1/12th of a year at a time - a progress thread

[Andy Black]

Oh how lovely! That's so wonderful and exciting I would love to see a picture.

Meet new member of the family, Bella Black.

She's not house trained, chews a lot of stuff, is too nervous to walk out the front, hasn't settled at night, chases balls but doesn't know what to do when she gets there, and I think is a bit on the chubby side from never being walked or played with.

But she's so mellow, quiet (during the day at least), and super friendly.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[REV5028]

early 8/12 post - figured I'd share something exciting in the moment rather than waiting until it was old news and not very exciting to me anymore.

I made a Facebook post to two local groups last night. I basically said I was interested in helping people with their dogs and I wanted to have free 30 minute calls with people to see what their issues were and see if I might be able to help.

Posts on these groups rarely get more than 10 likes. Folks, I

1. received a phone call from one of the group's administrators to make sure I wasn't a scammer because it had happened twice already this week and the offer was great and greatly needed in our community.
2. as of this morning, have over 120 likes, a handful of DMs, and 3 scheduled calls.

I knew people needed help with their dogs, but I had no idea this many people needed this much help. One person also told me they had worked with a dog trainer in the city and I can't believe how horribly wrong the advice they got was.

I have lots of hope that I'll be able to help these people, but I am also kind of freaked out by the thought of this all working out.

 

[REV5028]

Supplemental check-ins to my 1/5/10. One year feels too nebulous, and 52 weeks feels too overwhelming. 12 feels comfy.

1 of 12 - 2023

I'm an introvert, so I've been making it a point to reach out and interact with more people.
My goal is to talk to at least 1-2 different/new people every week.

• I've mostly been talking to intended audience members of a book I'm working on. The more people I talk to, the more I consider putting together a podcast-type thing to help more people faster while working on my book. I think I need to talk to a few more people and do a little more research to break the overarching topic into digestible chunks and come up with solid interview questions. At the moment discussions have been naturally flowing and unguided, which isn't bad for reaffirming the need for what I'm working towards and getting more insight, but I don't think the totally free-flowing conversations would be super helpful to others.
• I've also been trying to get outside of PhD-land more and meet entrepreneurs. I've had a few lovely and invaluable chats with people on this forum, and I look forward to chatting with more of you.

I've been struggling to get myself back on solid ground after last year's chaos. I've been feeling lost.

• Looking back on my 20's, I don't know how I did it all - college, outdoors adventures, volunteering, exercising regularly. And I had energy and drive. I feel like I lost my sense of meaning and purpose. I still know I want to leave the world a better place than I found it, but the fire behind it has dwindled. Things started turning up this week though! I'm back in my hometown visiting family. Without all of the chores and distractions I usually have, I've been able to focus more on my 9-5 work and it feels good. Even though I hate being in a 9-5, I'm learning Python and starting to come up with project ideas that my mentors like. It feels good to know that I'm still growing. Visiting my family has also helped rekindle the fire behind my "why." I remember clearly at the age of 11 or 12 realizing how miserable, self-centered, and ignorant my family is and not wanting to be like them. I wanted to be better and do better, and that drove me all the way through my Master's. Having been away for so long and being put down by the academic system, I lost touch with myself. It feels good to feel reconnected to my meaning and purpose.
• Identity is powerful. I don't think I actively think about this a lot, but the subconscious mind is a mystical thing. My initial avatar on this forum was a picture from my graduation. I just switched it to a picture from a climbing trip in Yosemite. It's surprising how much this switch has affected my mindset. The graduation photo represented my academic servitude, the Yosemite photo represents the freedom I yearn for. I feel more focused on moving forward and less stuck in the past. From a simple photo switch!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Bounce Back]

wouldn't it be smarter to start really specific and then build upon it from there?

How I personally would approach this based on just what I've read you mention in this thread & your goals/interests sprinkled with a little visualization exercise:

You are the dog guru - people come to you with the desire to fix/heal/promote the health and behavior of the dog. Most of the time this means they've tried other things or heard of other people trying other things and it didn't work - you are who they come to when they want to get serious.

Your main money makers long run will be passive products. Ebooks, maybe treats/supplements designed by you and made in bulk by some sort of fulfillment, and online seminars (which are more scalable due to not being geographically limited and more can attend).

While getting this point though you had to do things to earn being sought out (both in knowledge and in products). This phase (where you are now) can include any number of things with varying impacts, including:
* newsletter to keep eyes on your future efforts
* Group trainings/seminars: more commitment to get these hosted but these are really a sales funnel to private lessons + marketing yourself (newsletter sign ups).
* Private lessons/meetings: higher $$$ and preferably on a recurring plan only - not one off
* Experimenting with treats/supplements made by you for your clients - not focusing on pure profit at this point more using your audience to see what sticks. (as laws allow)

I could be completely off base but that's what I see.

