determination might be keeping you from seeing the bigger picture. I also share three practical ways to reassess your priorities, decide which problems actually need your attention, and start making decisions based on where you want your business to be two years from now rather than just what needs to happen today.🧠 Key TakeawaysWorking harder isn't always the answer. If you're putting significant effort into your business without seeing meaningful results, the issue may be where that effort is going rather than how much you're putting in.Question whether a task needs to be done at all. Businesses accumulate responsibilities over time, and just because something has always been part of your routine doesn't mean it still deserves your attention.Connect your activities to measurable outcomes. Every recurring task should have a clear purpose and, wherever possible, a metric or piece of data that demonstrates its value.Take a step back and evaluate. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop working, take a walk, and look at your business from a different perspective.Decide which fires can burn. Not every problem needs to be solved immediately. Learn to distinguish between the things that will cause lasting damage if neglected and the things that can wait.Recognize your glass and plastic balls. Some responsibilities have consequences you simply cannot afford to ignore, while others can temporarily be dropped without creating a major problem.Lengthen your time horizon. The priorities that matter this week may look very different from the priorities that will actually move your company forward over the next 24 months.Don't let one difficult client interaction derail your progress. Address problems, learn from them, and move forward rather than allowing one situation to consume your attention for days or weeks.Delegate and reprioritize where possible. Some of the tasks currently occupying your time may have another home within your business, freeing you to focus on the work that matters most.Make sure your effort is serving your goals. The objective isn't simply to become more productive. It's to make sure the work you're doing is actually moving your business in the direction you want it to go.🚀 Ready to Grow Your Pet Care Business?At DogCo Launch, this is exactly the kind of work we help team-based pet care companies navigate. We help owners identify the constraints holding their businesses back, build stronger operational systems, and create a path toward the revenue, take-home pay, and freedom they're working toward.We're currently accepting companies for 2027, and I'd love to explore whether we might be a good fit for the goals you have for your business.Learn more at https://dogcolaunch.com/-M

At some point in growing a team-based pet care business, the work is going to outpace what you as the owner can, and should, continue doing yourself. But how do you know when it's financially responsible to bring on administrative or management support? And how do you make sure that investment actually moves your business forward?In this episode, I'm breaking down three ways to evaluate whether your dog walking or pet sitting company is ready to make that investment. We'll look at a key labor-cost benchmark, how to identify the difference between low-value tasks and higher-leverage owner responsibilities, and a reinvestment strategy I've personally followed while scaling DogCo. I also share an example of how buying back just 10 hours a week can create opportunities to focus on marketing, partnerships, and other activities that generate more value for your company.🧠 Key TakeawaysWatch your all-in labor percentage. I recommend keeping total labor costs, excluding your personal take-home pay, below 55% of revenue. This should include field labor, administrative support, management, payroll taxes, and mileage.Evaluate the cost of additional support before hiring. If bringing on the administrative or management help you need keeps your all-in labor below that 55% benchmark, you may be in a healthy position to make the investment.Recognize when your time is being spent on low-value work. Tasks like updating client profiles and organizing visit information may be necessary, but they aren't necessarily the best use of your time as the owner.Look for a clear time trade. If hiring someone frees up 10 hours a week, identify what higher-value activities you can put in their place, such as marketing, brand positioning, partnerships, and networking.Account for the transition period. Hiring and training take time, and there may be a gap between making the investment and seeing the financial return. Make sure your company has enough financial breathing room to support that transition.Consider automation before adding another person. Some administrative tasks, including managing client information and updates, may be simplified through existing software and AI tools.Use reinvestment as a growth strategy. I share a framework from Dan Martell's book Buy Back Your Time, which recommends reinvesting approximately 25% of company profit above your personal take-home needs back into the business.Be intentional about buying back your time. Reinvesting in support only creates value if you're committed to using the time you gain for higher-leverage work rather than filling it with more low-value tasks.Build around the business you want to operate. The goal isn't simply to hire more people. It's to create a structure that allows the company to grow sustainably while serving the owner, clients, and team.🚀 Ready to Figure Out Your Next Step?If you're trying to determine whether your pet care business is ready for administrative or management support, we'd love to help you work through that decision.Learn more and book a consultation:https://dogcolaunch.com/mastermind-M

