563: Elevating Professionalism with Ruby Ballesteros
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How do you grow a pet care business while staying true to your values? Ruby Ballesteros, owner of Ruby Red’s Pet Care, shares how she maintained her standards during tough times, leading to a surge of new clients and stronger relationships with her community. She leveraged local TV segments to educate the public about professional pet care and collaborated with small businesses to promote their services through her newsletters. By embracing opportunities and pushing herself out of her comfort zone, Ruby grew personally and professionally, while elevating her business. Her story is an inspiring example of how staying authentic and community-focused can lead to sustainable success.
Main topics:
Navigating Business Challenges with Integrity
Building Strong Community Relationships
Professionalism in Pet Care Industry
Leveraging Media for Business Growth
Maintaining Consistency in Client Services
Main takeaway: “Maintaining the integrity of my business meant refusing to lower my standards—even during tough times.”
Success in business starts with maintaining your standards, even when times are tough. Ruby Ballesteros shares how staying true to her values and refusing to devalue her services allowed her to not only weather challenges but also redefine professionalism in her community. Through her journey, she demonstrates the power of persistence and the rewards of aligning actions with a clear mission.
This week on Pet Sitter Confessional, Ruby reminds us why integrity matters in business—and in life. Her inspiring story is a must-listen for anyone looking to build a lasting legacy in pet care.
🌟 How do you stay true to your business values?
About our guest:
Ruby Ballesteros is the owner of Ruby Red’s Pet Care, providing exceptional pet sitting services in Irmo, Ballantine, and Chapin, South Carolina. With a background in corporate training and a passion for animals, Ruby has built a trusted brand known for professionalism and integrity. She’s also a fierce advocate for networking and community support, sharing her knowledge through TV segments and partnerships with local businesses. Ruby’s mission is to set the gold standard in pet care while empowering others to prioritize quality and trust.
Links:
Previously on: https://www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/457
https://www.rubyredspetcare.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rubyredspetcare
https://www.instagram.com/rubyredspetcare
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Pet sitting, professionalism, community education, local networking, TV appearances, pet care tips, small business support, client relationships, business growth, integrity, VIP treatment, exclusive discounts, business challenges, future goals, personal development.
SPEAKERS
Ruby B., Collin
Collin 00:00
Music. Welcome to pet sitter confessional, an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter. Today, we're brought to you by our friends at tied to pet and pet sitters International. What does it mean to be professional? Importantly, have you told people about that? As the industry grows and matures, more and more people are recognizing the pet sitting and dog walking industry as a professional industry. However, many don't even know what that word means or why it is included in a professional industry. We need to be thinking about what we can do in our local communities, first and foremost, about broadening that recognition and helping to educate people about what professionalism actually is. Today, we're really excited to have Ruby by esteros on the show from Ruby Red's pet care to talk about how she is partnering with those in her community to elevate the industry, educate potential clients and lead the way in the industry. Let's get started. Yes.
Ruby B. 01:01
First, thank you so much for having me back. It's good to speak to you again. I'm really excited to delve into this topic, but ruby red from Ruby Red's pet care, and, by the way, excellent pronunciation of my last name. Well done. We provide pet sitting services in the irmo, Valentine, Chapin, South Carolina areas. So that is what we do. So what you got for me today? Collin,
Collin 01:30
well, one thing that we've been noticing on your on your social media pages, is that you've been posting a lot of TV appearance interviews with with your local station. And so I wanted you to talk about about these kind of, you know, how they came about, and how you're making the most of those.
Ruby B. 01:48
Absolutely, it really goes back to networking and supporting other small businesses. And if you remember, in the last time that we talked, I think we touched a little bit about, you know, supporting, you know, your local community and other small businesses. And this was one of those situations. Tyler Ryan is the local meteorologist for ABC Columbia, but he is also a small business owner, and that's how we met, is through his small business. So with, you know, building that relationship, you know, he offered a platform for me to use to talk to our local community about head care tips. So not necessarily marketing my business per se, but educating our community about different topics, you know, about head care. So it was a, you know, it was a great relationship that we built where, you know, I'm supporting his small business, and the way that he supports mine is by offering me that platform to speak to our local community about pet care and how important it is. And, you know, on the sidebar conversation that we just had about how so many people don't know that we exist, what a fantastic platform to really expose, you know, others that don't know that professional pet sitting is, you know, is available. So I was really excited that he had offered me this opportunity to go out and speak to our community that one there is professional pet care, and you should definitely set the standard when it comes to the care of your fur babies. And, of course, educating our community about the different topics for pet care. So it's been a fantastic opportunity, and we're going to continue to do it until who knows when.
Collin 03:31
I love how it all started out, because you were fostering these relationships, right? And you were you were talking with other people, supporting them. I know last time we talked about the importance that you found in getting connected with the local chamber and and finding that, yeah, of other business owners, and then Representing, representing the the pet care industry in that way, and, and so we, you know, it is, it is daunting to go into those situations not knowing who we're going to talk to when we talk about that scary word of, quote, you know, of Networking, yes, but it's also going what opportunities are here, who am I going to connect with today? That might be the best thing that I need, or maybe just be a really good friend, you know? And how do I, how do I make sure that I'm open to those possibilities, exactly? And
Ruby B. 04:14
I remember talking about that in the last time is, you know, you meet so many different other small businesses, and everyone has something to share, because it doesn't matter what industry we're in, we all share the same growing pains of business ownership, so we can definitely help each other out. Yes,
Collin 04:35
those early conversations, did they immediately jump to, hey, let's make a special TV segment and have you on, or was it, you know, how did that evolve?
