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491: Continuously Evolving with Debbie Solis

491: Continuously Evolving with Debbie Solis

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How are you evolving as a business owner? Debbie Solis, owner of Personal Pet and Home Care, shares her 28-year journey in the pet care industry, starting with her deep-rooted caregiving spirit and balancing roles as a mother and entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges she faced, including burnout and the need for personal growth, which led her to seek counseling and start delegating. By adopting new technologies and building a supportive team, Debbie transformed her business practices and achieved a more balanced life. She emphasizes the importance of self-care, adaptability, and continuous learning for long-term success.

478: Fighting Mental Fatigue

478: Fighting Mental Fatigue

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Where does mental fatigue come from, and how does it impact us? While a large portion of the fatigue is brought on through external influences, a not insignificant amount stems from our own actions. From failing to adhere to policies to taking on too much, we often burden ourselves more than others do. Today, we will break down why pet sitters deal with so much mental fatigue, its sources, and some simple steps to start taking to combat it.

465: Building a Team Structure with Anna Rickert

465: Building a Team Structure with Anna Rickert

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How do you envision your business in the future? If building a team and having employees are on that list, you need to carefully consider your team's structure. Creating a team involves ensuring each person is in the right role, equipped with clear directions to accomplish their tasks. Anna Rickert, the owner of Pup Culture Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, joins us to share her strategies for developing a robust business structure. Aiming for her business to operate independently of her presence, Anna discusses the importance of having a balanced mix of services and a team that excels in delivering them.

462: Give Yourself Permission

462: Give Yourself Permission

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Have you ever been frustrated by one more thing being added to your plate? There come times when our personal life impacts our ability to run our business and show up at our best. Whether it’s a personal loss, a new venture opportunity, or even moving to a new home, the pressure to continue to perform increases beyond our capacity sometimes. It’s in these moments where we have to carve out space we need to take that pressure off so we can focus on the right priorities.

461: Keeping Control of Your Calendar with Jessica Stavros

461: Keeping Control of Your Calendar with Jessica Stavros

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Jessica Stavros, owner of Salina Prosper Petsitting, shares her journey from starting in the pet sitting industry 19 years ago to adapting her business model to fit her life's various stages, especially motherhood. Emphasizing the art of setting boundaries and saying no without guilt, Jessica discusses the importance of managing a solo business in alignment with personal life demands.

453: No Matter What it Takes with Athena Karvellas

453: No Matter What it Takes with Athena Karvellas

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Where does your value come from? Athena Karvellas, owner of Pet Sitting by Athena, shares her journey from veterinary technician to pet sitter and business owner. She reflects on the emotional transition from dealing with pet trauma in a clinical setting to forming close, nurturing relationships in pet sitting. Athena's story is one of finding her true calling and the fulfillment that comes from directly impacting the lives of pets and their families. Athena walks through how she connects clients to her passion through her onboarding process and the partnerships she builds.

447: From Leashes to Lattes with Alisha Riley

447: From Leashes to Lattes with Alisha Riley

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What does it mean to embrace change while staying focused on the client experience? As your business grows, you may face necessary changes that push you out of your comfort zone. Transform any doubt in your abilities into motivation to learn, grow, and discover new methods. Alisha Riley, the owner of Alisha’s Pet Playcations, exemplifies this. She restarted her business after relocating across the country. In her journey, she discusses the importance of integrating oneself into the community and leveraging personal connections through your network. Additionally, Alisha shares her decision to start a coffee shop driven by a very special mission.

443: Being Serious About Business with Kerri-Ann Griffith

443: Being Serious About Business with Kerri-Ann Griffith

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How do you help potential clients see the value you provide? Connecting with the right clients is an art form as you refine who you are for, and who you are not. More than simply selling yourself, it’s about connecting at an emotional level with a client’s needs. Kerri-Ann Griffith, owner of Nashville Kitty Sitter, joins the podcast to explain how she runs a boutique business, while also finding clients who have never used a professional service before. Kerri-Ann shares why emergency planning is so important, and how it helps you become a better business owner. She also talks about how she uses her show business background to make the most of her meet and greets.

439: Gaining Confidence by Doing Hard Work with Abby Strong

439: Gaining Confidence by Doing Hard Work with Abby Strong

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Can you transform a simple passion into a thriving business? Abby Strong, founder of Auntie Abby's Pet Sitting Service, shares her journey from a part-time pet sitter and full-time nanny to a thriving business owner. Abby shares the challenges and triumphs of transitioning from working solo to leading 21 pet sitters and dog walkers, emphasizing the importance of tackling hard tasks and taking pride in one's work. She discusses balancing the multifaceted role of a caretaker, the customization of pet care services, and the significance of building strong client relationships. It’s not just about growth, it’s about personal development and finding fulfillment and taking pride in our hard work.

432: Listener Mailbag!

432: Listener Mailbag!

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We reached out on social media for your questions, and you responded! On this episode we cover everything asking about client cameras and our long term goals, to getting health insurance and our favorite cartoon pet. Thank you to all who sent in questions! 

