All tagged dogs

477: Turning Over A New Leaf with Kirsten Kruska

477: Turning Over A New Leaf with Kirsten Kruska

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What does it mean to reinvent yourself? Kirsten Kruska, co-owner of Pet and Plant Pal, explores the journey of career reinvention after a pivotal health challenge forced her out of dog grooming. Kirsten shares how she transformed her expertise in pet care and horticulture into a flourishing business. Emphasizing health & wellness, Kirsten shares how her commitment to physical fitness and overcoming injury shaped her approach to business and life. She also discusses ethical entrepreneurship, highlighting her dedication to ethical practices rooted in Buddhist principles, and how these values distinguish her services. Lastly, Kirsten discusses the importance of knowledge sharing, from grooming advice to plant care tips, illustrating her belief in education as a cornerstone of her business model.

438: Don’t Stop Believing…in Marketing

438: Don’t Stop Believing…in Marketing

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What should you do with your marketing during a busy period? While it may be tempting to take your foot off the gas, we think it’s the perfect time to keep going! Running your messaging year round will help develop brand awareness and even out the ups and downs that come with running a dog walking and pet sitting business. We break down the reason stopping marketing during busy periods can hurt your business, and the kinds of messaging to focus on to get the right clients once the slowdown comes.

419: Selling the Gap with Rachelle Steele

419: Selling the Gap with Rachelle Steele

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How do you sell your services to potential clients? While many of us believe that our service quality speaks for itself, many clients will have additional questions or needs that we must address. With 30 years of high-end retail experience, Rachelle Steele, owner of Loving Arms Pet Services, shares insights into guiding clients through the purchasing process. Rachelle explains how to ask good questions to better understand how you can serve your client and how using the Platinum Rule can help you meet your clients' needs.

375: Fail, Learn, Improve, & Grow with Wayne Hartley Jr.

375: Fail, Learn, Improve, & Grow with Wayne Hartley Jr.

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How do you know when it’s time to walk away from a dream? As a business owner and entrepreneur, we are driven by our passions to our goals we set for ourselves. However, sometimes we have to quit and start over. Pivoting (quit by a different name) means course correcting due to either external, or internal factors. Wayne Hartley Jr., owner and founder of Happy Hearts Pet Care ATL, joins the show to share how he quit his dream of mobile grooming to start a brick and mortar business. Wayne sacrificed a lot to make it happen, but it was all because he recognized he needed the change to better connect with his mission. He gives advice on how to keep moving forward, even when you’re exhausted, and how to innovate well in your business.

291: Staying Ambitious with Zach Shearer

291: Staying Ambitious with Zach Shearer

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What does it take to stay ambitious in business? Zach Shearer, owner of Zach's Pet Services, rejoins the show to share how much has changed since we last had him on. Zach talks about tackling large projects in the face of uncertainty and why surrounding yourself with experts is critical to your success. From his expanding kennel services to now grooming, Zach gives us some insight into the challenges they're facing and what he's doing to overcome them.

286: Balancing Time, Scope, & Cost in Your Business

286: Balancing Time, Scope, & Cost in Your Business

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From policies to pricing, there are a million reasons it could not be a good fit. We’ve learned that while customers think hierarchically, business owners have to think wholistically when it comes to balancing the demands and expectations we have on ourselves. On this episode, we discuss the connection between what the client wants and the realities of running a business through the project management triangle.

249: How to Write a Job Ad

249: How to Write a Job Ad

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Have you ever posted a hiring ad? In the current job market it’s more critical than ever to nail the ad posting so you get what you need out of your hire. With more people switching jobs and careers than ever before, your ad has to connect with what they’re looking for and help them see a future with your company. We break down the ads we’ve placed and what you should consider before you post yours. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I set good goals?”

218: Know Your Customer with Brian Taylor

218: Know Your Customer with Brian Taylor

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How are you building multiple ways to service your clients? Sticky services keep clients coming back because you keep solving their problems in new ways. From package pricing to customer service and retention, Brian Taylor, owner of Harlem Doggie Day Spa, joins the show to share how he's become known as the 'Dog Father of Harlem'. His passion for being neighborhood centric and servicing community drive him to connect his business to his community. Brian pursues servicing his top client's needs and making every interaction special. He shares why he continues to give back and where he hopes the grooming industry goes in the future.

