609: Love 4 Dogs, Love for Community with Maricella Sauceda
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What does it take to start over and succeed in pet care—twice? After moving from Los Angeles to Canada, Maricella Sauceda launched Love 4 Dogs Pet Services from scratch, building it into a thriving solo operation. When betrayal and burnout led her to scale back and start fresh in a new town, she leaned on resilience, community, and clarity to move forward. From seasonal adventure hikes to enrichment walks for senior dogs, she shares how custom services and strong boundaries have helped her stay passionate and present. Her evolving journey—including a surprising recovery from a cat allergy—highlights the power of trusting your instincts and staying true to your purpose.
Main Topics
Starting over in a new country
Rebuilding after betrayal and burnout
Offering seasonal and custom services
Balancing business with community work
Overcoming health challenges to grow services
Main Takeaway: “I can reinvent myself again… because I’ve done it over and over.”
Starting from scratch isn’t a failure—it’s proof that you’re adaptable, capable, and strong. Maricella Sauceda’s journey in pet care is a reminder that we’re not defined by setbacks, but by our willingness to keep showing up, keep serving, and keep dreaming. Whether it’s moving to a new country or recovering from betrayal, she proves that resilience and reinvention go hand in hand. If you’ve ever had to hit reset, this episode will inspire you to trust your experience and believe in your next chapter.
About our guest: Maricella Sauceda is the owner and founder of Love for Dogs Pet Services based in Aurora, Ontario, just north of Toronto. Originally from Los Angeles, she moved to Canada in 2009 with her two beloved rescue dogs, Tazz and Jazz (may they rest in peace), who were more than happy to make the cross-country journey by her side. After months of research and planning, she officially launched Love for Dogs in 2010—building the business from the ground up with determination and care.
Surrounded by animals her entire life, Maricella has a natural disposition that dogs and cats instinctively gravitate toward. As an only child, pets became her closest companions, a bond that still shapes her work today. She is certified in Pet CPR and has completed continuing education in Animal Behaviour and Welfare through the University of Edinburgh, and Dog Emotion and Cognition through Duke University.
Her services include weekday dog walking, seasonal forest adventure hikes, and enrichment walks for senior dogs, along with select custom services for long-time clients. Now developing Love 4 Cats after recovering from a long-standing allergy, Maricella brings her signature personal touch to feline care. Deeply involved in her local community, she volunteers with Turtle Tias, serves on her child’s school council, and contributes to local town committees. Starting Love for Dogs has been one of the best decisions of her life—and her clients’ pets are better for it.
Links:
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Pet sitting, business reinvention, Love for Dogs, Aurora Ontario, dog walking, mental clarity, community involvement, turtle conservation, cat allergy, health checkup, business growth, client relationships, volunteer work, business challenges, self-care
SPEAKERS
Collin, Marcella S.
Marcella S. 00:00
I can go ahead and start from scratch again, because I've done it over and over. You know, I can reinvent myself again, you know, in something new, something different, welcome
Collin 00:10
to pet sitter confessional, an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter. Today, we're brought to you by our friends at Tyne to pet and pet sitters International, the life of a business owner is not just a one time thing. It is a continual reinvention of ourselves as we discover new things, adapt and grow and respond to both what we are looking for and our clients are as well. Today, we're really excited to have Marcella, owner of love for dogs, on the show, to talk about her process of reinvention as she is focused on the things that bring her joy and peace in her life, allowing her to serve her clients with excellence while living the life that she wants. Let's get started.
Marcella S. 00:52
Thank you. Collin, my name is Marcella Sauceda. I am the owner and founder of love for dogs Pet Services in Aurora, Ontario, and we are just 35 minutes north of Toronto, just so that everybody has a geographical idea where we're at.
Collin 01:07
Yeah, because there's a there's a lot of space up in up in Canada, and I know a lot of people aren't as familiar with with that so, but you didn't. You haven't always been in Canada, have you?
Marcella S. 01:18
I know I have not. I'm originally from Los Angeles. I'm a native Angelino, so I started a blog for dogs when I when I moved to
Collin 01:29
Canada, why the move to Canada? And when did you start running your business there?
Marcella S. 01:34
So it happened to be one of those situations in life where it was time for to move. Things in California were winding down corporate. Corporate situation was, you know, you either move to Delaware or you figure out what you're gonna do with your life. And the path to move to Canada started, and so starting leopard dogs started off as a whim when I recently, when I had my immigrant to Toronto, and while I was waiting for all my paperwork to be finalized, I wasn't allowed to work. So when you're in that flux, you really just have to just, you know, keep yourself busy. But so I was doing some volunteer work, um, and my dogs and I, who also came with me, um, we went ahead and spent a lot of time at the different dog parks throughout the city, went to the dog beach, dog hiking trails, and I started talking to the dog walkers I would come into contact with, because in LA I wasn't seeing dog walkers. The area that I lived in, I wasn't really seeing too many dog walkers. So I started talking to one of them, and you know, she was telling me how much of a need that there was for dog walkers, and that put a little bug in my in my head. And, you know, I, you know, don't get me wrong, I didn't want to, I didn't start with zero experience. I did grow up with, you know, stray animals being dropped off at my mom's house and, you know, taking them in and all that stuff. And I did some overnight pet sitting during my university days. But working with, you know, dogs and most animals is pretty much second nature to me.
Collin 03:11
Well, to have that background, right? It starts, starts with that passion. And I think being able, you know, carrying that around, it's like, okay, this is over here, right? This is little part of me that I have. I've got this experience, I've got this passion, and it's kind of like a Okay, now, what do I do with this, right? How does this fit in with my life moving forward? And it really sounds like you found the perfect moment to start using it.
Marcella S. 03:34
And it was right, because I think more importantly for me, it was what, knowing that I could actually be an entrepreneur in Canada without having to worry about health care. Health care coverage was huge for me, right? So my, you know, it's my career always revolved around, like, making sure you have health coverage, and not having to, you know, and not having to worry about that gave me the motivation to give it a go, you know, I and once I got past that mental hurdle that, you know, I use all, I use the skills that I've learned, you know, in university and in the business world, you know, and that's how I started love products from scratch, you know, just did my market research. I develop a business plan, did the website, you know, and all the fun structuring, you know, that goes into starting a business.
Collin 04:18
Some people would put the word fun in quotes, right? But it sounds like you really dove in head first into that. I mean, was that because that was a passion of yours, or that you just knew it was important, or you kind of have the time to kill and do that?
