Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed trying to market your growing pet care business? My amazing guest Angela Watts shares her story of nearly drowning before discovering my marketing program that helped her thrive.

Angela started Pawsitive Dawg Walking and Pet Sitting in 2012 and soon found herself solely responsible for the fledgling company when her husband fell ill. Juggling caretaking, a full-time teaching job, and running a pet service pushed Angela to the brink of total burnout. She even lost 95% of her business at one point!

Yet Angela persisted and has grown Positive Paws into a 20-person operation through perseverance and nurturing leadership. Still, she struggled mightily with marketing and outsourcing tasks that stole her energy and creativity.

Angela admits feeling continually overwhelmed trying to run social media, create content calendars, blog, and keep up with 10 marketing channels while also managing employees and dozens of client pets daily. She thought about closing up shop many times.

Then Angela discovered my Done-For-You marketing program. She went from completely overwhelmed and ready to quit to having her inquiries triple in just two months!

Hear Angela explain in her own words how following the program’s customized content calendar, leveraging done-for-you graphics, and receiving 1-on-1 coaching helped her finally gain control of marketing. So she could focus on growing her business and caring for pets.

If you feel utterly overwhelmed trying to market your own successful pet care operation, you need to hear Angela's story. Her story of finding the support and systems to master marketing so she could get her life and business back. The lessons from this incredible conversation apply to any pet business owner struggling under the weight of scaling. Don't miss out on this episode of Bella In Your Business! If you are ready to chat, I would love for you to get on my calendar for a free 20 minute call!

Topics & Key Points:

Starting a dog walking business, overcoming challenges, and growing a successful company.

Overcoming burnout and finding support in the industry

Business goals and marketing strategies for a dog walking and training service

Outsourcing social media marketing for a pet care business

Business growth through improved marketing strategies

Marketing program

Timestamps:

[1:02] Starting a dog-walking business

[5:33] Finding support in the industry

[9:29]Business goals and marketing strategies

[13:51] Social media marketing for a pet care business

[18:36] Business growth

[22:43] Marketing strategies and personal growth

[27:30] Marketing program

Notable Quotes:

[17:20] " And then people employees are going to see all these graphics on my website and or my social media and say, Wow, I really want to work for that company"

[21:17] "They're checking out your Google reviews, they're checking out your website, they're checking out your about us page, because they want to be able to see you and get a feel for you."

[26:08] "So now I have the space to actually breathe and like, plan where I want to take this business, I actually have time to take care of myself do some self-care, things like work out or, you know, relax, if I want to. It just has changed my life, honestly"

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Better Marketing with Bella

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome, everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. I am joined by a special guest today, I'm excited to share her with you because, in the middle of one of our coaching calls, she said some pretty amazing things that I just really wanted to amplify in hopes that it gives you hope that you know if you're struggling out there that there are ways and people are being successful, that are struggling with the same things that you are struggling with and figuring out how to overachieve it. So without further ado, this podcast today is all about inspiration. And I can't wait to share it with you today. Angela Watts from Positive Dog is joining us. And she's gonna tell you a cool story today. And I can't wait. So Angela, welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Absolutely.

Um, for those who do not know you, why don't you give us a brief background? Tell us about you how you started and where you're located. Give us the origin story here.

Oh, goodness. So it is a long story. But I'll try to make it as short as possible. So I was married in 2004. And I had a couple of dogs. And there weren't any dog-walking companies back then. And there was one boarding facility that was near us. And we lived about an hour and a half away from Boston. And we worked in the Boston area. So we had to commute. And our poor dogs were left alone for like 10 hours a day, sometimes 12 hours a day. And things just got a little bit hectic with work and having the dog so we ended up moving back to our hometown of Waltham in Massachusetts. And I got a job closer to home and my husband at the time got a job closer to home. And he started working at a doggy daycare. So then our dog started going to daycare and we started to explore the pet industry. He did so well in the daycare that they wanted him to start walking dogs. And then they missed him in the daycare and wanted him back in the daycare. But he didn't want to go back. And so he wanted to continue walking dogs. So one day he came home and said I quit my job. And I said oh goodness, he You can't quit your job and me living on one income here in this area. So what are we going to do? He's like, I want to start a dog walking company. And I was like, Okay, I don't know how that's gonna work. But let's try it. So we moved back with my parents, unfortunately. But thankfully, they took us back and started the dog walking company in 2000 in 2012. And so I was a special ed teacher at the time. And so I do cat sitting and pet sitting in the evenings, weekends, school, vacation, and summer vacations, and he did the dog walking. It took a little over a year and a half to build a clientele for him. And then he ended up getting sick. And then he could no longer work. But he had, you know, 12 to 15 dogs a day. And we didn't want to give up those clients. So I started hiring. And it was very stressful, trying to take care of him trying to work full time as a teacher and manage the business. So something had to give in I decided in 2015 to take a leave of absence from teaching, and I have never looked back. So I did try to go back to teaching part-time in 2017 for half a year, but it was just too much. And you know, this is my passion. This is my love. And I'm using teaching, you know, with my staff and my clients and things like that. So I am following my passion at this point.

That is incredible. Go on. Are you gonna say something to say and now I have a team of 20 people. I love that.

Originally, we were not supposed to have any employees. It was supposed to be my husband and I forever just the two of us walking dogs, you know, taking care of but life just changes. You know, we ended up getting divorced in 2018. So you know it, I went through a little funk in 2018 2019 COVID hit 2020 and I you know, I almost gave up my business. I reached out to some of my colleagues in the area and I was like, I don't know what to do. I'm so overwhelmed. I don't want to go back to working crazy hours again. And you know I thought about working with I'm like, giving up all my clientele and becoming an employee of somebody else. But they kind of inspired me to keep going, because they knew I was going through a divorce. And it did like, and then, you know, I just worked through everything. And then 2022 came, was a great year 2023 was a fantastic year. And now, I started working with you in 2024. And my business has exploded even more. So I'm so excited about that.

