621: Weddings, Walks, and Winning Clients with Kaitlin Wood
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Kaitlin Wood of Kaitlin’s Pet Sitting in Chattanooga, TN shares her journey from teenage sitter to full-time business owner. She discusses the evolution of her services, including her growing wedding assistance offering, and the importance of clear client communication. Kaitlin opens up about lessons in time management, setting boundaries, and the struggle of finding trustworthy team members. Her passion for pets and people shines through as she talks about building trust and delivering peace of mind.
Main topics:
Managing time and personal balance
Transitioning from solo sitter to team
Building trust through consistency
Offering wedding pet services
Client expectations and boundary setting
Main takeaway: “It’s not just about loving animals—you have to be honest, reliable, and dependable.”
Loving pets is only the beginning. What sets great pet sitters apart is their reliability, integrity, and follow-through. Your clients are trusting you with their most beloved companions and their home. They deserve someone who shows up on time, communicates clearly, and follows through on every promise—every time. In an industry where trust is everything, it’s the quiet consistency that builds unshakable peace of mind. Be the sitter you’d want for your own pet.
About our guest:
Kaitlin Wood is the owner of Kaitlin’s Pet Sitting in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She offers drop-in visits, dog walking, and overnight care, and has recently expanded into wedding day pet assistance—helping pets be part of their owners’ big day. With a background in psychology and a heart for animals, Kaitlin focuses on delivering peace of mind to clients by being trustworthy, responsive, and deeply committed to pet well-being. She’s currently running her business solo but is planning to grow her team and potentially open a boarding location in the future.
Links:
Instagram - Kaitlin’s Pet Sitting
Facebook - Kaitlin’s Pet Sitting
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
Collin 00:00
Announcer, welcome 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 time to pet and pet perennials. A passion for pets will only take you so far in your business at the end of the day, it does take hard work and unrelenting dedication to see success. Today, we're really excited to have Kaitlin wood, owner of Kaitlin's pet, sitting on the show to talk about the evolution of her services, how she hones and curates her client communication and the ever important topic of setting boundaries. Let's get started.
Kaitlin W. 00:40
Hey, Collin, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to talk with you. Yeah, my name is Kaitlin wood, and I am the owner of Kaitlin's pet sitting located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I offer drop in visits as well as walks and overnight stays in homes for clients as an alternative to boarding. And I also offer wedding assistance for those who want their fur babies to be a part of their big day.
Collin 01:11
Oh, now how when did you get started in your business?
Kaitlin W. 01:15
Okay, so I've been doing this, gosh, since I was in high school, which was kind of forever ago, but it just kind of started out I was babysitting, and it would just turn into, hey, we're going out of town this weekend. Would you stay with our dog? And I would be like, Well, yeah, I can do that. So it just kind of started from there. And as a kid, growing up, we always had animals. We were just all avid animal lovers, whether it was cats dogs. I mean, I love all dog breeds, okay, but I grew up with Doberman, so they are my go to breed, and I just did that all through high school. I did that through college, and it got to a point where I was about to graduate college, and I just thought to myself, Okay, I'm at a crossroads. I can either, you know, go to school and get my masters, preferably my doctorate, which kind of made me want to barf. I was just over school at that point, and but then I thought, you know, this has gotten me this far. I love it. I was learning how to manage my schedule as well as client schedules. So I thought, hmm, maybe I'll kind of just take off with this. And I did, and I knew I could always fall back on my degree if I wanted to. I could always go back to school. But let me tell you, I love what I do, and I can't imagine myself doing anything else.
Collin 03:09
What I love that I love that story. Kaitlin, you realized that you could do this thing kind of full time, because you sounds like you already were doing it pretty intensively all the way through college,
Kaitlin W. 03:21
yeah, now it was more part time, but still it I was able to go to school and focus on my schoolwork, but then go to a client's house, take care of their dogs, do my homework. You know, it just, it was totally, totally worth it. I loved every minute of it when
Collin 03:40
you had that phrase in there, you learn to manage your schedule and your client schedule. And I think that touches on a big aspect of really what it means to be an independent business owner and to do this on our own right, because all of a sudden, right, we're the ones who have to set those deadlines, and we're the ones who have to know how much is too much, and know how to move things around like that's that really is a skill that we have to learn, and one that it took me way too long,
Kaitlin W. 04:11
too Absolutely. That was one of the biggest lessons managing my schedule and my time.
Collin 04:20
Well, I know like, well, Megan and I started at pet sitting. We were going to college as well, and we liked it for all the same reasons as you were mentioning. Of it was the flexibility. We could work our school around our school schedule. We was kind of the come and go kind of thing and really fit us well. And one of the aspects that I know that's like, we've struggled to reconnect with that is as we've gotten busier, it's felt more and more like that our time isn't our own anymore, because all of a sudden it became that business and it became this thing. Have you ever struggled with that kind of thing of feeling like the schedule and the freedom that you had in the beginning? You know you don't have that anymore.
