429: Being a Problem Solver with Kevin Johnson

429: Being a Problem Solver with Kevin Johnson

Collin

What problems are you solving for your clients? Kevin Johnson, owner of Planet Paws Pet Care, views his entire role as being the problem solver for his clients. Kevin transitioned from being a defense attorney to running a successful pet sitting business. He emphasizes the importance of communication skills in building trust with clients and identifying their pain points. He believes in being a problem solver and guiding clients to the right services, even if it means referring them elsewhere. Kevin also highlights the value of networking, joining the chamber of commerce, and filling gaps in the market. He and his wife work together in the business, with her focusing on marketing and business operations. Kevin participates in events to raise awareness of his business and engage with the community.

428: Why You Should Join a Chamber of Commerce

428: Why You Should Join a Chamber of Commerce

Collin

Have you thought about joining a chamber of commerce or other local business support group? We had been throwing the idea around for a while and very recently decided to do it! Today, we break down what a chamber of commerce is, some of their benefits, and how we plan on getting the most of out it!

427: Finding Flexibility and Freedom with Shade Long

427: Finding Flexibility and Freedom with Shade Long

Collin

How much is your time worth to you? As busy business owners, we often get caught up in the grind and hustle of our day-to-day operations. Ultimately, we have to step back and ask what truly matters in our lives. Shade Long, owner of Complete Pet Care, joins the show to share the learning curve she's experienced over the last two years. From managing massive business growth amidst overwhelm, to refining her onboarding process, she's finding ways to strike a better balance. Shade explains why it's not all about bursting at the seams and emphasizes that you can run the business you want while also having a life outside of it.

426: Managing the Pet Business Triangle: Time - People - Money

426: Managing the Pet Business Triangle: Time - People - Money

Collin

Do you consider yourself a project manager? Running a pet sitting and dog walking company, we face many unique challenges and have to be able to adapt quickly, while keeping everything organized and structured. We take the traditional project management triangle and adapt it to the pet services industry, with the primary focus being on people. Obviously pet care is a number one priority in our businesses, but the people aspect cannot be minimized and should be accounted for when taking on any visit, walk, or extended care.

425: A Touch of ‘Know, Like, and Trust’ with Kelly Hester

425: A Touch of ‘Know, Like, and Trust’ with Kelly Hester

Collin

How do you make an excellent client onboarding? A well executed client onboarding not only sets the tone and expectations for the client, but also set the relationship up to last for years. Kelly Hester, owner of Kelly’s Kritters Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, joins the show to walk through how she translated her decades of corporate work into running her business. From exceptional customer service to formally documenting everything, she provides several great best practices. Kelly also explains her process for onboarding clients so that both she and the client understand exactly what is going on.

424: Navigating the Unexpected Death of a Client’s Pet

424: Navigating the Unexpected Death of a Client’s Pet

Collin

How do you deal with the sudden death of a client’s pet? As pet business owners, we will have client’s pets that pass away. We do our best to plan and prepare, but what about an unexpected death? We find ourselves reeling and wondering if we could have done more. We have to continue running our business, while looking for ways to find space and time to recover. On this episode, we walk through the implications at the personal, staffing, and business levels.

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

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

Collin

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.

422: A Pet Loss Memorial Service For You

422: A Pet Loss Memorial Service For You

Collin

Do you give yourself time to grieve when a client’s pet,  or your own pet, passes away? As busy business owners, we rarely take time to ourselves, and often use our business to bury the emotions and feelings. Clients do the same, and often need prompting and encouragement to mourn their pet. Today, we reflect on our recent pet loss memorial events and what we included. We also invite you to participate in a memorial service just for you.

421: Overcoming the Barriers to Hiring an Employee vs an Independent Contractor with Kim Ottone Tank

421: Overcoming the Barriers to Hiring an Employee vs an Independent Contractor with Kim Ottone Tank

Collin

Do you struggle with whether to hire an employee or work with an independent contractor? Many of us face wanting to grow, find space in our life, or take a break from the day-to-day work, but then worry about whether an employee or independent contractor is the right fit. Kim Ottone Tank, owner of both Apronstrings and Staffingstrings, joins the show to help us understand what it really means to hire an employee. Kim breaks down what the differences are between an employee and an independent contractor, how that impacts our businesses, and how to understand the true costs of each.

420: Balancing Data and Intuition when Making Decisions

420: Balancing Data and Intuition when Making Decisions

Collin

How should you use data when making decisions in your business? Data and quantitative information provides invaluable surety when we look to solve problems in our business. However, there are limitations to the accuracy and applicability to the data we collect. Ultimately, we are at the interplay of facts and figures and emotions with our customers. We break down how this impacts making good decisions and practical applications to use today!

