Pet Boss® Podcast with Candace

Candace D'Agnolo of Pet Boss Nation®
  • 5.0 (75)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

This is a podcast for the local pet business owner. Get foundational business tips mixed with the latest secrets of what’s working now, especially in this challenging world. Hear honest conversations from industry peers working the streets of Main Street, where dog business is BIG business. So, if you’re a pet supply store, grooming salon, dog daycare, boarding facility, pet sitter or dog trainer - we welcome you! What really sets this show apart from others in this space is that your show host, Candace D’Agnolo, the CEO & Founder of Pet Boss Nation® - has started, scaled and sold successful pet businesses in almost every niche of the pet industry. Not only that, but her business had multiple locations, a team of 30 people, and annual revenue hitting multiple 7 figures. What this means for you is that you’ll get a holistic approach from someone who’s been on your biz journey from start to finish. Intrigued? Press play.

  1. 3d ago

    SEO is Changing. Meet AEO and Why Your Pet Business Should Care

    The way your customers search has changed. Not gradually. Dramatically. And most indie pet businesses haven't noticed yet. A year ago, if someone's dog had itchy skin, they'd Google "best dog food for itchy skin" and scroll through 20 links. Now? They're asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity the same question in a conversation: "My seven-year-old Labrador has itchy skin and keeps licking his paws. I think it's food-related. I want a locally owned pet store near me that actually understands nutrition." That's not a keyword search. That's a conversation. And that's AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Candace explains why this shift actually favors indie pet businesses and exactly what you need to do to win. She discusses: ⭐️ The difference between SEO and AEO (and why it matters more than you think) ⭐️ How customers are using AI tools instead of Google to find answers ⭐️ Why this isn't about panicking or hiring an expensive agency ⭐️ How AI scans your website differently than Google does ⭐️ Brand pages optimized for both humans and AI bots ⭐️ The one thing Candace would do first if she took over your business tomorrow Plus why the next 20 years are about helping people find trusted experts and not just products!  Transcript Show NotesJoin Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  2. Jul 11

    Sale Secrets: A $3,000+ in Extra Revenue Story And How You Can Replicate It

    July has always been known as one of the slower retail months so Candace made a strategic decision: go big or go home. Dante and Dory's threw a patriotic pet sale from Friday, July 3rd through Monday, July 6th. The result? $3,000 more in sales than Memorial Day weekend (about a month earlier), driven by 100 additional transactions. This episode is a complete behind-the-scenes walkthrough of how she planned it, executed it, and what she learned - plus strategies you can apply to your own holiday sale. Listen now to hear: 💰 Why slow months are actually your biggest opportunity (not your problem) 💰 Why you should be treating inventory like an ATM  💰 When (and why) to discount aggressively to move old inventory 💰 How to using paid social advertising strategically   💰 How it took a full team effort for big events and how to involve your team in planning Plus hear the importance of not letting merchandise "get dusty," and why Candace has always said you shouldn't be a museum! Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  3. Jul 4

    250 Years of Change: Why Adaptation Wins (And What It Means for Your Business)

    It's July. America just turned 250. And Candace is pulling a powerful thread through this month's focus in Pet Boss Nation: Work Smarter, Earn More, Adapt Faster. In 250 years, this country has survived wars, depressions, booms, the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the automobile, the telephone, the internet. Entire industries disappeared. Entire industries that didn't exist a generation ago became the backbone of the economy. The pattern? The businesses that lasted weren't the ones who had it all figured out. They were the ones who kept adjusting. Who paid attention. Who weren't afraid to pivot. Candace discusses: 🇺🇸 The Wrigley story (why a soap company built a gum empire by paying attention to what people actually wanted) 🇺🇸  How adaptation is what separates businesses that last from ones that disappear 🇺🇸  How to "work smarter" using the data already inside your point-of-sale system 🇺🇸  Simple strategies to "earn more"  🇺🇸  AI as a tool, not a replacement (just like the telephone or internet was!) Plus hacks on using AI for admin work that frees you up to do the parts of your business that only you can do!Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  4. Jun 27

    What 1,000 Pet Businesses Taught Us About Growth (With Matt Aldrich)

    Matt Aldrich, founder of Pet Engine Marketing, has a front row seat to pet businesses and their patterns - the ones growing and the ones stuck.  Between Pet Boss Nation and Pet Engine Marketing, they've seen 1,000+ pet businesses over the years. In this candid conversation, he and Candace talk about what growth actually looks like when the economy is tough, competition is everywhere, and business owners are burned out. They discuss:  ✅ The pattern most pet businesses get wrong (and why you're probably doing it) ✅ Why activity ≠ progress (and how to tell the difference) ✅ The $6,000 email campaign that worked (and why you should steal it!)  ✅ How to build "boring" systems that compound over time Plus Matt shares the one thing all successful businesses have in common and how you could do it too!   ABOUT MATT ALDRICH Founder, Pet Engine Marketing & Co-Founder, Pet Industry Network Matt Aldrich is the founder of Pet Engine Marketing and a pet industry marketing expert with 12+ years of experience helping independent pet businesses grow. He's also a Co-Founder of the Pet Industry Network, a PETS+ Magazine contributor, an active member of American Pet Professionals, and a frequent speaker at events including Global Pet Expo, SUPERZOO, and The Pet Summit. Matt's journey started at 16 working at a local pet store in Ann Arbor, Michigan - a job he took because his dog loved that place, and soon so did he. He fell in love with helping customers, meeting their pets, and working alongside people who "got it." But when he moved into management, the job got buried under vendor calls, staff schedules, and the daily grind. That experience—realizing pet business owners started in this industry because they loved helping people and pets, not working on spreadsheets and social media - became his mission. In 2018, he launched Pet Engine Marketing to help pet business owners get back to doing what they love, while the agency handles the marketing.Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  5. Jun 20

