467: Saying Yes for Success, and No for Sanity with Liz Raitman
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What are you saying ‘No’ to? For many, saying ‘No’ is almost unthinkable; we have to service the client, right? Liz Raitman, owner of Dogs Next Best Friend, joins the show to share how a love of hiking and running turned into a full-time dog walking company. By learning to say ‘No’ more, Liz talks about how she’s learned from past mistakes to run a company that fits her better. Liz also gives her perspective on why we should hold customer appreciation in such high regard.
Main topics:
Making mistakes
Making hikes work
Be generous with your clients
Favorite gear and resources
Main takeaway: You’ll get ahead of competition by learning from the mistakes you make.
About our guest:
Liz Raitman is the owner of Dog's Next Best Friend, a dog walking and pet sitting company in Summit County, Colorado. Her love for the outdoors and dogs led her to this wonderful career. She has a team of around 30 dog walkers as well as a manager to help meet the needs of locals and vacationers with pets. Her husband of 7 years is one of the biggest dog lovers she knows. She started walking dogs in her home state of Michigan in 2006 and continued when she moved to Colorado is 2007. She caters to all breeds and ages as well as cats and other pets. She loves to xc ski and hike with a pack!!
Links:
https://www.replacements.com dogsnextbestfriend@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/dogsnextbestfriend
https://www.facebook.com/dogsnextbestfriend
https://www.dogsnextbestfriend.com/#home-about
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
dog, people, pet sitters, pet, day, love, call, clients, dog walkers, owner, pet owner, hikes, walk, leash, hotels, doggy, service, started, work, run
SPEAKERS
Liz R., Collin Funkhouser
Collin Funkhouser 00:02
Welcome to pet sitter confessional. Today, we're brought to you by time to pet and the peaceful pet music calm music for pets YouTube channel. What are you saying no to? For many saying no is almost unthinkable. We're in the service business we have to serve our client. Right. Today we are really excited to have Liz Raitman, owner of dogs next best friend on the show to share her journey to learning to say no, as she turned a passion for hiking and running into a full time company, and how she is leaning into giving back to her clients more and more every day. Let's get started.
Liz R. 00:40
Thanks for having me on. I'm really excited. I met you and your wife at the National Association of Professional pet sitters conference last March, and heard you speak. And I've just really enjoyed hearing everyone's stories. My own story, began in Michigan and started walking dogs there and moved to Colorado. I live in Breckenridge, Colorado right now. And so it's a resort town. So I do so to speak resort pet sitting out here.
Collin Funkhouser 01:13
That's a niche that I'm not totally familiar with. So in your minds, how is that distinguished from more typical vacation pet care or daily visits?
Liz R. 01:23
Right. And we certainly do that. You know, like every community, there's a strong local community here. But there's also a huge influx of skiers, especially this time of year, it's January. And our ski season is from November to April, pretty much. And so a lot of people like to travel with their dogs. And so what I provide is I can go to their hotel, pick up their dog, take them for a hike for the day. Or maybe they have a small dog, you know, a chihuahua or a Maltese or something, and we just sit with their dog while they go out to dinner, or while they go skiing. So. So it kind of varies with with that. So I know I've listened to so many of your episodes, and I know a lot of pet sitters try to focus on, you know, having a stable clientele, which we certainly do, trust me on that. But I take a lot of last minute business, and I just love helping people have a worryfree day, you know, they can go and ski and have fun, and they don't have to worry about their dog, you know, sitting in a hotel room
Collin Funkhouser 02:31
board. And you mentioned going to the hotels and stuff is no that's something that we've even considered in our own business of partnering with hotels and local travel places. But the thought of the constant influx of newness, you know, maybe an inability to do meet and greet sometimes, because of the speed that they need services has really put us off of going that direction. So how do you tackle that of of that constant newness of all of the fluctuations that happened with the schedule?
Liz R. 03:00
Yeah, well, thankfully, my personality, I love change. I love new things. I have a background in sales. So okay. My adventure side is like, oh, yeah, cool. Like, this is awesome, you know, a new person, a new dog. But as you know, and as I know, that can also bring a lot of problems. And, you know, you meet a new dog, and the owner says, Oh, they're friendly, just walk in the hotel room, and then, you know, I get attacked or whatever. So there are certain situations, obviously, I tried to tell the hotels, if they could ask their guests to plan ahead. That's the best. Like if I can get a phone call or an email, you know, a week or a month before they arrive. That's really helpful. But it also has helped me to learn to say no, a lot, which is really hard. But yeah, like if someone calls it needs me to sit with their dog tonight, and I have plans, you know, I'm sorry, the answer is no. Or, you know, maybe when I can call one of my team members, and I have an amazing very team. And so they all you know, have different services they prefer. And so I have one lady who likes to sit and watch soap operas and have a dog on her lap. So I call her up, you know, it seems she can help out. So
Collin Funkhouser 04:17
when you initially approached those hotels, how'd you go about introducing yourself? Because, you know, I tried that exactly one time, Liz and person looked at me like I had five heads, and they were really struggling to understand what I was trying to talk to them about. Was there. Did you see that there was a big need? Or did you have hotels who were already reaching out to you or how did you initially approach that?
Liz R. 04:39
Yeah, honestly, the hotels found me. I started out, you know, just catering to the local market. But as travelers, Google Pet Sitter dog walker, you know, especially after the pandemic, everyone was traveling with their dog. I was getting calls from hotels, who were are asking for me to drop my cards off. And for me to be on the resource list, what I do I bring cookies and brownies and gift cards to the local soup shop as Thank you. So the concierge is. And what what also is happening is, you know, when people come on vacation, and they leave their dog in the hotel room, they're barking. So now hotels have a policy where you can't leave your dog alone in the hotel room. So that puts the guests in a pickle, where there's a huge need now like, whoa, we came here to not sit in our hotel room. But now someone has to stay back from our group unless we call Liz.
Collin Funkhouser 05:41
Wow, that's a policy that I was unaware of. But it makes a lot of sense. As far as they don't want to disrupt the other people staying there. They don't want destruction or accidents to be taking place in there. So it's kind of beholden upon them to, to have something like that. But you're right, if people are going out to to enjoy a day of skiing or a day of hiking. They don't want to be stuck in a room. So yeah, they've got to they do have to have some sort of solution for that.
