291: Staying Ambitious with Zach Shearer
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Summary:
What does it take to stay ambitious in business? Zach Shearer, owner of Zach's Pet Services, rejoins the show to share how much has changed since we last had him on. Zach talks about tackling large projects in the face of uncertainty and why surrounding yourself with experts is critical to your success. From his expanding kennel services to now grooming, Zach gives us some insight into the challenges they're facing and what he's doing to overcome them.
Topics on this episode:
Building and expanding
What makes a good kennel
Highlighting staff
Challenges ahead
Working with a spouse
Main take away? Even if you do essentially the same service as someone else, you have your own morals and values behind your company, which sets you apart and attracts people to you.
About our guest:
Zach Shearer of Zach’s Pet Services, LLC has a passion for animals and has been caring for pets since he was just ten years old. Zach has continued his entrepreneurial adventure as Owner/Operator of Zach’s Pet Services, located in Roanoke, Indiana. Zach’s currently offers dog and cat boarding, doggy daycare and full-service grooming. At Zach’s we truly care for each and every client in our care and treat them as part of our family, both our two and four-legged clients.
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
pet, dogs, business, people, kennel, employees, daycare, customers, facility, cats, decision, clients, building, running, owner, home, meet, helped, boarding, grooming
SPEAKERS
Meghan, Collin, Zach Shearer
Meghan 00:10
Hello, I'm Meghan. I'm Collin. And this is Pet Sitter confessional and open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter brought
Collin 00:17
to you by time to pet and pet sitters International. What does it take to make a good kennel work these days? And how do you go about tackling large projects in your business? Today, we're really excited to have Zach Sher owner of Zach's Pet Services back on the show. He was previously with us on episode 54. He joins us again today to talk about all that's changed since then some of the big things that he has planned, and how and why he continues to elevate his staff and team members. Let's get started.
Zach Shearer 00:50
Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you, Collin for having me on. And I'm definitely honored to be back on and talking with you all and giving you an update on how we're doing here and Indiana, and how our Kindle business is continuously growing each and every day. It's definitely looking different than it did May of 2020. That's for sure. But I suppose that is a blessing that we're not in the state we were then. So yeah, so for those that don't, didn't hear episode 54. My name is Zack shear. I'm the owner operator of Zach's Pet Services in Roanoke, Indiana. And we offer doggy daycare, pet boarding, which is for dogs and cats. And also full service grooming. We also have a unique business that we do as well called the wedding wagon, where we take dogs to and from weddings for their parents that are getting married. So that's kind of a fun service that we offer as well. But our main three are the boarding grooming and doggy daycare. I started this when I was 10 years old, in a little shed, a 10 by 12 shed that my parents and grandparents helped build. They saw my passion and wanted to help me fulfill that and that way I did bring home every animal that I wanted to and keep it as my own. These could come and go. So that was great for my parents too. I started this, like I said when I was 10 and it just continuously grow has grown from there. My went, probably by the time I was I want to say middle school like a ninth grade, maybe early high school I realized this is probably what I wanted to do forever. I knew I wanted to take care of animals or do something with the animals. But early high school I'm like, wow, I still want to go to vet school. And I was a big into school. So I realized I wanted to expand my kennel. And so by senior year, I decided to start working on a business plan and kind of hash out all the things of running a business and expanding it and see if I can actually do it. So I ended up going in getting a two year degree in business administration. And my now wife Jenna, and I worked on a business plan in school and ended up purchasing the property that we're at now and expanding the kennel there. So we pretty much tripled in size when we moved here. I was able to you know, accommodate double the animals or more and then also add grooming and daycare into that as well. So it's definitely a change in pace for sure. I was going from just myself to then adding a few employees a groomer and one kennel attendant and now work now we have seven full time employees and six part time employees. So when putting up an 8500 square foot facility, so we're expanding yet again. So yeah, that's a little bit about me. And my my current endeavors and the in the pet care industry.
Collin 04:05
Well and so even since we last spoke, a lot has changed back on that episode was really kind of in the middle of the pandemic and talking about a lot of the of the community that was keeping you afloat and people coming back and buying gift cards and that kind of stuff. How has business been? Since we spoke for you? What's that? How is it? How's it grown changed or look different?
Zach Shearer 04:32
Yeah, absolutely. So we we spoke, you know, in the spring of 2020 and that was kind of when everything was kind of you know, blown up with COVID and like you said, people were bringing generous gifts and donations and you know, buying gift cards and we were doing sales and different things to try to bring in that income that we're losing you know, this hit at a at a very horrible time for the pet care industry. Not that it would have been a good time anytime but, you know, impacted us greatly as you know And I think that, you know, when we spoke, we had pretty much all of our spring breaks cancelled, which is, spring break is the busiest time of year, at least for us the last couple of weeks in March and the first week in April. And that impacted us greatly. I mean, that was a large amount of our revenue right out the window. And so we saw so many acts of kindness, and things over those few weeks. And you know, with the pandemic kind of being up and down and how things were, you know, numbers were high numbers were down people, you know, were afraid to start traveling. So it definitely took a while before business picked up. I always tell people, after the fourth of July and 2020, seemed to up the country was in a better state at that time with the COVID cases and everything. So I would say from about the week of July 4, until the end of October, we were steadily pretty busy in 2020. And then the country kind of went down, you know what went up in cases that went kind of crazy, again, around Thanksgiving time there in November. So we lost all of our Thanksgiving break dogs, and it was down again, and people were concerned about traveling. So it was definitely kind of a roller coaster that year, as many can relate to that. But then as time went on, and 2021 came around, and people got more comfortable going, it was kind of like I almost relate it to, you know, turning a bunch of horses out in the frustrating pasture, you know, or turning the dogs loose at the park, you know, they everybody's just ready to travel. They're long overdue, they haven't been able to and now they're just going like crazy. And 2021 has been the best year, you know, that we have had in a while. Or whatever. You know, really, I mean, people are traveling like crazy. We were booked pretty much the whole year. And it's still that way. So business is very, very good. These are our spring week break weeks now coming up, and we've turned away over 200 dogs, people are just, you know, I don't think anybody's going to be left in the area around here during that first week of April, besides kennel owners and accountants, because, but yeah, it's very busy. So we've been very blessed. Our customers are still very generous. That, you know, we see the acts of kindness all the time. And but we've definitely, business has been very good. And that has helped because we're, as I mentioned, we're putting up a new facility. So it's been, you know, a little more stressful, since it's kind of like having two full time jobs. But especially being that busy with our, with our business at the kennel. But it's also a blessing to help with that.