Kaitlin W. 04:59
Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. But learning how to plan my days out and balancing my schedule with personal time while being able to meet the needs of my animals and you know, in each day would look different. But I found that if I got into a little routine of after I finish up my midday walks or drop in visits, a little bit of me time, a workout like I have to plan set aside, even if it's 20 minutes, you know, and that's really important to me, my strength, strength training. Because, for example, I had two large, Great Danes that was in a wedding not too long ago. And, you know, they're, they're huge, and I have to be able to manage them. And think about it, if they were to see a squirrel and take off running. That's me. I mean, the owners expect me to be able to handle it so and I think that I try to prioritize that even if it's just 20 minutes a day, little coffee breaks. I love my coffee. I call that my GO, GO juice. So it got to the point where it was kind of hard to say no to people, but easier in finding those little balances of me time.
Collin 06:32
Yeah, I think when we can start valuing that me time, all of a sudden it becomes really easy to say no to clients like I, for us, like we don't offer overnights anymore. It's something that you you still you offer, and I know a lot of people do. And for us, it just got to the point where, man, I craved being in my own bed watching my own, oh my god, TV. And like, being around my family and stuff. And all of a sudden was like, You, it became hard to justify, or to have a price that was like, to make it worth it for us. And we all find that in whatever service that is, whether whether it is long adventure hikes or whether it is poop scooping, or whether it is litter box clean out, or whatever, all of a sudden, when we find those things in our life where we go, No, I actually do like working out, and I feel like this is important, and this is good for me, we'll do a lot, and we should do a lot to protect that time when we have it,
Kaitlin W. 07:24
yes, just those small little windows, they add up each day they do. And so I try and really plan around that, even if it's just for a little bit
Collin 07:39
now that transition into full time for you, what was, what was that like? You're just coming out of, out of college, going into your business? How did you start marketing your business and start working to get your name
Kaitlin W. 07:50
out there? Well, social media, of course, you know, had a huge impact on it, which is when it's free marketing. So I really kind of dove hot and heavy into Instagram, Facebook, putting myself out there. But once I started establishing my full time clients, word of mouth spread like wildfire, and that that was a big majority of how I got my full time clients was they, they just recommend me and referred me to their friends, their neighbors, and so I didn't have to focus as much on social media. But even if we were out at a restaurant and I see a dog, I'm gonna go up and pet that dog, and I'm gonna give them my business cards and direct them to my social media. So there's, there's not a dog I don't meet.
Collin 08:54
No, that's, I mean, that's pretty bold. Kaitlin, I mean, people go out to people in public, a lot of people may hear that statement and, you know, their palms are already sweaty, you know, thinking about thinking about that, is that a skill that you just you've always had? Or did you have to work on that? Uh, over time? Oh,
Kaitlin W. 09:10
gosh. As a kid, I did that, my mom, like, literally had to sit me down. So, Kaitlin, we cannot just go up to people's dogs. They, you know, they're not our dogs. We So honestly, I've been doing that since, you know, I was little.
Collin 09:27
Well, it's such a great thing. We often wonder, ask ourselves, like, what's my opening line here? Right? Well, how do I start this conversation? And with pets, it's like, Oh, who is this, right? Like, get get them talking about their names, how long they've had them, you know, for their funniest story with them. What do they like? What are they not like? If you just ask questions about the dog, all of a sudden that conversation is so natural, and the people want to talk about their pets, and just becomes a really organic, nice moment where you have that, that stuff in common.
Kaitlin W. 09:56
Oh yeah. I mean, and that just kind of puts every. Audio ease. And whenever you strike up a conversation like that, you know, ask them questions like, hey, where do you guys live? What? What is the dog's name? You know, just so, you know, I'm a local pet sitter around town, if, if you need any help or dog walks, and yeah, that just gets the whole conversation going, and they're able to go look at my social media and see my work, my references, and I've just found that's that's actually one of my favorite ways to just really get to know somebody is just going up, petting the dog, getting to know them. And yeah, and
Collin 10:40
yeah, again, focusing on that commonality. And then at some point in the conversation, you do have to transition to, well, you know, actually, I, I'm a pet sitter, I'm a dog walker, and this is what I do. And if you ever need help, I'd love to, you know, do that. And here's some information, how to reach out. It doesn't have to be a big, long, drawn out thing. It's just a very simple statement of who you are, what you do, and how you can help, and then leaving it at that. And you know, that first impression of, yeah, that person was really nice, wow, you know, man, Kaitlin, she was amazing when she talked to us like that. That really makes people feel good. Because the problem that we have in business is, you know, we have something we want to offer, and then we have people on the other side of this big gap that that need us, and in the middle is this gap of, you know, it's trust of, we have to find some ways to bridge that gap, bridge that trust gap, and so we can meet in the middle, right, and start doing what we want, and then getting our services and having that kind of Personal Connection really makes that process a lot faster,
Kaitlin W. 11:42
most definitely, and it just puts them at ease, kind of almost like a feeling of safety and trust and like, you know, first impressions, like you said, that They they're very important, so,
Collin 12:01
because they allow us to judge too, because it's for us of going, is this a client that I want to work with as well? Right? So I get to that feeling, I mean, I've done meet and greets where I come in all like, let's go. Energy, I'm excited to be there. And, man, just within the first couple minutes, like, all that gets sucked out of the room. And it's just like, Oh, these people aren't excited to use our service. Have you ever felt that? Have you walked into a meet group before and been like, oh, never mind. This is this is not going to be a good fit.
