159: Hospitality in Pet Care with Kimberly Richmond
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Summary:
After years in hospitality and running a high end wedding service company, Kimberly Richmond knew it was time to follow her passion and dive into pet care. Starting Posh Pets in the middle of a global pandemic wasn’t easy, but the fundamentals of meetings others needs didn’t change. Kimberly shares how she brings high end service to her company. She discusses how to be great at public relations, how to be a cheerleader for ourselves, and what it means to be a boutique pet service company.
Topics on this episode:
What does boutique pet care mean?
Hospitality in business
Role of public relations
Get connected to a cause
Main take away? Public relations is about standing up for your business and being your own cheerleader.
About our guest:
Posh Pets is a female owned, full service, upscale pet-care company located in Falls Church, Virginia. Founded by a lifelong animal lover, Posh Pets only hires trusted walkers and sitters who are dedicated to treating your four-legged family members with the same TLC they use on their own pets.
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
pet, people, service, working, luxury, wedding, client, dog, partnering, hospitality, business, company, world, pet sitters, scout, posh, day, care, mentioned, thought
SPEAKERS
Collin, Kimberly
Collin 00:17
Hi, I'm Meghan. I'm Collin. And this is Pet Sitter Confessional,
00:21
and open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter,
Collin 00:25
brought to you by time to pet and pet perennials. What does the word hospitality bring to mind? And how do we take concepts from the hospitality industry and apply it to the pet care industry? How does that change our views of customer service and public relations and meeting people's needs, and how we shape our service packages. Kimberly Richmond spent many years in the hospitality industry serving as specialized weddings in far flung venues across the world. She talks today about how she brings her signature hospitality to the pet care, and what it means to be better at public relations. And why it was so important for her to be connected with a cause and her community. Let's get started.
Kimberly 01:11
Hey, Colin. Yeah, thank you so much for having me on. Very excited to be speaking with you this morning. So as you mentioned, my name is Kimberly Richmond, and I live in Falls Church, Virginia. So we're about 15 minutes outside of DC. And I am the founder of a very, very recently launched business posh pets. And we are a boutique dog walking and pet service company, servicing pockets of Northern Virginia.
Collin 01:38
So you mentioned really, really kind of young in new business. Why did you start a pet care company in the middle of a global pandemic?
Kimberly 01:46
That is a great question. And I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that are questioning my sanity on that one. And to be honest, it's been a really interesting road that's kind of led me you know where I am today. Just kind of a quick snapshot at my background. So I was born and raised in Mexico City. I lived there till I was 18. My dad's Mexican, my mom is American. And I moved up to the US to go to college, I went to UMass Amherst, and majored in hospitality. My mom's a travel writer. So from a very young age, you know, I was fortunate enough that she would take my sister and I on trips around the world, and I kind of got to see the behind the scenes of the hotel world. And that's kind of what led me to fall in love with it. And, you know, I knew that something that I wanted to do. So when I graduated from college, I started a career with Hyatt Hotels, I was with them for 10 years, I did sales and marketing. And I represented their luxury properties all over the world. And basically, what I was doing is I would promote these properties to corporations associations, to kind of, you know, convince them to come have their meetings or their events at the properties. And then once they would book, I kind of turn it over to the convention services team. And they're the ones who sort of executed the events. And I sort of found myself wanting to stay involved. Like I didn't want to turn it over. I wanted to continue, like executing the events. And sort of right around this time, you know that I was having this realization, I was living in Boston at the time, and I was engaged. And I was planning on having a destination wedding in Mexico because of course born and raised. And I just I wanted to get married down there and knew nothing about wedding planning. So I hired a wedding planner, because I thought, you know if that's the right thing to do. And pretty immediately, I realized that, you know, the wedding planner I hired was kind of a nightmare, and it was a disaster. So I fired her. And I continued the planning of the wedding, and I really enjoyed it. And so that was sort of you know, that that desire that I had to plan events, I sort of realized that there was a niche market there, you know, being that I'm bilingual and bicultural, living in the US, but planning a wedding abroad, I thought I feel like there's really a need for this. Um, I fired the fiance too. Unfortunately, the wedding never came to be but you know, a business idea was born. And I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, my grandfather, my father, my uncle's, just on both sides of the family. So I decided, you know what, I think that there's an opportunity here. I think this is a business that I can start and really do something with. So in 2011, I quit my day job, as they say, and I launched a destination wedding planning company called Runaway Bride kind of a play on words there. And we cater to the very, you know, the luxury market, planned weddings all over the world. And it was a really great experience. And I'm honestly humbled by the success, you know, that we saw early on and we were working in destinations like Lake Como like, you know, Ireland, South America, Mexico. I mean, you name it and we were booking weddings there and You know, while it sounds very glamorous to be traveling and staying at some of the top properties in the world and planning all these elaborate weddings it after a few years, it was exhausting. You know, I