Liz R. 06:04
Right. Right. Yeah. And that's where I come in. So yeah, so it's great. You know, I really enjoy it. And it's, it's definitely a huge need out here. But we have a wonderful local clientele, who we love, you know, taking out for their walks and hikes and all that. So
Collin Funkhouser 06:23
yeah, know what all of the services are. Are you offering?
Liz R. 06:27
Yeah, so pretty much everything. Even watched donkeys one time. And my old boss made a few jokes about that. I'm sure you could, you know, gather where that where that would go. But anyway, no. But anyways, we have a local mine, a gold mine that gives tours. And so the owners of the goldmine needed a vacation. So I went through a few hay bales and filled some water things. But anyways, I pretty much offer everything I do offer dog walking group hikes, overnight pet care in our homes, or their homes, as well as doggy daycare in their homes or our homes. And we also watch cats guinea pigs. About a month ago, I got a call for a bearded dragon. So and in 2020, I've heard you mentioned quite a few times that you want a dog for a lady who's like in assisted living. One of the services we started offering because someone called us was walking a service dog for a lady in a wheelchair, two to four times a day, seven days a week. And we've been doing that since 2020. And she just recently moved. But that was kind of a unique step for my business for sure. Yeah, that's
Collin Funkhouser 07:48
a huge commitment when you take something like that on it's a little little daunting, isn't it?
Liz R. 07:53
It was very daunting. And you know, thank God for I have a full time dog walker in a year, who lives kind of near her. And he just took it on. And he's a A plus kind of guy. Never calls in sick Never had I never had an issue. And he's been working for me for about four years. And so he was her primary dog walker, and I couldn't have done it without him. Wow. Well, so talk
Collin Funkhouser 08:21
to us a little bit about your team, because I know you've been growing one over the last several years. Yeah,
Liz R. 08:25
yeah. So it started. Like most people, you know, I just started doing this because I love dogs. And I love to exercise and I love to be outside. And about maybe I don't know, three months in or six months in, you know, I got what 510 clients, I just started off real little, you know, in about 2007 When I moved here to Breckenridge. And then you know, you start realizing, Oh, these five people all want to go on vacation at Christmas. And I can always stay at one house. So I was literally like hanging out with one of my girlfriends who was like you want to walk a dog like, here, let me give you the phone. And that's how my team started. And yeah, and she and I are still friends to this day. She's awesome. She's since moved. But then from there, it grew. You know, I tried to hire, so to speak, people who I knew my friends, people who I could trust. But then it turned into like, oh, I need someone who I you know, who doesn't go to church on Sunday, because we have Sunday dog walks, you know. So now I need to start hiring other people or people who I don't know. And so I did a lot of just referrals where I would ask my pet sitters and dog walkers. Hey, do you have a friend who you trust who you could recommend? So that's how that started. And I have since branched out because business has been so busy into like job fairs, and I've done a little bit on LinkedIn to try to find or not LinkedIn indeed. If. And I kind of hesitate to, like pay to find a dog walker, but, you know, if you find someone really good, it's worth it. So
Collin Funkhouser 10:14
now you go into job fairs, that again, another thing that we have looked at very hard and gone. How would that what would that look like for us to show up and do that? So how are you making the most of that, because when people go to job fairs, I'm sure that they aren't expecting to see a booth, or a presentation or talk or information about dog walker, new pet sitting. So how do you feel? How are those working out for you?
Liz R. 10:39
Well, I will say, there's pros and cons. Being an optimist, I show up thinking, Oh, I brought my 10 applications, and I'm gonna give them all out. And we're gonna have like, tons of, you know, people ready to help me out. But I usually come back from with like, one or two leads. And, and I honestly, I come back with more business than help. You know, I go around to the other booths, and they're all like, oh, my gosh, your dog walker, oh, I have a dog. And you know, they'll pull out their phone and show me their dog pictures. And then can I have your card and but, you know, all the exposure is great. And then I also try to be memorable. So what I do is I bring a bunch of dog toys, I have those, you know, doggie puzzles with like treats. And I bring treats, but I also bring like chocolates, you know, and I have people figure out the dog puzzles. And I have like fun little things like I have a bowl of those dove chocolates. And they have to guess like what colors dogs can see. Which for the record are blue and yellow, according to my research. So I just tried to have really fun interactive things at my booth, I've only done it twice. And I go back and forth every year. I'm like, Oh, I can't do it. It's, you know, I've wasted my day or my money. But then I keep thinking, but I really need help. And, you know, I'd love meeting people and just sharing about what I do out here. So being memorable
Collin Funkhouser 12:17
is a through line and almost everything that we do, right, whether it's with trying to attract new hires, or attracting new clientele, or if you're serving our existing clientele, we want to do something, to be something to stand for something that's going to stand out in their mind to be memorable to them so that we're not just top of mind. But we're first of mind when people think about needing pet care or wanting to do something in this industry. And it's a it's a fine line, you know, of like, we can certainly be memorable for no weird and wacky things are like non professional, for sure, like bad things. But going How do I how do I stand out in a way that people look at that and, and don't have any reservations about moving
Liz R. 13:01
forward? Right? Yes, absolutely. I learned that in radio advertising. I graduated from college in 2004, with a marketing degree and I launched into radio. And I worked with an amazing lady who taught me a really good balance between professionalism and silliness. And like connecting, connecting with people, but being professional about it. And so I've taken that to the dog world. And like you were saying, we used to have these crazy radio ads that were so annoying. And everyone would be like, Oh, but they remember who you are. And like Yeah, but in a bad way. Like, oh my goodness. So for my business, I try. Yeah, I try to do things and they really come from the heart. But then as a result, I hear people saying, Oh, wow, like, you know, this is why we worked with Liz or you know, like, for example, I think one of your you know, one thing we were discussing on the sheet here you mentioned mentioned is different things, events or whatever so I I give out doggie Christmas presents every year. And I'm just I don't know, my love languages gifts giving and so I just started giving, making dog treats for people. And one of the restaurant owners recommends me and he tells people she even gives my dog a Christmas present at Christmas time. So that's a memorable thing. You know, and, and I try to find, I mean back in the day when I had like five clients I used to like bake, you know, dog cookies and treats and one time I baked a pan of liver dog brownies. And that was the first and the last time I ever did that smelled up the whole house pretty good. Anyways, so then I've graduated into like, you know, I try to buy from small businesses so doggy cherry cookies from a company in Michigan this year. Did you know now the new craze is the seasonings? Where you put I don't know if you've heard of these you put little seasoning toppers meal toppers on your dog's food. Yes, yes. Yeah. only
Collin Funkhouser 15:12
eats the topper and then you've got to add more insert in that. Yes, yes. I'm familiar with those.
