Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

Email marketing is something that a lot of business owners have an adverse reaction to. They think they're bothering people, no one opens them, and they don’t know what to say. Despite being able to batch them and schedule emails, not many choose this path. But why?

In a world where Rover is killing it in the inbox by sending emails to the people on their list at least once a week, why can’t professional pet sitters who can surely be even more effective, intimate, and relevant do this? Today, I want to break it down to show you how I use email marketing and how you can, too.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

Email marketing is a great way to keep your audience up to date with what's going on in your business and humanize your business. Send weekly updates and use the P.S. section to ask them to respond, opening up the line of communication. Your emails don't need to belong and drawn out, they should simply add value to your reader's life. With each email, you're able to show a bit of your personality, this is what people connect with, so be as personal as you can. Specifically, videos are a great way to show your personality and personalize your emails. And remember, on social media, you don’t own your audience, But with your email list, you do!

If you're still not sure what to write or really don't have the time to focus on email marketing, I get it. That is why we provide you with two short and fun emails to send to your clients each month in the Better Marketing with Bella program.

Show Highlights

How can you recap your week in an email? [3:20]

What should you put in the P.S. section? [4:30]

How do you segment your audience for better email marketing? [5:35]

How can you add value? [6:30]

What can you do to build a bond with your audience? [7:00]

What's one of the best ways to share current sales you have? [7:40]

How can you personalize your email marketing with videos? [8:05]

What does it mean to "own" your audience? [8:30]

Links

Read the blog: jumpconsulting.net/email-marketing/

Better Marketing With Bella: /waitlist

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 166 of Bella in Your Business. Does creating graphics and videos for your business just make you want to bang your head against the wall? Or maybe you actually really like doing it, but by the end of the day you have no more creative juices in your brain or just seem to always be running out of time. Well, I've got a solution for you today. For a very select few of my clients, every month I give them Instagram stories, graphics that come with captions, square videos to post on their social media, cover videos every month for their Facebook page, video outlines so they know what to say or what to write in a blog, two emails to send to their clients, a content calendar showing them exactly when to post it all, and group and private coaching sessions. This program is called Better Marketing with Bella and has been proven to help so many pet businesses. Fill out an application at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. That’s jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Hope to see you there.

Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump!

Email marketing is something that a lot of business owners have an adverse reaction to. I hear a lot of the time that they think they're bothering people, no one opens them, and they don’t know what to say. Despite being able to batch and schedule emails, not many choose this path. But why? In a world where Rover is killing it in the inbox by sending emails to people on their list at least once a week, why can’t professional pet sitters—who surely can be even more effective, intimate, and relevant—do this?

One thing that I don't see acknowledged is how much email marketing is one of the only social platforms that you can still control. Although there are still algorithms involved, it is one of the best producing ways you can spend your marketing time. Some people even feel like email is interrupting their day or that it's just always spam. That, my friend, is stinking thinking. If you make them interesting, people are going to want to read. Today, I want to break it down and show you how I use email marketing and how you can too. Here are the eight ways that I use email marketing in my business:

Give a recap in a weekly email.

Talk directly to my readers.

Segment my audience.

Deliver value.

Help my audience get to know me.

Deliver sales.

Send videos.

Own, not rent.

Number one, give a recap in a weekly email. There's no way that everyone can possibly see or keep up to date on everything you do. Even if you're lucky, only 15 or 25% will open your emails—however, that’s more than you would normally have, which is a good sign. At Jump Consulting, I publish a blog every other week, a podcast every week, and sometimes do a Facebook Live. I also always have something cooking on the back burner too, and the weekly email is how I can do this. Pet sitters and dog walkers can do this too by telling people about the situations they were able to help with that week—for example, helping a cat sitting client whose grandmother passed away, walking a puppy with too much energy, or caring for a dog during the schedule changes of a divorce. All of these examples help to humanize your business and show people how you’re able to help your clients. If you have any great Facebook or Instagram posts that got a lot of interaction or a local event coming up, these are all great to include in the newsletter too.

Number two, talk directly to my readers with a PS section. At the end of the email, you might have seen me insert PS sections. I do this when I ask questions. It’s always interesting to see the replies I get. I often call the reader to action by asking them to hit reply and tell me something. For example, I might say, “When you post on social media, what do you normally post about?” We all tend to default to one of these seven ideas—reply back to me and let me know. Because of this, I’m able to open up a line of communication and start chatting. The PS can be powerful because sometimes when we’re scanning emails on our phones, we’re not reading word for word—but where does the eye end? On the PS. Another fun way to use the PS section is to have a short message in the body and a longer PS. For some reason, people are more willing to read the PS than the body.

Number three, segment my audience. You may have seen me ask you a few times in emails, “Are you a starter, builder, or scaler?” This question has buttons attached where I ask you to press the one that matches. My email marketing system then tags these people so I know just where they are in their business. It helps so I can send specific messages that speak directly to their problems. Pet sitting or dog walking companies can do this too by asking, “Do you have dogs, cats, or both?” Then you can send dog-specific or cat-specific emails. After all, a cat client doesn’t want to hear about how you’re looking for two more dogs to walk Monday through Friday.

Number four, deliver value. Emails are a great way to break the mold and send quick messages that are out of the ordinary. For example, “Meet me at the Fall Festival this Saturday at 2 p.m. Bring Fido! Let me know if you’ll be there.” Or something short and sweet like, “Wondering where to get your Santa Paws pictures this December? Check out the list we’ve made. Tail wags, [Company Name].” It doesn’t have to be long, drawn out, or boring. It shouldn’t talk all about how great you are—it should add value to their life.

Number five, have your audience get to know you. Emails are a great way to communicate your personality to your current and prospective pet sitting clients. You may have certain traits or live your life in a certain way that identifies with certain people—maybe it’s your religion, ethnicity, favorite sports team, or favorite dog breed. The more you build a relationship with your audience, the stronger your bond will be. The key is to be as personal as you can—that’s what people identify with.

Number six, deliver sales. Email is one of the best ways to communicate with your audience about sales. Maybe you’re running a holiday discount or offering a deal for first-time clients. You can do that with email, and your delivery rate will be much higher than social media can provide. More business owners cite an email list as the reason they’re successful because the sales come from there.

Number seven, send videos. Videos are a great way to interact with your audience. I even have an introduction video in my email signature that explains who I am and why I’m in someone’s inbox. Videos can be a great personalized touch for welcoming clients or thanking them during the holidays. The videos don’t need to be perfect—just show your personality and people will appreciate it.

Number eight, own, not rent. On social media, you don’t own your audience. If Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram decided to shut down, you wouldn’t be able to retain any of that traffic or exposure. But with your email list, you own them. You can continue to market to them regardless of what happens. That’s the power of an email list—it’s why you want to own your audience, not rent them.

To quickly recap,...

Today I have Yvonne Heimann, a business efficiency coach at Ask Yvi. She supports digital entrepreneurs by building bulletproof businesses that are so efficient they'll be able to achieve their financial and personal freedom they deserve. Losing her husband to cancer after 2 years of being his caretaker has shown her how important it is to have a self-sustainable business. Now Yvonne lives out her passion by helping her clients streamline their existing processes and implement tech to automate their day allowing them to step away from their business at any given time. She is a remarkable, powerful woman with quite the personality that I am excited to bring to you today. She's sharing all of the secrets to planning your business so that you can achieve your own financial and personal freedom.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

Get started today, because it's not possible to have residual income within a month. You have to pay into and work on your business before you get something back. Your business needs to be able to function without you in it. To make this happen, we must think proactively. We are often more reactive than proactive, but even just putting an hour aside each week to be proactive can help. Start estimating your time and tracking the time it takes you to complete a task. Your standard operating procedures (SOPs) should be interactive and being updated as tasks evolve. Let your team learn and get involved in your business.

Show Highlights

How did Yvonne get started? [2:50]

What does "bulletproof business" mean? [6:40]

What are some crises that business owners may face? [8:30]

How can project management systems help business owners with planning? [11:50]

What are interactive SOPs? [16:15]

How can you use Loom in your business? [19:15]

Special Offer

Get all of Yvi's freebies at askyvi.tips/bybfree and 15% off of the Bulletproof planner with CODE: JUMP at shop.askyvi.com.

