When Lucie Culley saw dog owners struggling to find trusted pet care professionals, she set out to create a solution to making finding support easy.And when she connected with pet professionals as her idea started to take shape, she realised they were frazzled with trying to keep up with the demands of endless platforms.So she created Wooflinks, a platform that connects dog owners with ethical and professional services, including groomers, trainers, walkers, pet sitters, and dog-friendly holiday destinations.Plus, Lucie launched while juggling the demands of two small kids, having no experience of the pet space, imposter syndrome, and a complete career change.In this episode, Lucie shares how she turned her idea into a trusted community for dog owners and pet professionals, the lessons she learned along the way, and her passion for promoting ethical practices in the industry.Whether you're a dog lover, a pet professional, or a small business owner, you'll get loads of inspiration from Lucie and will find all the links to connect at the end of this post.Key topics and timings:1:40 - Introduction to Lucie and the inspiration behind Wooflinks03:30 - How running a local directory for small businesses in her area in lockdown gave Lucie the idea to start one for dogs. 06:15 - Overcoming imposter syndrome and figuring out where she could fit in with the dog care industry11:20 - The importance of ethical dog care and setting standards16:45 - How Wooflinks connects dog owners with trusted professionals21:10 - Juggling being a mum, another business, and launching Wooflinks29:50 - How Lucie provides video content and free resources to build relationships and visibility34:15 - Challenges in creating a trusted directory40:50 - The community policing model and why Lucie asks her users to support her and help maintain standards47:20 - Lucie’s advice for anyone starting out in a new industry49:35 - What's next for Lucie and WooflinksKey quotes:“I knew this idea had legs when I saw how much dog owners were struggling to find reliable professionals - they needed a trusted platform.”“Imposter syndrome is a beast, but once I decided what I wanted to be was a champion for small businesses, everything fell into place.”“People need to know there’s a place for ethical, professional dog care—where quality and trust come first.”“Building a directory from scratch while raising two kids was chaos, but it showed me what I’m capable of.”“I’m not a dog trainer, but I’m passionate about supporting professionals who are doing things the right way.”Links mentioned in this episode:Visit Wooflinks: wooflinks.co.ukFollow Wooflinks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wooflinksuk/Find Wooflinks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wooflinksuk

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