Ruby B. 04:44
You know, he happens to be a fur dad too, and is very passionate. It helps that he's a fur dad too, and he was very passionate about, you know, about pet care, and the more he learned about what I do, and, you know, my goals of representing the industry. Three, you know, it got him excited and really wanted to put me out there to, you know, like, for my goal to educate others that there is professional pet care, and there's, you know, a lot to learn when it comes to pet care. And believe or not, he's, you know, he's learned quite a lot in our own segments of, like, Oh, I didn't know that. So, you know, or he'll reach out to me as a resource about, you know, different types of, you know, head care tips and whatnot. So it's, you know, that's kind of how it evolved. So it's been, it's been a fantastic ride so far. So I'm really excited that I've had that opportunity to get out there and talk to the community about it so well. And you
Collin 05:39
mentioned being a representative of the industry, and I think that's really important as we look to an industry that is growing and expanding and is becoming more in the cultural mindset of people's expectations of what, what is a representation of that and that we as small business owners, we represent the industry and everything and every aspect that we do, we set expectations that people carry forward for the next time they may interact with somebody else. I know, I don't know if you've had this Ruby where somebody comes to you and they say, hey, oh, I used a professional last time, and and you just kind of race with like, what are you bringing like, what am I about to hear? Right? How is this what's about to happen. What do
Ruby B. 06:21
you consider professional Exactly?
Collin 06:24
And knowing that, like we have such an opportunity, and it's such a wonderful almost responsibility, in that sense, of setting a positive example and of knowledge, of expertise, of professionalism, of all those things wrapped together to go, this is what we mean when we say this is professional,
Ruby B. 06:43
right? It, you know, whenever I meet someone that has never used a professional business, you know, I, I teach them a little bit, you know, it's all, you know, it's all fun and games. But I tell them, you know, I'm not, I'm not the the kid next door. I am a small business. Either, you know, I, you know, I own this business. I'm legally, you know, licensed, bonded, insured, you know. So I was like, you look up in the credentials, we are a small business. I'm not the teenage kid next door that just comes in and who knows what they do. So you know, when I tell them that they definitely have a change of opinion, because now I've, I've set the, I've set the standard of what they should expect. If you know, with me representing that I am a small business, and in any industry, when you say that you have a small business, immediately we have the mindset of what we should expect, professionalism, you know, passion. You know, in our own work, giving high quality, you know, either products or services. So that immediately goes, you know, into our mindset when we hear business ownership, otherwise, they're going to think, I'm the teenage kid that just come around and do sub, you know, subpar work. So, and believe it or not, I think a lot of pet parents out there are so used to that subpart, and here we come and, you know, and I talk about, you know, the types of services we offer and what they should expect from us, it's like, holy cow, night and day, you know, let's go. When do we start? So you're
Collin 08:15
right. When we do have those conversations, I almost feel as though, because of those expectations that they have that are so much lower than our standard, they start to feel apologetic for asking things like, Oh no. You don't have to come every day, like, don't do don't worry about that. Or, No, you don't have to send pictures at every visit. Just, you know, whenever you can think about it. Or, remember, scoop the poop. No, no. We don't just scoop. No, no, yeah. And so it is this, like, No, I'm going to tell you not just how I operate, but why I think that that's important. And being able to communicate that not just oh, I because we fall into this trap of, Oh, I see somebody else doing something. So I'll just copy that, and I'll do that in my business, and that's what I'll do. But we have to be able to trace down to why we do certain things, what, what is the the foundation for what we're doing, and what are we building from that? Instead of just going, well, I don't know, I just, I just kind of do this because I think that's what's best. Maybe it's no we, the way we communicate that and how we connect people back to that value that they get is
09:16
just really important. It reflects your your company's
Ruby B. 09:20
mission and vision statement, you know, which is very important to have. So, you know, you reflect that what your mission statement that you have should reflect your work. So, you know, I always try to go back to whenever I'm explaining these services and what they should expect. I always go back to my core values and my mission of my business. So, and it gives them a different perspective of, you know, of what they should expect. And, you know, and I we do our very best at the end of the day, is there anything we can do better? And they're like, Oh, my God, this was fantastic. You know, I'm ready for my next vacation. I'm like, great. Me too,
Collin 09:53
wonderful for these. For these interviews. How do you prepare for these? Or do you, you know, is, are these on a regularly scheduled, you know, timeline? Or how do those get arranged
Ruby B. 10:09
the seconds? Yeah, yeah. So right now, we have decided, every other Friday, and you know, him being in the position that he's in, he has a, you know, on Fridays, he invites different, you know, different guests and different businesses that have an opportunity to promote, you know, what they do. So we've decided that on Fridays would be a really good time every other Friday to a really good time to, you know, talk about pets. And so far, we've, we've maintained that consistency. So now every other Friday, people are expecting, you know, ruby red, and what is she going to talk about today? So we've done it for a little over three months now, and we've decided to name the segment, so now it's got a branding on it. So, right? So now it's, it's, it's almost official at this point. So we call it the water bowl segment. So now we talk about, you know, at the water bowl we're going to talk about, you know, cat proofing your Christmas tree. I don't know if you caught that one where we talked about cat proofing your Christmas tree or the New Year's resolution. So at the water bowl segment, you know. So now you know, now that they've seen us every, you know, for the past three months, every other Friday. Now we've got a name. Now you know, they're going to think we got to catch the water bowl segment. We got to learn something, you know, awesome about pet care. And here she is, ruby red. So, so, yeah, so, so far, it's worked out really well. The viewership has been really great. We've got a really good response from the viewership, and, of course, we posted on social media so that, if you're not an early riser, because it's at 630 in the morning when we come on, you know, I know, but hey, we got to do what we got to do. You know, it's posted out on social media and YouTube. So for those of us who are not the you know, early risers, we can catch, you know, the three minute segment of, you know, of what we're going to cover. So, so far so good. Well,
Collin 12:08
I know a lot of people are sitting here thinking, going, I get so nervous just trying to record a video on my phone to post to social media. Is that something that you struggled with? You know, good in front and doing this and on the TV.