    Stop Starting from Zero Every Month: A Pet Business Guide to Subscription Revenue

    We have an exciting new episode for you this week and this is one you are going to want to pull out a notepad and pen for!  Candace is sharing the full training she delivered at Launch Your Box's Subscription Summit and turns it into an actionable playbook specifically for pet businesses. Whether you sell products, services, or both, there is already a subscription opportunity inside your business right now. She covers: 🙌 The 3 types of subscriptions and how to identify which already exists in your business 🙌 The auto-replenishment model and why you should know what it is  🙌 How to move slow inventory, take pre-orders, and create something customers look forward to every month 🙌 The VIP membership model your customers will be begging to join  🙌 A word-for-word script for offering auto-replenishment to a customer at the register - without being pushy!  If even 10–20% of your revenue became predictable before you opened your doors each month, how differently would your business run?  Well this episode shows you exactly how to get there!  Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  6. Jun 13

    Can Indies Really Out-Compete Amazon and Chewy? (CEO of Wholesale Pet Says Yes)

    Can indie pet stores really out-compete Amazon, Chewy, and Petco? Pearce Tibbles, CEO of Wholesale Pet, says yes - but it takes strategy, technology, and intentionality. In this interview, Pearce walks through how Wholesale Pet spent over a year gathering feedback from retailers and vendors before completely redesigning their platform. The result? AI-powered search, curated collections, new vendor tools, and a focus on helping independent stores compete on their actual advantages—not by trying to be Chewy. You will hear:  ✅ Why Pearce is optimistic about indie pet stores  ✅ The structural advantages indie stores have over big box  ✅ The new AI-powered search that solves the "finding a needle in a haystack" problem ✅ Collections: how to curate products by season, pet type, or customer (and share them with other retailers) ✅ How retailers can find trending products across US indie stores in real time Plus how to avoid the financing trap, why changing your store layout bi-weekly drives foot traffic, and why inventory is your ATM. ABOUT Pearce TIBBLES CEO, Wholesale Pet Pearce Tibbles loves brick & mortar small business and believes it plays an indispensable role in local communities. He's passionate about finding new ways technology can help independents compete against ecommerce and big box stores. Pearce has spent most of his career with a foot in each world: he was a partner in a company that built an app for training restaurant and small retail store employees, owned and operated his own brick & mortar service business for many years, and has worked in software and technology for the past 8 years. When he started at Wholesale Pet in 2024, he brought with him a mindset focused on staying really close to customers, learning their businesses intimately—how they operate, what they spend money on, what their competitive challenges are—and figuring out ways to help them not just survive but succeed and outcompete ecommerce and big box stores. The new Wholesale Pet site is the first really big step in this direction, with more exciting developments coming in the months ahead. Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  7. Jun 6

    The NeeDoh Craze: What a Squishy Toy Teaches You About Viral Marketing In Your Pet Business

    A squishy palm-sized toy with no celebrity endorsements and no big marketing budget just sold an entire year's worth of inventory in 9 weeks - and Candace watched it happen right outside her front door. In this solo episode, Candace breaks down the NeeDoh craze: how it started, why it exploded, and - most importantly - what the mechanics behind it mean for your pet business right now. She covers: ⭐️ How the NeeDoh Advent Calendar sparked a TikTok wildfire that turned an 8-year-old product into this generation's Beanie Baby ⭐️  The 5-part Pet Boss Nation framework for engineering your own viral moment ⭐️  Real action steps: auditing your shelves, setting up new arrival drops, building influencer relationships, and filming before you have a following Whether you're a retailer, groomer, trainer, or service provider - if you have products or services worth showing, you have the ingredients for a viral moment.  Candace tells you exactly how to start building toward it! Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

  8. May 30

    Why You Should Never Make Blanket Statements to Broad Audiences Again

    This is a very special episode!  Candace is inviting you into a recent Pet Boss University marketing training - a true fly-on-the-wall peek at what's happening inside the membership. This training is about customer personas: how to stop making blanket statements to broad audiences and start marketing to one specific customer type instead. She covers: 🙌 What a customer persona IS (and what it's NOT) 🙌 The difference between demographics and behavior   🙌 The specific questions to ask about your persona  🙌 Why marketing to everyone means marketing to no one Plus the behind-the-scenes look at how client data gets turned into actionable marketing plans with specific copy, visuals, and calls to action. It's different from regular episodes, but it's the kind of training that changes how you market your business forever! Transcript Show Notes Join Us Online Find us on Facebook Join our Free Pet Industry Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram Read our Blog

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5
out of 5
75 Ratings

About

This is a podcast for the local pet business owner. Get foundational business tips mixed with the latest secrets of what’s working now, especially in this challenging world. Hear honest conversations from industry peers working the streets of Main Street, where dog business is BIG business. So, if you’re a pet supply store, grooming salon, dog daycare, boarding facility, pet sitter or dog trainer - we welcome you! What really sets this show apart from others in this space is that your show host, Candace D’Agnolo, the CEO & Founder of Pet Boss Nation® - has started, scaled and sold successful pet businesses in almost every niche of the pet industry. Not only that, but her business had multiple locations, a team of 30 people, and annual revenue hitting multiple 7 figures. What this means for you is that you’ll get a holistic approach from someone who’s been on your biz journey from start to finish. Intrigued? Press play.

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