That is amazing. And I think all of that is so important because I think what people are realizing now that the industry is you know, getting to be a lot of people are now you know, a decade in, and they're like, they're reevaluating Angela, just like you did you know, in those multiple different types of years, it's, you know, life hits us. And when we're doing something for a decade, life is going to hit us divorces, depression, medical issues with people that we love or ourselves, you know, our business just naturally is going to ebb and flow according to our personal, our own life. And I don't think that it is feasible to think that you can be a worker and a business person. decades upon decades, would you agree?

Yeah, no, I couldn't do it. I mean, I, I ground, you know, from 2015. Until 2020, COVID ahead. But you know, I still went through my funk. When I was trying to when I was going through my divorce in 2018 2019, it took a while, we finally got divorced in 2022. But, you know, it just it, I couldn't sustain what I was doing. I was working, you know, 7080 hours a week. And I just couldn't do it anymore, you know, and then I had nothing, I lost 95% of my business. I was like, I don't know if I can go back to that again.

Right. Right. And what happened? How did you bounce back? I think that's a really, we should probably start a whole series on this. How did you bounce back? From you know, that 2020 to 2021 2022? What kind of like, gave you that? Um, what Where did you find that I know that you said,...

Imagine captivating your audience without saying a word, or better yet, making them feel right at home with your business before they even meet you. That's the enchantment of video, and we're here to show you how to wield it.

What's in Store:

Camera Shy? No Problem! I know how to help you turn your camera fright into camera delight, making you a pro in no time.

Easy-Peasy Video Tips: Discover how to create amazing videos that tell the world, "Hey, we're the best at what we do!"—and all with just a few clicks and tricks.

Social Media Sorcery: Learn to spread videos across your social platforms, enchanting potential clients and turning followers into fans.

AI: Your Secret Sidekick: Dive into how artificial intelligence can be your behind-the-scenes hero, making content creation smoother than ever.

If you're ready to unleash the power of video and watch your pet business soar to new heights, then this episode is your golden ticket.

Don't miss out on this week's episode of Bella in Your Business

Topics and Key Points:

Leveraging video in pet sitting and dog walking business

Creating engaging video content for social media platforms

Video content creation for social media platforms

Leveraging AI for video content creation

Timestamps:

[1:21] Leveraging video

[5:04] Creating engaging video content

[9:40] Video content creation for social media platforms

[14:32] Leveraging AI for video content creation

Notable Quotes:

[2:35] "Guys video says it better because people are able to see and hear things. It is not just, you know, a picture's worth 1000 words video is like 60,000 words, okay?"

[8:51] "That's called Evergreen content, I want you to think about you're creating like an arsenal, you're you're creating all of the bullets inside this big room of things that you can reuse, and reuse and reuse"

[17:14] "And that excuse is not valid anymore. There are so many ways that you can do video. And there are so many ways that video is effective guys. Oh, I promise you I promise you"

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Better Marketing with Bella

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. And wow, you guys loved hearing Randa last week and you loved hearing Bow a couple of weeks ago as well, which tells me that you want more inspiring stories from your peers. And I would love to keep doing that. So if you think that you have an inspiring story, I would love for you to pitch me and maybe you can come on the next episode of Bella in your business. Just shoot me an email Bella at jump consulting.net. Maybe it's something that you've overcome in your business, maybe it's a way that you're doing things differently. Maybe it is just an offering or a methodology or growth or overcoming a really difficult life moment and still balancing business, whatever it might be. I am looking for stories and I encourage you to pitch me just shoot me an email [email protected] or you can get me on any of the socials. If you'd like to come on and do it. Or maybe you'd like to come on for a coaching session. And we could do one live on the podcast, whatever it might be my doors open the airwaves are open and I'd love to hear from you. Because you guys love hearing from each other.

Today though, we are going to kind of prime the pump, if you will. This is coming out on February 29. As we go into tomorrow will be March and March inside the mastermind is all about video and I wanted to kind of get your whiskers wet is that whistles wet. I think that's how that goes and talk to you a little bit more about how you can unlock growth and leverage video in your pet-sitting and dog-walking business. Now if any one of you automatically goes ill, I don't want to listen to the video, you're a little scared, you're a little hesitant. I have to tell you stop thinking about it being you on camera, public speaking, because video is accessible to everyone in so many different ways. And it does not just mean you and your face on video, you do not have to be like Oh, I love public speaking to be on video. And hopefully, this episode will kind of help shift your thinking a little bit. The reason the video is so amazing is there's a huge visual appeal. Humans are visual creatures, and we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. The guy's video says it is better because people can see and hear things. It is not just, you know, a picture's worth 1000 words video is like 60,000 words, okay? It does not have to be long, it could be short, we have an industry where there are just so many amazing videos that we could take it could be you just setting your camera up on the side of the counter, as you're just washing dog bowls. That's it, you don't have to be talking, you can use that as what I call B roll to be like a boy, and that is just like, like, um, a video that can be rolling in the background. You can post it as a real or a story and put some, some text over it. But it is going to be a lot more enticing and exciting than just a talking head which is you from the shoulders up talking.

Also, it's going to be a good engagement boost. I don't care if this is scrolling on social media or this is something on your website. Or this is something that you have DM someone interested in sitting. Or maybe it was someone in a group where you sent them a video instead of text, it is going to be incredible. So please, please, please, please take a look at that. And then also trust building it's going to instantly build trust because anyone can stage a photo or get, you know, a filter on a video or I'm sorry, filter on on a photo, and yeah, you can do filters on videos as well. But it's going to build your trust. And I want you to kind of think about that. I told you a story a couple of episodes ago about Mikayla who had sent a video as a response in a Facebook group and she got five people interested in that from that she started talking to three people and it was beautiful you guys' video is disruptive still because not enough people are leveraging it. You can do it in the DMS you can do it in email, you can do it on a loom you can do it so many different ways. So please do not have that limited feeling or that limited feeling that you can't do it. You have a client that is like oh I'm unsure of how to you know sign up with you or where I can add to my notes. Do a quick 22nd loom Video, Video video video I cannot stress it enough. Now when you want to get started, it's a lot easier than you think. But I do have a few really easy, helpful tools that will, you know, help boost you up.