Liz R. 15:17
Yeah, yeah. Well, I like to use them just because usually I have like a few dogs at my house. And it's like elementary school, lunchtime. They all want to eat each other's food. So I use little meal toppers to just get them to be like, Oh, wow, my food smells really good right now. And I thought you know that my clients would like that. So anyways, I ordered a bunch of those. I gave those out. So and then I also of course, give the owner a gift. But I don't ever want them to feel obligated. Like oh my gosh, Liz got me a gift and I did it. So I always phrase it like I'm coming over to bring you know, kona his Christmas present. Are you home? Anyways, that's just how when, when one way that I like to be memorable. Another way is I know, you know, a lot of pet sitters have different events. And so I I've done an ice cream social for the dogs every summer. I can't remember when I started up, it's been a long time. And believe it or not, Purina makes a dog eat ice cream? Have you ever bought it? I have not actually no. Okay, so you're almost every grocery store has it, it's on the top shelf. Because top top shelf dogs, you know, so look up, look up when you're in the ice cream aisle, and you will find some doggy ice cream. And they have bacon, peanut butter flavors, all that fun stuff. And so every summer I made a lot of postcard now, I'm now into the new era where I sent an email this year. But But anyways, you know, inviting all of my clients to come out for a little ice cream. And then I invite all my pet sitters to come as well. And that way they can mix and mingle and meet each other and, and we hosted at the dog park. And so it's just it's a fun thing, you know, fun thing to get everyone together and enjoy some ice cream.
Collin Funkhouser 17:08
Well, I'm what really helps there too, is bringing your team and asking them to come. Because when we think about the relationships that we're building, or wanting to build Familiarity is really key to them. So for somebody who travels three or four times a year, you know, they never see the person that takes care of their pads, but they see the updates and they appreciate that person. And they can build a stronger relationship once they do encounter them in the flesh, right, you know, to get together in person. And it can make it feel much more of a familiar setting for people going oh, you walk Baxter or oh my gosh, you take care of Rosie or wow, you know, and so they immediately have that commonality to where they can make that connection.
Liz R. 17:51
Absolutely. And that's another point of this ice cream social is, you know, there's a lot of clients that I help dog owners that I helped that I have never met, you know, they call me they moved to the area, they jumped into a new job, Here's my address and key show up, you know. And so there's that aspect of people are they live on the other side of the county. And I've never been able to walk their dog personally but when I'm a crew has, so they'll come to the ice cream social and be like I've been waiting to meet you. And you know, it's just like a really fun time to, to see meet everyone. So
Collin Funkhouser 18:30
especially as you as you grow a team, it can be easy to feel disconnected from things and people I'll never forget the first time that I went and did a visit that I didn't do the meet and greet on and I had never done before. That that was all handled by staff. And it was very weird. It was a very different feeling. And so trying to get reconnected back to the business to the clients with the staff. And so you can get a sense of what's going on is is really important. So you know, I can have a better feeling and security about what's going on. Yes,
Liz R. 18:58
absolutely. And you know, I always start off with like, Yes, this is a customer appreciation time to just hang out. But in the end, it's really good for business too, because people are like, Oh, I forgot to call you about our next vacation. It's a win win for everyone.
Collin Funkhouser 19:14
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Collin Funkhouser 19:39
you're looking for new pet sitting software, give time to pet a try. Listeners of our show could save 50% off your first three months by visiting time to pet.com/convention. Now as far as you know, events, when I think of events, I can think that they're kind of costly, right that's take a lot of time to plan and stuff. So how do you go about budgeting and planning for something that isn't going to break the bank?
Liz R. 20:03
Well, I really don't. I was a marketing major, not a finance major. And I have to, I have to admit, that is one of my downfalls. And I'm always really challenged by listening to you, and your guests, because I just don't care about the money. And I figure if it's coming in, it's great, you know, and if it's not, then I, you know, go in whatever, take a vacation or whatever. But, but what I do is, I just really believe in being generous with my staff, and with my dog owners, because they provide my livelihood here, they allow me to work outside and have an active life and play with dogs. So now for the Christmas gifts, I usually take my top 80 clients, and I get them a nice gift for like $10 or under, from from a small business. And as well as the dogs, I budget that usually around five to $10 per gift. And then for I take my top 10 dog walkers or dog owners, and I usually get them something extra special. Because they're like the ones who, you know, we're there every every day or every week. I've done canvas bags with their dogs picture on it, or a dog food puzzle for them or a dog themed art.
Collin Funkhouser 21:26
Yeah, well, and there is that, you know that why are we giving this gift? Right? And I think that's really important that we remember of why am I putting on this event? Is it to be appreciative to show appreciation? Is that actually what we're doing? Or do we have some secret ulterior motive, right? And then really checking ourselves, no matter what we do when we're giving gifts, when we're planning events, when we're doing appreciation things, making sure it's coming from the right attitude on our end, so that it will be received as it is sent has been sent.
Liz R. 21:55
Exactly. Exactly. And yeah, I'm just happy with whatever business comes in. And I'm happy to connect and and see everyone. So you
Collin Funkhouser 22:04
know, you mentioned, you mentioned your your dog hikes, I did want to talk about those for just a little bit because those are becoming increasingly popular across the country as people look to take a dog walk and do something more or extra with it. So how do you have your dog hikes structured and in priced?