Marcella S. 04:35
You know what? I think it's, it's a combination of, you know, I have always loved dogs. There's probably been maybe six months in my life that there hasn't been, you know, a dog in my life, right? So there was always that passion to be working with animals, working with dogs. And, yeah, just like, this was the opportunity. It's like, you know, and I had just finished reading a book that it was like, you know, you know, if not now, then when. Like, right? It was like, okay, yes, if not now, then when? Right? Like, this is the time to start something new, right?
Collin 05:07
So well. And you mentioned even the kind of the mental hurdle, that block of possibility, and I think so many of us encounter that at various stages of our business, right, we get, we all that will have that of going, you can't, right? You can't. This isn't going to work. This isn't going to work. Yeah, what do you think? I know you mentioned the healthcare being a huge aspect of you feeling free enough to go into this. Was there anything else that you were kind of struggling with to decide to go into your own business or not? I
Marcella S. 05:37
think it's, I think one of the things was like, I didn't know anybody that had started, you know, a pet care business, right? There was nobody, you know, there wasn't at that moment, you know, this was like, 2009 2010 there wasn't anybody that I could like quickly, you know, research and talk to, you know, aside from the person I was talking to at the dock market, she was just, like, winging it, like, I just got dogs, you know, you know, when you know, so, yeah, and I was like, Okay, I'm like, I'm like, there's, you know, this can happen. I'm like, this is easy. This is not easy. But, I mean, this is an easy path for me to be able to research and look into, is this a feasible, you know, you know, business plan, can this really take, take shape, and, you know, form something for the future? And yes the answer is
Collin 06:30
yes. Here you are, right,
Marcella S. 06:32
15 years later. Wow.
Collin 06:34
Now, now you have, I think you've had a different, a few different, at least, structures of your business, right? So you started off solo. Did you ever build a team aspect, and how did that work out for you?
Marcella S. 06:47
So I so I did. I so I started off solo, and then as I started getting busier, I started bringing on staff, employees on board, you know, and you know, don't get me wrong, I like building the business. I like doing the business. The accounting part. Get a bookkeeper people, you know, that's where, you know, I feel bad for my bookkeeper, but you know, I'm like, here's all my receipts, here's everything I do. You know, payroll, they take care of all that, right? Like, I'm not going to go ahead and mess with anybody's, you know, payroll issues, things like that. I don't want to get that wrong, right. I don't wanna. I don't wanna, that's not my that's not my strong suit. I know my strengths. That wasn't it. So, yeah, even today, I still have a great bookkeeper, and they sent through everything anyway, back to where I was at. So yeah, so we went ahead. So we, we as me, myself and I started off solo. Grew a team. Oddly enough, it was funny, because when I started the business, I did my market research in one city, for some reason it wasn't, it wasn't sticking in that city. And then I got a call from a different city, like, 20 minutes away, and being new to Canada and being from LA to meet 20 minutes in LA, it's like, oh, yeah, that's that's not far. That's easy, right? But it's like, it's a different con. It's a different context. When you're in Canada, and 20 minutes was actually for a little bit further than I anticipated. But for some reason, this is this area that flourished. So this was the area that was able to grow the business. The employees were great in, you know, in that area there was, you know, but eventually, you know, life happens things. You know, I got really comfortable with everybody that was working with me. I'd let go of, you know, I'd let go of the day to day, you know, I had some, you know, employees that I was like, okay, everybody's everybody doing what they need to do. I'm getting the reports, you know, everybody's doing their walks, nobody's complaining, everybody's everything's good. But it turns out that, yeah, like, it turns out that, you know, one of my employees was actually starting her business, you know, at the same time, right? So it really takes a toll when you find these things out. And, you know, by time I found out, it was already too far and to be able to properly, you know, put a stop to things. But I digress, unfortunately, that one person you know put me in a situation where, like, half the employee, half the half the clients you know, took off with her because she undercut the pricing, and all of those type of situations took place. And at the same time, my one of my strongest employees, was moving to Europe, and then my other employee was about to go on mat leave, and it was really a tough time. And and I had just gone on, I. To five. I had been at a nine to five job because the business was doing so well on its own. My partner was expecting, had just got started, been on not leave, you know, with our son, and a lot was going on during this time frame. So my eyes weren't, you know, on the ball, and they should have been right at the end of the day, my fault. I took my eye off the ball. What's really going on in the business. And, you know, I had to go ahead and slow everything down and take, take, take everything from and start all over again. So it no longer made sense to continue my business in Vaughan at that time and refocused and started a brand new business again in Aurora, which is where I'm at now.
Collin 10:53
What was that process like of letting go of that direction? Because what you describe here is working and building and growing and kind of sitting back, and it's your life, and it's kind of all humming and strumming along, and you're moving and grooving, and then to have it kind of, I mean, you made the decision, ultimately, to say that's not worth the fight, the struggle and the headache. So pulling apart. What was that decision like for you to pull back from
Marcella S. 11:18
that? It wasn't an easy one, because it was like, because at that moment, it's like, okay, I failed. I like, Oh my God. Like, this is not like, it's not good, right? It's not a good you know, you don't, you don't have that feeling of like, success, because it's like, how did you let this happen? Right? And then at the same time, it's like, okay, you know, it's a lot of mental again. It goes back to your mental space, right? And you have to figure it out and get yourself out of it. It's like, okay, you know what? You can't stop people from doing what they're going to do. All you can do is, you know, move forward, right? And that's one of those things, right? And I always say the difference between someone that can start from scratch, you know, and start from zero, you know, and someone that steals is two different people, right? So it's like, I can go ahead and start from scratch again, because I've done it over and over, you know, it's I can reinvent myself again, you know, in something new or something different, but that person's never gonna have that tool because they went ahead and took a shortcut by undercutting and taking somebody's business,
Collin 12:23
Oh, I love how you frame that of two different kinds of people, right? It really is. It takes a lot of people well, they don't understand, and they're not capable of starting from zero, and that's why they do those kind of shortcuts. And often in times in business, it can be tempting to shortcut of like, oh, what's the fastest way to x, y, z? How do I just jump over? Can I prevent the pain? Can I prevent this stuff? And what we forget is that that entire process builds, molds and shapes us into a completely different, more resilient, stronger person, so that the next time it happens, like you said, oh, oh, all you need me to do is start over from zero and reinvent myself. Been there, done that. I got
Marcella S. 13:05
this exactly like, okay, no problem.
