What if I told you that the success of your pet retail store doesn’t just rest on your shoulders, but on the shoulders of a team that’s actually excited to help it grow?
It might sound like a dream, but Pet Boss Nation’s CEO, Candace D’Agnolo, is living proof that it’s possible!
At Dante & Dory’s Pet Emporium, she’s building a team so bought-in and engaged that they’re helping create company policies, attending industry trade shows, and genuinely excited about the high-quality products they’ll be selling…
All before the store even opens!
In parts one and two of this series, we followed Candace from recognizing the opportunity through securing bank funding with an AI-powered business plan. Now we’re diving into building a team that will make your pet retail store vision a reality.
If you’re tired of micromanaging, doing everything yourself, or working with team members who “just don’t get it,” this guide will show you exactly how to build the engaged, skilled team your pet retail store needs!
The reality about employee engagement (and why it matters for your pet retail store)
Before we dive into Candace’s team-building approach, let’s talk about a sobering statistic: According to Gallup, only 33% of US employees are engaged at work. The remaining 67% are either not engaged or actively disengaged, costing businesses up to $550 billion annually in lost productivity. This matters for small businesses, too!
But with Candace’s approach, her team at Dante & Dory’s are fully engaged, and they haven’t even opened yet!
How is this possible?
She’s following the Employee Lifecycle, a 7-step process that starts long before someone becomes an employee and continues throughout their entire career with your company.
The 7-Step Employee Lifecycle for you should utilize in your pet business:
- Recruitment: Finding the right people who align with your vision
- Interviewing: Assessing not just skills, but personality fit and growth potential
- Welcoming: Onboarding them into your company culture and making them feel valued
- Training: Ongoing education and skill development (this never stops!)
- Coaching: Providing feedback, motivation, and guidance
- Recognition: Acknowledging good work through raises, promotions, or increased responsibilities
- Building Leaders: Developing people who can run the business like you do
Most pet retail store owners skip steps or rush through this process. Candace is showing that when you invest in each stage, you create something amazing…
A team that works with you, not just for you.
Why investing in training before revenue makes perfect sense
Candace is paying her Dante & Dory’s team members for training sessions even though the store isn’t open yet and there’s no revenue coming in.
Her team meets 1-3 days per week for 3-4 hours at a time at their local library, diving deep into:
- Product knowledge and animal nutrition
- Customer service excellence
- Sales conversation techniques
- Business operations and financial literacy
- Company policies and culture
Pay people when there’s no money coming in?!
YES. Because companies that offer comprehensive training programs enjoy 218% higher income per employee than companies without formalized training processes (Association for Talent Development).
And there’s more! Well-trained employees are 57% more effective at selling, especially in retail.* The training pays for itself and then some!
Your action steps for investing in team training:
✅ Calculate the cost of untrained employees (lost sales, customer complaints, your time fixing mistakes)
✅ Set aside 5-10% of your payroll budget specifically for ongoing training
✅ Create a list of core competencies every team member needs to master
✅ Look into manufacturer training programs (many pet brands offer free education for retailers)
✅ Consider industry resources like Pet Boss Nation University or retail-specific platforms
How to get buy-in before you even open your pet retail store
One of the most powerful moments in Candace’s journey happened during a policy discussion. Her team member Isaac said, “If we don’t like a policy we’ve created, then we just have to be frustrated with ourselves because we’re the ones who wrote it out and decided this for the company.”
That’s the sound of complete buy-in.
Isaac was speaking as someone who was co-creating the policies for this business, NOT just as an employee following “rules”. This level of engagement doesn’t happen by accident.
Here’s how Candace created this buy-in:
Complete transparency about the business. Her team knows exactly how much the bank loan is for, what the monthly rent costs, how much revenue they need to generate, and what various investments (like the self-wash stations) cost. They understand that their job is to sell and help the business succeed.
Involving them in decision-making. Instead of dictating policies, Candace has the team help create them. They discuss what worked at their previous jobs, what didn’t work, and what would make sense for their new environment.
Exposing them to the bigger picture. She took two team members to Global Pet Expo, introduced them to industry connections, and helped them network in their local community. This gave them more confidence as industry professionals.
Treating their development like a career path. Candace thinks about where each team member could grow within the business and invests in their professional development accordingly.
