252: Being in the Moment with Gricel Arroyo
Brought to you by:
Time to Pet. Go to timetopet.com/confessional for 50% off your first 3 months.
Summary:
How do you stay in the moment with your business? After only providing nail trims to meet the needs of her community, Gricel Arroyo has experienced rapid growth and is about to make the leap to full-time. As such, she’s caught between knowing she wants to grow and expand, but also trying to run the business she has. Gricel balances the growth and social media by keeping it in perspective and working towards her goals. She shares with us what her growth has been like, and how she stays transparent with her clients about her business.
Topics on this episode:
Keeping up with demand
Transparency
Using social media
Staying the moment
Main take away? Being content with your business doesn’t mean you’re not trying to grow. It means you’re embracing what you can do today, while planning your growth for tomorrow.
About our guest:
My name is Gricel Arroyo and I began my journey as the proud owner of Arroyo Pet January of 2021. My primary focus then and now-protecting pets by providing professional hygienic mobile/at-home services. My business idea came about due to covid-19. I wanted to help my community members who were struggling with caring for their pets during a pandemic and have not stopped since. I have 4.5 years of veterinary experience and I attended Illinois state University, graduating with a bachelors in Animal Science. Not only am I running a small business, I am also working a full-time job while I grow Arroyo Pet. This past year has been an incredible experience and I have no doubt things will be amazing for me next year! I am also proud dog owner of a gentle 9 year old Golden Retriever named “Zeus” and a spontaneous 3 year old dachshund mix rescued from Ecuador named “Salinas”.
Links:
Email Gricel: arroyo.gricel@arroyopet.com
Give us a call! (636) 364-8260
Follow us on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, & TuneIn
Email us at: feedback@petsitterconfessional.com
A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
clients, pet, grooming, services, business, people, dog, offer, learning, vet tech, content, pets, home, potential clients, working, area, idea, decision, schedule, care
SPEAKERS
Meghan, Collin, Gricel
Meghan 00:10
Hello, I'm Meghan I'm Collin and this is Pet Sitter confessional an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter
Collin 00:17
brought to you by time to pet. Sometimes the simplest ideas can grow beyond our wildest imaginations. That's exactly what happened to Gricel Arroyo, owner of Arroyo pet. What started off by doing just nail trims and some home baths for her clients and her community during the pandemic has now reached the point where Gricel is going into it full time. Today, Gricel shares her journey from simple, straightforward idea into how she's managing the growth and what her plans are for the future. Let's get started. Yeah,
Gricel 00:49
thank you so much, Collin. So again, how he said, my name is Gricel Arroyo, I am from the Chicago area. And I am a former veterinary technician, and now the proud owner of a real pet
Collin 01:02
safe former Vet Tech. How did you get started in the pet care?
Gricel 01:07
That's a great question. So I, I've always wanted to start my own business. And I have to admit, COVID kind of pushed me to take that plunge. So during that time, you know, I was working as a former veterinary technician. And I was living paycheck to paycheck, unfortunately, and that industry just doesn't pay very well. So I decided to leave the industry due to financial reasons. But I still had like that empty feeling of you know, I have that void to be filled. And I went to school for animal sciences. That's what I have my bachelor's degree in. So I was thinking, my passion is still working with animals, I had a great idea of offering nail trim services and at home baths in the area I was living in during that time. So I honestly started working and offering the Services heading over to client's homes with basements protection gloves, you know, when COVID hit, because, you know, there was a lot of people who are not comfortable with being out in public during that time. And fast forward to now and I've grown in size, I have over 100 clients, and I've implemented more services such as petsitting, drop in visits, dog walking and grooming now.
Collin 02:17
Wow, that's amazing. That's really cute. And you said, you know, you mentioned that you had always wanted to start a business? What is it about running your own business and being an entrepreneur that's so attractive to you?
Gricel 02:31
Yeah, I think it's the the freedom, the financial freedom. And also, I've always liked to be a leader. I've had backgrounds and leadership positions, you know, even in high school up to now in college. That's something that I always love to do. And if I can implement that, in having my own business with animals, I was like, Well, this is a great idea. Because I love what I do. And, you know, being able to start something from nothing to now it's a great goal for me to achieve, and hopefully planning on leaving my full time job so that I can run my business full time.
Collin 03:08
Oh, that's really cool. It really is a sense of, of pride in like the good sense of to put your head down at night and know what you were able to do that day. And that was something that you built. Right. And I think that that's something that very often we kind of forget to do is just be be proud of ourselves, whenever we've done a day's work and when we've helped others too.
Gricel 03:30
Yes, that's that's definitely true. And even then now, it's like, that's the motivation right now. Again, because I work a full time job while I run my business. So it's like, you know what, I'm going to, I'm going to get there. That's the goal for 2022. I know it's gonna be a great year and, you know, hopefully motivate others to do the same as well.
Collin 03:48
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think I think it's, it's remembering why, why we did this and being plugged into something bigger. You said that you had a background in vet tech? How does that influence? How you run your business? And what, what do you bring to your clients?
Gricel 04:05
Yeah, of course, being in previous tech actually allows opening more doors to open for me, you know, I have specific clients who have those pets that have those specific needs, you know, they're diabetic, as medic, you know, anything that requires that medical attention is something that I can provide for my clients. And it also gives me that additional trust with my clients right now and potential clients as well. You know, having that experience, it's like, well, if you have a pet who needs me to administer any medication or is diabetic who needs an insulin shot, you know, I have my four year and a half years of experience with that. And it makes clients feel more comfortable as well. It's like okay, she, they did they have that peace of mind that I can take care of their pets the way that they're taking care
Collin 04:51
of them at home? Yeah, it's amazing how many kinds of special needs pets are out there when you start looking and really when you have that skill set You start working with them, it feels like they kind of come out of the woodwork and then start finding you. Because you do have those skills. And they talk a lot to each other about about recommending services.
