265: Finding What Motivates You with Jane Torok

265: Finding What Motivates You with Jane Torok

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What motivates you? We don’t operate in a vacuum and there are both intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors that influence and drive our decisions. Jane Torok, owner of Paw Prints Pet Services, joins the show to explain how her motivating factors drive her to keep working through tough times. As a one woman show, she also shares how to stay content in your business and be thankful for the opportunity and balance in your life. Jane is also extremely passionate about community in pet care and helps operate the largest Facebook group for dog walkers. She talks about why community is so critical and how to avoid fears of rejection and competition.

264: Writing Copy That Works

264: Writing Copy That Works

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What is copy writing for your business and what makes it work to get clients? Copy writing is more than just ad copy, as it includes all of the written materials you create. Producing consistent copy that works isn’t easy, so in this episode, we discuss how to attract clients through your messages. From using familiar language, to being crystal clear, a little planning (and maybe some help!) will ensure you build trust and authority. Then, Natasha answers, “What is a good reset for my personal and business life?”

263: Start the Journey with Claire Aither

263: Start the Journey with Claire Aither

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How do you stay on mission in your business? Claire Aither had to make a choice, go into a career she wasn't comfortable with, or find something else. A cheerleading grandma and passion for pets led her to start Pet Sitting MKE. Claire talks about how her support group helped her deal with insecurities when she first started her business. We also discuss why she decided to stop accepting new clients and no longer take overnight care. Making hard decisions is made easier by knowing what you actually want/need from your business, and whether they are aligned with your purpose.

262: You Should Attend a Conference

262: You Should Attend a Conference

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Have you attended a pet sitting conference? We just went to our first in-person conference, the Texas Pet Sitters Conference. Attending, especially in person, brings a ton of benefits, if you’ve prepared and are ready to take advantage of them. We share our experience and why we think you should go to one too! Plus, Natasha answers, “How do I make my life about more than my business?”

261: F.I.R.E. with Jen Tserng

261: F.I.R.E. with Jen Tserng

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Jen Tserng joins the show again to discuss how to have an investing mindset and what it means to make saving money fun. From setting budgets to raising prices, taking a wholistic approach to our financial health is really what sets us up for success. Regardless of whether you want to retire in 10 years, or 30, it takes understanding your numbers and financial discipline to execute the plan.

260: Reflecting on Hiring

260: Reflecting on Hiring

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So, after everything we have learned and experienced through hiring, what are our major takeaways? We discuss it in this episode. Hiring has certainly been a major growth opportunity for the business as well as our personal mindsets. We share some of our mistakes, lessons learned, and how we can do better next time. Natasha answers, “I’m solo, do I need to care about company culture?”

259: INSPIRE with Dom Hodgson

259: INSPIRE with Dom Hodgson

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Dom Hodgson, the Pet Biz Wiz, talks about growing your business sustainably through pricing and upselling on additional services. By continuing to focus on the fundamentals of our businesses, we’ll be less likely to make rushed and stressed decisions. Dom also shares what it means to give your clients a premium on-boarding experience and how to increase lock-in of existing clients. Dom has an upcoming live event in March (INSPIRE 2022) that we are taking part in, and would love to see you there!

258: Working at the Pace of Dog with Jen Walmsley

258: Working at the Pace of Dog with Jen Walmsley

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Jen Walmsley is a trainer and dog walker in Bedford and operates Fetch Club, with a mission to provide top quality mental and physical stimulation to her clients. She shares how the growth of her business helped her be more creative and why hiring was so important to her. We also discuss what it means to focus on training fundamentals and how she makes her group walks function.

257: Onboarding and Training Staff

257: Onboarding and Training Staff

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It’s now time for you to bring your new hire into your company and help them feel like they belong. You need them to feel valued and part of your company, which takes time and intentionality on your part. Onboarding and training staff can feel daunting, but planning out the first six months to one year for them will help you make sure they’re on track and you don’t miss anything that will leave them hanging. Then, Natasha answers, “How do I become a better manager?”