got burnt out on the travel and the flight delays and the bride's villas, and I really, you know, missed being away from my friends and family, including my four legged family members, I had two cats at the time, and they were getting older, and I was just finding myself like more stressed out with a job than anything else. And, you know, kind of got to a point where it wasn't fun anymore. So I made the decision, it was like late 2018, early 2019, that, you know, is going to put the company up for sale. And I wanted to find the perfect partner, you know, person to take over, I didn't just, you know, want to sell it to anyone, so I was taking my time. And while I was doing that, you know, I wanted to do something kind of on the side, here at home, make some money, you know, just kind of doing one ad and I was looking through indeed, one day, and I saw an ad to be a dog walker. And I was like, Oh my god, like I love animals, I've had pets my whole entire life. This is something that I can get paid to do. So I applied and I got the job. And I started out as a dog walker, you know, slash pet sitter for a local company here in Falls Church, and the owner and I became really great friends. And you know, she asked me to do some management stuff. So I was, you know, in addition to the pet care, I was doing marketing and sales and social media, and we just really clicked and so I would say about two months into it. And she asked us if I wanted to become a business partner. And we were in serious conversations about partnering. And I said, as soon as my business sells, like, definitely, let's do it. So we had, you know, spoken to attorneys, we had kind of done all the paperwork, and we were just waiting for my company to sell. So February 17 of this year, the company sold signed on the dotted line, like everything was moving, you know, in a great path for us to partner together. And then two weeks later, the worlds kind of shut down the pandemic kit, and we just kind of like frozen our tracks and decided that, you know, it wasn't the best time for either of us to try to go into business together, because of course, no one knew what was going to happen, you know, businesses were being affected left and right, especially the pet care business. So we kind of kept the status quo. And, you know, I continued working for her for the next several months, both sort of running the company and helping with a pet care component of it. And I thought I could be happy with the status quo, you know, in from, like a security angle, and what would have been smart, probably would have been smart just to you know, keep the job. But again, you know, coming from that long line of entrepreneurs, I really just couldn't kind of quiet that itch or that desire to start my own company. I was fully aware the business was down, you know, I saw the number of dog walks drop and pet sittings drop, and I realized that it was gonna be a long ramp up period that was very honest and transparent with her. And I said, this is what I'm going to do. And she was like, Are you sure? I think she's one of the people that thought was completely crazy. And I said, I think I'm sure you know, when I was kind of looking at the the downtime as an opportunity. Having started a business before, I know that it takes a while, you know, to get up and running. And I needed to do the market research and write my business plan and sort of get all my ducks in a row. So yeah, I left her and I started the company about three months ago. I mean, we really just launched our website at the beginning of September. And I'm a firm believer in sort of visualizing what you want and you know, being able to make anything happen and I knew I had done it with Runaway Bride I left a six figure job and a corner office in Manhattan to do it and I know what I did with it. So I was confident you know that I'd be able to do that again with with posh pets.
Collin 08:53
I love that story so much. I love it. I love it.
08:57
Because
Kimberly 08:59
interesting background, but
Collin 09:02
it is and I definitely I want to dive into how your background in things like marketing and public relations has played into how you have set up your business because I think that's a really unique angle and has been a strength that that many pet business owners don't have. But I did want to back up and you mentioned some some really important cats that you had in your life and the role that they had on your life and kind of how you've how this has all played out. So I'd love for you to tell us about them.
Kimberly 09:34
Absolutely. So right out of college I was 23 years old and I was living in New Orleans and I ended up rescuing two black cats. They were about 13 weeks old and they had been abandoned at a Coast Guard Base so took them in bottle fed them you know just they were my babies. I'm scouting chase brother sister. Chase sadly passed away almost two years ago at the tender age of 17 and a half, and scout is going strong. She's 19 and a half. And I dare say she's living her best life right now. I mean, she's thriving in what I call her her golden years. And she really almost want to say she's the inspiration for posh pets in a way. I mean, she, she is spoiled and pampered I don't have any, you know, human children. So she is my baby. She has her own bedroom in our house, which I know sounds kind of crazy, but it's true. A couple of years ago, we renovated one of our bedrooms and turned it into a guest bedroom and scout just kind of claimed it as her own, which I thought was kind of cute. And I mean, this is her bedroom. So it's got you know, a twin size bed. I have some sharper line steps that go up to the bed because she's too old. She can't jump up there anymore. I am crazy person and I play Chopin, you know, for her during the day, and I put candles on for her and bring her meals up to her bed. My fiance thinks I'm completely insane. But I really do think that that's what's keeping her going. I mean, she is definitely spoiled and pampered and you know, I feel like she's 19 and a half. She deserves it. She's earned it and yeah, wouldn't have it any other way.
Collin 11:15
Yeah, you know, it does sound a little crazy to think that a cat has her own bedroom, but it's like she's 19 and a half, she can get her own bedroom. Come on.
