Pet Sitter Confessional

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https://tinypawsbookkeeping.com

Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months

National Association of Professional Pet Sitters

www.petsitters.org

511: From Numbers to Strategy with Anne-Marie Kaden

Pet Sitter Confessional

07/24/24 • 59 min

How do you navigate the financial uncertainties of running a business? Anne-Marie Kaden, from Tiny Paws Bookkeeping highlights the importance of regularly monitoring financial health and utilizing key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure your business adapts and thrives in changing markets. She emphasizes managing labor costs effectively, planning for cash flow variations, and leveraging historical data to make informed decisions. Through strategic financial management, business owners can better prepare for seasonal fluctuations and unexpected expenses, ensuring sustainability and growth. Anne-Marie's insights offer valuable strategies for maintaining financial stability and maximizing profitability in any economic environment.

Main topics:

Monitor Financial Health Regularly
Understand and Utilize KPIs
Manage Labor Costs Effectively
Plan for Cash Flow
Leverage Historical Data Insights

Main takeaway: When I talk about financial health, it's really in terms that are very specific to you, as a business owner, not necessarily the industry as a whole.

About Our Guest:

Anne-Marie Kaden has been involved in animal and pet care all of her professional career. She built and ran a successful pet sitting business in North Carolina from scratch to six-figures in just five years. She sold her first business in 2022. Anne-Marie knows and understands the pet care industry intimately and is now operating her second pet sitting business, Tiny Paws Pet Sitting in Colorado alongside her bookkeeping operation.

She holds a BS in Animal Science from Virginia Tech, which provided structure to what has become her life’s work. Anne-Marie has worked in both small- and large-animal veterinary hospitals, managed private equestrian barns, taught riding lessons, and worked on ranches as a wrangler and trail guide.

She and her family relocated to Monument, CO in July 2022 from North Carolina seeking bigger mountains and a more active lifestyle. Her husband, two kids and their canine partner, Percy, enjoy being outside, hiking, camping, and kayaking.

Links:

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tiny-paws-bookkeeping

https://www.instagram.com/tinypawsbookkeeping/

https://www.facebook.com/tinypawsbookkeeping

Give us a call! (636) 364-8260

Email us at: [email protected]

Sponsored by:

Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months

Pet Perennials Visit: https://petperennials.com/pages/register-for-a-business-account Code: 'PSC' when registering for a $2 off coupon on any purchases in the 1st 90 days

293: Decide to be the Leader with Julie Fredrick

Pet Sitter Confessional

06/15/22 • 54 min

Have you decided to be a leader in the industry? Julie Fredrick, owner of The Pet Sitter of Boise, has been running her pet sitting business since 2003, while still holding down a full time job. With a team of over 35 employees, she spends her time focusing on giving the best possible service to the right clients. Julie shares how her background in operations and process improvement helps her run her business better and why more growth isn't always better. She also encourages us to start being a leader in the industry.

Main topics Process improvement Full-time job Saturation mode Being a leader

Main takeaways: Instead of getting more clients, get the right ones

About our guest: Thirteen years ago, Julie began fostering rescued animals. Her fostering adventure started with cats and grew into dogs (her first “dog” foster was a mama dog with 7 pups!). Since then, she has fostered hundreds of dogs for area rescue groups such as The Idaho Humane Society (I.H.S.), Idaho Domestic Animal Welfare Group(IDAWG), and the Fox Terrier Fanciers of Puget Sound Rescue. It brings her great joy to know that a small commitment of a few weeks of fostering saves a life.

While Julie is quite pet-centric, here are some other tidbits about her...Her career began in Research & Engineering with Kimberly-Clark Corporation, she earned an MBA from Boise State in 2005 (Go Broncos!), she was a process engineer in a toilet paper factory in South Carolina for several years and her favorite movie is Forrest Gump.

Throughout the years, Julie has been trusted to care for pets of friends and family. She truly enjoys caring for pets and getting to know them as individuals with unique personalities. Julie looks forward to meeting your four-legged, furry family members and would be honored to be trusted with their care while you’re away.

Links: Website: https://thepetsitterofboise.com Email: [email protected] On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.fredrick.7 Pet Sitting for Profit: https://amzn.to/3u67oOk

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556: Recognition Starts with You: Building Inner Drive

Pet Sitter Confessional

12/30/24 • 15 min

Are you ready to take control of your motivation and redefine success in your pet care business? In this episode, we explore the importance of recognizing your hard work and celebrating wins, even when no one else is watching. We dive into how building trust with clients and staying aligned with your mission can fuel your drive. From reflecting on your values to embracing the challenges of serving others, we share practical tips to keep your momentum strong throughout the year. Tune in to discover how self-recognition can empower you to build a business you’re truly proud of.

