December 16th, 2024. Candace received an email: Pet Supplies Plus in her town was closing in less than 30 days.

She rushed to the store, bought what she needed, and saw the sadness on everyone’s faces. And she thought: “Should I do this again?”

Crazy? Maybe. But on that day, she posted a question on Facebook: “If you had extensive experience in the pet industry, owned a building already, and the PSP is closing – would you open a pet business?”

Now, 85 weeks and 3 days later, Dante and Dory’s Pet Emporium is approaching its one-year anniversary of being open to the public.

And 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.

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode, featuring lessons one through five.

She covers:

🎓 The unexpected challenges that hit the hardest in year one

🎓 The role of technology in running a business (and the complications that come with it)

🎓 The hidden burden that most business owners don’t talk about

🎓 Why pricing is more complicated than you think (and what actually drives sales)

🎓 A hard truth about what separates businesses that win from businesses that don’t

This episode is personal. It’s honest. And if you’re thinking about opening a business, expanding, or wondering why something in your business just isn’t working – this is for you!