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510: Leading and Managing: Balancing Roles in Your Pet Business

510: Leading and Managing: Balancing Roles in Your Pet Business

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Are you balancing the roles of leader and manager in your pet business effectively? In this episode, we delve into the distinct yet overlapping responsibilities of leadership and management. Leaders set clear visions, inspire their teams, and embrace change, while managers ensure daily operations run smoothly by planning, organizing, and monitoring tasks. We discuss how solo pet care entrepreneurs must juggle both roles to succeed. Tune in to discover tips on empowering your team, developing emotional intelligence, and continuously improving your leadership skills.

481: Evolving with Heart with Reilly Kahat

481: Evolving with Heart with Reilly Kahat

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What does it take to transform challenges into a thriving business? Reilly Kahat, owner and founder of Pet Fit, shares his transition from a dog walker to the owner of a flourishing pet care service. Following an unforeseen business closure that left him questioning his next steps, Reilly leverages his deep affection for animals to build a community rooted business from the ground up. He explores the importance of adaptive branding, the move towards a membership-based model for consistent service, and the cultivation of a supportive team dynamic. Reflecting on the hurdles faced, including navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, Reilly illustrates how setbacks were not just obstacles but opportunities for growth and deeper community engagement.

480: Repetition to Mastery

480: Repetition to Mastery

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How do you become a master in something? Inspired by Bruce Lee's philosophy that emphasizes focused practice over quantity, we share how repetitive actions, from the simple task of unlocking a door to the complexities of route planning, not only build familiarity but also pave the way to competency and mastery. We also talk about how deliberate practice, coupled with feedback, fosters a deeper understanding and efficient execution of tasks. We highlight the journey from initial exposure to achieving mastery, emphasizing the importance of patience and continuous improvement. Join us as we discuss transforming routine repetition into profound proficiency and the impact this has on both our personal and professional growth.

468: The Best Way to Meet Lots of Pet Sitter Friends

468: The Best Way to Meet Lots of Pet Sitter Friends

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Have you been to a conference? In a first for us, we were LIVE all weekend at the 2024 Texas Pet Sitters Association Conference! It was a jammed packed weekend filled with amazing people and great information. Listen in to get a little taste of what it's like to attend a conference, and check out our resource pages to see which one you can attend!

455: Effective Use of Google Ads with Maris Sonnabend

455: Effective Use of Google Ads with Maris Sonnabend

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How do you use Google ads effectively? Running an effective Google ad campaign takes more than just clicking a few buttons. It requires focus, trial and error, and a willingness to lean heavily into your brand. Maris Sonnabend, owner of House of Paws Pet Care, shares her experience of embracing a branding that isn’t for her but has enabled her to target a specific avatar. She walks through the importance of focusing on one guiding principle to keep everything you do focused and intentional. Maris also discusses her philosophy of testing to determine what will and will not work in her business.

442: The Costs of Being a Business Owner

442: The Costs of Being a Business Owner

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What does it cost to be a business owner? While there are certainty financial obligations involved, there are many more demands on us than if we didn’t run our own company. When we can identify the costs, we can better prepare for them, set boundaries and policies to control them, or remove them from our plates entirely through delegation and hiring. We break down five major costs to understand in being a business owner, and how to overcome them. 

441: Focusing on the Big Picture with Tori Levitt

441: Focusing on the Big Picture with Tori Levitt

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Where is your focus on your business? Tori Levitt, owner of Doolittle's Dog House, discusses the importance of setting and communicating clear policies to clients, and how to balance expanding services while maintaining control of your business. Tori emphasizes the necessity of personal self-care and setting boundaries to prevent burnout in this demanding industry. She also highlights the value of continuous education and building strong referral networks with other professionals like veterinarians and groomers. This episode is a blend of practical business advice and personal growth insights.

358: Overcoming Your Fears

358: Overcoming Your Fears

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What fears do you have in your business? From financial insecurity to personal freedom, fear is a powerful driving force for many of us. Fear comes from both the unknown and the unplanned for, so taking time to assess what’s impacting you gives clarity for better decisions. We break down common fears of running a business and what we can do about them. We also give simple steps to start overcoming your fears and living a more focused life.

306: You Need to Stop Apologizing

306: You Need to Stop Apologizing

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While saying “I’m sorry” can come from many good places, often it’s driven by personal fears and anxieties. Apologizing when it’s not actually your fault damages your authority and trustworthiness with your clients. Today, we share why over apologizing becomes an unconscious habit and to start working towards healthier ways of communicating with clients and people in our lives.

303: Facing Fear with Hope with Nicole Packin

303: Facing Fear with Hope with Nicole Packin

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Nicole Packin, owner of Miami Pet Concierge & The Packin Method, joins the show to share how she worked through her fears and self doubt in starting her business. Nicole ran her business for 15 years, then decided to set up in a brand new location, several states away. She gives us some insight into what it's like operating across state lines and why it's critical to stay fresh and up-to-date as a business. Nicole also shares how HOPE is the key to running a successful pet care business.