 

[REV5028]

6/12

I think June went comparatively well!

I've chatted and brainstormed a bit with a friend about combining our ideas to make them mutually beneficial. Seems like it could be a good partnership.

I've worked on gathering content and a process for producing a product, and actually produced something. Big thanks to a forum legendary contributor for being a test case and providing valuable feedback. I still have a lot of work to do, but it feels good to take a step from the idea side of things into the action side of things.

Another big thanks to another legendary contributor for some wonderful life advice and book recommendations.

I also made a new lovely connection on the forum.

I still need to get my diet and exercise under control. I had relapsed with caffeine intake, but for the last month or so I've cut out energy drinks and for the most part, I'm now only drinking tea. Overall, I'm sleeping better and feeling a little more energetic. Compared to a few months ago, I'll take it. For now.

Let's take this momentum into July!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[BizyDad]

kind of freaked out by the thought of this all working out.

Take a deep breath. You're going to face some more challenges and you're going to figure out how to solve them.

Before you know it you'll blink and say to yourself "I can't believe this is my life".

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[REV5028]

Quick update.

I've gotten so many likes on one of my FB posts that it made me a "top contributor" in the group.
I find this hilarious

I've had 7 consultation calls so far and I now have 6 one-on-one sessions scheduled from tomorrow through Saturday. Thinking realistically, two of these will probably cancel and another will probably reschedule.
Anyway, I just need one to start and I think the chances are good that at least one will work out!

 

[REV5028]

8/12

Wow, where did August go?

Since 8/18:

I've had 9 short, free consultation calls. This has led to 5 in-person training sessions with 3 different dogs and their people. I have 2 new clients scheduled for this week and 3 more that are in the process of scheduling/rescheduling.

As I was walking my own dogs the other day a guy stopped me to ask if I was "the dog lady on Facebook."

I'm charging way below the average for dog trainers, and way lower than I feel my skills are worth, but I feel like I need to around here in order to be able to provide value to the most people possible and the ones who need it most. So, I'm scheming additional ways to help people and also get paid. Some ideas are selling dog treats (and do more advertising) at the local farmer's market, hold people-only educational seminars, and make YouTube videos (I have a bit of shyness to overcome there).

Any thoughts, constructive criticism welcome!

 

[REV5028]

3/12 2024

I've gotten a few new clients, and I've even had a couple of weeks with a one-on-one session every day, sometimes even two a day.

I've been recognized a few times while out and about, and my local vet even called to ask if I would be willing to work with one of their patients. That was kinda cool.

I'm giving a free community seminar on April 5 with 12 out of 25 spots filled and I'm expecting at least one more to sign up ... I should probably get that presentation squared away...

I sold a few homemade dog treat bags that I upcycled out of old jeans. People seem to think they're pretty nifty. I'm considering making a few more and going to the Farmer's market with them (and to advertise my training services). But it's kind of a distraction - it's not what I'm really invested in, but if enough people are into the treat bags it could help me increase my income for the time being and get out of my 9-to-5 faster...

I've been thinking and working through a bigger idea, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. Particularly which niche to pick. I have it narrowed down to two. Even though the niches are different, the solution (or part of it) is the exact same, so that has been making it difficult to just pick one (for now). I also have huge pain points and motivation for both (I myself would fit equally into either one), and that also makes it hard to choose one over the other. I've joined Facebook groups containing people that fit each niche's avatars. Maybe there's a way to help both? I'm not sure how advisable that would be. Anyway, I have one (maybe two) current clients who are sort of testing out my first version of the solution. They don't perfectly fit into either niche, but they have similar enough problems that I'm confident my solution will help. I'm having them test it out more because 1. they were interested and it has been hard for me to get serious interest (I'm working on my messaging, at least I think that's a big part of my issue and will hopefully become a lot easier once I commit to just one niche/avatar) 2. I need feedback on the format and what would make it even better/easier for people to use. 3. I need to get a better idea of where to price this service. Anyway, now I'm rambling.

Feeling pretty spread thin.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[REV5028]

3/12

Holy smokes, where has this month gone?

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this month (despite the length of word vomit below).

- Health. I've been realizing lately that I've been allowing my father's bad habits to influence me more than I previously realized. He doesn't take very good care of himself, and never really has. Even though I'm pretty healthy and make decent lifestyle choices, I seem to struggle to prioritize going to the doctor, dentist, finding a therapist, etc. So, I've started to do better. After ~9 years, I FINALLY had an eye exam and got new glasses. Next up, probably a general wellness check/physical.

