Ever feel like you’re on the edge but don’t know if it’s burnout or just the next level? In this episode, I get personal. I’m pulling back the curtain on some of the hardest seasons of my professional life, from my years in social work to the aftermath of the pandemic while running my pet care business. We’re talking real burnout: the signs, the sneaky symptoms, and the mindset shifts that saved me.

I also walk through what I’ve learned in my journey as a founder and business coach: how to spot the difference between healthy overwhelm and burnout, and how to make empowered decisions before you’re deep in the crash zone.

If you’ve ever had the thought, “Am I just tired, or is this unsustainable?” this one’s for you.

And hey, if you’re a pet care business owner wanting to level up (without burning out), make sure to grab your ticket for the DogCo Business Summit, happening Sept 26-28 in Winston-Salem, NC. Digital tickets are now available!

👉 Get your ticket: https://dogcosummit.com

📝 What You’ll Take Away:
• How to recognize the early signs of burnout
• Four ways I knew I had hit my personal wall
• Tactics to recover without blowing up your business
• The mindset shift that changed everything
• How to build sustainable rhythms at higher altitudes

⏰Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome and intro to burnout
01:00 – When burnout feels sneaky
02:00 – My two major burnout seasons
04:00 – Burnout after the pandemic
05:30 – The line between growth and collapse
07:00 – Four signs I was burning out
10:00 – Emotional reactivity as a warning
13:00 – Four ways I now manage burnout
15:30 – The glass vs. plastic metaphor
18:00 – Better strategies for handling stress
19:30 – The power of mindset and choosing your life

👉 Subscribe for more weekly business insights
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
📲 Follow @michelleckline on Instagram
💬 Comment below if this resonated with you

Welcome back to your Friday Hot Tip! In this episode, I’m breaking down three of the most practical, boots-on-the-ground marketing strategies that helped me (and my clients) saturate a specific service area with brand visibility.

If you’re running an in-home pet care company, you know that location matters. That’s why today we’re talking about how to make your brand pop in the exact neighborhoods you want to dominate.

I’ll walk you through how to use flyers, yard signs, and car magnets in strategic, intentional ways to get the most out of your print materials. These aren’t just nice-to-haves - they’re powerful, proven tools when deployed correctly.

We’ll also cover design principles, location tips, how to avoid wasting time and energy, and how to convert eyeballs into long-term clients.

Whether you’re new to physical marketing or want to optimize what you’ve already got going, this episode is loaded with tactical tips that will give you more traction in less time.

💥 Key Takeaways

• Keep it simple - people only glance at flyers for 3 seconds

• Don’t overload your signs - make your message instantly readable

• Car magnets are low-cost, high-visibility tools when used well

• Hyper-target one area at a time - don’t scatter your efforts

• Always loop your offline efforts back into your social media presence

🎟️ Come meet me in person (or online!)

Join me at the DogCo Business Summit in Winston-Salem, NC - September 26–28, 2025. We’ve just launched digital tickets!

Grab yours here: https://dogcosummit.com

📌 Mentioned Strategies

• Flyers (where to hang them, how to design them)

• Yard signs (minimal copy, high contrast)

• Car magnets (addressing common hesitations and risks)

• Social media synergy with local businesses

• Picking one neighborhood to saturate at a time

💬 If this episode helped you, consider sharing it with a fellow pet business owner. A rising tide lifts all boats. Cheering you on, always!

Hey friends, Michelle Kline here. Today’s episode is a vulnerable one. I’m pulling back the curtain and talking honestly about several realization I’ve had in my own business (I’ve been the one in the way).

This isn’t just a strategy conversation. It’s a personal check-in. I’m sharing what it’s looked like for me to confront habits, mindsets, and leadership patterns that were unintentionally holding DogCo back. If you’ve ever felt like your business can’t grow unless you do, this one’s for you.

My hope is that this episode gives you permission to pause, reflect, and course-correct with compassion, and to realize that change doesn’t always mean doing more, it means thinking differently.

🎫 Tickets are still available for the DogCo Business Summit!
Winston-Salem, NC | September 26–28, 2025
Now available both in-person and digitally
👉 dogcosummit.com

💥 Key Takeaways 💥
• You might be the most influential limiter on your business’s growth
• Change is less about doing more, and more about thinking differently
• Leadership isn’t just delegation, it’s transformation
• How you might be unknowingly limiting your business’s growth
• What it actually looks like to lead differently
• The subtle behaviors that point to bottlenecking
• How to shift your internal script and free up momentum
• Encouragement for the overwhelmed pet care business owner

💬 If this episode sparked something in you, let me know. Share with a fellow business owner or tag me on Instagram. I’m cheering you on every step of the way.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.