Links

Ask Yvi: askyvi.com

Use code JUMP to get 15% off: shop.askyvi.com

All of Yvi's freebies: askyvi.tips/bybfree

Better Marketing With Bella: jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 165 of Bella in Your Business. Does creating graphics and videos for your business just make you want to bang your head against the wall? Or maybe you actually really like doing it, but by the end of the day you have no more creative juices in your brain or just seem to always be running out of time. Well, I've got a solution for you today. For a very select few of my clients, every month I give them Instagram story graphics that come with captions, square videos to post on their social media, cover videos every month for their Facebook page, video outlines so they know what to say or what to write in a blog, two emails to send to their clients, a content calendar showing them exactly when to post it all, and group and private coaching sessions. This program is called Better Marketing with Bella and has been proven to help so many pet businesses. Fill out an application at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. That’s jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Hope to see you there.

Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump!

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I have got a treat for you. I have Yvonne Heimann, a business efficiency coach at Ask Evie, supporting digital entrepreneurs by building bulletproof businesses that are so efficient they’re able to achieve the financial and personal freedom they desire and deserve. Losing her husband to cancer after two years of being his nearly full-time caretaker has shown her how important it is to have a self-sustainable business. Now Evie lives out her passion by helping her clients streamline their existing processes and implement tech to automate their day, allowing them to step away from their business at any given time. She is a remarkable, powerful woman who has quite the personality, which is why I'm drawn to her.

Evie shared that losing her husband was the single defining reason she does what she does. When she moved from Germany, she had already planned on building residual income, but she thought she had time. Then her husband was diagnosed with cancer. The first round didn’t seem too bad—they thought he would recover. But when the cancer returned, everything changed. After marrying between treatments, they were told there was nothing more doctors could do. Evie was suddenly the sole income earner but unable to work because she was caring for him full-time. When he passed, she lost everything: her home, her income, and stability. Starting from zero, she realized she never wanted anyone to have to choose between running a business and caring for a loved one. That’s when she dedicated herself to helping others build “bulletproof” businesses—systems that could survive anything.

A bulletproof business, Evie explained, is one that can withstand whatever life throws at you. Whether it’s losing a major client, a family emergency, or burnout, your systems and team should keep things running without you having to micromanage. A bulletproof business can sustain itself whether you’re there or not, allowing you to take time off, travel, or simply breathe. Even if you’re a solopreneur, there are countless tools and technologies that can help automate and systematize your workflow.

Bella pointed out how many entrepreneurs find themselves trapped in their businesses instead of running them. Evie agreed, saying it doesn’t take a major tragedy to wake up—it can be as simple as realizing you don’t know who does what in your team or that your processes aren’t clear. She shared an example of a bookkeeper client who couldn’t figure out which team member handled which client. Billing wasn’t an issue, but the lack of structure meant she couldn’t streamline or grow. Sometimes the wake-up call doesn’t come from crisis—it can come from the simple realization that your business can’t function without you.

Evie encouraged listeners to start small—set aside one hour a week to create structure. Even documenting basic workflows or setting up email templates can make a difference. She stressed that many entrepreneurs are reactive rather than proactive, and this shift in mindset is crucial. Bella agreed, noting how anxiety sets in when business owners don’t have a plan or clear next step.

For those without a team yet, Evie recommended starting with project management tools like Trello, Asana, or her personal favorite, ClickUp, which she describes as a combination of both. Even if you’re working solo, these tools help you organize your tasks, estimate time accurately, and reduce wasted effort. Without planning, we waste up to 75% of our time figuring out what to do next. When everything is documented and structured, you save time and avoid chaos.

Evie also emphasized the importance of tracking how long tasks actually take. Tools like ClickUp allow you to estimate and log real times, helping you plan more accurately, price services properly, and avoid underestimating. Even if you don’t use software, you can start with a notebook. Write down what you’re doing, how long it takes, and the next steps. Later, these notes can become formal workflows or standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Bella and Evie discussed how clear systems save both time and money, especially when hiring. Without defined workflows, new team members can’t perform efficiently, leading to wasted hours and mistakes. Evie shared a story about a virtual assistant who lost 75% of her clients because she didn’t have clear SOPs for her own team.

Evie described how she creates “interactive SOPs” using tools like ClickUp and Loom. Each task includes links to relevant templates and short training videos so anyone on her team can complete it independently. She encourages her team to update instructions when processes change, keeping everything current. Bella loved this concept and mentioned her “mom test”—if your mom or someone off the street could walk in and follow your SOP without confusion, it’s effective. Both agreed that systems should be “living, breathing documents” that evolve as your business does.

Evie explained how Loom makes this simple—it records your screen and voice so you can demonstrate tasks in real time. Once recorded, it creates a shareable link you can store anywhere. This allows you to capture processes quickly and visually without needing technical skills.

They also discussed how leaders should empower their teams. Too often, business owners box employees in with rigid instructions. Instead, give them boundaries, but let them make decisions and even mistakes. Allowing autonomy builds confidence and investment in the company.

When asked what’s next for her, Evie shared that she’s recently consolidated all her business resources into one platform using MemberVault, where followers can access her freebies, client workflows, tech guides, and book lists. She also announced the upcoming release of her Bulletproof Business Planner 2.0 through an Indiegogo campaign—a pen-and-paper planner designed to help CEOs track finances, habits, and goals. She offered Bella’s listeners 15% off using the code JUMP at shop.askyvi.com and mentioned her free resources at askyvi.tips/bybfree.

As they wrapped up,...

People come to me all the time saying that they have no idea what to post on social media. They are staring at the cursor and have no idea what to say. All this pressure is mounting to try and be witty, to be different. If you've ever felt this way, don't worry, you're not alone. I'm sharing seven things you can do when you're lost on what to share on your social media.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

Be inspiring to your community and think local. Are there events in your community that you can get involved with? Or another local business or person you can shout out on social media? Highlight your community and connections. You are the expert. You have put in all the time and have learned a lot. Share the knowledge you have. Also, tell stories to draw out the emotions of your viewer. People remember how you made them feel, not what you said. If you don't have the time to prepare your posts or think of ideas, Better Marketing With Bella can help by providing graphics, videos, captions, hashtags, Instagram stories, and more. Everything you need to stay active on social media with your branding to market your business.

Show Highlights

How can you inspire others? [1:10]

How do you keep track of everything? [3:00]

What are some ways to be funny on social media? [4:55]

How can you leverage local events in your community? [5:55]

What are tips that you can share with your audience? [7:50]

Who can you feature or shout out on your social media? [9:40]

How can you tell a story on social media? [12:20]

What if you don't have the time to do these things? [13:50]

Links

Read the blog: jumpconsulting.net/say-on-social-media/

Mari Smith:facebook.com/maris

Jenn Herman: facebook.com/jenn.herman1

Nick Trivillian: facebook.com/nick.trevillian.7

Better Marketing With Bella: jumpconsulting.com/waitlist

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 164 of Bella in Your Business. Does creating graphics and videos for your business just make you want to bang your head against the wall? Or maybe you actually really like doing it, but by the end of the day you have no more creative juices in your brain or just seem to always be running out of time. Well, I've got a solution for you today. For a very select few of my clients, every month I give them Instagram stories, graphics that come with captions, square videos to post on their social media, cover videos every month for their Facebook page, video outlines so they know what to say or what to write in a blog, two emails to send to their clients, a content calendar showing them exactly when to post it all, and group and private coaching sessions. This program is called Better Marketing with Bella and has been proven to help so many pet businesses. Fill out an application at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. That's jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Hope to see you there.

Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump!

Welcome everybody. My name is Bella Vasta, the coach for Jump Consulting, and today I've got a hot topic for you. I've got a topic that people come to me all the time and they just say, “I have no idea what photos to post on social.” They sit there, they stare at this blank cursor that’s just blinking. They might write something and then delete it all. Then they might write something again, then say it’s too long, or only write a sentence and feel like it’s not long enough. They might put so many emojis on it or wonder if emojis actually work. They have no idea what to do and no idea what form to use.