291: Staying Ambitious with Zach Shearer

291: Staying Ambitious with Zach Shearer

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What does it take to stay ambitious in business? Zach Shearer, owner of Zach's Pet Services, rejoins the show to share how much has changed since we last had him on. Zach talks about tackling large projects in the face of uncertainty and why surrounding yourself with experts is critical to your success. From his expanding kennel services to now grooming, Zach gives us some insight into the challenges they're facing and what he's doing to overcome them.

287: Continuing to Adapt with Miguel Rodriguez

287: Continuing to Adapt with Miguel Rodriguez

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How do we continue to pivot, adapt, and overcome challenges in business? Miguel Rodriguez, owner of City Dog Pack, joins us to share how he continues to apply lessons from Covid to the way her operate his business. From slimming down the number of staff he oversees, to tackling dog training and coaching via Zoom, Miguel has learned to let things go that don't help him on his mission. He also shares how he uses social media as his only marketing tool, and why we should be reading more!

243: Our 2021 Wins!

243: Our 2021 Wins!

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What were your wins for 2021? On the last Monday of the year, we review what has happened to us this year. We discuss our biggest moment from each month and what we hope to carry forward into 2022. Reflecting on your wins will help keep you motivated as you move forward into the new year.

233: Eating Well as a Busy Pet Sitter

233: Eating Well as a Busy Pet Sitter

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How do you plan your meals throughout the week? What makes a good snack for a busy dog walker and pet sitter? It’s not easy and is unique for everyone. We sent out a survey to other pet sitters to get a better idea of what others have experienced. Our businesses run on our bodies. So, we should seriously consider what we’re putting into it. For preparing the night before, to staying hydrated, there are simple things to get on a better track. We share some of the biggest struggles to planning meals, how to overcome them, and hacks to being more consistent. Then, Natasha shares her best piece of business advice.

198: Should you scale up or down?

198: Should you scale up or down?

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As in life, businesses have ebbs and flows. The pandemic showed us what we liked and what we didn’t like about being in the pet care industry. To take advantage of those, we have to be introspective and ask ourselves if scaling up or down is right for us. Each of us will have our own reasons, and only you know which is right for you and your goals. We discuss the difference between scaling up or scaling down, when it’s right for you, and ways to implement it in your business. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “What is leadership?”

196: Business Introspection

196: Business Introspection

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Throughout the year, most of us reflect on our personal life, where we excelled and where we fell short. The same should be true for our pet care businesses. Whether you’ve been in business for 6 months or 16 years, it’s important to be introspective so you know where to improve. We discuss how being reflective will help you and 10 questions to ask yourself about your business. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers “How do I stop feeling like I have to be ‘on’ all the time?”

182: Client Experience with Madeline Burgos

182: Client Experience with Madeline Burgos

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In 2015, Madeline and her husband, Gabriel, couldn't find a trustworthy dog walker for their beloved dog Lola. Seeing an opening, they ditched their backgrounds in computer science and business management to start Happy Bark and Tails. Passionate about customer service, Madeline shares what it means to be trustworthy and how they have adapted to changing needs in services. She discusses her methodology behind communicating their mission with their website and how they make sure they're the right fit for clients. Madeline and Gabriel also use their social media following for more than just promoting their business, and she tells us the impact it can have.

179: Avoiding the Pitfalls in Pet Care

179: Avoiding the Pitfalls in Pet Care

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Being a service based industry, we should provide both excellent pet care and excellent customer service. However, as we strive to meet those demands on us and our business, there may be some pitfalls along the way. We cover the common ones we see in pet care, and those we have fallen into. We share how to avoid them and get out of them, if you find yourself already in one. Natasha O’Banion answers, “What’s one policy you wish you would have started sooner?”

165: The Many Hats of a Business Owner

165: The Many Hats of a Business Owner

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On this episode we discuss the different types of hats you may wear, and the ones you shouldn’t. From being an IT manager to a marketer and CFO, there are a lot of things to do. The key is determining which hat you should be wearing versus finding a way to have someone else, or software, wear it. Natasha O’Banion answers the question, “How do I fire an employee in a healthy way?”

137: Knowing You’re Enough with Melanie Haynes

137: Knowing You’re Enough with Melanie Haynes

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Melanie Haynes, owner of Space Coast Pet Services and Virtual Pet Pro, shares how she found her authentic self by starting her pet care business. She discusses how being a professional pet care provider means taking care of the intangibles and building trust with your clients. Melanie also gives advice on what it’s like to be a virtual assistant and what it takes to have a great working relationship with one.

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