701: Leaving False Happiness Behind with Shaheen Riaz
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What happens when you realize your “stable” career isn’t actually making you happy? Shaheen Riaz spent 16 years in demanding administrative roles before finally choosing to follow her heart into professional dog care. In this episode, she shares the leap of faith that led her to launch Aunty Shan Dog Care in 2023, the mindset shifts that helped her go full-time, and how her background as a PA transformed her approach to client care. We discuss why clarity, communication, and compassion are at the heart of every great pet-sitting business — and how Shaheen’s story proves it’s never too late to start again.
Main topics:
Leaving a career for purpose
Building Aunty Shan Dog Care from scratch
Applying admin skills to pet care
Communicating with clients and rescue dogs
Overcoming fear and finding freedom
Main takeaway: “If you don’t try, you won’t know — and if you don’t try, you won’t grow.”
Shaheen Riaz’s story is proof that it’s never too late to build a life you love. After 16 years in a stressful corporate job, she walked away to start Aunty Shan Dog Care — and found joy, purpose, and peace in the process. In this week’s episode of Pet Sitter Confessional, she shares how she faced her fears, used her PA skills to elevate client care, and learned to define success on her own terms. Listen in for inspiration to take your next leap.
About our guest:
Shaheen Riaz is the owner and founder of Aunty Shan Dog Care in the UK. After 16 years in administrative and PA roles, she followed her lifelong passion for animals and launched her own dog-sitting business in 2023. Since then, she’s built a reputation for excellence and compassion — earning the 2025 Animal Star Award for Dog Sitter of the Year (Southern Region). Shaheen is deeply committed to rescue dogs and often volunteers with European animal shelters to raise awareness and support their work.
Links:
Website: www.auntyshandogcare.com
Instagram: @auntyshandogcare
Facebook: Aunty Shan Dog Care
Email: auntyshan@auntyshandogcare.com
Give us a call!(636) 364-8260
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest.
A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
Pet care, Auntie Shan's Dog Care, dog sitting, dog walking, career change, mental health, rescue dogs, client relationships, business growth, virtual assistant, pet care apps, website, bookings calendar, Animal Star Awards, family values.
SPEAKERS
Collin, Shaheen
Collin 00:02
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 Ty into Pet and Dogco. Today, we are super excited to have Shaheen, owner of Auntie Shan's Dog Care, on the show to talk about her journey into pet care, lessons that she's learned along the way, and how she stays consistent with the high quality of care to her clients and her professionalism. Shaheen, I'm really excited to have you on the show today, and dive into this. For those who aren't familiar with you, though, could you please tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you do?
Shaheen 00:36
Absolutely, so I'm Shaheen. It's been quite an interesting journey, because anyone like when I started this pet care business, everyone was like, my clients weren't surprised, because they were like, a gave me, you want to do it, like, you need to start your own business, but my family were like, huh, little bit like, what, what, you know, what, what's what, what were you doing, what now, but no, so I originally had a, I started off with a 16 year career in admin PA work, working for the National Health Service, for local councils, most recently the education sector. Prior to that I study business administration, executive PA diploma, I did medical terminology, legal secretary, so I, yeah, I really kind of just fell into, fell into admin, and then I got to, and then August 2023 I launched Auntie Shan's, it was Auntie Shan's dog sitting and walking initially, because as part of what I offered, it was walks as well as dog sitting, but then I later realized actually I want to focus on the whole package rather than doing walks at strange times of the day, you know, I decided it was just better to be dog sitting and walking rather than doing the two separate, so that's how Auntie Shan's dog care came into fruition, and I already knew I was the crazy dog lady, because any conversation with friends or anyone, like there's a dog anywhere, I will just stop. You could be talking to me about the most serious matter, and I'll just stop for a dog, like I'm just obsessed with dog dogs, and then I started on the pet care apps, not really thinking anything of it, just in my spare time, looking after dogs, having a wonderful time, etc. And then I visited a park cafe, actually, which was nearly opened at the time, and I had the most amazing experience. I think there was eight six or eight. There was a few resident pugs at the time. I had the most wonderful time just, just having pugs smother me and run around and jump in a ball pit, and just being the most wonderful preachers, and they were looking for volunteers, so I applied, and then I ended up volunteering there at the weekends when I wasn't working and doing all the other things I was doing, and then I worked for them on the weekends. It became, it was a volunteering opportunity, which became a paid opportunity, and I think that's where I