145: Building Your Community with Lyndsay Shackelford
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Summary:
Growing community has become increasingly more important over the past year. While it may look different for each of us the principles of connecting with a broader group of people and cultivating relationships remain the same. Lyndsay Shackleford, owner of dogs of charm city, joins The show to talk about what it means to be a community focused business.
Topics on this episode
Members of a community
Building relationships
Running events
Managing an online store
What pet parents want these days
Main takeaway: Our community is made up of our team members (if we have them), the evangelists who tell everyone about us, our clients, and our email subscribers and followers.
About our guest:
Lyndsay Shackelford is the owner and founder of Dogs of Charm City, a community-driven pet business based in Baltimore, Maryland. Known in the pet industry for her sell-out dog events and growing apparel line for dog lovers, Lyndsay attributes her six-figure success to thinking about her pet business as a community and challenges other pet business owners to do the same.
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
dog, community, pet, business, people, events, dog walking service, clients, walking, pet sitters, dog owners, baltimore, local, lindsay, friendly, blog posts, reach, instagram, resources, themes
SPEAKERS
Collin, Lyndsay
Collin 00:18
Hi,
00:18
I'm Collin and I Meghan and this is pet sitter confessional and open and
00:23
honest discussion about life as a pet sitter
Collin 00:25
brought to you by time to pet and pet sitters International. Lyndsay Shackleford is on a mission to make a more dog friendly world for her and those in her community. To do that, she focuses on building relationships, building friendships, and strengthening not just the dog community, but the entire community that surrounds her in all that she does. This was especially important through 2020. And even now moving into 2021. Lindsay discusses how dogs of Charm City focuses on community before services, and how by making the world more friendly for dogs. It's made more friendly for everyone else and how she does that. So let's get started.
Lyndsay 01:08
First, thanks so much, Collin for having me. Certainly a big fan of pet sitter confessional and excited to be here. So a little bit about myself. I'm Lindsay and I'm the owner and founder of Dr. Charm City. We're a community driven pet business in Baltimore, Maryland. We started as a dog walking business, and it's since grown into so much more. So we sell merchandise. We host large scale dog friendly events in non COVID times. And we've built quite the loyal community of followers here in Baltimore, which we're most known for. So I I'm not born and raised in Baltimore. I'm actually from Pittsburgh, but I've lived in Baltimore for the past six years with my boyfriend and rescue pup Wilson, who is sitting on my lap.
Collin 01:57
Oh, hi, Wilson.
Lyndsay 01:59
Wilson says hi. Okay, you might hear him barking and like literally saying Hi. Oh,
Collin 02:04
we love that kind of background noise here on the podcast.
02:07
Yeah, I know you do.
Collin 02:09
So what got you started in pet care,
Lyndsay 02:12
I originally got started dog walking. It was about six years ago, actually, when I when I moved to Baltimore. So I was on the rover platform, which I know you're familiar with. And really, it was for exercise and something to do. I was working full time as a food scientist and just kind of had some extra time on my hands afterwards. Also new to the area. So you know, it's just something fun for me more than anything. This was pre Wilson. So I wasn't a dog mom yet had grown up with dogs, but hadn't had Wilson yet. So Anywho, I build up the clientele on rover. And I just really became kind of obsessed, if you will, with with the dog walking process. And like honestly, opting for walking dogs over like normal social life, happy hours and stuff like that. Like seriously, so just never knew, you know, never in a million years, I guess I thought I'd get so into dog walking and have such a passion for it. But I think it was equal parts, the dogs and then also like the client interaction and kind of knowing that I was hoping them through this dog walking and, and also getting to know them as as dog owners outside of the client relationship. So that was about six years ago. And then it was about three years ago that I went off of the rover platform and created a brand for myself, I also wanted to build something much bigger than just a dog walking service. So dogs and trim city was born.
Collin 03:57
I love hearing that, you know, part of the aspect that drew you to it was not just getting to care for all the cute pets and all the dogs. But it was the community aspect. And you mentioned that you know your community driven business. And that sounds like it's just it's so at the core and started from the very beginning. You're really community focused. In fact, the first thing that you see on your website, when you go there is the phrase, the community you and your dog never knew you needed. Why don't you start with community instead of talking about your services,
Lyndsay 04:29
we mark it ourselves as a community rather than a dog walking service for a few reasons. So first, we truly believe that we have something to offer every dog person in the area even if it's not our dog walking services. So for example, we act as a resource for dog owners through blog posts and having a calendar on our website with different events in the area. Even if they aren't our own events. We're constantly sharing local dog friendly things to do dogs Friendly places, we sell merchandise on our site, and then also hosts some dog friendly events. So, you know, like I said before, we're community driven business, meaning that our community really has the strongest influence around the services and the products we offer. So we want people to view us as a community, rather than a business, if you will. And when they come to our site, we want them to know that and they kind of feel welcome. You know, even if they aren't searching for a dog walker, that maybe there's something more for them with dogs in Charm City.
Collin 05:34
And that slight twist of viewing yourself at the center of the hub of pet care of going I can provide a lot of information, we can be a good resource. And so whether you need a dog walked or not, you know, we have answers, we have services, we have resources here that can benefit you.
Lyndsay 05:52
Exactly. And, you know, some people may not, they might not be a dog owner, they might not need a dog walking service yet, but they're consuming those things they're getting to know us. And you know, perhaps one day, they'll reach out to us, we'll be at the top of their mind. Or maybe it's their neighbor who needs someone or their sister or what have you. So yeah, we were saying fresh at the top of their mind with those things, too.
Collin 06:17
Right. Right, always always providing information and resources, you know, whether they need it right now or not, it's kind of thinking of the well, you know, if I can help them understand better pet care, dog training or dog protocols, right now, when it comes time for them to get a dog, they'll be will be top of mind, right? And they'll know about us and what we offer. So in your mind, what does it mean to build a community. So
Lyndsay 06:42
definitely a two way street, right? So what you put in, I think, is really what you get out of your communities. So, you know, like I, like I mentioned, we're always looking for ways to add value to our communities lives. And what we get in return is brand loyalty and happy dog owners really. So in my mind, I think that there's different types of community members, and each of these, like member groups, if you will, kind of experience our community a little bit differently. So at its core, I think our that our community is really our team. So I really our dog locking staff think that they're really the biggest part of our community, they're giving the highest level of contribution to our community. And arguably, probably the most in return with the dog interactions every day. And, and then, you know, there's the evangelists, people who are just like mega fans, typically, regular dog walking clients, but not always, we had people, we've actually never even met in person who are just huge Instagram fans, like constantly telling friends of other merchandise and interacting on Instagram, and some dog obsessed fans. Yeah, like I said, don't even have a dog or just are big fans of us for a different reason other than our dog walking. And then you know, these people are really the source of new ideas. They're highly engaged, they're talking about us, they're talking to us giving us ideas, and even contributing content for some of our blog posts and helping us with some user generated content, which really, I think is a win win. They're excited to be featured in blog posts, maybe giving a tip about a dog friendly place, for example. And it's a huge win for for us in our community and people reading. So then, I think then comes our customers, our dog walking clients, or, you know, people buying merchandise who are contributing money to our community to help fund events and keep this community going and, and then there's the email subscribers and followers and other people contributing attention. And, you know, there are a diverse community, but I do think there's kind of different types of community members.
Collin 09:20
There's Wow, there's a lot to unpack there as you're breaking this down. And one of the things that you you mentioned about community is is giving as, as well as receiving stuff, but each of these four categories that you broke down, they're each contributing something to your business, some of it is financial, some of it is just attention and and additional resources. And it's those got, you know, the evangelists and the email subscribers, as you mentioned, I think as business owners, sometimes we can forget about them or maybe not view them as, you know, as valuable as the people who are actually giving us financial support because, well, you know, I need the money to run my business but As you mentioned, the evangelists are there telling everybody about you, and the email subscribers and the followers, they're contributing, they're liking they're engaging. And then those those team members are just so essential, like none of it would exist if it weren't for them to if they weren't there.
Lyndsay 10:17
Yeah, exactly. So we're all set. And that's really what I firmly believe in. community, it's huge. It's so important. And some of those kind of community members are definitely overlooked by business owners. I mean, myself, you know, I think I've always tried to think about community in our business as a community in those different community member groups. But sometimes I have to sit back and take a step back and just remind myself that I need to be giving to each of these groups, right, in order to really have this flourishing community.
Collin 10:52
Yeah. So talk us through that. How do you give to people who aren't providing financial support or aren't paying for services? What are some things that you do for that?
Lyndsay 11:02
So I mean, in person, interaction is always wonderful, easier said than done. Right? Now, with COVID, it's been difficult. So we're constantly trying to come up with different ways to allow our community to connect, both both online and offline. So for example, we'll make me connections, it might be through Instagram, or a dog walking client, or just somebody that we know, maybe they they have a golden Doodle, and we know of another golden Doodle, and they're both looking for, like an afternoon playdate in the park, that kind of thing. And we'll get them connected. And like, Hey, you should meet Kayla, that kind of thing. We do have a Facebook group for our dogs of Charm City, dog walking clients, it's specific to our, our clients. So you know, they're all they have in common, you know, us as care providers. And because we kind of provided a certain demographic who's also community focused, they tend to, you know, talk amongst one another, and whether they're sharing tips or like getting together or whatever, we have that space for them to interact.