Collin 07:49
So even with that tremendous growth since then, I look at the past two years, and I would have been hesitant to go all in with a big expansion, like you have. Where did that does that ever crossed your mind of maybe I shouldn't do this? Or maybe I should hold back a little bit? Or were you kind of all in once that idea came up?
Zach Shearer 08:12
No, that's a great question. Colin, we've definitely my wife and I have sat down at the kitchen table multiple times over the last few years, you know, what should we do? Is this a good decision? Is this a bad decision? You know, we pride ourselves in, you know, saving for things that we want and making sure that we have the means to do things and where we're at with the business and in our personal life. And, you know, we had these blueprints drawn up back in 2019, before everything happened with COVID. And so we actually were starting to get bids on our project and then COVID hit. So we actually did put things on hold because we had no idea in March of 2020. You know how things would look, you know, in March of 2021. So we definitely that was a big impact. But then once the business started picking up and everything, we realized that we still wanted to go through with it. And we saw the opportunity, the need in our community and our surrounding communities for you know, a wonderful, good, reputable kennel that a lot of people trust and seeing how many animals we turn down and are turned away from not being able to stay at our facility. We saw the need for this to happen. And we decided to go through with the project.
Collin 09:32
I love hearing that, that even despite kind of these reservations, you still saw the mission and you still saw the need and you went that's that's what we can fill. Right. That's where we belong and continue to push forward with that. And I think many times in business we do get hung up on bad experiences or bad things happen, and I definitely think we should learn from them. But I think the moment we start letting them hold us back in business is the moment Do we really need to assess what exactly why we're moving forward? And why we're in business? And what is guiding our decisions is out of fear? Or are we moving towards something right? We never want to be running away from bad decision or bad experience, we want to be moving towards those goals and and towards that mission that we have for our business.
Zach Shearer 10:22
Right? Absolutely. And I agree with that wholeheartedly. And you know, there's always going to be bad things that happen in the world, we can't control that, whether they impact you personally, you know, in your own life, or just in the world, you know, you turn the TV on or your computer and you see something that is negative, and then maybe 30 seconds later, you see something that's positive, you're not going to get away with that. But you know, it's about how you handle the situation that you're in, or that you're experiencing or in, that's in your environment, and how you move forward from that. And that's the opportunity we saw, we knew people were not going to not have pets. You know, in fact, that went the opposite, because everyone was home or working from home. So we now we're seeing all the pandemic pets. So I think that's also helped our business and the pet care industry as a whole. So I think that we, you know, my wife, and I were like, you know, this is what we were meant to do. This is our, you know, our passion, and people love us and love what we do. And you know, people are upset when we can't take their animals. And so, you know, we decided, you know, to go through with the investment and to help fulfill that need for that, for our community and our customers.
Collin 11:34
Well, so how is the expansion going? And what exactly are you doing? With the with the with the building? And how's that associated with your other ones?
Zach Shearer 11:44
Yeah, well, I'm going to start off with saying that I've learned a lot about patience over the you know, we bought our home and our property, and, you know, the current building that our kennel facility is running out of and grooming area, and all of that was already standing, we just did remodeling and things which, you know, is stressful, but it's a lower grade than building an 8500 square foot facility. So, yes, patience has been a huge thing. But it's going well, we broke ground back in July of 21. And it we're not quite open yet. But it's a unique project. You know, our, I think we've learned our eyes have been open up to as much about construction, as I think our builders have been about the pet care industry. You know, they're always blown away by by, you know, seeing different things coming in and asking us questions and meetings and things and seeing our customers with their pets. And, you know, they've seen things they've never seen before. And then I think our views are the same way. You know, I mean, I didn't know this much of what went into building a facility and all the decisions that were to be made, and, you know, the costs and different things like that. So overall, it's going well, you know, one of the most frequent questions that I'm asked by people in our community or customers, friends, you know, etc, is the cost, and, you know, how are you doing this? And why are you doing this and, and I'm, like, you know, I don't know how much the cost is gonna go down in the future. And our need is here now. And we're turning away so much business that we felt like, you know, it was still the right decision to go through with it. And, you know, we did lock in our lumber prices and our concrete prices and things early on, so they didn't get as high as what they had gotten to. So you know, those things definitely played a big role in our decision making and stuff too. But I think even if you're building a home, or you're building a small facility, or big facility, whatever you might be building, it always cost more than what you think because you're always changing your mind and doing things differently. And, you know, my wife and I spent a lot of time designing and creating our facility to fit the needs of our employees and our customers to fulfill but to also fulfill our dream of what we wanted, you know, this is an enormous investment for us, you know, coming from a 10 by 12 shed that I ran. But you know, we made sure that everything was exactly what we wanted. So you know, within these decisions, you know, their decisions that we're okay with were the ones changing things. So you know, the expansion project is going well we're really hoping to be open in May which you know, is just about a month away or so, we've had some issues with the supply chain and different things like that with materials not coming in on time, like our candle gates and the fronts and glass and stuff like that Windows, different things like that have been delayed. So it's definitely taken a huge rural, you know, toll on that, but we're getting there
Collin 14:59
I am I'm amazed at how you're you're guiding and you're leading this this project because I know when it comes to big projects for me, I get overwhelmed pretty easily right, I get overwhelmed trying to stand in front of a paint aisle at Home Depot. Thing. totally blank canvas. Right. So, how do you overcome those feelings of overwhelm? Or? Or maybe do you even experience those throughout this process?
Zach Shearer 15:28
Yeah, absolutely. You know, it is an overwhelming thing. And each decision that we've made and, you know, different options looking into, okay, how do we want to do our kennel runs, and how do we want to do our play area, and you know, all those different things, by also trying to meet so many needs, our employees needs, our customers needs, you know, and what they've wanted, and what you pick up on things, you know, our customers have been, like, you know, oh, it would be nice to, to have this type of tub in your grooming shopper, it would be nice to have this. So you can do that. I mean, you're always going to get different opinions and things. And that's great, because you're going to learn from that, and you're going to help base your decisions off of that. So, you know, leading this project has been big, you know, meeting with our general contractor, you know, we have impromptu meetings, it seems like all the time, I'm always, you know, running out of the doors, telling the girls, I'll be right back, I'm going over to the building site, you know, and so they'll, somebody will cover the office, if I'm in the office, or whatever I might be doing. And my dad, my father works for us part time and out in the kennel and helps with maintenance and different things like that. And he's been huge helping with the building project. And you know, we have two little kids at home. And so it's sometimes we pull him out of the kennel or over at the new building to watch our kids so that Jen and I both can go over and run and meet with the contractor. So it's definitely overwhelming. And you know, there's been several nights where we've just sat down and just hash things out, you know, if we got some news on the building, that wasn't great, like, you know, we can't do this. So we have to come up with a different option. You know, Jen and I have, have tried to figure out, you know, what we can do, but it has definitely, like I mentioned earlier, it's kind of becoming another full time job. Because not only do I have the workload and the in the mental load of the kennel and everything that goes into running that business, I you know, we also have the, the new building, and that's, you know, an entire job in itself. So, yeah, I feel like it definitely takes you have to kind of have to have that niche for it and to be able to do it, but it definitely helps with having good contractors, good people that are working for you to to help aid in those decisions and everything.