Main topics:

Finding self-motivation in business
Celebrating wins to stay driven
Building trust through quality service
Aligning actions with business values
Reframing challenges as opportunities

Main takeaway: You are the one who defines success in your business—recognize your efforts, celebrate your wins, and build the drive to keep going.

In the hustle of running a pet care business, it’s easy to wait for others—clients, team members, or even family—to validate your hard work. But the truth is, you are the one who defines success in your business. 🌟

Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Did you create a flawless route plan? Handle a tough pet care situation with grace? Deliver peace of mind to a client? Those moments are worth recognizing.

When you take time to reflect on your efforts and celebrate what you’ve accomplished, you build the inner drive to keep going. 💪 Let this year be about owning your journey, honoring your growth, and setting the pace for an even better tomorrow.

What’s one win you’re proud of today? Share it in the comments—let’s celebrate together!” 🐾✨

Links:

See all of our discounts!

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Sponsored by:

https://associationofpetprofessionals.com

Pet Sitters Associates Visit: https://www.petsitllc.com Code: Confessional

441: Focusing on the Big Picture with Tori Levitt

Pet Sitter Confessional

11/22/23 • 62 min

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.

Main topics:

Taking responsibility
Focus on relationships
Clarity and policies
Getting more education

Main takeaway: Life is like a camera. Focus on the big picture. Develop from the negative. If it didn’t turn out, try again.

About our guest:

Hi! I’m Tori Levitt and it is my daily mission to help others. For 14+ years, I’ve combined farm- girl grit and a caring heart to build a business from scratch and successfully grow a viable company known as Doolittle’s Doghouse

My on-the-job experiences with 1000’s of dogs and my team of 40+ pet nannies, has been a journey of joy, albeit with some mistakes I want to help other pet sitters avoid. I subscribe to the adage that “life is like a camera: focus on the big picture; develop from the negative and if it doesn’t work out, take another shot!

Links

Give her a call: 480-907-6400

[email protected]

https://doolittlesdoghouse.com

https://www.facebook.com/doolittlesdoghouse/wall/

https://www.youtube.com/user/doolittlesdoghouse

Give us a call! (636) 364-8260

Email us at: [email protected]

Sponsored by:

Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/@peacefulpetmusic

Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months

Peaceful Pet Music - Calm Music for Pets

🎶💜 From peaceful melodies to soothing nature sounds, this channel is your go-to spot when your pet is anxious and you don’t know where to turn.💜🐾

365: Serving Your Community with LeAnna Quartuccio and Brandon Elkins

Pet Sitter Confessional

03/01/23 • 63 min

How do you serve your community? From offering employment opportunities to serving specific needs, our businesses can be a huge asset to our local communities. LeAnna Quartuccio and Brandon Elkins, owners of Hyde Bark Dog Walking & Pet Care + Hyde Bark Play and Park, join us to discuss why focusing on staying local is so powerful. They work hard to offer appealing benefits to their staff, and walk through how they can make that happen. LeAnna and Brandon made a huge decision to open a doggy daycare to better serve their community. They share their lessons from that process and their training protocol to turn new staff members into professionals.

Main topics:

Underserved communities
Providing staff benefits
Training professional sitters
Starting a daycare
Being a member of the community

Main takeaway: We don’t sell service, what we sell is trust.

About our guests:

Hi! My name is LeAnna. I started Hyde Bark in 2015 after having worked as a dog walker for other companies as well as on my own for over a decade. I always said it was the "best job I ever had".

Prior to starting Hyde Bark, I was a stay-at-home mom. Once my son started school, I decided to get back into dog walking for no other reason than it was something I had always loved doing!

In early 2016 my husband, Brandon, quit his job to help manage Hyde Bark and the two of us have been running the business together ever since!

In 2022 we opened Hyde Park's first doggy daycare - Hyde Bark Play Park! I am so proud to have grown from a single client back in 2015 to today in which our amazing little team cares for over 200 pets each and every day all just in the Hyde Park, Bronzeville and Woodlawn areas.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/hydebarkchicago/

https://www.hydebarkchicago.com

https://trainual.com

Give us a call! (636) 364-8260

Email us at: [email protected]

Sponsored by:

The article that started this...

Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months

113: The Gig Conversation

Pet Sitter Confessional

10/12/20 • 32 min

Summary An article was written recently about a survey of 100 pet owners who used Rover. The result? The owners thought the Rover sitter had all the same qualifications as an independent pet care provider. On the podcast, we discuss the implications of this and what we can do.