Collin 13:11
It's still hard, it's still frustrating, it's still hard work and sleepless nights and things like that. But I think what it does is, once you break through and you have that, you see the possible, and then all of a sudden, you go, Okay, well, I did it once. I can do this again, and I will, you know, because I can apply these things. I've learned my lessons, I've built these skills. I have this determination. And you're it absolutely does separate one group of people from another,
Marcella S. 13:35
yes, yeah, that was a really hard lesson, and one lesson that I hope that nobody really has to go through but know that you know what, as long as you're able to get your head back into the proper positive mindset, then you know what? Just move forward and start all over, like it's, you know, and and it's, and it works, it's, and I think I'm more successful now than I was at that point, just because my mental state is like my mental well, not my mental state, but my mental clarity is in a better spot.
Collin 14:06
Well, talk about that. How did you, how did you get to that point? What was that process like? You know, you mentioned how it things fell down. You felt like you failed, and then you worked into going a different direction. But it sounds like most of the work that you you had to do was, was was mentally to get that clarity,
Marcella S. 14:21
yeah, yeah. And I think it's, it's it happens, I think in cycles, right? Like, I find that, like, you know, there's moments where you're like, you know, and, and it's, and it's about, you know, reading and hearing the right podcast, and hearing, you know, the right, you know, reading the right books, and, you know, to just, it's a refresher. You know, it's like, every once in a while you need to tell yourself, like, no, darn it, Marcella, you are gosh darn good. And, you know, whatever it is, don't worry about it. So, you know, so it's, but it's like, you it's sometimes you just, you know, if you can't talk yourself into everything all the time, but sometimes you. Need to, like, listen to the right podcast at the right time, right? And you know, know that you're not alone, and you know things happen, but you know what? At the end of the day, things are always going to happen, good and bad, but you know, let's aim to always have more good than
Collin 15:15
bad, yeah? Well, having those reminders, I think, is really important, and that starts with right ourselves, right? That's not something that I can always externalize. I have to be able to look in the mirror in the mornings and say, You're doing amazing work, right? And believe and believe that and trust that. It also is important to have that group of people around you, right? Your family, spouse, friends, neighbors, you know, if you have other business owners you can be with, like, they who's pouring into your life, I think, is under aspect 100%
Marcella S. 15:48
my family and my friends and, you know, my network is so strong that they were more than happy to, you know, they're like, What do you need from us, you know, to get you to where you need to be? And it's, you know, it's great,
Collin 16:01
yeah, yeah. It's it's really invaluable. I know what we have. We have two kids. They're seven and nine, and I remember they, I got a note from one of them one day, and it said, just said, I'm proud of you. And I was like, Well, I can shut it all down. Like, done, done,
Marcella S. 16:24
and those tears is because I was
Collin 16:29
cutting onions. It is. And we have, you know, finding this, this community to get plugged into, like, really, don't discount that. It's one of those things of going, Man, I don't have time to go talk to other people. But honestly, we don't have time not to, I don't, we don't have time to not be connected with people who are going to be saying those kinds of things,
Marcella S. 16:49
right? Yeah, no, for sure. Yeah. So, you know, starting at Aurora was, it was great. It made sense. We had moved to Aurora, and, you know, I hadn't tapped into the area because of the fact that we were working in bond and stuff like that. But I was like, Okay, I'm in Aurora. Let's make this solely about Aurora, right? So, and I've stayed solo for many years. Once I started, and right before the pandemic, I was like, absolutely crazy busy. Like it was insane. I was like, I think it was like, 25 visits a day, type of situation, busy, like, it was absolutely crazy, right? So I was like, Okay, time to hire for sure, right? Like, you know, you know, the time to hire is. And I was like, 1010, dogs ago. It
Collin 17:37
was, it was three days ago. It's fine, I'm working on this.
Marcella S. 17:41
And it was, and then the pandemic hit. So it was one of those things. It's like, okay, you know what? Let's not hire at this exact moment, right? But it was me, because it was, it was just like, I was about to, it was at my 10 year anniversary. I'd have, like, reserved, like a pavilion to have, like a client appreciation event. It was going to be like, you know, and sure enough, you know, pandemic, everything shuts down. Here it was like, we shut down, I think, like, early in March, and, you know, it was just like, okay, at that point, it's like, we are definitely staying solo. And it was only we were only addressing, like, our doctors and our nurses and, you know, our essential workers right during that time. So yeah, right again, by we me myself,
Collin 18:29
the best trio there is Right, exactly,
Marcella S. 18:33
but yeah, and you know, but as you know, once we've gone through everything and business, you know, you know, picked up, and I'm, you know, now, I'm like, You know what I got? I was able to grab a couple independent contractors. And, you know, they're great. They, you know that the independent contractors work great because they're not looking to do this full time. They they want to walk time dogs from time to time. You know, they don't need to work. They just, they're, I feel like they're doing it as a favor, but, you know, but, yeah, it just, you know, they don't want to do this full time. They, you know, they wanted to interfere with their overall daily lives. So they're happy to, you know, walk a few dogs whenever necessary, and it gives me the break that I need to be able to, you know, and time off to balance, to have that balance in my life. You know, I like having, you know, I have, like having weekends off. I like having taking vacations, you know, once a year, and knowing that the you know, the dogs will be taken care of in my absence.
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Collin 20:05
If you're looking for new pet setting software, give time to pet a try. Listeners of our show will save 50% off your first three months by visiting time to pet.com/confession one, and have that support, right? And having them come back from your previous lesson that you had with the employees that you had. So, right? So it sounds like you went that model is not for me, how I want to work. I can restructure my business and use independent contract. I know this is a big debate, right within especially, like, you know, and I know there are differences between how independent contractors are worked with and arranged between the camp, between Canada and the US, right? So that's going, Okay. How do I use these, well, correctly and legally for my business? Yeah, yeah. And, I mean, and
Marcella S. 20:47
don't get me wrong, and even, like, with my when I had the employees, they all had non compete and non solicitation agreements in place. But, you know, you get in front of a judge, and the judge is going to be, you know, like, oh, you know, she's saying that it's she needs it to survive, or whatever, you know, like, make a living, and they don't mean anything at the end of the day, in my personal opinion, in my personal experience. So it was one of like, okay, you know what? At least with an independent contractor, we already know something can happen. It's already, you know, but here again, that it's, I don't think it's as restrictive where we're at than it is, you know, in this in certain parts of the states. And again, I think it varies throughout, but where I'm at my accountants, like, just have them give me an invoice, and that's all I'm looking for.
