225: The Holiday Season

225: The Holiday Season

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The Holiday Season is upon us! But don't worry, it's NOT too late to get prepared and make sure you set your mental and emotional health as a priority. The holidays are busy, but they don't have to be crushing. Setting up your schedule right now, and communicating your availability are just the first steps to start taking more control for a more enjoyable season. From saying, "NO" to why you may consider taking deposits this year, boundaries are more important than ever. Natasha O'Banion answers the question, "What books are you reading right now?"

224: Emotional Intelligence with Wayne Hartley

224: Emotional Intelligence with Wayne Hartley

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What’s the difference between a manager and a leader? How do you juggle wearing all of the hats? Wayne Hartley, owner of Happy Hearts Pet Care, joins the show to break down his mindset around working with his team and the role emotional intelligence plays in his business. From using fear as a motivating force, to how he views success, Wayne shares how he makes his business run. Wayne also talks about what it’s like running a mobile grooming service, and all of the bumps that come with that. He gives some great advice for how he recharges and taps into inspiration when running his business.

223: Starting a Pet Care Business

223: Starting a Pet Care Business

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What are the business fundamentals for a pet sitting or dog walking business? Do you know someone who wants to run their own pet care biz but doesn’t know where to start? On this episode, we discuss how to get started. From a plan and getting a business license, to checking out insurance, we walk through what you need to have in place, and share from our own experience. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I forgive myself after I make a mistake?”

222: Fostering Mindful Pet Parents with Alexa Rabini

222: Fostering Mindful Pet Parents with Alexa Rabini

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What does it mean to help our clients be more mindful? We start by helping them pay attention to changes in their pet and by empowering them to be advocates for the pets health. Alexa Rabini, the Pug Mom, shares how she helps her clients be more mindful in their care. She also breaks down some common misconceptions around CBD usage in pets. Alexa gives some great tips on managing online communities for pet parents and pet professionals, to help everyone be engaged and growing together.

221: Leveraging Your Business Community

221: Leveraging Your Business Community

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Are you connected with the broader business community in your area? We had a great opportunity recently to introduce our business to other business owners. On this episode, we share why these networking events are important and the role they play in raising the awareness of the pet care industry. They also help us to feel more legitimate as business owners. We discuss the benefits that come from being connected to other businesses, and how to prepare for the networking opportunities. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I view myself as more legitimate?”

220: Making Big Changes with Maria Teran

220: Making Big Changes with Maria Teran

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Maria Teran, owner of Chicawoof Dog Walking, has gone through many life altering events. From fleeing her home country, to uprooting to a brand new city to start a business, Maria faces change with optimism and opportunities. She joins the show to reflect on those events, how she found and stays true to her brand, and growing and selling businesses.

219: Sending Great Updates

219: Sending Great Updates

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Clients expect to be updated on the status of their fur-baby, but there isn’t a one size fits all for this in the pet care industry. How should you update your client while they’re away? What are the common types of updates? We discuss the situations which work best for each kind, and what type of client fits them. Updates can eat up a lot of time, so it’s important to use them effectively and appropriately. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I foster good relationships with clients?”

218: Know Your Customer with Brian Taylor

218: Know Your Customer with Brian Taylor

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How are you building multiple ways to service your clients? Sticky services keep clients coming back because you keep solving their problems in new ways. From package pricing to customer service and retention, Brian Taylor, owner of Harlem Doggie Day Spa, joins the show to share how he's become known as the 'Dog Father of Harlem'. His passion for being neighborhood centric and servicing community drive him to connect his business to his community. Brian pursues servicing his top client's needs and making every interaction special. He shares why he continues to give back and where he hopes the grooming industry goes in the future.

217: The Power of Words

217: The Power of Words

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Sometimes, words are hard. They hold immense power and can make or break relationships. We discuss how to harness those positive words and phrases to propel your pet business into clearly communicating what you want. We also talk about the role of words in how we perceive ourselves and overcome hard times. Then, pet business coach Natasha O’Banion talks about the fear of staff stealing clients.