Kaitlin W. 12:29
I have, luckily, that doesn't happen as often, but yeah, just really setting up that meet and greet and seeing them in their home environment, it can be a totally different experience. But then, depending on you know, what their expectations are and their needs it, I do have one example. There was one time I went out and met this very nice couple, but they had, like, four or five German Shepherds, but not all the German Shepherds got along with each other, so they all had to be separated in different rooms. And so I'm there thinking, okay, so I could potentially be in the middle of a German Shepherd fight. And then, then what? And then they weren't necessarily fond of me, bringing in my helper at that time and I and I told them, You know, I depend on my helper. I need their help. I'm not going to be able to do this without their help. And safety is kind of in concern. So I did. I ended up telling them. I don't think this is going to work out.
Collin 13:47
I never enjoy having to tell clients that, no, but I would rather I have to remind myself, like, look, would I rather have to have that conversation now or after there's been an incident. I'm, like, actually, just kidding, because I'm bandaging a wound right now or, like, it's better, always better to be more cautious in the beginning and slowly bringing people on and vetting them, because they have to be a good fit. They have to be a good fit for not just what we offer, but how we offer it. I mean, you mentioned, you know, having a helper in your business too, like that changes like a lot of the calculations is, as you build a team or grow your help, it means that you have to think differently about the kind of clients that was. That was something Megan and I had to work through. It was like when we brought on people, all of a sudden I was going, Okay, well, I could walk this dog, but could, could my employees, could they walk this dog and really starting to hone in on what it meant to be a dog that was a good fit for our company and kind of where we where we were in that, I mean, that was, that was least one of the, you know, mental things that we had to work through as we, as we grew and expanded, right?
Kaitlin W. 15:00
Right, yeah. And some dogs, you know, they don't walk well on a leash, and they're, they're large dogs, so whoever you bring on to help, they have to be able to handle that dog. And you know your clients, they trust if you trust your helper, you know your clients, they trust you, and your name is on the line. So yeah, it's, it's always good to kind of vet them out, see what we're dealing with, and just go from there.
Collin 15:29
Yeah, it just, it's a slow in, fast out process. We are slow to let clients in because we want to be careful with them, fast to let them go whenever things start to not look well. Same thing with our employees too, of slow letting them in, making sure we got this right. But if it's not working, gotta let them go quickly, because you don't want things to go sideways, because it can happen so fast, too,
Kaitlin W. 15:50
exactly, and then if you're hurt, that just puts you out of of, you know, walking other dogs, taking care of other clients. And that's just, you know, we don't, we don't get to really do that. So it is, you have to, you have to definitely be on guard.
Collin 16:12
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Susan M. 16:17
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Collin 16:33
If you're looking for new pet sitting software, give tying to pet a try. Listeners of our show will save 50% off your first three months by visiting titanfat.com/confessional so you you're running your business. When did you decide you needed help and to start growing or bringing on? You know, you're growing your your helpers in the in that case,
Kaitlin W. 16:55
oh gosh, I I started filling up my schedule whenever I started going full time, and those word of mouth references were just spreading like wildfire, I was booking almost a year in advance, and even from the get go. And so that's when I thought, you know, I've really got to bring somebody on which, you know, I've been bit in the butt or help is concerned. You definitely somebody comes in and they act the part, say all the right things, they've got great references, and then they don't show up, or they lie about being at a house that they're supposed to be at. And I'm still learning a little bit about that process, like, right now it's, I'm back to just being me as a solo pet sitter in my business. But you know, that is a goal of mine. I'm going to definitely get somebody in full time because, heck, more than one, because I'm booking so fast and I'm having to turn people away at this point.