Ruby B. 12:21
Oh, it says, Well, let me tell you that it is live, live. Oh, it is. There's no pre recording. So even better, even better, there's no pre recording. There's no rehearsal. It's, you know, you go with your gut. And so every you know, even, even though that I've done it for a few months now, it's still nerve wrecking when I get in there. And I just have to remember, you know, I'm a professional here. I know my stuff. I've prepared what I want to talk about. And you really got to ignore the camera, otherwise, you know, I'll get lost and my brain stops working and, and, you know, and Tyler has been really good. He's been doing this for decades. So he's an absolute professional, so he can recognize the deer in the headlight stare and will snap me out, and my brain will start working again. So, and, you know, these are subtle things. And again, you know, of course, he's, he's professional, so he knows how to do it. So he gets me back, you know, rolling again. But it's, you know, sometimes I try to rehearse in the mirror and think about what I'm going to say, and I also have to anticipate what kind of questions he might ask, because he's not giving me any questions, so who knows what he's going to ask me. So, you know, in my brain, I've got it structured, and then he'll ask me some off the wall question that just completely derails my structured thinking. But, but I've gotten used to that now, and just, I just stopped structuring it. And let's say I know what I know. Let's do this so I've gotten a lot more comfortable with just focusing on him. We're having a casual conversation. It's not, you know this. You know, corporate instructor. You know, instruction led, type deal, you know, just two friends, just talking about pet care. And so when I try to think of it that way, it does, you know, help me to relax a little bit. And, you know, discuss what we want to discuss. But there are times where the throat will start getting tickling. I'm like, Oh my god. So you know. And honestly, when you look back at the video, it's just, it's just natural, it's normal. It doesn't even, like, I make a big deal out of it, you know, out of nothing, when you look at it, it's like, it's, it's fine,
Collin 14:33
yeah, oh, and that's such a big part of getting out of our own way, isn't it, of just going, it's fine. Like, people, I people need to breathe in real life, it's okay if I take a breath right now, like, if I need to clear my throat, kind of, it's okay. Like, this is all fine,
Ruby B. 14:48
right? I just hope I don't have like, a complete, like, choke fest where I'm just, like, dying and they have to cut to commercial.
14:59
Ruby's gone. And, right, so, um, but I think it, you know,
15:10
speaking of which he Oh,
Ruby B. 15:13
I thought I said, Yeah, I thought I silenced my myself, my phone there. Sorry about that, um, but, um, it helps to build that relationship, you know, with him, and it's, it's a lot more comfortable. And you know, he does, he makes sure that, you know, hey, we're just having a conversation. It's no big deal. Ignore the cameras because, you know, show the little hand signals, and then we'd have to, you know, do it in that time frame. So, you know, we're not, you know, going off in a tangent. So I have to, like, learn the little hand signals. So it's like, but
15:39
you're, you're rubbing
Collin 15:42
it's up. You're kind of coming with a, at least a general topic, right? Or are you just showing completely cold?
Ruby B. 15:49
No, no, I do. I do prepare the topics of what I want to talk about and discuss in the segments. So, you know, I, you know, try to prepare. Since I know that there is a time limit. I really try to narrow it down to like, three or four main bulleted points and just kind of beef it up in a casual conversation at, you know, at the studio. And then, you know, I try to, I create a little visual aid. And I don't know if you notice that they'll post it up on, you know, on the the television, the little visual aid there, and it'll kind of recap of some of those bulleted points of the topic that we're discussing. So, so, yeah, so every every segment, I sorry, I think, I think my headset keeps going in and out. But every segment, I prepare a topic that I want to talk about, and I try to relate it to what's going on around that time frame. So, for example, in December, we talked about, you know, introducing a new pet, because so many people want to adopt a new pet during Christmas. And then, of course, cat proof of your Christmas tree, you know. So I try to relate it, you know, during that month. And then some, you know, there's so many topics that we can discuss. It's just unlimited, you know, that we can do in between. So, so, yeah, I, I'm the one that goes in there. And, you know, what do I want to talk about today? Or sometimes, what happens? Something will happen in my own pack. And, you know, like, you know what? This is a really good talk of it. You can talk about at the next segment.
Collin 17:19
I, you know, we've, we've, we've had that kind of inspiration strike whenever it's come time to sit down and maybe write a blog or a social media post, and they're like, oh, man, I don't know what I'm going to do. And then that one thing happens, and you're like, Oh, we're talking about cats and, you know, and air docs. It's exactly what I need to talk about right now. Exactly,
Ruby B. 17:38
yeah, sometimes that does happen. Something will happen in the pack. I'm like, You know what? This is a really good topic to talk about. Let's cover it.