216: Successful House Sitting with Kylie Fuad from Aussie House Sitters

216: Successful House Sitting with Kylie Fuad from Aussie House Sitters

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The house sitting industry continues to change and adapt to the world of Covid. With new lockdowns and vaccine rollouts across the globe, home owners and house sitters alike are trying to see where the industry will go. Kylie Fuad, co-owner of Aussie House Sitters and House Sitters America, joins the show to discuss the current state of house sitting. She gives us some great advice on preparing for life as a house sitter and how home owners expectations have changed. Kylie also shares her optimism on the future of travel and how we can be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities as staycations become more popular.

214: Success One Step at a Time with Becky O'Neil

214: Success One Step at a Time with Becky O'Neil

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Becky O’Neil, owner of Becky’s Pet Care, left the medical field to pursue a career in pet care so she could spend more time with her child. After 20+ years in the industry, she has over 150 employees and has had to adapt, and adopt, new technology and business planning to continue to thrive and meet the needs of her clients. Becky shares what her definition of success is, and why it's so important to be running the business you want. We also discuss the upcoming NAPPS 2021 conference and what to expect from the speakers.

212: How to Fail Well

212: How to Fail Well

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Have you ever failed at something? More importantly, did you grow and learn from your last failure? Instead of viewing ourselves as a failure when a plan doesn’t go the way we thought, we need to look for the growth opportunities. On this episode, we break down the common problems entrepreneurs face when failure occurs, and how to face those failures to catapult ourselves into success. From defining what a failure is, to setting appropriate goals, there are processes to make “failing” as beneficial as possible. Then, pet business coach Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I have more fun in my business?”

211: The Power of Blogging with Ali Smith

211: The Power of Blogging with Ali Smith

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How do you connect with your ideal clients? One of the best ways is blogging. Ali Smith, owner of Rebarkable, shares her story of blogging as a way to turn her business into a high value machine. She gives tips on what makes a good blog, getting over the fear of imperfection, and how to repurpose your blog. Ali discusses how to reach quality clients and having peace of mind in business.

210: Coming Together

210: Coming Together

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More and more people are entering the pet care space. At a time when many uncertainties plague the industry, we’re facing questions and challenges. To overcome these, and help the industry stay around for a long time, we need to be reaching out and building everyone up. There is no reason to tear others down simply because they do things differently. We should be inviting, mentoring, and educating. We share our thoughts on the importance of organizing and self-regulating, and why building community is crucial. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do you deal with all the phone calls?”

209: Implementing Minimalism with Sandra and Paul from “Minimalist Journeys”

209: Implementing Minimalism with Sandra and Paul from “Minimalist Journeys”

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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by not only physical clutter, but also perceived obligations and expectations? Minimalism is more than just getting rid of “stuff” and decluttering. It’s a way of getting more connected with your “why” and acting in your values. Paul and Sandra, from Minimalist Journeys, share their journey into minimalism and travel house sitting. They help break down what minimalism is, and isn’t. They also tell stories from nomadic house sitting and how to get better at receiving feedback!

208: What is Shaping Client Expectations

208: What is Shaping Client Expectations

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We all recognize that client expectations are changing. It’s not just a generational thing, though that does play into it. New clients are finding they need a pet sitter more and more, and they’re bringing a new set of expectations and learned experiences. Where do these expectations come from? We play a new commercial that hints at where new clients are headed, and the broader impact it will have on the pet sitting community. We share our thoughts on how to overcome unhealthy expectations and have a better balance with your boundaries.

207: Learning from Mistakes with Christina & Jen

207: Learning from Mistakes with Christina & Jen

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Twin sisters in pet care share how they learn and grow together to solve problems and meet their client's need. Jen Adamo, owner of Jen’s Happy Pets, and Christina Ranaldi, owner of Scruffy Puppy Pet Care, discuss their experiences hiring and managing staff, and what it's like learning from mistakes. They talk about giving grace, supporting your team, and understanding that issues will happen. We discuss the importance of learning from others and sibling rivalry.

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