Collin 21:32
Again, a reminder. And again, you were looking for something that was fitting where you were in your in your kind of the life cycle of your business, and what you were willing to take on, right, to make it worth it for
Marcella S. 21:43
you, exactly so. And this is what, this is what works now. And you know, again, I can see this changing in the future. And you know, well again, we go back to employees, then you know, we're gonna go through, you know, whatever the process needs to be, and
Collin 21:59
go from there. Now, talk to me about your services. Some of these services that you offer. Have you changed the mix of services over the years?
Marcella S. 22:07
Yeah, so, I mean, our, our bread and butter is dog walking, you know, Monday through Friday dog walking. That's the bread and butter, you know, but it's, it's, you know, during our off peak times, like during our Christmas breaks, and then our, you know, summer breaks and stuff like that. But for summers where I'm a little bit I'm not as busy, the reason is because, again, I don't do, we don't I don't do any pet sitting, I don't do any boarding or anything like that, right? So that's not where my business is at. It's and so, and I do have quite a few teachers, so they get summers off here, right? So we don't have rotating schedule or anything like that here. It's like two months off in the summers and two weeks off in the winter and stuff like that, right? And March Break and stuff like that. So I already know that those are going to be, those are the periods are I'm going to be slow. So in that period, we do our forest adventures, so the dog that might be gone for those two or three weeks, or whatever, you know, they're like, oh, you know what, I want my dog to actually join the forest adventure. So they'll come back on the schedule during that time frame. Or, you know, or the dog that's already on the schedule like, oh, you know what, instead of a regular walk, let's do the adventure walk, adventure hike, right? So it's just a supplement to the, you know, to the business, and it works during that peak period. And so they know, and the clients want to be able to take advantage of it during the limited windows that there is, because they know that the dog's gonna be out longer, they're gonna come back exhausted. And they're like, Can we do this more frequently? I'm like, Absolutely, only in the summer and winters, you know, but it's like we can get your dog on schedule for that
Collin 23:43
duration of time. I love the seasonality of the service, and I think that's just a brilliant idea to fill in the gaps, make something that is truly unique for a set period of time. And let's be honest, who wants to be hiking around in the forests in the wintertime, you know, anyway, anyway, so kind of it kind of works both sides of those things too.
Marcella S. 24:07
Yeah, yeah. No, yeah. Don't get me wrong, hiking in the forest in the winter here is absolutely amazing, like, our trails are absolutely fantastic, but it's, it's also not like around the corner from my house. I'm not. I don't live in the Arctic. It's, it's, it is a little bit of a drive, but at the end of the day, we, you know it, that's part of the what's taken into account and why there's, you know, different costs and things like that, right? All of that is taken into consideration, yeah,
Collin 24:37
well, and it serves a different function too. I, that's what I that's why is so cool. It serves the client in a different and unique way, right? There. Don't need the multi the, you know, the daily potty breaks, or a little bit of exercise, because they're home doing that, but this is an added extra enrichment adventure that you can give them that it's like you said, Oh, well, I don't need the potty breaks, but I need this. That's fun, that's cool. And I like, again, the limited time offering really makes it like a Yep, it's back, right? You know, it's kind of like when every time McDonald's does their McRib is back for limited right? It's like, sure, but yeah, so,
Marcella S. 25:13
yeah. So people are like, you know, let me know next time. And by way, because, and also in our forest, we're limited on the number dog that we can have per Walker, right? So it's not like a free for all right? So we have to be, you know, so it is limited spacing and, you know, or I have to bring one of my other walkers with me, so we can go ahead and make it work, right? So it is one of those, you know, services that it's like, yeah, it's, it's great, but it's also we have to be, you know, mindful of the rules that you know are put forth
Collin 25:42
now you also offer enrichment walks for senior dogs. When did these start for you? So this
Marcella S. 25:49
is a newer thing that I just started doing, and it started with one of my dogs. She's a wonderful lab. Her name's Lily, and I've had her on since she was like, like, literally, when I started, there were, then I started the Aurora groups. It was so she was, like, seven years old, so six or seven years old, and she, literally, she's now 14 years old. So she is a lab. She still has that lab love and energy and but she can't. She's her physically. She can no longer, do you know, the long walks, she can't play and run with the dogs anymore. But she loves the dogs. She loves the being, you know, she just likes to be able to go out during her time and take her time to, you know, lead the way and do what she wants to do. So it was, to me, it was one of those like, Okay, I need to figure out how to make her happy and and I'm like, Okay, I'm like, this is an enrichment walk, because most of it is they'll be smelling right for her dogs. All dogs, what's their favorite thing, is to smell right for her. And being in the company of other dogs while she's doing that, that's what brings her joy, and that that's, you know, that's when, by the time we go back home, she's ready for her four hour nap, because that was exhausting.
Collin 27:08
So you're still doing the group aspect for those you're bringing other seniors along for
Marcella S. 27:12
the other seniors, or even just like, you know, a bonus walk for another dog that I've had, you know, you know it's not going to kill me for another dog to hang out with me a little bit longer, like the owner is not gonna, the owner is not gonna complain that, you know, like you took my dog longer. You know, for the most part, it's like, you know, I'm not charging them for, you know, having their dog walk with this senior dog, it's literally and this is the aspect of being solo and being able to make your rules. You know, there's nothing you know, hard and sad that, you know I have that flexibility, right? And this is why I do, like being able to still be out there and doing, doing this, because I can, I can adjust it based on the client and the dogs. And, you know, the owners trust me that you know whatever I'm doing with their dog, they're going to have a good time. And even our dog, right? Anything our dog, you know, he's goes on all the various walks, and, you know, he loves, you know, hanging out with Lillian. He it's great, you know, yeah,
Collin 28:11
well, I love the heart behind the service where you said, I need to figure out how to make her happy, right? Like that really is the core of we get what we get to do. Of, I'm solving this problem by bringing this dog joy and happiness, which in turn helps the client and makes them feel really good about what they're doing and how they're how they're being served,
Marcella S. 28:30
yeah, and, you know, and it's, and it's, it's, it's, again, having that great relationship with the owners, right? Like, you know, they know, you know. It's like, you know. And we'll talk like, hey, you know what? When, when I started noticing, like, she can no longer do these walks anymore. She can't be out here for 45 minutes, and then we had to reduce it to 30 minutes. And it's like, you know what, she can't handle it because, you know, she's having breathing issues, or, you know, the heat's too much for her, you know, so having those conversations, those open, candid conversations, with the owner, so that they're aware, and, you know, making those adjustments as needed
Collin 29:03
well. I know that that can be a touchy subject for a lot of us, of when to speak up, when to note and have those kind of conversations. How do you make that judgment call as to when it's time that I need to say something?