We have carousels, videos, graphics, we can go live, we can share our screens—there’s so much we can do on social media that sometimes it’s overwhelming. Either we don’t know what to post because we don’t know what to say, or we’re paralyzed by too many options. So today, I’m going to give you seven things you can say on social media today.

The first one is to be inspiring. You know those awesome quotes, stories, or pictures people share? I don’t want you to use someone else’s content, though, because that’s copyright infringement. I want you to be the one inspiring others. Take inspiration from your day. Follow people who inspire you—like Mari Smith, the queen of Facebook; Jen Herman, the top Instagram blogger; or my friend Nick Trevillion, a real estate mogul who’s always sharing insightful content. And did you know you can follow hashtags on Instagram? One I follow is #motivation. It brings me little pieces of inspiration daily. So if you want to be inspiring, first you have to be inspired.

Tip number two: keep a list. Every social media platform lets you save posts or make lists. When something inspires you, save it so you can use it later. On Twitter, you can make lists. On Instagram, you can save posts into collections—maybe one for self-motivation, one for funny pet stuff. On Facebook, you can save posts or videos and find them later in your Saved section. Having a system helps you avoid wasting time staring at that blinking cursor.

Tip number three: be funny. We all love to laugh, right? You don’t have to be a standup comic—just something that makes the corners of someone’s lips curl up. Maybe something funny happened during a pet visit. Snap a photo, write a quick caption, and share it. Add it to your “funny list” so when you’re creating content later, you’ve got ideas ready.

Tip number four: think local. We’re local businesses, so highlight local events! Maybe there’s a fall festival or Santa Paws photos. Share how to prep pets for outings, what to pack, or how to help dogs stay calm in crowds. Feature your community—position yourself as the expert who knows what’s happening locally.

Tip number five: teach some tips. You’re an expert! Share things you know—like how to pill a cat, train a puppy, or remove pet hair from furniture. Show people how to give treats safely (pro tip: thumb tucked in!). You can make a short video or a list post. Invite your followers to comment with their own tips.

Tip number six: feature or shout out someone. If another local business gave you a shout-out, you’d be thrilled, right? Do that for someone else. Highlight a vet, a dog trainer, a groomer, or a client who left a great review. Share what makes them awesome. It builds goodwill and shows your followers that you’re connected to your community.

And finally, tip number seven: tell a story. Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. It can be short, but make it meaningful. Share how you helped a client, solved a problem, or learned a lesson. For example, here in Arizona, humidity sometimes swells doors—so talk about how you handled getting locked out during a pet sit! These stories make your business relatable.

Now, you might be thinking, “That’s great, Bella, but I don’t have time to do all that.” That’s where Better Marketing with Bella comes in. I’ve partnered with top designers in video and graphics to create amazing, trendy content—vertical and square videos, graphics with captions, GIFs, emails, Instagram and Facebook stories, and cover videos. Every month, you get everything done for you—so you can just post and go.

The next semester of Better Marketing with Bella starts soon, and we’re adding even more—like a learning library to make delegation easier for your team or VA. You can see examples at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. It’s not just for getting clients—it helps attract great employees too. When potential hires see your professional, engaging content online, they’ll trust your business is legit and organized.

I hope this has given you a lot of inspiration for what to post on social media. Let me know what your favorite tip was, and I’ll see you again next week.

So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcasts and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.

Picture this... there's a huge gala going on in your community. Everyone is dressed to the nines and it's a very high ticket event. There are local celebrities there and while at dinner they're talking about their pets, imagine if your company's name came up.

Here's another example, you're in a local Facebook group and someone is about to go on vacation, but they forgot to book a pet sitter until the last minute. They were so focused on creating a great trip and their normal pet sitter isn't available. They ask the group who they use for pet care, wouldn't it be amazing if your company came up overwhelmingly in the comments?

What would you do if your entire community knew about your pet sitting or dog walking services? How would that change the face of your business? Today, I want to talk to you all about how to get your community to know about your business.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

Getting known has to do with getting clear on what you want to be known for. Often times this isn’t the facts or what you do, but it is how you do it that matters. There is no doubting the fact that our clients are on Facebook. Instagram is close behind. You want to be the thought leader or expert in your community, but if you have no unique presence online it's going to be hard to accomplish. Each month you should be writing blogs, creating graphics and videos, sending emails, sharing IG stories, and more. That might seem overwhelming, but Better Marketing With Bella can actually provide those things for your business with your branding, ready to post each month.

Show Highlights

What is one of the biggest challenges for you and your business? [4:40]

What sets you apart from your competitors? [6:15]

How can you stand out on social media? [8:30]

What should you be posting each month? [11:40]

How can you use Better Marketing With Bella to help? [17:20]

Links

Episode 125 with Jennifer Diepstraten: jumpconsulting.net/episode-125-quantum-benefits/

Mark Schafer's KNOWN: KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age

Mari Smith: marismith.com

Jenn Herman: jennstrends.com

Better Marketing With Bella: jumpconsulting.com/waitlist 

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 163 of Bella in Your Business. Does creating graphics and videos for your business just make you want to bang your head against the wall? Or maybe you actually really like doing it, but by the end of the day you have no more creative juices in your brain or just seem to always be running out of time. Well, I've got a solution for you today. Because for a very select few of my clients, every month I give them Instagram stories, graphics that come with captions, square videos to post on their social media, cover videos every month for their Facebook page, video outlines so they know what to say or what to write in a blog, two emails to send to their clients, a content calendar showing them exactly when to post it all, and group and private coaching sessions. This program is called Better Marketing with Bella and has been proven to help so many pet businesses. Fill out an application at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. That’s jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Hope to see you there.

Hi there, I’m Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you’ve seen me speak on stage or read my book The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you’re about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin’ in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let’s get ready and jump!

Picture this: there’s a big gala going on in your area. It’s nighttime, everyone’s dressed to the nines, and there are some local celebrities there. It’s a high-ticket event where people are spending thousands of dollars to have a table. These are the movers and shakers, the affluent pet lovers in your area. They’re sitting around the table at dinner, and someone starts talking about their pet sitter or their pets. Imagine if your company’s name came up.

Or think about this: you’re in a Facebook group—maybe a mom’s group or a local community group—and someone posts, “Hey, winter vacation’s coming up, and I totally forgot about the dog. I was so focused on airfare, hotels, and activities that I forgot I need a dog sitter.” Their typical go-to option isn’t available, so they ask, “Who do you use for pet care?” Now imagine your company’s name comes up not just once, but overwhelmingly in the comments.

Or maybe your potential client is at a soccer game. Parents are hanging out, waiting for the kids to finish practice, chatting about work, grocery shopping, and life’s busyness. Someone mentions how guilty they feel leaving the dog alone for so long. Imagine if one of those parents mentioned your business. Or perhaps there’s a big local office—say, Honeywell, Intel, or Amazon—where colleagues share recommendations for services, and your name comes up.

What would happen if your entire community knew about your pet sitting or dog walking services? How would that change your business? Would it allow you to hire more people or increase revenue? Today, I want to talk about how to get your community to know about your pet sitting or dog walking business.

One of the biggest challenges marketers face is getting their community to know about their services. You don’t need the entire world to know—just the people geographically closest to you. You want them so excited that you’re the first name that comes to mind when they or someone they know needs pet care. And when I say “excited,” I mean emotionally connected. People might not remember exactly what you say, but they’ll remember how you made them feel. That’s the emotion that gets people talking.

Getting known starts with being clear on what you want to be known for. What makes your business unique? There are probably hundreds of pet care providers in your area—vets, groomers, daycares, hobby sitters, big box stores—but what sets you apart? It’s usually not what you do but how you do it. If you’re struggling to define this, listen to my past episode with Jennifer Dipstrapin, where she explains “quantum benefits.” It’s about identifying the things that make your business so distinct that someone couldn’t copy and paste your website and make it their own.