Collin 12:18
Yeah, it's keeping remember, it's it's really just thinking about ways, as you mentioned, to involve them to recognize them as valuable assets to the community that you're trying to build. And, you know, one of the first one that you mentioned, there was your team. So, so practice about your team and tell us about who you've got going on.
Lyndsay 12:37
Yeah, so we've got an awesome team. There are currently 13 of us on our dog walking team. I've also got an events Community Manager, and then I contract various individuals for help things like you know, graphic design, social media, some of the admin stuff, and other things that come up, I do try to seek help from within my team when I can. So say I need help, like with inventory, or like blog posts, rating, things like that, or reach out to my team first. So about half of my walkers do this full time. I've got a handful who worked part time at a local dog daycare, which has been awesome, for many reasons. We know one, we share quite a few clients. So there's clients going to dog daycare, the girls know them from dog daycare, and then they see them walking, which is great. And and then they've got great dog handling skills, which is always a plus coming into this right. So yeah, that's the bulk of our team. And then we've also got some team members who are actually past dog walking pet parents. So you know, maybe their job situation is changed, or they're now have like, extra availability or like available on the weekends. And those parents always tend to be like fantastic walkers because they know how we operate. Right. So yeah, I think that that's that's kind of interesting. But um, that's worked out well, for dogs, the Charm City for sure.
Collin 14:17
Maybe some people might be a little hesitant to let on a previous client onto their staff. So did you have to overcome anything like that? Or what was that like bringing them on?
Lyndsay 14:29
Gosh, not really. I mean, it's not like there was anything we were hiding or kind of didn't you know, was behind the scenes as in that pet parent rule, right? versus like what we were doing at talks of charm cities. So honestly, the training process tends to be easier with those pet parents just because like I mentioned, like they know, kind of what to expect from us and and what we're looking for, like, from our side. Pet parents are expecting I should say, so yeah, I mean Truly, it's been pretty easy with them, there really haven't been obstacles to overcome with, with the pet parents turning into walkers.
Collin 15:08
Yeah. And I can imagine that'd be, that'd be awesome. Because they would have great insights into both sides, then at that point, that's, that's being provided and see how make better connections and how to do things maybe a little differently to make it better.
Lyndsay 15:21
Absolutely. And also, you know, as we were talking about community and starting with 13, members, I'm so selective in who I choose because of that. So I'm definitely looking Above all, a shared vision and helping to build our community, because their true purpose like really is to grow and serve our community. That's how I see it.
Collin 15:45
Yeah, kind of that, that that core foundation, yeah, to use them. And, you know, as you mentioned, like to lean into their, their strengths, and to build from within and, and make sure that everybody feels like they can contribute. And as you may know, this, this theme of being part of an internal community as well,
16:04
right, definitely.
Collin 16:07
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Collin 16:37
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Lyndsay 16:58
So we're constantly promoting and advertising local dog friendly places, really mainly around Baltimore, where we are in hopes that we can bring dogs to these businesses and then in turn, the businesses see value in being dog friendly. And, you know, will continue being more dog friendly or more businesses become dog friendly. So some businesses have even reached out to us asking for help making their space dog friendly, because they'll see you know, another similar business having so much success and maybe seeing us doing a yappy hour there or something like that. And, you know, things like that we're, we're super happy to connect and, and help them having
Collin 17:40
other people look at you as a resource. And that's interesting to hear that other businesses are seeing what you know, some businesses are seeing what other businesses are doing and going, Hey, we want to offer that that looks really cool, you know that that jives with what we're wanting to do, and then reaching out to you to get some some resources. That's, that's really neat to hear.
Lyndsay 17:59
It's cool. And we've COVID some of these businesses, you know, the restaurant industry, really struggling. I've actually like taken the initiative to reach out to a couple different restaurants to like, offer ideas to bring in dog friendly clientele. So for example, there's a there's so many somebody makes cocktails, and they're doing like to go cocktails, and we came up with the doggy cocktail, it's like mainly beer broth. But it was something really fun that they could do right to a sell something to dogs and then also just gain attention from from new people, you know, whether it's from our social media, or just maybe dog lovers who haven't come before but got really excited about that. And, and that brought them to the business. So things like that. It's fun,
Collin 18:48
ya know, those kind of things? Again, we're they're approaching you, or are you going out to them and saying, Hey, have you thought about doing this or adding this kind of thing to your business?