Marcella S. 29:15
You know what? I think that again, because I've had clients on for years. I'm on sometimes. I've had two, three generations with them already, right? So it's, you know, having that trust that they, they already see that, you know, I'm a, I'm a subject matter expert in this field, right? I'm not, I'm not out to, you know, push any service for to them. I'm literally out to see what's the best approach for your dog, right? And we've seen, you know, we've had situations where it's like, hey, you know, what have you guys gone to the vet because of this? You know, for certain dogs, because it's like, you know, it looks like they're trying to pee, but they're not peeing, right? Like, you know, we notice these things that sometimes may not be as obvious, because, like. Oh yeah, the dog went out to pee. But it's like, actually, did you notice if any pee came out, you know, little things like that, right? That can alert. So it's like, just having, again, a strong relationship with the owners, and then they're trusting you to highlight anything that is, you know. And I made that clear from the get go at my meet and greets, you know, if there is anything wrong, I will let you know. You know, I will make, I will make a note in the system so you're aware that you know this happened during the walk, and it's not normal.
Collin 30:33
And like you said, they're trusting us. They're a part of what they're paying us to do is to be those eyes and ears and hands on their dogs when they can't be and it's, you know, when you think about the other people that are speaking into that person's life about their dog, well, they're that okay. They're probably seeing them. What that Max four times a year, if they go every couple months, maybe only two times their groomer. Who knows how often they're going to the groomer, in a lot of cases, if at all, if they're doing all their stuff at home a trainer. Most people don't bring on trainers right away or work with them regularly. We're the only other group of people that really gets to see this dog on a very consistent basis, on a very intimate level, for prolonged periods of time. Why? We almost owe it. We owe it to ourselves and the dog to speak up about these things. Yeah, I know for I know for I know for us. You know, when we watched our dog age and get older, you know, it was just, we just saw the it was just part of how we lived and how we worked with him. And then we had some friends come over, and even they were like, did you notice this about Kobe? And was like, oh, oh, you're right, right? So having that fresh pair of eyes, people who don't, you know, see him every day really helps that client, making sure that they're they're doing best, and they know what's going on. Yeah, exactly. I did want to talk just about your services here, so some of your services aren't on your website. You choose to do more of just like a custom surface in general. Why did you choose to offer things this way?
Marcella S. 32:01
I think it's, it has to do with limitations and boundaries, right? I like to, I've learned to put boundaries on myself, and, you know, and say, and, you know, say, I can't do, I can't offer this to the massive public, because, you know what, I'm not going to be able to fulfill everybody's needs, and service is going to fail somewhere. So that's a boundary that. So that's why, you know, I again, I mean greets, I make things clear, like, if you have, like a wedding or a funeral or something, you know a funeral, like if you or something happened, or some type of emergency, you text me, you let me know what's going on. I will figure something out, right? But it's, you know, but I don't want to have that like, like, yeah, like, my clients will be, if they're a nurse or a doctor and they're on call, like, okay, text me that morning if you're gonna, if you have to go in all of a sudden, right? So that's an on call service that I have, but it's like, because in the morning, I can go ahead and readjust my schedule for the for the entire day, right? But if you know, I'm not going to, you know, change have that available online, because people might not read it properly, right? So somebody new might all of a sudden that I've never met is gonna it's only available for, you know, actual clients that are in the system, dogs that are already part of the packs, things like that. You know, we don't do we know we don't board right? But again, every once in a while, we'll make an exception, because something happened in someone's life. And obviously, you know, we're, don't want to add to any anybody else's, you know, whatever they're going through, we'll make an exception, right? Again, an overnight care right? Like, I don't offer that to everybody. There's, like, a couple clients that, you know, that I do that for, not something I'm advertising, right? It's, it's, I like sleeping. I do like sleeping in my bed. But every once in a while that comes up for, again, some type of, you know, need for a few clients. And the other, other item I have is a doggy, doggy, doggy care boot camp. And this one is, you know, because we're near, we're in the suburbs, so sometimes some of our clients work downtown Toronto, so they take the train. The train may break down, or they might have to end up working, you know, a 16 hour shift downtown, and they're not going to be up make it back in time and things like that. So, you know, they're not asking for boarding, but they're like, I don't want my dog to be alone for so many hours. And you know, for me, sometimes it's more of a hassle to go to somebody's house two or three times, right? So I created this doggy care boot camp, and it's literally the dog will go on all the walks. So I will pick them up, and they're on all the walks by the time they. Get home, they don't care if they're whatever time their owner comes, because they're so tired that they're just like, I'm good. So again, it's one of those services that are there that were created because there was a specific need. And every once in a while, somebody's gonna be like, Hey, I have construction going on in my house. What can I do with my dog? It's like, okay, you know what that's going to stress out your dog. Your dog can run out, you know, I will do a boot camp doggy day, boot camp for that dog, for that day. And that way, when they come home, they don't worry about the construction and you know all that, they just go to bed and they're tired.
Collin 35:33
I love how you framed both all of that about limitations and boundaries. One some of these services that you're mentioning it's really hard to scale. It's really hard to do this, because you just can't duplicate yourself in that way, especially if you're like, No, I'm not, right? No, I don't want this. To build this huge team right now. I want to stay solo and as small as possible to serve my clients well, right? Like, that's, that's definitely going, I know I can't do everything. And then the boundaries too, of going, if I opened this up, what would my life look like? Probably nothing that I would want to actually be living. And so going, here's the here's the entryway into my business, and then here are the other ways that I'm able to serve you kind of, you know, like the secret menu at some restaurants where it's like, no, you know. And I'm sure you know, again, your clients have these options, or you offer them as they ask you questions. We've certainly done that too, where it's going well, we don't usually do this, but I've got a direct call from a client, and they're kind of panicking right now. I can help them in this way, and I'm not going to go make a page on my on my website and start advertising this on Facebook, into the groups. I will never do that, but I will help my client in this way, this one time, and serve them well,
Marcella S. 36:45
yeah, exactly, because it's like, you know, so those are custom things that will come up, and it's, you know, an as needed service with based on the situation, right? But I don't want to have that out there, because, you know what other people can come up with, weird stuff. I don't know what they're gonna request.