Collin 18:08
You know, that is a point that a lot of times we reach. Because I was going to ask, yeah, do you is that something you're looking to do? It sounds like you are. You're in this mode of No. I want to say yes to people. I want to be able to serve people. And, you know, obviously with that, we have to acknowledge okay with that comes managing my people and working with them and training and going through all of that process and and that is definitely a different stage of running a business. Of all of a sudden, it's not just me managing my schedule, it's me managing my schedule and my team schedule and me managing other people and going, is that something I want to take on? Is that worth it to me? And oftentimes it is like you're going, yeah, that is what I need to do. It's what I want to do. And other people may go, No, I I don't want to deal with that at all. And I'd rather, you know, you know, be solid and have more control over what my time and what I do,
Kaitlin W. 19:03
yeah, but just being one person and constantly having to turn people turn clients away, you know, that's, that's, that's business, and I think it's definitely worth it to bring somebody on, as long as they are animal lovers. But you know, you can't just be an animal lover. You have to be responsible. You have to do what you say you're going to do. And it's not like we're out in the field, you know, doing manual labor, rocket science, you know it. It's just being an honest, reliable, dependable pet sitter, and not even not everybody can do that. I've learned it's a huge responsibility,
Collin 19:46
yeah, honest, reliable, dependable. I mean three things that are make or break for our business. You would never hire somebody if they were you would never like, I would not want a dog walker who wasn't all three of those, right? And so we have all the more burden on us. Best to not just find that person, but then prove that to our clients and potential clients that they are that person, and regain that trust for them. As we say, Hey, I'm building. I'm growing here. Here are some of my criteria. Here's how I'm bringing people on. Here's what I'm looking for. And I'm really excited to introduce them to people and you and knowing that it sounds so basic, but it sounds basic to us, because that was us, right? We were the reliable, dependable, you know, person that showed up all the time. That's how we grew our business. That's how we got into this. That's, that's just, that's yes, table stakes for us. It's like, Oh, of course, you're that way going well, we, we have to surface that in other people and see, like, how, how do I make this happen? When and what? Kind of what gets hard is going what kind of questions do I ask? What kind of screening process to open place to find these, these soft skills there? It's not just head knowledge. It's not just those are, you know, like you were saying, like, tactical skills, or, you know, encyclopedic memory and stuff. It's no this is a much more a holistic approach to finding a person then who's going to show up,
Kaitlin W. 21:04
yes and see whenever the pet sitter needs a pet sitter, I always kind of think about that like, Okay, what am I looking for? Because I want to go in and treat these pets like they're my own, and how I would expect my pets to be treated. And I try to instill that in in people that are working with me so and you never know how it's going to be until you put them out there. They can shadow me all day long. They can get all the training, but you never know how they're going to actually show up. And it has been a learning process for sure. I know
Collin 21:40
mentioned, one of the things that you mentioned is you know your reputations on the line in this instance. And I know one of your one of your reviews on your Facebook. Somebody had mentioned the most peace of mind you can buy right referring to your services. And I love this. I love this. It needs to go on a shirt. It needs to be on market like I just love this that somebody mentioned that about you, for you, for you, Kaitlin, what does it mean to give your clients
Kaitlin W. 22:04
peace of mind, relief, being able to travel, not have to worry about the safety and care sometimes halfway around the world, like right now, I've got a client in Germany. I'm taking care of his cats. And he, he tells me all the time he goes, Kaitlin, I would not be able to do this if it were not for you. You know he he's like, I don't leave them with just anybody. And that means so so much they get to go. They get to enjoy and relax knowing their animals are happy, healthy, safe and cared for in the comfort of their home, and it keeps their animals in their normal routine and environment, which you know, not only is comforting to their owners, but it's comforting to the animal. They're not in a strange place with weird animals and smells. They're in their own place, and I try to show that safety with pictures and videos. But it's not just the pictures and videos, you know, they most people have cameras, so they're watching you.
Collin 23:11
Yeah, you have to show. It's a show and tell, right? It's this, okay, I told you I'm going to be here at noon, or I told you I'm going to feed or I told you I'm going to give medications now. I have to show you that I did that. I have to show you the dog or cat eating. I have to show me scooping later. I have to show me giving the medications. I have to walk you through all of this stuff. And it can become a little like, I don't know, like, oh, well, can't they just can't, can I only do it one time? Is that enough? And the answer is, no. The hard part about our job is it's not a lot of in most cases, it's not the individual tasks that we do. The hard part what we do is consistently being excellent in every little thing, never missing a dosage and never missing a liter scoop and never missing all of these little details, the details really do make or break how a visit goes, and that is beholden on us to show them that we we do it when we're like, you know, we're cleaning a mess. It's like, here's the before mess, here's the after mess, right? Here's me throwing away the stuff outside and not in your your inside trash, because they don't know, right? How are they going to sure they may have cameras, but they're not going to unless they're actively watching them or recording them, which some do a lot, only go back and look if there's an issue. So it's like, let me get ahead of that. This is, this is part of the transparency that I'm giving you and letting you know what's going on.