256: Fear Free Pet Sitting with Mikkel Becker

256: Fear Free Pet Sitting with Mikkel Becker

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Mikkel Becker, from Fear Free and Fear Free Happy Homes, discusses how following the Fear Free philosophy impacts our ability to build trust with the pets in our care. It not only makes our job easier, but also sets up the pet and owner for success. Mikkel shares how fear manifests itself in dogs and cats, and what we can do to help them in those moments.

255: Feeling Overwhelmed and Inadequate?

255: Feeling Overwhelmed and Inadequate?

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Have you ever felt overwhelmed with everything you have to do? Or maybe you’ve felt inadequate because you can’t seem to make any headway on your to-do list. Whatever the reason, you are not alone. Life as a business owner means there is a never end list of things you have to get done. Managing these feelings takes understanding that we all have our limits. It also means setting better expectations for what you’re able to do and when it can be done. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “What are you looking forward to this year?”

254: Beyond Training with Garrett Stevens

254: Beyond Training with Garrett Stevens

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Do you speak dog? Garrett Stevens has spent his life trying to understand what the animals around him are saying. Garrett owns Stevens Family Kennels and Dog Language Center, and questions everything when it comes to dog training and behavior. The use of touch is extremely important in a dog’s control of their environment and gives us clues as to what they need. Garrett gives advice on assessing whether a dog is mature and how to foster a better relationship with them. Your clients are looking for family members, not robots, which means we get to help them find balance.

253: Becoming an Employer

253: Becoming an Employer

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What happens after you post your job ad? Should you be doing anything else? 🤔Turns out, there are a LOT of things you need to have in place and think through. From insurance to team communication, we break down what you need to do before bringing on staff. Having a manager mindset will allow you to anticipate problems and remember that you are the authority. Then, Natasha answers, “What else can I have my staff do?”

252: Being in the Moment with Gricel Arroyo

252: Being in the Moment with Gricel Arroyo

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After only providing nail trims to meet the needs of her community, Gricel Arroyo has experienced rapid growth and is about to make the leap to full-time. As such, she’s caught between knowing she wants to grow and expand, but also trying to run the business she has. Gricel balances the growth and social media by keeping it in perspective and working towards her goals. She shares with us what her growth has been like, and how she stays transparent with her clients about her business.

251: From Application to Job Offer

251: From Application to Job Offer

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in this episode, we break down the 4 stages in our hiring process and why we think they are critical. We also explain how to remain impartial throughout the process and the importance of knowing exactly what you’re looking for before you start.. You should have a plan and know what is a good vs bad answer to your questions. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How can I celebrate holidays and still run my business?”

250: Stop Overcomplicating Marketing with Jane Harrell

250: Stop Overcomplicating Marketing with Jane Harrell

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Do you ever feel guilty that you should be doing more in your marketing? 📢With as many hats as we wear as business owners, it's common to start feeling like you're not doing enough. In this episode, Jane Harrell, from Working with Dog and Cause Digital Marketing, shared ways we can market efficiently, use time effectively, and learn to forgive ourselves when we don't get everything done.

249: How to Write a Job Ad

249: How to Write a Job Ad

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Have you ever posted a hiring ad? In the current job market it’s more critical than ever to nail the ad posting so you get what you need out of your hire. With more people switching jobs and careers than ever before, your ad has to connect with what they’re looking for and help them see a future with your company. We break down the ads we’ve placed and what you should consider before you post yours. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I set good goals?”

248: Going The Extra Mile with K.C. Heitchue

248: Going The Extra Mile with K.C. Heitchue

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How has your business grown? Growing rapidly is never easy. Since starting Fur Baby Comfort & Care three years ago, K.C. Heitchue has worked hard to provide exceptional pet care to Southeast Michigan and has grown to over 900 clients. K.C. shares her motivations for starting the business and how that has continued to drive her. She also discusses how growing her Facebook page helped her build a network rather than competition. She shares the key to staff retention and what it means to go the extra mile for clients.

247: Why We Hired

247: Why We Hired

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Have you thought about hiring? We have. A LOT. We recently hired for the first time and will be doing a series of episodes on what the process was like for us. Hiring isn’t always the answer to our struggles in business, so we break down some of our reasons for deciding it was time to hire. We also give you some questions to think through if you’re on the fence. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I get over my fear and make big changes?”

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