Collin 37:07
You're right. I always have that in the back of my mind of going, if I what's gonna happen to my life if I start adding zeros to this? Okay, I did it one time. What if I did it 10 times? What if I did it 100 like you can really start to see where certain things break down in the feasibility of these things, and just being honest about our own limitations is something that it takes some trial and error right to realize. Going, Oh, I don't want any more of that actually learned lesson check right? And going, next time, I'm not going to do that. And just knowing you can play around with that, especially whenever the volume is so low, it allows you to kind of just experiment and see what you like and don't like and how best you want to do it.
Marcella S. 37:47
Yeah, exactly so. And, you know, and clients are fully aware again, that I may or may not be able to accommodate them. If I can't, you know, I do enjoy networking with all the other dog walkers in the area. And, you know, pets, because it's like, you know what? Sometimes we you know, there might be a dog that doesn't fit my you know, parameters may work with somebody else. It's like, you know what, I may not be the perfect person for you, but maybe they can help you out. You know, there's other, you know, and I'm more than happy. I always say, you know, I'll meet with, you know, the different services around, because I want to know what they're offering and how, you know, I can go ahead and help them if they're, like, in a different area again, you know, I'm trying to stay in my little bubble here. You know, I have a couple like, you know, my, my ICS will see the ones a little bit further north of me, but that's because they were originally in Aurora, and they moved a little further, but they're in a little pocket that we're still able to, you know, again, make those exceptions, but I'm not out there promoting this
Collin 38:50
area, right? Yep, we've done that too. When we've had a long term client who moves and it's like, I man, you have been it's hard. It was really hard for us. We had a client who was with us and they used us. And they used us, I mean, more than any other client had ever used us, and they were so loyal to us. They loved our services. Bragged about us on social media, and they moved just outside of our service radius, and it was like, Okay, this is this is both a business, but this is also a personal decision right now, do I continue to serve them because they were so loyal and they loved us. How do I make this work? And you're right, we continue to serve them. I don't advertise that I'm growing over there, right? Because realistically, I can't make that work anymore in a larger scale, but I want to make sure that they're taken care
Marcella S. 39:33
of. Yeah, exactly. So, yeah, they know that they pay a premium because it's outside the area. You know, all that is, you know, addressed before. It's like, but it's like, but it's like, they want to continue, and so we go ahead and address
Collin 39:45
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Marcella S. 40:34
So I think one of the things I really like about where I live is that we are still a small town where I think our 70,000 is our population. So we're not a big we're not a big town, but we have, there's a lot going on all the time. It's a super great suburb to live in. You know, lots of family friendly things and things, you know, again, lots of dogs because family friendly. But I've always in my heart. I've always done volunteer work, right? Like I volunteered in high school, I volunteered in university. I volunteered when I moved here. That's always been part of my of something that I've always been true to myself about. So one of the needs that I found was there was a big issue with the turtles, or natives turtles in the area. So one of the things that started, you know, getting involved in was the, you know, helping our native turtles. And so I'm a founding member of the turtle tears here in Aurora. I'm also on the school council to help with our son's school. And I'm involved in town committees, right? I just want to be involved in the community that I live in, right? I live work in this community, and I just want to be involved in different angles. And I think being involved not only has a name and face recognition, because people will be like, Oh, you're, you know, you work with the turtles, or, Oh, you're, you know, you're so and so's mom from the school and, you know, like, and it turns into like, you know, people will be like, literally, I'll be at the grocery store. Like, don't I know you from somewhere, right? It's, it's like, Yes, probably. And then, you know, sometimes I'll show up to, mean, greet and that, oh, I know who you are, right? Because it's like they've already seen me somewhere. So the response is easy, right? When I show up, because it's like they're they already have that trust because they've seen me somewhere in the community, you know, I'm already doing something for the community, in the community, and like, there's a trust that's associated with my face and name recognition and stuff like that, right? Well,
Collin 42:45
first off, I have to say turtle tea is I love this so much. I was on the website for this and reading more about it, and everything that you guys are involved in so cool. I think it's really neat, and sounds like it's very needed to help with that cause and to know that it's something that's that's personal. It's close to you. It's part of you know who you are. It's connected to animals in your drive to see this. And I think what's really important that people not hear is you didn't get involved in this stuff to promote your business. You've gotten this stuff because you saw a need, and you were able to feel that and you were able to do this, you felt it personally. There are ancillary benefits that come alongside this, but those aren't the primary focus. And I see a lot of people who go, Great, I gotta promote my business. Let me go sit on a committee, or let me go do this, and they come apart from the wrong reasons. And let me tell you, clients, community, they smell that a mile away.
Marcella S. 43:42
Yeah, 100% that's, you know, like, because that's just not that's, you know, like, it's like, to me, it's like, it has to be real. Like, anything I do has to be real. I'm like, I'm one of the worst liars I can. I cannot ask my spouse and child. I'm like, the worst liar. Okay, so I can't do something and like and not mean it. Anything that I do comes from the heart. It's, I'm very passionate about anything that I do, and it has to, it has to be something that I can truly identify with, and, you know, be able to say, Yes, I can get behind this, right?
Collin 44:18
Well, so how are you balancing everything, though? Because if you're running a business, you're busy, right? You've got parenting, you've got these other responsibilities. How are you making sure that you're meeting all of your obligations? Well,
Marcella S. 44:30
it's, you know, it's not always easy. There's times where it's super, you know, it can be a little bit much, but I think the best lesson I've learned is that you have to follow your instincts and your passions with a purpose and and they can be done. I like starting new ventures, and I drive in nuances of various things that you know, that work for me. But, you know, but for me, community is very important. I grew up in a. Big City. I grew up in LA. We didn't have a community really, it's a really, it's really big area. And you know, the community sense that I feel where I'm at now, it has really motivated me to, you know, to be involved. So that's why I live, I work, I play, volunteer in the community, because it's and it helps me balance myself out, right? So it's like, I know that if I need help, you know, I can call, you know, make a couple calls. I have a great network of, you know, friends and family that can, I can reach out to and say, hey, you know what we we're doing a big cleanup. You know, what are you doing on this day? Can you come out and help? It's like, yes, yes, I can. Okay, done, right? It's, you know, but it's, it's, it's nice, it's, uh, you know, and it's, and it's great that it translates to, you know, people see me and they understand that. It's like, okay, they can count on me as their pet care provider. Because it's like, they see me doing other I think I literally was doing a spring cleanup, and I was doing dog walks at the same I was walking, I was doing a dog walk at the same time. Because it was like, you know, I'm just like, walking, and I'm like, you know, we were just doing a casual walk, and we were just like, oh, look, there's shots. Let's just grab a bag of, do you know? Like, why not? You know, he's, he's, you know, the my pup was getting the sense that he needed to get in. You know, we're cleaning up the community as we were going along, right? So it can be
Collin 46:24
done well. And I think often we can think, okay, I need to be involved in my community. What's the thing I can do with dogs, or what's the thing I can do with cats? And to remember, right? There's a whole world outside of that. We have our own person, excuse me, we have our own passions, our own desires, our own things that we wanted, that are important to us, and not everything that we have to be involved in or do needs to be centralized or point immediately back to our business. And to know that like you are, it's kind of interesting to know that you walk down the street and people kind of go, Wait, is that the dog person? Or is that the turtle person, or is that the school person? That's so wonderful, because then, like, you get the benefits of having a whole and full, happy life, knowing that each little part of you is getting fed through involvement and all these other things and that it takes having to sit down and go. How do I want to help? What? Where do I want to do? I mean, just for me personally, I saw we use our public library like, all the time, like we're there with some of the talking distance of our house. I can we get there and it's they know us. We say hi, like they had a board opening right? And it's like, oh, wow, is that? Is that? Oh, I'm sitting on this. I'm sitting on this. Michelle, but I'm thinking about it.