Lyndsay 18:58
You know, it's a little bit of both. A lot of times it's somebody approaching us, but I'm definitely you know, not I don't hold back from just kind of reaching out like, hey, if you thought of this, or like, we should chat, and I'd love to like grab a drink. And I think that there's an opportunity for XYZ. So yeah, a little bit of both.
Collin 19:23
Well, so talk about that. How do you build those those close relationships? What does it mean to build a relationship with kind of, with with other businesses in your area,
Lyndsay 19:32
authenticity and vulnerability, I think are really big. Whether you're talking to another pet business or their non pet business, I just found that businesses, especially small businesses, really want to work and talk to other people who aren't afraid to share failures and people who just aren't too too big for their britches, if you will. So I'm definitely I'm not afraid to get really real and personal and I think that that helps. build the relationship. And, you know, again, back to that community thing being a two way street, I always see, you know, maybe I'm giving my time and energy to help them with with new ideas or supporting them by sharing, hey, this company, you know, they're doing dog friendly cocktails, but I always know that it's going to come back in some way. Right? So we're a cheerleader for them, and they become a cheerleader for us. So yeah, we've definitely built quite a few relationships with both pet businesses and non pet businesses. Just pretty neat.
Collin 20:36
Yeah, yeah. And I'm sure there are people who are listening going, Ah, well, that sounds really nice. But you know, is that for me? Like what? You know, I don't feel like I could do that. That's not something that's in my wheelhouse. What What advice would you give to that person?
Lyndsay 20:54
I would say, you know, just reach out like a message like you're sending to a friend on maybe Instagram Instagrams often where I connect with their businesses, I'll just reach out and say, Hey, I'm Lindsay, I own dogs, a Charm City. I, I love what you're doing. I'd love to chat, like meet over a cup of coffee and nine times out of 10. They're just as excited as I am. So yeah, I would say definitely don't hold back, like, what's the worst that could happen? Right? They say no, like, that's fine. Or they don't answer. But it's like, whatever.
Collin 21:29
Yeah, it's that knowing like, like it, we all understand that community is really important. And so if someone is listening, and I know it's in my head, too, it's like, Yeah, but who am I to start the community? Who am I to bring people together to talk to other people? Well, if not you who, like if it's your, if it's on your mind, it's likely on other people's minds, too. And just trying it in asking, and you'll I'm sure, you'll be surprised by what kind of reaction you'll get.
Lyndsay 21:56
Absolutely. And once you do it a couple times, and you're getting some of those positive reactions. It's just it's like second nature. I mean, myself, I have I'm a food scientist by education, like, you know, I'm certainly a people person, but I in no way have like sales training, or, you know, anything like that, like, I'm kind of self taught in the things that I'm doing. And, you know, just Just don't be afraid to go out there and be yourself and just connect with other people.
Collin 22:27
Yeah. Now, you know, thinking of dog walkers and pet sitters, specifically, what what do you think about that, that career? And those kind of services uniquely are able to bring other people together?
Lyndsay 22:39
Yeah. So, you know, I think the obvious is that we're so well connected as professionals with so many dogs and dog owners in the area. Right. So I think that's, that's the obvious is that we can really facilitate these connections, among other owners, you know, looking for playdates or what have you. And also, you know, we're kind of seen as family, right? As for many, many families, we might be involved in their dog's lives for months or years. And there's this huge, like, trust that's been established. And they definitely see us as kind of like the dog professional and the dog people. And yeah, so I think that, that that uniquely, positions us to, to bring people together, particularly dog owners.
Collin 23:32
Yeah, there is that inherent trust that people place in us in you as a dog walker as a pet sitter, because you do become part of their family, you're either going into their home, or you're taking care of, you know, a deer, you know, their first child, basically, right, but you're, you're taking care of a family member of theirs, and so that that trust is there. And so whether you recognize it or not like you do have a community around you, you do have people that look to you already, that look to you for advice, or want to see what you're doing. And so it's just a matter of realizing that and then start doing something with it. So you've mentioned a couple times before COVID, in the in the before times view, you ran a lot of different kinds of social events and interactions and community events like that. Tell us about those.