Collin 17:47
Yeah, and I really like how you live off talking about taking into account and consideration other people's needs in the project, right? It's not just your or your wife's needs, in what's going on, like you have a vision for how you want it to operate. But anytime, right? Like when we were tackling these big projects sitting down and going, okay, there's a Venn diagram of overlapping needs and wants and requirements that people have, you know, these are the stakeholder needs of anything that we're doing and going, Okay, where did these overlap? How did those align with my vision, and I have to ultimately be the one that makes the decision to move forward or not, and being okay with that, that's something that I know I have struggled with in the past of being okay with being the person who says yes, or no, but ultimately surrounding yourself with good information with a good group of people to give you good guidance. And bringing those topic experts, like you said, you're learning so much from the builders. And we do that all the time in our business, whether that's a good CPA or a good trainer, or a good vet or a good groomer to pull up alongside us and go ahead, teach me so I can make a good decision. And I can be as educated as I can. And in those feelings of overwhelm feelings where we don't know how we're going to move forward, or, you know, handle all these moving facets. That's what it takes, it takes a good group and it takes understanding exactly, you know, kind of where you want to end up.
Zach Shearer 19:12
Right, exactly, you know, and a good example is, you know, like, the grooming shop, the grooming room that we're putting in and stuff you know, I had my groomers look at some equipment that I was looking at buying I'm like, hey, you know, you guys are the ones that are going to be in here every day working with this, you know, what's your opinion on it? You know, this is something that I found that I think would fit your needs perfectly but is this going to work for you because I don't want to spend the money on it, you know, and have it installed and everything if it's not going to work? But you know, we've tried to incorporate that in everything and how we how not only how we're filling the new building and and purchasing things for that and how we're going to operate each and every day but also our current facility and how we're doing things you know, our our daycare attendance and managers are their needs met with what they have and what how they're operating, you know, our boarding or grooming, etc. So, yeah, I mean, definitely, I think you have to involve your staff, you have to involve your consumers. And you know, people from the community, I always have always stress that you can never not learn from somebody. I mean, you always go out and talk to somebody, and they may put something in your head that you think, Hey, that's a great idea. Maybe I should look into that, or seeing something online. Seeing a project or, excuse me, a product that somebody is using, you know, you may want to look into it to see if those that product could be good at your facility.
Collin 20:42
Yeah, being open to that. And that takes being ethics, being humble and admitting like, I don't know. But the good part is, I'm not required to know everything right? i Right.
Zach Shearer 20:54
Exactly. Exactly. Even though sometimes we wish we did, it seems like it would be easier. It's really not.
Collin 21:01
Yeah, cuz we don't have that person's experiences with how that was tried in the past, or the new things that are going on. It's we can't stay up to date with just I mean, just new love alone. The past experiences, let's just focus on new information. It's impossible to stay up to date on all of the new information that's being put out there. So having those trusted resources and the people in your life is really important to help us make good decisions, not just in our business, but our personal lives as well. Absolutely. Have you heard of time to pet Dan from NYC pooch has this to say
21:35
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Collin 21:56
If you are looking for new pet saying software, give time to pet a try, listeners of our show can save 50% off your first three months by visiting time to pet.com/confessional. Now when it comes to running a kennel, and in a boarding facility, you know, you've been doing this for a long time now. So in your mind, what what makes a good facility for for boarding and for daycare.
Zach Shearer 22:24
So I think, you know, call on it takes it takes several things, but a few things that I would like to definitely highlight on, that I have been able to use over the years, to definitely better, you know, not only better the facility and how to run the kennel and everything, but also how to better myself and being a leader and running the kennel. The first thing is having good hard, hard working and caring employees that work for you. You know, I always tell people in my community, friends and family, new customers coming in, you know, that I tried to teach and train my employees to operate the business how I have, and you know, over the past because, you know, it was just me for several years. And so you know, I'm obviously an animal lover have loved dogs and cats and all the animals, you know, since I was little, but you know, I want I truly care about the customers as well, you know, the two legged customers. And so, you know, training my staff to make sure that they take the time to talk to our customers and relate to them and ask them how they're doing and also doing the same for their pets, you know, if their dog had a had a bad day at daycare, and you know, maybe wasn't too happy with the other dogs, you know, maybe gotten a scuffle or something I want them to talk to them. And you know, be able to, you know, relay that information so that they can handle it at home and be open to that and not just hand them the dog and say, you know, have a good day. And you know that be you know, I want them to take the time to really get to know them. I think another big key to success for a good kennel is how you operate the services that you offer, you know, you know, every I mean, you know, all the kennels and all the pet care businesses, we all essentially do the same thing. But we we run them differently depending on you know, your beliefs and your values and different things. So I feel like that's a huge, huge key and running our business. You know, we want to number one, be transparent with our customers. The biggest thing you know that we that I stress here at Zach's Pet Services is you know, just tell the truth. You know, if a dog gets hurt, you know, maybe it hurt his leg or something out playing. I want my employees or myself depending on who it is to tell the customer you know, this is what happened and this is what we think it could be and instead of just sending that dog home with a hurt leg and getting a phone call that night Um, you know, transparency is huge, you know, if, if a dog gets her thick, anything like that, I think that should be relayed. So yeah, the biggest thing is, you know, showing compassion for, for the customers and their pets, but then the, but then also training your staff to do the same thing. I also think that another big thing in running a good kennel is is how you treat your staff and how you treat your customers. You know, I think that's a big thing for me, I want to make sure that, as a leader of my company that I strive to, you know, make sure that my employees know that I'm there for them. And if there's any struggles, or any questions they might have, or anything that they can come to me, I think that's a huge part of running a any kind of business, but also, you know, the kennel the pet care industry, it's a very, it's a very personable business, as you know, Colin, you know, you become family with those customers and their pets, they're their babies, they love them, and you've got to provide that good care. And I think that creates, you know, a huge family of just even our employees, you know, we truly care about them, or we wrap up the day with talking about the pets. And if there's anybody, you know, one might not be eating real well. So we discussed that, and what we think and, you know, I just think all those things definitely go into play with of how to successfully run a business.