425: A Touch of ‘Know, Like, and Trust’ with Kelly Hester

425: A Touch of ‘Know, Like, and Trust’ with Kelly Hester

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How do you make an excellent client onboarding? A well executed client onboarding not only sets the tone and expectations for the client, but also set the relationship up to last for years. Kelly Hester, owner of Kelly’s Kritters Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, joins the show to walk through how she translated her decades of corporate work into running her business. From exceptional customer service to formally documenting everything, she provides several great best practices. Kelly also explains her process for onboarding clients so that both she and the client understand exactly what is going on.

424: Navigating the Unexpected Death of a Client’s Pet

424: Navigating the Unexpected Death of a Client’s Pet

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How do you deal with the sudden death of a client’s pet? As pet business owners, we will have client’s pets that pass away. We do our best to plan and prepare, but what about an unexpected death? We find ourselves reeling and wondering if we could have done more. We have to continue running our business, while looking for ways to find space and time to recover. On this episode, we walk through the implications at the personal, staffing, and business levels.

423: Building Trust with Clients from the Start with Kimberly Layman

423: Building Trust with Clients from the Start with Kimberly Layman

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Are you running the business you thought you’d be? Kimberly Layman, owner of Kimberly's Kritter Care, shares the process of refocusing her company to better align with her passions after experiencing burnout early on in the pandemic. She outlines her personalized onboarding strategy of phone calls and in-person meetings to set clients at ease. In addition, Kimberly explains how she structures clear expectations around communication preferences upfront to avoid issues down the road. She also details her strategic approach to obtaining reviews through timely and specific follow-up requests.

422: A Pet Loss Memorial Service For You

422: A Pet Loss Memorial Service For You

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Do you give yourself time to grieve when a client’s pet,  or your own pet, passes away? As busy business owners, we rarely take time to ourselves, and often use our business to bury the emotions and feelings. Clients do the same, and often need prompting and encouragement to mourn their pet. Today, we reflect on our recent pet loss memorial events and what we included. We also invite you to participate in a memorial service just for you.

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.

409: Growing the Pet Care Industry with Jamie Migdal

409: Growing the Pet Care Industry with Jamie Migdal

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Do you see yourself as playing a vital role in the health of the pet care industry? To ensure a robust future, we can all be ambassadors for professional dog walking and pet sitting. Jamie Migdal, founder of Fetchfind!, joins the show to share her vision for the future of pet care. From collaborative approaches to pushing the limits of our own education, Jamie believes we can all make our mark on the legacy of pet sitting. She also discusses how in order to decrease competition, there needs to be an increase in the consumer base. By being advocates for pet owners, we help bring more people, pets, and profits to our businesses.

401: How to Retain the Best Clients with Candace D’Agnolo

401: How to Retain the Best Clients with Candace D’Agnolo

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How do you keep clients coming back over and over? Candace D’Agnolo, from Pet Boss Nation, joins the show to discuss how to create raving fans of your business. Candace breaks down strategies for building long-lasting relationships with clients, and how to help them fall in love with your services. She also shows us ways to increase the perceived value of your business, while anticipating your client’s needs. Finally, Candace encourages us to implement follow-up services as a way to keep clients invested and engaged.

399: Running a Multi-Dimensional Business with Susan Morin

399: Running a Multi-Dimensional Business with Susan Morin

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What does it mean to run a multi-dimensional business? Not only do you offer a range of services, but you also have a lot going on every day. Susan Morin, owner of Susan’s Pampered Pet Care, shares how she’s piloted a growing business. She discusses how she highlights the strengths of her business to attract her target clients and walks through the balance of running a business to meet her client’s needs, while also enjoying the day to day operations.

395: Roundtable: Self-Care

395: Roundtable: Self-Care

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Are you prioritizing self-care? As a business owner, we are often the last to get cared for. The fact is, your business will suffer if you’re not taking care of yourself. Michelle Kline (DogCo Launch), Doug Keeling (Bad to the Bone Pet Care), and Dan Reitman (Dan’s Pet Care) share their journeys and struggles to learn what self-care means to them. Your health, and the health of your business, depend on you operating at your best. To do this, the roundtable encourages us to not numb the struggles and instead seek professional help and healthier ways of dealing with stress. They also walk through what “work-life” balance actually is and how to find your priorities.

381: Finding Worth in Your Work with Madeline Best

381: Finding Worth in Your Work with Madeline Best

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What does it mean to serve others well? Pet care is a service industry at its core, meaning we need to be hyper focused on the needs of our clients. Madeline Best, co-owner of Happy Bark and Tails and Royal Dog of Honor, shares how she is balancing serving others, while running a business that meets her lifestyle. By leaning into wedding services, she’s found flexibility while also giving her clients a high-end service. She shares how she’s changed her staffing to hiring full-time only, and how we can continue to refine the services we offer, without losing touch with ourselves.

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