Marcella S. 47:39
Collin, do it okay, I've
Collin 47:41
got that application, but I think it's just going like, I need to remember that I'm a whole person, and that I'm so much more than my business. And I think that that also helps
Marcella S. 47:51
prevent burnout, right? Because I think one of the things is that if we're constantly that's all we're doing, is just working 24 hours. And I get it, don't get me wrong, like, you know, financially, we're, you know, my business is doing well, but it's like, you know, I just, it has to be spiritually for me as well. But it's like, it and that's prevents the burnout. Doing other things prevents burnout, right? And I'm a big believer that you have to do something for yourself for to make sure that you don't burn out. Because this, this can be, you know, exhausting, you know, if you just, if that's all you're doing
Collin 48:26
well. So how I mean you you're coming into your 15th year in business, coming into 16. How are you staying, you know, focused, or bringing in new ideas? And I will say it's tempting. The longer that we're in business, the more I feel, I, you know, it's kind of the settling and the like, Okay, now we're getting comfortable. And I know it's kind of all, everything's an old hat, and it's nothing new. How do you, how are you preventing from from sinking down into that kind of thing? Um, also, you
Marcella S. 48:55
know what? There's, there's moments of, there's highs and there's lows, right? So there's, you know, I think I sometimes it's like, like, I think then it's pretty common with most businesses, when you're self employed is, you know, you might go into a rut, right? And I remember I went into a rut a few years ago, like, three years ago, I wasn't promoting my business like, it's like, I'm like, whatever clients come by me. That's, that's all it'll be. And, you know, we'll just, you know, again, very fortunate in my community. It's always been word of mouth for the most part, like I've never have had to do much promotion again, lot of client referrals and stuff like that. But it was like, Okay, I was, I was feeling very like I was in a rut. I was feeling physically run down. I was, you know, I was in a lot of pain. I was like, Oh, my God, that's it. I'm like, I'm calling it quits, like, you know. And I didn't have any energy. It couldn't, you know, there was a lot of, you know, or clarity, and I couldn't see myself moving forward, right? There was, there was, you know, there was like, Okay, there's something wrong. That's, this is not me again. I do, like. It. My mother in law says that I'm, like, a, like, a little aunt, like, like, literally, I always got, like, something, like, a little 1000 little jobs going on, right? So it's like for me to be in this situation was like, there's something going on and something wrong. So I couldn't pinpoint it. So, lo and behold, I did go get some blood work. And yeah, you know what? I had a suffering from, like, a massive iron deficiency with anemia. So it was like, Whoa, like again. And I've been donating blood for years, so I should not have been donating blood that was not helping. But it was an eye opener that was like, okay. There was a feeling the reason why I was feeling as bad as I was, you know, I was on a walk one time I felt like I was going to faint. Like, that's what was like, Okay, there's something wrong. So anyway, in retrospect, there was red flags that I was ignoring. Like, because, you know, you're, we're physical, we're like, you know, yes, you're allowed to be tired. Yes, you're allowed to have those aching pains. And, you know, it makes sense. I could excuse anything, right? Like, because, again, your job is physical, you you know, you know you're gonna be you're gonna feel sore, but, but, but I was ignoring a lot of those red flags. But I've always prioritized self care. Like, I'm a big believer in, you know, massages, podiatrists. Go get your feet taken care of. Go get your you go to the chiropractor, get all that, you know, stuff and preventative care. I'm a big believer in, you know, but for some reason, this had slipped like the actual and it makes sense, really. I mean, I'm sure that a lot of pet care providers will know that we're like, you know, we're really bad at eating.
Collin 51:41
Don't, call me out like that. Marcella,
Marcella S. 51:45
you know, you know, it's that, you know, we're out and about in middle of the day, right? That's like, that is the crunch period, right? That is like, you know, you know your lunch is, you know, not the best. You know, it's the worst for the for a majority of us, right? So, and I knew that. And so it's like, I've always been a big breakfast and then, like, early dinner, but like, in the middle of the day is, you know, anyway, long story short, I, you know, I've gone ahead and taken, you know, worked really hard over the past year plus to get my get myself in on on track, and that has helped, literally, infuse, you know, the energy levels to be able to have the new ideas, to be able to, you know, get energized and, you know, get myself what's going to be, what's, what's the future going to be, bringing up next, right? And, you know, again, you know, there's things that are coming, right? So,
Collin 52:42
no, I really appreciate that you link this down to your your personal health, because you're absolutely right. I am the world's best at just waving things away. Of well, it's fine because I'm, I'm, yeah, I'm always exhausted. Of course, I run a business. I'm up, I'm early, I'm late, I'm doing all this stuff. It's what, of course, that's what it's going to be. But to take that step back and go, but let me just double check, right? Let me make sure there's no underlying cost, especially if we start trying to do little things, then we don't see an impact. I think it's really important to be on that regular schedule of getting health checkups, at least, you know, at least talking to somebody to get some new ideas for what's going on, to make sure that we are personally okay, because our business is run on our bodies, that is just a fact of what we do. And if we're not feeling okay, we need to go through that long list of things to just make sure, even if we, like you said, I've been donating blood for years, how could I possibly be what? No, it's like, actually, yeah, this is a thing. Okay. I'm, I'm glad I checked, because, you know, who knows how much longer that would have gone on, and that's just, you know, right? And so knowing, let me just get some good information and questions to make sure that I'm personally okay. We always have to remember, I do need to start with myself, and it's okay, right? It's okay if we start with ourselves.
