Are you focusing on the small stuff in your business… while ignoring the two things that actually determine your profit?

When was the last time you seriously reviewed your pricing — not just for a once-a-year increase — but as an ongoing strategy?

And if labour and pricing are the only two levers that truly move cashflow, valuation, and long-term freedom… why do so many owners hesitate to pull them?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom builds on a powerful conversation with Teija Heikkilä from Pet Vet M&A and breaks down what really drives profitability in pet care businesses. According to Teija, there are only two big levers that materially move business value: payroll and pricing.

Dom unpacks what that means in practical terms — from understanding labour ratios and eliminating inefficiencies, to getting comfortable charging what your services are actually worth. Along the way, he shares lessons from Disney’s premium pricing evolution, the psychology of fear around rate increases, and why underpricing doesn’t make you an ethical owner, but instead limits your ability to build a better facility, hire better staff, and create better outcomes for dogs.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The Two Levers That Matter – Why payroll and pricing are the only numbers that truly shift profit and valuation.
• Fear vs Reality – How emotional attachment and guilt keep owners stuck undercharging.
• Disney-Level Pricing Confidence – Why premium positioning attracts better clients and builds stronger businesses.
• Enrichment as a Revenue Multiplier – How selling structured add-ons dramatically increases margin without adding dogs.
• Fresh Eyes, Faster Growth – Why investing in coaching and external perspective removes blind spots and accelerates progress.

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom opens the episode, reflects on travel, masterminds, and why getting out of your town sharpens your thinking.
[04:30] – Dog News: “Genius dogs” learn by eavesdropping — and how to turn word association into a powerful marketing campaign.
[07:13] – Using emotional triggers and brand conditioning to create stronger client loyalty.
[13:01] – Teija Heikkilä explains the two big financial levers that determine business value: payroll and pricing.
[17:18] – Labour ratios, inefficiencies, and why anything over 50% payroll demands immediate attention.
[18:53] – The psychology of pricing fear — and why caring owners often become their own bottleneck.
[28:24] – What Disney teaches us about premium pricing, positioning, and becoming comfortable not being for everyone.
[31:29] – Why underpricing limits your ability to improve facilities, staff training, and long-term sustainability.
[34:00] – Enrichment as low-hanging fruit: how selling more to existing clients instantly boosts revenue.
[38:22] – Why fresh perspective, coaching, and live events remove emotional bias and unlock growth.

Huge thanks to our fantastic show sponsors Canine Lab Testing. You can learn more about their fast, reliable parasite testing solutions at: www.caninelabtesting.com