Think of three to five things your competitors can’t say that you can. Maybe it’s your story, your name, your logo, your operations, or your pricing structure. Use those elements in your marketing. Make them part of your story—the story only you can tell.

Mark Schaefer, author of Known: How to Build and Unleash Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age, gave a great presentation in our Mastermind group that pushed us to think differently about how to stand out. He challenged us to create space for pet parents to belong in our businesses—to make our brands something people feel connected to.

So how can you stand out on social media to be known in your community? That’s the million-dollar question. Did you know that 68% of Americans use Facebook—and that the same percentage, 68%, also own pets? That means your clients are definitely there. Instagram is close behind, with over 70% of users under 35 years old—a demographic with major buying power.

We need to stay current with social media trends, connect with others, and create content people want to share. Even as Instagram and Facebook experiment with hiding likes, engagement still matters. The goal isn’t to get a drive-by glance—it’s to become the destination people stop for.

Imagine being the go-to pet resource in your community. What if people called you saying, “I know you don’t offer this service, but you’re the pet expert, so I thought you’d know someone who does”? That level of trust turns you into a thought leader in your area.

To get there, you need a professional, engaging online presence. That means strong graphics, great captions, and active engagement. Scheduling posts is great, but it’s your job to show up and interact when people respond. Here’s what to post each month to stand out:

Write two meaningful blogs each month, and follow each with a Facebook Live about the topic. Make them local—don’t compete with generic holiday articles that everyone else is writing.

Post 8–10 professional graphics featuring your logo and colors. Keep the graphics simple—just enough to stop the scroll—then use your captions to engage.

Create weekly videos. Post a square version on Instagram and a vertical one on Facebook—vertical performs best right now. Keep them short, relevant, and not overly branded.

Update your Facebook cover video monthly to reflect the season or highlight something new.

Send regular emails. If Rover sends weekly emails, you should send at least two per month. Make them personal and conversational—avoid too many links or heavy designs that look like spam.

Use Instagram and Facebook Stories. Story viewership is growing fast, and ad competition there is still low. Stories let you connect casually while showcasing your brand.

Follow social media thought leaders like Mari Smith (Facebook) and Jen Herman (Instagram). They’re always up to date on changes so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

Do this consistently, and you’ll stay ahead of your competitors. You’ll be seen as a trusted, active thought leader in your community. Collaborate with other influencers—local vets, dog trainers, or even realtors—by sharing and supporting each other’s content.

If this all sounds overwhelming,...

I'm coming to you today to talk about how you can solve the three biggest problems you have with marketing your pet business. I've found that marketing either comes naturally to you or you despise it. The ones that despise it are left lying awake at night wondering how to bring in more clients than they actually want. We all dream of having our business be the one that comes to mind in our local community when they think of pet care, but it's really hard to get there.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

The most common challenges I see pet businesses face around marketing are not having the time to do it, the money and resources to fund it, or the creative juices to create it. Time is one of our most precious commodities. It almost always gets in the way of business owners working on marketing within their business. The lack of time to plan, resources to create, and creativity to produce something can lead you to share someone else’s content, which is only helping them, not you. Better Marketing With Bella can solve these marketing problems in your pet business by creating white-label videos and graphics with your branding, ready to post each month.

Show Highlights

What if you don't have enough time? [4:45]

What resources go into marketing? [8:24]

How can you be creative when you're burnt out? [12:10]

What if you had someone to help you? [16:00]

How can Better Marketing With Bella help you? [18:15]

Links

Read the Blog: jumpconsulting.net/problems-with-marketing/

Better Marketing With Bella: jumpconsulting.net/waitlist

Share The Show

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Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 162 of Bella in Your Business. Does creating graphics and videos for your business just make you want to bang your head against the wall? Or maybe you actually really like doing it, but by the end of the day you have no more creative juices in your brain or just seem to always be running out of time. Well, I've got a solution for you today. For a very select few of my clients, every month I give them Instagram stories, graphics that come with captions, square videos to post on their social media, cover videos every month for their Facebook page, video outlines so they know what to say or what to write in a blog, two emails to send to their clients, a content calendar showing them exactly when to post it all, and group and private coaching sessions. This program is called Better Marketing with Bella and has been proven to help so many pet businesses. Fill out an application at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. That’s jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Hope to see you there.

Hi there, I’m Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you’ve seen me speak on stage or read my book The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you’re about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin’ in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let’s get ready and jump!

Hello, jumpers! It’s just you, me, and the microphone today. I am pumped to come to you and talk about how you can solve the three biggest problems with marketing your pet business. I talk to so many of you every single day—sometimes online, sometimes via Zoom, sometimes on the phone—and a common theme I hear is that marketing feels hard. I think the biggest challenges fall into three areas: time, money, and creativity. Some people find marketing naturally enjoyable, while others despise it. They lie awake at night wondering how to get more of the clients they want and stop attracting the ones they don’t. Some just hired great new team members and now worry they don’t have enough clients to keep them busy. Others are working too much in their business and are stuck in that red zone—doing extra visits just to have enough work to hand off once they finally hire help.

No matter what stage of business you’re in, I’m sure you’ve thought about or lived this before—wishing your community would automatically think of your business name when they think of pet care. You want your business to be the one on everyone’s lips at the dog park, the bus stop, or in local Facebook groups. That’s the dream. But it’s not easy to get there.

One of the most popular challenges I see is time—or rather, not having enough of it. I know your to-do list probably has a to-do list. You’re running nonstop, maybe surviving off fast food, sugar, and caffeine, wishing for the day things will calm down. Spoiler alert: they rarely do. Every time you think you’ll have a few free hours to work on your business, something happens—your child gets sick, you lose energy, or you just mentally can’t do one more thing. I’ve been there.

We all have the same 24 hours a day, yet some people manage to accomplish so much more. I think of one of my clients, a mom of two who lives at the dog kennel she owns, homeschools her sons, runs a large dog walking business, and still takes family vacations. She does it with determination and support—she doesn’t do it alone. She has a team and systems that help her thrive.

You, too, probably dream of having time to learn your software better, plan out your business, or even schedule a vacation. But time often gets in the way of marketing.

The second big challenge? Money and resources. Marketing takes time and money, and both are limited. Think about what your time is worth—$30, $50, $100 an hour? Every hour spent designing, writing, or scheduling is an investment. Maybe you try to save money by doing it yourself, but that often leads to frustration. Or maybe you hire someone cheap, but the results aren’t great. As the saying goes, you can have two of the three: cheap, quality, or speed—but not all three.

When I ran my pet sitting company, I used to binge-create marketing materials, then go stale for months. I remember one campaign I did called “Because We Care.” It worked for a while, but then I ran out of creative energy. When stress hits, creativity suffers—our brains literally can’t think clearly when we’re burned out.

And that brings me to challenge number three: creativity. It’s hard to be creative when your brain is fried. You know the feeling—you open the fridge full of food but can’t think of a single meal to make. Or you log into Facebook only to realize it’s National Dog Day and everyone’s posting while you missed it entirely. Then you feel behind, frustrated, and tempted to just share someone else’s post. But reposting without permission or attribution can get your account frozen, and it doesn’t help your brand stand out.

So, what’s the solution? Well, as I always say, I won’t give you a problem without a solution. And this is where Better Marketing with Bella comes in. It’s designed specifically to solve these three pain points—time, money, and creativity.

With Better Marketing with Bella, you don’t have to hunt for designers, figure out algorithms, or spend hours scheduling. My team and I stay up-to-date on every Facebook and Instagram change—so you don’t have to. We provide videos, graphics, captions, content calendars, and more—all professionally branded with your logo, colors, and fonts. This isn’t generic content. It’s made for pet sitters and dog walkers, and it’s constantly evolving to match what’s working now.

When Better Marketing with Bella first started in 2017, we only offered 25 status updates. Then Facebook changed its algorithm to prioritize images, so we added graphics. Later, clients asked for captions to go with those graphics, and we added those too. Then came videos, stories, coaching, and more. The program grows because social media constantly changes—and I make sure our members stay ahead of it.