Collin 26:33
Yeah, we cannot forget about our two legged clients at all, at the end of the day, they are essential for our survival, until the dogs start paying us in Dogecoin, or whatever, like, we were gonna have to have, that we're gonna have to have that customer that client service that needs their needs to and put their needs, way, way forward. In the process. Do you think that too often, we get focused on how we provide the pet care, and how we provide the pet care, how we handle the pets, and the training for the pet, everything for the pet, and the first aid and CPR training for the pets and all in all, that's good, necessary and needed in a business to run it well to have those skills. But when we overlook the clients and just how they're doing, what needs do they have? Do they feel listened to? Do they feel a part of this? Do they feel like we are meeting their needs? If we skip over that step? You're right, that is that that kneecaps us right from the very beginning? Right, we can't get awkward if we don't address those needs. And that starts with with us. And if we have staff in getting them to understand how important that customer service is, as well, because that can really impact people's views of you. Because you're right, if you stop being transparent to the client, because you don't think it's important because well, the dogs, okay, so I don't need to tell the client that that's looking right, like all of a sudden go. Is that a break? And trust? What are they what else has arrived? Right? And we don't want to have those things? Yep, absolutely.
Zach Shearer 28:08
No, I agree completely with that. I think that, you know, their time is important. You know, just like we think we know, you know, we think that ours is to we have to make sure that if they have concerns or questions or anything about, about their animals, that we can be there for them to answer those questions. And, you know, not just talk over them or blow them off or anything like that, you know, you know, some of them, especially like our first time customers, you know, they're nervous, they, they may have seen the great reviews on our facilities, you know, social media pages, they may have talked to friends, co workers, things like that, but they've personally have not utilized our services. So, you know, they need to make sure that they're getting all those questions answered. And we're taking the time to truly invest in that and showing them that they that we
Collin 28:57
care. overcoming those nerves is one of the biggest hurdles that we have to face in the pet care industry, when people realize that they need us. And it's because when people get a pet, right, like many of them never had experience with us for the first time. That many of us, sorry, let me say that again. Many people have had pets for many years, but are only now needing us to care for their pets. Because their family acquaintances, maybe their kids were younger, and but they're kind of aged out of that, you know, pool resource of kids that are school age, and they're looking around going, well, I don't know what to do now. And who could I trust? And we forget that that's where many people come from when they have pets is this they are they're coming from fear. They're coming from anxiety and an unaware of what the possibilities are, and approaching them and kindness, in gentleness and humbleness and guiding them through that process with patience is really going to help set up and build that trust in that relationship for years to come.
Zach Shearer 30:00
Yes, Yep, I agree completely. And you know, I was just having this conversation with a friend the other day, they were trying to kind of better understand exactly what we do on a day to day basis, which sometimes can turn into a lengthy conversation. Yeah, exactly, exactly. But I'm like, you know, the, the pet care world is so much different than it used to be, you know, even when I was a child, you know, we I lived, I grew up on a farm, and we had horses and cattle, and you know, everything like that. And so we would have dogs, and they would just be taken care of, by whoever came over to feed the horses, it was not a big deal, you know, here's their food, and this is how much they get, and they have water over there and just fill them up when it's empty. You know, as long as they can go to the bathroom, and they can eat and everything. You know, it's just such a different world that we're living in now. And many people, whether they move away for their profession, or whether they just move away to relocate, you know, they don't have those family members and those friends that they trust to care for their pets, but also, you know, more and more dogs and cats are living in homes, whereas they used to live out in the barn. And, you know, we're led out to run in the field and stuff, you know, dogs have become, you know, dogs and cats have become such a huge part in all of our day to day lives. You know, a lot of people, they may have two children, but they have four dogs, you know, a lot of times they have more pets than they do children. So I think it's just an entirely new world that we're living in and kennels, daycares, different things, you know, how sitting, that all didn't used to be a thing, you know, the dog walking and everything. And now it has has become such more of a need, you know, in this friend that I was speaking to, you know, they were blown away that we were putting sweets in our new facility where they had, like, we have these couches and TVs and things and they were like, really, people are going to do that. I said yes. I said that's something people have asked for, that's a need that we need to meet. And, you know, they were just blown away by that. But I think that so many people don't realize, you know, where we're at in this world, and how much pets truly mean to people, you know? Yeah, or,
Collin 32:13
or just how much the industry has changed for the services that are offered? Right? That's a really good, right for, you know, the fact that you're putting in sofas and TVs in suite 20 years ago. Are you kidding me? Like what?
Zach Shearer 32:28
Exactly. We've had people ask if we'll board them, you know, I mean, that's, that's, that's where we're getting here.
Collin 32:37
On that, on that Zach, you know, there are a lot of misconceptions about a kennel in a, in a boarding facility out there, how to change people's perceptions of what they think a kennel was, you know, 2030 years ago.
Zach Shearer 32:54
Right? Yes, that's definitely something that we deal with on a day to day basis. You know, I think a lot of people that have not had their eyes open to, you know, a good kennel kennel facility, kind of relate it to like a dog pound, you know, I mean, they, they think it's just a dog locked away in a in a small cage, and they're never let out until they come back to pick them up. And that's not how we operate. And that's not how most kennels operate. You know, I'm just speaking on behalf of myself and in our business. But I think one of the best things is, is we will allotted most of the time, you know, mentioned on the phone to a new customer, come on in and check us out, you know, we're an open door policy stop. And during our open hours, you know, here are the hours that would be easier for us to talk to, you know, like usually our afternoons are better than our mornings. But I think that helps a lot of people they get a chance to come in, discuss their pets with us see what we have to offer, you know, see all that their pet gets while they're here. You know, we have different packages and things because you know, it does take time, and we do have employees that are are being paid to provide these services for their animals. So we've got different packages that cost different things, but all the pets still get out to stretch their legs and go potty every day. And I think a lot of people don't think that they think that they're going to bring their pet to our facility, the pet is going to think it's there forever, and they're never coming back for it. And they're going to cry all the way out of here. You know, and, and I think once they come in and they see what it really is, they just feel so much better and like a weight is lifted off their shoulders. So yes, we see that you know, almost every day people that are nervous about leaving their pets and not really knowing exactly what our facility looks like and how we run the facility. But that's definitely the best thing and you know, we suggest that people will bring their dogs for either a day a day care, a meet and greet or just an overnight before they board so that they're not just put there for maybe a week at a time. But yeah, I always use that analogy about the dog pod pound and I'm not thing that they're bad you know, we have great shelters in our area. But you know, I think to the customer, they're thinking that they're just dumping their dog off and the dogs gonna think that they're never coming back for them.