Kimberly 11:24
That's kind of what I'm like, you know what, she's when I'm her age and human years, I want somebody to take care of me. As much as I'm taking care of her. So yeah, why not?
Collin 11:33
I want firstline steps up into my bed. But
Kimberly 11:37
the question I get from, from my mom and my fiance, are you going to take this good care of us when we're at that age? Yeah, we've created a monster. But
11:46
question.
Collin 11:50
I hear how you're taking care of a scout. And I'm thinking back to your background in in luxury care and even how you describe your company, your pet sitting company as as boutique. So what is being a boutique pet care company mean to you?
Kimberly 12:06
That's a great question. Um, and so to me, when I hear the word boutique, I think small, I think luxury, I sort of think customized and tailored. And that's really what posh pets is. So, you know, there are so many wonderful pet care companies out there. And you know, one of the beautiful things is that everybody, you know, every business owner has the opportunity to kind of find their niche and, you know, kind of come up with their unique characteristics. And in terms of, you know, posh pets being boutique, we don't have packages, per se, I mean, we really try to customize all of our services, to tailor them to what the client is looking for, you know, some people may have seen your pets that need, you know, specific services and whatnot. And other people I know, one of the positives that came out of COVID is the number of people that adopted pets and puppies and whatnot. So, you know, puppies needs socialization, so we have special sort of packages for that. So really just tailoring our services to to each specific pet and their owner and kind of going above and beyond, you know, kind of taking a page out of what I've learned in the world of hospitality, both through Hyatt and then through Runaway Bride working with these high end properties and kind of offering that luxury VIP service that these hotels offer their guests, to our to our pets to our to our four legged customers, if that makes sense.
Collin 13:32
It does. Because, you know, luxury can be communicated in a lot of different ways. And so I you know, it can be it can be communicated in the kind of services that you provide, and the pricing and the atmosphere that you have when you're around people. So how do you feel like you bring that luxury element to your clients?
Kimberly 13:50
Definitely. So, you know, we don't offer we don't just do dog locks per se. I mean, basically a dog walk with posh pets on a hot summer day, your dog is going to get a chilled water break halfway through the walk. You know, if we're doing a pet sitting and we're checking in on your cat, and you have an anxious pet we're gonna play music for that pet so kind of going above and beyond and an offering those I guess added touches and special amenities you know, special thing use for our for our clients, gifts on special occasions for the pet like their birthdays, or you know, their anniversary date. We're also looking to we're in the stages right now of partnering with other local businesses such as like pet wellness centers and groomers and you know, doggy bakeries just again, to kind of offer that additional enhancement or you know, additional amenity that you may not get from every pet sitting company. Like I said it, you know, it's not for everybody and just like there's a certain wedding planner for certain brides. So that's sort of the market that we're catering to a little just kind of taking it a step further.
Collin 15:00
Looking around you and going, Okay, what other what value can I bring not necessarily as a as an additional add on service, because to me like the luxury part of that is like, it's all taken care of every aspect is is under control. And you know, like this is just what you get ours, it's not an add on. It's just the service that we
Kimberly 15:18
absolutely. And I think you hit the nail on the head like, it's kind of you get it all, you know, we offer a pet taxi, we want us to take your pet to the vet, we'll do that or to the groomer, or we'll bring the pet food to you or Exactly. So it's not an add on. It's sort of like this is what you're getting with Runaway Bride. It's the whole sort of the big picture.
Collin 15:40
Have you heard about time to pet Dan from NYC pooch as this to say
15:44
time to bet has been a total game changer for us. It's helped us streamline many aspects of our operations from scheduling and communication to billing and customer management. We actually tested other PET scanning software's in the past with these other solutions were clunky and riddled with problems. Everything in time to pet has been so well thought out. It's intuitive feature rich, and it's always improving.
Collin 16:05
If you are looking for new pet sitting software for your business, give time to pet a try. As a listener of pet sitter confessional, you'll get 50% off your first three months when you sign up at time to pet.com slash confessional. Now starting up in 2020, many of us who had existing businesses really struggled to pivot and find new ways of marketing. And so as somebody who started up in the middle of that, how did you go about marketing your services marketing this luxury to people in a time where starting a business like this was is maybe off putting to most people? No,
Kimberly 16:45
that's a good question. And you know, full disclosure, I think that's been one of the most challenging parts of starting up this business, a in the middle of pandemic B, you know, being a brand new business, I mean, my firsthand sort of owning or running your company, it's very much a word of mouth business, which makes so much sense. You know, same thing as the wedding world, new people want to leave their fur babies with people that they trust, and they're more apt to, you know, go with someone that their neighbor or their friend recommends, you know, pet sitter that they're working with, versus finding somebody online, you know, and being that we are so new. And in the early stages, we haven't really had that opportunity to have no too much word of mouth, we do have a handful of clients, you know, that have been really amazing and left great reviews for us, which has definitely helped. But in addition, you know, we've been doing a lot of grassroots marketing. One of the things that I did right away was join pet sitters International, you know, kind of did my research and realize that there's such a well respected organization in the pet world. And it's just been invaluable, I've really kind of taken advantage of the tools that they offer. I attended their virtual conference last month, I've connected with a lot of other pet sitters around the country, really in an in chat groups, trying to do a lot on social media. And I know that's so huge these days. So, you know, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and really good at blogging, you know, speaking to people such as yourselves, just really kind of trying to get the word out in any which way we can, you know, while we're still building the business and building the brand, and kind of getting to that place where we have that word of mouth.