Kaitlin W. 24:40
Yes, absolutely, you are stepping in as if they are there. So they have certain expectations, and you have to abide by them. And I know I can think of a specific example with cameras, so you. I was walking some dogs in the neighborhood one day, and all of a sudden I hear, and it was, this was really scary. Okay, I hear a car approach me, and this guy rolls down his window, and he has what looks like a newspaper bag full of dog poop. And he said, Does this belong to you? And I looked at him and held up my two poop bags and said, No, sir, I cleaned up what was what was mine? Well, he just didn't like that answer, and He scoffed and drove off and then put in the neighborhood Facebook page my picture and on his camera, and just blasting me and my Luckily, my clients, they were 100% behind me. They were asking me, Kaitlin, you know, what's up with this? And I told them. I said, Hey, there is evidence. Look on y'all camera. I I'm telling you, I clean up after them. I always do. I don't wear that fanny pack for nothing. And so they did. It's almost like I had to prove my innocence and my name in that Facebook group. And came out. It came out that he was kind of suffering from early onset signs of dementia, but which is really sad. But,
Collin 26:30
yeah, I mean, tip on that, right? Like for us, like we all, we always, we only use one color of poop bag, just like blanket, like we just do. We had the same thing. We had an apartment complex, not we didn't have what happened with you of being approached while walking, but we were accused of throwing our poop bags behind a dumpster instead of in it, and and all I asked was, what color the poop bags? And they were, like, purple. And I went, cool, we only use green. And there was a long silence, right? It's like, like, Yeah, I know it sounds like it's one of those weird things, but you do in a lot of cases, we have to,
27:09
we are,
Collin 27:13
we have to be prepared to have all of our ducks in a row to prove these things. Everything from we've had, you know, clients over the years, we've gone looks like you were only here for 10 minutes. So it looks like you're only here for 15 minutes, because my camera, you know, didn't blah, blah and, well, here's the software, here's the here's a timestamp of the first photo that we took, that of the dog as we came in, that shows we were here at 301. Which? So your camera saying that we left 15, you know, we didn't get backed into whatever. Like, you just have to be ready for them. Have everything lined out. And some cases, it feels bad, you know, Meg and I will sometimes say, like, is that? Is that? Do we have to do this? And you know, that's part of the professionalism of being able to say, not only do I tell you what I'm going to do, but I have ways of proving it to you, so that if something comes up,
Kaitlin W. 28:03
I'm ready to go, right? Yeah, and being communication is key, right? And sometimes you know things happen to where you get stuck in traffic and you're gonna be five or 10 minutes late, and that's where you know, you maybe stop and say, Hey, stuck in traffic, you know, just let them know what's going on, just to make sure that they aren't freaking out and have that peace of mind, like, okay, they're still on the way, because some do, some really watch their ring camera And,
Collin 28:41
yeah, you know you're going to get those clients where we book the service for three o'clock. It's 301, we're getting a phone call, right? Like, I didn't see anybody show up. Okay? But you're right, as proactive as we can be and helping educate people. Like, hey, look, here's our policy. I can't let you know if I'm only going to be a minute late, but I guarantee you, and here's our promise, if we're going to be more than five or more than 10, or more than 50, or whatever that is for you, we'll always let you know, and that way they then you have to prove that, and you have that kind of thing of like, okay, I know that I'm going to do this, and being proactive every time is one of the ways that builds that trust. It's like, it's like growing up, like you always wanted to be the one to go to your parents with the and ready to tell the story. You didn't want them to find out on their own time, right? You want them to come with you, to you with the thing you did wrong. You wanted to go to them and say, hey, just so you know, before anything comes up. Yes, I did damage the back car fender or whatever. Not, no, nobody did that. Maybe me, but it's like you have to, like, don't let them fight on their own. Just go ahead. It clears it up, and it helps the process so much more when you own up to those things, or whenever you get ahead of that during in your communication,
Kaitlin W. 29:58
right? And most. Of my clients. They're really good about working with me and knowing that I'm going to show up within a time window, if that makes sense, yeah. Or my mom, bless her heart, she is my number one backup. She's not a full time employee, but she knows most of my clients, and so I will send her. She She's somebody in my corner that I know I can rely on, and she will step up and and go in my place if needed, which that rarely happens, but she has had to do that.
Collin 30:30
Yeah, it's good to be able to have that. It's good to be able to have that. And that's where we as a business like that's part of that mindset, too. Of now, all of a sudden, it's not and this is what we've we've had to work on this. It's not me that has to be available. It's not me that's 100% available and doing everything, but my business is and so if I can think just one step larger than me, all of a sudden, a lot more opportunities open up, and I can be a lot more resilient as a business as opposed to as a person, and I think that's a really interesting distinction that we kind of have to walk and learn how to navigate between an alternate sometimes,
Kaitlin W. 31:12
yeah, and that's a goal, right? And I've learned give yourself grace when things like that arise, and like we talked about before, prioritizing little bits throughout your day to make sure that you're, you know, in line with yourself, but you're still able to give to your clients and Make sure that all of their needs are met and they trust you. So yeah, that's that's really important.
Collin 31:48
I meant to ask you, Caleb, what did you What did you go to to college for? What was your degree in
Kaitlin W. 31:55
psychology? So originally, I was going to work with injured athletes, because I have been there and come off of surgery and injury, and it's very mentally taxing, so that's what I was going to do.
Collin 32:10
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Kaitlin W. 32:50
Oh man, well, you know, dealing with people in itself, animals, yeah, it's overcoming issues and problems, right? So when, when things arise, you want to be able to work through it and have confidence in yourself and make sure that your clients are are confident in you and your capabilities. So I mean working with people and animals, I mean it kind of goes hand in hand in hand with psychology. I've even thought, you know, heck, I could, I could do, like dog psychology.