really realized, actually, because when you have such a stressful job, there was like an imbalance at that point where I was doing something I really loved, I really enjoyed, and then I'll go back to my normal day job, and I've been absolutely miserable, because it was so stressful, like incredibly stressful, and I'm like, the imbalance just wasn't it, just it wasn't working out for me at all, and then, yeah, something significant happened with a dear family member of mine around August 2023 and it made me realize that life is too short, and we live in a world where you literally can be anything. It's not that I would like the old days of dial-up internet and yellow pages, which you know, I don't know what you had in America, but over here you would make a directory, and it was a paper, big paper directory booklet that we posted to households back in the olden days, whenever that was, and yeah, I wasn't, I wasn't fulfilled. In my well-paying job, where I was working 40 to 45 hours a week to get my 45 days off a year, yeah, just wasn't happy working for someone else. It was really draining, you know, waking up five, I think, was waking up 530 in the morning, leaving for work at night, 630 starting 730 and I just.. I just really.. I wasn't fulfilled at all. It was really draining, and it affected my mental health, as I wasn't able to fully take the time to deal with anything personal, if that makes sense. Yeah, and what was was the escape, and you should need to work to escape reality. And I wanted a life that I didn't need to escape from, if that made sense. All I was getting from that world job was false happiness, and the truth is, I been through a lot in my life, in childhood, in my teenage years, in early adulthood, I'm also a survivor of domestic abuse and violence, and for a long time, I never had the space or the safety to actually heal, I was always working, always pushing, always surviving doctors tried medication. I was referred to therapy, but nothing ever truly helped, because I never had the time or the head space to breathe or process anything, and it was only until I left my 16 year career and gave my life to dogs that everything changed, being with them every day made me realize I wasn't broken, I was just living the wrong life. And when I stepped into the right one, everything changed, and my whole world did a 360 Dogs teach you so much without saying a word, and they taught me patience, presence, trust, and how to feel safe again, and this is why I empathize so deeply with rescue dogs. No, dogs aren't children, but they absolutely feel fear, sadness, confusion, and trauma the same way, and there's something magical about looking after a dog who hasn't had an easy start, because I understand that feeling, and watching them slowly, trust me, open up and show love again. It's beautiful every single time. It feels like a blessing. And even with the dogs who aren't rescues, the anxious ones, the sensitive ones, the ones who need a little extra understanding, I'm grateful that I get to be part of their journey too. I'm grateful that I get to live a life with purpose now, where I can make a difference in those dogs' lives and their parents, this work healed me in ways nothing else ever did. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's this: your life can change the moment you decide you deserve a different one. Every dog I've cared for has taught me that healing is possible, even when you don't know where to begin. I survived so much, and I never imagined my healing would come from four paws and a wagging tail, but it did, and if my life can do a 360 yours can too. Dog showed me that even the most wounded hearts can find their way back to joy. And if you're listening to this, I hope you know your story isn't over. You're allowed to choose a life where you can breathe, grow, and feel safe, just like the dogs who..
Collin 08:23
that's, you know, that's a point that you reach. I mean, reaching that point of understanding that you had this 16 year long career, you had training in this thing, you had all of this stuff that you've been working and kind of been doing admin and more admin and this PA work, and like, you're that's where you were moving and grooving. I mean, what, what was that like personally to realize that you had just been living in a level of false happiness? Though
Shaheen 08:51
it's, it's really sad, actually, like you know that you kind of like you thought this was what you was meant to be doing, but you actually realize, but it was actually, it was actually quite freeing to finally realize this is what I'm meant to be doing, and that's why I felt how I felt within my 16 year career, if that makes sense. It was kind of like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Yeah,
Collin 09:29
yeah, there is kind of that, that I don't know, like this grieving process of, yeah, like not necessarily like, like old you, new you kind of thing, but an old vision and a new vision of, well, that's where I thought I was headed, and actually it wasn't what it was all panned out to be, and as you said, like in a day and age where you can be anything, you can do anything, there's so many more opportunities, it's easier to get in than ever to know, like I mean, so when you made that leap, August 2020 Three, I mean, that didn't.. I'm sure it didn't come without fears and anxieties shaking your head.