Topics on this episode:

Summary of the article
What does this say about the average pet owner?
What can we do as business owners?
Ask a Pet Biz Coach with Natasha O’Banion

Main take away? Be YOU and remember that we can continue to improve the industry through education of our potential clients and digging into better systems for our businesses.

Links It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Donate today.

Episode 87 on Industry Standard

Our Interview with the founder of PawsInn

Read the full transcripts here

Consider supporting the show

Give us a call: 636-364-8260

Check out our pet sitter resources

Email us: [email protected]

Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, & TuneIn

513: Navigating Client Expectations with Heather Scott

Pet Sitter Confessional

07/31/24 • 60 min

Are clients' expectations driving your pet care business to the brink? In this episode, Heather Scott, owner of Heather’s Pet Care, delves into the challenges of managing unrealistic client demands and the impact Covid lockdowns continues to have on their expectations. She shares her journey of phasing out overnight services due to financial and legal constraints, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and clear communication. Heather also discusses her refined hiring process and the significance of realistic job previews for new staff. Finally, she emphasizes the value of community engagement and local networking in building a loyal client base and adapting to industry changes.

Main topics:

Client Expectations and Behavior
Challenges of Overnight Services
Pricing and Industry Competition
Hiring and Training Staff
Community Engagement and Networking

Main takeaway: Adapting to industry changes is essential for growth.

About our guest:

It started when my dad decided to get my family a puppy! In 2003, we adopted a mini Shih Tzu and she quickly became the highlight of our family. From there, I grew a huge love for animals!

Back in 2013, I got a phone call asking if I could help out a family friend with her multiple pets for two weeks. After meeting me, the owner's took a leap of faith to travel around the world and leave me with their pets. Once they got home, they couldn't have been happier! Shortly after, I decided to take my love for animals and turn it into a business.

Being around animals is the highlight of my day!

Links:

Previously on: https://www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/031-heather-scott

Email: [email protected]

www.heatherpetcare.com

Instagram: heatherpetcare

Check out our Starter Packs

Give us a call! (636) 364-8260

Email us at: [email protected]

Sponsored by:

https://www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/402

Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months

466: The Myth of Multitasking

Pet Sitter Confessional

02/19/24 • 25 min

Do you consider yourself a multitasker? Contrary to popular belief, multitasking does not make us more productive. In fact, what we are capable of doing is not even considered true multitasking. Task switching, as it is known, is the process where our brain switches from one thing to another in rapid succession. While it may feel like we are getting more done, there are several drawbacks to this method of working. We walk through common misconceptions and the modern research on what multitasking actually does to us. We give several tactics you can use to break the habit of attempting to multitask to keep you productive and focused on the things that really matter.

Main topics:

What is multitasking?
What is task switching?
Common misconceptions
Current research
What do we do about it?

Main takeaway: Focusing on a single task saves time, improves accuracy, and reduces stress.

Links:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43152412.pdf?casa_token=S-1ui_eUhqgAAAAA:XaRrqeXqErPQYx9qJTk4MwjSMjXEVYvWIX-J2cJYgPMrmO1d4pFHpCyxTR4CRbOAMlL-pSD7eY-JsIftLs_rdV4HSrTD8LLBFN4iL3HGZ4tF_zViLl4

https://original.newsbreak.com/@dr-donna-l-roberts-561947/3230240556565-the-myth-of-multitasking-understanding-the-limits-of-human-attention

https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-myth-of-multitasking

https://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182861382/the-myth-of-multitasking

https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/the-myth-of-multitasking

Give us a call! (636) 364-8260

Email us at: [email protected]

Sponsored by:

Pet Sitters Associates Visit: https://www.petsitllc.com Code: Confessional

478: Fighting Mental Fatigue

Pet Sitter Confessional

04/01/24 • 28 min

Where does mental fatigue come from, and how does it impact us? While a large portion of the fatigue is brought on through external influences, a not insignificant amount stems from our own actions. From failing to adhere to policies to taking on too much, we often burden ourselves more than others do. Today, we will break down why pet sitters deal with so much mental fatigue, its sources, and some simple steps to start taking to combat it.

Main topics

Where it comes from
When it gets the worst
Ways to lessen

Main takeaway: Do what you need to reduce your worry. Find where your brain spends its time worrying, or thinking, and find ways to get a process in place, set boundaries, and fight for your personal life.

Links:

Give us a call! (636) 364-8260

Email us at: [email protected]

Sponsored by: