Introduction to Wild Awake – Who Is This For? What’s It About?

Valerie Naegele
Jul 4
5 min read

Transcript from the show:

Hello and welcome to this first episode of Wild Awake, a podcast where we explore how training and business meet personal and spiritual awakening—guided by the wisdom of our equine and canine companions.

In this podcast, I want to go in-depth on training dogs, training horses, running a business, and how all of those things can lead to personal growth—and often, some kind of spiritual awakening. That might sound like a lot, but this journey is just so fascinating to me.

One of the most powerful parts of this path is how much we grow personally through working with animals and building a business. And if you're not in either of those categories—if you're thinking, “I just have a dog,” or “I have a horse and I just enjoy being with them and learning about them”—this podcast is still for you. You don’t have to be a trainer or entrepreneur to find something valuable here. I think there’s something in this for anyone who genuinely loves being around animals.

This podcast is really a piece of my heart. Animals, my business, and my clients have given me so much, and I wanted to create a space where we could talk honestly about the deeper parts of this journey—the ones our animals often lead us on.

Whether it’s your dog, your horse, or maybe, as the show goes on, we’ll even bring in people who work with other animals—like raptors or hawks or who knows—that could be so fun. I’m just really excited to be starting this. I feel like I have so much to say and so many people I want to connect with. And honestly, I don’t fit into the fast-paced, 30-second social media world. That’s never been my thing. I’m a chatterbox—so here we are.

I want to talk about what it means to grow a business in an animal-related field and the unique pressures that come with that. I want to show people that it’s possible to grow in a sustainable way, and also talk to others who’ve done it—people who’ve figured out how to grow while staying true to their values. Because it can be really hard to make a living doing what you love, especially when your results depend on another being. And then on top of that, you’re also working with the people who love that being. It’s complex. And I think we need to talk about that more. Especially among trainers—we just don’t talk about it enough.

I also want to explore what it actually looks like to build a successful business that supports your life, your finances, and still lets you do the work you love. For me, it took time to figure out how to make money doing what I love and not feel gross about it. I want to talk about how it is possible, and I want to help other people see that for themselves—whether you’re in the horse world, the dog world, or walking dogs part-time. We’re all facing some of the same challenges.

What I’m most excited about, though, goes even deeper than the training. Yes, we’ll get into the skills and methods—I love that stuff. But I also want to talk about the personal and spiritual growth that shows up through this work. Because it is relentless. It’s not for the faint of heart.

For me—and I think for a lot of us—this journey really happens from the inside out. So many of us are taught to manage our external world in order to feel okay on the inside. But something I’ve really learned—especially through Natalie Hummel’s How to Heal course—is that when you can source your safety internally, you stop relying on the external world to provide it for you. And when your inner world shifts, your outer world starts to shift too. Most people think it works the other way around, but it doesn’t.

That concept alone could be its own episode. But the key thing is: you don’t have to prove anything, or perfect anything, or push to make it all happen. The real transformation happens inside—and when it does, everything else starts to change.

That’s the kind of thing I want to explore deeply in this podcast. And I want to bring in others to share their voices too—because that always makes the conversation richer.

I also want to talk about the roots of animal training, and how becoming more present and self-aware is the actual foundation for creating change—in both ourselves and our animals. It always amazes me how often people want their animal to change—to stop jumping, to listen better, to be more responsive—but they’re not always willing to look at what might need to change in themselves first.

If you want your animal to change, you have to be willing to change too. That’s something experienced trainers already know. But if you’re newer to this path, it might be a totally new idea.

And yes—I want to talk about the roots of animal training, even though some of that history is honestly a little scary. It matters. Because those roots shaped the industry, and now we’re finally starting to see those perspectives shift. That’s a conversation we need to have.

So if you’re still here—reading or listening—you’re probably into all of this too. And I’m really glad you’re here.

About Valerie Naegele | Founder of Venture Doggie LLC

Valerie Naegele is a professional dog trainer, behavior specialist, and founder of Venture Doggie LLC. She helps dog owners who feel overwhelmed, unsure, or stuck finally find clarity, confidence, and connection with their dogs.

If you're tired of second-guessing your training, avoiding walks, or feeling like your dog just isn’t “getting it”—you’re not alone. Val understands what it’s like to love a dog deeply and still feel frustrated, embarrassed, or unsure of what to do next. Her work is designed to give you the tools, insight, and support you need to turn things around—not just on the surface, but in a way that feels good and lasting.

Val’s approach is relationship-based, emotionally intelligent, and rooted in practical science. Whether your dog is overly friendly, reactive, anxious, or just doesn’t listen, she helps you shift the dynamic—not by forcing obedience, but by building communication, structure, and trust.

Her own journey started with a deeply sensitive and reactive dog, and that experience opened the door to a lifetime of study in behavior, psychology, and the human-animal bond. With a background in vet clinics, shelters, ranches, and intensive mentorships with leading trainers, Val brings a rare mix of expertise, heart, and down-to-earth support to her work.

She’s not here to judge or pressure. She’s here to walk alongside you—to help you feel more capable, more connected, and more proud of the relationship you’re building with your dog.