Gricel 05:11
Yeah, and it's definitely worked out, it's helped my clients and other potential clients as well. Especially when I can recommend, hey, you know, I've noticed that your pet, you know, they have a little bit of an ear infection. And I know, you know, what to look for. And I would always advise, you know, I guess, to advise with your vet, just to make sure there's nothing else going on. So I can at least recommend those things and know those potential signs of, you know, for example, like an ear infection or something else.
Collin 05:37
Yeah. You know, you said you started out with with nail trims and at home bass. Why did you start with those particular services? And when did you decide it was time to add on others to it?
Gricel 05:49
Yeah, so those were the easiest services that I could think of, you know, what I can do nail trims I, I've worked at PetSmart previously, and it's something that I've had experience with, like, I can knock out a nail trim in five minutes. And it's like, this is an easy service, that clients don't have to drive to either their animal hospital or let's say, any other pet store, you know, I can come to them, especially during COVID. It's an easy service, we can even do it outside. And, you know, I can get it done with no, no issues. With baby with baths too. That'd be something where you know, we can I can take care of your dog, I could do it at home, you don't even have to worry about stepping outside. And on top of that your pet is, you know, is comfortable at their own in their own environment as well.
Collin 06:34
Yeah, yeah, I know, for us in our area, all of the grooming salons just totally shut down. And we had a I know, in our area, we had a real need for people to come into homes and do the baths, do the nail trims do the maintenance, because it seemed like once everything opened up, dog salons are still like really booked up and backed up working through this backlog and trying to get people back up. So what I love about that is you recognize a need, and you saw your strengths. And you went, ah, these match up. And I can do this right now. And it's flexible to around around the job that you had at the time to
Gricel 07:08
Yeah, and like you said, even now a lot of groomers are trying to keep up with demand from COVID, you know, even from last year, and that also integrated my idea of well, I can offer these mobile services, where I slowly started integrating actual grooming. So instead of doing bats, like well, I can start grooming pets as well. So that's something that I've just started in January, and I've so far been just gaining more experience with that to being transparent with my clients say I do offer these services. But I do want to let you know, I just started in January. So I don't have much experience. But I would have to say grooms are coming out pretty well. And it's been working out for my clients, especially for the ones that get super anxious, you know, you have those beds that cannot do, you know, four or five hours in the in a kennel or, you know, get super anxious during a car ride and make a huge mess in the you know, in their owners cars. So that's just a convenience for them.
Collin 08:04
Well, yeah, and the client isn't having to schedule their time to go drive drop off and pickup back in, they can kind of go do their day. And when they come home up, the pet is taken care of. And it's kind of just this kind of magical experience. It's giving them an extra feeling that they have is satisfied in peace of mind to
Gricel 08:22
exactly yeah, and it's been working out great. Like I said, and when I do my pet sitting jobs, too. It's like, well, if you want your dog to be bathed and groomed on top of that, you can come home to a clean pet and they're well taken care of.
Collin 08:37
Yeah. You know, you had I had seen you write down this where you said you are offering these services to your community, and not I'm offering The services to my clients. And I think that's a really interesting distinction for how you think about an approach that people that you're serving. So talk about your your community and how you see yourself in it and giving back to them.
Gricel 08:59
Yeah, and my community actually plays a huge part and the way my business grew, because it was I actually moved to a new area, and I offer these services. And the way that my community welcomed me was amazing. You know, I shared a lot of things through social media. And I joined a lot of community groups. And that, you know, was amazing, like I said, where everyone was very open to the idea, you you start meeting people that just have the best interest for you. You have a good relationship with your community, which allows you to connect with people and being able to have a word of mouth to it's like, Hey, I've met her. She's, she's great. She's in the area. Well, that also gives that additional trust for new potential clients. And so that's why it's very important with my connection with my community is because for me to give back to that as well.
Collin 09:51
Yeah, yeah, I think doing, you're viewing yourself as a part of the community, not somebody servicing it, but I am a member of this community and And I think that changes a little bit about how we interact with people, how you know, how we speak to people, how we treat our clients as well, when we recognize we're kind of all in this together, so I kind of need to treat others well.
Gricel 10:16
Yeah. And that's, it's been great. It's been such a great experience. And like I said, moving into a new area and meeting all of my community members, and everything, and everyone else, you know, in the surrounding areas has been great.
Collin 10:30
Well, so you moved into a new area, and you started offering these services, how did you get great gain traction there, and start getting clients and you kind of mentioned some Facebook groups and word of mouth, but whatever this first few steps that you took,
Gricel 10:46
first few steps, I think I went straight to social media, honestly, I went straight to Facebook, I started joining all these groups, like community groups, and you know, I instead of doing it more of like, Hey, these are the services I offer. I introduced myself to my community, it's like, Hey, this is who I am, this is my background, and this is what I want to do for you, this is what I can do for you and your pets. And that that was just something very important for me, because, you know, it's like, I don't want to just push these services, okay, here, this is what I do. Contact me, like, well, I want them to get to know me, it's someone new coming in, they don't know who I am. And I wanted to introduce myself with, you know, everything that I have to offer.
Collin 11:31
I love viewing it as that way it's not it wasn't my first post, I was making an introduction. Because we do have to get gained trust, we have to gain familiarity and make ourselves a part of that. And we do that through introducing ourselves, I think that language really does help us understand helps me understand the importance of those first few things that we put out this is how I'm going to be perceived. This is how I want people to know about me is this is an introduction, it's not sale sale sale, like you said, it's a I this is me and my background, really happy to be here. These are some things that I can help with. And leave it at that. And it's a way to start people going, Okay, that's a person behind that that's not a sales machine or a business. That's that's somebody that I can now trust and get to know know more about.
