Your business, your life, your version of success

If your dog grooming business was supposed to give you more freedom, why does it so often feel as though your whole life has to fit around it? In this episode, I’m talking about goal-setting—but not the rushed, overly optimistic goals we tend to make on 1st January and forget three weeks later. Instead, I’ll help you think about what you genuinely want from your business, the season of life you’re currently in and how to turn your ambitions into a practical strategy. We’ll explore: - Your **pinnacle goal**: the big ambition you may not be ready to say out loud - Why three-to-five-year goals should reflect your current season of life - How to build your business around your life—not squeeze your life into whatever space the business leaves behind - Why the final quarter of the year is the perfect time to plan for the next one - How to reverse-engineer goals such as increasing your prices, updating your terms and conditions or finally stopping working Saturdays - Why copying somebody else’s version of success rarely works - The difference between a vision board and what I call a **build board** - One simple weekly exercise to help you start behaving like the future version of yourself You don’t need to abandon your biggest ambitions because life is busy. But you do need to plan for them in a way that gives them—and you—a genuine chance of success. The Dog Grooming Business Academy’s live 2027 Strategy Planning Session will take place in November and will be available to Pro members. Find out more about joining the Academy here **Want to dive deeper?** Watch Karen's free Dog Grooming Business Engine training here and discover the framework behind a business that supports your life instead of consuming it. **Want to build a calmer, more profitable dog grooming business?** The Dog Grooming Business Academy helps ambitious groomers master pricing, marketing, branding and customer experience so they can build a business that works for their life - not the other way around. **Enjoying the podcast?** If you're listening while grooming today, Karen would love to see what you're working on! Share a photo or selfie to your Instagram, Facebook or TikTok Stories, tag @thedoggroomingbusinessacademy, and she'll share your post. At the end of each month, one listener will receive a grooming goodie bag full of treats from some of Karen's favourite brands. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show. It helps more dog groomers discover the business education they never received in grooming school.