This next semester, I’m thrilled to announce that we have top designers from two major software companies—one video platform and one design platform—creating all-new content for our clients. And we’re offering it at the lowest price ever. Enrollment opens soon, and seats are limited because most current members renew every semester.

If you want to get on the priority list, go to jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing and click Apply. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll get early access before the doors close mid-October.

I hope you consider joining us. Better Marketing with Bella truly helps solve the three biggest marketing problems in the pet industry: lack of time, limited resources, and burnout. You’ll get the creativity, systems, and support you need to make marketing easy again.

This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. If you have questions, reach out to me on Facebook or email [email protected]. I’d love to get to know you and help your business grow.

So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcasts and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.

I wanted to talk about something pretty controversial today. Our listeners are at a myriad of levels in the pet industry from buying multiple businesses all the way to people who are on Rover or Wag and wanting to start their own professional company. I want you to take this message to heart, no longer are we mom and pop companies plugging away. There is something very unique that is changing in this business. Specifically, I'm going to be talking about why Rover (or any other app or hobby sitter) is beating the professional pet sitter.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

The reason why Rover or Wag might get more sign-ups than a professional pet sitter is because they're beating us at the automation game. Pet parents don't even get to experience how great our services are because our entire intake ignores the user experience. The experience your customer has with your business before even meeting you is paramount. Speak exactly to your avatar on your website, if I can copy and paste your website onto someone else’s site, you are doing it wrong.

Show Highlights

Why do Rover sitters get more sign-ups? [2:55]

How can we avoid people from moving on to other sitters? [8:15]

What is the most important part of the sales process? [9:00]

How can the professional sitter win against Rover? [12:15]

Links

Rover Blog: jumpconsulting.net/rover-beating-professional-pet-sitter/

Jump Consulting Mastermind: joinjumpconsulting.com/mastermind/

Free Facebook Group: facebook.com/jumpersnetwork

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. This is episode 161 of the show where Bella discusses anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump!

Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. I am your pet sitting business coach, and I wanted to talk about something pretty controversial today. Now, I know our listeners are at a myriad of different positions in their business. Some have acquired and bought multiple businesses and are making over a million dollars—some of my clients are at 1.2 or 1.4 million. Then we have everyone in between, all the way down to people who have been on Rover and Wag and want to start their own professional company to get off that app.

I say all of this because this is a universal concept that applies no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you’re listening to this in 2019, 2020, or even later, I want you to take this to heart. We are no longer just mom-and-pop companies plugging away. Business is changing. Some people understand that; others don’t. Specifically today, I’m going to talk about why Rover is beating the professional pet sitter.

When I say Rover, I also mean Wag—or anyone else that’s kind of a fly-by-night setup, hobby sitters doing it on the side, not a true professional business where the person is putting a roof over their head, food on the table, paying their mortgage, and scaling their business every day. I don’t mean that as an insult. If you’re a hobby sitter looking to go pro, more power to you. I’m not bashing anyone. I just want to be clear before we dive in.

Every day, I see professional pet sitters complaining online about Rover stealing clients. “Look at this Rover sitter who messed up,” or “This Wag sitter lost a dog,” or “This pet died under their care.” It spreads like wildfire. Then you see professional sitters arguing with Rover sitters, claiming that professional sitters are better caretakers. But honestly, that’s not true. The majority of Rover and Wag sitters got into it because they love pets. Sure, there are bad apples, but they exist everywhere.

The real reason Rover or Wag might get more signups isn’t about being better caretakers—it’s because they’re beating professional pet sitters at the automation game.

Back in May 2019, in our Mastermind, we talked all about customer service experience. We had a guest expert, Dan Gingiss, a Forbes writer, keynote speaker, and host of the podcast Experience This! with Joey Coleman (who’s also been on my show). Dan blew us away with his insights on what professional pet sitters are truly competing with. I was so moved that I had to dedicate this episode to what he said.

Dan said something powerful: “Customer experience is the last true differentiator.” You can’t compete on price because it’s a losing game—you’ll end up making no profit. You can’t compete on product because, at the end of the day, everyone is walking dogs and feeding cats. What you can compete on is experience—how your clients feel when interacting with your business. That’s the unique advantage you have because your people and your service are one of a kind.

The problem is, most pet parents never even get to experience your great service because your intake process neglects the user experience (UX). There are people whose entire job is optimizing UX—making signups seamless. The reason Rover wins isn’t their price—it’s their simplicity. Signing up is quick, intuitive, and done in minutes.

I recently spoke with my neighbor, Kate, who confirmed everything Dan said. She needed a sitter for her five-year-old mixed-breed dog, Marley. She’s recently separated, had a work trip coming up, and normally her husband or kids would care for Marley. But this time, her kids were at her husband’s new home, and she was juggling a lot. She’d heard of Rover and decided to try it. Within minutes, she signed up, and within 60 seconds, she saw that a neighbor four doors down—Karen—was on the app. She requested service and scheduled a meet-and-greet within 30 minutes. She didn’t have to call anyone, she saw prices, reviews, and felt confident because Karen was local and experienced. They met the next day and hit it off.

I asked Kate if she considered Googling “pet sitters near me.” She said she did, but every site she visited was either too sketchy or too complicated to navigate. She didn’t want to email, call, or fill out multiple forms. She said she wanted “the path of least resistance.” That stuck with me. The sales process is like a delicate flower—touch the wrong petal, and it wilts.

Many of us think the sales process starts when we talk to a client, but 60% of it happens before we ever speak to them. As another expert, Mark Schaefer, said in our April Mastermind, if potential clients can’t easily (1) identify their problem on your homepage, (2) know where to sign up, (3) complete sign-up easily, (4) feel like they’ve accomplished something, and (5) quickly reach a human if needed—they’ll move on to someone else.

It used to be that face-to-face consultations were the most important part of the process, but not anymore. You won’t even get that meeting if your initial process turns them off. The customer experience before they meet you now determines whether they’ll ever meet you. That’s why Rover is winning. They’re not a pet care company—they’re a tech company.

Dan also pointed out that when clients use your app or website, they’re subconsciously comparing it to Amazon, Uber, and every other app on their phone. How fast does your app open? Is it easy to use? Does it make people feel confident and excited after they click “Submit”? Most pet care websites say something like “Thanks for your submission—we’ll get back to you soon,” instead of “Congratulations—you’ve just found your pet care team!” It’s a missed opportunity to make clients feel connected.

In the Mastermind, we tested nine pet sitting websites. We all signed up on Zoom and timed the process. Some had the same software, yet the signup experience varied dramatically. It wasn’t the software’s fault—it was how owners set it up.

So how can professional pet sitters compete? You must shift your mindset. You must build a team, because this isn’t a one-person job. Here are six key steps:

If you use an app or software, tell clients to download it immediately—right on your homepage.

Know what problem you’re solving. It’s not dog walking or pet sitting; it’s providing trust, peace of mind, and reducing guilt.

Allow people to sign up right away. Let them feel progress. You can still meet and approve them later during the consultation.

Talk directly to your avatar. If someone can copy and paste your website text onto theirs, you’re doing it wrong.

Show, don’t tell. Use pictures and videos to demonstrate what it’s like to work with you.

Never change your website without using data—from tools like Hotjar or Google Analytics. Let real user data guide your updates.

These changes will make you stand out, appeal to your target audience, and streamline your systems to sign up clients faster. I’ve helped countless companies make this shift—it works. Talk specifically to your target audience. Busy professionals and parents don’t want a complicated process. They just want to check pet care off their list.

This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. I’ve mentioned the Mastermind a few times—it’s a monthly membership with no contract, as affordable as five pet sitting visits a month. Inside, we have accountability partners, challenges, guest experts like Dan Gingiss, HR specialists, goal tracking, and a library of resources. To join, visit jumpconsulting.net/mastermind.

If you’re in my free Facebook group, Jumpstart Your Pet Business, you can ask members what they think of it firsthand. It’s truly the place to be.

If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—I might even read it on a future show. And as always, when life gets you down (because it will), remember to always keep jumping....

