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529: Giving a Crap with Erica Krupin

What does it take to run a successful dog waste removal business that goes beyond just scooping poop? In this episode, Erica Krupin, owner of Kroopin's Poopin Scoopin, shares the behind-the-scenes realities of managing her growing business. She emphasizes the importance of providing an exceptional customer experience, from building trust through reliability to creating peace of mind with professional services. Erica dives into the challenges of hiring and retaining great employees, explaining how paying well and setting clear expectations helps her maintain a high standard of service. She also talks about the complexities of pricing for quality and managing company vehicles, highlighting how investing in these areas ensures long-term success. With her down-to-earth approach, Erica offers valuable insights into what it truly takes to lead a thriving, people-centered business.

527: Cars and Culture with Morgan Weber

Ever wondered how company culture influences business decisions? In this episode, Morgan Weber, CEO and founder of Lucky Pup Adventures, shares how her commitment to a caring company culture led to providing company cars for her team. She discusses the impact this decision has on employee safety, well-being, and client trust. Morgan also delves into the importance of aligning actions with core values and how this shapes every aspect of her business. Tune in to learn how intentional culture-building can drive meaningful changes in your company.

524: Hire the Heart, Train the Skill

Have you ever struggled to find the perfect hire for your pet care business? In this episode, we dive into the importance of hiring for soft skills like empathy, communication, and adaptability, while training the technical aspects later. We discuss the value of a multi-stage hiring process to thoroughly vet candidates and ensure they fit your company culture. While the technical skills are trainable, finding someone with the right heart is key to long-term success. We share our own experiences in building a team that truly connects with both pets and clients.

512: The State of Job Sharing

Have you seen an increase in requests to job share? In this episode, we delve into the increasingly common practice of job sharing, where multiple caregivers collaborate on a pet's care. We discuss the reasons behind this trend, such as more pet sitters entering the market and clients seeking cost-effective solutions. We also highlight the challenges, including communication issues and varying standards of care, emphasizing the importance of clear documentation and agreements. Finally, we cover practical advice, stressing the need to know when to trust your gut and when to decline job sharing requests.

503: The Subtle Art of Dog Behavior with Fanna Easter

Are you struggling to understand a dog's anxious or reactive behavior? Fanna Easter, owner of Positive Pooch Behavior, dives into the nuances of canine anxiety, distinguishing between general anxiousness and separation anxiety. Fanna emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes rather than just managing symptoms, highlighting the role of pet sitters in observing and responsibly handling these behaviors. She also discussed the critical nature of professional collaboration between pet sitters and behavior consultants to ensure the best outcomes for pets. This insightful conversation provides essential strategies and knowledge for pet care professionals aiming to improve their understanding and management of complex canine behaviors.

502: Is this a Partnership or Marketing Ploy?

Ever wondered how to spot a genuine business partnership opportunity from a marketing ploy? We discuss the red flags to watch for when approached by potential partners. We share our own experiences with high-pressure sales tactics and emphasize the importance of setting boundaries and conducting thorough research. You'll learn how to maintain control during negotiations and make informed decisions. Tune in to hear valuable tips on protecting your business from misleading offers.

495: From Fired to Flourishing with Joette White

How are you navigating the challenges of business ownership? Joette White, owner of Park Cities Pet Sitter, shares her journey from being fired to successfully owning and growing a pet sitting business. She emphasizes the importance of staff management and trusting employees to foster growth. Joette highlights how personal growth and learning from failures have shaped her leadership style. She discusses adapting to challenges, especially during the pandemic, to strengthen the business foundation. Joette stresses the need for clear leadership and allowing space for staff to develop their strengths and confidence

494: Staying Top of Mind

Are you struggling to stay top of mind with your clients? We share our effective client engagement strategies, from personalized interactions to consistent communication. Discover the power of community outreach by building relationships with local businesses and participating in events. While in-person marketing is important, enhance your online presence through live social media sessions, email marketing, and SEO-friendly content. As always, it’s about exploring a variety of marketing strategies to ensure your business remains visible and relevant, even during slow periods.

491: Continuously Evolving with Debbie Solis

How are you evolving as a business owner? Debbie Solis, owner of Personal Pet and Home Care, shares her 28-year journey in the pet care industry, starting with her deep-rooted caregiving spirit and balancing roles as a mother and entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges she faced, including burnout and the need for personal growth, which led her to seek counseling and start delegating. By adopting new technologies and building a supportive team, Debbie transformed her business practices and achieved a more balanced life. She emphasizes the importance of self-care, adaptability, and continuous learning for long-term success.

488: Networking with Purpose

Ever wondered how to effectively network and forge meaningful connections within the industry? We share the importance of setting clear goals and aligning expectations in your networking endeavors. We consider the four main reasons for connecting with industry peers. When connecting, it's crucial to freely share information while respecting boundaries, and also understand the nuances between formal and informal referral networks. Ultimately, we offer practical advice for cultivating meaningful connections and robust support networks to navigate the challenges of the industry.