Collin 17:46
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17:51
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Collin 18:16
looking for new pet saying software give time to pet a truck. Listeners of our show will save 50% off your first three months by visiting time to be calm, slash confession. And any of this, this does, man, this sounds, you know, can sound pretty intimidating of going, Oh, it's just a casual conversation. But this also has to be done in three minutes. And also, I have to make hit some talking points and make sure this is also valuable to people, and also has to look natural and also, but I think what really is key there is, the preparation and is the relationship that you have with him on the outside, right? It's not just like you're showing up cold for the first time too. And as you, as you were able to do this more, that's only going to make them even better.
Ruby B. 18:55
No, yeah, I absolutely, I feel, you know, if you if I don't encourage it, because I'm going to be embarrassed. But if you look at the first one and then the ones I've done, it's the latest one, huge difference, because the first one is always, you know, that nerve wrecking experience, and then each one, you know, we get better. Well, I get better and better at it. And understanding the dynamics of a new studio is it's so overwhelming with all the producers and cameras and lights and microphones and things like that. It's, it gives me a whole different perspective of what goes on in a news station and what these anchors have to go through to get it running and, you know, and where I fit in. So, you know, it's, I feel like I've definitely gotten better as with each segment. And, you know, of course, working on the US and the ums, and that's another one. Yeah, you know, working on the So, but yeah, if you, if you watch me on the first one and then watch the latest one, there is definitely a huge difference, and only it's practice. You know, practice makes perfect. The more you get on there, the better you're going to get. So that's really the bottom line. Just get out there.
Collin 19:59
What? Get out there and do it and try something right that's right, as with everything in business and in our lives of sometimes we just have to go, Look, I don't know how this is going to turn out, and I can only prepare so much, but at some point I've got to do this. I've got to take this opportunity to go be on my local TV station, or I've got to take this opportunity to partner with this other business or or take this new thing on, or try this new service we've got that's we have to push ourselves out of the way and be a little bit self less in that time and go, what's important right now? What? What is apps? What is necessary, what's good, what's what do I need to do? What needs to be done in this situation? We may know the right answer in our head of going, well, right horse, you should take that opportunity. Why wouldn't you? But on the inside, we're screaming, right?
Ruby B. 20:46
No, I Yeah, because, like, the first one that we had to schedule, I was very close to rescheduling, just because I was so scared, and I'm like, no Ruby yet, right? Because I'm like, No, I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm like, No, you got to get out there. So I had to give myself a little kick in the back to, like, get out there and, you know, it's like, it is what it is. Nobody knows you. Hopefully nobody recognizes me in the street. If I really messes this up, right? Are you? No, I'm not. But we're good now. We're good now, so I hopefully people will recognize that. Hey, are you? Yes, I am. Come on in
Collin 21:26
Oh, they're smiling. Okay, yeah. How would you how would you say, I guess, two different things here, like, you know, how would you say this has just impacted you personally, and then, how has it impacted your business, being able to
Ruby B. 21:40
do this personally, it has, I mean, like I mentioned, it has really pushed me out of my comfort zone, you know, I've, you know, I, I'm an introvert by, you know, by, I will say I'm a social introvert, you know, I, I was, you know, a trainer in my corporate life. So I was always standing in a group of 100 people. But being on television where it's just you one of the person in the cameras is like a completely different world. So it helped me. It's a whole new experience. So it really helped me grow into, you know, a different person. You know, I am not afraid anymore to try something new. So, you know, it's, I think that's fantastic, whereas before, I was saying maybe I should be scheduled, really, not, you know, I remember, really not, you know, I'm really not ready, and now it's just like, I'm ready to try anything. Let's, let's go, you know, and, and it's okay to fail. I think everybody's always afraid to fail or look silly, you know, when we're doing it. But who cares? We're, you know, we're human. We're going to make mistakes. And you know, you know, I don't want to have that regret where it's like, you should have, would have, could have, but now I did. And now that I've done it every segment, I look back and just think about, okay, what can we do better in the next one? So I no longer am afraid of, like, Why do I never do this again? Because I look, I look silly. No, it's like, okay, well, what can we do better the next time? You know, because I'm ready for it. Let's go. So it's, it's really pushed me in the personal, you know, professional and personal growth of getting out of that comfort zone. As far as the business, I will say that one, I felt like it has strengthened my relationship with my current clients. Because, not that they did not take me serious as a business owner, but I think they're really taking me serious as a business owner, that, you know, I really want to grow this business, not just, you know, coming into the home and taking care of their pets, but really building a great brand, a great company to, you know, to really represent that professional pet care. And not only that, but I've also noticed that other small businesses are taking note, and I have been invited by other small businesses to talk about pet care. So that, to me, feels like it really gives a lot more credibility of of my business, and not just Ruby Red's pet care, but professional pet care in general. So I felt like I was representing us with like, hey, there's professional pet care out there, and you should set a standard. And here I am. You know, I forget Donna LaDonna from Rocky Mountain, you know, she was like, Oh my god. Girl, you've, you've been on the news all the time, I said, Girl, I'm trying to rip I'm trying to so we're working here, working here. So, and we talked about this in the last segment about, you know, I was on a campaign of representing us, us, meaning in the pet care industry, that we are professional, you know, business owners, and we take our, you know, our business serious, and we set a high standard of professional pet care. So these other businesses are now taking me seriously. They're not thinking of me as a pet sitter. They're thinking of me as a professional who owns a pet sitting business, and let's collaborate. So it's it's been a really great opportunity and a door that has really opened for me as far as networking and collaborating. With other businesses as well. I felt like I earned a seat at the table.