What would you say if I told you I had a way for you to get in front of a lot of local clients? And that you could have a way to position yourself as an expert in your community? Well today I'm really excited to talk to you all about Facebook Groups!

We've talked about Facebook Groups two other times on Bella in Your Business. The first time was way back on Episode 42 with Maureen McCarthy and then again on Episode 110 with Erika Godwin, but today I'm actually going to take it to a higher level. Over the past year I have been flying around the country, and soon the UK, to speak on this very topic. I have been able to grace some pretty big stages and been called an expert on Facebook Groups so I thought that it was only fair to bring it to my audience.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

Your Facebook page is like your front yard, while your Facebook Group is your back yard. There's a gate to get into your back yard, so it's more private and it's where you host a party, entertain your guests, and invite them to mingle. You want your group to Be The Destination by becoming an expert in your local community and connecting with other businesses in your community.

Show Highlights

What has Facebook said about Facebook Groups? [2:30]

What is the front yard and back yard analogy? [5:20]

How can your group Be The Destination? [9:15]

How do you create content for your Facebook Group? [13:05]

What questions should you ask people joining your group? [15:00]

Links

Free Instagram Training: jumpconsulting.net/instagram/

Jump Consulting Mastermind: joinjumpconsulting.com/mastermind/

Better Marketing With Bella: joinjumpconsulting.com/marketing/

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. This is Bella Vasta, your host, and this is episode 160. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella discusses anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump!

What would you say if I told you that I had a way that you could get in front of a lot of local clients and position yourself as an influencer, an expert, someone who becomes known in your community? What if I told you that you could actually become the person people think about when they think about pets in your local area—and even make tens of thousands of dollars doing it—with just a simple switch in your thinking? Well, today I’m really excited to talk to you about Facebook groups.

We’ve talked about Facebook groups twice before on this podcast. One was back in episode 42 when I interviewed Maureen Dunn-McCarthy of Loving Kisses Pet Sitting in Indian Trail. We talked about how she built a group after one of our coaching sessions, and it has since exploded. If you want to hear a great case study from someone in your industry, pause this episode and go back to episode 42. The second was episode 110 with Erica Godwin, where we talked about how to grow and leverage your Facebook group, what research to do, and what to be aware of when running your group.

Today, I want to take a higher-level, bird’s-eye view of the incredible importance groups can have on your business. Over the past year, I’ve been flying around the country—and soon to the UK—speaking on this very topic. I’ve been called an expert on Facebook groups, so I thought it was time to bring that expertise to my audience.

Let’s go back to February 2019, to Facebook’s F8 conference—their version of a State of the Union. Facebook announced that “the future is private,” and that more activity would move into Messenger and Groups. At that time, there were 400 million meaningful relationships happening in Facebook Groups, and Facebook’s goal was to grow that to one billion. That’s incredible.

As marketers, that should tell us exactly where Facebook is heading. Some people get frustrated—remember how page engagement dropped to around 3% years ago? But Facebook is a business. They make the rules, and we’re on rented land. The only constant in social media is change, so staying educated is key. If you keep listening to me here, on my Facebook page, or in my groups, you’ll always be ahead of the curve—knowing when and how to pivot to what’s working.

For a long time, I’ve been talking about video because it’s powerful—it says things better and faster—but today we’re focusing on groups. They’re where real connection is happening. I like to explain it using my “front yard/backyard” analogy.

Think of your Facebook page as your front yard. You’d never put an in-ground swimming pool or host a private barbecue there. Your front yard is for public appearances—Halloween decorations, a Christmas wreath, maybe a flag for the Fourth of July. It’s one-way communication: you to the world. That’s what your Facebook page is like. People drive by, maybe hit “like,” but they don’t stop to have deep conversations.

Your Facebook group, on the other hand, is your backyard. It’s gated, more private, and themed—like a pool party, a cookout, or a luau. You invite people in, welcome them, show them around, and get them mingling. You don’t just invite people and disappear inside for a nap—you host! Groups are where people connect with each other, not just you. That’s where relationships—and business trust—are built.

Another analogy I use all the time is “Be the destination.” Think about driving home and noticing a neighbor’s party—cars parked up and down the street, music playing, maybe a bouncy house. That house is the destination. You want your group to be that destination online—a place people intentionally go to, not just scroll past.

When you think about where you go online, ask yourself: do you scroll aimlessly, or do you head to a specific destination? For example, I go to Jen Herman’s group for Instagram advice or Stephanie Liu’s group for general social media insights. They’re the experts in my orbit.

If you’re thinking about starting your own local group, I suggest collaborating with other pet businesses—your local groomer, trainer, vet, pet photographer, pet store—anyone producing relevant content. Start with people already active on social media. Your group shouldn’t just be about pets; it should be about your community.

For example, Maureen Dunn-McCarthy’s “What’s Up Indian Trail” group in North Carolina grew fast because it wasn’t limited to pets. It covered community happenings. So, instead of naming your group something like “Pets of Scottsdale,” try “What’s Up Scottsdale,” “Scottsdale Families,” or “Scottsdale Community.” Those attract more engagement because people care about what’s happening in their city—like a new business opening or a construction project—more than constant pet talk.

If you don’t know what’s happening locally, connect with a real estate agent—they usually know what’s being built or developed. Partnering with them to create the group can be a smart move.

Once you start your group, create content buckets—categories of topics you’ll post about regularly. Examples: community events, pet tips, business spotlights, seasonal topics, or sub-community updates. Planning ahead keeps things consistent. You can batch-schedule a month or two of posts in just a few hours.

Engagement, however, can’t be automated. You’ll need to (or have someone on your team) reply, like, and comment to keep conversations alive. You don’t have to post every day—twice a week can be enough if you encourage others to participate.

When people join your group, Facebook allows you to ask three entry questions—this is pure gold. The first should ask for their email address. That’s how you can connect outside of Facebook and “own your land.” Tools exist that can automatically collect those emails into a spreadsheet or even your email system to send a welcome message or video.

Your other two questions can help you learn about your members—like, “Do you have pets?” “What’s your favorite part of living here?” or “Do you own a business?” Tailor the questions based on your group’s goals.

Think of your group strategy like a mini business plan. You decide how much effort to put in. Maybe it’s a full-blown catered party with a DJ, or maybe it’s a simple potluck. The key is consistency and connection.

At the end of the day, this isn’t advertising—it’s marketing. You’re not directly asking for sales; you’re building awareness and familiarity. When people in your community think “pet sitter” or “dog walker,” you want your business to come to mind automatically.

Groups showcase your leadership, care for your community, and reliability. Other local business owners will notice and may want to collaborate with you. That opens endless opportunities.

If this excites you, start brainstorming ideas. If you’re in my Mastermind, tag me and let’s strategize together. This approach works—but there are ways to do it wrong, too. For instance, don’t make your group entirely about pets, or it’ll turn into a lost-and-found and rescue forum. Keep it broad enough to attract your wider community.

Facebook groups are incredibly powerful, and the platform is investing heavily in them. They can work hand in hand with your page, and if you’re part of Better Marketing with Bella, you can even repurpose the content I provide—graphics, videos, GIFs, stories, and more—for your group. The possibilities are endless.

Thank you for joining me for another episode of Bella in Your Business. I always end by reminding you to always keep jumping—because momentum keeps you from getting stuck. We all have goals, and sometimes we just need someone to remind us we can do it.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe so you’re notified when a new episode drops every Thursd

Today for the Best of Bella series we are replaying Episode 120 with Jessika Phillips. She runs a multi-million dollar marketing firm where her major platform is relationship marketing and at the end of the day as small service providing businesses in our communities it's all about the relationship. Jessika really leaves you with a lot of nuggets to think about that you can use in your business today, you don't want to miss this one.