What if your pet care business is growing, but your life as the owner isn't actually getting any better? One of the biggest misconceptions I see among business owners is the assumption that more revenue, more clients, and more volume will automatically solve the problems they're experiencing. I've learned firsthand that this isn't always the case. In fact, growth can make your business significantly more complicated, less profitable, and harder to operate if you haven't built the right foundation to support it.In this episode, I'm breaking down three reasons growth doesn't always translate into a better business: margin compression, inefficiencies, and increasing complexity. I share a personal experience from my own pet care company, when we were generating $15,000 to $20,000 per month but I was actually operating at a net loss. We'll look at what happens to profit margins as you transition from working in the field to managing a team, why reinvestment becomes so important as you scale, and why I believe in letting growth bring the complexity rather than creating unnecessary complexity before you need it.🧠 Key TakeawaysRevenue isn't the same as profitability. Increasing your top-line revenue doesn't guarantee that you're taking home more money or building a business you actually enjoy owning.Growth compresses margins. As you transition from doing the work yourself to employing a team, your labor costs, administrative expenses, and operational investments change the financial picture.Understand your profit benchmarks. A fully team-based pet care company with an owner out of the field should generally be working toward a 20% to 30% net profit margin.Protect your ability to reinvest. Your business needs financial runway to bring on administrative support, strengthen systems, and support the next stage of growth.Growth exposes inefficiencies. Processes that worked at a smaller volume can become expensive bottlenecks as your company gets bigger.Complexity comes with a cost. Adding service lines, people, systems, and operational demands can make a business harder to manage without necessarily making it more profitable.Build the simplest model you can scale. Rather than constantly adding new services, consider how you can do more of what your company already does exceptionally well.Let growth bring the complexity. Build the foundation first, then introduce additional operational layers when the business genuinely needs them.Growth should give you options. A well-structured business can create opportunities for greater owner compensation, management support, reinvestment, and a better quality of life.Be intentional about what you're building. The goal isn't simply to have a bigger pet care company. It's to build one that actually serves you and supports the life you want.🚀 Ready to Build a More Profitable Pet Care Business?If you're growing your pet care company but aren't seeing the financial results, operational improvements, or freedom you expected, I'd love to help you take a closer look.DogCo Launch is currently accepting companies for 2027 in our year long program. We would love to do a consultation with you to see if we might be a fit for growing your pet care business next year. We only open enrollment once a year, and our 2027 enrollment window closes at the end of the year.Book your Consultation and learn more at:https://dogcolaunch.com/mastermind-M

There are a few things I think people misunderstand about DogCo, and I wanted to take some time to address them honestly. From what we actually do inside the program to who it's designed for, how our support works, and what it really takes to get results, I'm pulling back the curtain on some of the assumptions and misconceptions I see when companies are considering joining DogCo.In this episode, I talk about why we are fundamentally a systems-building program, not simply a growth or marketing program, and why getting the right operational foundation in place is often what makes sustainable growth possible. I also share some updates to how we've structured our coaching and one-on-one support, why community participation requires you to get a little uncomfortable, and why the real value of a program isn't necessarily learning some revolutionary secret you've never heard before. We're also talking about who qualifies for DogCo, how we group companies together, and why you don't have to be actively scaling or running a seven-figure business to benefit.🧠 Key TakeawaysDogCo is fundamentally a systems-building program. Revenue growth is an outcome we want to help you achieve, but the systems behind that growth are what make it sustainable.Growth should serve you, not consume you. I want your business to generate more profit, create more opportunities, and give you a better relationship with the company you're building.Before doubling your business, ask what breaks. Your staffing, operations, labor margins, and systems need to be ready to support additional demand.DogCo has expanded its individual support. Every company now receives one-on-one support from a success leader, alongside our group teaching and coaching.Community requires participation. We create opportunities for connection through accountability pods, success leaders, and accountability buddies, but you still have to be willing to show up and build those relationships.Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Coming on camera, asking questions, and participating in office hours can make a significant difference in how connected and supported you feel.You don't need a revolutionary new secret to grow. Often, the biggest opportunity is implementing what you already know, in the right order, with the right support.Innovation isn't always the answer. Sometimes fixing an existing process or improving something that's already working will move your business further than introducing another new strategy.You don't have to be actively scaling to join DogCo. You do need a basic hiring system in place, including an application process, a compensation structure, and the appropriate insurance components.You'll be surrounded by companies at a similar stage. We organize companies based primarily on revenue, with consideration for business type, and pair them with success leaders who have experience further along the growth journey.DogCo is designed to meet companies where they are. From businesses around $100K in annual revenue to established seven-figure companies, the goal is to help you identify and implement the next right steps.🚀 DogCo Launch: 2027 Enrollment Is Open!We're currently welcoming new companies into DogCo for 2027, and I'm excited about the groups and support structures we're putting together for the coming year. If you've been considering joining us, this is a great time to start the conversation. We're also announcing some additional enrollment bonuses for companies who make their decision in November.If you're ready to build stronger systems, develop your team, and create sustainable growth in your pet care business, I'd love to talk with you.Learn more about DogCo Launch at https://dogcolaunch.com/-M