Collin 33:31
Well, a lot of that, too, I'm sure, is just, you know, having a trying to have an understanding of, you know, people's motivations and what's driving people, what's, what's, what's making them do certain things. And a lot of that's, you know, a lot of what we work with in our business is, well, there's a lot of fear, anxiety, there's a lot of nervousness, there's, you know, there may be some financial concerns coming up. And fear and money, right? Are two big motivating factors with people, and they reach out to us, and I have to go, okay, this person may be afraid to let a stranger into their home, and they may be worried about finances. So right off the bat, well, how does that change? Right? Like, how I'm talking to somebody and how I'm working with them?
Kaitlin W. 34:16
Well, you know, there's a lot of people that come to you that they've been lied to, they've been burnt with past pet sitters. So it's almost like you're having to overcome that and prove yourself and really reassure them, and just doing what you say you're going to do, that's just, that's one of my biggest things. If you say you're going to be there at that time, you're going to be there, that builds trust, right? So sometimes that's hard for people to overcome, but you just have to be patient. You do.
Collin 34:49
You have to be patient and realize like, hey, this might not be directed at me. This may be a previous bad experience, and they rightfully so. You. Are a little jaded, and they, rightfully so, are a little skeptical, but they're still trying, and so I may have to come in and overly share and overly assure and overly communicate and overly do this to get them back and helping to build that trust, heal that wound, effectively, is what that is. I mean, we've had people who have said, well, I need to leave to go see my sick parents. The last time I had to go, I hired somebody, and I was gone for a week, and they just came in. I have it on camera. They cut open a bag of cat food, dumped it on the kitchen floor, and didn't show up for the rest of the week. And it's like, wow. Like, okay. And you know, they're not accusing us of doing that that, but they're just letting us know. They're letting me know. Here's my previous experience. Basically, you got to prove yourself, and it's like, game on, okay, here's what we're going to do, here's what I can assure you, here's how you're going to know what's what we're doing. And it doesn't take but one or two times before all of a sudden. You know, they're, they're won over, and they really see, and you see this, this relief that you mentioned earlier. Kaitlin, of like, what does it mean to provide peace of mind, that relief, like that. You can literally see people's shoulders relax sometimes during meager and I it's just like, like, yes, embrace, embrace it. Do this,
Kaitlin W. 36:21
yes, and I don't see how people can just do that, but it happens. My conscience just I wouldn't be able to just show up and leave a cat like that. I don't see how people can do it, but they do it all the time. People come to me saying, This is what happened, or they'll cancel on them last minute, like the day of, and I'm like, Oh my gosh, I can't imagine just doing that to somebody. But my clients know, going in at the meet and greet, they know that, you know, I leave about mid morning, I have my daily routine, and I go and walk dogs and I let them out, but reassure them that I'm going to be back, let their dog out, play with them, walk them, whatever I need to do, and then be back in time for that overnight stay. And I also express that in my contract.
Collin 37:11
That helps, right? You're laying out those expectations. Here's what you're going to get from me, and then here's what you hold me accountable to. And also, on the flip side, here's my expectations of you, the client, right? Like that. How do you now have those conversations of, hey, this is a two way street here that we got to work together.
Kaitlin W. 37:31
Well, I just kind of nicely but firmly set that boundary, and if they express concerns, then that's just it's not gonna be a right fit for the both of us, you know. And that's whenever you have to say, you know, this, this is just not gonna work. Like whenever I was talking about the German Shepherds, they also didn't want me to be gone very long. And I'm like, well, that's a part of my job. I go and I walk dogs in the middle of the afternoon. So some people are very lenient and understanding, but some people want you there, almost 24/7
Collin 38:08
how do you how do you navigate that expectation? Because I do know that that is one that we've encountered way more than we had in previous years. So how when somebody contacts you and they want you there? 24/7 What's that conversation look like? Well, before
Kaitlin W. 38:23
the meet and greet, I always ask what their needs are, what are you expecting? And after we get that established, I can just tell right then and there. Okay, this is what I do. I'll just lay it out for them, and they know before even the meet and greet that that I'm gone during the afternoon, not very long, but I just get that out of the way up front so we're not wasting each other's time.
Collin 38:48
I love it. I know I I'm just, I'm smiling because I'm going, Yes, like you just have to say, Hey, I know you use the word pet sitting. Tell me what that means to you, or what have you done in the past, right? And just getting them to use some of that language allows you to go, Okay, well, you know, because usually what happens, I'll say, hey, I need a pet sitter. I'm leaving for a week. I'm like, Oh, great. Tell me what you'd like that to look like, or tell me what your expectations are. And if they say, well, previous years or previous times, you know, we just had somebody come over and they stayed at our house, and they can see you can sleep in our bed, and it's like, oh, okay, I see what you're asking for. Here's what we do and how we do it. And do you think that would work for you? And just gotta leave it up to them. I don't want to strong arm anybody. I just, and I need to be honest that, no, that's not what you get with us and and here's, here's what you can expect, though. And leave it up to them to see if that's a decision they want to move forward
Kaitlin W. 39:44
with, right? Yep, this is what you're going to get from me. This is what my service includes, kind of using that psychology on them a little bit in a nice, firm way, you know? But I'm able to put them at ease like I may not be here 24 Seven, but rest assured, your fur baby is going to be taken care of, and it just kind of puts everybody at ease, right? Well, I know
Collin 40:10
you've mentioned your services a little bit. I know Kaitlin, you offer wedding assistant. When did you How long have you been offering this? And how's that going for you?