- My Job. It's seeming more likely that I'll get converted from my postdoc position to a senior staff member position in the next few months. This will likely mean a ~$45-50k increase in salary. Hopefully I'll have more to say soon. Next week I'll find out if my proposed project idea that I submitted in February was selected to move forward to the full proposal phase. Otherwise, I'm getting more comfortable with Python and I'm trying to add some value in a more social way. I've agreed to help with a science demonstration for a kids day and I helped organize a department lunch.

- Providing Value. Today I was finally able to meet with the older woman in my neighborhood and help with her dog. It went really well! She said I helped her more in an hour than a virtual trainer helped over the course of two weeks. That felt so good to hear, and it was so rewarding to see how happy she was and to see her dog relax a bit. I was planning to do this first session for free, but she insisted I take $50 ($30 more than I was going to ask for next time!). She also ended up asking me if I could work with/walk her dog a couple of times a week, and if she could recommend me to others. We'll see where this goes!

Thanks again @informedconsent for getting me to consider working with dogs a little more seriously and not to underestimate the potential in my small community! Also, thanks @Andy Black for asking me/the forum "who have you helped today?" and for encouraging me to ask myself "what value might I be depriving others if I don't put myself out there?"

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Antifragile]

Andy already nailed key points.

Think bigger, if you get a big audience - that can be monetized later. Even if you are underpaid today, if that gives you fame (like people on the street asking you if you are thr FB Dog lady!), that’s power that later can be monetized. Example: if you had 100,000 dog loving followers on Twitter, a product promoting tweet could net $10k … it’s just advertising. In other words, benefits are all cumulative and compounded as you provide value to others.

Great work. Keep it up.

 

[REV5028]

2/12 2024

I was invited to give a lunchtime seminar on dogs/dog training at my local university and doctoral alma mater. It was a lot of fun!

Takeaways:

• I'm not terrible at giving presentations on little sleep, excessive amounts of caffeine, and with zero practice runs. Could definitely have been better, but could have been way way worse. A mentor has helped me realize this is a skill that I should lean into more.
• Being invited to speak at a university is possibly a bigger deal to the general public than I think. I've spent so much time in academia that anything dealing with universities is no big deal, ordinary. I should also probably use my title of "Dr." more even though it feels weird.
• The Q&A part was enlightening and gave me ideas for what would be helpful to people - a few people were really interested in all the nutrition research I've done and how I'm feeding my dogs, which gets me so excited because this is something I've spent many hours researching and implementing and seeing so many wonderful outcomes in my own dogs.

Then I started thinking (again) about how most of my clients tend to be middle-aged to older women and where I could get myself in front of an audience of them; I've decided to try getting a few 55+ gated communities in larger nearby towns to let me give a free seminar. They've actually been difficult for me to get good contact info for, so we'll see how it goes.

I'm still planning to give a free seminar to my local community, but it got pushed back to early April by the city.

I now have a business bank account and credit card.

Still have to research and work more on what I said I was going to do for February but didn't do.

Onwards!

 

[REV5028]

11/12

I've gotten a few more clients and have just passed $1k in revenue since I started getting myself out there as a dog trainer/sitter in August. I'll count it as a small win.

I'm working on a simple website. With a few testimonials I think it will be good enough for now. I'm mostly using it to look more professional and to showcase the testimonials. I can upgrade later.

I have other related ideas I want to explore, but they're a bit bigger than what I'm doing now, so a lot of my time has been spent reading, thinking, and being stuck.

 

[REV5028]

1/12 2024

I finally got my website up. I am forever grateful for some great feedback from some awesome friends on this forum; you guys really helped make it so much better! I still have so much to learn about websites and SEO and everything. I know we all use cell phones a lot, but for some reason I'm still shocked to see that 70% of the visitors to my site are via cell phone.

I announced my site to a community Facebook page which led to ~70 visitors to my site that day. A few people signed up for email updates and I got one new scheduled client - I'll take it. The FB post also led to an interview with the local paper - the article was in today's issue and already led to a new scheduled client.

I'm attempting a 4-week program for dogs that pull on leash, since that was a common theme in a community survey I posted a few months ago. It seemed to get a bit of attention, but so far I only have one person signed up and another interested when the weather gets warmer. Maybe others are also waiting for better weather?

I will also be hosting a free seminar in March. I just need to finish some paperwork with the city so I can use their convention center for free, and I need to put together a flyer that the city will send out for free with the utility bills.

I'm starting to really see the effects of colder weather and living in a small town - things have been slow. So, I'm starting to think more about how to get more virtual clients and putting together some sort of digital product (maybe a couple of courses on specific issues like leash pulling or crate training).