Shaheen 10:08
I mean, so I launched it part-time, August 2023 I thought the sensible thing would be to get clients and complete some courses to gain knowledge, so I did exactly that. I already had clients from the pet care who did on board onto my pet care business, but I needed more, and which is why by December 2023 I was able to launch full time care, because I think I enrolled by that point 15 or 20 tech clients, and because I managed to do that, that, that gave me the confidence to be that, okay, let's, let's do this, because I've got people relying on me now, I have bookings in it happened so quickly, like it was a lot of hard work, you know, every single minute, second, hour I had, I lived and rebuilding that business whilst working this incredibly stressful, crazy job, and a fun fact, Ofsted, which is the school inspectors over here in the UK, turned up a week before I left, and they were overdue by a good few years to turn up, so that was a nice present. Yeah, I was like, you've got to be kidding me. I've been, you know, for how long? They're meant to come like two, three years ago, they haven't come for seven years, and you come the week before I meant to leave. Like, thanks for the leaving present, but yeah, when you think things couldn't get more stressful, that happened. But I know it was fine, they passed, they got an outstanding rating, but yeah, that happened also, I I, I knew I still wanted to do the admin because dogs is my passion, and I had to think about bills and other expenses, things like that. Yeah, it was important that, yeah, so dogs is my passion, and then so now I'm actually, I guess, one of the biggest fears was figuring out the other part of what I was going to do to be able to make it work full time and in the long run, which was to get an admin role, so I became a virtual assistant, and the beauty of them is it's with the client that you have worked with 10 years ago and it's flexible, it really works alongside the dog care because they allow me to prioritize the dogs, it's not set hours, not set times, etc. it's when I can do it, which is amazing, but then I also needed to like find another VA client, so more than anything, I think more the fees and everything was with figuring out the other part of the income, because obviously you just started out, you can't be charging people when you're just starting out, you, there's some kind of compromise, so yeah, I didn't have no fears starting a dog dog care business. I think that was the right thing to do. I think the other part was, how am I going to pay my bills,
Collin 13:34
which is a legitimate fear, right? It's definitely one of those, and it, because it's a different mindset shift to go from, oh, I read like, because we did something very like similar, where was like, okay, I was working my nine to five job, and we had always kind of done that, and it was one thing from like I'm receiving a paycheck to I have to generate my paycheck, that was a mindset shift that I had to work through. On how does that actually work? How do I go about generating my income
Shaheen 14:10
exactly? So, yeah, I really put myself out there, work really hard. I eventually did get my second client, but it's really, it's really tricky. But honestly, if you've got, if you have a career behind you, and you're like, right, I really love dogs, and you want to set up your own pet care business, it's really, it is doable, it's possible, and It just might take some time getting there, because it wasn't until it took about a good thing. Then it took almost a year for that VA income to be enough to be like, okay, I can stop worrying and stop. Stressing now, because I guess when it's very different to dog care, don't care, you can showcase your skills, I don't know, videos and photos and things like that, and you get all these reviews, and you know, whereas when you're a virtual assistant, because it's me supporting another business and people are quite precious about their businesses, and it's quite scary to let someone support you on your business, no matter how much you need that business, you definitely need to prove your skill set a lot. It's much more difficult, if that makes sense. Yeah, yeah,
Collin 15:44
it's a bit more behind the scenes stuff
Shaheen 15:47
versus the
Collin 15:48
flashy, showy photos that you can post online. Have you heard of Tying to Pet? Chris Ann from Raining Cats and Dogs has this to say:
Speaker 1 15:56
Becoming a Time to Pet client has been a game changer for us. We can give our pet services clients real-time cloud-based information they never imagined they'd be interested in, and most importantly to me personally, I can better manage my company and look forward to more, and not a small thing, time to pet is responsive to my request for new features and modifications to existing ones
Collin 16:21
if you're looking for new pet sitting 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/confessional So, when you went long went full time in December with your dog business, how were you attracting those clients and onboarding those at that time? And has that changed since then?
