Kelly Hayes-Raitt was expecting an extensive travel period over the next several months, but then Covid-19 happened. Stuck in London, on this episode she shares her experience of travel restrictions, quarantines, and her take on what’s happening.
034 - Kristin Morrison
Kristin Morrison joins us this week! She shares her experience managing employees, dealing with burn out, and what it was like selling her business.
033- Kitchen Confessions
With the pet industry changing at such a rapid rate, we’re trying something new. We will be releasing shorter conversations that we usually have while sitting in our kitchen. Don’t worry, the longer Wednesday episodes will still be there, with more interviews from pet sitters around the globe. Dubbed “Kitchen Confessions”, these shorter shows will be our take on the latest Covid-19 news and the impact it has on the pet care industry. All of this in an effort to stay more connected with you during this stressful time, and work with you to figure this all out as we go.
032 - Opportunities and Resiliency
A LOT has happened since last week. On this episode we cover some of the opportunities out there in pet care, the importance of community in times like these, and what being a resilient pet care provider looks like.
031 - Heather Scott
On this weeks episode we talk with Heather Scott, owner of Heather’s Pet Care LLC about taking her business from a side hustle to a full time business. She also talks about some lessons she’s learned along the way with employees and how she keeps her clients coming back year after year.
030 - Professional Pet Sitters Week 2020
On this weeks episode, we talk through several key aspects about life as a professional pet sitter, and areas we can all strive to work on. We know you’re hard at work, and you know that, so thank you for continuing to be awesome!
029 - Dan's Dog Walking and Pet Sitting
Dan, owner of Dan’s Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, joins us this week to talk about how he got started, when he hired his first employee, and what makes a good culture in business. Dan shares how he struggled in hiring and what he looks for in potential employees. He also discusses how he strives to set his business and employees apart from others.
028 - Streamlining Your Business
We discuss some business basics everyone should have in place as a pet care professional. We then dive into some of the major areas to focus on when streamlining and making your processes more efficient. From intaking new clients, to paying your bills, there always seems like there are things to improve on. However, at the end of the day, focusing too much on wringing out every last drop of efficiency can actually make you less efficient! So remember that you know the work that has to get done and trust those around you.
027- Fostering Relationships
Relationships! Kelly joins us again to talk all about building, maintaining, and starting relationships with travel sitting. Whether you're flying around the world, or driving across town, we all need healthy relationships in our lives.
026- 2020 Conferences
Have you thought about attending a pet care conference this year? Or maybe you don't even know where to begin. On this week's bonus episode, we bring on the CEOs and organizers from three of the largest conferences taking place this year. We can't wait for you to hear from them and what they have in store.
025- Cathy's Critter Care
Cathy joins us to tell us about her story getting into pet sitting and what she’s learned over 20 years in the business! From some of the biggest changes and opportunities she’s seen, to a great discussion about how to avoid burnout and deal with those not so great days, Cathy’s a wonderful resource and such an encouragement to talk to. Love pets AND people!
024- Pet Photography with Jenna Regan-Lyles
Who knew photography would play such a huge role in pet care? If you're like us, you have thousands of photos, of other people’s pets in your photo library. Jenna Regan-Lyles joins us this week to help us up our photo game. Whether you have a DSLR or the camera on your phone, we can all learn to take better photos!
023- Q and A Episode
On the podcast today we answer some listener questions regarding our favorite gear, how to handle pet aggression, and what our plans are for the future.
022- Taxes with Mike
Taxes can be a major headache, but they dont have to be! Listen in as the founder of JETRO and Associates discusses simple steps you can take to make tax time a LOT easier.
021- First booking! Now what?
You’ve started, marketed, and booked your first client. Now what do you do? On this weeks episode we share some experiences in preparing for your first client, and then discuss what qualities make an amazing pet sitter.
020- New Starts with the House Sit Diva
Is international pet and house sitting right for you? The House Sit Diva joins us this week to discuss a topic that she literally wrote the book on!
019- Setting Goals for 2020
Join us this week as we talk about our 2019 goals, and our goals going into 2020. We share some goals of other sitters and some general tips on how to go about setting and, more importantly, achieving them. We also share some updates about the podcast.
018- Bad to the Bone
We are very excited to have Doug, owner of Bad to the Bone Pet Care, on this week. Doug tells us his story of growing and expanding his business and what sets his team apart from others.
017- Sitter Safety
How do you make sure you and your clients stay safe while in your care? From reflective clothing to dog fights, we talk about some best practices for staying safe!
016- Connections with Kelly
What are ways to meet new people and interact with the community while housesitting?
Housesits are usually not in touristy areas (yay!), but that can make them a bit more isolating, as you're not among other travelers -- plus you have the pet-caring and house-caring responsibilities. Kelly gives us some great tips for making the most out of our stays!