Gricel 12:17
Right, and I agree with it. And that's what allowed me to gain so many clients right away, and have that trust and still be able to build those relationships with with anyone who's coming in as a potential client and my current clients now it's like I it's still very important for me to build those relationships with them.
Collin 12:35
You started off offering the those nail trims and baths as you've expanded to other services, are you finding ones that are more or less desirable? Or you know, people are looking mostly nail trims versus pet sits? Or how has that balance working for you?
Gricel 12:50
Yeah, and actually, now that the year is coming to an end, you know, I know one of your podcasts you mentioned a business review and of the year review. So I was taking a look at that with the type of services that I'm offering and which ones are in high demand. Of course, right now we have everyone traveling, everyone feels a little bit more comfortable. So there's a high demand and pet sitting. So those one of the top services that I am offering is a pet sitting and and on top of that grooming, as well. So those are the two that have been working pretty well. And then there's other ones such as dog walking, and drop in visits less frequent and demand. But for the most part, it's been working out with me offering grooming on top of petting. So, hey, I'm taking care of your pet for a week or two. Do you want me to take care of their nails? Or do you want me to get them groom bathe? You know, and that way you can? Like I said before come home to clean pet as well?
Collin 13:48
Yeah, it's this kind of is this all in one solution? Do you find it's an easy sell to be like, Oh, if you're going away for a week, I can also groom or do people ask for that? Or what's that interplay when you're talking with the client?
Gricel 14:00
Yeah, so it's been working pretty well. You know, especially with my backgrounds, like you have noticed, their nails are getting a little long, you might as well, I'm going to take care of it. And it just adds more of that convenience that and that's the biggest thing is, well, you know, I'm coming back from vacation or wherever it may be. I don't want to like have to deal with taking my dog to the vet or groomers. You know, it's like, might as well take care of it all. And when I offer those services, you know, it's it's like, oh, yeah, you know, if you can thank you so much. And that's like, perfect. Well, it's, I'm adding that additional convenience to them as well. And if I have everything that I need, I can easily do it at their home.
Collin 14:40
Yeah. And I think you know, you mentioned that you're kind of you're learning about the grooming, it's something that you are expanding your your skill sets on. I know that adding skill sets can be daunting. Sometimes it's like, Oh, I've got to learn this. And this is a big task for me. Was that ever a thought that crossed your mind of like, Ooh, maybe I can't do this or it was Just a guy give this a try.
Gricel 15:02
Yeah, actually, I actually started with no grooming, I am not going to start that at all. It's not something I'm going to do not interested in it. But then I was like, You know what, I started thinking I worked at PetSmart. Previously, as a beta, I wasn't an actual groomer. But being a Vet Tech, we were grooming pets, you know, it wasn't for them to look good, right? It was for some health issues, or just for any healthy reasons. But then I started thinking, you know, what I am going to, I'm going to challenge myself, I'm going to offer these services. And I started small, I started with family members, pets, you know, it's like, Hey, can I start practicing on your pet? You know, and I can see where this goes, if this is yes or no, like, I did a terrible job. And I don't know, if I would want to keep doing this. But actually, the dogs didn't come out as bad as I thought they would be. And it's still a learning experience. I mean, I'm my learning. You know, grooming is nothing easy. I say you can learn overnight, you know, I'm still continuing to learn every single day. But I think, you know, I just more challenging myself and being transparent. With my clients. It's like, okay, I do offer these services. But I do want to let you know, I have this amount of time of experience, if that's okay with you, you know, I'd be more than happy to offer that service for your pet. And like I said, most of my clients have been very open and very helpful. They're like, Hey, if you want to come and practice on my pet, you can. And I've been super thankful. And you know, I can't thank my clients more than like, with all the opportunities that they've offered me, it's, I'm super grateful for
Collin 16:38
that. Yeah, you know, practicing and experimenting in low risk environments like that with friends family, with, with agreeable clients to help build that skill set that confidence is really simply can take care of taking that risk, right? Like I this may fail, this may turn out horrible, but I just have to see. And there are a lot of times in life where we don't we don't get that opportunity, right, we're always kind of it's always high risk, or we were perceived to be high risk. And those things that we're doing on new experiments, whether in business, and in life. And I love how you approach your clients with that honesty of like, look, this is a service that I offer. i This is my experience, and then kind of letting them decide, is that how do they react to you when you say, Okay, this, is this when you present them to that way?
Gricel 17:24
Yeah. For most of my clients, everyone's been open with that idea. They're like, okay, i I'm willing to try that. And actually, some of the become recurring clients, for me, it's like, okay, let's schedule my dogs next year, next month, or in the next six weeks, you know, of course, you'll get some that it's a little pushback, you know, and I don't blame them, because I can't do a specific group. I can't do a specific breeds groom, or it's like, well, I want this this type of haircut for my dog. And it's like, well, I completely understand, you know, and I also like, the honesty, too, it's like, no, no, thank you. So I do get that as well, which is understandable. But for the clients that I do offer those services, and they would like for me to do it for them. You know, they've been very open minded, and super thankful, like I said, for those clients who have allowed me and given me that opportunity.
Collin 18:17
How do you find pricing that kind of service? And where did you go to come up with your an idea of what to charge for grooming, you know, when you're when you're still learning? It's kind of new to the area, but it is something that's earning you money. So how did you strike that balance?