Collin 18:33
Yeah, taking advantage of all those little opportunities that come up to just get just to try that, try that, try that. And as you mentioned, with the idea of kind of this long term view of this is going to pay off eventually, we just we need to continue to do these little things consistently.
Kimberly 18:50
Exactly. And, you know, it's been a lot of learning, Google and Google Analytics, and, you know, these are all things that kind of broke my brain. Because it's not, not my level of expertise, or what I'm used to. But I also realized, you know, these are things that I need to do, and I need to learn and I think, you know, patience and knowing that in the end it is it is all going to, you know, pay off but I'm kind of doing all that stuff now that I know I need to need to be doing whether I you know, enjoy it or don't I think it's all really important.
Collin 19:21
You mentioned patients, you mentioned patients, it's it's patients that this will pay off and just being in it for the long haul. It's also giving yourself patience, as you mentioned to sit down and learn Google by business and what SEO is and how to how to go about doing that properly for your website and all your properties you know that you have on the web and just knowing that that's gonna take a little bit of time but it is so worth it.
Kimberly 19:43
Absolutely, absolutely. And I and I do realize now why there are companies out there that make a living doing this because it is work. But it's you know, it's an I have learned I've been learning and you know, like you said exercising patience with myself I think has been key And just knowing, you know, just like take it one day at a time. And you know, I know we're kind of getting through the rest of this year and the pandemic and an election and the holidays and the results. So I'm just trying to kind of keep my vision on to 2021. And, you know, hopeful that things will start moving in a positive direction.
Collin 20:16
Yeah. I did kind of maybe an interesting question here, given your background in luxury wedding plantings, and you mentioned even having to work with brides villas. How do you how do dog moms compared to brides villas?
Kimberly 20:33
You know, that's, that's a great question. And I honestly, it's me, and I'm a pet lover. And I think all cat lovers, I mean, I don't think you can really be have a bridezilla attitude, if you're a pet owner, or when it comes to your pet, if that makes any sense. I mean, I respect you know how people love their animals and treat them as their kids. I mean, have you heard I do it with a scout in her bedroom and everything else that that I do for her. But just, you know, we have cater to that luxury luxury client into the bridesmaids into the groom's Ella. So I feel like I could have been there and done that. And I would, and this is gonna sound terrible, but I would so much rather provide this high level service and like these extra bells and whistles and add ons to, you know, precious pets who love you unconditionally, and animals. And I don't know, I've been very fortunate, you know, through working with posh pets. And you know, the previous company that I worked with, never came across a not nice client. I mean, even when COVID had people were just so gracious and so kind, you know, trying to keep their walks going or continuing to pay for walks, even if they were working at home. So, again, it's just kind of been night and day in terms of the clientele that I've been dealing with, compared to you know, what I did in my previous life?
Collin 21:48
Yeah, I mean, it's a reminder that people who are after these kinds of services, these level of services are doing it because they genuinely care and want the absolute best for their furry friend that they view as a family member as a child. And that's a very different level of interaction than than the kind of services you are providing when you're when someone was saying this has to be absolutely perfect. It's the one shot I get it this and all those kind of feelings and emotions that go into it.
Kimberly 22:15
Exactly. It's a far cry, you know, and I totally respect a pet owner saying, you know, you know, Fido needs his food heated up, and he needs his medicine. And I get that versus, you know, having a mother of a bride or a bride screaming and yelling at me because it's raining on their wedding day. Like
22:34
just kind of puts it in perspective.
22:41
And that happened more than once.
Collin 22:44
You don't control the weather. That's shocking.
22:46
Well, apparently some people think I do.
Kimberly 22:52
Yeah, I'm very happy to heat up, you know, it's like those food and put yogurt in it or whatever it is that I'm supposed to do. And yeah, I have no problem with that. It's it's just two totally different ballgames, I guess. Yeah.
Collin 23:06
Thinking about your background here, especially in in sales in hospitality, we've touched on it a little bit. But I'd love for you to talk a little bit more about how that goes into the operations of your business and how you approach your business.