Show Highlights

Who Is Jessika Phillips? [3:00]

How do I get started with relationship marketing? [7:30]

How do we tie in relationship marketing with buyer personas? [15:30]

What does a relationship marketing plan look like and how do I know if it’s working? [20:00]

What should we be doing on social media to start implementing relationship marketing? [26:00]

Describe your FREE social media toolkit? [27:15]

Original Show Notes

Jessika Phillips helps people master Relationship Marketing and as a relationship marketing evangelist she is often sought after for her approach to marketing. She’s the passionate Founder of NOW Marketing Group and host of the largest social media marketing conference in Ohio, Social Media Week Lima as well as the host of a weekly live video show called Magnet Marketers.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

When it comes to marketing, the first step is to think about how you are capturing attention. How are you standing out? Attention is the game when it comes to marketing. Usually somebody will take notice of you because you’re helping them in some way. Articulate your message in a way that’s clear and concise. Create micro-moments that will build the relationship. Make them feel excited to do business with you by creating a unique and enjoyable experience.

Special Offer

Social Media Toolkit: https://nowmarketinggroup.com/landing-page/download-social-media-toolkit/

Links

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Magnet Marketers Podcast: magnetmarketers.com

NOW Marketing Group: www.NOWMarketingGroup.com

 

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Transcript:

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, the best of Bella. My name is Bella Vasta, the host of this podcast, and today we have episode 159 that's actually a replay of episode 120. You see, we're going to be talking to Jessica Phillips of Now Marketing Group out in Lima, Ohio. She runs a multi-million dollar marketing firm where her major platform is relationship marketing. And that's exactly what she's going to talk about today. I loved this podcast so much that I wanted to share it with you again, because at the end of the day, as small home-based service-providing businesses in our communities, it's all about the relationship, but it's not just that easy jargon that you might think of. Jessica really leaves you a lot of nuggets to think about and play with and percolate on that you can actionably use in your business today. Not to mention that this is also another person who really walks the walk. She takes what she teaches and she actually implements it, which is why at such a young age, she's been able to create a multimillion-dollar company. Jessica Phillips, I have so much respect for her. She is also one of my good friends, but it's really going to help you, and we've received such incredible feedback on this. I hope that you like this, and this is going to be the last of the best of Bella replays. As we come into the fall, we are going to be getting into our next episode with Lauren Cora from the Pet Industry Coalition. You will not want to miss that one. But without further ado, here's Jessica Phillips.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready. Bella's got your shoot. Let's jump!

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today I've got a treat for you. Jessica Phillips—I met her when I was asked to come speak at Ohio's largest social media convention that she actually puts on. Jessica and I, she's like one of those people that you just instantly bond with. One of those people you instantly want to be BFFs with. And today she's on our show to talk about relationship marketing. Did you even know that was a thing?

Jessica shares that she worked in corporate America for about five years in telecommunications, during the time when people were transitioning from the big Zach Morris phones to smartphones. She found that she couldn’t sell anything unless she stopped and listened to understand what people really needed. That insight—understanding pain points, the day in the life of her clients, and how her services fit in—became foundational for her. Later, she started working with mom-and-pop shops and realized that people came to them because of the human touch and personalized service. She began using social media to help them tell their stories since it was free and accessible, and she fell in love with that process. Eventually, she founded Now Marketing Group to help small and medium-sized businesses connect with their audience online using social media and relationship marketing.

Bella points out how relevant that is to her listeners—small, locally owned pet businesses that thrive on relationships. Jessica explains that relationship marketing is not a process like social media or content marketing, but an ideology. It’s about focusing on retaining clients and creating such great experiences that they want to come back and refer others. It’s doing business by treating others the way you want to be treated.

Jessica introduces the CARE approach—Capture attention, Articulate your message, be Relationship-focused, and focus on Experience. She explains that capturing attention comes first—standing out through how you help people. Articulating your message means people should be able to describe what you do in one simple sentence. Being relationship-focused means creating memorable micro-moments, like the personalized touches Bella experienced at Jessica’s conference. Finally, focusing on experience means designing interactions that make customers feel valued enough to refer you.

She emphasizes the importance of pausing to reflect on who your ideal clients are, what makes your business unique, and how you can best serve them. Bella adds that pet business owners need to think beyond “know, like, and trust”—they need to create raving fans who will evangelize their brand. Jessica notes that customer experience begins even before a business interaction—making sure your information is accurate online, your website is mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and answers client questions.

She highlights that after a client books with you, every touchpoint matters—from how quickly you respond to calls to adding small, personalized gestures like notes about pets’ milestones. It’s about making clients feel one in a million. She also reminds business owners to treat existing clients like VIPs, not just new ones, using examples like phone companies that offer deals only to new customers.

The conversation shifts to personas—semi-fictional representations of your ideal customers. Jessica explains that business owners should identify who their best clients are, what they value, what challenges they face, and what questions they’re asking. She stresses the importance of also identifying negative personas—people you don’t want to work with—because saying “no” to the wrong clients can open space for better ones.

Bella agrees, pointing out how many small business owners take any paying client out of excitement, only to realize later it wasn’t the right fit. Jessica advises that when business owners clearly define who they want to serve, they can build a loyal client base that amplifies their brand through referrals and positive experiences.

She then outlines how to create and test a relationship marketing plan: start by defining your brand, your ideal and negative personas, and what you want to be known for. Then, plan how to attract and convert clients—whether through social media or other touchpoints. Choose only the channels you can actively engage in; it’s better to do a few well than to be everywhere. Relationship marketing doesn’t require a salesperson, Jessica notes—her own company has never had one. Instead, they “drink their own Kool-Aid” by offering valuable content that attracts clients organically.

She advises measuring success by tracking conversations rather than likes—real interactions where people comment, ask questions, and engage meaningfully. Responding to comments with questions keeps the conversation going. She also encourages collaborating with others, featuring your clients’ ideas or success stories, and building communities that foster connection.

Jessica suggests tracking repeat visitors to your website, engagement time, churn rate, and referral numbers. For pet businesses, churn can be tricky, but even collecting client feedback through surveys or Google forms helps maintain relationships and improve services.

As the episode closes, Jessica gives final tips: focus on collaboration, active listening, and gratitude. Use social listening tools to understand what your audience is talking about, create content that answers their real questions, and look for ways to personalize engagement daily—whether it’s a shoutout, a thank-you post, or a quick video reply. Spreading positivity online will come back to you tenfold.

She wraps up by inviting listeners to download her free social media toolkit, which includes image dimensions, best practices, free tools, and posting tips for different platforms. Bella thanks her for such an insightful conversation,...

Today we are replaying Episode 116 with Jenn Herman as part of the Best of Bella series. Jenn literally wrote the book "Instagram For Business for Dummies" and she is a wealth of knowledge. She is incredibly insightful, she talks fast, drops lots of value bombs, and you are sure to learn stuff from her.

Show Highlights

Who Is Jenn Herman? [2:25]

Why Do I Need Instagram In MY Business? [4:30]

What Are The Different Ways Consumers Can Use Instagram? [6:55]

How Do We Figure Out HOW Our Audience Consumes Instagram? [10:25]

What Tactics On Instagram Can We Use To Build Our Local Following? [13:10]

Should You Always Use A Location Tag? [17:25]

What Kind Of Strategies Can I Use For Hashtags? [18:25]

How Often Should You Post On Instagram? [26:20]

Why Should I Have A Kick-Butt Instagram Page? [29:20]

Original Show Notes

It’s no secret that Instagram can be a powerhouse social media platform for your business – but I see so many business owners that are just NOT using it to its fullest potential. If you’ve been wanting to dive deep into the inner working of Instagram and learn useful Instagram secrets, then today is your day!

Jenn Herman is a social media consultant, speaker, and globally recognized Instagram expert. She is the forefront blogger on Instagram marketing and her blog, Jenn’s Trends, has won the title of a Top 10 Social Media Blog in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Through her blog, consulting, and speaking Jenn provides tips, resources, and training for small to medium-sized businesses that need to structure their social media strategies. Her business background includes Administration, Sales, Human Resources, and Marketing and she enjoys bringing all these skills together to help you grow your business. Jenn has been featured in Inc., Fox News, Yahoo Finance, HuffPost, The Verge, CBS Radio LA, and numerous other podcasts and publications. She is the author of “Instagram for Business for Dummies”, “The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Instagram” and “Stop Guessing: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Social Media Strategy”. Learn more about Jenn on her website http://jennstrends.com.