Sometimes the biggest thing standing between you and the business you want to build is yourself. In this episode, I sit down with Sam Evensen to talk about a year of significant change in her business, including transitioning from independent contractors to employees, redefining her role as an owner, and developing the confidence to make decisions that once felt incredibly uncomfortable.One of the things I love about conversations like this is getting to explore not just the operational changes that happen as a business grows, but the personal growth that has to happen alongside them. Sam shares what it looked like to navigate difficult team conversations, rethink her responsibilities, and recognize that some of the things she had been avoiding were actually the very things that would move her business forward. We also talk about comparison, the value of community, and why getting outside your own industry bubble can completely change what you believe is possible.🧠 Key Takeaways- Sometimes the discomfort of staying where you are is greater than the discomfort of making a major change.- Getting out of your own way requires trusting yourself enough to take action, even when the outcome isn't completely certain.- Rumination can feel productive, but eventually you have to recognize when thinking has become a substitute for taking action.- Transitioning to employees can create opportunities to delegate responsibilities, establish clearer standards, and approach your business differently.- Stepping back from daily operations allows you to develop a better perspective on your business and your role as a leader.- Comparing your business to others doesn't have to create shame or discouragement. It can help you discover new possibilities and identify strategies worth adapting.- Staying within your own industry bubble can limit your understanding of what your business could become.- Seeing what other pet care companies are accomplishing can help you develop bigger goals for yourself.- Changing your relationship with your team requires communication, clear expectations, and sometimes difficult conversations.- A stronger business structure can create opportunities to raise the standard of care and develop your employees more intentionally.- Growth often requires doing the uncomfortable things rather than continuing with what feels familiar.💡 A Thought to Take With YouOne of the biggest things I hope you take away from this conversation with Sam is the importance of doing the uncomfortable thing. Sometimes the decisions we're most hesitant to make are the ones that open the door to the next season of growth. You don't have to have every step figured out before you move forward. You just have to be willing to take the first one.🚀 Ready to Grow Your Pet Care Business?If you're ready to move beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of running your pet care company and start building something more sustainable, I'd love to introduce you to DogCo Launch.We help pet care business owners develop stronger operations, build better teams, and create businesses that support the lives they actually want to lead.Learn more about DogCo Launch at https://dogcolaunch.com/mastermind.-M

Business coaching can be an incredibly valuable investment, but it's not automatically the right move for every business owner at every stage. After working with more than 300 clients and investing in coaching for her own development, Michelle Kline shares three mindsets that can prevent you from getting the full value out of a coach or business coaching program.In this episode, Michelle explores why trying to prove you already know more, measuring success by how much information you consume, and being unwilling to experiment with new ideas can limit your growth. Through practical examples from her own coaching experience, she explains how to stay curious without blindly following advice, turn what you learn into meaningful action, and remain open to testing new approaches that better serve your pet care business.🧠 Key TakeawaysDon't approach coaching with something to prove. You don't need to agree with every recommendation, but you should remain curious and thoughtfully consider what you can learn.Apply advice to your own context. No coach will understand your business as well as you do, so evaluate strategies against your goals, circumstances, and experience.Measure success by implementation, not consumption. Watching every training or working through an entire resource library isn't the goal. Focus on what you need to learn and apply right now.Use coaching while you're implementing. Bringing real-time questions and challenges back to your coach can help you adapt strategies to your specific business.Keep a running list of questions. Capture issues as they arise throughout the week so you can make better use of coaching calls and office hours.Be willing to try unfamiliar approaches. A strategy may feel uncomfortable or foreign without being wrong for your business.Test changes strategically. You don't have to commit to a new approach forever. Set a reasonable testing period and evaluate whether it moves you toward your goal.Separate what works for different services. A client onboarding process that works beautifully for pet sitting may create unnecessary friction for recurring dog walking clients.Stay focused on the outcome. Coaching is most useful when you and your coach work together toward the results you want, rather than making the relationship about proving who knows more.🚀 Ready to Grow Your Pet Care Business?DogCo Launch helps pet care business owners build stronger systems, make strategic decisions, and move toward their business goals with coaching, practical resources, and community.Learn more about DogCo Launch and explore the next steps for your dog walking or pet sitting business at dogcolaunch.com/mastermind.-M