You know, just basic equipment, a tripod, although you don't need it all the time, we all have smartphones. And different things like Cap Cut is a really good editor that you can use on your phone or iMovie. If you want to invest the time into doing it, although you don't have to, honestly editing inside of Instagram Tiktok, or Facebook is the way to go. And they want you to do that little phone holder that you can put up and don't, don't underestimate propping it up on something either. And just letting that video roll in iPhone, and I'm sure in Android, you can take that video and edit it from maybe you set it up, you press play, then you walk to the scene and you're doing it, you can trim those videos, and then you can put them right up on the internet. And then for shooting, I want you to remember two things. One, always check your lighting because you want to have really good lighting. And so that means you should be facing the light source and don't have the light source behind you. Unless you are trying to make it moody and very silhouette II right? And the other thing is, sometimes on Amazon or whatnot, you can get little lavvy lab microphones, ones that you can clip on yourself. And those work well. Did you know that audio is more important than visual? And if you have great audio, your video will trend that much better. And then overcoming shyness. Don't be afraid to make a couple of notes. You know, before I go live sometimes when I want to do a really quick video, I take to the importance that I don't want to waste people's time, I don't want to sit there and blah blah blah bla bla bla bla. So really good thing on video is just like, Hey, have you ever wondered what you can do about x? Well, today, I'm here to show you that Hi, my name is Bella from Jump Consulting. And today I have three quick tips on how to solve XYZ or x.

And so tip number one. And that is a really good template to use. So what I did is, first I asked a pain, question about their pain point. I told them what I was going to say I introduced myself very briefly. And then I gave them three points, you could put all of that on a little sticky note, it does not take a lot of time. Now once you have these videos, I encourage you to do videos, first about everything that you need. Now in the mastermind, we're conducting a whole thread about all the pain points that our clients have, which is cool. And in those pain points, you could do a video for every single one of them. But now when you post said video, it's really important to give it the proper title, and the proper description. And even hashtags if you're doing it in a place that has hashtags. And this video can get put on tick-tock Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube shorts, okay, and this video can live there forever....

Ever dream of diving into the pet business ocean but don't know if you're diving into calm waters or a whirlwind? In the ever-evolving and competitive landscape of the pet industry, understanding the journey to success through firsthand experiences can be incredibly enlightening. This week on "Bella in Your Business," we have an episode that you simply cannot afford to skip, especially if elevating your pet business is at the forefront of your goals.

This week I  am joined by Randa Clark, a veteran in the pet industry with over 20 years of experience. Randa’s narrative from initiating a dog training venture to diversifying into pet care services is nothing short of inspiring.

We unpack the layers behind Randa’s strategic decisions. The pivotal moments (including an accidental email that led to a substantial business opportunity), and the challenges faced in enlarging a business foundation. If you are thinking about franchising or want to expand your business, these tips are for you.  Randa’s got the lowdown on picking the best growth routes, nailing your branding, and making your clients feel special. If you’re after tips on how to grow your business smoothly, this episode is like a GPS for success.

Topics & Key Points:

Entrepreneurship and overcoming fear

Starting and growing a pet business

Transitioning from home-based pet care to a brick-and-mortar resort

 Growing a pet resort business

Branding, marketing, and work-life balance

Timestamps:

[0:08] Overcoming fear with Randa Clark

[1:19] How Randa started Tailchasers

[6:17] How she transitioned from home-based pet care to a brick-and-mortar resort

[10:46] How Randa began her pet resort business

[17:30] Tips on branding, marketing, and work-life balance

Notable Quotes:

[08:46] "But it made me uncomfortable to leave my clients somewhere that I wasn't sure they were going to be well taken care of and that the focus was going to be on them being comfortable in their, their mental health. So we wanted to be able to provide that service because these dogs are part of our family"

[13:50] "So it was like I got to start over from the beginning and create everything the way that I should have where I document every single thing that I do."

[25:26]  "It is, it's really important for our brains to like, get out of that workload and that stress mode, because that also is where we're able to, like reset and be creative. You know, like our brains can't like it's like a car, it can't operate at six RPMs all the time, it needs to shift out of gear."

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Better Marketing with Bella

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. I got so much great response and feedback from when we had our clients that I thought I would give you another inspiring business owner who I've known for years. Her name is Randy Clark out of Barrington, Illinois, and many other locations, which we will get into today with tail chasers. Randall, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me, Bella, you guys are gonna love her whole evolution of what she's been doing. It's been really exciting for me to watch her grow. And, also, you know, of course, I'm sure you've been scared through it all, but I like the way that you deal with fear and just push past it. And one thing you told me a long time ago is you just work at putting yourself out of a job. And I think you guys are all going to see that and hopefully take that away with many other things. But before we get into it, Randall, why don't you just give everyone an intro of who you are and how you originally started? What were your past lives that led you into this maybe even a little bit about your family I know this truly becomes like a family business for you.