Shaheen 16:43
Yeah, so I was doing a lot of advertising, so leaflets, business cards, going to like pet stores, you know, any pet-related company. The cafe I worked at previously also put out my leaflets on their shop floor, which I'm very thankful for. Thank you. Facebook groups, word of mouth as well, which was so important. So the people who onboarded from from those that were on the pet care apps were now recommending me on Facebook groups, which is amazing, and I'm so incredibly grateful to them, and just thinking of incentives that would get people to try before they fully invest, that's really important, like for your first sit you get, I don't know x amount and off because Eglin, I just first started out, and although I had some, you know, had some reviews, and I had people ordered from the pet care apps, etc. It's just building that community, that reputation, etc. and when you don't really have that, you need to, you need those incentives, I guess. How has it changed? I mean, I'm still pretty much doing the same things, and I am, I am probably getting more shout outs on Facebook, etc. That's a good question, really. I mean, I'm pretty much doing the same thing. I don't think I'm doing anything different, apart from my monthly newsletter, for example. I've got a fully functional bookings calendar on the website, so people can see when I'm available, and I think that helps as well. Having a website, which I launched in January, other than what is on your social media pin to your social media accounts, there's like so much you can say, isn't
Collin 19:03
it? There is. And then you know it's that the website is a, is a major component, and I know, like, it's pretty easy to push that off and be like, okay, I don't need one that's kind of old, let me just have a Facebook page. But really, a well done website is like, it works for you 24/7 and it's brilliant that you've got that, like, availability calendar, because I know it's a question, just we get a lot, get a lot of people who just call us and they're like, 'Hey, are you available these dates? And I'm like, 'I mean, yeah, okay, sure, like it's a weird.. I'm like, okay, like, oh yeah, I got to figure out, like, how do I communicate this, how do I talk about this, and just have to be like this is kind of the one place for truth, and that's not to say you can't post on social, and you can't, you know, put it in your newsletter, and these things, but like the more places that you can have it, the more likely it is that somebody's going to find it and learn about it instead of having to take up your time, you know, direct message or in a. Phone call, or whatever, like that
Shaheen 20:01
exactly, and also the calendar on the website was actually a godsend. I did actually have one before, which was like the Outlook one, but that's like stopped functioning. Yeah, there was like a link, an iCal link used to send, and now that doesn't work, so I had to put it on my website, because yeah, I was, I was getting texts, and there it's not really possible to be able to switch off, if that makes sense, because you don't know, yeah, you just don't know when someone's like, what's availability, maybe like half asleep, and like people message you, we're all kind of about, so it actually really helped up the cannon to be like my calendar, like make sure I advertised it and gave everyone a link via WhatsApp, and that all it just made things so much better. So, if you can have a calendar, have one, and you gain more time as well, actually, because you're not spending time answering everyone's question about why. Well, are you available? Why are you not available,
Collin 21:07
and I imagine like that kind of thing, of like clarity and purpose for things that sounds like something that's come from your admin background, like what? What other things have you brought in in how you run your business,
Shaheen 21:21
my background as a PA is really, really helped massively, and I noticed this when I'm on six with more than one dog who have different needs, and they have, like, I don't know, different ways of eating, like some like to eat here, some like to eat there, some like to be hand fed, some don't like to be hand fed, some like this at this time, some like that at that time, and it just helps to, like, you know, time management, knowing what a dog needs before, you know, they think they need it, for example, you know, attention to detail, you know having been able to understand certain situations of when thing arises and and knowing how to problem solve sometimes on the dot you know thinking one step ahead there's just so yeah, it's just so, and even like operationally, like the service mindset making parents' life easier, you know. I don't just turn up to a sit or overnight stay, so for example, if it's a day sit or even exit, I email a schedule, like this is the draft schedule, please amend as you see fit, if it's an overnight stay, it's a longer email, it's got the weather, it's got walking right, it's got the schedule, it's got, you know, I'm asking for updates, or if there was anything before that they need to update me on, like it's, it's really in depth, and then you've got on the day, which is obviously providing updates, etc. and then afterwards checking in and making sure they're okay, the parents okay, the dog's okay, and everything's if there's any feedback, etc. So I guess I have the mindset, like my brain tells me to do that, because of working as a PA. It helps me to kind of figure out what will, what will make, what will make parents happy, what will make them feel reassured, make them feel at ease, and make sure they have a lovely time away.