With roughly eight working weeks left in the year, there's still time to make meaningful improvements to your pet care business's profitability. But rather than trying to overhaul everything at once, Michelle Kline shares three practical areas to focus on before the end of 2026: holiday pricing, reengaging former clients, and improving operational efficiency.In this episode, Michelle explains how to evaluate your profit margins against industry benchmarks, why retaining existing clients can be more profitable than acquiring new ones, and how seemingly insignificant amounts of wasted employee time can add up to substantial costs. Whether you're running a small dog walking company or scaling a larger pet sitting operation, these strategies can help you make better use of the time, team, and client relationships you already have.🧠 Key Takeaways- Understand your profit benchmarks: Michelle recommends a 20% to 30% profit range for team-based pet care companies where the owner is out of the field, with higher margins potentially achievable depending on the business model.- Review your holiday fee structure: Consider applying smaller surcharges to services surrounding major holidays and higher fees on the holidays themselves.- Protect your existing bookings: Honor fees already agreed upon with clients while evaluating pricing for new Thanksgiving and Christmas bookings.- Reengage former clients: Reach out personally to clients you haven't served this year. Some may simply need a friendly reminder that you're available.- Prioritize retention over acquisition: Reconnecting with existing clients can reduce the marketing and onboarding costs associated with bringing in new customers.- Keep outreach personal and low-pressure: Focus first on restarting the relationship rather than immediately pushing clients toward recurring services.- Manage employee time carefully: If you pay your team hourly, monitor routing, visit durations, and the time spent on activities that aren't directly billable.- Recognize the cost of small inefficiencies: A few extra minutes per visit may seem insignificant, but across a large team, those minutes can add up to dozens of hours each week.- Think about long-term profitability: Improving operational efficiency can help your team serve more clients without proportionally increasing your labor costs.🚀 Ready to Grow Your Pet Care Business?DogCo Launch helps pet care business owners build more profitable, sustainable companies through practical strategies, systems, and coaching.Explore the program and learn more about growing your dog walking or pet sitting business at dogcolaunch.com.-M

If you're trying to grow your pet care business but keep hitting a wall, your first instinct might be to focus on getting more leads and attracting new clients. But what if lead flow isn't actually the problem? In this episode, Michelle Kline explains why many dog walking and pet sitting businesses struggle with hidden operational bottlenecks that prevent them from growing, increasing profit, or creating the freedom their owners want.Michelle breaks down why there is no universal formula for scaling a pet care business and how to start identifying the real constraints holding yours back. From administrative processes and standard operating procedures to staffing and day-to-day logistics, she shares two practical ways to recognize when your business may have a deeper operational issue rather than a lead-generation problem.🧠 Key Takeaways- Business growth isn't always about increasing revenue. It can also mean greater profit, more control over your schedule, or more freedom from day-to-day operations.- There is no single formula for scaling every pet care business. The right strategy depends on your goals and your business's specific constraints.- Operational bottlenecks are often hidden beneath the surface, making them easy to overlook.- Many pet care businesses assume they need more leads when their actual constraints involve administration, team structure, standard operating procedures, or execution.- Pet care is logistically complex, requiring the right person to be in the right place at the right time while managing unpredictable variables.- If you're afraid to market because you don't know whether you can handle additional business, lead flow may not be your primary bottleneck.- If you've had to turn away work because you couldn't staff it, it's worth investigating the operational constraints behind that limitation.- Identifying the real bottleneck is the first step toward dismantling it and moving your business in the direction you want.📣 Free Webinar: Identify the 12 Core Bottlenecks in Your Pet Care BusinessWhat is actually constraining your business right now? Michelle has identified 12 core bottlenecks that commonly affect pet care business models, and she's hosting a free webinar to explore them in greater depth.📅 Date: October 22, 2026🕕 Time: 6:00 PM Eastern🔗 Registration: https://www.dogcolaunch.com/breaking-through-bottlenecksYou can also find registration information through Michelle's social media or the Grow Your Daily Dog Walking Business with DogCo Launch Facebook group.https://www.facebook.com/groups/917885736018212/ -M

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

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