Liz R. 22:22
Yeah. So I love my dog hikes. Being in Colorado, we have tons of trails. In the winter, I'm able to cross country ski with the dogs. So I basically it's amazing. I mean, I just keep my skis in the car, I keep my boots next to the heater and and I'm out multiple times a day cross country skiing. What I'd love to do is I'd love to get dogs who are friendly, of course with each other with people, active dogs who can keep up, you know, there's concern about tearing an ACL postholing through the snow. So they have to be in good health. And you know, that they they like to play together. Also, Colorado is known for its 14,000 foot peaks. I know if you've heard of fourteeners Yeah, yeah. Okay, so back in the day, I was big into hiking fourteeners and I used to take dogs up fourteeners with the owner's permission of course. And now that's one way to wear out a dog. They love they love it more worn out everyone sleeping after that, but But what a cool experience really. I will take up to six dogs at a time if I know the dogs and if they are all off leash trained. So to speak, I have my own wolf pack at those times. And I love all the comments that I get from people on the trail. One person told me one time that I brought the whole kennel so I always hope you know that I run into people who love dogs. And sometimes I don't you know sometimes I've run into people who don't like dogs and when I have that group it because they're all on voice command. I keep them moving, keep them distracted. Other people I run into on the trail you just never know that they're like oh my gosh, you made my day. Like all these dogs. It's like doggy heaven and this is amazing. I do carry leashes for every dog that I have in case I have to leash them if we run into a moose or you know a dog aggressive dog. So you I definitely have to take precautions with that. My doggy hikes also in the summer involve rivers and lakes. You know, dogs get hot even in 70 degree weather and so it's so much fun to just let them swim and play and splash around. My husband and I have even taken dogs backpacking before with owner's permission again. And so That's a really special time to refer the doggy daycares that come, you know, that come over, I take them hiking, so I usually make sure that the owners know that it's going to be maybe up to three hours of exercise, and that their dog can handle it. And if their dog can't handle that, then like if they're say they're little or something, I have a little sling carrier actually made by outward hound. And I can carry the little dogs if they get too cold or they're tired. But the trails and recommends are awesome for hiking. They're mostly all dog friendly. And kind of the rule of thumb is your dogs off leash, she's under voice command and friendly. I
Collin Funkhouser 25:39
love how you started off by describing friendly, active, playful dogs, like really defining who is this particular service for from the pets perspective, right of going, who is actually a good fit for this, because when we don't do that, you know, we we get dogs and cats and bearded dragons that aren't a good fit for the kind of service that we're offering. And then nobody has a good experience. So really having a laser focus of what are my red flags? What are my requirements to be eligible for this service? And that's not something that a lot of us really think of, of like, making requirements for service, we just think, are they here? Can they pay? Am I available? Okay, let's go and do this. But really refining and thinking about what who is actually a good fit for this both from the human client and the pet as well.
Liz R. 26:33
Exactly. And, you know, along those same lines, I have several dogs who are 10 plus years old, who still love to go on these group hikes. And you know, they just pet see in the back, they don't, they like the social, but they're not going to be up running with the puppies, you know, tackling each other. And, and I'm really careful, and owners know that. And I'm really careful to to if there is a little conflict, like if one dog is a little too rough, with another dog, then we make a note of that, and we don't mix them in the future. Or we let the owner know and say, hey, you know, one, one owner was like, geez, my dogs soaking wet, you know, what happened? It's like, well, you know, he got tackled by the Rottweiler the whole hour. You know, and if that's not something fun for either party, that, you know, then we mix with a different group the next time. So
Collin Funkhouser 27:29
that sounds like a lot of expectations that you have to wade through with with the client, how do you talk to them about the service and what to expect?
Liz R. 27:39
Yeah, we send them pictures. You know, most of them initiated on their own, they hike there with their own dogs. And they, they tell me where they where to go and what to do. And, and here's what I want you to do with my dog. And I said, Okay, great. I've learned a lot about the area and trails and where to go, and, and even dog owners who have dogs who can be reactive, they've told me, Hey, take my dog to this trail, you're not going to run into anyone, this, you know, this is a safe place for them to get some exercise.
Collin Funkhouser 28:10
It builds that partnership, again, that relationship with the client and bringing them and making them part of that care with your professional oversight.
Liz R. 28:19
Right, right, exactly. And, you know, just clear communication about where we are. And as you know, and all the pet sitters know a lot of dogs now come with GPS collars. So the owners know where I'm taking their dog. And, you know, living in Colorado, again, like people are active, and they want their dogs to be active. They, they want their dogs to live the same lifestyle that they do to get after it in the outdoors. And that's what I am able to do with their dogs. So
Collin Funkhouser 28:48
that's a very Coloradan thing to say get after it in the outdoors.
Liz R. 28:54
Sometimes, if I might, yeah, or if I'm on my skis, I'll be like, send it guys we're gonna send it. And they know, they know to just keep writing because we're going downhill and they better keep moving.
Collin Funkhouser 29:12
Well, you know, again, it's, it's this, what are the clients envision themselves and that you're going that the service is really for those active clients with active dogs with an outdoor lifestyle. And really coming alongside going here is a lifestyle that you can perpetuate or keep going with your dog. Even if you're not here, or even when you're stuck at the office. You'd rather be out sending it you can have your dog do it and you can kind of live vicariously through their adventures.
Liz R. 29:39
Exactly, exactly. I had one one guy, I need to, you know, start writing some of this down. But he he had me hiking his dog two hours, one hour in the morning and one hour at night for like, I don't know, five months. And he said, Wow, I took my dog to the vet and his heart rate was so amazing. The vet commented on how greatest heart rate was like, oh, yeah, my tool at this point.
Collin Funkhouser 30:08
And that's, again, those client expectations, we will pick up clients who have actually, we just kind of got a small number of them at the beginning of the year, they are starting a new health journey, and they want their pets to be on a new health journey as well. And so we're coming over, not because they need a potty break, not because they need socialization, or playtime, but just for pure exercise, and that's what their goal is, is I want my dog to help start losing weight. And you are essential to that when they talk to our company. And so for that, like, yeah, they get a healthy lifestyle as well.
Liz R. 30:42
Yeah, yeah, one lady. She's a ski Patroller. At the start of the season. She said, You cannot give my dog any treats. Because she's kind of bulked up over the summer. And I just got the report. She's lost two pounds already. Yeah.
Collin Funkhouser 30:57
You mentioned the GPS trackers. And this is something that comes up from time to time and discussions of, you know, do you have clients that reach out and go, I saw you only walked 4.7 miles, I thought, you know, you could have done five or six on that one. What happened?
