How a Life-Altering Accident Led to a Passion for Dog Training with Nikki French

Today, Clayton interviews Nikki French, a renowned dog trainer and author of the provocative book "Stop Walking Your Dog." Nikki shares her inspiring journey from a 30-year corporate career in property sales and marketing to becoming a passionate dog trainer. After a life-changing bike accident, she discovered her true calling in the pet industry, focusing on helping dogs that struggle with traditional walking routines. KEY TAKEAWAYS After a 30-year corporate career in property sales and marketing, a life-changing bike accident led to a career shift into dog training, highlighting the importance of following one's passion and adapting to life changes. The transition included a focus on building an online presence through a membership program and a podcast, demonstrating the value of leveraging digital platforms to reach a wider audience. The book "Stop Walking Your Dog" was designed to challenge conventional dog training practices and spark conversations about dog behavior, emphasising the need for tailored approaches to meet individual dogs' needs. Physical walks alone do not fulfill a dog's needs; mental stimulation through games and activities is crucial for a dog's well-being, encouraging owners to rethink traditional walking routines. The process of writing and publishing the book involved significant investment in professional support, illustrating the importance of quality in publishing and marketing to establish credibility and authority in the field. BEST MOMENTS "I wanted to be able to reach more people and do more stuff." "It was an absolute gift because could I have carried on doing it for another 10-15 years? Probably." "If your dog is dog reactive, don't stick them in front of a dog where they're losing it." "I think the problem is, is that when you walk into these planned routes, you get trapped and caged." "I think it's quite interesting that you experienced this through an unfortunate accident." HOST BIO Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few. Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica). As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/