Gricel 18:35
Yeah, balancing that out. It's more of like, well, I'm taking into account my experience. But I'm also taking into account as well, the convenience and me going to them so that that's something else that I have to take into account where it's like, okay, well, yes, I'm learning. My grooms are coming out as bad as I thought they would be. So it's like I'm doing a pretty good job, I need to be able to come up with a rate that's appropriate for my client. And for me offering these at home grooming services. And I kind of used, you know, online pet stores pricing, versus other pet businesses that I would see around the area and kind of basic kind of mid midpoint there, find a midpoint. Again, just because of, you know, coming from my experience, you know, I'm not not a top groomer, right, right now,
Collin 19:22
you know, you're going through this kind of this trial period with with the grooming and you're gaining experience. Do you have an interest in pursuing more grooming school or just kind of going with the flow to see where this eventually goes?
Gricel 19:36
Yeah, I definitely want to get a certification and grooming because I want to master all the skills that I offer for services, because that's my goal. You know, I want to make sure I at least have that background. It's like, okay, I'm at least a certified groomer, I have that experience and I can at least offer those you know, more with confidence as well. You know, it's like okay, I can I can do this. So the It is something that I am planning on doing eventually, as well. And another goal for myself was to get a mobile van. That is something that I potentially want to do. You know, once I grow my business,
Collin 20:11
I definitely see an increasing need for mobile, groomers and in the industry and with people, as that convenience factor, I think starts to get priced into people's decision making. I know for Megan and myself, we have Badakhshan, and we've relatively busy lives. And even with just him, it's like, who there's a lot that goes into that. And so when it comes to pricing, those kinds of things, that is a factor that we definitely have to remember is that this is giving not just peace of mind, but it's helping that person schedule. And that that point, they're making that decision of they're making the decision of price versus time. And a lot of people make that decision for my time is more valuable than what I'm paying for this because I could be doing other things that have frees them up. And we tend to forget that kind of thing when we are coming out here with our prices and our services, too.
Gricel 21:02
Yeah, that's true. Again, you know, everyone has busy lives. And on top of that, so well, we need to make sure that our pets are taken care of. It's like if I can help you and like you said, have that convenience and peace of mind, I can come to you, you don't even have to worry about leaving your home. Or like I said during a petsitting visit or drop in visit. Hey, I can take care of this while I'm here as well.
Collin 21:25
Yeah. You've talked about your growth over the time that you've offered, this is just amazing that you moved into a new business area, and you're brand new business and you're over 100 clients and still getting requests, how have you managed that growth? How has that been for you, and your schedule?
Gricel 21:43
It's, it's been a little hard. But I'm very well with managing my time and organizing things pretty well with, again, I mentioned before I have a full time job. So that's something that I'm really trying to implement for next year is potentially hiring an employee, I think that's the biggest thing, because I've gotten to a point where I'm getting all these potential clients for petsitting. Like, well, like, I can't keep up with this. And I need to take care of myself as well, I can't be working every single day. And that's been the biggest challenge, I would say is making sure that I provide myself at least a day off. Just because there's there's high demand, and keeping everything organized, making sure that I have all these types of services that I offer in my calendar and be able to to manage my time wisely. Where, okay, this day, I have a bad schedule and a few nail trends. But I also have a drop in visit. Okay, who am I going to take care of first would be the appropriate time. And I also have to keep in mind the time it takes for each surface. So that's been a little bit difficult, but I think I caught on and just trying to manage since I do cover certain areas and where I live. Kind of Okay, today I'm going to tackle on this area of clients and then tomorrow I'll hit this area of clients and Okay, now I have to keep in mind the time that it's going to take to drive to each client's home and you know, actually do the the services.
Collin 23:15
Yeah, you mentioned the bath. So I was thinking of, that's not a service that we offer. But when we do bathe our own dog, I tend to think it doesn't take very long. But that's like time in the water. There's the preparation, then there's the cleanup. And then there's the everything else that's associated with that. How do you manage that when, when unexpected things come up? Or a dog is more difficult than you expected for your day?
Gricel 23:41
Yeah, that's a great question I like to keep that in mind for especially when it's a new client a new appointment, I don't really know how that's gonna go. So I like to at least add an extra 20 to 30 minutes to each appointment slot so that if anything happens that way, I am not behind on my next appointment that's scheduled after. But of course, things happen, you know, and for the most part, it's just being transparent and communicating with all my clients, hey, they're, you know, I'm running a little bit late, this is what happened, I'll be there as soon as possible. And for the most part, everyone's been, you know, super grateful that I'm keeping that communication between them and I and with those timeframes. It's actually been a huge learning experience for me too, when I started integrating grooming. Because now I'm like, Okay, it's gonna take this amount of time. Now, I know it's going to take about an hour or two. But I also have to consider my cleanup time. So that that's been like I said, a huge learning experience. For now I'm just trying to think of my timeframe. And now that I'm doing this more often I already have, you know, kind of like an idea of how long it would take.
Collin 24:48
Yeah, and having those that flexibility not just with the range of service but also how you book in between services. I know is something that's it's hard for me to remember if like no I need I need fifth, I need I need space between these because I have to physically get to that place like driving is not incident I have, when we learn to teleport when I can buy that device when Apple releases the teleportation noise or whatever, then that's fine, we'll just schedule the first one. And by that I can just teleport from client to client. Yeah, I'll save a lot of time. But, you know, the world reality is still here. And there's always kind of fighting that that desire to pack things in as close together to quote unquote, optimize our time when what we're actually doing is not living in reality. And that know, this drive time, there's prep time, there's clean up, there's all this stuff that I have to remember, especially as we get busy. Those those gaps were like, oh, no, maybe I can make it in 11 minutes, as opposed to 15.
Gricel 25:48
I love because I know, I know, like what's going on my head in your head?
Collin 25:55
It's something to remember, you know, it's it's in in app. P, we fall into those traps of that. And I think that that's always a good reminder to us of giving ourselves breathing room between visits in as you said, even scheduling Hold, hold time off that, that you have that's yours that no one's gonna schedule over.
