What does it look like to grow a pet sitting business without losing safety, consistency, or your sanity? Mikayla and Aaron Anders share how Adventures in Pet Sitting evolved from offering “everything” into a focused set of services built around what they love and what their community truly needs. We talk about building a team with a rigorous hiring and onboarding process, including certifications that prepare staff for real emergencies. They explain how boundaries, policies, and case-by-case flexibility protect both the business and client relationships over the long haul. The conversation closes with how networking in a rural market drives referrals and expands awareness—especially for specialty care like farm animals.

What happens if our business keeps growing exactly the way it is right now—and that thought makes our stomach drop? In this episode, we unpack what “sustainable growth” actually means and why growth isn’t neutral—it adds complexity, risk, and load. We talk about pacing hiring before we’re in trouble, setting a target utilization (not 100%), and building real operational resiliency. We walk through how to know when it’s time to hand things off using practical financial and bandwidth-based triggers. And we cover the levers we can use to control growth—pricing, service mix, boundaries, onboarding windows, and intentional friction—so growth stays repeatable instead of reactive.

What does it mean to truly care in your business when you’re busy, scaling, and running on fumes? In this conversation, we talk with Scott Black about how complacency shows up quietly—skipping the notes, assuming nothing changed, letting small red flags slide—and how that leads to “oh no” moments. We dig into why consistency isn’t boring, it’s protective: for pets, for clients, and for your team. Scott shares practical ways to raise the bar through screening, documentation, and clearer boundaries around what you will and won’t do. The goal is simple: stay professional, stay prepared, and keep your head in the game.

In this episode, we break down the difference between being busy and being stable, profitable, and resilient. We walk through five measurable health indicators that reveal whether your business can actually support you long-term. From market fit and client retention to utilization, unit economics, and cash flow, we explain what to measure and why it matters. Whether you’re solo or have a team, these indicators apply across the board. Our goal is to help you diagnose problems clearly and build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it.

What makes cats do what they do—and how can pet sitters respond? In this episode, Collin talks with certified cat behavior consultant Laura Cassiday of Positive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training about decoding feline body language, aggression, and litter box issues. Laura shares her process for understanding the “why” behind cat behavior and offers practical steps for sitters in fearful or aggressive cat situations. Together, they discuss the importance of setting client expectations, documenting visits, and advocating for enrichment. You’ll walk away with actionable insight to keep both you and your feline clients safe, happy, and understood.

Are you building a business—or just staying busy? In this episode, we explore what it means to shift from being the technician to becoming the CEO of your pet care company. We break down the mental and operational changes needed to move from chaos to structure, burnout to sustainability, and survival to growth. We share practical steps, real-life examples, and honest truths about what it takes to lead well. If you’re ready to design a business that runs without breaking you, this is for you.

What happens when your business grows faster than your systems—and regulations force you to rebuild everything? In this conversation, Marie and Justin Plummer of Winston-Salem Dogcare share how North Carolina’s Animal Welfare rules pushed them from “in-home” into a fully regulated, facility-based setup and what that required financially and operationally. We talk about the mindset shift from feeling like problems are “happening to you” to showing up as a prepared problem solver. They unpack how staff surveys revealed unseen disconnects, and how professional development became a retention tool once the team began treating pet care as a long-term career. Finally, we dig into preserving client connection at scale—using boundaries, a flexible “gray area,” and a reminder that your software is just a tool, not the heart of your business.

What happens when the skills that built your pet care business are no longer the ones it needs to grow? In this episode, we respond to a thoughtful listener question about the uncomfortable transition from doing the work to running a company. We unpack why growth often feels harder instead of easier, even when things are “going well.” We walk through three major mindset resets that every owner eventually faces as responsibilities shift. This conversation is about sustainability, leadership, and learning how to care at scale.

What does “professional” pet care actually mean—and why does it matter so much right now? Collin sits down with Niki Tudge, founder of the Pet Professional Guild, to talk about the gap between what pet owners assume they’re buying and what many providers actually deliver. Niki shares the eye-opening real-life process she used to hire a pet sitter for her own dogs—and why it convinced her the industry needs higher minimum standards. Together, they discuss practical ways to educate clients, set non-negotiables, and document care like it truly matters. The conversation ends with a challenge: raise your standards, raise your confidence, and build a business that protects pets, clients, and your team.

What if 2026 isn’t about doing more—but about doing what actually lasts? In this episode, we talk about why the end-of-year holiday rush can push pet sitters and dog walkers straight into toxic productivity. We walk through how to name what didn’t work in 2025 (without shame), especially where policies, boundaries, and overcommitment quietly drifted. Then we shift to what did work—life-giving habits, decisions that reduced stress, and systems that keep you steady even when you’re tired. Our goal is simple: a grounded, repeatable, sustainable 2026 built on consistency, not intensity.

