DESCRIPTION

In this episode, Jo & Vicky are joined by Clara who worked for many years as a senior trainer and behaviour advisor at Dog´s Trust. In 2022, she founded The Muzzle Movement as a way to advocate for muzzled dogs and their guardians. Something she felt compelled to do when she adopted Tolly, who needed to be muzzled. The experience they had while out and about compelled Carla to change the public´s perception of muzzled dogs. 

It also inspired her to shake up the muzzle space by developing a new type of muzzle. One that provides far more freedom of movement, while still being effective, comfortable and hardwearing. In under 2 years, 20,000 have been shipped worldwide. Carla shares her story, including raising £46,000 on Kickstarter.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Carla hired someone on Upwork to create the CAD plan for her.

• The first muzzle was 3d printed.

• Being able to feed and drink water while wearing a muzzle is a big benefit.

• A dog wearing a black or brown muzzle looks scarier to most people than one that is wearing a blue or brightly coloured one.

• Hire help as soon as you can. Your business will grow faster, and you will avoid burnout.

• When Clara hired a team her turnover hit £1.2 million in 12 months.

• Hire people who share your core values and passion for what you are doing. This is particularly important during the startup stage.

• Be clear about your purpose. Without that clarity, you will not have the drive to get through the tough times.

• Offer true solutions for actual problems, not something only you perceive to be an issue.

• Stick to your values. Carla shares why they are doing this and why they turned down £2 million worth of orders.

• Hire a mentor as soon as possible. It will accelerate your growth.

• Regularly review what you are doing and improve.

• As an industry we need to pull together and stop criticising each other. There is way too much negativity in the dog industry.

BEST MOMENTS

“I wanted to be able to feed my dog through the muzzle really easily.”

“I should have hired people sooner.”

“A business needs to make money to be able to continue being a business and be able to support more people in the future.”

“Your business decisions should be made off the back of those values.”

“We'll take that loss of £2 million orders that we could have had next year if it means that over time, the right things are happening anyway.”

“It impacted my business because I was surrounded by negativity the whole time.”

“I don't think they're fearful of what their potential clients would say, they're scared about the peer group.”

“Reach out to people and say that's amazing … it really helps the other person.”

ABOUT THE GUEST

https://www.themuzzlemovement.com

Socials - @themuzzlemovement

SOCIALS AND IMPORTANT LINKS

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkdogbusiness

https://www.youtube.com/@LetsTalkDogBusiness

Website www.caninebusinessacademy.com

Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninebusinessacademycommunity/

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Meet Jo and Vicky! They bring a combined 25 years of expertise in the canine industry. Jo, with a background in corporate business, and Vicky, a dedicated advocate for rescue organisations, form an unstoppable team. Beyond the mic, their lives are a whirlwind – managing two successful businesses, pursuing a full-time university degree, and parenting two little ones under four. Each of their homes combined is a lively menagerie, housing five dogs and an abundance of chickens.