Liz R. 31:12
Yeah, you know, honestly, there was one one person who, who yes, said, like, I thought a doggy daycare was X amount of miles. And it was. And so what I have learned is just to set the expectation right away. You know, this lady was like, Oh, I have an older dog. She's eight years old. So we thought we didn't need to, like kill it, you know, with exercise. But clearly, that's what she wanted. So. So now I just set the expectation with a doggy daycare. And I usually phrase it in hours, not miles. Because oftentimes, if I have a new dog, who's a Pulitzer, you know, maybe they're vacationing here from LA, and they're like, snow, what, like, I don't want to go out there. But we still have to go or continue the walk or whatever, we may not cover as much ground. But we're, you know, we'll be out there playing for the amount of time that that was requested. And, and one time with those GPS trackers, there was a bad thunderstorm up here. And so one of my dog walkers, the dog was scared, he was scared. So he he put the dog in his car and like ran an errand, you know, went to Target or something. And then and then came back. It just again, all out of the graciousness of his heart looking to have a quality experience for the dog. But the dog owner was like, What's my dog doing at Target? So we have some explaining to do. Yeah, so I now tell my dog sitters like, again, just communicate that, like if we're if we have a change in a play on, just tell Tell me Tell the owner, because live and learn. They're gonna find out one way or another. So
Collin Funkhouser 32:56
they always do. And there are more questions on the back end. And yeah, it's it's a reminder of, like, I might not be able to do anything about this, or we might not change our decision with what we're doing. But you need to communicate that a change has been made, or that that there's a deviation from what we expected to take place. That that cuts through so much. And it builds a lot of trust. Because yeah, if you're sitting there as an owner, you're like, oh, how is fluffy doing it? daycare, they're at shopping for target. That's alarming. Right? That's out of the expected out of the you know, for them. So just getting that little message beforehand. They know that why would they be bothered by that then?
Liz R. 33:36
Yeah, and I know, one of your podcast guests was from Minnesota, and I loved hearing her talk about all of her doggy. All the gear that she wears when she goes out with the dogs. Oh, yeah. And I felt like I could totally relate. I have my own like little list of of stuff that I use and for the dog walkers who are out in cold climates and I would love to share if you know if you feel like this is a good time. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Because
Collin Funkhouser 34:03
I know you know, dog walkers, pet sitters. We're kind of geared nuts at heart where we get we like figuring out the best thing especially when it comes to warm pants. So I'm really looking forward to your exit for your recommendation here. Let's
Liz R. 34:16
well I will say my new top favorite piece of gear that I just learned about this year from a pet owner is a whisk. Oh okay. So I don't know if you how much snow you get there in Missouri.
Collin Funkhouser 34:30
But not a whole lot.
Liz R. 34:33
Well, you know the doodles collect snowballs. Yeah, and a whisk is an amazing tool to get snowballs off of doodles. Oh, that's my first piece of gear recommendation is to carry a whisk
Collin Funkhouser 34:49
not what I'm not where I was expecting. We're going to start list and this is I'm ready.
Liz R. 34:57
So anyways, I had to go to pants I will say Just put the snow pants on like just don't don't what is it stop at go or whatever. Just Just keep keep the snow pants on. Warmth is essential. I have a pair of North Face I wear like a dry wicking layer. And then I have my snow pants nice socks are crucial. But if you don't need to go as far as the snow pants I really like Eddie Bauer makes like a fleece lined windproof pant that's pretty casual. So you could wear it, you know going shopping, but it's going to protect you out in the elements as well. As far as gear goes, I have a dog walking backpack that is I just bought this year at the Vale farmers market. And it's designed by a dog owner and it has all of the pockets on the front of the backpack. Not all of them but the majority. It's called mutt rock and U T T R U K. and I load up my leashes in there it has a treat area a poop bag area. And then your your politics are on the front so you can have your keys right there. Treats whistle there's a built in whistle. Okay. And then mittens. Hey, I have a young golden who's already mittens. My favorite are the Eddie Bauer flip off. So it's a it looks like a mitten but then you flip the top off and it's like a glove you have all your fingers but they the you know the warp stops. We you know you have your fingertips you can pick up poop you can grab a leash. That's my favorite dog walking mitten. As far as leashes go, I really like Ruffwear leashes, the kind that go around your waist because you can clip them to a tree if you see a moose or you know you need to all sudden like least five dogs, you know, yeah, you can just you can do that. Obviously, being in a snowy area, I have a scheduling harness that I use. Not regularly, but if I have Huskies or say a dog who needs to be on leash but wants to be active. You know, so he's visiting from the city, and he's not off leash trained. But the owner wants me to take him with the pack. I'll do that. I'll just clip him to my waist. And then we got we go cross country skiing and he's safe and and I get a ride. Yeah. Network warmers are crucial. I've recently gotten into this brand called SKIDATA s kid a, it's out of Vermont. So I put on a neckwarmer pretty much anytime I go outside in the winter stabilizers, they're kind of like Yaktrax but they have a little bit more stability. And you can you know rope them around your your booth. I'm really into having like, what do you call it a lanyard for your sunglasses? I cannot tell you how many times I have lost sunglasses chasing a puppy or trying to leash a dog. And out here in Colorado, the sun's out like 300 days a year so yeah, it's pretty crucial. I also really love LL Bean has a hat with a headlight on it. What? Okay, yes. Okay. Write that one down. I gave it all to my dog walkers when you're for Christmas. And it's just battery operated has three settings. But then you don't have to carry around your headlight. You know, you have your hat. Your it's all in one. Yeah.
Collin Funkhouser 39:01
Okay, well, that's cool. Yeah, okay. Got it. And
Liz R. 39:06
then, of course, he did socks for the rare days where it's like below zero. They're pricey. They're expensive, but totally worth it when you have to be out all day long. A few more things. There's a company out here in Colorado called melon zonna. They're out of Leadville, Colorado, I think the only way to order their stuff is you have to show up. So come out and visit me and I'll take you over there. But their outerwear are well they're they're fleeces and everything is they're super warm, they're lightweight, and they're comfy. So I wear a lot of melon zonna underneath my coats. And then of course, you know a good hiking hat in the summer to protect from the sun and trail running shoes for stability in the summer, too. So
Collin Funkhouser 39:54
yeah, and you know, I love this discussion about about gear and stuff because, you know, it's all All really customizable to ourselves and how we operate our business, what services we're offering, where we're offering them when we're off like, it just, it really gets into this right tool for the right job. And absolutely that we can pick and that is about what we are comfortable with what works for us and how, you know, our body operates. Do we run warmer to be able to hotter? Are we sweating a lot? You know, how much dry wicking material do we need? Or, you know, I go I need a hat with a headlamp Well, oh, I never operate in the evenings. I'm just mid days, okay, well, then maybe you might not need this or just picking and choosing, but we have to be intentional about that to have it really shows this. I'm thinking through making sure that I'm comfortable so that I can provide the best experience and I'm not just winging it.
Liz R. 40:50
Absolutely. And I mean, live and learn half of half everything on this list is because I've had an issue or a problem. And I that I needed to solve me back in 2007. You know, we didn't have smartphones. I had to carry a flashlight with me everywhere. It's just crazy to kind of think about like, the road. Yeah, the road that we're all on and the road that we're on now and why and how we how we got there. Well,
Collin Funkhouser 41:21
you know about that about that road? Liz. You know, you've been you've been pet setting for several years. Now. What did get you started doing this initially?
Liz R. 41:30
i To be honest, I did not want to run with pepper spray anymore.
Collin Funkhouser 41:35
That's that's a very specific thought. Yes. Okay.
Liz R. 41:42
I don't know if you've heard of the company dog is good. The owner spoke at one of the naps, petsitting conferences I went to but that is my story. I was a runner with jogger. Let's be honest. A jogger in Houghton, Michigan, which is a college town. And I was running in the mornings before work. And one day my pepper spray leaked. And I was just over it. I thought, You know what, I bet there's a big dog, I could take out and run with me. And you know, it's a college town. So there's probably really busy professors who don't have time to run their dog and he could be my protection. And I could run a dog. So I put a sign up at the local vet when I was like 23. And I got my first call from a local pharmacist who was overworked pursuing her MBA. And I'm still friends with her to this day. And that's how I started and kind of like bait like I've mentioned, like with babysitting, like Oh, I love dogs. I love kids, you know. Then when I moved to Breckenridge, two years after, when I was 25, I realized, wow, everyone has a dog out here. So I made business cards. And within a month I had my first pet owner, and I love dogs. I love exercising and being outside. I always saw it as a side gig. I know a lot of people on your show like set out to like make this their business, which is awesome. I mean, it's great to set out and do that. I did not set out with those goals in mind. confessional number one, I never took an entrepreneurship class like most people. Confession number two. I'm allergic to dogs. As a kid, we had to get a hypoallergenic dog because we were all allergic. I'm allergic to cats. But you know what, I think I've overcome that at this point. But I just I love dogs I so I've always seen that. I always saw this as a side gig. But living in Colorado in Breckenridge, in a resort town. It was super hard to make a living. So I had three jobs i i worked all my jobs. I'm an extrovert. So I had waitressing and property management, customer service, all of that. dog walking was kind of like my quiet time. You know, I wasn't with anyone I was by myself. I just never saw myself doing this full time. But it got to the point where I would go in for my waitressing shift, not have any tables, but there would be like five dogs who needed to be walked that I was giving to my staff, you know, and I'm like, What am I doing? Like? And with property management? I mean, I was like, I was like, why am I socializing with people that I'm never going to see again? Like I want to choose my social time. And dog walking and pet city allowed me to do that and it's so relational. You know, I started really develop these huge relationships with all of the locals and all of my dogs, you know, my dog friends, and, and I so I cut. I cut all my jobs about 10 years ago, and was like, That's it. No more three jobs. I'm just doing dog walking full time. My dad was really nervous about that. Um, But I showed him the numbers and the business and I said, Dad, it's time and you know, thankfully he and my mom raised me in the Upper Peninsula Michigan where like, you know, we go out rain or shine with snow with whatever. And 10 years later, you know, he comes to visit me and I have a schedule that I can I can cater to. To him, you know he's in town I can ski I can give my dog walks to meet girls.
Collin Funkhouser 45:30
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Liz R. 47:31
us. Exactly. And honestly, I tell my pet sitters this all the time. The first dog that dog of the pharmacist did not want to go on a walk with me. He turned around every time I went to pick him up. He was a mama's boy. He bit me the first time I ever pet sat for an overnight with him. And I tell my pet sitters. It's like the Michael Jordan story. Michael Jordan was benched in the eighth grade. What if you would have given up basketball? Where I mean? Isn't that crazy? To think about? What if I would have given up and been like, oh, well, that dog bit me I'm done. Oh, that dog who didn't want to go to walk with me? I guess I'm I'm over this. No, I said if you you will run into problems. You call me and we work through it. And that's part of the journey. And you overcome it and you move on. And or you say hey, that dog is not right for me. Let's move on to the next one, or whatever. But a an amazing piece of business advice that I received. In college. Someone told me, you get ahead of your competition by the mistakes that you make. It's how you handle the hard times. And I know you guys talk about this a lot on your podcast, which I love you, if you come at it with an approach of humility, honesty, I'm going to change I need to change or no you know what, I did the right thing and this happened it was an accident. How you handle your your mistakes, and the hard times is how you will succeed.
Collin Funkhouser 49:12
It really reframes those hard times doesn't it have to have not just a oh, this is preparing me for something or this is preparing me for something greater because we can get into that mindset of oh, this is my, this is where I need to be. But going I'm I'm glad I went through those hard times because I came out different and not just different but better. And because of the hard times that I went through and that we overcame as a business and as a company and with my clients you know recognizing that it's not just all an us thing that we didn't handle all those by ourselves that there is that we can bring a team that there are people out there to support us like I was over to able to overcome this. I am better off for that. Now let me not waste that advantage that those lessons, my new attitude, my new outlook, and let's do so One thing with that.