How can you use your pet care business to make a bigger impact? Cheyenne Williams returns to share how community involvement has transformed her life and her business. From leading suicide prevention walks to supporting foster care initiatives, Cheyenne explains how giving back is not just about writing checks—it’s about connection, purpose, and passion. She shares the challenges of balancing business demands with emotional nonprofit work, and how boundaries and clarity of purpose keep her grounded. This conversation is a powerful reminder that we were whole people before our businesses, and we’ll be whole people long after.

What do we do when a service isn’t working anymore—but we don’t want to lose the revenue or the client? In this episode, we walk through how converting clients is leadership, not upselling, and why adding or changing a service isn’t a failure. We break down two conversion scenarios: when the service is a poor fit for the pet/client, and when it’s a poor fit for the business. We share practical strategies for leading with friction points, using observational authority, and making the transition feel low-risk through trials and clear replacement paths. We also talk about the reality that some clients will leave—and why staying aligned with your standards matters more than keeping every dollar.

What happens when clients see your pet care business as interchangeable with everyone else? In this episode, we break down the commodity trap and why it’s not a pricing problem—it’s a positioning problem. We walk through the client, financial, and operational red flags that quietly signal your business is stuck competing on price. We explain why being more trained, more insured, and more professional often hurts more when the market doesn’t reward it. Finally, we share a practical framework for moving from commodity to chosen by selling outcomes, making your process visible, and building a business designed for the right clients.

Have you ever thought about what happens to your business when you’re ready to step away? In this episode, Erin Fenstermaker, certified exit planner and pet industry veteran, breaks down the key elements that make a pet business valuable and sellable. She discusses the importance of recurring revenue, documented systems, and building a team of employees over independent contractors. Erin also explains what EBITDA is, what influences it, and how emotional readiness impacts a successful exit. Whether you’re brand new or 30 years in, this conversation offers a roadmap to long-term value and future-proofing your business.

What if the key to protecting your business and sanity is actually learning to care less? In this episode, we share how our unorthodox Word of the Year—“care less”—helped us step back from constant urgency, emotional overload, and decision fatigue. We talk about naming our non-negotiables, especially around safety and standards, while letting go of guilt and overinvestment in pricing pushback, employee drama, and social media opinions. We walk through the practical tools we used, like decision deadlines, “good enough” standards, and release phrases that helped us move from dwelling to doing. By the end, we show how caring less about the wrong things made room for more joy, clarity, and confidence in our life and business.

What does it really mean to be Fear Free certified as a pet sitter or dog walker? In this episode, Collin talks with Melissa Spooner-Raymond, a licensed veterinary technician and veterinary behavior specialist with Fear Free, about practical ways to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress for pets in our care. They explore reading body language, setting realistic goals for each visit, and using “the three Fs”—food, fun, and favorites—to create positive associations. Melissa shares real-world scenarios, from cautious chows to under-socialized COVID pets, offering strategies for short visits and multi-staff teams. The conversation highlights how consistency, documentation, and collaboration with the pet’s wider care team can transform both the pet’s experience and the sitter’s safety.

What do you do when your pet care business feels stuck in the same old patterns? In this episode, we talk about how “ruts” form in our businesses the same way they do on a muddy trail—through repeated, unexamined habits over time. We explain the brain science behind habitual neural pathways, how stress and burnout make ruts deeper, and why comfort and fear of change keep us on the same path. We then walk through the three biggest rut zones for pet sitters and dog walkers: marketing, services, and admin overload, with practical questions to help you spot where you’re stuck. Finally, we share simple experiments and the importance of revisiting your purpose so you can start building new paths that actually fit the business and life you want today.

How do you protect your passion while running a growing pet care business? In this episode, Wayne Hartley Jr. of Happy Hearts Pet Care and PETLANTA shares the realities of entrepreneurship, including the hustle, the overwhelm, and the habits that help keep you grounded. He discusses the role of community and education in sustainable growth, and why posting imperfect content is often better than not posting at all. Wayne opens up about learning from mistakes, setting boundaries, and shifting from surviving to scaling. His insights will inspire pet pros to lead with intention, not exhaustion.

In this episode, we continue our conversation on building a resilient business by focusing on shared ownership, redundancy, and smart automation. We talk about how to empower your team to make decisions, centralize knowledge and access, and design systems that don’t fall apart when one person steps away. We also explore the mindset shift from being the hero of every story to building a brand and team that clients can trust, not just a single person. Ultimately, we challenge ourselves and you to design a business that supports your health, family, and future, instead of constantly taking from you.