Collin 25:05
You know, it is something that many of us feel frustrated by in our own communities, where you go to networking events, or you see people out in public, or, you know, you go to other ribbon cuttings and things like that, and kind of, as soon as you you tell people what you do, I think the word that I would describe a lot of the response is typically, Oh, that's cute.
25:21
Well, that's nice, yes. Oh, wow, that's how cool.
Collin 25:25
How fun. But the the credibility, the seriousness that you're talking about, it takes a little bit for them to see that in that and we do, that's where we go, oh no, I've got to speak up about this. I've got to talk about this. And they do eventually see, oh, okay, this is way more than I ever thought, and that's actually okay. That's great. Like, I remember, I was getting a coffee at one of our favorite coffee shops, and I was talking about, yo, I've got to go train somebody to, you know, how to walk a dog. And the barista said, What do you mean? It's walking a dog? And seven minutes later, he was like, I think I'll just keep making my espressos. And I was like, Anyway, bye, not that it's making espressos isn't difficult, but it's just expectations about what people think. And so to have you in a in a platform where you're able to consistently show up in it with with the credibility there behind you, that's kind of that's able to showcase, like, this is what we're talking about. And I think that's just it's so needed and necessary now more than ever, with a lot of things going on in the news, with a lot of the exposure that unfortunately, the industry suffers from the other side, not having that kind of face out there and talking about these things. And it does put, again, a little bit of onus on every single one of us to go. How am I representing in my, in my, in my community. How am I showcasing what else is out there, right?
Ruby B. 26:46
So, yeah, it's, you know, it's, we see it all the time. I think we did one segment about retractable leashes. And, you know, and you know, when I had showed how to properly hold a leash, and, you know, and Tyler was like, is there? Oh, there's a, there's there's a way that you probably hold a leash. I'm like, yes, absolutely. So you always see, you always see the crazy ways of how people hold their leashes with these 100 pound dogs. And you're like, cringe. All you need is a squirrel, 321, let's go, yeah,
Collin 27:18
and then you're not going to either have fingers, or your shoulder will be dislocated, or your clavicle is going to be broken. Like, let's just list the ways here, Right
Ruby B. 27:27
exactly?
Collin 27:31
And I just, I'm this is, it's really exciting to hear about this opportunity that you've taken advantage of. You know, from those two perspectives of, yes, the business, of how it's elevated you in the industry, but also and your community, but also just yourself, how you described, how you know, not afraid to try something new. And I think that that that thing is so hard to break through in our own lives, because we tend to get in that same lane, and the lane is comfortable, and things could be even happening around us that we don't like, but we know what we know, and I don't want to get out of that lane, because I know what I know and and I don't want to do anything different, because at least I know what I know, and that's to our detriment. Yeah, there's one thing to be said about consistency and predictability, like that's definitely something that we should talk about. But when we think of growing ourselves. And where do I how do I get to 10 years or 20 years or 30 years? I can't stay the same where I am right now. I've got,
Ruby B. 28:29
yeah, right. You got to turn it on. Turn on this the signal light. Let's go and
Collin 28:38
you're, you know, you're, I love talking to you about how your connection to community, because it's something that's so important to you. And one of the things that I noticed in one of your when in your newsletters that you do, is you actually offer discounts for your clients to other local businesses. And I wanted to talk to you about how you go about offering those and kind of where those come from
Ruby B. 29:01
honestly. I leave it up to the business owner, and I do, I ask them about it. So when, you know, with the networking I've done, you know, I really wanted to take that relationship up a notch, and, you know, introduce them to my clientele, one because, you know, as you know, sometimes we don't know who's out there as far as small businesses are concerned. And I thought, why not? I have a really good platform to offer. Why not, you know, expose and market a fellow business colleague to, you know, to a, you know, a set of my clients that you know may or may not use their services. But hey, at least they know. You know what's going you know what's out there. So whenever I approach a small business owner and saying, Hey, I'd love to feature you, you know, in my newsletter, I try to focus on them and not necessarily their their business, per se, for example, you know, I would, I would say, No, Collin, you know, is the. Owner of, you know, professionals, you know, my brain just went dead. This is what I was talking about. Somebody help me where silos, you can
Collin 30:09
have my brain, cue cards, hello,
Ruby B. 30:11
but, you know, just say, you know, I'm just gonna make something up, because my brain just went dead. But, you know, this is Collin. He owns, you know, pizzeria, express, and, oh, by the way, he's, you know, you know, a church goer. He has three kids, and blah, blah, blah, because I feel like there's a personal connection, you know, that can be made when they understand the person. And you know what this person has done to really persevere in their business. And, you know, it just, it makes, I feel like there's, it's more of a personable approach versus some ad and I didn't want to make it too adsy. So whenever I tell them, I say, hey, I really want to promote your business. However, I want to promote you, because I don't want it to be too adsy, where it's just like, here's you know, order one pizza. Get One Free. I didn't want to do that. So when I write a little mini bio of this person and their background and how they got their business started, I asked them, hey, if you want to, you can offer an exclusive savings just for my clients. I do not, if you notice the the discount code is not on social media. It's only on my newsletter. So you have to be a pack member to get it. So, you know, it's, you know, if my clients want to take advantage of that, then they can go shopping on their website or make an order and use that coupon code if they so choose. So it's up to them. I tell them, it's not, it's not a requirement, only, if you like to it's an exclusive. It also, I feel like it gives my clients a perk for being a pack member for me that, you know, not only do I provide these pet care services, but I also network with these small businesses that are willing to offer my clients an exclusive discount for shopping at their, you know, at their store, at you know, for supporting them. So I feel like it's, it's kind of a win win. You know, my clients get discounts. I expose their small business. It's a great relationship all around. Yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry,