Liz R. 50:02
Absolutely. Right. And, you know, and that's another thing a lot of people say, Well, how can you hire people? How can you trust them? How can you know? Don't they miss big make mistakes? You know, all these kinds of things like, and I said, Well, I'm not perfect. Yeah, like, you know, we all have to give each other some grace and, and be like, okay, you know what I'm sorry, yes, you made a mistake, yes, I made a mistake, we're going to work through this, we're going to be become stronger in the end, we're going to not let that happen. Again, this is the protocol we're doing. So this doesn't happen in the future. You know, but I love working with my team, I love you know, the variety and the experience that they bring, and the personalities that they have, that I don't have, you know, some owners connect more with, you know, my, my team members who are a little bit more disciplinarian than I am, you know, I'm like, kind of like, the fun and I'm not the parent, you know. And so, but other other dogs need, you know, a firm hand or whatever, you know, and so, so there's just an immense variety, and I've hired an assistant manager and 2020. And she's opposite of me, as far as like personality, I can kind of go on and on about things and can get a little, like, worked up, and she just brings it back to the center. like, Nope, this is how we communicate this, this is what we're going to do. And, and like your community here, it's so helpful to have other people to bounce things off of, and to say, you know, I feeling this way, is this okay? Or is this not okay? And, you know, you this podcast, you provide, like the teachers lounge, and the break room at Walmart for us to all commiserate and to share in our joys like, you know, we love this field, but it can be very hard and very difficult. And so she's, she's been a great help. So anyways, but
Collin Funkhouser 52:03
yeah, when we, when we look to build a team, you know, recognizing and giving them as much grace as we need to give ourselves and we're the hardest on ourselves. So it's hard to give other people grace, like, it's, it really is difficult in that moment, but embracing that, that richness, the uniqueness that every new person brings, when they come onto your team have they are making the company better, because they are here, right? their experience, their outlook, their expertise, their proclivities are to make us better? Do we have to train? Do we have things that we need to equip them with? Yes, absolutely. But their individuality becomes a remarkable asset. And I'll never forget, again, this the first time you're with an employee, and you realize, oh, the talk likes them more than they like me, I guess I'll just leave now. Okay, like, I'm the problem. It's like, it's, on one hand, I'm like, Oh, well, I'm kind of sad, because I want you know, but on the other hand, it's going great, why our company can serve this client even better, because they have a good connection with one another. How wonderful. Exactly,
Liz R. 53:09
exactly, I definitely went through a period of jealousy with some dogs, like what, you know, I can't I can't watch you anymore, because your favorite is, you know, so and so. But I kind of relate it to like the hair Hair Salon, you know, like, I want people to call, I want my dog owners to call me and request one of my cat sitters, you know, I want them to have that connection with with someone else, in addition to me, you know, but I just want to be able to facilitate that. And another thing too, is to really value I really am so appreciative of my team. I mean, I could like start crying here, but and I love to show my appreciation to them. And I would just encourage everyone to be very generous with them. You know, I treat my my top dog walkers to a spa day, once a year. And we go off and we get massages because brother working hard, you know, we deserve it. But it just I want them to feel appreciated. And I couldn't do this without them. If I didn't have them, then I would just I'd probably, you know, have to have my three jobs again. Yeah. So that
Collin Funkhouser 54:20
that perspective, their lives of I couldn't do this without them. And whatever the this is, that's what we need to focus on. For a lot of people listening, it may be, you know, I wouldn't be able to go to my dad's birthday party, if without my team or I wouldn't be able to get the rest that I need or I wouldn't be able to serve my community or I wouldn't be able to make my income goals or I wouldn't be able to whatever that is like there's a this that we have to focus on. And whoever helps us get this, clients, staff, friends, family, our support network, that we need to be thinking and expressing an immense gratitude To them, because this is important to us. And they recognize that and help that happen.
Liz R. 55:05
Absolutely, absolutely. And I've just had bosses in the past who have not worked that hard. And I felt like I was pulling all the weight and, and in my team, I just want to be the, I want to be dealing with the hardest dogs and putting the time in. But I have also learned that I cannot walk all 300 dogs all the time, as much as I want to. And so my allowing my team to take most of the work has been difficult for me this past year, but it's something that I need to do. I've learned if I watch 20 dogs a day, it's not good for me emotionally. So I want to walk dogs every day, but not not that kind of volume. So learn, learning to give away and to give them you know, opportunities to earn money and, and experience the joy in dog walking as well.
Collin Funkhouser 56:07
It is it is something that we have to we may want to try and serve everybody but recognize recognize that we can't that we have our own personal limits. And that we are thankful when when we can have staff that can take that on. And if we choose to not bring on staff still being thankful that we can recognize our limits, right and going no, it's okay that I can't serve everybody because I need to take care of myself to
Liz R. 56:32
one of the ways one of the ways I love hearing all of your pet sitters interviews of people and how they take care of themselves. The way that I take care of myself is I tried to get out of town once a month, okay, and it might just be for one night to you know, backpacking in the mountains or on a ski trip or something. But once a month just to reset. One girl I just listened to was like, Oh, I can just veg on my couch. For me personally, if I did that, and the phone rang, I'd have to jump up and walk that dog. I just couldn't do it. But if I'm, you know, 100 miles away, and my phone's off and my my managers doing stuff. I have to say no. And I have to say, You know what, I will come back tomorrow or in a week, fully refreshed and ready to hike and play and give 110% Sorry, yeah,
Collin Funkhouser 57:33
it's so important to know, not just our limits, but what we do once we've hit those. And kind of like the like you were saying, it's not just that we have challenges, that's what we do, when we face them. And in our response to them. If we if we only ever get good at recognizing that we are burning ourselves out, well, we'll just be a really knowledgeable burnt out person sitting on the floor. Like that's not a whole lot of good that comes from that unless we can change something unless there's an action associated with that recognition and going, whether it's getting out whether it's, you know, venting on the couch, whether it's going and reading a book or whether it gets just going to a hotel that's in the town next over just to disconnect, whatever that is. Be recognizing and then acting are equally important. Yeah,
Liz R. 58:19
just something I like to think about is say yes for success. And say no for sanity. We all need sanity. And we're we all have a hard time saying no. But when I'm walking dogs for people who are going skiing, and I can't go skiing, and I live in a ski resort town, I start getting a little, little crazy.
Collin Funkhouser 58:45
Time for a day off. Yeah. No, it is. It is because that Sandy for us, right? So that we can show up tomorrow. And that's the that's an aspect that I know, Megan I have worked through personally and that we work with our employees a lot to have going, Hey, look, we have to show up today at 100%. So that we can show up tomorrow at 100%. And we have to show up 100% Like it's kind of a never ending workload. And for some people that's very energizing to them where they step up to the plate. Other people it becomes really overwhelming. And it's extremely daunting to realize, hey, I can give 110% today to all of my clients. But that doesn't change that I have to still show up tomorrow and then the next day and the next day and then next day and I can kind of freeze from that and decide and the overwhelm the burnout all kick in.