Collin 35:11
You're right in the in the in the owner has that conjured up in their mind when they think of boarding kennel or facility, they think of the kind of sterile concrete with wires and things like that. And the and they don't make can't imagine to see they're up there pump their house up who sleeps on their bed at night in those kinds of situations. And so having that, not just telling them about your services, offering to show them what what is actually like that is huge for clients, especially first time in nervous clients is showing them and telling them and doing it both repeatedly. This is what we do, this is how we do it. And this is how you come and see. And those tests nights or daycares or, you know, meet and greets also, again, help them see how their dog is going to interact and how their dog is going to behave and getting that report card and seeing you know, it gives them so much peace of mind. The dog would probably be fine if they didn't do that if you didn't do the test night or any thing anyway. But it's
Zach Shearer 36:13
right nine times out of 10 Yeah, yeah, exactly. And you know, and I love to, you know, not only is it comforting for the owner, and for us to see that. But it's also like a great sense of pride and satisfaction too, when you have a pet that comes for an overnight in the owner thinks it's going to be outsourcing miserable, and it doesn't want to go back home with its owner, and it's trying to get back to you. And you know, and you'll laugh when they leave, it's like see, we told them you know, and then they continuously come back for years and years. But you know, it makes you feel good. Because you know, it's like, look, we can prove to you that your pet is going to be just fine. And, you know, yes, it's going to sleep out here, but it hasn't sped and everything but it will be just fine. And it will end up wanting to come back here the next time in. And one of my favorite things to see is the second time a dog boards the because the first time a lot of times they are nervous. In the owners, you know, look, it's tails tucked between this leg or look, look how sad she is she's crying, you know, different things like that those comments are made at drop off. And then the second time, they're almost, you know, on, you know, flat out on the asphalt because the dogs dragging them to get to our attendance, you know, so I think that that is my favorite is favorite boarding stay as the second one. And you know, it's not always that drastic, you know, there's some dogs that don't show as much emotion as others and don't get as excited. But we have you know enough of those that I just love to see that change in pace. And once they stay here, I mean, you know, people we get nervous going places, you know, we may go somewhere and be hesitant about going there, like maybe a restaurant, and then you ended up loving it and you're excited to go back again, you know, so I think we can definitely relate to our pets and our customers in that regard. We do cat boarding, we definitely don't have near as many cats as we do dogs, you know, cats definitely do stay home more than dogs when they go away, because they're not as much social animals as dogs are, you know, you can leave food for a whole day. And they may only eat a little bit of it. But we do offer cat boarding there's usually I always say the two client bases of cats, we have our one, the ones that are on daily medications or insulin injections that need that constant care and then to the dogs or the cats that act like dogs that are very social are going to tear their house apart while they're gone. And they need that social interaction in that place to go where somebody's watching them all day long. So we do see a fair amount of cats. You know, we've got a couple of cats that stay with us for the entire winter while their owners are in Florida. And so you know, they just become our own cats. You know, they just think that they live there half the year. You know, they're snowbirds staying here inside, you know, so, we do offer cat boarding, you know, they only stay inside the facility, we have a separate area for them. And we're doing the same in our new facility. So they're in like little kitty condos where they can lay on purchase. And then we do let them out one at a time in our like Office lobby area grooming area where they can stretch your legs and then wander around
Collin 39:26
for a little while. Now what what kind of assessments are things that you look for in a cat to know if it's going to be a good fit for boarding versus maybe your cat should be cared for? That's
Zach Shearer 39:38
right. Yeah, a lot of times we do the same thing that we do with the dogs we recommend, you know, a day where they come in and just stay you know, they may drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon or let them stay overnight. We had an elderly cat that boarded with us for a few weeks last year over like in the spring Time. And I think I ended up staying for three weeks. And they were very, very nervous because they've always had somebody stay at home with the cat, or check in on it, you know, a couple times a day, and the cat was just getting older, it was getting a little more, you know, what's the word I'm looking for? A little more high maintenance. You know, as it was getting older, and they were worried, but that long of a trip, just having somebody check in on it. And so I had them, you know, I recommended that they would bring it in for a night, and they ended up leaving it for a couple of nights. And he did wonderful. And so then they ended up boarding him for the, for the long trip. And they were just amazed when they came back how we called him the cruiser because he just would take off and just cruise all the way around the room and just not stop for the longest time. And you know, he's coming back here in a few weeks to stay again. And they've done that a few other times, because, you know, they finally have a place they can take him. But there are some cats that we have noticed that absolutely not, you know, they've just been home for too long, this is too stressful on them. But you know, cats, a lot of times, they're going to be nervous and scared for the first couple of days, they don't adjust quite as well as dogs do. I'm sure you've been at the vet with a dog or your dog, maybe call it that. And you've seen cats and their hissing in their carriers. And you know, your dog's just wagging its tail and waiting for somebody to pet them. So there's definitely that difference in a dog and a cat in it. Sometimes things will take a cat a few days to adjust. So it's hard for us to just solely go off of that one day. But if they're not, you know, causing harm to themselves, you know, or they're not extremely stressed out than we usually, you know, we'll tell the owner, we think they'll be fine, we'll you know, we will take the emergency contact name, obviously, and number if there's any issues and we always have their beds on file and everything. So but yeah, it's a little bit more difficult to do an assessment on a cat versus the dog.
Collin 41:56
What is it like having that conversation of this isn't going to be a good fit, and inviting them somewhere else?