The result is a team that’s genuinely excited about high-quality products they’ve never seen before, eager to solve customer problems, and committed to building something special together.
Your action steps for building team buy-in:
✅ Share your financial goals and challenges openly (within reason)
✅ Involve team members in creating policies and procedures
✅ Invest in their professional development through industry events or training
✅ Connect their daily tasks to the bigger vision of what you’re building
✅ Ask for their input on business decisions (and actually use it)
The power of hiring from corporate retail backgrounds
Candace specifically hired team members from Pet Supplies Plus after it closed. While some business owners might worry about hiring from “big box” backgrounds, she saw it as a huge advantage.
Corporate retail employees bring valuable skills to the table!
They’re used to accountability (sales reports, inventory management, performance metrics)
They can handle high customer volume and long hours
They understand the importance of product knowledge and customer service
They’re accustomed to learning complex inventory systems with lots of SKUs
But they also bring a fresh perspective! Candace’s team was amazed to discover high-quality pet products they’d never seen in their corporate environment. Their excitement about offering better solutions to customers they’d previously served with limited options became a driving force for the business.
You have to bridge the gap between corporate structure and small business flexibility. Corporate employees are used to having processes and systems (which is good), but they also need to understand that in a small business, they have more influence and responsibility for outcomes.
Your action steps for hiring from corporate backgrounds:
✅ Look for candidates from grocery stores, big box pet retailers, feed stores, or hardware stores
✅ During interviews, assess their accountability mindset and customer service experience
✅ Help them understand how their role in a small business differs from corporate
✅ Leverage their systems-thinking while encouraging entrepreneurial input
✅ Show them high-quality products or services they may not have encountered before
Building leaders, not just employees, for your pet retail store
When you open a pet retail store, you’ll need people who can make decisions, solve problems, and maintain your standards even when you’re not there.
Candace is already thinking about this! She knows that Stephanie, Forrest, and Isaac are just the beginning. Eventually, she’ll need a much larger team for the 14,000 square feet of space, and these three will likely become team leaders and trainers for new hires.
Here’s how to start building leaders from day one:“
Teach them the business side. Help them understand profit margins, customer lifetime value, and how their actions affect the bottom line.
Develop their teaching abilities. The best leaders can train others. Start having experienced team members help onboard new hires.
Encourage problem-solving. When issues arise, ask “What do you think we should do?” before giving your solution.
Create advancement pathways. Show team members what leadership roles could look like in your growing business.
Your action steps for building leaders:
✅ Define what leadership looks like in your specific pet retail environment
✅ Create “stretch assignments” that challenge team members beyond their daily tasks
✅ Teach basic business literacy (reading P&L statements, understanding margins, etc.)
✅ Practice delegation by giving increasing responsibility over time
✅ Recognize and reward leadership behaviors, not just task completion
What this means for your pet retail store journey
The lesson from Candace’s approach is that your team is NOT an expense. They’re an amazing investment!
When you find the right people and invest in their development from day one, you create something that can’t be replicated by online retailers or big box stores–
A team of passionate, knowledgeable advocates who genuinely care about your customers and your business.
Employees are three times more trusted than CEOs by customers when talking about the business.**
When your team is aligned, trained, and genuinely happy, they naturally drive customer loyalty, referrals, and community buzz about your business.
Your action steps to start building your dream team:
✅ Assess where you are in the employee lifecycle with current team members
✅ Identify gaps in training, coaching, or recognition that might be causing disengagement
✅ Create a budget for ongoing team development (aim for 5-10% of payroll)
✅ Start involving team members in business decisions and policy creation
✅ Look for ways to expose your team to industry education and networking opportunities
Ready to build your dream team? The Pet Boss Nation® community offers comprehensive training programs, employee development resources, and guidance on every aspect of the employee lifecycle.
Plus, if you have managers or team leaders ready for advanced training, keep an eye out for the next Team Intensive retreat in Galesburg, where your leaders can develop alongside other passionate pet industry professionals! Get on the waitlist to be the first to know about it!
Remember, the most successful pet retail stores are built by owners who invest in their people (and themselves) through ongoing education and community support!
*Source: Salesforce Training Report
**Source: Edelman Trust Barometer