Kimberly 23:23
Definitely, um, again, and so the tagline for posh pets is signature hospitality, so PDT for pampered pets. So really, you know, kind of like I touched upon taking my background, you know, in the hotel world. It's such a hospitality business, you know, you're welcoming guests, like what can you do to make their experience more pleasant? Like, what can you do to enhance their state, your property, turndown service at night, you know, whatever it may be, you know, and then kind of adding to that what I did in the wedding world, and you know, really catering to the clients and what can set you apart. And, again, having done the luxury, just kind of applying all of those elements to pet care, you know, from the beginning. From the beginning stages, a client contacts us having, you know, a phone conversation with them, hearing you know, what their pets needs are understanding who their pets are going and doing, you know, a meet and greet if it's appropriate, or a virtual Meet and Greet, you know, in today's day and age, and really just making sure that the client is getting that VIP service and treatment from the beginning, that they know that they're booking a really special company that's going to go above and beyond that you're going to have one dedicated, we call them posh professionals, you know, pet sitter for your pet. In other words, we're not kind of the Uber of petsitting it's not going to be a revolving door who's coming to walk your dog, you're going to know and you're going to have a relationship with that person. So kind of, you know, setting yourself apart in that aspect. Like I said, Go Above and Beyond if it's, you know, your pets birthday, we're gonna send you a really special personalized gift for your pet. Those add ons, like I said, with the walks in the summer, you know, the chilled water breaks, you're not paying extra for that, that is just a part of the service that we're offering. So I think like I just going above and beyond and kind of, you know, going that extra step and having those clients know, from the first phone conversation they have with us, you know, throughout the terms of their services that, that they know that the value, you know, that they're getting and something special and kind of different.
Collin 25:36
Yeah. And I like how you're even bringing in some of the language from the hospitality industry. You know, it's not a late night check. It's a it's a turndown service, right. It's, but Well, I think, you know, does a couple things. It's an immediate familiarity with people, because we've heard of turndown services. And that's always been the really fancy thing that you can get at a really nice hotel. Of course, I want that for my pet, you know, it's. So it kind of brings in this that's already branded, and you can attach that to your business. And there's this immediate recognition of what kind of service you're going to get.
Kimberly 26:09
Exactly, absolutely. And I think that's sort of the goal is just kind of like really transferring the luxury hospitality hotel world into into the pet care worlds. And like I said, with Scout, I joke around and like she's getting room service tonight, she's getting her dinner brought up to her. So I'm taking it to that crazy. Well,
Collin 26:32
it's just that level of expectation. It's not like, you know, on one hand, yes, it is going above and beyond. But for you, it sounds like that's just how I take care of pets like this is just how we operate. This is our This is the bar that we're setting for ourselves, and that people are attracted to that kind of thing.
Kimberly 26:49
Right, exactly. And I think, you know, one of the things that I learned when I was still doing all that traveling and is chasing scout got older, I found it more and more difficult to find someone that I felt comfortable leaving them with, just because they started having an you know, I think I mentioned this earlier, special needs, they got older, they needed medication, and they had to have, you know, their medication every day. And you know, finding pet sitters that were like either not communicating well on the other side of the world that they saw my pet or saying, Hey, I couldn't get a scout her medicine. And I'm like stressing out while I'm trying to plan this wedding like, well, she didn't get her medicine, like that's not good. So kind of trying to ease other pet parents minds when it comes to that. And like knowing that it's stressful enough to leave your fur Baby, I'm talking about, you know, pet settings that you just want to know and have that peace of mind that they are in good hands. And that's one of the things that like I said, I didn't necessarily find. So I wanted to provide that service to, you know, pet parents, other pet parents.
Collin 27:49
Yeah, that's that's a great way of framing it of the kind of services that we provide as pet sitters. It's Yes, you know, on one hand, the service that we provide is the the pet care, the the medications, the feeding, but linked inextricably, to that is the service that we provide is peace of mind to the owner. And we can net we can never forget that, that there is that strong connection of Yeah, I'm giving service to the pet, the service I give to the owner is peace of mind. Now I need to make sure that they have the most peace of mind possible through communications and other things that you're doing while while they're in your care.
Kimberly 28:24
Exactly. And kind of making a list of things like well, what would I have wanted in a pet sitter, you know, that I wasn't finding and again, peace of mind. Number one, the communication piece is huge. You know, we work with time to pet and I mean, just a wonderful software company where our clients do see when we check in for the pet sitting or the dog walk, you know, they get a full detailed report, they get pictures, they kind of get the report card, you know, your pet was medicated got the food, and it's all in real time. So I know more and more pet sitters, I think are using software programs like this. But um, yeah, that to me is just, you know, kind of goes along with it in terms of the communication helping with that peace of mind.
Collin 29:04
I think linked to that to something I really enjoy about your background is that a lot of it is in public relations is dealing and managing how people view your company and the services that you offer. So what kind of advice would you have? Or do you have for other pet care providers as we think about public relations, which may not be something that most people have thought about as a thing for their business?