Collin 32:07
especially when we're always thinking about, how do I add value as a business? How do I add value to my clients? And, man, my brain almost always immediately goes to, well, what can I add to my service? And how do I add this? And what do I need to do for this? And but something as valuable as let me introduce you to another business that you might not have known about. And hey, if you get a discount, that's great, but also you just know about this. And what that is so wonderful, because that is, I didn't spend any money to make that happen. It's not an ongoing expense to me to keep that there. It's just a hey, as a valued member of you know of my business, I want to let you know about this person who's doing these amazing things over here, and they've been kind enough to, you know, offer a 15% discount if you order the pizza or whatever, like that. That's such a wonderful thing to know and from a client to go. And this person, you know, Ruby's out there making these connections. Man, she's really helping me solve my pizza cravings when she was going to be walking my dogs too. Like, this is great,
Ruby B. 33:09
right? Well, you know, I started in the beginning of the year. I started with trying to select pet related small businesses. And then I said, Well, why do that? So I ended up expanding to just anybody, really, anyone who had a small business. And I think that was a fantastic idea, on my part, turning my own horn. There. Good job, Ruby. Hey, genius. But, you know, I thought about, why just stay in pet care? Why not just expand outside of that, you know, so, and I did I, you know, I've had, you know, coffee and candles and paintings and, you know, just every industry that I can think of. And, oh, by the way, I have a lot of clients who are also small business owners, yeah, so, you know, so I have a dedicated page on my newsletter that I call a pack member, spotlight. And I spotlight their small business. So, you know, yeah. So I introduce, you know, I introduce them to the clients as well. Hey, by the way, you know, you know, this is the owner of, you know, this phenomenal Italian restaurant, Divina roso, and he's also my client. So, you know, it's so it kind of creates a community, in a sense, because now my clients are like, Oh, well, you know, I want to go to an Italian restaurant. Ruby has a client that happens to own an Italian restaurant. Let's go over there. So I, you know, I definitely expanded, and I'm making my list for 2025, and it was mind blowing. Of all of the the networking that I've done with with the chambers that I've been a part of, holy cow, do I know a lot of small business owners. So now I'm thinking, Should I do more than one? Because last year only did one a month. Wow, right? So that's only 12 businesses, and I there's a whole I've I was just amazed of how many people I actually. Really know that I would love to support so I'm like, shoot, maybe I should add maybe two or three, or, you know, I'm still trying to decide. But, you know, yeah, it's the I hate to, like, not include someone just because. But, you know, I was almost like, maybe I should add more, or just have a sheet. I don't know. I haven't decided yet. I just want to support everybody. Yeah, so, but, but, yeah. So it's, it's been, it's been really, really good. And I just think that it, it again, it, you know, it strengthens the relationships that I have, not only with my clients, but with my, you know, professional colleagues as well. So it's a win, win all around
Collin 35:40
operating a professional pet sitting or dog walking business can be both rewarding and profitable, but it can also be challenging and even lonely. That's why pet sitters International is committed to giving you access to the credentials continuing education and community you need to succeed, from a new toolkit and training each month and an On Demand Learning Library to their private member Facebook group and their annual conferences. Psi is member benefits are designed to help you live your best pet sitter life. Visit pet sit.com/join to learn more and use the promo code confessional 15 at checkout to save $15 off your first year if you again. It sounds really daunting to sit there and go, Oh man, highlighting people. But as you just said, Ruby, like, that's 12. Just 12. If you do one a month, it's only 12. I guarantee you you know seven already. Like, if you just sat down and did a brain dump, if you've done no work, just go ahead and do you know those listening. Just write down other businesses that you know of and that you love. And you can probably come up with at least seven. And then you can scroll on Facebook and find the others like, it's really, really not that much, because they're when you start looking. And it's hard when you just drive around town, because you're like, What is going on around here? I know if you're like me, if Ruby, if you're like, what's over there in that corner, what's over here? And then you actually start networking, and you find they're everywhere, because right there they struggle with visibility, but they're there. They're making they're doing cool stuff. They're, they're, you know, and they're, they're good members of the community and everything. And you go, man, what, what can I do? And that's just what? Again, that aspect of, I want to support people and be a member. Could be a, be a member of my community, and I want to be here. And I was taught, I was talking with our chamber the other day about just kind of our goals for what does it mean to be a community member, as a business and as a small, locally owned business and owner and operated stuff, it's like, Okay, what does that mean for us? How do we get involved? It's not always just about it's not always about spending money or sponsoring the next thing, or doing stuff or giveaways. It's about, Hey, can I tell somebody about you that? Can I do that for you? That's what I would like, like to support you in that way. How wonderful,
Ruby B. 37:51
right? And it's, it's, it's not that hard. It really isn't. And something I did that I want to share at the end of the year, you know, Christmas time we're all struggling. You know, what do we get our clients? I bought gift certificates of the small businesses I featured throughout the year, and, you know, and gave them to my clients so that they can shop at their business. And I said, Well, here's a great opportunity for them if they didn't get a chance when I featured them. Well, I'm forcing them to go to gift certificate, so they got to use it now, yeah, so, you know, now they're forced to go in there on their website and take a look, and they have some spending money to check out their website. So, you know, I wanted to really further, you know, support. You know, these people with you know, it doesn't have to be an extraordinary amount of a gift card. It's just simple, you know, five, $10 $15 whatever your budget is, you know, it's just an opportunity for that person to, you know, to shop around, because it's free money for them. So and now, you know, my professional colleague, you know, has a new client, because I was able to kind of bridge that gap in a way. So, um, yeah, so, and I intend on doing that next year. I'll say this is a fantastic idea when I don't have to struggle with, like, what do I get?
