Pet Care Rock Stars Dave Westwood

Kathryn Cockrell had her first business selling bunnies when she was 12 years old and started her pet sitting business when she was 15.  Instead of going to college, she chose to be an entrepreneur and take her pet sitting business to the next level and today she has locations in Alabama and Tennessee.  Not only has she expanded her business Happy Hound Pet Sitting to two states, she’s done this while backpacking through Europe, trying (and failing) to fix an Airstream, traveling throughout the United States by herself in a van and buying her own yacht.  
 
What we talked about:
 
Starting her pet sitting business at 15 years of age and the challenges Kathryn faced
 
Growing up being homeschooled and how did that type of education impacted Kathryn’s business journey
 
Why Kathryn chose not to go to college   
 
The moment Kathryn first started believing in herself after getting lectured by a stranger
 
How Kathryn scaled her business and hiring a manager
 
Why Kathryn is secretly a ninja and the lessons she learned from Taekwondo
 
Kathryn’s favorite books and podcasts
 
The importance of having mentors that are 1-2 steps ahead of you in the journey.  
 
How Kathryn transitioned her life away from the business and living in a yacht
 
Being open about failure and struggles
 
The challenges of running a business remotely while starting another location 
 
Links:
Happy Hound Pet Sitting
Kathryn's personal website
Kathryn Cockrell on Twitter
Kathryn Cockrell on Instagram 
Handlr Mobile Service Provider Software

One of the pain points for service providers such as pet sitters and dog walkers is having a system in place that can handle everything that is needed to run the business.  Brittany Alwerud not only owns a pet sitting business but has also developed a solution for her business that also helps other service providers to effectively manage their businesses as well.   The app is called Handlr and it allows sitters to schedule, take credit cards and allows users to book online directly through Handlr.  
 
What we talked about:  
 
How she started her pet sitting business after college
 
Putting systems in place to better manage her business and how Handlr came about
 
Running her pet business remotely while living in Los Angeles
 
The team and customer apps for Handlr and the features of each
 
How Handlr works for other types of businesses can use this and how a company can use Handlr to build synergy with other local businesses
 
Brittany’s podcast Handling Business, where she interviews service professionals
 
Other links:
Schedule a free demo with Brittany at Myhandlr.com
Brittany’s pet sitting company: Dogzenergy.com
Brittany Alwerud on Instagram
Handlr on Instagram
Handlr on Facebook 
Handlr on Twitter
The E-Myth Revisited on Amazon

The guest on Episode 6 Natasha O'Banion, the owner of Walk with Renzo and Ruby, a Washington DC based dog walking company that has grown and scaled through the past four years.  During this time, she has managed to be able to do what many business owners have a difficult time doing, being able to run the business without working in the business.  She is spending her time traveling around the country in an RV with her family and her business is thriving. Since this interview was recorded, she has moved to Houston where Walk with Renzo and Ruby will also serve.  
Topics discussed:
Natasha's start in the dog walking business
Her growth strategy from the outset of her business
Putting trust in others when hiring
Setting up infrastructure for growth
The finances of doing walks vs. paying someone
The challenges of pay with increased minimum wages and retaining staff
Software, apps and lockboxes
Dropping pet sitting and overnight business to focus solely on dog walking
What's in the future for Natasha's business
 
Links:
Walk with Renzo and Ruby on Instagram
Pocketsuite (the software Natasha uses for her business)
Natasha on Facebook
Email Natasha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jay Pattiz has been in the pet sitting business for over two decades, owning Missouri-based Pampered Pet Sitting along with his wife Jill.  He has switched his focus to taking care of cats only, starting another company called Cats at Home Pet Sitting, where he has his wife along with several other team members serving much of West Central Missouri.  
 
Topics covered:
 
Jay’s start in the pet sitting industry 
Changes in the industry since his start
Old-school marketing tactics that still work in today’s environment
The transition to a cats only business model and how it complements Jay’s existing business
The differences between the traditional pet sitting customer and someone that searching for a cats only pet sitter
Whether cats are truly self-sufficient and can be left alone for extended periods of time
Jay’s unique business model to grow his service area
Finding the right person to work a service area and represent the brand
SEO tricks with a larger service area
Jay’s advice for people looking to start a feline focused pet business

Links:
 
Pampered Pet Sitting
Contact Jay via email 

Michelle Nadon is the head of C4P Animal Rescue which is an advocacy network that connects animal-loving citizens all across Canada.  The C4P Network promotes rescues, fosters and adoptions, keeps readers current on animal issues, and showcases innovations and successes in animal welfare.  She also is an expert in special needs boarding.  
 
Michelle is also the President and CEO of mediaIntelligence in Canada where she has been the leading provider of strategic recruitment and cutting-edge career resources for professionals in the Canadian media and entertainment sectors.  
 
What we covered: 
How Michelle worked with 800 NOLA animals in the Tylertown Mississippi compound and was responsible for bringing 60 animals back to Canada for re-homing, across 3 teams of rescuers
The mindset of pet owners in Canada vs. other parts of the world
What skillsets a special needs provider should have and what equipment is necessary to care for a special needs pets
The emotional and physical issues of special needs pets along with the challenges with the care of them
Attracting clients in a niche market such as special needs boarding
Emotionally preparing for the death of a client’s pet
Whether you should replace a pet after their death
How animals are represented in the media
Michelle’s educational webinar on caring for pets with special needs and her plans to write a second book
Links:
Michelle’s book Careers AF, available on Amazon
Michelle’s articles in HuffPost
C4P Animal Rescue Facebook Page

 
C4P Amber Alert for Lost Pets:http://c4panimalrescue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/c4p-amber-alert-lost-pets.pdf


C4P Pet Loss Prevention: http://c4panimalrescue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/c4p-pet-loss-prevention.pdf

Robert Forto is the creator and host of Dog Works Radio and is the trainer at Alaska Dog Works, where they train not only for obedience but working and therapy dogs as well.  He also is part of Team Ineka where he is a dog musher with a 40 dog kennel that he leads in races and expeditions throughout the state of Alaska. 
What we discussed:
Moving to Alaska after living in the lower 48 states
Getting started in business and working with his wife Michele in the business
Running a business in an area that has extreme elements and less dense than most metropolitan areas
Training others to train dogs
Becoming a certified diver and swimming with sharks
Advice for people that say they are too busy in their business to check things off their bucket list
The Ineka Project and training Siberian Huskies to be service dogs for autistic kids
 
Links: 
Team Ineka on Facebook
Dog Works Radio on Apple Podcasts
Robert Forto on Twitter