Lyndsay 24:19
Yeah, we did and definitely miss doing that. In 2018, we actually did quite a few we did between like 30 and 40 different pop ups and ticketed events with the goal of bringing our community together and just having fun. So it really all started when I was first walking dogs and it was just me. I would often get together with clients on the weekend and like go to the dog park or we check out a dog friendly spot and data invite someone else and somebody was actually it was our gallant tines day. event in 2018 to somebody was like yeah, we should do like a gallant tines event and get the dogs together and do like dog wine and things like that fun things thoughts doughnuts. And so that was our very first ticketed dog event. So that one we just opened up to our dog walking clients. However, pretty quickly, we started doing these more public events where anyone is welcome to come that has the dog. So yeah, last year around this time, we were planning our Halloween bark crawl. So we had like a puppet Chino bar with spooky toppings. So we have like dried chicken feet. And we did a costume contest. And it was a really fun time. So I love like the creative process behind coming up with some of these themes and like the things we do at the events and community loves them. So they're just a total Win win. And then of course, like I mentioned, many of them are ticketed, so, you know, for the obvious it's supporting, like, the supplies needed for the event. But yeah, it is it is a small source of income for the company to so it's a win, win.
Collin 26:18
And again, being seen in a very public manner intentionally in a very public manner of organizing. Yeah. Right. And you said, You enjoy the creative side that where do you start whenever you start thinking of a new event or planning one?
Lyndsay 26:35
So sometimes I'll draw inspiration from like, human events that I'm seeing, you know, thinking that most human themes, you know, whether it's like a birthday party theme, something that's really trendy, and in like, like, for example, is costume like unicorns were very in and like, I don't know, where even like a human bar crawl, that's a good example. Kind of themes like that, that I can turn into something that's dog friendly. So, you know, like, the Halloween bar crawl, you know, is basically dog friendly bars, and people could go to each one. So yeah, that's one source of inspiration. Definitely Instagram and other dog walking companies. I shouldn't even say just dog walking, pet companies will get on calls and connect and just like bounce off ideas, it might be something that they've done, and they're like, hey, Lindsay, you should do this. And, you know, I tweak it and change something up to fit kind of like my demographic. And yeah, so that's some of the inspiration. And of course, we'll reuse themes. year by year.
Collin 27:42
Yeah. Yeah. And they're, and they're in this process, you know, you're reaching out to businesses, that you maybe already have an existing relationship, or maybe this is a great way to build a new relationship with the business to bring them on board and get them involved in this kind of community outreach.
Lyndsay 27:58
Absolutely. You know, when not how we've met quite a few other businesses. So whether it's the venue we're hosting on whether it's somebody who may be supplying something for the event, like a local job tree company, or something for the pet parents you know, around this theme Yeah, there's there's definitely new connections to be made through these events for sure.
Collin 28:24
And I'm sure many of those become a lot of your the evangelists in your community that start up this not everybody who goes to one of these events is going to immediately need petsitting services are a dog walking service, but they're gonna tell other people Hey, I went to this dogs of term city event that they just hosted and it was awesome. You know, if you need somebody go check it out. Go check them out.
Lyndsay 28:48
Totally. And especially with those events, everyone's posting pictures and we do like a lot of our new inquiries for dog locking. Someone will say hey, we went to your event last year and like that's how they found out about us or Hey, we heard about you through so and so who was at your pups and puppet, Chino event, that kind of thing. So you know, we know that this is absolutely a big way to spread our brand and create brand awareness for sure.
Collin 29:19
You know, as you've mentioned a few times like that not being the central focus of it, the central focus is bringing people together, showing people and building this dog friendly world, I guess one puppet Chino at a time.
Lyndsay 29:31
I love that. I love that we do tend to do we've done like a series of puppet cheat like pups and puppets Chino events is what we've called them and that's actually one of our it's like a fundraising event. So we'll collaborate with a local nonprofit and people will donate like a small cash donation in exchange for a puppet Chino and that's actually something we've been doing usually with Starbucks, just because I digress, but my This was probably like last year. My Keurig broke and I had a really bad habit of going to Starbucks every day and kind of hit it off with, with via the store manager test. So that's how that relationship developed. So, yeah, we've done four different pumps and cappucino events there. Oh, I love that one cup of Chino at a time. Yeah.
Collin 30:20
That's cool. Yeah. And it just shows gonna show you never know, when these kind of relationships are gonna build up. And again, you're not going out there thinking, What can I do? You know, how can we build business with you? How can we build business? Just going out? being genuine, being open and honest, as you've as you've mentioned, if you're just investing in people, that's all you're doing. You're just investing the people around you. salutely
30:39
Yeah, that's it.