So, going into February I'm going to be studying @Andy Black 's Google Ads courses and this thread.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[REV5028]

Meet new member of the family, Bella Black.

Bella Black! How precious!! Thank you for taking the time to share with me (us)! Bella was actually the name of our most recent rescue, but we didn't feel it suited her so now she's just Ella haha

She's not house trained, chews a lot of stuff, is too nervous to walk out the front, hasn't settled at night, chases balls but doesn't know what to do when she gets there, and I think is a bit on the chubby side from never being walked or played with.

Sounds like most puppies! She'll learn and settle in once she realizes she's in her forever home. She's lucky to have you and your family

But she's so mellow, quiet (during the day at least), and super friendly.

She's going to be your family's best buddy!

I emailed a local dog trainer (who I found on Google maps and who seems to have a team at this stage).

Here's her reply:

Thanks for sharing that with me. I've only recently really started working with puppies and I'm finding it's not too much different than the older dogs. On some things it's a lot easier, actually, and on other things it takes a lot more patience. It has been really fun. I'm planning to ask the attendees (mostly already clients of mine) at my seminar this Friday if they'd be interested in a few different services, one being a puppy playdate finder. I hadn't thought of doing a group puppy course, so that's definitely an idea I'll explore more.

Thanks again, Andy Can't wait to hear how Miss Bella Black settles in and grows into your family!

 

[REV5028]

4/12

I'm a bit behind... Let's see.

Work:
It has been keeping me pretty busy. In addition to some recent travel, the project idea I submitted back in February was accepted to move on to the next phase of the process. Over the course of a few weeks I had to develop the full scope of the project, do some networking, do some reading, and write a proposal (over 2000 words). Next I'll have to give a presentation to really pitch my idea and sell it to the deciding committee. I have a few thoughts on how this relates to business.

• First, it (i.e., this project proposal process, my work in general, the academic training I went through for years on end) is really quite different from the "you know enough, just get started" approach that is reiterated on the forum. Switching my mindset back and forth has been a challenge, but it's starting to get easier.
• Second, to have come up with an idea and make it this far in the process on my first try has been confidence-boosting. It didn't matter that I wasn't confident in the idea, but a group of people I know nothing about found it worthy enough to move forward.
• Third, I'll have practice selling my idea (product) to get it funded (make the sale).

Other news as far as work goes...

• I'm taking advantage of some computer coding and machine learning training.
• I'm possibly one month away from getting "promoted" (basically just a change in title without much increase in responsibility), which will mean a significant (to me at present) increase in my salary (I think I mentioned ~$40 - 50k previously).

Dog walking:
The lady I was walking a dog for has decided that her daughter and grandson would take over the dog walking. It was kind of sad for me, but I learned a few things and I am very grateful for the experience.

• I provided value, even if for a short time, and it felt really good to see the positive impact I was having.
• It was a lesson in not getting my emotions overly involved.
• Even though I haven't heard from anyone, a friend of the lady with the dog told me she had recommended me to another person with an energetic dog. It was really cool to see someone advertising for me like that.
• The "T" in CENTS is no joke. I'm actually kind of relieved that things fell through and no one else has contacted me. My next project is not going to require my continued time and effort.

Other:
I've been spending less time on screens in my spare time. With warmer weather I've taken the time to go on hikes and trial runs. It feels so good to get out there! I've also been spending some time working in the garden/yard. These things, in addition to switching from my pasta-heavy hibernating-bear diet to a diet with more fresh fruits and vegetables, has really started helping my energy levels and mood.


Entrepreneurial Outlook:
The honest truth is that I haven't put a ton of time into a business project lately. Through lovely and lively conversation, I've narrowed down my ideas and sussed out some feelings. I'm okay with my slow, or stand-still, pace... for right now.

 

[REV5028]

5/12

I don't have much to say for May.

Today is my first day as a Senior level staff member - I got the "promotion" and a ~$43K salary increase. I'm excited to continue hammering away at my debts, student loans and my car in particular. I've already been aggressively paying on them, so I think I can have them entirely paid off (or close to it) within the next year. Feck paying interest and being held captive by debts. As long as I can stay away from garden centers, I feel pretty confident that I will not substantially increase my consumerist spending with the salary increase.

I've definitively chosen my first fastlane project. I've refined my plan, now I just actually have to get to work on it. It's definitely something I can do on my own, but I'm starting to consider a collaboration of sorts on it. I intend to send some emails today/over the weekend.

I've been fairly absent on the forum lately. I felt I needed to step away a bit. I felt that every time I logged on I was searching for answers I already had, searching for motivation that I could only find within myself, searching for someone to tell me what to do. Smh. I think I've cleared a lot of mental fog though and I'm ready for June.