Well, my name is Randa Clark. As Bella said, we are approaching our 20th year in business. So it's our 20th anniversary in March. So we got like one more month. And so before owning up pet business, I went to school to be a band director and I still have a passion for music. Our children are very musical Matt's a songwriter. But I just didn't fit in in the school system. So I ended up going to school to become a dog trainer because I had a horrible dog. No arm, I mean, like I loved him very much. And he is still my favorite dog of all time. But he was very naughty. And he bit several trainers and we got kicked out of every obedience school that we went to. So I ended up going to school to become a dog trainer just so I could keep that dog. So his name was Max. And he kind of was the whole reason that tail chasers were started. So as a dog trainer, and I'm sure many of your listeners are dog trainers, the dog training industry, ebbs and flows, especially in the Midwest, no one wants to take their dog out and work on loose leash walking in January when it's 10 below zero and icy. So I learned quickly that I needed something that was going to ebb and flow opposite of dog training so that I would have a steady income and would be able to support myself. So I mean, everybody has to pay rent and eat. So I started the dog walking business, I thought it was a good complement to dog training because it also gave us a nice funnel of new dogs coming in as training clients. Because when you're the dog walker, you learn quickly what behaviors the dogs need some work on to be polite family members. So I started the dog walking business on March 1. What was it in 2004? So it started with just me but it quickly grew, I ended up about six months in I had to have surgery that was going to put me out of dog walking for eight weeks. So I had to hire I kind of didn't have a choice. So it kicked me into gear and I said okay, how do I duplicate myself because I'm very particular about how the dogs are handled? How do you know how response time is with customers, how do you speak to customers to make sure that you're making them feel comfortable not making them nervous about the person who's caring for their pet? So I kind of got thrown into growth because of the surgery but I mean, it was a blessing in disguise anything that has happened to us business-wise and in our life. We've always taken it as a lesson and tried to find the positive spin on it and think okay, what, yes, this is a struggle. Yes, it's unfortunate, but why did this happen? And what am I going to learn from it? So I learned how to expand because I was forced to hire. As a dog trainer, you still get to work with dogs as a dog trainer as a dog walker too. But what I started to learn is I enjoyed dog walking or dog training requires a lot of thought you have to be on your game whereas in dog walking, you get to have all the fun part of the pet you're not working so hard. So I enjoyed dog walking is still have a huge passion for behavior and dog training. But so it was pretty easy to hire people because dog walking is fun. I mean the schedule is a little difficult. It's not a full-time job, but it's a very enjoyable job so yeah, our dog walking grew, and then pets came along with dog walking Because when people go out of town, you're the person that they trust with their pet, you already have access to their home. So it was, you know, just kind of organic.

That's awesome. And I remember like when you had, it wasn't even called till chases back then it was called something else.

It was called Tail Chasers in the beginning. And then we thought about franchising. When we went to look into the name, there were some other tail chasers we were we were the first ones, but there were some other ones that were going to cause it to be a little bit more difficult to franchise. But as we got deeper into franchising, I didn't want to give up, not that I didn't want to give up control. I just know how hard I work and what a struggle it is. And I know that most people just don't have the grit to be able to do it. And I didn't want the tail chasers' name on another business when they might be like, You know what, this sucks, I don't want to do it anymore. And just kind of let it go by the wayside. Tail Geezers is like my third baby. So I'm I just didn't want them to degrade my brand by not taking it up to the high level of care that we do offer. So we pulled from franchising and ended up expanding on our own.

I love the thought that you put into that because I think a lot of people don't give it the care and concern that it deserves. And those examples that you gave are so true, you know, and it's something that you've got to think about if you're ever thinking about franchising. So I think we met maybe in like, 2017 2016 or so and you had the dog walking in the pet sitting in the dog training, and then all of a sudden, you were like, or at least it was all of a sudden, to me, I'm sure it wasn't for you. But you're like, I'm gonna buy a resort, and I'm gonna move into it. And and and I was like, holy cow, this woman's amazing. So how did that transition from, from, you know, service-based business in the home to an actual brick and mortar, which I think is a lot, like a lot of our listeners start off dreaming about that, or might have that dream right now? So what was that tipping point that made you go from, alright, we're operating this in our house, we have sitters and trainers and dog walkers out there to we're going to buy a place and move into it and you know, do the boarding and make this a big business.

...

Imagine cracking the code to selling pet services effortlessly to any client, regardless of their age—from the enthusiastic generation of Gen Z to the seasoned Baby Boomers. It's not just a dream; it's this week's reality!

The Times Are Changing, and So Are Your Clients…

In an era where personal connection battles with digital dominance, understanding the unique preferences of each generation can significantly amplify your pet business's success.

Why This Episode Is a Must-Listen:

Demystifying Generational Preferences: Discover why Baby Boomers may favor a handshake over an email, or why a millennial might choose your service based on an Instagram story. ??

Revolutionizing Your Sales Strategy: Get the first look at a transformative sales approach tailored to bridge the generational gaps, ensuring no client feels left behind.

The Art of Modern Marketing: Learn the tactics that resonate, from showcasing the power of personal stories to leveraging the latest tech trends for an unforgettable service experience.

Inclusivity and Ethics in Action: Understand why the generation of Gen Z values not just what you offer but also how you stand within the community, making ethics and inclusivity your strongest assets.

So, are you ready to transform the way you connect with clients of all generations?

Let this episode be the key that unlocks new doors of opportunity and growth for your pet business. Dive in with me on Episode 376 of "Bella in Your Business," and let's navigate the generational maze together. Your next big breakthrough is just a play button away - I can't wait to embark on this journey with you.

Topics & Key Points:

Selling pet services to different generations

Pet sitting and dog walking sales strategies for different generations

Marketing to different generations

Marketing strategies for different generations

Timestamps:

[3:54] Pet sitting and dog walking sales strategies for different generations

[09:49] Baby Boomers

[13:04] Gen X

[16:47] Millenials

[21:03] Marketing to Gen Z, inclusivity

Notable Quotes:

[4:21] "You are not competing against pet Petsmart or Petco, you are not competing against these big huge corporations that have budgets you are competing against other quote unquote mom and pops just like you. And so what does that mean?"

[16:01] "Or if you're going to do monthly dog walking package, then give them some sort of a value for it and make them feel like they're part of something."