Collin 30:40
And so now that COVID has kind of shaken things up a bit. How are you continuing to build and invest in a community when these kind of events aren't likely to happen for a while, so
Lyndsay 30:52
we've spent quite a bit of time building resources, usually via blog post, where we're trying to help our community find dog friendly things to do. So we just published one last week actually about like pumpkin patches, and dog friendly places to visit, which was a big hit. Those types of blog posts always tend to get quite a bit of attention. So doing things like that, and also helps us to stay top of mind when some kind of normalcy returns. But yeah, that's when we haven't felt quite comfortable doing anything in person yet even like socially distance, we're just not ready. So the events have definitely taken the back burner right now. But you know, we're promoting, like I said, dog friendly things to do. We did do actually take that back. We did do a series of paddleboarding group doggy paddle classes with a local stand up paddleboarding company. So that was something cool that we could do with a group enabled to be socially distance. But yeah, other than now we're kind of I'm brainstorming things that, you know, like, how will we be able to do this around Christmas because I love to do this. But yeah, being patient with the events and just helping the community through other other non events, related things.
Collin 32:21
Knowing that they'll that they'll come back, and in the meantime, doing what you can and continuing to be that resource and point them to information and stay in touch with him that way. You also run an online store with local centric and local focused item, did you operate the store from day one? or How did that come about?
Lyndsay 32:40
He did not. So the way that all got started, was when I was dog walking was still just me, and I made some shirts on custom ink. That's what it's called, yeah, customink.com. For some of our regulars, it was like a saying that one of our clients is like, you should put this on a shirt. It's like, Alright, let's do it. And Gosh, I think I just gave them to some of our regulars like more as a gift. I didn't even charge them. And, you know, they were fine. And they were like, you should make more. And so eventually, I did set up an official store. And I did it. It's on an e commerce platform called squid. So I did that and integrated it with our website. And I just started off with like, a couple things. But it's certainly grown into a big part of our business. So yeah, it's something people really, really like. And it also, you know, a way it's advertising for us again, you know, bringing people back into keeping them on top of mind and yeah, we really enjoy it and the creativity behind the designs and coming up with them and things like that.
Collin 33:55
Yeah, and when I say local, I mean, I had to Google something in one of your shirts that says ravens and bows and dog O's I don't know what that middle one is.
Lyndsay 34:05
Yeah. Oh man, and that like really hyper local kind of stuff does really well. All of our most popular pieces are things like the chirps the new dog mom's sweatshirt, so can you you know, Charm City I guess I should have explained so that's Baltimore's nickname so some people don't even know you know when they see somebody in a Charm City dog mom sweatshirt say they were in California or whatever. They they wouldn't know what that meant. Yeah, but yeah, so the term see dog mom and ribbons and bows and dog O's has been popular. We have a shirt saying like crabs because crabs are so big here in Maryland and crabbing and eating crabs. So yeah, lots of local kind of unique saying that we come up with our own the shirts.
Collin 34:51
Yeah, and so I guess we should clarify the Bose is Bo h S is referring to bohemian and not, not Bo Ws
Lyndsay 35:00
Yes, that is correct. So yeah, national bohemian beer. So it's kind of like say like our version of. It's like Baltimore's Natty light. It sounds probably like condescending to national bohemian. Hopefully they'll reach out to me and say, What did you say? Uh, but yeah, it's our, like natural light.
35:21
But you have pride in it, right? And again, you're just Oh, yeah,
35:24
exactly.
Collin 35:25
So these these these clothing items like, right, they they're not, they don't just say, dogs or Charm City right across the top or anything like that, like, you're really again, leaning into this local flavor, and this vibe, so that these kind of things like they appeal to more than just your existing clients. These appeal to those evangelists that you talk about, or people who just find them to be cool, right? It's it's growing this and it's looking outside of people who are just doing the dog walks and doing something for them, too.
Lyndsay 35:57
Yeah, that's right. And it's interesting about 25, closer to 25. It used to be lower, but about 25% of our sales are actually not even right here in Baltimore. So we see like pockets in Philly and New Jersey, so mainly the East Coast, but even states like California. So it's interesting, and a lot of times they'll reach out like hey, how did you find us and oftentimes it's a family member and they may have gifted something or like saw them at a, like a family gathering around the holiday wearing something. So it's pretty cool that we've shipped things that say dogs of Charm City, you know on the logo, have you on a shirt to California?
Collin 36:44
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Lyndsay 38:01
You know, we do have most of our stuff we have inventory for which is at my home. So I keep everything upstairs call it status workshop. That's what my boyfriend that's my boyfriend calls it at least. But you know, it's actually some people I know are doing the print on demand right now is really big, which you probably heard a bit about. However, for us inventory really does make the most sense, especially as we're doing like the in person stuff will often take them to the events and sell it they're also like our profit margin is typically three times higher when we're doing something where we're printing it locally and managing the inventory here. And I also I love knowing that we're supporting a local printer through getting things printed locally, like they're right outside of Baltimore, and it's a woman owned like business that we're supporting through doing that and also just having that extra hand before it goes to the customer writing a handwritten note that kind of thing. So yeah, to answer your question, you know, some days it is overwhelming especially as orders come through and I have piles of different shirts and my boyfriend's like where did this box come from? We got to yesterday but you know that's that's how things are working now and they definitely seem to be working for us.