 

[REV5028]

7/12

A bit late on this one too.

I've taken some advice from those further along on their entrepreneurial journeys and have decided once again to change my idea to something totally different. I'm going to pursue something in the pet industry, specifically the dog industry. At first I thought I would be limited to walking dogs all day every day and make a third of what I do now in my 9-to-5. But over the last month I've been expanding my horizons to so many more possibilities. I've been learning a lot and starting to put things together, but I'd rather wait and say more about it when I have more to say/show.

 

[REV5028]

Hello. Nice to see you here, lady. I want to ask: What is the reason your reports become such short? I think I am not the only one who want to know more details about your habits, your choices, your path. Please, if it is not a problem: share more.

Thank you so much, appreciate your post so much. Have an amazing month.

Thanks for reaching out!

I tend to try to keep things short for a few reasons. Shyness, lack of confidence, not feeling like I have anything of enough importance to really share. At least one other person has encouraged me to open up more, so I'll try to share a bit more.

Over the last ~month I've realized that the dog industry is a huge umbrella with many sub categories. Various products, books, online courses, online training, in person training, dog walking, boarding, grooming, nutrition, food & treats, etc. etc. I've started considering products and online/in-person training/walking, with a future goal of creating an online course once I've helped enough people and have learned more.

On a scale of 0-10 with 0 being no experience and 10 being an expert, when it comes to dog training/behavior and nutrition, I would put myself at a level 3. I don't have any formal training, but I've put in hours upon hours of independent research trying to give my dogs the best life possible. I've realized that I know more than the average person and that I've been able to put my knowledge into practice and see real, positive results with my own three dogs (two current, one passed away a year and a half ago).

Recently I've been thinking that my dogs are living well, but they could be living better. I also had the epiphany that I've really only learned from a couple of sources. So, I've been watching videos/shows and reading books by other experts in the field. I also employed the help of a somewhat local (hour away) dog trainer - we had an hour-long video consultation and yesterday we had our first in-person session with another scheduled for next weekend.

So, I'm trying to balance "knowing enough" and wanting to become a level 5-6 on the expert scale. I'm trying to remind myself that there are plenty of people at the 0 level who would love to be where I am now at a level 3. My dogs and I get so many compliments just walking around this small town and I haven't heard of any in-town training services. I've put together a short 7-slide presentation outlining who I am and the results I've seen with my 3 dogs and one neighbor's dog (chronicled in previous posts on this thread) and a 3-question Google Forms survey about common dog issues and if people are interested in getting help that I intend to post to my town's two Facebook groups and share with family and friends across the country to gauge interest and try to get potential future clients. I am then planning to offer a free webinar to share 3 of the most common mistakes dog owners tend to make and outline how to avoid those mistakes. I haven't quite worked out where I'll go from there. Perhaps offer in-person one-on-one sessions for people in town and/or online individual/group sessions.

I've also been thinking of platforms for marketing. YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram seem like good places to start. That's where a lot of pros in the field seem to be most active. Oh, and email lists. I'll also be revisiting @BizyDad 's various threads on marketing to leave no stone unturned.

Life has been a little overwhelming and I was getting quite stressed out about doing so much research - about all things dogs, for my 9-to-5 (I'm a research scientist), and for business both in general and specific to the dog industry. Maybe I've been overthinking things. But anyway, I purchased a few online courses that will seemingly answer many of my questions and bridge many of my knowledge gaps. The first course I purchased is more focused on e-commerce. However, the instructor of this course has created several multi-million dollar companies and was spoken highly of by a successful entrepreneur on this forum. The instructor of this course does not independently host the course, and after going through a bit of it and finding it valuable, I decided to upgrade my membership for a year to get access to all the other courses, including how to run Facebook ads, selling things on Amazon, etc. I've also taken advantage of several free webinars from various people who have "made it." Some of them I don't trust and others I did. Another course I bought focuses on online course creation and goes into great detail about most components of creating an online course and how to market it. Then I purchased two very low cost courses about dogs. One is focused on training, and one is focused on building a successful dog-training business. I know there's a lot to digest in these courses, and I know I need to take everything with a grain of salt and I need to actually act on what I'm going to learn. I also figured I've spent way more on college degrees that will have a far less ROI. But anyway, no more buying courses, only putting what I learn into practice.

I also have a call with a cousin of mine this afternoon. In my eyes, she's a business tax expert. I think she has her CPA and she works with business taxes on a daily basis for a living. I'm trying to utilize my existing network more.

There you have it. I think that's everything I can think to share for what I've been up to over the last month/month and a half..

 

[Andy Black]

8/12

Wow, where did August go?