Collin 23:43
I absolutely like, I had to write all that down, because I love how you like, you send the pre, like, hey, you're traveling, here's what I expect to be doing, and then you're basically asking them, like, is this okay? Give me feedback on this, because one of the, one of the biggest issues that we run into, and the kind of service industry that we are in is unspoken expectations, and I'm sure in your line of work as a PA, like that was all you encountered every single day. People would say, hey, you know, could you take care of xyz, and they'd just be kind of like the hand-wavy on the details, and we're like, no, no, no, no, I need you to define what I need you to, and it's that that instinct of like filling in the gray areas, filling in the unknowns, that really is like, and once you have that information, then like you don't have to ask as much the next time, because it then it's like then the client really knows that they're seen, that they're heard that now all of those preferences and proclivities that they have, you've got saved for them, so the next time it's even more seamless, and it just becomes this very naturalistic relationship, and then on the follow up of the was everything to your satisfaction, I mean that that. Is a scary thing to ask, like, I gotta be real, like, there are some visits I know we've done over the years where I kind of walk out and I'm just like, I don't, okay, I don't know if I want feedback on that one. The only way we know it was like, the here are the expectations, let's define them, and then the did I meet them, and it's the only way that we can get better for next time,
Shaheen 25:24
exactly, and unlike being on the pet care wraps, where it's like, "Here's my dog, bye, you know, most of them were okay, but yeah, most of the dogs I look after now are rescue dogs, and there's complex needs, and there's very special things that I need to really take care of,
Collin 25:47
I mean, it seems like you know people say, "Hey, give the pill to my dog, right? Okay, we could say, "Great, okay, I'll give the pill to the dog, but then there's that little inkling of, like, well, how do I give the pill to the dog? How do you give the pill to the dog? Can you walk me through you giving the pill to the dog? Like, take notes on this, because it's like we've had it where years ago we didn't ask, show me how you give the pill. We would just say, great, I know how to pill the dog, awesome, and we'd be like, hey, I couldn't give a pill to the dog, he wouldn't take it, and they're like, oh, all you have to do is this, this thing, oh, I never would have thought that. Okay, great. It just, it makes everybody's life easier, but it's finding those ways to know, define this, define this, say more, say more. And it can feel sometimes like we're burdening or being burdensome, but the others, and on the back end, it's a, it could be a bad experience for everybody if we don't do that, so we've really got to steer the other direction.
Shaheen 26:46
Exactly, like most recently I had someone message me, they're like, "Can you walk my dog, etc. Oh, they're now wearing booties, and I was like, "What booty? She sent me a video, which was so helpful, and she so showed me how to put them on and stuff, because I'm sure it wouldn't have been like difficult, but I also asked, How is he about putting his booty on anything he will do? And she was like, actually, yes, he may run under the kitchen table, which is so helpful to know. And then she's like, but I stand over him like this, and I put it on like this, and nine times out of 10 it works, but it's good to know them things like just it just manages things so much better for yourself, because the worst thing is to go to a job and you're not told something, and it is what some pet parents don't realize it's quite stressful to be put into a situation where you're now dealing with something they haven't told you. They, I feel like I feel like people think, "Oh, you've been doing this full time for two years now, you must know everything, you must be a magician, you must be able to like do and do everything. Like, it's going to be fine. Like, my other dog sitters are fine with my dog, you're going to be fine. I don't think this is necessary. Yeah, but I just want to be sure that I've covered everything, so yeah, because the unknowns are just the worst, aren't they?
Collin 28:10
They are right. And how many times do we, we get in a situation where we're like, where the heck did this come from? We know we notify the client and they go, oh yeah, they do that sometimes, and it's like, I'm sorry, this would have been wonderful to know that you're like, oh great, adding to the notes, okay? And it just starts to become this thing of, we're just trying to find that boundary and find those gray areas and make sure that we're, we're crystal clear, because you know, we have, we talked about, like, I have to set both ourselves up for success and the pet up for success, because
Shaheen 28:47
exactly,
Collin 28:48
if I don't have all the information, not only can I not do be or be excellent, but they're going to be put in situations where they're uncomfortable, and it's really going to go south,
Shaheen 28:59
exactly, and key to make sure the dog feels safe, they feel happy, you know, their routines isn't disturbed, and everything is quite in align with what their parents do. Then it doesn't feel like, who is this stranger in my house doing all these things, and why is she blooming mess this up, you know, kind of if they could talk, honestly,
Collin 29:22
and now a word from our friends at Dogco Launch.
Michelle K. 29:25
If you're ready to take your pet care business to the next level, then I want you in the room at the Dogco Business Summit, october 2 through the fourth, in Winston Salem, North Carolina. We have brought together the very best speakers we could possibly find, and we are getting the best companies in the room to help give you the path to grow and scale your pet care business. Go to Dog Co summit.com to learn more.
Collin 29:51
Yeah, so you've got this, you've got this system set up to this, you said this three stage process and how you're getting information and things like that. What other kind of, I don't know, like. Values or philosophies do you have that shape how you work in your business, and kind of things that you do.
Shaheen 30:08
I 100% thrive on excellence in dog care. It isn't just about the dogs, it's about their parents too. As a business, I'm really big on family values, you know, these dogs and their parents are my family, and with that family bond, you can actually create magic, because not only am I choosing to deeply understand their pet, but also their parent who takes care of them, and that's especially incredibly important when you have a rescue dog who's, for example, got stranger, dangerous, and you're coming into their home, and they're like, "Whoa, who the fluff are you? Like, you know, one of one of my dogs. Everyone says she's my favorite. I think everyone will know who I'm talking about when I say this. She's not my thing. We're just.. it's just been a bit remarkable, remarkable journey, you know, she came to country from another, from Europe, you know, she really like lots of stranger danger with bark, she had to be on a lead when I first met her, etc. And now we're like literally like her best human ever. She absolutely adores and loves me, and it's the most wonderful thing ever. And it makes me quite emotional thinking about it, actually. I just, her journey has been so incredible. It's been so great to work with their parents, their trainer as well, who I've just learned so much from them. Yeah,
Collin 31:41
you mentioned, you know, working with the trainer, deeply understand the parent. Why is it so important to you to have that connection to the owner?
Shaheen 31:50
Client relationships are so important, and having open communication, because when you don't have that relationship, and if so, if you don't have a relationship, and if you don't have open communication, then it may be, it may make things a bit awkward, I guess, in a way, if that makes sense, because you know, as I said, I'm not just there to be like, hi dog, bye dog, you know, understanding why did they rescue this stuff, their values. What do they believe in? You know what matters to them. And then you, as a pet carer, can take that on. It's just great to have you know, I'm really into psychology and stuff, and I think you just need the whole picture. It takes a village, you know. Yeah,
Collin 32:49
I love that. You know, why? Why did they rescue this dog? What were their.. what are their expectations? What were.. what kind of life were they hoping to lead? Because then we can come alongside them and go, it's much easier to then to say, oh, I can help you with a and c and f over here, and I can refer you to the trainer for b and d, and and now we are all working together, and when problems do come up, we are grounded in the same foundation of why we're all here, and I think that really changes the kind of, like you said, the communication that you can have with somebody. When I know we have certainly have clients who, I mean, it'd be hard for me to go to them with a tough conversation, because we're just kind of like loosely on the same page, like they, but and then there are others where it's like I could come to them with anything, and they'd be like, yeah, let's talk, like, as long as it's in alignment, and that, that, that then gives us freedom, and so much more peace of mind, because I don't feel like I'm having to walk around on eggshells, I don't have
Shaheen 33:56
to
Collin 33:56
feel like I've got people who I'm like, like it's the most bizarre thing to be in business, and you have an antagonistic relationship with your client. It's like, what, why am I even doing this? Like, what is the point here? Like, you're not even happy that this is happening. I'm not happy that we're here. So, but it's, but you can find yourself in that, especially if you're, if you feel like you're desperate for clients, desperate for income, have to take on everybody, but when you have this, like, why do you have this dog? What's your history with this dog? What do you hope to come up, because then that means you get a lot of more value alignment with who you are,
Shaheen 34:31
and exactly
Collin 34:31
makes it so much easier to show up,
Shaheen 34:34
100% They literally hit the nail on the head.
Collin 34:38
Well, I was curious, when you launched, what was the market like? Where you launched, it's August 2023 you're launching this service, you're trying to grow your base. What was the rest of the pet care options like where you are?
Shaheen 34:54
Obviously, there's a competition with there's always going to be. Competition with people who offer it free in exchange for accommodation, which I, which is wild to me. Oh my goodness, the amount of like arguments I see on Facebook about pricing, and I just, I just can't in my right mind understand why you wouldn't, because to me people are like, oh, you're, you know, your pet is not your child, but you would look after him the same, almost the same way. It's no different. It's a living being. You wouldn't.. here's my, here's my baby, here's my house. Can you look after him for free? Like, why would you do that with your pet? You know, yeah. So, yeah, I mean, it's just, is this always going to be a thing, you've got people who want to have free pet care, or want, you know, pet care at a very small price, but then you've also got to wonder, like, what are you paying for? Like, what prompts you know? Because what are these people offering if they're not like valuing themselves, and you know, because there's more to it than looking after the animal, you know. As I said, there's planning work before, there's planning work afterwards, there's all the things in between as well.
Collin 36:26
Well, it is, I think it's just speaking to like there's always going to be other options out there, and and I know we definitely see it like it's just everywhere, and a, you know, I'm always thinking, hey, Who can I partner with, and who can I refer to whenever we can't or don't want to take something on? Like, okay, let me get my partners on, and then I also just have to realize that there's going to be a segment of my market that they're just going to be off doing their own thing, and I, I just kind of have to let that go, and because what happens is, is if I, I don't know if I focus too much on what other people are doing, I don't have the time to be putting in the focus and effort on my clients and the people who actually matter, and so it's kind of going, hey, I, it's not like a, oh, stay in your lane thing, it's a focus on what's important thing and who is important, clients are important, and making sure that that relationship is, is good, that's true, regardless of whether you quote, you think your market is saturated or not saturated, or if people are doing things for free, or for way too, you know, way more expensive than you are. It's, am I valuing my clients, and what kind of relationship do we have?