Collin 39:27
Well and as you said they're like, the way you you want to operate it is much more personal touch and especially if you're looking for local opportunities, it cool businesses to invest back in the you know, you kind of have to have him upstairs in Santos workshop if you want to operate that way so that you can build back into the community and be part of them.
Lyndsay 39:53
Yeah, that's how I feel. We have experimented and we have a couple items in our shop our hats Actually, you know, embroidered hats that we do the print on demand. So I'm kind of testing the waters there. And, you know, it's fine. Like it does take it takes longer to fulfill. And if they get a sweatshirt and a hat, they're shipping separately. But, you know, we're trying it out and kind of experimenting and seeing what works for us.
Collin 40:18
No, that's, that's good. That's nice to hear. Because I know you said many people are suddenly trying to offer online shop options or something like that to to bring in additional revenue or to provide that to clients if they're asking for it. So, you know, it's, there are those definitely those two ways of thinking of you're going to either have inventory? Or you're going to do more on demand, but you're saying, well, you can do a little bit of both and and see what's going to work out best for you.
40:46
Yeah, absolutely.
Collin 40:47
Stepping back a little bit and thinking about the market at large, what are you seeing pet parents are looking for these days,
Lyndsay 40:56
so our parents are definitely pretty focused on the experience itself. So when I say experience, things, like pictures and the videos and kind of the narrative around the lock, what we did on the walk, who we saw, do, we run into somebody like that kind of thing. And I think there is a big focus on that, even more so than just knowing their dog is getting outside and exercising for some of these pet parents, especially our demographics. So we definitely our, our demographic tends to be in like the 20s to 30s range, typically no kids, so you know, dogs are their children, and they're everything, but not that people with kids, their dogs and everything. But yeah, you know, young working professionals, and most of our dogs have an Instagram account. And I you know, I really don't know if that's common for like other dog walking companies. And but I mean, seriously, like, I just I went through and because we update, you know, I keep the handles on our client profile pages, so that our walkers can tag them in social media and stuff like that. And 72% of them are on Instagram, like the dog is has an Instagram account. So Wow. Yeah. And another thing is, is the social aspect. You know, I'd love for my dog to also be walked with so and so. And a lot of the time it's they want to see like the cute pictures of them together and know that their dog hung out with another dog that they're buds with. So pet care, I really think is changing. And I think technology and social media have been a huge part of that. Because you know, you think about maybe 20 years ago, before Instagram and maybe even the text messages. It was just like a handwritten note your dog your dog was walked your dog peed? Or maybe not even like maybe there was no communication. I'm not even sure. But communication is certainly something that we excel in. And we no pet parents come to us for dog walking service, specifically because of our communication. And yeah, that level of communication.
Collin 43:16
Yeah, I was gonna say that that level of communication because it's not just that you are saying, we went for a walk. And they had a fun time. It's you mentioned that word narrative you're giving you're telling the story behind that walk and letting them kind of peek behind that experience of their dog so they can see and because, you know, they they know their dog has a personality they it is their everything. And so they want to know like, how is my dog today? Tell me their story. Because the dog the dog can't tell them that story. So we we have to do that for them.
Lyndsay 43:49
Yeah, that's great. Their photo and video and things like, you know, we're on the way and they want to see their reaction when we got there. And yeah, really the full story and when we leave and everything. So yeah, that's a big part of it now. Yeah. At least with with our community, like with our dog walking clients. That's what we're seeing.
Collin 44:10
Yeah, yeah, that's, that's interesting. We just had one, our first client that also has an Instagram account, so it's not like that everywhere. And we were okay. We were like, Whoa, this is cool. Oh, my.
Lyndsay 44:24
Yeah. Hey, that's really interesting to know. Like, I don't know if it's something more specific or, you know, perhaps seeing other dogs kind of triggers other parents to make dog accounts. I don't know what it is or the the city aspect. I'm not sure.
Collin 44:42
Yeah, no, that'd be interesting to do. So listeners, let us know how many of your clients have Instagram accounts, because I too, would find that interesting to know that that is very interesting. Okay, we'll start we'll start this research. I love it. I'm thinking about somebody Your favorite resources? What would you recommend other pet care providers be reading, listening to or looking into?