[18:58] "So one interesting thing that we keep seeing here is, no matter what generation you're doing, social proof is important."

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Better Marketing with Bella

Episode 357: How To Appeal to Millennials and the Hybrid Work Model To Gain More Clients in Your Dog Walking Business

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome back to another episode of Bella in your business, I am excited to be back here with you. We had some awesome feedback from the past five episodes honestly. First, we had a series of four podcast episodes with Bobby, if you guys have not listened to that, and you're at all interested or maybe focused in 2024, on how to get more inbound leads that you do not have to go out and get, then you're going to want to listen to those episodes. Bobby has been someone who's been on my team for just about a year now, and it's helped me tremendously has helped some of my mastermind members already, and just had great results. And not only that, but they're just good people. And they're awesome to work with. And, they've helped transform people's Google AdWords, and websites and the strategy, which is the most important thing, because I think out of all those episodes, you could understand that we, you know, anyone can get out there and do Google ads, right? But without an actual strategy and understanding of the entire funnel system, then you could be throwing your money out the window. And so go ahead and listen to those, Bobby gave us an awesome deal just for the pet industry. As you know, anytime that I use someone that I love, I go to them and I say, Hey, how can you do what you've done for me and help my clients? And all by the way, you also have to give them a really big discount. So he did, he worked this cool discount for us. It's like 50% off just like Jazz HR does for all of the people that sign up in my posse, if you will. And so I'm just really here to help solve all the problems that I know you guys are having. Because guess what, I also have the same challenges. It's just a different, different topic.

But today, I'm excited. Um, you know, I was thinking about, well, it's February. And we're talking a lot about sales in the mastermind this month. And we're focused on it. And it's so vast. And there are so many different ways to look at sales. It's not just a phone script, which we are relaunching that class. At the time of the recording, I don't know exactly what date. So definitely check out my social media or shoot me an email at [email protected], I am going to be relaunching the phone script and strategy class, which means I'm going to be re-teaching it live. And there's going to be a new recording and upgraded download, it's going to be amazing. If you've already purchased it from the Jump consulting website, then it will be updated probably by March in your dashboard. If you have not now is your time to grab onto it going we plan to give it at a discounted rate like a 50% discounted rate. And then once that class is over, it will be back at $79 on the site. So if you have not joined that class, you are going to want to, it's going to be a steal for you quite honestly, as we upgrade and improve our products into 2024.

But today, we're going to be talking about the difference in selling your pet services to different generations. This is something that I'm not sure that anyone has thought about. I did do a podcast episode back a while ago, it was called Selling to Millennials the Hybrid Working Model. I believe it was episode 357. And you might want to go back and look at that we talked a lot about you know the hybrid model meaning like you know, you're working at home, but then sometimes you're in the office, and you're going back and forth, but you still have a dog that needs to get outside or needs to get this energy out or needs to go to the bathroom. So go check that out if you're interested in this whole, you know, selling according to age ranges or groups or generations. But I want to set the scene for you right now. The 2022 pet sitters international survey revealed that independent ownership of pet sitting and dog walking companies comprises 99% of all businesses. This means guys that everyone I'm talking to you guys aren't big corporations and I already know this. But I want you to understand this. You are not competing against Walmart. You are not competing against Pet Petsmart or Petco, you are not competing against these big huge corporations that have budgets you are competing against other quote-unquote mom and pops just like you. And so what does that mean? That means that you have a huge advantage to get a huge competitive leg up by just doing a little bit because the majority of people are wearing too many hats and this might even be you wearing too many hats burnt out stressed out overwhelmed, let alone does not have the creativity or the conviction to go after sales. And if you just increase your sales either currently for the current people that you have, or new people? Imagine what that could do for your life. And ultimately, what I know all of you want is time and financial freedom, the freedom to decide what you want to do with your time and your money. Okay? So think about basically, every pet-sitting and dog-walking company, pretty. They're not these big companies. They're just like you. So you don't have to be a ton better at this topic only a little bit. And the other thing is that pet owners are increasingly indulging their pets. Some pet owners now go beyond keeping their pets in the backyard opting for animal fashion, massages, Reiki, right, organic premium foods. I have some clients like Randy Clark Hotel Chasers that do pet wants, and they sell pet food, pet sitting services, and luxury suites. And I think that's something else that you also have to understand is that pet sitting and dog walking is a luxury service. It is not a fly-by-night, run-in, and do-whatever kind of thing. It is a luxury service. No pet owner needs a pet sitter or dog walker. Yes, I just said what I said. They have a friend, neighbor, or family relative. They have a boarding facility, they have their veterinarian on board. They've got a ton of different options. But the person that says yes, here is the key to my house, or the keypad, FOB garage code, whatever it is, these days, and says here's the kingdom of the kingdom of my my fortress. That is that is big, okay, and how they perceive their pet is big right off the bat, there's a big psychological advantage there. The 2021 2022 National Pet Owner Survey by a PPA so that 70% of households own a pet, which equates to 90 point 5 million homes, that's one out of seven homes look like Think about the street you live on or the building that you live in, Count 10 doors, seven of those 10 doors probably have pets in them.

How many of those homes are going on vacation or going to work? All of them at some point? So who are your clients?...

Are you feeling stuck in your pet business journey? Teetering on the edge of expansion but haunted by the echoes of doubt? This week on "Bella in Your Business," we're slicing through the fog of fear. We are lighting the path to growth with an extraordinary guest, Beau, the mastermind behind Top Dog Walk’s multi-location success story.

Beau opens up about evolving from an employee to an empire builder. Revealing how understanding his "why" propelled him from maintaining a single location to spearheading a cross-state dog-walking dynasty. With Bella's guidance, Beau refined his ambition. Transforming it into a blueprint for relentless growth, grounded in service and personal development.