Shaheen 37:39
I, yeah, I just let it go over my head, really, because there is only one you, there's only one me, and it's your superpower,
Collin 37:48
yep,
Shaheen 37:49
whatever anyone else is offering for lesser than that, it is what it is, you know. So grateful to all of my pet parents who have on boarded there, all incredible people, I'm so grateful, and I'm kind of glad I'm not the person where any type of person, if that makes sense, would go to be like, yeah, I want your services, sort of thing. There's kind of like a blessing in disguise with that, if that makes
Collin 38:17
sense,
Shaheen 38:17
that you do get quality people who really care about their dogs ask for my service, because you understand deeply, you know how important it is to have someone like me who's dedicated, and you know, I do it. It's as I said, it's a passion of mine, you know, to it, to look after their pet.
Collin 38:48
Well, you were also awarded recently Dog Center of the Year for the Southern Reach, is that right? Right? What? How? What was that like getting that recognition?
Shaheen 38:59
Oh my goodness, so Animal Star Awards, May 2025 I was, yeah, I was. It's just, you know, I was, I was, and I'm so honored, honestly, because you know it provided clarity that I am doing something right. Because when you have your own business, you don't have a line manager, you are the boss. There is no one telling you what you're doing is right or wrong. You know, I do everything myself. I created my website from scratch with like zero web, like I did some web editing, etc. and administration in my previous role, but I'm like, no, like proper advanced skills in like web development or anything like that. I create everything that you see, content creation, the website bookings, planning, preparing for each thing. Everything is me, like I have no one telling me this is the right or wrong thing to do. So it was just so nice. Ice, it was just an icing on the cake. Okay, I'm heading in the right direction.
Collin 40:06
That's again, congratulations on that, because that's huge. Like, that is, that's fantastic. And to have, I love how you put that. You had clarity about that, because you're right. Like, we're running our businesses, I don't have anybody overhead. Like, sometimes I just have to think, okay, well, clients keep coming back, so I guess I'm doing something right, right? That means something if they keep giving me money for this, okay? But to have that broader recognition of no, here is somebody who's setting a high standard, and here's somebody who's doing, who is doing amazing things, it's like that kind of pat on the back is just, it's phenomenal to know all that hard work that you continue to do is like, right, this is meaningful and this has purpose in, I'm, I'm on the right path here,
Shaheen 40:54
exactly, that, yeah, definitely, I get a bit emotional just thinking, like, so I still can't, I still can't, I still can't believe it. Yeah, the little little me would be like, if you told me, I don't know, 10 years ago that would happen, like you gotta be having a laugh, like what you're talking about. It's just wild, it's been a wild, yeah. I'm so grateful. Honestly,
Collin 41:18
well, I know there are listeners who are sitting here listening to us have this conversation, and they may be struggling to, like, do something different, make a big change in their life. I mean, you've been there, you've done that. What advice would you give them?
Shaheen 41:33
I think just go for it. If you don't try, you won't know, and if you don't try, you won't grow. That's one key piece of advice, you know, life is too short to procrastinate. You only have one life, so make it the best life you could ever live. And rather than focusing on what could go wrong, focus on what could go right. How, how could this thing you dream of doing, or want to do, change your life for the better and weigh that up against what you're currently doing, and the chances are this thing you're putting off doing will is far better than what you are currently doing, if that makes sense.
Collin 42:18
Yeah, it is, and especially when you have like that, that idea of I don't know, like we got to a point where we just, we just kind of thought, why don't we just try this, like why don't we just, what's like, what's the worst that could happen, and we still, I still have those thoughts of like, well, if this ends up not working, working out, or whatever, like, I can always just like go find something else, and that's not like a, oh, we'll just might as well try it, but there's a lot I think, I think ultimately there's a whole lot less risk than we originally think about it, if we really think about, well, I could, I'm working a nine to five, I could just lose that tomorrow like that's there's no real guarantee there, and and just going well, if this is a passion of the situation I want to go in. Why don't I just try it? Why don't you just see what happens here?
