Pet Boss® Podcast with Candace
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
260: How to Use Your Numbers Before Making a Bi...
Candace has watched a lot of pet business owners make a big decision off a good feeling, and she has coached the ones who made it off bad advice too. One client went to a seminar, heard “hire for the business you want, not the business you have,” hired an entire team, and nearly drowned in payroll.
35 min
2
259: The Weekly Wag, Pet of the Week, and 5 Mor...
Everything Candace and Morgan cover is already running in our pet business right now. Some of it is powered by AI and the point of sale system. Some of it is just getting consistent about something you already knew you should be doing.
51 min
3
258: 2026 Holiday Trends Pet Businesses Can Cas...
Candace has been digging through the 2026 holiday trend reports and there are some interesting shifts happening. People are being more selective, but they are not abandoning Christmas. They are approaching it more intentionally.
33 min
4
257: Say Yes to the Trip: Why You Should Leave ...
This episode is a special treat. It’s an impromptu recording around a hotel fire pit in Perham, Minnesota, with wine in plastic cups, a train going by, and a surprise guest who walked up mid-recording and got handed a microphone. 🔥
33 min
5
256: The Last Quarter of Our First Decade & Wha...
Ten years and thousands of clients through our programs, and a number Candace shares on this episode that she still has a hard time saying out loud.
25 min
6
255: A Love Letter to the Independent Pet Busin...
It is Neighborhood Pet Store Day weekend, and it is also the one-year anniversary of Dante and Dory's!
21 min
7
254: Safety, Empathy, and Running a Brick and M...
This is heavier than what we usually do here. It is not a list of bad behavior and it is not a “those people” conversation. It is one owner talking to other owners about what is happening outside our four walls, what it costs us, and what actually helps.
37 min
8
253: Our 1.6M View Reel: Swipe this Strategy
It was a video of a filthy self-wash tub getting rinsed out. That is it. A German shepherd had just been bathed on opening weekend, the tub looked like it was growing hair, and Candace told Morgan to film it before anyone cleaned it up.
29 min
9
252: Biscuit, Tootsie Rolls, and a 17-Year-Old:...
Candace is joined by Dakota, the youngest member of the Dante & Dory's team, to break down the Pet Care Certification event they hosted at Discovery Depot, the local children's museum.
25 min
10
251: Ready vs. Prepared: What Sending My Son to...
This week, Candace sent her son Carmine to preschool for the first time. He was ready. She thought she was ready too. And then something happened that surprised her - and opened up a much bigger conversation about business, control, and what it really means to be ready.
28 min
11
250: 16 Winners Revealed: The Pet Boss Trade Sh...
Candace and Morgan are back from SUPERZOO 2026 in Las Vegas with awards for the booths, brands, products and people that made them stop in the aisle.
53 min
12
249: From Crazy Decision to One-Year Anniversar...
Last week, Candace shared the first five lessons from Dante and Dory's one-year anniversary. This week, she's revealing the final five and these are the ones that didn't announce themselves until the store was actually open.
31 min
13
248: From Crazy Decision to One-Year Anniversar...
Candace has 10 lessons to share - not about the pets or the products or how to merchandise a shelf, but about who she is as an owner. Which means they're about who you are as an owner too.
33 min
14
247: Pet Boss Trade Show Awards Are Coming! Her...
Today, Candace officially launches the Pet Boss Trade Show Awards! This isn't just a fun list. It's a recognition system built by people who actually run pet businesses, for the brands, booths, and reps who deserve to be seen - not because they have the biggest budget, but because they genuinely stood out!
22 min
15
246: SUPERZOO 2026 Guide: Sessions, Events, Log...
In just two weeks, Candace and Morgan from Dante and Dory's are flying to Las Vegas for SUPERZOO 2026 - one of the pet industry's largest trade shows. And whether you're going, thinking about going, or already panicking about your trip, this episode has you covered.
28 min
16
245: SEO is Changing. Meet AEO and Why Your Pet...
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."
34 min
17
244: Sale Secrets: A $3,000+ in Extra Revenue S...
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.
26 min
18
243: 250 Years of Change: Why Adaptation Wins (...
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.
27 min
19
242: What 1,000 Pet Businesses Taught Us About ...
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.
39 min
20
241: Stop Starting from Zero Every Month: A Pet...
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.
24 min
21
240: Can Indies Really Out-Compete Amazon and C...
In this interview, Pierce 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.
51 min
22
239: The NeeDoh Craze: What a Squishy Toy Teach...
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.
28 min
23
238: Why You Should Never Make Blanket Statemen...
This training is about customer personas: how to stop making blanket statements to broad audiences and start marketing to one specific customer type instead.
23 min
24
237: June Education Events You Don't Want to M...
It's the start of summer - can you believe it? Half the year is already over, and Candace has some exciting announcements to share.
18 min
25
236: Part 2: How We Leveled Up the Farmer's Mar...
This is part two of last week's episode where Candace talked about the five ways off-location events make you money.
34 min