Since 8/18:

I've had 9 short, free consultation calls. This has led to 5 in-person training sessions with 3 different dogs and their people. I have 2 new clients scheduled for this week and 3 more that are in the process of scheduling/rescheduling.

As I was walking my own dogs the other day a guy stopped me to ask if I was "the dog lady on Facebook."

I'm charging way below the average for dog trainers, and way lower than I feel my skills are worth, but I feel like I need to around here in order to be able to provide value to the most people possible and the ones who need it most. So, I'm scheming additional ways to help people and also get paid. Some ideas are selling dog treats (and do more advertising) at the local farmer's market, hold people-only educational seminars, and make YouTube videos (I have a bit of shyness to overcome there).

Any thoughts, constructive criticism welcome!

Start the videos. Think of how it may help one person or dog, and think how not publishing them is doing them a disservice.

Try doing the training seminars, and maybe even online where you can record it. You may really enjoy it, and you'll end up creating content you can point people to in future (paid, or free).

Maybe you can start by recording the free training sessions? Folks understand free in exchange for it being recorded.

Try increasing prices a bit and see how it goes?

Well done on your progress.

Oh, and that's funny that someone recognised you. @Timmy C reported that happening in his own progress thread.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[REV5028]

12/12 for 2023

Not much new to say for December. Well, not really in terms of business.

My partner and I were a bit impulsive and reckless ... I decided to adopt my grandma a Chihuahua and then we saw allllll the other dogs at the shelter needing homes, so we ended up brining home a German Shepherd for ourselves. We live in New Mexico, my grandma lives in South Carolina.. so the next morning I packed up the Chihuahua, new dog, and my Rottie for a roadtrip. Then I drove with the two big dawgs up to Pennsylvania to visit my dad. Talk about a production. It took about two weeks, so that was half of my month. Despite it all, it was nice to see family I haven't seen in a while (a year or two, I actually can't remember).

This new German Shepherd though... the shelter called and said they made a mistake, that she never should have left the shelter because she was "unadoptable" - her and another German Shepherd viciously attacked a third German Shepherd (it survived, but needed surgery). I later learned she (and the other German Shepherds) were all neglected by the same owner. She hasn't been an absolute nightmare, but she definitely needs a lot of training. While it has been stressful trying to train and safely assimilate her into our home with our two boy dogs, I'm trying my best to see it as a business blessing. I've been pretty bad about filming things, but I'm going to try to document her progress.

The website still isn't up. Bad weather and holiday travel pretty much wiped my calendar clean of training sessions. I still need to do my GR taxes for Q4. And I just got a business personal property form from the county assessor? I have to pay property taxes on items I already paid sales tax on and don't use solely for business? I have so much to learn. My diet is like Jekyll and Hyde - Mediterranean-inspired kale salad for one meal, Junior Mints for the next. But, not all is squalor; I've been running a bit after a ~two year hiatus. And recently I've felt a layer of stress and depression lift off my shoulders. Not really sure how that happened. Maybe just the passing of time? Anyway, I'm sure it's helping that my Rottie is doing really well. I'm not sure what his tumor is doing, but he's been almost two months seizure-free and his stamina/mental state is up. He had a really good report at the neurologist about 3 weeks ago.

Anyway... Gonna go finish writing out my January 2024 goals. Happy New Year, All!

 

[FastNAwesome]

I'm not terrible at giving presentations on little sleep, excessive amounts of caffeine, and with zero practice runs. Could definitely have been better, but could have been way way worse. A mentor has helped me realize this is a skill that I should lean into more.

Best presentation is the one that's actually given

Also, without early works, there can't be later works,
it's literally how the path goes.

So congratulations on starting!
You will improve with each next one.

And at a point when you get really slick and well versed in presentation and video production,
you will love your first presentation, and hold it closer to your heart than perhaps you do now

 

[DavidePaco00]

Supplemental check-ins to my 1/5/10. One year feels too nebulous, and 52 weeks feels too overwhelming. 12 feels comfy.

1 of 12 - 2023

I'm an introvert, so I've been making it a point to reach out and interact with more people.
My goal is to talk to at least 1-2 different/new people every week.

• I've mostly been talking to intended audience members of a book I'm working on. The more people I talk to, the more I consider putting together a podcast-type thing to help more people faster while working on my book. I think I need to talk to a few more people and do a little more research to break the overarching topic into digestible chunks and come up with solid interview questions. At the moment discussions have been naturally flowing and unguided, which isn't bad for reaffirming the need for what I'm working towards and getting more insight, but I don't think the totally free-flowing conversations would be super helpful to others.
• I've also been trying to get outside of PhD-land more and meet entrepreneurs. I've had a few lovely and invaluable chats with people on this forum, and I look forward to chatting with more of you.