Gricel 26:14
Right? Yeah. And that's one of the biggest goals upcoming for 2022. I know I expected to get a lot busier and me growing my business and having that goal of hiring other employees. Another thing to keep in mind, just making sure that I managed my time wisely.
Collin 26:33
Have you heard of time to pet krisann from raining cats and dogs as this to say
26:37
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 requests for new features, and modifications to existing ones.
Collin 27:02
If you're looking for new petsitting software, give time to pet a try, listeners of our show can save 50% off your first three months by visiting timed fat.com. Forward slash confessional is that easy for you to take time off like that? Or do you kind of struggle to clear your calendar that way?
Gricel 27:20
It's been a struggle. It definitely has been. But I'm trying to keep a reminder for myself for next year, I actually started to block off times now for my future schedule in the month. Because I know it's important, you know, we have to take care of ourselves. And I physically already added those time slots in my calendar of like, no appointments day off. So that's definitely going to help because if I try to do that, in that moment of, I'm already hitting January, it's going to be impossible for me
Collin 27:51
to do that. It won't because you know I, I said one of the best things, if you want to be busy, block off a weekend, and you will get more requests for that time than you would have ever imagined. It's like people can sense it, they come out of the woodwork searching for your talk. Right? That's how it works. One thing that I noticed is that you are very active on social media and Facebook, with posts and with videos, especially is that something that came naturally to you getting in front of the camera and talking about your services and talking about what you do or did that have to kind of develop as you've as you've grown, that's definitely developed.
Gricel 28:31
I did not like to do that. I was very shy. But at the end of the day, when I actually started creating these videos, it's more of like, okay, it doesn't really matter of how I look what I say people don't care about that. It's more of the content, and the information that I'm providing. So you know, you know what I took the initiative, you know, this is what I love to do, this is my passion, I'm going to start these videos, and just show off everything that I know, like, provide this information, these tips, these, you know, videos of what I do during my day, especially with all the type of services that I offer. You know, I want to show that to anyone who looks at my page or anyone who looks at my Instagram page, like Oh, like this is what she says it's pretty cool. So it wasn't in the beginning where I was super comfortable, but it is definitely gotten a lot better. And it's something that I've enjoyed
Collin 29:27
doing. That idea of viewing them as an educational opportunity for people I think is, for us at least is a good motivating factor to get us in front of the camera of like I have things that I can share and help somebody and if it's my clients if it's a new client, they can get to know me a little bit better. I always find that that is at least something for me that helps me push record and get in front of the camera. Okay, this will help somebody and then and then you're off to the races.
Gricel 29:54
Yeah, and I'm funny thing is I actually had a client who mentioned to me she's like, Hey, I I saw one of your videos, I had no idea what you know, glands are like, I've never heard of that before. It's like, oh, like, yeah, that a lot of people know it's like, an A do you have to think about it's like a lot of things that right away for you. It's like, oh, that's common sense. You know, everyone should know that. It's like, no, actually, they don't. It's like, why not put that out there and teach them something new?
Collin 30:21
Yeah, where do you come up with ideas to share? And what's that process? Like? Because I know sometimes I can sit there and go. It's Tuesday. I should post.
Gricel 30:32
Yeah. Honestly, it's more of it kind of helps with my background as a vet tech. Because it you know, I bring tips like oh, did you know about this about your pet? Or did you did you hear about the latest news on this or preventatives? You know, you know, the, the best preventatives that you can give your pet. But it is a little bit hard to come up with ideas, like every day, but it's more of it's come down to, hey, I want to just kind of show off what I do. So I'm going to show off what I do every single day. So and for the most part, it's just content that teaches people, you know, I'm actually taking care of a puppy right now on petsitting him for about a week and a half. And I am actually continuing his training. For my home, I'm showing him commands like basic commands, while his mom and dad are away. And you know, it's like, perfect. This is something that I can show everyone, you know, what I'm up to what I'm doing with him. And it's actually been an amazing learning experience for me and for the dog and for clients who are watching my videos.
Collin 31:39
Yeah, I think when we struggle with ideas, yeah, absolutely, we turn to what we do, and go, What do I do in a day, because you know what, nobody knows what I do. I can share these little things, and especially those quick pet tips. Because when we sit down, when we start talking about sharing content, or educating people, I may overcome, we may overcomplicate it, a lot of times, it's like, great, I've got to write a 500 word essay on this with literature cited and my own photos and put this big production together. And you're like, you know what, or you just jump in front of the camera and say, Hey, did you know about this, and this, okay, great, thanks, this is me, you know, and have a good day and just be done with it in so short things, it's that look kind of fast hitting information that a lot of pet parents are gonna be able to consume to a lot easier. And it's they're seeing your face and your literal voice. So they're getting to know you. And again, it's all about familiarity and trust that they start gaining with you. Right, and
Gricel 32:35
it's been great to win with those clients who their pet isn't during that time is in my care, they can follow up and then see oh, like, this is what they're up to today. And this is amazing. And I've been in contact with my current client while I'm taking care of her dog, and she's loved it, like, sees all the pictures and videos, and she's like, well, the dogs gonna want to come home anymore. So it's been great. And even it's like you said, it's the little things were, well actually you think about, they don't know what I'm doing? What's dog walking? Or what are dropping visits. So it's like putting that content out there. Because you you know that like, I already know what I do in my day. But like, what if someone's interested in they don't have no idea what a drop in visit is? Or what I do during a drop in visits? So it's like, hey, why not put that out
Collin 33:20
there? Yeah, yeah. And to on top of that, you know, not just saying it once is something that you get to share over and over and over again, to in new different ways with different dogs in different situations. A coupled with different there's so much variety there that I feel like too many times we get stuck in, well, I've shared at one time. So check, instead of, okay, well, I can show it this way or do this way. Or I can, you know, repost this next year and reuse that same content.