Shaheen 43:12
Yeah, yeah, everything starts from an idea, and it made it's because a lot of people, as well, which is a lot of people, spend their entire life figuring out what they want to do and never come to that realization because they procrastinate or they push it to one side or they think it's a wild idea, but if you think about how many people out there had a wild idea and it worked out for them. Yeah, I think you just need to focus on the positives, do lots of research, encourage yourself, look at the look at all the famous people that tried something at 4050, years old, and now they're like successful, for example. Do you know, I mean, like, you're never, you're never too young or too old to try anything new, and it could be the best thing you've ever done, and you'll thank yourself for it.
Collin 44:11
Yeah, you, you started because you had a period where you had an incident with the family, right? You went through this tough time, and you realized life was too, how is that now on this side, being connected with those bigger things, and how you use your time, and how you have that, you know, relationship with others. What's what's that like now?
Shaheen 44:34
Yeah, exactly. So it's actually strengthened my bond with my mom. Yeah, she loves animals, but I've never seen or heard her laugh so much. Like, we bond over the dogs I look after. I'll be on a video call, and this dog's doing something crazy on its back, gorillin its teeth, smiling, or just having a zoomies or something like that. It's, it's, it's been absolutely, it's so. Beautiful, but yeah, it's.. it's strengthened my relationship with my mum, which I'm really thankful for, and it's also like, you know, although it.. you know, you wake up every day, and what happens in that day, or you know what you got scheduled that day, it's, it's your choice, it's your decision, it's not someone else deciding that for you, and that's really valuable. Yeah,
Collin 45:33
yeah, I mean, How do you.. it is, it is to be able to go, I have choices, and I think that's just very empowering, and it's also like, because there are sometimes where we feel like our hand is forced, of like, well, I, I can't do that, because I have to do this other thing, and I've really had to watch my language around the have tos, like, do you, do you like, like, do you really have to do the thing, there's no, and that's that allows you to like you said, go, and it's, it's a constant reminder to me of why on earth did I start this journey in the, in the first place. For us, it was personally, it was so that we could spend more time together as a family, and you know, in with our kids, and do that family stuff. Does my decisions in my business align with more of that, or is it taking me further and further away, and that's the constant tug and pull of running your own business, and dog walking, and pet sitting, and the pet care of it never stops, right? That's the other thing, it's always there, there's always somebody who needs you. So we have those seasons of, okay, well, I need to go this way, and one more, a couple more directions, but I always need to make sure that I'm moving more and more towards the thing that I want, and why I started this, because if I look up in five years and I have less time with my family and less connection with my dad and my brothers and my kids and my wife, like that's bad, I might as well have just stayed where I was in the first place, and really maintaining those boundaries is really important,
Shaheen 47:02
so important, and it's so.. it's.. it can be really tricky, especially like explaining to like family members or friends, and like I'm not like they're like, 'Are you available next weekend? I'm like, 'No, like, you know, my priorities kind of change, but I can prioritize you. You just need to give me some notice, you know. So that's been a bit tricky, but overall, all in all, is yeah, it's just been a wonderful thing, to be honest with you,
Collin 47:40
Shaheen. I want to thank you for coming on the show today and sharing your story, encouraging us to find those things that we're passionate about and not waste time and false happiness. I have some notes that I need to review into this, and you've really got me thinking about a lot of things as well. So, for those who want to get connected with you, follow along or can you continue with this conversation? How best can they do that?
Shaheen 48:04
I'm on Instagram and Facebook, mostly Instagram is Mumbai's social media page, which is Auntie Shan's Dog Care. You can email me at Auntie Shan at Auntie Shan's Dog care.com You can also WhatsApp me, click the button on my availability page at Auntie shans.care.com that's a u t y shands.care.com
Collin 48:29
Okay, well, I will have those links in the show notes and on the website for people to get connected with you. Shaheen, this has just been an absolute immense pleasure. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Shaheen 48:40
You're welcome. Thank you so much.
Collin 48:42
My favorite part of my conversation was when Shaheen said, "If you don't try, you won't know, and if you don't try, you won't grow. Proof that it really is never too late to build a life that you love, no matter where you're coming from or what your background is, you can start today. You can walk away from what you thought was making you happy, the direction you thought you needed to go, or wanted to go. Face your fears, use the skills that you have, and then elevate where you are headed. Build that life and build that business that helps you get there and make sure that you are defining success on your own terms. We want to thank today's sponsors, Tyne to Pet, and our friends with Dogcolaunch for making this show possible. And we really want to thank you so much for listening. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, and we'll be back again soon. Bye.