Kimberly 29:28
Yeah, definitely. And to be honest, I think public relations is all about being your own cheerleader, which I know sounds kind of weird. But when I started Runaway Bride, I had a mentor who sort of took me under his wing and he's the one who really taught me this, you know, he taught me that. We are companies. I mean, if you hire a PR company, they're really just going to brag about you, which is kind of essentially what PR is. Sounds kind of, like I said a little bit weird, but it's it's okay to talk about and promote your call. appointments, I'd say, you know, business owners, or owners, if they've a one, they've, if they've won awards, you know, talk about them, if they've been featured in the media, you know, let people know, again, it's okay to brag about yourself a little bit. And in today's world, you know, social media is huge, you know, I would say, use these platforms to communicate with your followers, you know, share links to blog posts that you've written, or articles that you've mentioned, been mentioned in. Think at the end of the day, it's really about, you know, building your brand awareness and kind of staying in front of your followers with with things that you've done, or accolades, or great testimonials that you've gotten, you know, kind of spread the word. I know, it's uncomfortable, sometimes, you know, I don't really want to talk about myself and toot my own horn. But at the end of the day, I really do think that's sort of what PR is all about, if that makes any sense.
Collin 30:53
It totally does. And I was going to mention that talking about ourselves is sometimes the last thing in the world, we want to do, right? Because it's really uncomfortable, I just want to take care of pets, please just let me take care of pets, I don't want to say anything about myself, I don't want my face out there, I just want to do that. But like, it's okay to brag about yourself, it's okay. And I think the first step in that, when I hear that is, it's okay to be proud of the work that you write and take pride in the level of care. And, and tell other people about that. That is that is genuinely okay to do. And as a business owner, you should be proud of the business and you should want other people to know about it.
Kimberly 31:34
Absolutely. And I think you know, that I mean, it is very uncomfortable. And it's not something that people are, you know, used to and, you know, we don't walk around with these huge egos. And yeah, being proud of the work that you've done. And if you're partnering with an amazing organization, like let people know, you know, just, yeah, talk about the positives. And like I said, I think social media is, is a huge, inexpensive platform, and it's kind of easy way to do it, you know, if you're, if you're doing it for yourself, so
Collin 32:02
if someone sitting here listening to this, and they might not know where to start, what kind of advice would you give to them as far as a couple of the first step or two, to bragging about themselves to more people.
Kimberly 32:13
So I would say a really easy way to sort of do it is to have a monthly newsletter that goes out, you know, we use MailChimp, which they're, you know, free memberships, or, you know, very inexpensive memberships. And you can maintain your mailing list on there, I would say, a monthly newsletter to your clients or to your followers, kind of letting you know, letting them know what you've been up to, is a great way to do it. Again, you know, like I mentioned, social media, you know, putting that on different social media platforms, and getting interviewed, you know, kind of the conversation that we're having now, and kind of speaking about your brand and what you've been doing, you know, any which way you can to kind of get the world out, I heard the word out, I guess, within the community,
Collin 32:59
the idea of the monthly newsletter like that just that takes a lot of stress out whenever it's like, Okay, this only has to come out once a month. It's not every single day, it's not a daily wrap up. It's just and you just get to talk about what you've done, what you've been doing, tell a funny story, talk about those kinds of things, and let your personality come across.
Kimberly 33:19
Exactly. And you know, if you can have a format that you're using monthly, you know, in other words, we'll talk about what what were we up to this month, and last month's newsletter included, you know, participating in the pet sitters international virtual conference, talked about a charity that we're partnering with. And exactly, it's a once a month, I think if you kind of have the boilerplate, you have a format, it kind of gets easier and easier to do. And I think it's less intimidating, you know, than getting out and speaking in public or I don't know, you're kind of able to do it kind of turnkey every month, and that is probably the number one thing I would start with or something that can very easily be done, I should say.
Collin 33:56
Yeah, those those having the standard format is huge. Because you know, it's like, okay, where do I put the picture where to put this link was? Nope. I talked about these same basic things. Yeah. And it's all in this format. It's just kind of fill in the blank, and it goes out and that's that that is that. I love hearing that. That that's such a big, simple, really amazing steps that people can take.
Kimberly 34:15
Definitely. Yeah, that's Yeah, absolutely.