195: Large Animal and Farm Sitting with Ariah Transmeier

195: Large Animal and Farm Sitting with Ariah Transmeier

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Ariah Transmeier has been farm sitting for almost 18 years. As a horse owner and lover, she knows the needs of owners and how to communicate her experience into solving their problems. She describes what it’s like preparing and caring for 300 acres of farm, while making it worth her time, and still providing excellent care. Ariah shares what it means to know your strengths and weaknesses, and how it results in a higher quality of care. We also discuss some of her favorite resources and how to go about gaining experience as a farm sitter.

193: Reactive and Aggressive Dogs with Rene Smith

193: Reactive and Aggressive Dogs with Rene Smith

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Reactivity and aggression in dogs can take many forms. From resource guarding to separation anxiety, as pet professionals, we should be mindful of the context and history of the pets we are working with. Rene Smith, owner of Street Dog Rehab, started off with a passion for dogs, but got in over her head. After learning how to be a dog trainer, she’s dedicated her life to helping dogs stay in their forever home. Rene shares common signs of aggression, ways we can help clients and their pets through aggression, and why consistency is key. We discuss how to help dogs self-regulate and what it means to build a sacred bond between the pet and their owner.

170: Leashes and Leads with Taylor Leedahl

170: Leashes and Leads with Taylor Leedahl

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Taylor Leedahl, owner of Tiny Horse Mercantile, is determined to help build a better connection between dogs and their handlers through building quality leads, leashes, and accessories. Taylor shares the philosophy of her design and how she manages multiple dogs at the same time. We discuss how the leash functions as a two-way communication tool and how good gear helps prevent injury and strain. Taylor also talks about her design process and what it’s like receiving negative feedback.

139: Leading the Way with Kylie Holliman-Rivera

139: Leading the Way with Kylie Holliman-Rivera

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Kylie Holliman-Rivera, owner of Fire Hydrant Pet Sitting, has been a leader in many arenas. This past year she led her team through Covid while also leading the conversation on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the pet care industry. Kylie shares what caused her to move to full-time, what it’s like working with her husband in the company, and the success of pack walks in 2020. We also have a great conversation about BLM, staying engaged in the conversation, and how to speak your beliefs as a company.

123: Back to Basics - Daycare

123: Back to Basics - Daycare

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We continue our Back to Basics series with daycare! We share how we provide daycare, what screening looks like, and what kind of clients typically seek out small, in-home care. Natasha answers the question, “How do I start stepping away from my business?”

119: Back to Basics- Boarding

119: Back to Basics- Boarding

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On today’s episode we go back to basics and cover boarding! We break down how we operate boarding a small number of dogs in our home, how we approach cleaning and up keep, as well as dealing with the chaos of feeding times and schedules. Natasha answers the question, “How do I take my business to the next level?”

105- Marissa LeJune from Tail Swaggers

105- Marissa LeJune from Tail Swaggers

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Marissa LeJune, owner of Tail Swaggers, joins the podcast! Marissa shares what her first three years in business have been like, the important role a coach played in her life, and what it’s like running her business with the help of her daughter.

101 - Elise Proctor with Canine Company

101 - Elise Proctor with Canine Company

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On episode 101, Elise Proctor, owner of Canine Company, shares how her experiences with her own reactive dogs shaped her pet care business. Elise started her own training groups to be more inclusive and welcoming to owners of reactive dogs, and works hard to meet and set proper expectations with her clients. She also wrote a book about her best stories of being a dog walker to help shine the light on the life a pet sitter.

082- Cat Care for Pet Sitters with Dr. Kathryn Primm

082- Cat Care for Pet Sitters with Dr. Kathryn Primm

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Dr. Kathryn Primm, owner of Applebrook Animal Hospital and host of multiple podcasts and radio shows, joins us for a show packed with amazing advice for those of us who don’t have a lot of experience caring for cats. She shares the importance of fear free in animal care and how to bond with those really shy cat clients.

072- Colleen Sedgwick the Pet Nanny Coach

072- Colleen Sedgwick the Pet Nanny Coach

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The Pet Nanny Coach, Colleen Sedgwick, joins us to talk all about mindset and mindfulness in the face of adversity. We discuss the importance of delegating tasks and hiring the right people to be more present in the day-to-day operations of your business. Colleen also shares some of her most influential books and must reads as a pet business owner.

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