Collin 39:10
Oh, it's, it's so terrible. And everyone loves gift cards, and especially if it's someplace that you know, that you love, you know the person. It's an easy buy. You're supporting local as well. It's like, exactly. Why not like? It's such a wonderful way to say, because what we've found, and especially when, when things get weird in the broader economy, you know, it's known that people look to local, and they want to support local, and it makes people feel really good. They know it's important. And as local small businesses, we want that as well. So to have that network of people who's also supporting and cheering and rooting for you and supporting you in those ways, it really just helps complete that cycle to go. Hey, let me just share about this. And here's a gift card to go. So it's no, you know, no skin off your back if you don't like it. But here's some free money. I know,
Ruby B. 39:59
you know. It's an opportunity. It really is. It's an opportunity to to go in there and check them out. So but, yeah, I, I thought it was a great idea,
40:10
genius Ruby,
Ruby B. 40:14
but it was just a way of of how I can further, you know, help promote, you know, these other small businesses in my community, and a lot of them that, I mean, they do the same thing for me. They, you know, on social media, it's a simple, you know, sharing a story and, you know, and tagging me, and, you know, so, there's so, you know, every year we all go through it, there's, there's so many things that we can all do to support small businesses that doesn't cost a dime. You know, it's as simple as supporting their social media page or word of mouth or, you know, whatever, what have you. But in that was kind of what my way is, you know, hey, I can feature them on the newsletter. If you want to offer discount. Great, you know, I it would, you know, I want to offer a perk for my clients as ruby red, you know, pack members. And it's a great opportunity, you know, to get them out there so it's, it's been good. I've enjoyed it. I'm going to continue on. I just got to decide whether I want to add, you know, a couple more on the newsletter, because I there's just too many people that, you know, I want to really, you know, get out there and promote.
Collin 41:16
Well, yeah, I mean, you could definitely see it developing into even just, you know, Welcome, to the pack booklet, as far as, like, you know, things that you Yeah, welcome part of your welcome packet, like, Hey, here's a massive book of discounts or deals or exposure that you didn't even ask for. But here, here's a way to help you, like, in, right? You know, in a couple years down the line, when you get that. So that's exciting. That's really cool. Thank you. Yeah, well, I know this, this last year has been a lot, a lot of growth for you, overcome a lot of challenges, and you're heading into 2025, here, and you're also heading into your fifth year business. So I mean, just congratulations on that Ruby. That's that's a huge milestone to be into. I do. I did want to ask, kind of like, what are some of your, some of your, your biggest lessons from the last five years, as you go into this
Ruby B. 42:10
there is, I'll have to say that perseverance, patience are definitely keys. You know, in in business ownership in the last couple of years, I think we've talked about this, I think in the last segment where the big challenge was, you know, the teenagers and the next door neighbor, and, you know, my kids are home, you know, type deal which, you know, almost hurt my business and and I think pet parents were starting to understand the importance of professional care, because we were just overly flooded with all of those folks that had those teenagers and the neighbors, and, you know, in the kids, you know, that want to go party instead of taking care. So, you know, right, exactly, um, so I think for me, you know, when I look back on it, I never, I never devalued my service. I always maintain the integrity of the type of business that I wanted to represent. And you know, we've all gone through it, and I even see, you know, some of the the forums that we have, and that the pet sitter forums, where should I? Should I lower my prices to stay competitive? Absolutely not. You maintain your integrity of your business. You maintain the value of your business. You're going to get the clients that truly appreciate what you do and the value that you bring in your business. And I, I'd like to say that through those hard times of my business, I never faltered in that respect. I made sure that I kept my my head held high. I know what you know, the type of services that I wanted to provide, and I was I just refused to lower my standard, just because no
Collin 43:56
man it is that is really hard. I know Megan and I have had those kind of discussions over the last couple of years of man, what would this new client? They're right in our service area, but they don't want us to do what we do right. They're wanting us to cheapen the service or to change our standards. And at the end of the day, we come to that decision every time I could not sleep at night doing that service the way that client wants me to, because it's way too cheap, or they're asking for every other day, or every three days, or don't scoop the litter each time, or don't do this, or don't worry about medications. We'll just hope the cat makes it before the I come back home, it's like, I don't know if you've ever gotten that, like, we'll just double up on the doses is before we leave. And how
Ruby B. 44:41
about no
Collin 44:43
where we draw that we you've you as a business, we have to draw that line of what are we never going to do? And, man, it gets real tempting to cross that line, sometimes, especially when business is hard or we're going through a scary period, or whatever, whatever. But we have. To hold that. And as you said, I love that word of, you know, maintain integrity. That's a personal integrity, that's also a business integrity. At the end of the day, yes, we're not known for doing those things. We're known for exactly, greater things,
Ruby B. 45:12
exactly. And you don't want to start developing that reputation of lowering that standard, because then people are going to expect that, and that would just destroy, you know, what you built. So absolutely not, you know, I've, you know, I've always said I've had the the clients were like, well, you know, you really don't have to, you know, do all that with the litter box. And I said, well, the cost is the same, so go ahead and get used to the VIP treatment. So I scoop one poop or not, it's going to be the same. So you might as well get used to the VIP treatment, yeah,
Collin 45:47
or, or the Oh, don't worry about the mail. Don't worry about packages. Don't worry about cleaning. Don't worry about this. Don't worry about that. Don't worry about scooping the litter box. Just, I'll get it when I get back, it's like, no, no, no, this, this. Just, this is just what we do, this is, right, our standard of care, and that that's such a I mean, people, they don't expect that. And they're kind of like, oh, I wasn't expecting all that. Like you said, well, price is the same, and I'm gonna do it anyway. So just, I guess, yeah, like you said, enjoy it, right? Get
Ruby B. 46:17
used to the VIP treatment.