Gricel 33:48
Yeah, I would agree to that. It's like, well, it's the same thing that you're doing, but you can share it in a different way to it's like, well, you know, people love that people love that variety. It's like, okay, I know, I've seen a dog walk before, but it's like, okay, like, what else do you do during the dog walk, you know, well, we can also do continuing training, it's like, Hey, I'm teaching his dog not to pull on the leash. Or learn how to sit before you know, we get to the end of the sidewalk, you know, little things like that to consider. It's to change your content as well.
Collin 34:15
I'm sure this year has been a huge year of growth for you and a lot of learning for I'm sure there's been some some challenges, too. What are some things that you didn't expect to see,
Gricel 34:25
I would have to say it's been a little bit hard with the demand and keeping up with that and being or just having the mentality to please everyone, or be able to offer these services to everyone, right? Because I'm only one person, I can only do so much. That's been one of the biggest challenges as well as not having the, you know, for example, like grooming. I don't have a mobile band. I don't have the amazing equipment that a lot of drummer's might have or a mobile band might have once been, you know, a challenge for me, but finding a way to kind of work through that has been the best thing to do. You know, it's like, well, if I can find a solution right now, then that's perfect. It's gonna work out. And it has been right now I'm offering these Grammy services where I have all my materials, I have a little grooming table that I bring my blow dryer, my grooming, like clippers and anything that I need. And I found a little solution to it right now. But it is a goal eventually to get a van.
Collin 35:37
I that's what I hear that I hear this. I'm content with what I have now. But I'm still dreaming for something better. And, too, oftentimes, we focus all of our attention on the what ifs or maybe in the future, or, you know, and we get kind of dissatisfied with where we are. And so how do you walk that, that that line between knowing that you want something better, but also looking at what you have and going, this is sufficient for right now. And my clients are happy, I'm able to get the job done.
Gricel 36:06
Great. i Yeah, that's the biggest thing is everyone's content, everyone's happy. I'm happy with where I'm at right now, I know I have those future goals for myself. Because I know I can provide, you know, these services for my clients. But it would make my job a lot easier eventually, if I end up getting a band. But it's just more realizing okay, I'm in the moment right now. Everything has been working out great. All of my clients have loved the services that I've provided. And nothing has changed with my actual, like vision. And my goals for my business is providing that peace of mind that trust the convenience, and nothing of that has been affected with what I'm doing right now.
Collin 36:48
That's really great to hear to know the mission is still there. And I'm still providing quality service. It's just going to look different whenever I get that band. So I got to ask, what kind of answer you're looking for? What is it going to look?
Gricel 37:00
I actually have already pictured I've already had it. In my head, it's going to be a nice like, you know, those nice, big Mercedes Benz black in color with my logo, already know, the stuff that are that's going to be included inside. It's like I've done that research. Just I'm waiting to take the plunge where it's going to be the you know, it's like, okay, I'm in this moment, I think I'm going to do this, and I will get there eventually. You know, but you know, at the moment, like I said, it just things have been working out. Great. Let's just keep moving forward.
Collin 37:30
Yeah, and not jumping the gun. And sometimes that can be hard to go. And it's not yet. It's not time. It's not time, it's not time yet, we've got to wait a little bit longer that waiting where we can get sometimes I know me at least this I guess I'm just talking for myself, you get a little impatient and be like, Okay, let's do it now and say no, I'm not ready, the business isn't ready. My schedule is not ready. finances aren't ready. We've got we've got to wait a little bit on this. Because when by when we wait, it's actually in a better for us our schedule and our business. Because we'll be better prepared for it. It's just knowing how long to wait and what that looks. And that's different for everybody. So kind of having that plan and knowing these certain checkpoints is is really good.
Gricel 38:08
Yeah. And that was the biggest thing for me. It's like, well, let's plan this out. What would be the best thing to do at the moment financially? And, you know, just being able to offer the services that I offer? And is this going to work out for now? And it hasn't been?
Collin 38:23
Yeah. How do you approach planning for things like that? Because I don't think that that's something that many people do well, when you come up to a projecting looking towards the future? How do you approach kind of more long term planning for you
Gricel 38:38
would be more of I'd like to say just setting out like those. The main goal, like right now my main goal is to get a mobile van. Alright, but what are those small goals that I can achieve? Right now to get to that point. And my biggest challenge right now that I have for myself is just gaining more of that that grooming experience, because I want to make sure that I I feel 100% Happy. It's like, okay, I'm certified. I'm a certified groomer, I'm good to go. I would want to achieve that first before getting my mobile, you know, mobile grooming ban. That way, you know, at least I've achieved these small little goals before I get to that big one.
Collin 39:21
Yeah, kind of proving at each step that it's going to work, right and having those checkpoints of like, okay, I'm going to make it to this. And this is where I'll be and then I'm going to have other things to move. And just working through that plan. Obviously, being able to adapt and change as things come up. Nothing is set in stone, thankfully. And having that flexibility, but then, you know, okay, I can work this and it becomes manageable once it gets all down on a list or on paper for you. Right, yeah.
Gricel 39:49
And it's a it's a challenge. It's not easy, you know, and I'm sure you know, too. It's like, well, you know, things can change, and you have to be ready for that making those adjustments. And I think that's Basically with a lot of businesses to with COVID, you know, I started when COVID hit, so I don't really know, you know, for businesses who already were in, in business during that time and how they were affected, you know, I kind of just jumped in, right when COVID hit. So it's very important for you to adjust, you know, with things changing all the time, because it happens, it's life.