419: Selling the Gap with Rachelle Steele

419: Selling the Gap with Rachelle Steele

Collin

How do you sell your services to potential clients? While many of us believe that our service quality speaks for itself, many clients will have additional questions or needs that we must address. With 30 years of high-end retail experience, Rachelle Steele, owner of Loving Arms Pet Services, shares insights into guiding clients through the purchasing process. Rachelle explains how to ask good questions to better understand how you can serve your client and how using the Platinum Rule can help you meet your clients' needs.

418: Putting in Hard Work

418: Putting in Hard Work

Collin

How does continually taking shortcuts in your business hurt you in the long run? While it may seem like a good idea to go after “tips and tricks” or “hacks” to overcome obstacles, you end up cheating yourself out of learning opportunities and confidence building. We break down several elements as to why tackling hard things is good for you, and how to know the difference between a hard task and a hardship in your life. 

417: Lost Pet Rescue and Prevention with Annalisa Berns

417: Lost Pet Rescue and Prevention with Annalisa Berns

Collin

What will you do if an owner’s pet escapes? When seconds count, planning and preparation are your best friend. Annalisa Berns, The Pet Detective, walks us through common ways dogs and cats go missing and explains the simple steps we can take to prevent that from happening. She points out that the normal behaviors we expect are replaced with more unpredictable ones once the pet goes missing. Annalisa speaks on the methods to recover a missing pet, and reminds us to get helps as soon as possible.

416: How to Become Irreplaceable

416: How to Become Irreplaceable

Collin

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.

415: Fostering Relationships Through Your Software with Mike Grenier

415: Fostering Relationships Through Your Software with Mike Grenier

Collin

What drives close relationships in your business? We should view everything we do as an opportunity to foster relationships with our clients, including our software. Mike Grenier, co-founder of Time to Pet, joins the show to share how they prioritize problem-solving. Mike emphasizes the importance of adhering to guiding principles while not being afraid to pivot in response to market changes. He describes the process of building a niche business and how his early days running a pet sitting business with his wife influenced their approach to software.

414: When You’re Paralyzed by Doubt

414: When You’re Paralyzed by Doubt

Collin

Have you ever experienced self doubt? It can come from many areas; lack of information, conflicting information, or internal conflicts of beliefs and values. As a business owner, we’re required to do hard things in our business, which means we’re likely to encounter doubt and insecurity more often. We break down the relationship between fear and doubt and how to keep moving forward. Doubt doesn’t have to mean the end of anything. It should act as a trigger to do something different or seek out help.

413: Navigating CRMs with Dom Hodgson

413: Navigating CRMs with Dom Hodgson

Collin

What is a CRM and how can it help your business? As the marketer of your business, you’re in charge of finding ways of getting your business in front of more people and connecting them to the right services. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) allows you to supercharge how you interact with your existing and potential client. Dom Hodgson, The Pet Biz Wiz, joins the show to break down how to make the most of a CRM and find the hidden money in your business. Dom explains what a quality CRM can actually do, how to communicate with your clients, and help you understand your clients better.

412: 4 Lessons From 4 Years of Podcasting

412: 4 Lessons From 4 Years of Podcasting

Collin

We just celebrated four years of podcasting! We can’t believe where the time has gone. What started off as a to share from our experiences quickly turned into a while of showcasing the amazing people working in the pet industry. We’ve been honored to share their stories and learn from the best of the best. We break down four lessons we’ve learned and how they’re impacting our own business, and the importance of tackling big problems.

411: Transitioning from International to Local Pet Care with Kelly Hayes-Raitt

411: Transitioning from International to Local Pet Care with Kelly Hayes-Raitt

Collin

When making big decisions, it's important to gather new information and seek out novel experiences in order to fully understand the situation before moving forward. In this episode, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, known as the HouseSit Diva, shares her experience of using international travel house and pet sitting to find a new place to live. By experimenting across different cultures and lifestyles, Kelly emphasizes the importance of embracing each step as an opportunity to grow and learn. She also discusses how she transitioned from being a free house and pet sitter to offering a paid service in her new hometown, and how this change has affected client expectations. Whether you're planning a business shift or a major life change, new experiences can teach you a lot!

410: Finding Creative Flow

410: Finding Creative Flow

Collin

How do you stay creative? As a busy business owner, our ability to be and stay creative is critical to the longevity of our business. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves unable to reach creative flow and end up sticking to the same old same old. We break out ways in which creativity is essential to your business (it’s WAY more than social media posts). We also share the common reasons we find it difficult to be creative and 3 strategies you can use to start overcoming them today.

Load More