Collin 34:21
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Kimberly 35:38
Yeah, definitely. So that was something that was very important to me, I'm a joke around with my family and friends and say, when I make my first million, I'm going to buy property with a lot of land and rescue as many animals as I can. But until then, you know, I'm really committed to providing sort of a pro seat of our sales to organizations. You know, like that we currently partner with lucky dog DC Animal Rescue, and it is a volunteer powered nonprofit organization here in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area. They're dedicated to rescuing homeless, neglected and abandoned animals from all over the country. In fact, other parts of the world as well. They educate the community on pet parenting, you know, the importance of good nutrition and spaying and neutering. So we there, we're exclusively partnering with them right now, we're offering a lifetime discount, like for the lifetime of the pet 15% discount. Just you know, as a thank you. I mean, there's so many animals out there that do need forever homes. And, you know, I'm so grateful to the people that are able to adopt them, I feel like the discount is the very least you know, that we can do. And once times get back to normal. I mean, I know all their events have gone virtual right now. But once they get back to you in person, you know, I will be donating my time to helping them plan and execute the events, you know, in volunteering and in other you know, whatever there are other platforms they have,
Collin 37:11
you know that lifetime discount. So is that given to dogs who are adopted through that, and that if they use your services, they get that kind of discount?
Kimberly 37:18
Yeah, so Exactly. So lucky pets. And that's what the the pets are called, that are adopted through lucky dog. And if they're owners booked services through us, they will get a 15% discount for the lifetime of the pet that they adopted through lucky
Collin 37:33
dog. Oh, that is so cool. I love that idea. Because you know, you mentioned like, it's, it's, you're doing it for the pet, you're doing it for the owner, because adopting a pet is a huge thing that more people should do. So it's like it's encouraging that it's also going look, I recognize that this is a big thing that you've just done. And I want to allow you to, I want to make sure that you're able to take care of this pet. So it doesn't end up back there. Right. And it's allowed to have this kind of service.
Kimberly 38:01
Exactly, because I realize its commitment, and it is an expense. And it's you know, and you just speaking to lucky dog, the number of pets that have been adopted during COVID. I mean, it's just been amazing and phenomenal. So, you know, it's just, it's just so grateful for that. Like I said, if I were at a place or a point where I had a ton of land and could just bring in as many adopted animals as I could I certainly would. But I'm not there yet.
Collin 38:31
Not yet. Not yet. We're talking about? Well, so on that I'm thinking about the future. You know, where are you going with this business? What kind of plans do you have?
Kimberly 38:40
Definitely. So, you know, I'd love to see posh pets continue to grow. I think that the business model that we've set up is something that could eventually be franchised. You know, I think that this is something that would work in San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Boston. I mean, I definitely think that this business model can reach a target market. And like I said, franchising, it is something sort of a long term goal. I think taking it even a step further. And talking about the hospitality piece again. I've toyed with the idea of maybe at some point down the line opening up a pet hotel, which I know sounds kind of kooky, but in doing some research there, there are some out there. I mean, I've read stories of x hoteliers, like CEOs of hotel companies who have said, I'm done with the corporate world, huge pet lovers and they've opened up you know, hotels, so it's the opportunity for you to instead of, you know, boarding your cat or your dog and putting them in a kennel with you know, 15 other animals, whatever. It's it's a hotel for your dog. I mean, it's boarding but it's kind of on a different level. So we shall see that that sort of maybe further down the line, but I think that there could be something to that. So I know it's been done and like I said, maybe down the line. That's the thing. that we might be able to do.
Collin 40:02
Yeah. Well, I mean, what are your thoughts on doing wedding planning for pets or maybe being a wedding kind of?
Kimberly 40:09
You know, it's so funny, so many people. They're like when I said, you know, I'm leaving the wedding planning industry, and I'm starting something new. And I kind of it was a little bit of intrigue, they said, are you going to do wedding planning for pets? So, yeah, I think there's an opportunity for you know, to have them be attendance ring bearers. One of my weddings that I did do the best man was their dog, and he carried the ring down the aisle, which I thought was super adorable. So you never know. Never seen ever.
Collin 40:37
Just curious, just curious if there'd be an eventual tie in there. So okay. Yeah. I guess I guess, I guess if you branded it, rental, runaway dog that doesn't quite conjure the same imagery as a luxury, sir.
40:50
Exactly. It's probably something I wouldn't.
40:55
Yeah.
Collin 40:57
You know, having just started So recently, what kind of resources did you use? Or are you using would you recommend to others?
Kimberly 41:06
Definitely, um, I would say just, you know, the experience that I had, firsthand working with this other dog walking company was was invaluable. But I think that beyond that, the smartest thing that I did was join pet sitters International, and I swear, they're not paying me to mention them. But I just, I knew how important it was to join an organization and I kind of did my research and my homework, and I just made the decision that, you know, they were the best fit for me. And they've been an amazing resource. I mean, they have so many tools for their members. And I just, I can't even like get through all the ebooks and the lessons and the webinars and that it's just amazing, amazing. As I mentioned, I attended their, their virtual conference last month, and that was, so it just such a resource, and you know, wealth of knowledge, I've also been able to connect with so many other professionals through them. And the one thing that I've really learned, you know, that was very different from the corporate world, or from the wedding world is how open other pet sitters are to helping new and upcoming businesses, and they're willing to share advice and information and you know, hop on calls, and that's just something that I've never experienced before. And it's, it's just so refreshing. Um, you know, when I think that during this time, with COVID, having impacted a lot of these pet care businesses so strongly, it's just like this big, huge sense of community. So being a newcomer into the community, I've just felt very warm and welcomed. And I've also relied on, you know, just kind of grassroots marketing, just here within my neighborhood, we've, you know, all been in quarantine. So, we've gotten to know the neighbors in the neighborhood dogs and kind of just, you know, word of mouth, just like I said, kind of like knocking on doors and handing out flyers and just talking to people and connecting with local businesses with a different that's in the area, with the groomers, with charities, such as lucky dog, you know, just trying to network as much as possible, you know, given the weird time, that times that we're all kind of living.