I've been struggling to get myself back on solid ground after last year's chaos. I've been feeling lost.

• Looking back on my 20's, I don't know how I did it all - college, outdoors adventures, volunteering, exercising regularly. And I had energy and drive. I feel like I lost my sense of meaning and purpose. I still know I want to leave the world a better place than I found it, but the fire behind it has dwindled. Things started turning up this week though! I'm back in my hometown visiting family. Without all of the chores and distractions I usually have, I've been able to focus more on my 9-5 work and it feels good. Even though I hate being in a 9-5, I'm learning Python and starting to come up with project ideas that my mentors like. It feels good to know that I'm still growing. Visiting my family has also helped rekindle the fire behind my "why." I remember clearly at the age of 11 or 12 realizing how miserable, self-centered, and ignorant my family is and not wanting to be like them. I wanted to be better and do better, and that drove me all the way through my Master's. Having been away for so long and being put down by the academic system, I lost touch with myself. It feels good to feel reconnected to my meaning and purpose.
• Identity is powerful. I don't think I actively think about this a lot, but the subconscious mind is a mystical thing. My initial avatar on this forum was a picture from my graduation. I just switched it to a picture from a climbing trip in Yosemite. It's surprising how much this switch has affected my mindset. The graduation photo represented my academic servitude, the Yosemite photo represents the freedom I yearn for. I feel more focused on moving forward and less stuck in the past. From a simple photo switch!

The ability to not bing stuck in the past comes out of awarness and a spiritual self-development journey...

There are a ton of podcast, so that is request for them, it is a good business model, and you're also going to learn how to influence people and make them like your job... It's a good idea , and the opportunity of making money with podcasts is real... A very good way of making a podcast is being an influencer in the first place, so that people are interested... study social media dinamycs and start working towards making both useful and entertaining videos, grow a following and make your podcasts in the meantime...

cheers

 

[REV5028]

10/12

Progress has almost come to a screeching halt.

Actually, that's not entirely true.

I've been researching and implementing a lot. I'm starting to think that my dog's fresh healthy food isn't really species-appropriate. I've found one dog food brand that seems to be a lot more species-appropriate and it has some miracle testimonies of dogs outliving cancer/tumor prognoses and at least a few that seem to have gone entirely into remission. I purchased some to try, but it doesn't seem to sit as well in my dog's stomach as my homemade food.

In addition to the diet I've developed, I've also been exploring a bunch of different medicinal herbs that might help fight cancer/tumors and coming up with a blend for my guy. He has been on this new diet & herbal blend for two weeks.

While I don't know what the tumor is doing in his head right now after radiation, I do know that the oncologist put it at a 7 or 8 out of 10 for the largest brain tumors he's seen. It's taking up ~1/3 of his brain. I might be projecting or thinking too wishfully, but I feel like the doctors and technicians were a little surprised at how well he did through his treatment. He had zero complications, zero adverse reactions. They told me that I shouldn't expect to see any changes in his energy or mentation for a minimum of two weeks. The day after his third treatment he was 90% back to normal energy and behavior. I was so surprised that I called two of my vets to make sure it wasn't a bad thing.

I've noticed other positive changes since implementing the new diet. His fur is the softest and shiniest I have ever seen it. He used to have issues going potty in new places but it was totally not an issue while in Arizona. His poops are small and firm and they don't smell bad; I mean, it's still poop but it doesn't make me grimace or gag. He is a lot more tolerant of being handled (like help getting in the car, vet procedures, etc.).

As fate would have it, my Airbnb host in AZ also has a dog with cancer. I shared some of my findings with her and she's extremely interested. So, I'm going to send her a vitamin mix and recipe for her to try.

So, I don't really know what this new diet and herbal blend is actually doing for him or what it could do for other dogs, but I'm an optimistic scientist so I'm going to keep doing the work and see how it goes.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[heavy_industry]

I have a PhD in geophysics

I suppose there's nothing wrong with using my title as long as I'm always perfectly clear that my degree has nothing to do with dogs.

Of course it does!

1. Dogs walk on the ground.
2. The ground is made out of rocks.
3. You need science to study rocks.

Applied geophysics -> Better dog training

End of story.

 

[Bounce Back]

Thanks, Andy. Once again, with so few words you've helped immensely. I'll have to check out that book.

I've been going through Alex's $100M Offers and that's where I've hit the roadblock of which avatar to choose.