Collin 40:20
Yeah, well, and on that, you know, you you jumped in, in the middle of COVID, when a lot of things were completely melting down. And like one of the most insecure moments in our history of least memorable history for generations. That kind of thing really does impact. You know, how you make decisions and how you view the world, we know that that really forged a lot of your expectations, too. And how you make decisions and how you plan is something those are skills that many people who open businesses and more prosperous times or less stressful times or more predictable times, you know, they had to have you that was experienced that they had to eventually gain. But you know, for many people like yourself, who started in 2020 2021, that's just becomes part of the game. Right? And that's how you run your business and how you plan.
Gricel 41:08
Yeah, and that's still like, something I keep in mind. It's like, okay, we still have COVID, you know, it's still going around. So you still have to make those adjustments for clients. You know, it's like, hey, you know, I always like to make sure, okay, facemask protection. You know, I always like to make sure, hey, you know, are you okay with me coming into your home? You know, it's still those adjustments that I like to think about and offer, you know, it's like, Hey, if you're not okay, with me coming into your home to do a quick meal trim, we can still do it outside.
Collin 41:37
Yeah, it's that flexibility. And again, meeting those client's needs, which are totally different now than they were five years ago, even two years ago. Right where they are and knowing okay, this again, this is just how I operate. These are just the questions that I asked, most of us who were in the industry for, you know, before COVID, we had to learn to ask those questions that was like, Oh, I forgot to do the thing. And that law is like, No, this is just second nature. Now, this is just how we operate.
Gricel 41:59
Right? Yeah. And like you said, it's like, well, I just kind of jumped in and need adapt to that. And that's all. That's all I know, right now, at the moment.
Collin 42:07
I think that's a really big strength. And I hope you hope you know that that's going to be a really big strength for you moving forward, especially with all the plans that you have.
Gricel 42:15
Yes, yes, thank you.
Collin 42:18
Thinking about your experience, and what you're learning about the pet care industry, what would you say makes a great pet sitter and pet care provider,
Gricel 42:27
I think my biggest thing is having that transparency. And keeping all your clients up to date with everything that's going on. For me, my biggest thing is when I do offer petsitting, especially since I work from home, it's been making it a lot easier for me to give that peace of mind to my clients, because I work from home. So I spend the night and I spend the entire day with my clients pets, so they know that they're going to be taking care of most of the day. And I'm making sure that I'm sending them updates, not just a picture of their dog. And that's it, you know, making sure hey, you know, they did eat today, especially if it's the first night, how that night went, you know, by the way, you know, they were a little bit distant, or they didn't want to eat their dinner, you know, giving an update on that. And, you know, having that transparency, if anything happens during that time, making sure that I communicate my with my clients right away.
Collin 43:25
And communicating the bad news is always so hard. I don't like having to send those updates. But the one of the reasons we were hired to help that pet is because the pet parent trusted us to tell them both good and bad news. It's not just all, you know, Puppy kisses and cuddles all the time. They asked us enough to tell them when things are bad. And I have to remind myself, and we have to remind ourselves that I know they threw up, I'm not just going to clean it up and pretend it didn't happen. I've got to take that picture. And I've got to send it to them because they need to know that because they're not here, because they would know if they were but I have to be their eyes and ears for their pet.
Gricel 44:03
Yeah, and I would agree. It's like, Hey, I love some that actually happened to me am I left some bananas on the counter. I didn't really think that the dogs would get into that and they ate four or five bananas. So it's like, you know, making sure that I am updating my plan. Hey, by the way, this is what happened. You know, they really know they happen because they were just bananas. But you know, I told my client right away, this is what happened. The dog seemed to be fine. You know, with my Vet Tech experience. I already know the science to watch for. So I was communicating with my client back and forth during that day. Hey, by the way, they're still doing fine. No vomiting or diarrhea. And even little things like he said, you know, the dog puked a little bit. And you know, I'm still gonna send them a picture and let them know what happened, even if it's nothing bad. But just making sure we're transparent in that way.
Collin 44:52
Yeah, transparency. Absolutely love that word and I see it in. You know how you're doing the social media posts. In the video as and then they upfront notification of your experience and what that means for clients. And I think that's just a really honest upfront way to that, that clients really see. And they respect, right? They don't need smoke and mirrors, they just want to know the facts so that they can be because you're kind of, you're trusting them to give them the relevant information, and to make a proper decision. And leaving it at that there's no tricks, there's nothing involved, it's this is who I am, this is my business, this is what I can provide. And leaving it at that and knowing okay, that they're going to make that decision based on what they see, and being okay with that. And that's really what a lot of that transparency is about.
Gricel 45:37
Right? Yeah, and especially if you're staying at a client's home, you know, it's you, you have to also, you know, communicate four or five hours go by what's going on, you know, you'll also have to learn it's a learning experience, there's, there's going to be those clients who would appreciate not to have any messages for a while. But you know, even then I still like to kind of send an update, hey, this is what's going on. Even then, if I don't get a reply back, sometimes of which I don't blame them, you know, they're on vacation. But you know, I still like to do that. And like you said, the transparency is very, very important, because then that will keep those recurring clients.
Collin 46:14
Yeah, well, it's the, it's the communication too. And then just like the cold like business fact of it, it's kind of like a documentation of how things are going progressing. So if there are any questions or concerns or follow ups, you can scroll back and see timestamp photos and see things that were said, and say, you know, hey, this is how this this is how it went. So it's kind of also a way to protect our business as well. It kind of feels weird to think about it in that way. But it but it is, it's a yes. And situation. It's Yes, we are being transparent and providing this information to clients. And I'm also protecting myself and my business.
Gricel 46:47
Right? Yeah, it goes both ways. And at the end of the day, it helps your clients and helps your business.