Despite the challenges of managing businesses from a distance, Beau shares his golden rules for staying connected to his team and mission. Discover his top picks for books and podcasts that keep him inspired. Along with how a commitment to ethical business practices and a laser focus on systems and delegation have been crucial to his expansion.

Ever wondered how to conquer the gnawing fear of stepping into the unknown within your business? Beau and Bella dive deep into the mindset shifts necessary for overcoming self-doubt. And how to embrace leadership, with practical examples from their own experiences.

For those dreaming of buying and selling pet businesses or wishing to scale new heights, this episode is a trove of actionable insights.

Remember, the only person holding you back is YOU. Tune in to this week’s episode for your dose of courage, wisdom, and perhaps the nudge you need to take your pet business where you've only dared to dream.

Join us and transform your business fears into your most powerful fuel yet. Let's jump in!

Topics & Key Points:

Pet business growth and mindset with Beau

Business growth and personal development

Running a business from afar and overcoming the fear of not being physically present

Leadership development and overcoming fear in business

Buying and managing businesses with a focus on legal and ethical considerations

Buying and selling pet businesses

Timestamps:

[1:35] Business growth and personal development

[4:57] Fear of running a business from afar and not being physically present

[10:11] Leadership development

[12:55] Buying and managing businesses

Notable Quotes:

[4:55] "I think being surrounded by people who can inspire you is really important, you know, connections to mentors, connections to peers. I think it's really awesome. You know, the kids unity with the mastermind having lots of other individuals who are doing the same thing. "

[8:49] "I think that it's so much about systems in your business and the trust of delegating, you know, when you have good people around you actually trusting them when you delegate the things to them, that they can do it, you know, you've trained them, they have the systems and trusting them to execute"

[11:57] "And I remember, I had two people that I had interviewed. And the night before I made the hiring decision, I was up all night, I was really scared that I was going to make the wrong decision, because I had two really great people, but they were really, really, really different. And I think that there's some things in life and you know, maybe your business isn't the most serious, right?"

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Better Marketing with Bella

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Connect with Beau 

Email Beau: [email protected]

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today, we have a cool guest for you though, and I have known each other for quite some time. And when we were reconnecting as he was coming back into the mastermind, he had such a unique and inspiring story that I just knew that you needed to listen. So you're gonna love this episode today. But first, if you don't know Beau is the owner of the top dog walk in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as Buffalo dog walkers in Buffalo, New York, yes, three different locations in two different states. He began his journey by starting his first business and expanding it to purchase the second. Currently, he's in the growth phase. And Bo is finding resources that help move his business forward. Today Bo is here to discuss his pet business journey. And the mindset that goes along with it, because it's now February, and the shiny object of the new year has worn off. And hopefully today, we are here to inspire some new thinking for you. Oh, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much. Well, I'm so happy to be here. I'm so happy to

have you here because you motivate me. And so I just knew that you had to also be on the podcast to talk with everyone else. But for those who don't know, and to just refresh all of our memories, why don't you tell us about the first company you started and sold? Take us back?

Absolutely. So the first company, I didn't start it. I bought my first dog-walking company. That was Rochester dog walkers in Rochester, New York. And I started as an employee of that business if it was a very small business, I was one of two employees, I had moved to the area and was thinking about starting a dog boarding business. But I fell in love with the dog walking business and our clients and within a couple of months had bought the business from the previous owner. So it was a small company at that time. And over the five years following we grew to a team of 25, mid-six-figure revenue, we did a lot of really great things served a lot of clients, and had a blast. So that was a really fun journey in that business. And eventually sold it to my manager, I had a manager whom I worked closely with she's a dear friend now. And she's still running and growing the business and doing great things with it.

That's awesome. So I know that even for myself, my Y has changed over the years. And so can you bring us through the journey of the different businesses that you've acquired? And the why behind it? You know, because I'm sure it's not just ego, and look at me, I've just gathered them up. Take us to understand that but also, why the why is so important, and what that has been able to help catapult you to do.

You know, when I first met you, Bella, I drained your mastermind group and we got to know each other. And you helped me think about what my why was and crystallized it for me. At that time, I was a fairly new business owner, and I wanted financial stability for my family. You know, I've always been a pet person, I grew up with a mom who was a professional dog trainer, I grew up going to AKC German Shepherd dog shows with her, I worked in a vet's office, I've always loved animals and wanted to serve pet owners. But as a business owner, there's also that peace of you know, wanting financial stability. My spouse at the time had a lot of student loan debt. And getting that paid off was important to me. And so, you know, I kind of dug in and did a lot of grinding to grow that business because I wanted that stability for my family. But now, as things have grown and changed, you know, my wife has grown too and I think a lot of it has to do with me, and you know what I'm learning what I'm capable of. I think one of the amazing things about being a business owner and an entrepreneur is that it tests you, it challenges you to grow. And it pushes you and I think I've learned so much about myself through the process, and being in community with others who are building businesses too. So, you know, my why now is about continuing to serve pet owners and provide the great service that we provide, but also learning more about myself and pushing myself to grow as a person as a business owner, and as a leader.

Where

do you find that kind of inspiration and that push to do it because you know, a lot of people are very tired, they're exhausted, they're overwhelmed. They're not sure what position to step in. They have their pipe dreams, but how do you stay fresh with that and not down? How do you always keep jumping?

Yeah, I think being surrounded by people who can inspire you is important, you know, connections to mentors, connections to peers. I think it's awesome. You know, the kids unite with the mastermind having lots of other individuals who are doing the same thing. We can't do it alone. I read a lot of books, I listened to a lot of podcasts. I think staying connected to your why and focused on you know, the possibilities. It's really important. One of the things that helps me do that is taking information in and feeling connected to the world and other people who are doing similar things.