• Avatar 1: An unconventional training program for adult dogs with reactivity/aggression [options to make it even more specific: that traditional training and medication has not helped; and/or that were rescued]
• Avatar 2: A wellness program for adult dogs with cancer [options to make it even more specific: specifically brain tumors; and/or that have gone through treatment (e.g., radiation, chemo, surgery)]

The product/service would be nearly identical for either one, but the messaging would be pretty different.

I'm in several Facebook groups with people that fit either avatar, and I've been responding to a handful of posts here and there. I can increase my frequency. I likely just haven't put myself out there enough to find genuine interest from the right people - 99 no's for every 1 yes, and I haven't gotten to 99 no's.

I also think about "how would I find me?" because I fit either avatar and would have benefited greatly from having something like what I've come up with when I was first facing the aggression/tumor issues (taking my effort level from 8 or 9 and making it a level 3 for others). And I think I need to do a bit more cold outreach to people I know to see if they know anyone. But first I'll need to pick which avatar so I can craft a focused message.

That being said, I've realized that so far I've just been training for anyone willing to pay $30 an hour - rescues, puppies, older dogs, leash pulling, jumping, come-sit-stay, etc. And it's starting to get in the way of what I'd really really enjoy doing with either of those avatars (a program I could probably price anywhere from $500 - $2000, though I haven't sat down and worked it out exactly yet). So, I think it's time I raise my hourly rate to $50; if people are still willing to pay it then fine for now, it's getting me out of my 9-to-5 a tiny bit faster and I still get to meet people and work with dogs. If people aren't willing to pay that, just as well, I can focus more on building my program.

Thanks again, Andy!

Complete outsider to this situation except that I've volunteered to "train" dogs in the past at a local shelter to get them out of their kennels and more friendly to increase adoption rates but....

I personally don't think you should do/try only one of those. I think the average rate of any given person in a city actually hiring a dog trainer/consultant is so low that you don't want to niche down exclusively this far (in my opinion). Instead I would have this as different plans/options you have available like how a medical spa doesn't do just one thing but still gets recommended to others based off the quality they received in one specific thing. Hope that makes sense.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Andy Black]

I would love to help as many people as possible with their dogs in as many ways as possible. But for a team of one person and no capital, wouldn't it be smarter to start really specific and then build upon it from there?

What about increasing your fees and seeing who still keeps coming through to you, and what problem they want solved.

That way your niche might reveal itself rather than you choose beforehand.

PS: We're picking up our first dog tomorrow morning. A four month old labraror. The kids are beyond excited. I heard one saying to my wife "I've been waiting for this for seven years."

 

[REV5028]

How I personally would approach this based on just what I've read you mention in this thread & your goals/interests sprinkled with a little visualization exercise:

You are the dog guru - people come to you with the desire to fix/heal/promote the health and behavior of the dog. Most of the time this means they've tried other things or heard of other people trying other things and it didn't work - you are who they come to when they want to get serious.

Your main money makers long run will be passive products. Ebooks, maybe treats/supplements designed by you and made in bulk by some sort of fulfillment, and online seminars (which are more scalable due to not being geographically limited and more can attend).

While getting this point though you had to do things to earn being sought out (both in knowledge and in products). This phase (where you are now) can include any number of things with varying impacts, including:
* newsletter to keep eyes on your future efforts
* Group trainings/seminars: more commitment to get these hosted but these are really a sales funnel to private lessons + marketing yourself (newsletter sign ups).
* Private lessons/meetings: higher $$$ and preferably on a recurring plan only - not one off
* Experimenting with treats/supplements made by you for your clients - not focusing on pure profit at this point more using your audience to see what sticks. (as laws allow)

I could be completely off base but that's what I see.

Yes, you get me!

Okay, this is pretty much what I had in mind up until this week when I started losing the forest in the trees.

Thank you for helping me to refocus!

 

[BellaPippin]

I’m here to add to the “I also had more energy” I worked two jobs, worked out, had time to volunteer at a UN directors board… now I’m a stay-at-home step-mom (lol), my husband works from home, and we laugh at even commuting to work, remember when we woke up at 5 and came back home at 8pm… The pandemic changed so many things (my current situation is a byproduct of a ton of things the pandemic changed).

I think @Tammyanne can give you tips on how to connect and interview people, she has done her fair share! <3

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[BellaPippin]

Lol for years now when asked "what do you want to do after you finish school?" I'd tell them with total sincerity that I wanted to be a housewife. Doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. etc. everyday honestly is more attractive to me than sitting behind a computer screen in a windowless office everyday. I absolutely agree about the pandemic changing so many things - I think it has changed things in ways we don't fully understand yet.

Thanks for putting Tammyanne on my radar!

I'll tell you that in the window-less office sense, it doesn't get better than this. That said my two step kids are teens so I have it pretty easy.