Collin 46:53
You've learned a lot in your time, what advice would you like to share with with other pet care providers or resources that you enjoy, that you would like more people to know about,
Gricel 47:05
I would really recommend something that I'm still learning is using your your social media platforms to connect with people, because there's so many resources out there you have Facebook, you have Instagram, one of the biggest thing that I've just started getting into is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is going to, you know, get a lot more more people on and it's going to get very popular and possibly take over. So as one of the biggest things that I recommend, any pet care owner or anyone in the business is finding those resources and those free resources. That's one more it's free. So take advantage of it. And, and the amount of of reach that you you can get is amazing.
Collin 47:49
Yeah, absolutely. How do you decide what content to share across those platforms? Or are you kind of picking and choosing? Or is it kind of all similar at this point?
Gricel 47:58
Um, it depends. You know, with Instagram, it's more of like sharing, you know, videos, Facebook's more content with sometimes more educational tips and pictures. But with LinkedIn, a little bit more of that professional look. And you know, I do end up changing my content here and there a little bit for each platform, because you know, it is there are different clients for each platform. And that's something I've also started learning. Like, okay, well, I have specific clients who go on Facebook only and and I have maybe just more of a younger generation who are Instagram, and it's kind of having those adjustments to your content is important to
Collin 48:38
you said that word professional. Do you see yourself as a professional in pet care and grooming?
Gricel 48:44
I do. I do see myself as a professional. Yeah, pet care, business owner, anything, however you like to say it? I do see myself?
Collin 48:53
Are those are those words weird to you? Because I know they were weird to me whenever I started thinking of myself as a business owner, you know, and as a professional, I was like, Oh, that seems kind of weird. That's not it took me a little while to figure that out. But who I was.
Gricel 49:06
Yeah, I would agree. In the beginning. I was like, Well, you know, just these are the services I do. And it's like, well, no, it's like, well, I made my business official. Now. It's like, Well, I'm a business owner, these. I'm a professional, you know, it's like, I'm still trying to adjust to the professional groomer. Just because again, I'm still trying to perfect that. But I mean, eventually, you know, it's like, well, yes, I'm a professional pet groomer.
Collin 49:31
Yeah. You've talked about a lot of your goals about the van possibly hiring somebody going full time. What else are you looking for in the future, maybe long term longer term for you in this
Gricel 49:42
longer term? I actually want to connect with commercial services. So I actually listened to one of your podcasts. I'm not really quite sure what episode it was, but someone recommended contacting hotels and offering dog walking services. and drop in visits for potential clients who are staying in hotels. So that's one of my my biggest achievements that I'm going to get for next year and actually just started contacting a few hotels right now. So that's something I'm looking forward to doing for next year.
Collin 50:17
Yeah, those partnerships are so valuable. And many times when you contact them, you'll get people who go, Well, that's an amazing idea. Yeah, let's try and figure that out. You know, it may take some convincing for people to work on. I know, some other things that people are working on. Or, as, as companies are trying to retain more employees, they're looking for benefits to offer people. So if you have small to medium sized businesses with a couple employees, you know, pitch your services to them to say, hey, add this as a benefit people work for you. They get discounted pet care services for as a benefit to them. And you can kind of see if there's a market for that, too, as people look to retain the talent that they have that you can help them in that too.
Gricel 51:01
Right. Yeah. And that's a great idea actually didn't think about the employees of the hotels. So that's a great idea. So thank you for that.
Collin 51:12
Yeah, absolutely. I see there's a there's just so much potential. And there's a lot of exciting things on the horizon, to take to take advantage of as we try and make, make our mark and make the business our own. And, again, continue to change the industry and improve it for not just us, but for everybody.
Gricel 51:30
Right, and the biggest thing is like reaching those pets that are in need, you know, it's like, we're all busy. We all have busy lives, but we can't forget about
Collin 51:38
our pets. No, no, not at all. A Russell, thank you so much for coming on the show today and sharing your journey and encouraging us with with your growth and everything that you have. Moving on into the future. I know there's a lot going on. And there's a lot of things that you would like to share and get connected with as well. So how can people get in touch with you follow along with your business and and start getting connected?
Gricel 52:04
Yeah, so I, like I mentioned before, I have my Facebook page. It's a real pet. It's a delar a YOPT for pets. So it's a real pet. I have that on my Facebook group, Instagram, LinkedIn on top of that, too. But I am also great with text message. People can contact me through phone, email, whatever works best for them. So I'm all I'm all over.
Collin 52:28
Yeah. carrier pigeon. Do you accept that yet? Maybe? Yeah, right. Now, yeah. Okay. Another goal for next year, maybe? Yeah, there you go. No, again, Chris, I can't thank you enough. I've really enjoyed this conversation and learning from you and hearing about all the great things that you have working on. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Gricel 52:52
No, of course. No, I, it's my pleasure. Thank you. And I really do appreciate this opportunity. It's been a great like a phenomenal experience for me. Thank you so much.
Collin 53:00
Is it easy for you to be in the moment, I know it is really difficult. For me, being in the moment means that we aren't just being present, we aren't thinking about things that are in front of us. Being in the moment also means embracing the situations that we are in and being thankful for them. As Garcelle talked about. She is completely content with her ability to conduct and run her business right now. And yet at the same time, dreams for things in the future. That is something that I believe that we should all strive for being happy and content with what we have right now, while at the same time knowing that we can do things better in the future. But this is what we have right now. Being in the moment being present, being thankful for the things that we have around us for the business that is supporting us and our staff if we have them, because then we never feel pressured into making decisions that we'd rather not. And we don't feel like we have to move forward with something. Just because we've already come so far. When you are contented happy with what you have. It means that you don't have to make rash and quick and hurried decisions because you've got to change to something new and better. I know that's something that I am definitely needing to work on in 2022. We'd like to thank our sponsor for today's episode time to pet. We really want to thank you for listening. Hope you are having a wonderful week and we'll be back again soon.