I love that. So it sounds like you're constantly feeding your eyes and your ears. I love that. I love that. I love that. I am going to ask this. This is just like something that popped up for the listeners. Is there anything is there? What are your favorite podcasts and your books? What are your favorite things that feed you if someone came to you today and said, but what's been the most impactful for you? Can you name a few? I'm putting you on the spot here.

The magic of thinking big is one for me. Gay Hendricks's The Big Leap is one that I like a lot that one talks about how we self-sabotage and hold ourselves back. And how do we not do that so much I liked when he talks about how we have like kind of a threshold hope for happiness. And like, we don't know how to experience more happiness th

Are you effectively leveraging the power of SEO for your pet business, or is it an untapped goldmine waiting for your attention? Is Blogging as important as you think when it comes to SEO?

This week on 'Bella in Your Business', we bring back the digital marketing maven, Bobby Machado from Sign Marketing, for a riveting fourth round of insights. Dive into the depths of digital marketing where Bobby discusses why knowledge of analytics isn't just important – it's crucial. Especially given his track record of handling over $300K in Google ad spend.

Unravel the mystery of blogging as we tackle the big question. Is it a mere online diary or a powerhouse for lead generation and establishing authority? Bobby breaks down the mixed signals in the blogging realm, cutting through the noise to reveal how the strategic use of transactional keywords can transform your visibility and drive incoming leads.

We're also revisiting a classic success story. Marcus Sheridan's blogging prowess that saved his company during the 2008 financial crisis — reinforces why hitting the digital books can mean serious business growth. Plus, get an exclusive scoop on local SEO audits tailored to your pet business for a strategy that barks up the right tree.

If you're eager to see your business unleashed on the first page of Google and master SEO to provide unmatched value, you won't want to miss this episode of Bella in Your Business!

Imagine you've just found the ultimate map to the blogging maze – well, consider this your personal guide to the treasures hidden within!

I am back with digital marketing maestro Bobby Machado, from Signa Marketing to tackle the tallest tales in the blogosphere. Together, we're going to debunk those pervasive myths and set realistic expectations for your content's role in lead generation. Forget the old "post and pray" method; we're talking strategy that works as hard as you do.

We'll dive deep and unearth the truth about SEO and the real impact of fresh content, tearing down the illusion that more is always better. It’s about crafting posts that speak directly to your audience, with long-tail keywords that act like a whistle for your target market – they'll come running!

And for those of you who’ve been led to believe that overnight success is just one blog post away, we're about to adjust that narrative. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint, and we're here to pace you to victory.

Plus, because every elite pet business owner deserves a head start, Bobby is offering an exclusive, complimentary local SEO audit to listeners – but act swiftly; this bone won't bury itself!

Prepare to walk away from this episode of Bella in Your Business, equipped with the wisdom to elevate your pet business's digital footprint beyond the bark. Are you ready to step up, stand out, and create a blog that benefits your business in ways you’ve only dreamed of?

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, are you positioning your pet business not just to compete, but to lead the pack? Dive into this episode of "Bella in Your Business," where we explore the intricacies of SEO for pet businesses and the potential pitfalls of hiring an SEO company without a leash on reality.

This week, I’m back with Bobby, CEO and head strategist at Signa Marketing. Together, we’re setting the record straight: Can SEO companies truly deliver on their promises, or are they leading business owners on a wild goose chase? We tackle the tough questions, debunking myths about guaranteed first-page rankings and spotlighting the red flags you should be sniffing out.

Are you missing out on the bountiful leads a fine-tuned website can offer? It's time to uncover if your website is a hidden gem awaiting discovery. Bobby shares insights on establishing a comprehensive keyword strategy that aligns with your business goals, ensuring search engines and potential clients can find you easily.

Visit signamarketing.com for a complementary strategy meeting to align your SEO efforts with your business aspirations. Arm yourself with the knowledge to lead your business forward, starting with this episode of Bella in Your Business!

Are your digital marketing efforts fetching the results your pet business deserves? Is your SEO strategy falling short of the results you want?

Join me with special guest Bobby Machado for the first of a 4 part series. Together, we dive nose-first into the transformative world of inbound lead generation channels that promise not just to sniff out leads, but to deliver them straight to your digital doggy door.

Mastering the Google local pack is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. Bobby shares tips on SEO strategy for reaching the pinnacle of those coveted top spots. But how do you engage the 70% of pet parents who trust organic results over paid ads? We touch upon a strategy that ensures your presence is felt across both territories.

Discover why conversion tracking isn't just tech talk—it's the heartbeat of your growth strategy. And, to give you a glimpse into the holistic audit that could revolutionize your approach, Bobby has a treat in store that's sure to get tails wagging.

With a free local SEO audit on offer to listeners and actionable insights into optimizing your lead capture, we ensure that your pet business stands out in the digital pack. Lastly, we'll separate fact from fiction in pet business marketing, framing a partnership built on trust and a clear-eyed SEO strategy.

This is an episode of Bella in Your Business you do not want to miss! And if you have questions get on my calendar and let's chat!

Have you ever wondered why some pet businesses absolutely thrived in 2023 while others merely survived? Discover the secret in this invigorating episode of Bella in Your Business. Hint: It has everything to do with company culture and community. This episode I am continuing on the topic of isolation, and tying in how building company culture brings people together in your business.

I unravel the secret sauce it takes to foster a positive and collaborative work environment for your team. Imagine a business filled with ecstatic clients and a team that's bursting with job satisfaction. How can you make this a reality for your pet business?  I also delve into the transformative power of open communication. How community brings people together to not only work well but be the best versions of themselves.

This episode is an integral navigation tool for pet businesses striving towards remarkable success in 2024 and building better company culture. Prepared to unlock a bright future deserving of your pet business? Invite valuable knowledge into your journey by tuning into this episode. The transformative insights you seek may be just one listen away. If you haven't make it a goal to jump on my calendar for 2024!