Kaitlin W. 40:18
Honestly, that's been my most recent thing to add on, it's been about two or three years, maybe even four. But honestly, I came across a reel on Facebook where a girl offered that service, and I thought, we don't have anything like that in Chattanooga. I can do that. And so, you know, I, at first, I put myself out in like the Facebook Chattanooga wedding pages, and that's how people were able to find me. But now, I mean, it's going great, but I'm seeing a lot of out of towners now, more so than my locals, which is kind of strange, but hey, I'm here for it.
Collin 41:03
Oh my goodness. So do you I so many things, so you've got, I didn't even ever think to look into this to see if there were wedding specific local Facebook pages to our area, I mean, and so you're just posting in there. Hey, this service I offer. Or are you also partnering with with venues and wedding planners and things like that. Well, I
Kaitlin W. 41:24
haven't officially partnered with wedding venues, but I do know some vendors that have partnered with them, so they they know what I do, and they kind of network that for me, but a lot of times I don't even have to post in these Facebook pages. People are recommending me so that which is reassuring to me. In it, I know it's yeah, there's been, there's been more of a need for it. It's something that not everybody thinks about. But instead of having a family member, have to, you know, pick up the dog and be responsible for it. That's where I come in. I handle the whole of the whole thing. Nobody has to worry. I mean, that dog is my responsibility for that day, and it's just, it's just a beautiful thing to see the smiles on clients faces, to have their dog in their big
Collin 42:26
day. Yeah, yet another way you can provide that relief of, not only Hey, my dog's being cared for, my cat's being cared for, whatever is being cared for, but also they, they are part of here. They are part of my family. This is something that I want them to be a part of and, and I can make that. I can make that happen with a service like this and, and just letting them know that, yeah, this is an option. And I don't know, do you do you get people who are surprised that it is a thing, or the extent to that all that you
Kaitlin W. 42:56
do? Oh, yeah. And people all the time, they're like, I had no idea this was a thing, but it's a great idea. Yes, it's genius. Why have I not thought about this before? Now, you know, yeah,
Collin 43:10
so does that include, are you including pick up and drop off with that? Are you doing any pet care associated with the dog, or is it just transport to and from and at the event.
Kaitlin W. 43:21
So I offer transportation to and from. I offer ceremony assistance. Post ceremony assistance, I'll take the dog and kind of mingle with the guests so they're able to take pictures with the dog. I do offer photo assistance. So, yeah, you should see me out there trying to get the dog to look with all my squeaky toys. I mean, it's fun. I have a lot of fun doing it so and sometimes, you know, we get to eat good they'll, they'll feed
Collin 43:50
you. So I was just about to ask if that's kind of in your in your right, or in your contract of must provide meal, or if it's something else.
Kaitlin W. 43:59
I haven't added that to my contract. Most of them, they offer it anyway, but I'll have a couple of snacks that I bring, but maybe one day.
Collin 44:09
No, let's go. I love the service, and I love that it's something that you're doing and that people find value in, that it's one of those things of many times in pet sitting and dog walking, what we think about is this reoccurring revenue of like, okay, how do I get a client? What's the lifetime value of a client? How do I increase that, through add on services, or increasing my prices, or anything like that. Weddings are a one time thing for our clients, right? Especially if they're coming out of town. It's not exactly like you're going to be converting this wedding client into a reoccurring dog walking client, but it's a fantastic service, and it brings a lot of joy to people's lives. I think that's what I really love about the service, because it's really the heart it gets at the heart of what we do, of this is bringing joy and peace of mind and fun to our clients,
Kaitlin W. 44:58
their pet and us, too. Yeah. Yeah, and I've had a couple of clients where we started off as me helping with their wedding, and it turned into every week dog walks. So yeah, that's it's just kind of, what's the word evolved? Sure, yeah, yeah. Well, so
Collin 45:22
over years, over the years. Kaitlin, what do you what's been one of your biggest lessons in business or in, you know that you've had to, had to, had to learn,
Kaitlin W. 45:30
oh, man, so I would say time management, having to plan out my days and the logistics and balancing, you know that that personal time with the needs of animals, and adding in that drive time and traffic and not biting off more than I can chew.