Zach Shearer 42:03
Yeah, it's definitely a difficult situation. Ya know, and we've had different daycare dogs over the last five years that, you know, and I always stress this, that daycare is not for every dog, you know, even no matter what, like if the person thinks that they want their dog and daycare so bad, because their friends, dogs are all going to daycare and things like that, you know, it's kind of like a child, you know, it's like, mom, mom played volleyball. And so the daughter is going to play volleyball, and you know, you're gonna play volleyball, and the kid wants to dance, you know, I mean, it's, it's a lot like that in the animal world, too, you know, and so I think that a lot of people just assume that their dog is going to do great, you know, whether it's boarding or daycare, and, you know, we've had some of the hardest conversations with owners, you know, because their dog may be exhibiting behavior or, you know, aggressive behavior towards other dogs, or they just may be so anxious than they're just a nervous mess, and we don't want them to be stressed out. And, you know, those are the hardest conversations. But again, we go back to the whole transparency thing, and we're not going to, you know, number one, have the dog be, you know, miserable all day, if it's not enjoying the social aspect of daycare and everything in two, we don't want to take their money, you know, I mean, if it's not working for their dog, and it's better off home, then we're gonna go that route. And so we just talked to the owners. And, you know, we have a couple of dogs right now that have been doing daycare and one nipped one of our employees, because it did not want to go back to the yard and just some different anxious behavior and things. And so we're working with them because they want to, you know, they have house sitters and pet sitters that come into the home, but they, they need that backup plan, you know, if they have to take off and they don't have anybody, they've got to have a good, safe kennel that those dogs can go chill. So we're working with them to try to, you know, see exactly what we can do and how we can accommodate them in our facility. And, you know, we had about a half hour discussion this afternoon, you know, here's the update. This is how their behavior was this is what we saw, you know, different things like that so that they can make the proper decisions for what's best for them and their dogs.
Collin 44:20
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Zach Shearer 46:18
Right. And you know, and I think too, I mean, you have to look at yourselves and your staff and the pet and, and make sure that you're not putting anybody in danger. And you know, that you're not causing, you know, the pet's health to be a danger. You know, I mean, it's kind of a joint thing, you know, you have to communicate with the customer about their pet, but then also look out for your staff, you know, we had, we've had aggressive dogs, where we're, we have to talk to the owner and say, hey, you know, I mean, you know, we got through the week, we kept them, everything was fine, but you know, he nipped our employee, and we just don't feel comfortable with it. Because, you know, one thing could lead to another, and I think, you know, you have to protect your staff, you have to protect yourself, but at the end of the day, then by talking to the customer, you know, the owner of the pet, they know too now what has happened, so that, you know, you would feel you know, at least I would feel horrible if if it bit their child, or if it bit somebody, you know, because we didn't relay that information on to them. And, you know, it may just be that they weren't at home, you know, some dogs are just different outside of their elements. But you know, you always just have to communicate so that the owner can make the proper decisions for their household.
Collin 47:35
And that takes that takes leading in that in that moment and stepping up and going no, this is, this is the best thing possible. So for you, you know, you do a lot of stuff, right? You're working, you're you're building a massive building, and you're running a current facility, and you've got kids at home and all this stuff going on. For you. How do you lead in those times? Where there's, you know, there's needed input? And how do you step into that role of going, Okay, this, this needs to
Zach Shearer 48:07
keep moving? Yeah, no, absolutely. That's a great question, Colin, I think that, you know, I, I've, I've had to work on it over the years. But I try, I'm trying more and more to delegate to my employees, you know, I've got great managers that know the ins and outs of our business and how we operate and things. But there's also going to be those customers that will say, you know, can I speak to Zack, you know, my name is on the business. And, and I am tied to add in that aspect. But, you know, I make sure to include my employees in on it. So if we're discussing, you know, like, with an owner, like you mentioned, if, if things don't go well, for the dog and stuff, I want to make sure I have another employee there and make sure that they know that they were taking care of that dog all day as well. And, you know, that kind of stuff. So I think as a leader, it's good to make sure that, you know, I step in and make sure those people know that I was aware of the situation, and give my input and things, you know, by also having managers and having people that oversee our services as well. I want to make sure that, you know, I can allow them to discuss those things with the customers as well. And I think that's what you were asking, is that correct? Colin?
Collin 49:24
Yeah, it was leading through those difficult situations that come up or uncertain times or how to how to lead well, when people are looking to you going okay, like, what's, what do we do now?
Zach Shearer 49:38
Right, exactly. And I always thought in the back of my mind to coming from, you know, doing this business from a kid by myself, you know, and having my parents help or different things like that, and then, you know, growing to two employees, and then, you know, just keep going from there and they're, you know, I think in the back of my head I think I don't want to just throw that problem on them. For, I don't just want to throw that over to them and have them handle it. But I think that in return by doing that, you're showing those employees that you trust them, and that you respect that their opinion on the matter. And by giving them that situation to handle that not only puts your trust in them, but it also puts the customers trust in them that they know that that employee cares for their pet, just like Xacta, you know. So I feel like that's a huge thing is to make sure, as a leader that I show my employees that they're not just a number, they're not just an employee, they, they're valued. And they're a huge asset to our business, because without them we would not have Zach's pet services and how it is today. You know what I mean?
Collin 50:43
Yeah, yeah. And I think remembering to like, I hired this person for a reason, right? This person has giftings talents, purpose, they are a person with feelings with value with aspiration. And I can trust them with these things, because I hired them, for me to crush them. And I, we just went through a hiring process very recently, and it's been a new way to view people and going, you are here for a purpose, because I need you. And I can't do what I want to do without you. And that means, like you said, I'm going to delegate things to you, I'm going to have you're going to have responsibilities that there's meaning and there's weight behind that. And that that's huge. Whenever clients see that actually sounds like that. Definitely, oh, okay, well, here you go. I, for us, we did a meet and greet. And we do trainings, and I lead the first one. But then as we go through and the staff shadow us, I lead less and less. And by the time that the client, the new hire was done with their last one, and I basically was like, I'm just gonna be here, the background, you lead the whole thing. And I hope that seeing how differently the, the the client view that that staff member after that kind of interaction versus when I was leading, and the staff member was kind of in the shadows, that was a very different relationship. And I was like, that's what I want that other one, I want the one where the club sees the staff as super important, invaluable, knowledgeable and an authority in my company. And I want more of that.
Zach Shearer 52:21
Right? Absolutely. Yeah. You know, and I always stress to, to my managers, and my staff members, you know, our full time in our part time and everything, you know, that, you know, I'm not higher up than you, you know, I want them to know that I'm on an equal basis, I can scoop poop out in the yards, I can walk a dog, and I can take phone calls and answer paint, you know, do all different things, you know, but also, you know, we each are here with our own set, you know, set of jobs and tasks. And I don't want to you know, of course, I think every entrepreneur struggles with this, but we try to micromanage here and there, and that's a huge thing that I've had to learn is to not do that, and which I once again, delegate things. And you know, I think sometimes I, you know, my employees will come to me and ask me a question. And they'll tell me, you know, what they think the answer is? And I will say, Absolutely, yes. And they're like, Okay, I just wanted to run it by you. And I said, No, you know, be confident in yourself, you, you made the right decision. That's exactly what I what I wanted you to do, and I'm putting you in that position to make that decision, you know, so, but I think that's something that, you know, employees have struggled with, too, you know, is, okay, is that going to be okay with that? Should I run that by him? What would he do? You know, and I, you know, I just want to remind them and make sure that they know that I respect them and their position and that they can make those decisions.
Collin 53:42
You also work very closely with someone else. Your wife, you mentioned her a couple times. What's, what's it like running your business with your
Zach Shearer 53:51
wife? Well, she's not here to answer for herself. No. No, I'm just kidding. No, no. You know, there's always days where we may disagree on something, but you know, now I just always make that joke, but no, my, my wife and I overall do wonderful working together. You know, we are both very good at our different aspects of the business. And although we may not have always recognized those over the years, you know, we've been married for five years now. And she, you know, as we were dating before, you know, she helped me a lot with my business, she helped do the, the business plan that I originally had done, she pretty much did all the blueprints for this new building. You know, she's amazing at that she has that vision for what I you know, she can take my thoughts and throw them on paper, she can take my thoughts and throw them into a picture, you know, different things like that. And, you know, so we both, you know, I think we both can recognize what we're good at in the business and that kind of helps us balance it out and things so, you know, if I have a question about marketing or advertisement, so or, or drawing things for the new building or, you know, different things like that, you know, I go to her, she knows exactly what that is. And then, you know, she knows that I know the ins and outs of our pets and our customers and, and all different things like that. So, you know, we make a really good team. You know, we always say, we're not going to talk about work at dinner, but you know, every single night, it comes up in conversation, or many, you know, but that's just something we always joke about. But you know, this business is such a huge part of our life, I mean, it is our livelihood. And you know, it's gotten a little better. We've got almost four year old son, and then a almost one year old daughter, and so they take a lot of our time to, and Jenna primarily stays home with them. But she also, you know, works from home, with, with the business. So that, you know, obviously has helped with things like that. And it's helping with work family life balance, but you know, being in this line of business, and being in the pet care industry, you know, we're kind of married to the business as well. So it's a huge part of our life. And I think we do a fabulous job of, of making sure that we put as much time into the businesses we need to but also as much time into each other and our family as well.
Collin 56:18
Yeah, that last part is incredibly huge in that, you know, if you're working in business, with a spouse with a significant other, knowing that you still have to the end of the day be nurturing that relationship as it is apart from the business that you're running. And keeping that growing that Beyonds growing the business. And then when you are working on the business, recognizing that each of you does have those different talents and gifts, and leaning on those and taking things to each other and going hey, I'm really bad at this. But I know you are awesome. And you love it. So help.
Zach Shearer 56:55
Right? So Right, exactly. Like that. And that. That reminds me it just last week, I made a little graphic advertisement thing for one of our events that we were having. And I asked Jenna, my wife, I said, Could you jump on there and see if that looks okay. And she got her computer out. And I was in the other room and I just heard her laughing. I came around the corner and I said, is that not good enough? And she's so she says, give me a few minutes. And so then I walked out of the room and then she comes in there are She has me come back in and she says turns her computer. She says what do you think? And I said, Oh, my You know, and I just walked away because I'm like she completely like, I mean, I didn't do a good job. And I'll be the first to admit it, you know, it would have worked, it would have been fine. But you know, she blew it out of the park just like shorts does with that stuff. So, you know, it's just funny cuz she wasn't laughing to be mean, she was just laughing because she's like, why did you do this when you could have just said, Hey, can you make an ad for our event tomorrow, you know, so it was just, it was just comical. And you know, we have a lot of things like that too. But you know, what also makes me What amazes me too, is, you know, Jenna's been away for the last few years from working every day out in the kennel, you know, she still helps part time and things like that out there. But most of her job is working from home on the computer, and phone calls and things. And it amazes me though, because I'll be talking about one of our pets that's in our care, or maybe one of their owners or something, and she will instantly know who it is. And, you know, I'm like you haven't seen that dog in three years or something. She's like, Yeah, I know, but I know exactly who it was, or, or she'll come out to the business to work for a couple hours and, and she'll know who a dog is, you know, and, and I've been like that forever. You know, I've got that photographic memory with the pets. And I always tease the girls, I'm like, you know, I can walk through this whole row of candles and eat them all without looking at their instructions, right? And they're like, oh, no, you can't, you know, so that, you know, I'm like, Nope, I know, that one gets this and it has this what that, you know, I just have remembered. It's my passion. And it's what I've done my whole life. And I think that's another going back to working with my wife, I think that I struggled because with the aspect of her coming into it at first because, you know, this was my baby and, and not only her, but my employees, you know, I, I did everything how I wanted to do it. And at my own pace, sometimes too slow. But, you know, you know, I wasn't used to that. And so that's been a huge game changer. But it's also been for the better, you know, I can't do it without them. And I wouldn't want to do it without them. And I have to make sure that I you know, take that time to invest in them and make sure that they're happy in everything that they're doing. But yeah, that that just, you know, this is not what my wife wanted to do before she met me. You know, I mean, she had pet too. She loved her pets, but she was looking into, you know, like, at one point she wanted to run a bed and breakfast and different things like that, but when she met me and saw them My passion for it and saw what I wanted to do, she instantly took to it. And, you know, it's been huge because, you know, I think that she'll look at things and think, you know, like, Where would I have been, you know, if I had done this, you know, and she's like, and she'll say, I've never dreamt I would be running a dog kennel, you know, it's just different things like that. So, I think that's neat. But then, you know, it goes the same for me. Because, you know, she's the reason I found our current, or we found our current property, you know, so without her, I don't know where our location might be, you know, so I think that you definitely have to treat each other, you know, with respect in the workforce, and make sure that their opinions are valued. And, you know, with me starting this on my own when I was young, you know, I instantly sometimes will think I want to do it this way. And that's it, you know, my way or the highway, and I know that I need to go to Jen and say, Hey, what's your input on this? Or your opinion on this? You know, do you think that this will be a good idea to offer for our customers and, and vice versa, you know, I, you know, each of our opinion matters. And what we do is very important
Collin 1:01:04
in the business, doing each other as equal, and that decision making process when you're working in the business and valuing them and being willing to go, you know, what, actually, that's a much better idea than I would have thought of, thank you. And we're gonna go with that one. And that little recognition and coming together, when you're working with a spouse when you're working with a significant other, of valuing them, in their opinion, enough to set yours aside, it speaks volumes, right of that relationship and making it work and working hard on that year after year, in the business, in the personal side of things, as well. You know, Zack, you started in that 10 by 12. Shed, I want to ask you with everything that you've got going on, do you feel successful?