Lyndsay 45:07
So my top resource is absolutely other pet care providers like going directly to them and just having conversations. So yeah, I would say other pet care providers, but I do the follow some Facebook pages. So pet sitters International, and I find their Facebook, it's like, I think it's a private group for like a member only group. But there's often times like really interesting threads or things like questions that are going on in my mind that somebody else is asking, and I'll follow the thread and everyone weighs in. So you know, I'd say some dog walking specific Facebook pages. There's some good ones out there. But definitely other pet care providers. They don't have to be local, like I constantly talking to somebody in California, and also another pet care provider in Florida that we've become pretty buddy, buddy and have phone calls and things like that, and just text each other with questions. So yeah,
Collin 46:05
yeah, again, it's reaching out because you know, they're experiencing similar things. They've experimented with certain things in the past, and they are, you know, they're gonna have those those same kind of questions or have maybe done things in the past that you want to know about. And and better? No, there's really no better way to get that same experience than then talking with another healthcare provider. So those are the resources, but what advice would you give to other pet sitters,
Lyndsay 46:31
I would say it's really think about what sets you apart as both an individual and a pet sitter and try to focus on that and integrate that into your business. So for example, if I was a very introverted person, I probably would not enjoy hosting events. And like, that's fine, you know, you know, so maybe you might add value through blog posts, and more social media posts or something. So that's something big, I'd also say, really learn from your community. And don't underestimate the value of what your community can provide to you. So ask for feedback. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Whether it's your clients, or dog owners, just talk to them like a friend and see what the what they're looking for, and what kind of needs they have. And because those kinds of things are constantly evolving, so you can you can really learn so much about needs and ways you can tweak your business just from talking to members of your community,
Collin 47:36
you know, that, that asking questions and looking for feedback, sometimes that can be really uncomfortable or scary, because you don't know what that other person's gonna say? So how do you prepare yourself? Or how do you get ready to receive that kind of feedback from somebody when you ask for it?
Lyndsay 47:54
So I guess it depends, like, if I'm asking somebody, perhaps to leave a review, I may intentionally do it, after they've had a really wonderful experience with us, right? But I do, I'll do a text message. When we get a new client and at the end of their first week, I'll check in, you know, as the owner and say, Hey, Tiffany, how did week one go, like, just wanted to make sure that you were absolutely thrilled with our services, kind of just, like leave it at that I didn't let them talk. And if there are any issues, you know, we sorted out at the beginning and, and go from there, you know, just being okay with some of that feedback, knowing that it's going to better your business and create a better experience, maybe for the next person just carrying some of that like, quote, unquote, negative feedback, if that's what it is being okay with it.
Collin 48:49
Yeah, recognizing that there is value in both positive and negative feedback. And we can learn from both of those because as you know, as you as you, as you said, Lindsay, we're looking for the next person to make their experience better. And maybe this same person if they choose to come back their experience better, too. So we're looking one two steps ahead, to make sure that the next person has an even better experience than we are currently providing. Yes, well said, well, Lindsay, thank you so much for coming on the show today and breaking down the importance of community and I love those four types of community members and reminding ourselves that everybody that we're involved with has value as things to give and and should be valued in our communities. And then you know, how to run our businesses so that they align with our values and lean into the resources around us. If people want to follow along, which they absolutely should, and get in touch and ask more questions. How best can they do that?
Lyndsay 49:48
Stalin? Yeah, it's been so fun chatting. So Instagram, we're on sukhram. It's at dogs of Charm City and then anyone would like to reach out via email. Please do I encourage you to I'd love to chat. You can reach me at hello at dogs of Charm City dotnet.
Collin 50:06
Perfect. And I will have links to those in the show notes for this episode, as well as on our websites, people can click right to those and get in touch and start seeing some adorable pictures of dogs and all the cool stuff that you guys have going on up there. Again, thank you so much for coming on today.
50:23
Thank you. Yeah, it's
Collin 50:24
been a blast. The idea of building a community around our business can sometimes seem somewhat nebulous, as we try and figure out who exactly that is. And I think Lindsay did an amazing job of breaking down each and every component of who makes up our community, not just around us, but those in our businesses, as well. So I hope you're able to take a step back and take a few moments to think about who's in your community, how you are serving them, both the paying customers and those who are just cheering you on from the sidelines, we still have a long road ahead of us as far as recovery with the economy and getting our businesses back on the road. So we need everybody that we possibly can around us. We want to thank our sponsors, time to pet and pet sitters International, check out our show notes for those discount codes and get connected with them today, Megan and I want to thank you so incredibly much for taking the time out of your days to listen to us to give feedback to give input to give show and topic ideas as well. It really means a lot to be connected to you, members of our community as well. And thank you for letting us be part of yours. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and we'll be back again soon.