Collin 45:58
Yep, I'm still, I'm still learning that one for sure, because, man, everything theoretically sounds really nice whenever you've gotten all these requests or you're planning it out, but then when you put pen to paper, or when you're looking at your actual schedule and calendar, all of a sudden it's like, oh, right, I can't just magically appear between houses and I have to drive. And oh, that's during rush hour, and oh, there's a game in town, or oh, there's something, or oh, it's bad weather. Man, that's going to put my schedule behind. And it's those little things where, when you pay attention and you kind of slow down again, keep that process slow and steady, reassuring yourself that you're making good decisions, but also vetting people carefully. It really helps pace that and make sure that you you're in a good groove, and you know yourself too. I think that's what's foundational to that of now you gotta know you you've got to know your limits and what you need to be successful.
Kaitlin W. 46:48
Yes, because it's so easy to get overwhelmed and burn out in this industry, as you know, and if, if traffic is anything like where you live here in Chattanooga, we've always got a road project going on. Okay? So you just never know when you're going to get stuck in traffic. And that's just, you know, we drive so much going to and from clients houses. And my clients are really good, like I said about knowing that window timeframe when I'm going to show up, and that's just communicating, you know, yeah,
Collin 47:21
we had a client who we were seeing a couple times a week, and they, man, they were paired rate with another client, and we were, you know, drive time between them was like five or seven minutes, and then they let us know, like, oh, by the way, this main road right here is getting closed off. And all of a sudden our drive time went from five or seven minutes to like 15 to 20 as we had to completely reroute all, like, course, of course, this isn't it. Well, we've just got to and then, and then it was beholden on Megan and I to, like, remember that when we got a booking? Because it was just so easy to say, Oh, yep, that's seven minutes between. Let's just blah, blah. Oh, wait, no, no, it's twice that. Now I got to slow down and make sure I can actually fit these, all these people together. And because it's that kind of thing, really, man, that sticks up on you fast. It really does,
Kaitlin W. 48:07
yeah, keeping that, that little wiggle room in between drives, it does.
Collin 48:12
It mean that little wiggle room in in drives and in life, that that can be so valuable, and because we used to book like, within them, down to the minute, in between things and like, oh well, we're going to cut this and we're going to, man, it's really super optimized. But optimize optimization works really well in a vacuum. It doesn't really work well in a in the real world. And so all of a sudden it was like, Oh, well, in the lab, this looked really good, but out in the field, this is not working very well, and we got to just give that wiggle room, get breathing room back for us, for our team, for our client, and all of a sudden, that just helped everything run a lot smoother. Because there was the anxiousness went away, the hustle went away, and we were able to just kind of enjoy the day a lot more.
Kaitlin W. 48:54
Yeah, and you don't want to be stressed out about that, having to meet a certain time down to the minute each and every day. Now that's taxing. You want to give yourself a little bit more, yeah? And animals, they can, they can pick up on that anxiety, you know, yeah, yeah.
Collin 49:11
Then we're bringing that in, that visit doesn't go well, and it just snowballs from there. And nobody's happy, right? Well, what are you really excited about coming up? Or what are you what are your plans in the next 510, years? Oh,
Kaitlin W. 49:27
man. So you know, obviously I'm not going to stay in clients homes all my life, as I do enjoy what I do, but I would like to hire someone on, or a couple of people to really take over my in home stays, and hopefully find a good bit of properly property build and have people come to me and board. That's something that I would really like to do in the future and expand my. Wedding services, you know, really get in good with those, those vendors, and just really take off on the weekends especially
Collin 50:09
well, that's exciting. I'm, I love that, and to know that it's like, you know, it's from something that started from high school, to know that it's, it's something, you know, full time, and now future plans and growing like your optimism there is really contagious, and I can tell obviously, it's something you're still really excited and passionate about. And Kaitlin, I'm really excited for being able to talk to you today about this, and you encouraging us to find that space in our days and to make sure that we're grounded and connected with the stuff that matters for those who want to follow along and see all the cool stuff that you're doing, how best can they
Kaitlin W. 50:46
do that? Thank you so much. I really love what I do, but so the best way is Instagram and Facebook. I'm at Kaitlin's pet sitting, so if they want to reach out, that's the easiest way cool.
Collin 51:03
Well, I will have links to both those places on the show notes and on our website so people can get in touch. And Kaitlin, I just really, really enjoyed our conversation and getting to hear about your story and stuff today. It's been an immense pleasure. And thank you. Thank you so much for coming on.
Kaitlin W. 51:19
I've certainly enjoyed it. Thank you so much, Collin, I
Collin 51:24
loved when Kaitlin said that it's not just about loving animals. You have to be honest, reliable and dependable. All three of those require hard work and intentionality on our part. They don't just come easily. You have to work and dedicate yourself to growing your business, to honing and refining your skills, to learning more and doing better by your business and by your clients. Love and passion get us started, and they fuel the hard work, but they themselves, alone are not enough. So what are you relying on today for your business? Is it just a passion and quote, love of animals, or is it something deeper that will truly see you through hard and tough times and have a business that you can be proud of? We want to thank today's sponsors, tiny to pet and our friends at the pet perennials also want to thank you so much for listening. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and we'll be back again soon. You.