Zach Shearer 1:01:52
I do. You know, and I definitely do. And there's some times where I'll wake up. And I wonder if I'm in a dream, you know, because I truly am living my dream and everything that I wanted, my little 10 by 12 Shed did turn into but you know, again, I couldn't do it without the people that are in my lives are in my life. I you know, that's definitely been a huge part. My parents for giving me the opportunity. You know, when I was a kid, they built this shed on my property so that I can take care of other people's animals, they allowed me to have people drive in and out of their drive dropping pets off at all hours of the day at night. And they allowed me to walk dogs around their property. And, you know, I mean, most parents would be like, no, no, no, you know, I want my peace and quiet house and, and everything. And, you know, they, they let me have the opportunity. And I'm forever thankful for them. And my grandparents who helped build the kennel and saw my dream as well, and all my family members and friends over the years. You know, in high school, I was featured, like, in the yearbook, having the kennel and so many people came up to me were like, you know, that is just so amazing. I didn't know that you did that. You know, what made you want to do it and everything. And I think it speaks volumes to as a child, you know, being like a 1011 year old and random people are bringing their pets to me. You know, you know, they just felt that trust and that passion that I had. So, you know, the people, people from my community, my friends, and my family, my employees, my church, you know, everybody that has been a part of that has all led to our success and making Zacks Pet Services, what it is today. So at the end of the day, I truly do believe that I am successful, but I wouldn't be successful without all the people in my life and without my Lord and Savior. And without everything that I believe in. You know, I just I wake up every day, and I am just so thankful and so blessed for all of the people that are in my
Collin 1:03:52
life. Well, Zach, thank you so much for joining us on the show today and walking us through all that it takes to run a kind of boarding and kennel facility and daycare operation that you've got going on there and all the wonderful things that you have planned now and working towards in the future. But again, I know that there's there's still so much that you do and there's a lot involved with it. So how can people first follow along with the build out and expansion operation and see all the things that you've got going on and then get connected with you to pick your brain if they've got some questions?
Zach Shearer 1:04:29
Yeah, absolutely. So we're on social media platforms. We've got Facebook, Instagram, we've got Google, we have a website that you can contact us through there, it goes straight to our email, and that goes directly to me and our managers and so yeah, if anybody wants to reach out with any questions, feel free to message on there or give me a call and talk to us. You know, it's definitely a unique business and it's Long hours, it's long days, there's days that are more stressful than others. But overall, it's such a fun and, and wonderful line of business to be in. So I don't want to discourage anybody from doing it. But I, you know, I just think that it's great to have a good support system, you know, like people that are in the same line of business as us to be able to help each other to support people, you know, podcasts, like, like this one, and different things where we can relate to people, because, you know, a lot of people in our community, have no idea what my wife and I and our employees go through on a day to day basis, you know, not that it's, it's bad, but you know, just that we have so much going on. And, you know, I just, I think a lot of people just overlook that. And I'm not saying that their lives aren't busy, they're professionals may not be busy, but it's different, you know, and I love, you know, online, following different things in listening to podcasts and things that where I can actually relate to people, you know, when they're doing the same exact thing as you are similar, you know, with, with the pet care industry, it's so nice to be able to see a situation and know that you've went through that same thing and be able to relate to that person. So yeah, you know, I can be contacted Facebook, Instagram, and then on our website, and you can find that on Google or, or just about anywhere. So yeah, I would love to talk with anybody. I'm always interested in finding out more people in our industry and being able to relate to the same types of things that we that we have, and that we go through on a day to day basis.
Collin 1:06:34
I couldn't agree more. And I will have links to your website, and your social media handles in the show notes and on our website, as well. So people can follow along and see all the things, the antics that you get up to, with your daycare, fun in the snow days, and all sorts of stuff that you posted, celebrate, it's always so much fun. So,
Zach Shearer 1:06:57
right, we have to have fun, for sure. That's what it's all about too,
Collin 1:07:03
is for us, our staff, or our clients, both four and three legged, we find really does get us through a lot, a lot of stuff. But that this has been I've just thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. I really appreciate you taking the time, away from the bill project and your family to come and talk to us today. So thank you so much.
Zach Shearer 1:07:23
Absolutely. Thank you so much, Collin and Meghan for having me on. And I wish you all the best and look forward to talking to you in the future.
Collin 1:07:30
So how do we stay ambitious in our business and in our lives? I think what I got from Zach here is that you have to be crystal clear about your mission in life and the purpose driving it. Without those there's no way or no reason we would try and overcome obstacles as they come up in our lives. There's no reason why we would push for new, bigger, better grander things other than what we have in front of us. Being content with our lives is one thing that is something that we should all strive for. And at every stage, no matter what we have, or don't have or what goal we have yet, or we will meet in the future, we should be content and happy with what we have around us. That doesn't mean we can't be ambitious and still want more, we have to have those plans to put into place to execute on, we have to have a team that surrounds us, that helps us meet them. Nobody can do all these things by ourselves. So whether you are a solopreneur, or whether you have staff, you have people in your lives that are cheering for you that want to see you succeed. It could be clients, it could be family members, it could be friends, it could be fellow local business owners, or it could be pet sitters from around the globe who are cheering you on. And Megan, and I want you to know that that's exactly where we are for you. We want you to continue to be ambitious to push and pursue excellence in all that you do. And to make your business exactly what you want it to be to meet the needs of your clients. We're rooting for you. We're cheering you on. That's why we do the podcast. And what we do here is because we want to have you well equipped to go out and do the things that you want to do. We understand that not all of the topics are all the things we touch on are exactly what every single person needs to hear. But eventually they may help you in some aspect of what you want to do and help you plan for the future. So we want to thank our sponsors time to pet and pet sitters international for making today's show possible. And thank you so much for listening. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week and we will be back again soon.