Liz R. 59:36
Exactly. And And honestly, you know, everyone's structures are business differently. So that's what I get. I love hearing all of the stories how people structure their business. When I'm home, I walk dogs seven days a week. I love the flexibility I can go to the store, I can hang out with friends, I can do things but every day I'm thinking about a dog You know, I'm giving it my all. And so so that's why Yeah, leaving town having a complete break. There's some quote out there that something like, even a good thing can become a bad thing. And so at one point, someone's like, do you ever miss the dogs when you're on vacation? Like, well, I don't know, probably not like the first five days. But you know, after five days, I'm ready to get back to him. Another quote, I like to think about a lot, you were talking about giving it your all and coming in at 100% The secret of success is like a duck, smooth and unruffled on top, but paddling furiously underneath? And how often is that what we do, and in order to paddle furiously, and be smooth on top and approach our dog owners like, you know, we're in control, everything's great. But we're juggling, we're juggling a lot underneath. And, and so just realizing that like, you know, and I have to stop myself because I a bit of a verbal processor, and someone calls me, you know, for the fifth doggy daycare on a Saturday, and I'm like, Oh, I'm feeling overwhelmed. So I have to stop myself. Yeah. And just a simple answer of No, I'm sorry, I cannot help you today. I've, I've been on that rat race where I say, oh, my gosh, I have five dogs in the car. You know, that's just not healthy. No,
Collin Funkhouser 1:01:39
no. And it's a reminder of as we look to those around us in the pet sitting world and other people running a business, so they may look smooth and sleek on the top, but just as much as we're furiously paddling, paddling underneath, so too, are they right? Like, like, they may be making it look easy as they glide through the water with little ripples and a beautiful sunset. But underneath those little, those little feet are just going a mile a minute to make that actually happen.
Liz R. 1:02:04
Right, right. And to realize that's the case in any career. You know, I love the meme that shows like, what what people think I do and what I actually do. It just cracks me up. And I I love when, when people say I really respect you as a pet sitter and a dog walker, because it's like, wow, they get it they get that I'm dealing with tons of different personalities, they get that I'm dealing with elements and and to just it's a lesson to to be appreciative of everyone in their careers, you know, the waitress, the Postal Service Worker, like we see them, you know, in one context, but there is so much more. There's so much you know, complexity to their job.
Collin Funkhouser 1:02:47
Well, Liz, one of the things that you sent over when we were kind of going back and forth getting set this up I'm I've never heard of this before you you mentioned something about replacements.com Could you please tell me why that is a link or resource that you have in your in your toolkit tool belt?
Liz R. 1:03:06
Yeah, well, I again, I love your theme of confessionals. You know, being a believer and a Christian and you know, confessing to the Lord and all this. But one of my pet sitter confessionals that I would like to share with everyone is if you you know you're in someone's home, pet setting and things break, you unload the dishwasher, a coffee mug, all the glass breaks. replacements.com has one of everything you could ever dream of. Hmm, so it's a good low resource. Like that was a rare coffee mug that oh my gosh, you know, just pop on replacements.com and look it up and tell the owner I'm sending you a replacement. Oh,
Collin Funkhouser 1:03:57
okay. I'm fully understanding now because yeah, I mean when we are waiting for doing live in services or even if we are just, you know, washing the dog bowl in a sink I can write the thing is sitting there on the counter, knock stuff over and you stare at this shattered thing before you going What on earth am I gonna do like oh, so sounds like what find a nice nice replacement there. Okay, and that might be even come useful in my own life as we have such a mismatch things in our cabinets as well.
Liz R. 1:04:33
Yeah, I think one dog owner I you know, I dropped her mugs stalking him in the cupboard one day or something and I thought she just thought I was gonna get some generic mug for her but she was like, wow, you found that exact 101 pet owner. She gave me her porcelain dog bowls in a paper bag. And you know, it was snowing or raining or whatever, and then it drops and oh my gosh, you know. So again, just taking responsibility into your own hands and doing the right thing. Well, and
Collin Funkhouser 1:05:03
yet another amazing thing that is memorable in a good way, right of like, man, well, yeah, they they broke my cup, but they found an exact replacement of the cup to stay broke, like, who else does that, like that's such a thing that's going to stick out in somebody's mind. And it's really, it's a shareable story for them to to talk about your services. And what happened when an accident happened, because that, again, like this, oh, man, like we those challenges that come up, like they really are a test of our character, but people look to how we solve them, how we overcome them. And sometimes the challenges are the perfect way to win over the customer even more, when we fix something with the way we handle it in our way that they see as being valuable as being professional and as being honoring to them. Exactly.
Liz R. 1:05:52
This whole industry is built on integrity, the definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. And if you as a pet sitter are doing the right thing, when no one is looking. And you communicate that in these little ways to the pet owner, it will grow your business leaps and bounds. And it's it's not about the money. It's not about all of that. It's about the service and the care. And I've had pet owners tell me, Wow, I didn't even notice that was missing, or I didn't even notice X, Y or Z. Well, I did. And I'm gonna tell you.
Collin Funkhouser 1:06:35
I love that Liz and I, I've just I've so appreciated our time together and getting having you share these and encouraging us to step up to the plate when it's necessary to embrace those challenges, to lean into and on those who are around us for support and to recognize those limits and how to best take care of ourselves. But I know that there's there's a whole lot more here. We didn't get to touch on everything. But how can people get in touch with you and follow along with everything that you've got going on.
Liz R. 1:07:05
So I'm online, of course, dogs next best friend.com. And I love talking on the phone. So I just talked on the phone, if I have a great group of dogs, and they're entertaining themselves on a hike, feel free to give me a call. My phone number is on my website. I'm also on Facebook and Instagram, as dogs next best friend. And yeah, those are the main ways. Liz,
Collin Funkhouser 1:07:30
I really, really thank you for for talking with us today and sharing everything. It's been a real pleasure. Thank
Liz R. 1:07:37
you. Thank you so much, Colin and I really want to let you know that I admire you. I think you guys are an amazing married couple that you're able to work together and that you're able to even do this podcast and run a full time dog walking business. It's very impressive. So thank you. And thanks for having me on. I've just been so excited to share and I love listening to your to your guests and to all of your, your episodes.
Collin Funkhouser 1:08:01
Just take a moment and think about the mistakes that you have learned most from in your business and in your personal life. They happen to everybody, and they make us stronger, as long as we don't make them again, we learn from them so we don't repeat them. We become better, more knowledgeable, more wise about what's going on around us and how to respond in those situations. The mistakes that you've made are holy and unique to you and nobody can replicate that kind of experience that you have. What a wonderful way to separate you from those who offer similar services, your experience that when people look to you. It's okay to talk about how you made mistakes in the past. But now how we are being an acting different today. We want to thank today's sponsors time to path and the peaceful pet music calm music for pets YouTube channel. Thank you so much for listening. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. And we'll be back again soon.