Collin 43:15
Yeah, there's always this asterisk right now of given everything going on this is what's working.
Kimberly 43:22
Exactly. So I like I have no way of knowing if, you know, in normal times, like, this would be good idea. But I guess I'm just kind of going with the flow. And, you know, I know so many other people are, so we are all in this together. So in that aspect, it's been kind of, you know, welcoming to come into the, into the pet world, because everyone's kind of trying to navigate this new normal together. So,
43:43
yeah, it's
Kimberly 43:44
just, it's been helpful to connect with other other pet professionals out there.
Collin 43:49
Yeah, it's, it really is essential, especially in times like this, but even during, quote, unquote, normal times, whatever that is going to look like those connections are going to be so invaluable moving forward. And just as it makes everything better, and it makes the workload easier. It makes those learning easier, and in all sorts of things. So is one of the key aspects of running a business, especially in this industry that are just, it's so hard to do if you don't have those connections.
Kimberly 44:17
Absolutely, absolutely. And I'm not afraid and I don't have an ego to say, you know, I don't know how to do this, I can you help me or like, what would you suggest? You know, I realized that, you know, I'm learning a lot as I go, and I'm not embarrassed to ask for help. And like I said, I've been very grateful at the support that I have found out there, you know, within the pet sitting community.
Collin 44:39
That's awesome. That's really good to hear. Kimberly, I have really really enjoyed our conversation today. And I've loved hearing your transition into the pet care industry and how you are bringing in this boutique luxury aspect to it and are really making something something different and something really cool and fun. If people want to get connected and learn more Pick your brain about PR and branding and luxury aspects of the pet care industry.
45:05
How fast can they do that?
Kimberly 45:07
Absolutely. So they can email me at info at posh pet tality. So that's POS HPTA li ty.com. Or they can check out our website and send me a message there. So that's Pasha physicality calm. Or, you know, they can call me directly at 703-310-9180. And or reach out to us or follow us, you know, on any of our social media platforms, I would love to speak to any other people who are sort of in the same, you know, stages or want some sort of pointers, marketing and PR anything I can help work, I'd absolutely love to be a resource.
Collin 45:48
Yeah. And for listeners, I'll have links to those that you mentioned, and some of the resources you talked about in the in the show notes and on our website, too, so people can can click right to those. Again, this has been a real pleasure. And thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Kimberly 46:03
No, thank you, Colin, I really appreciate it. And yeah, I look forward to speaking with anybody who might need some help or advice. So thank you.
Collin 46:11
My favorite takeaway from this conversation with Kimberly was how she described public relations, that it's all about being our own cheerleader. But think about that for a minute. Many times we say that we can be our own worst enemies that we are our own stumbling block. And think about how all of those times where we've been on our own, where we've been trying to go out by ourselves, when not everyone has been on our corner or cheering us on. Who else is there left to cheer, to motivate and to push us forward ourselves. That comes from a stance of confidence, not just in our knowledge of pet services, but in our ability as business owners confidence in ourselves in how we present ourselves to others that we will be accepted that our services will be acknowledged that they will be looked forward to. All of those are wrapped up into how we perceive ourselves, and how likely we are to be cheering ourselves on when no one else is. And this manifests in many different ways, whether that's reaching out to your local newspaper to write a guest article or a news station to do expos a on what it's like to be a pet sitter. Or maybe it's just to go on a radio show or put on a public event or bring a community of people together, when that safe in your area to do those kind of events. But just putting ourselves out there and knowing and trusting the process knowing that there are people that we are going to connect with an accepting that there are some people that we're not going to connect with and that that is fine. But that trusting ourselves that we have the knowledge, we have the capability and we are worth it. And we are enough to get out there in front of people and to start talking about the things that we know and that we so passionate about. That is what public relations that is that is putting a face to your business and that is connecting with your company and with your community. We want to thank our sponsors tied to pet and pet perennials for making today's show possible. And thank you and please know that you are enough, please know that you are worth it and that you have everything going for you to get out there and to continue to do amazing things in your business and in your community and to make a difference to those around you. We'll be back again soon.