Topics & Key Points:

Isolation, community, and company culture

Building a positive work culture for dog walkers

Creating a feedback loop and open communication in a company

Building team culture and employee bonding

Building community and improving marketing for pet-sitting businesses in 2024

Timestamps:

[0:10] Isolation, community, and company culture

[1:54]  Positive work culture

[5:45] Open Communication

[7:44] Building team culture

[11:35] Building community and improving marketing

Notable Quotes:

[02:35] "And build that company culture. So walkers who enjoy their job and feel valued, they're going to be more motivated to fully care for all the dogs. And they'll they'll be more attentive during dog walks."

[05:45] "I would definitely do like regular feedback. When you create a feedback loop. It's going to help encourage that communication I was just talking about, it's gonna help people feel comfortable coming to you with questions, comments, concerns, ideas, all of that."

[08:13] "These events are going to be really great for team building because it's not often that we get to see each other it's not like we're going into an office every single day, saying hi at the watercooler the proverbial water cooler, and you know talking to people so these events are really important."

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Better Marketing with Bella

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. This is the last episode of 2023. How has this year been for you? Oh my gosh, I am so excited about so many of you guys, it's had a couple of coaching calls this year, I'm sorry this last week where it was just astronomical that growth and the change that my clients have experienced, they have gone from, you know, solving like their biggest problems a year ago too they're just like a little blip on the radar. Now they're on to bigger and better things. And it just makes me so excited like a proud mama bear for all of you. So I'm curious, you know, what is something that you can celebrate this year that you have done? Great, I think we get caught up in all the hustle and bustle and forget to celebrate, and celebrating is something that we need to do, we need to do especially as we're thinking ahead and the year of what we want to leave behind. What do we want to take forward with us? And how can we do that, you know, there are a lot of lessons and blessings to learn in all of our challenges and uphill battles. So I just encourage you to take a moment to reflect on that. You know, we've been talking a lot about isolation, we talked about how a couple of our listeners or our clients, you know, were isolated and got out of it. I talked to you about my own isolation story and my board of CEOs, we talked about community and just out in general and how you know, life has shifted and how much we are just so secluded and not to be and today, I want to round out this whole isolation on on building your community, within your company, basically your company culture, and why company culture matters for your Dogra walking crews and your petsitting crews. So engaged dog walking teams, they'll provide better customer service. You know, you're even though we work so remotely, there are so many different ways that we can help connect people through our Slack channels or through, you know, text messages or through just calling them up or if you have an employee love program. And what I'm referring to is the Joey Coleman book that we studied and had him come and do a training in the mastermind in the summer. And it's just basically about building employee culture and, and keeping those new employees so that they don't quit in their first, you know, few couple of months or weeks or days even. And build that company culture. So, walkers who enjoy their job and feel valued, they're going to be more motivated to fully care for all the dogs. And they'll they'll be more attentive during dog walks. So follow instructions carefully, they'll go the extra mile, if issues come up. They'll take ownership over their job, right when they're really happy. And they want to make you proud, they want to make themselves proud, they want to have a really good work ethic. So when you can have a positive and collaborative environment, it will translate directly into positive energy and interactions with dog owners. Owners can also sense when the walkers genuinely love their dogs or, or the job. So if you're one of those companies that are doing what I highly recommend, where you send your walkers to do the consultations if you're still doing them in person and not virtually, that's going to come across when the clients have those interactions or those times where maybe the sitter or the walker run into the actual clients. Another thing is that shared values will build trust between crew members because they can see themselves in each other. Common guiding principles allow dog walkers to align to their top priorities like Oh, we want to have outstanding customer service or Dog safety. It creates a really good cohesion inside of your team, walkers who feel psychologically safe. They can admit mistakes ask questions or point out areas for improvement without fear of embarrassment or retribution. You know, like do your team feel like there's an open, positive collaborative communication style within your team, it's just going to help further your company. Sometimes the best thing is, you know, you're not necessarily in the field all the time. Or maybe you are but this is something to consider as you grow. You're removed from the day-to-day you know trenches of what happens. And so if something is happening, and your team feels comfortable enough to tell you that's only going to help make your business better and make the the team camaraderie and the environment better. So ways that we as business owners can cultivate community.

We can do things such as encourage communication and have check-in meetings to connect. Start the Walker's days or weeks with the shore. Stand Up circle meeting to cover logistic issues, kudos questions, keep it casual and conversational, like make it a point to, reach out to them all, or send a big group message of something or inspire a positivity chain or something, you now have the opportunity to be a really good leader, you're now your new job, the most important job is to lead your team, as a business owner, and your biggest asset is these employees. So if you shift your thinking to kind of think about that, it's going to change a lot. Identify safety issues, and safety concerns, but keep the focus upbeat, commiserate over challenges, but solve issues together. And I would like regular feedback. When you create a feedback loop. It's going to help encourage that communication I was just talking about, it's gonna help people feel comfortable coming to you with questions, comments, concerns, ideas, and all of that. And that is just going to help your company grow and evolve. Also, solicit suggestions for improvement. One thing that I love doing, and I always encourage you to do especially when you first hire someone is that 30-day review, make it to a review and be like, Hey, these are the five things that we're going to talk about on this date as you're scheduling it. And I want you also to rate me on it. Or maybe you have a different, you know, scale that you're rating yourself on, like how was onboarding, how was training was what you expected, that kind of thing. But what that does is it opens it up so that those people understand that you value their opinion and their feedback and that this isn't a dictatorship, okay? And so that kind of thing. Just it helps build a community where people feel like they are valuable members of it. And then maintain an open-door policy. Welcome, Walker to offer candid thoughts in one-on-one discussions, these are great if you like, maybe take him out for coffee or ask them out to lunch, I would try to get some FaceTime with people as maybe like once a quarter or something depending on how bigger or small your team is. And then, of course, group activities bring the pack together. This is where I think it's really important.

...