477: Turning Over A New Leaf with Kirsten Kruska

What does it mean to reinvent yourself? Kirsten Kruska, co-owner of Pet and Plant Pal, explores the journey of career reinvention after a pivotal health challenge forced her out of dog grooming. Kirsten shares how she transformed her expertise in pet care and horticulture into a flourishing business. Emphasizing health & wellness, Kirsten shares how her commitment to physical fitness and overcoming injury shaped her approach to business and life. She also discusses ethical entrepreneurship, highlighting her dedication to ethical practices rooted in Buddhist principles, and how these values distinguish her services. Lastly, Kirsten discusses the importance of knowledge sharing, from grooming advice to plant care tips, illustrating her belief in education as a cornerstone of her business model.

474: Pitfalls to Productivity

Why is it so challenging to implement productivity tips into our lives? Amazon has over 10,000 books on the subject of ‘productivity’, so there certainly isn’t a universal solution for everyone. One of the major stumbling blocks to actually being more productive is a lack of understanding of how we work, and the nature of the work we need to get done. We break down common misconceptions to being more productive, along with several things to take into consideration when assessing a new productivity method, tool, or technique.

445: When Life Happens with Jessica and Chris Milam

What do you do when life happens? The fact is, things happen that are out of our control, and our only roll is in how we respond. When running a business, we set policies that match the flexibility many clients need, or adapt to their requests if we want. In our personal lives, we respond by stepping up and showing our true character. Jessica and Chris Milam, owners of Fur Services Fur Pets, discuss what it means to live a life full of the right amount of crazy, love, and passion.

423: Building Trust with Clients from the Start with Kimberly Layman

Are you running the business you thought you’d be? Kimberly Layman, owner of Kimberly's Kritter Care, shares the process of refocusing her company to better align with her passions after experiencing burnout early on in the pandemic. She outlines her personalized onboarding strategy of phone calls and in-person meetings to set clients at ease. In addition, Kimberly explains how she structures clear expectations around communication preferences upfront to avoid issues down the road. She also details her strategic approach to obtaining reviews through timely and specific follow-up requests.

416: How to Become Irreplaceable

Are you irreplaceable to your clients? Today, we dive into the concept of becoming "irreplaceable" and how to stand out so your clients stick with you. We stumbled upon a great quote by the legendary Coco Chanel, which we use to dissect what makes a brand or service not only unique but also indispensable. We break down our three elements of differentiation – Expectations, Experience, and Expertise – and provide some actionable steps on how to make your business truly unforgettable.

373: Embracing Change and Growth with Gricel Arroyo

How do you handle transformation and change? Gricel Arroyo, owner of Arroyo Pets, shares her journey of transforming her business over the past year. Starting with a focus on nail trims, she gradually expanded her services, with grooming now accounting for half of her business. She emphasizes the importance of up-selling services as a solution for clients. She highlights the need of being open-minded and learning from one another's experiences within the team. Becoming an employer has been a learning experience for Gricel, as she considers herself more of a team leader and mentor than a boss. Her primary goal is to create a better workplace where people feel heard and can grow within the team. She also delves into how she has changed as a person, learning to cope when things don't go as planned and understanding that she cannot control everything.

351: Mentoring Your Team with Cassidy LaMair

Just as we work to educate clients, when we bring on staff, it’s our role to educate and mentor them in the career of pet care. Cassidy LeMair, owner of Cassidys Custom Pet Services, shares how she builds lasting relationships and partnerships with both staff and clients through her open and straightforward style. Cassidy details how she creates consistent customizable services and gives her insights into how she learns from her mistakes.

348: Staffing Struggles

Have you had issues with staffing? 2022 may very well be defined by the labor market flipping to empowering employees. This has meant hiring and retaining staff has been difficult, especially as a small business. From competing on wages, to connecting with mission, job applicants are able to be very picky. We break down how we’ve changed our processes and have been investing in existing staff. Having staff will continue to be a major issue into the new year, and we have to prepare for it. 

341: Making Wolfie's Wish with Erica Messer

What inspires you to try new things? The loss of pet is an earth shattering moment in the life of a pet owner. Erica Messer, owner of Wolfie’s Wish, took the tragedy and turned it into her inspiration to help others. Erica started a product line to help pet parents grieve the loss of their pet. Erica breaks down how she dove into product development, found a manufacturer, and works on her marketing. She also shares how she makes the most out of trade shows and is focused on building a community of resources for everyone.

334: The Power of a Lead Magnet

What is a lead magnet and why should we be using them? Lead magnets are a way of getting information from your client, or potential client, in exchange for something valuable to them. There are best practices to be mindful of when implementing one, and things to avoid doing. We walk through the different types of lead magnets, how to promote them, and how to assess if they’re working for you or not. We also break down 5 easy to implement ideas for a lead magnet you can start using today!