Marcella S. 54:01
Yeah, 100% it's, you know? It's like, Yeah, and you and nobody knows your body better than you, right? And when you then, the minute that you start thinking, there's just something not sitting right, and that doesn't make sense, and you can't pinpoint it. Just look into it.
Collin 54:19
Now, one of the things that I came across Marcel when I was doing some research before our conversation here, you know you love you run love for dogs. I also came across love for cats. And I wanted to ask you about this and when you decided to branch out in this direction and kind of the relationship between these businesses. So,
Marcella S. 54:39
so one of the reasons that I named love for dogs is love for dogs was going to be primarily, I was going to work with dogs. And the reason is that I have, I have developed a severe cat allergy in my 20s. Like, literally, puffy eyes, puffy, swollen eyes. I couldn't breathe. Type of allergy like, wow. Know, whenever I walked into someone's house that had a cat, even if the cat wasn't, like, near me, right, like it was, you know. So that's why the main focus was always dogs, which, you know, which also seemed weird to me, because I grew up with cats, again, my you know, stray animals being dropped off at my house when I was a kid, like, cats were included, you know. But I couldn't understand why, all of a sudden, I had this, you know, cat allergy when I grew up with cats my entire childhood. So whenever, you know, and so I never advertised, you know, cat services because of this reason. Obviously, there are some clients that have cats and dogs. So whenever I did do cat visits, I would be taking allergy medication. I would have to, you know, as soon as I was done with that visit, I have to remove all my clothing, take a shower like it was a process, just to make sure that I didn't have a really bad reaction. And that's with, you know, with the allergy medication, I still had to take those steps anyway. So again, this touches back to the health part. Once my health levels went up on my iron side and all these things were being addressed, allergy went away. What it is, absolutely one of those weird, amazing things that happen as soon as my all my iron went up and, you know, all my other, you know, beat all the other fun supplements that I've been taking have kicked into my system like now, I'm able to literally go play, visit, interact with cats without the fear of a massive allergy attack, You know. And I'm not just saying that this just happened. Like, literally, for the past six months, I've been monitoring, like, I no longer have to change clothes right away. I don't have to take off my jacket and, you know, and all these things I was, these precautionary things I can, you know, have the cat sit on my lap and, you know, we can go ahead and play and, you know, and cuddle and stuff like that, things that I wasn't able to do before. So, so, yeah, so love for cats is in development. Because, you know, again, I was, you know, making sure that I was a okay, but I want to focus again on the cat side, because I, you know, I miss cats, and I've been unable to properly address the care there, you know. And I don't know, maybe I'll do a white glove approach, you know, because there are cats that don't have dogs in their life, and they don't want to have another sense of another animal. So maybe I'll do a white I don't know. I'm still working on what's that's going to look like, but, you know, I just, I feel so much more comfortable that I'm able to, finally, really, you know, offer a great cat service. Because, you know, like, I'm trained, obviously, you know, you get all your training to do diabetics, shots and all that stuff. And I'm like, That's great. I'm like, I'm never gonna use that for the cat, because I'm gonna be that close to them. But it's like, but like, now, you know, it's like, yeah, like, cat, yeah. Knew all the extras. But more importantly, to me, it's like, okay, now I can actually have affection with cats. And, you know, roll around with them and, you know,
Collin 58:10
wow, all the more reasons go get a health checkup, business expansion, right? Who knew that those two would be linked? Yeah, that's so wild, you know? And I think you know to know that you're going, okay, cool. Like, now, what are my possibilities, right? That's this, you know, you went, you went to that step of going, Okay, now, what does this look like for me? And, you know, obviously you said it's still a work in progress for how you translate what you do now, or what that service will look like, how that fits into the market. So that must be pretty exciting to be back in that market research, you know.
Marcella S. 58:40
And again, exactly, this is the stuff that I love, right? I like to be able to, like, okay, great. So happy that we can explore this further and see how, you know, what? How is that gonna look under my umbrella, right under, you know? And, yeah, so it'll be fun. Yeah,
Collin 58:57
no, I'm really excited to see where that goes and how that takes off, especially, you know, again, given the you know, how the markets changed, how your, you know, knowledge of clients has changed, and how you are going to apply this, you know, take do your secret sauce to this new thing that those kind of, even if, we, even if, as a business owner, we never fully go down those roads, I think it's really important to at least do some daydreaming about possibilities, because we never know what's going to come up down the line
Marcella S. 59:23
exactly. And, you know, like I said, dog walk is the bread and butter. Everything else is just a little bit of gravy, you know, like, so, you know. But honestly, I'm excited for the cats, you know, angle, because I think it's always been so important, and I, you know, and I haven't been able to properly give it
Collin 59:40
the attention that it needs. Marcel, I want to thank you so much for coming on the show today and sharing us through your journey, reminding us the importance of taking care of ourselves and being flexible to adapt and grow and try new things and how to recover well when things don't go the way we planned. So for those who want to follow along with you, get in touch you. See, check out everything, all the exciting stuff that you've got going on. How best can they do that? People can
Marcella S. 1:00:06
follow me on Instagram, at love for dogs, CA, or through my website, and that'll list my email address and my phone number and all that stuff. You know, I do have a US Canada plan, so if anybody wants to text me, I can easily respond. So you know that's not an issue for me, but yeah. So you know, I'm very accessible, and, you know, happy to help if anybody needs it.
Collin 1:00:31
Awesome. Well, Marcel, again, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day. Again, I know you've got a lot going on, so it really means a lot for you to come in and speak with us and share today. It means a lot. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Collin, appreciate the time starting from scratch isn't failure. It's proof that you are adaptable, capable and strong when we rely on the skills that we build through our business and trial and error. It means that when we have to reinvent ourselves again the next time we're that much further along in the process and able to do it faster and faster each time, whether it's moving or recovering, resilience and reinvention go hand in hand, especially as a small business owner, hitting reset happens to everybody, no matter how long you've been in Business, and it happens more and more often the longer you are in business. But we can remind ourselves that hitting reset just means we're adapting and setting ourselves up for more success in the future. We want to thank today's sponsors, our friends at time to pet and pet sitters International, and we really want to thank you so much for listening. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and we'll be back again soon.