Collin 46:21
I think we'll get that on a shirt too.
46:28
I need Anita. What do you call it? Hashtag that
Collin 46:31
I know I know. Yeah, Ruby reds. Get used to the VIP. The VIP. Well, what are you what are you, what are you excited about for the next five years?
Ruby B. 46:45
You know, Collin, I'm going to take it one year at a time, okay, I think that's going to be the safest thing is just take, right? Just take it one year at a time. And, you know, it's, it's like, I, you know, we can certainly, you know, come up with something grand. I mean, five years, it'll be a 10 years in the business. And I definitely want to reach that milestone of being 10 years in the business. So, so there's that goal, that long term goal of of reaching that 10 years, you know, what that looks like, you know, I don't know, with with, you know, with doing the the television segments and, you know, promoting other small businesses, you know, I hope that with all of that investment, you know, something you know, will come into fruition that I'm not expecting, and it will just better my business. I definitely want to go beyond with just the standard of care that we provide. And I think with, you know, with what I'm doing right now, I think I'm in. I'm on the right track of, you know, of where, where I want to go in the business. But I'm right now. I'm just like, taking, alright, here's 2025, what do we got? And it's one of those deals where, like, you see the mountain, and you just want to take one rock at a time, and by the time, you know, you look down, you've already reached the top of the mountain. You didn't even know it. So, you know, that's kind of how I'm seeing this right now. It's like I'm just gonna take it one year at a time, and by the time I turn around, it's my 10 year.
48:11
I made it again.
Collin 48:13
I made it again. But it is every every day, every year is really just small moments of arrival that we never expected, isn't it? Man, I never thought I'd be here. I'm sure you're going, Man, I never thought I'd be on TV, or I'd have all these rights or have all these business relationships. But you worked hard, right and hard work, and as you said, I love how you said, I don't know something will happen that I didn't even expect. And that's where this this faith and this hope comes in, and the work that we do here and now, of going I'm working hard, I'm being diligent, I'm staying true to my values and my mission, and I'm following my core principles and values. And now I know something's going to happen from that, either, you know something amazing and my business is going to explode and all great, or maybe I just learned and made some friends along the way, and I had a good time doing it like no real, Major, big expectations, but just going, I know that I'm, I'm faithful to this work, and that's part of of our responsibility. Yes, I
Ruby B. 49:14
mean, you said it so perfectly, you know, faithful to, you know, to our work. And that's where I'm at right now is, you know, I'm in it for, you know, for as long as you know, I'm in it and you know, and then just go from there. So, you know, when I look back of all the struggles that we've had, pandemic, the war, egg prices, you know, gas prices, all of that stuff. And here we are now with so many different things happening. It's, a really exciting time right now in my business, and I'm taking advantage of every single thing, because, as you know, tomorrow it could be dead.
49:54
Stop. Let's enjoy it right now. It's.
Collin 50:00
Yeah, well, Ruby, I want to thank you so much for coming on and sharing this, the your your your kind of challenges that you've overcome, but also the opportunities that you've taken advantage of and encouraging us to do the same. And that we don't know what tomorrow holds, but also we can make the most of what we have today, and that's kind of the funnest part of it, and stepping out of our comfort zones to do that. I know that there's, again, you're doing an awful lot, and there's a lot of cool stuff to see. So if people want to go in and watch some of those segments, maybe not the first one start the third one, see some of those, or just follow you on everything that you got going on. How can they do that? So
Ruby B. 50:39
the next scheduled segment is Friday, January 17, at 630 Eastern. If you are an early riser, if not, just wait for the link to get posted on social media. But I am happy to help a fellow business owner at Ruby redspetcare@gmail.com you know, and or on my website, Ruby redspetcare.com sorry, you can be reach me on either one of those or social media at Ruby Red's bed care. So I'm available anytime, and you know, I'm here to help
Collin 51:09
perfect we'll have those links in the show notes so people can get connected and start following along. This has been just an immense pleasure, Ruby. Thank you so much for your time
51:17
today. Thank you so much, Collin. I appreciate you. Maintaining the
Collin 51:21
integrity of my business meant refusing to lower my standards even during tough times. One of the key components of what it means to be a professional is our integrity, our desire to see things done according to how we think they should be done. When we say yes, it's a yes, when it's a no, it's a no. We uphold high standards, not just for people around us, but also for ourselves, which does mean that we will have to make tough choices. We are going to have to make tough decisions in our business that put our integrity on the line. A professional will hold to that no matter what. We want to thank today's sponsors, tired pet and our friends at pet sitters international for making the show possible. And we really want to thank you so much for listening. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and we'll be back again soon.
52:14
You
