Episode 1: Victoria Stilwell
I am ridiculously proud to have our very first episode EVER feature the legendary Victoria Stilwell. Victoria really needs no introduction… she is best known for her role as the star of Animal Planet’s hit TV series It’s Me or the Dog, through which she is able to share her insight and passion for positive reinforcement dog training.
Having filmed over 100 episodes since 2005, she reaches audiences in over 100 countries. Victoria is also an author, a regular guest on talk shows, news broadcasts and radio programs in the US, Europe and Asia and was the recipient of the prestigious Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry Award (as well as countless other awards for her work with dogs). Victoria is also CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training (VSPDT) – the world’s premier global network of positive reinforcement dog trainers.
I have had the pleasure of working with Vik and her team since 2011, first designing a line of signature tees for her at Dog is Good, and then spending the next couple years (along with my team) as a marketing consultant, designer and photographer; imagining & crafting campaigns, products and the incomparable positively.com (where Victoria is Editor-in-Chief). Recently, we also created the virtual home for the Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy [where I am proud to be a faculty member]: vsdta.com.
Vik’s New Book: The Secret Language of Dogs
Follow Victoria:
*** Also, check out Victoria Stilwell’s recent Ad for IBM! So cute!
In This Episode
Since this is Animalhaus, we took a departure from discussions about dog training, and instead Victoria shares a bit about how she got started, her personal journey as an entrepreneur and insights on building a brand. Here’s some of the highlights:
- How her career as a dog trainer began
- How she landed her dream job on TV at It’s Me or the Dog
- The simple steps to making a YouTube video that people will watch & share
- How to keep up with and manage a super content-heavy website
- How the Positively brand reaches 5 MILLION people a week – 100% organically
- How to work around a very busy schedule and still fit in all that unpaid advocacy work
- Her advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out
… and much, much more!