Laura Turns Her Passion for Dogs Into Two Powerful Podcasts That Educate and Inspire Pet Lovers Everywhere

Please share a brief introduction and your business

I'm Laura. I host two podcasts about dogs! The podcasts enable me to use each and every one of my rather random skill sets to create fun, educational platforms that bring the living history of purebred dogs to life and share veterinary insight for my audiences.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

When I started Pure Dog Talk in 2016, I leveraged contacts and connections within the purebred dog world, social media and word of mouth to create a runaway favorite in the very niche target market. Launching The Marty & Laura Show earlier this year has presented a new challenge in reaching out to the larger pet owning public.

‍Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Nope. It was not on my radar. I always wanted to be a newspaper reporter. But realities on the ground conspired to push me in this direction. Having been my own boss for 30+ years now, I don't really know how to do anything else anymore!

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Pure Dog Talk has quite literally changed people's lives. I hear it every day in testimonials from listeners. It has saved dogs' lives and propelled people to take risks, move forward and succeed.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

Just getting started. Check back on that one!

What did you go before starting your own business?

I’m a former competitive debater, newspaper reporter, marketing specialist, freelance writer, audio driving tour scriptwriter, professional show dog handler, and current preservation dog breeder and dog show judge.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I started my professional life as a newspaper reporter and thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced, varied, high-pressure environment. Life happened and after a couple years as a credit union marketing rep, I recognized I wasn't cut out for the corporate lifestyle. So I took the $1000 insurance payout from a fender bender and put it instead into striking out on my own.

Do you have any recent wins?

Launching The Marty & Laura Show with my friend and world famous veterinarian Dr. Marty Greer has been a huge thrill. We have a mission to reach pet owners of all kinds across the country with real, honest and reliable health and well-being information for their animals.

Who are your customers?

Dog lovers, owners, enthusiasts and competitors worldwide.

What's your top productivity tip? 

• Learn to run a business! Turning your passion into your work is an amazing life goal. But being successful (as defined by staying in business) entails having skills outside your passion.
• Live within your means as they are today, not what you hope they might be. While it takes money to make money, the fastest way to lose a business is to build a shiny front before you have the bandwidth and infrastructure to support it. Start small, build cautiously, spend when you have to, and pay off any borrowed money as fast as you possibly can. Growing a business generally is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a “be poor for a while, get ahead, fall behind, catch up, and hopefully build enough equity to someday retire” scheme.

What's your favorite business tool?

I honestly love the telephone. Not text, not email, not social media, a good old fashioned telephone conversation solves 90% of the world's problems.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

My work basically is my life, so there's that... :-) I have built a business around my passion. My "vacations" are almost entirely busman's holiday type affairs. My chosen family is also involved in the passion that fuels the business, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.

How do you avoid burn-out?

My schedule is never reliable. I take any free time I can and completely switch off. I live near the giant Redwood forests on the Pacific Coast. Whenever I find myself getting fried, I take a few hours and go "talk to my trees," walk my dog on the beach, grab some fresh seafood and take in the positive ion charge.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

• Be teachable. Listen to the people around you. HEAR what they say. A percentage will be trying to bring you down. The vast majority will have your best interests at heart and you need to be able to course correct if needed.

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