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss

Above all, you have to have a consistent strategy. Being active and taking the time to implement the strategy you develop is key.  Your processes will drive the results that get you clients, regardless if you have 50 followers or 50,000 followers. What matters is who’s going to find you and bring you business. Build an amazing community of the followers you have and use strategic efforts (i.e. hashtags, stories, following events) to turn that into business.

Special Offer

Pick up a copy of Jenn’s book, Instagram For Business For Dummies, on Amazon here: http://bit.ly/IGBizDummies

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Transcript:

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, the Best of Bella. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today we are going to be replaying episode 116 as part of the Best of Bella series. Today's guest is going to be Jen Herman. She literally wrote the book Instagram for Dummies and she is incredibly impactful. She talks fast, she drops lots of value bombs, and you are sure to learn stuff from her.

Instagram is like Facebook's sister and Instagram is something that has worked very well for a lot of pet sitters and dog walkers. In fact, after we recorded this, I actually created a webinar for pet sitters. If you go to jumpconsulting.net/instagram, you can get your own free class on it there. Jen Herman is a wealth of knowledge. She is definitely the leading expert in Instagram and I'm so excited to bring her to you. She's not just some other person who is regurgitating old information. She is on the pulse of all the changes of Instagram strategy with Instagram and how you can really use it in your business. I have news for you. Instagram, I believe, is actually even easier than Facebook, provided that you can wrap your head around it and have a strategy. So without further ado, this is Jen Herman with a replay of episode 116.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready. Bella's got your chute. Let's jump!

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting, and today we're talking everything Instagram. So if you've been wondering about why you should be on Instagram, how you should be on Instagram, what to post on Instagram, or just how to actually use it for your business, today is your day. Today I've got my awesome friend, Jen Herman, with me and she is just an Instagram expert. I mean, honestly, you guys, if you wanted to know anything about Instagram, Jen is your girl. She is a go-to expert in so many different social circles. I am so excited to have her here and it's off the coattails of her actually coming in, being our expert in the Jump Mastermind. And we had fangirls over her. She's so fun and I'm so excited to have her here.

Jen gives a quick background of who she is and how she became the Instagram queen. She started a blog about social media, and six months into it decided to figure out how Instagram worked. She fell in love with it, especially since nobody was teaching it from a marketing perspective. She started sharing what she learned on her blog, testing and theorizing, and within six months began receiving invitations to speak and do interviews. She became known as the go-to person for Instagram content. She loves Instagram for its community and creativity and enjoys helping businesses use it strategically.

She explains that she loves seeing businesses succeed with Instagram because it forces creativity and authenticity—it’s not just dropping links like on Facebook or Twitter. It requires more human connection. Bella notes how she likes that Jen doesn’t just teach tactics but strategy—something business owners need to avoid just shooting darts in the air.

Jen shares that Instagram has exploded in growth and now has over a billion active monthly users. If you exclude YouTube, Instagram ranks second only to Facebook. She debunks the myth that only millennials use Instagram. Millennials are now in their thirties, buying homes, building careers, and starting families. Gen Xers and even baby boomers are also active on Instagram. She emphasizes that your audience is there—you just need to figure out how they’re using the platform.

She describes Instagram as having multiple components: the feed (photos, videos, and carousels), stories (raw, real, behind-the-scenes 24-hour content), live videos (which stay for 24 hours unless saved), direct messages (which now allow live video chat), and the newer IGTV. Each section attracts different users, and it’s important to learn where your audience spends their time.

Jen explains that to know how your audience consumes content—stories, posts, or lives—you’ll need to test and track. Analytics can help, and she reassures listeners that Instagram’s built-in analytics are much simpler than Facebook’s. They clearly show how many people came from hashtags, profile visits, or clicks. Business owners should focus on two or three key metrics that align with their goals—whether that’s engagement, traffic, or growth—and build from there.

Bella adds that many pet sitters and dog walkers find great success on Instagram, and Jen agrees that it can actually be easier and less time-consuming than Facebook. Since most pet businesses serve a local radius, she shares practical tactics: use Instagram Stories with boomerangs or videos of dogs in action and tag your location—specific parks, neighborhoods, or landmarks. Tagging smaller, specific locations increases your visibility in broader searches like city or county tags.

Jen also advises using local hashtags. For example, “#DogsOfSanDiego” or “#ScottsdalePets.” Use up to 30 relevant hashtags and even follow those hashtags to find local users. When you like and interact with their posts, they’ll notice you, check your profile, and potentially become clients. It’s a subtle and powerful way to grow locally without cold-calling.

She suggests that business owners keep hashtag lists on their phone organized by themes—geographical tags, brand-related tags, and interest-based tags—and continually add to them. Importantly, she notes that your clients aren’t searching Instagram for “dog walkers.” They’re searching for dog parks, events, or dog-friendly restaurants. So you need to show up where your clients are, not where your competitors are.

Bella agrees and adds that pet business owners can use local events and venues to “hijack” visibility—following event hashtags, liking posts from local pet owners, and showing up in their notifications to build awareness. Jen calls it “strategic stalking,” joking that everyone has those skills from social media already—now they just need to use them smartly for business.

By liking multiple posts from the same person, you stand out in their notifications, and they’ll likely check your profile, see your services, and reach out. It’s simple but powerful—if done consistently and authentically.

The conversation moves to posting frequency. Jen says there’s no magic number. She prefers quality over quantity—don’t post just to post. Once or twice a week is fine; consistency matters more than frequency. Stories can fill in between posts with quick, casual content. Bella adds that even small daily interactions—liking, commenting—matter because Instagram rewards engagement. The more active you are, the more reach your posts get.

Jen confirms this: Instagram’s algorithm favors users who give engagement as much as they receive it....

This week for the Best of Bella series we are replaying episode 95 with Niki Ramirez. Niki is a wealth of information for everything human resources related, she is also a monthly guest in the Jump Consulting Mastermind. A lot of pet sitters and dog walkers may think that they're too small to afford an HR specialist like Niki, but in actuality, it's one of the biggest things you can have on your team. Listen intently to see how she helps pet sitters and dog walkers and everything you can learn.

Show Highlights:

What is coaching and why should we coach? [6:20]

What do great coaches do to unlock the best potential of their employees? [10:50]

Are there different types of coaching? And when should we implement these techniques and why? [14:50]

Is there any easy way to say “I’m going to be coaching you?” [16:30]

How can you coach stubborn pet sitting employees? [20:20]

How can you find Niki and tap into her resources? [25:20]

Original Show Notes

Today we welcome our friend, Niki Ramirez! She is a Human Resource specialist at HRAnswers.org, who provides full-service HR consultation, compliance support and employee training for small businesses. Their mission is to take care of “HR” so that their clients can focus on their business. Today we’re talking about how to be a coach to your pet sitting employees and why it is so important.

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want To Miss:

We are all natural coaches. But the way that we interact and socialize makes it difficult. Be mindful and focused to practice the skills that are already within us.

Coaching is an opportunity to point out what you do well and also offer immediate ways to adjust. It is also a top opportunity to build relationships and report with our pet sitting employees

How often should we be coaching people? We don’t want to be a “mother hen” and we don’t want to go overboard. It is more important to go hard during the introduction time period. When an employee is new you want to coach them more.

Counseling vs coaching where do you draw the line? As a leader, you have to send questions ahead of time that guides your thinking. You have to identify that they are going through something but work through it quickly. Let them know you value them and you have a support base for them if needed. But you can’t “counsel” them.

Where do you draw the line of counseling or coaching and those personal boundaries? You can’t always get too personal, even though you may want to. You have to have a distinct boundary line

Can staff members coach each other? Definitely! In fact, they are a great resource for team building. Find who is doing a wonderful job that will help you grow. Tap into that and help them grow naturally within your company.

Links

Find and contact Niki for a quick and easy consultation at HRAnswers.org

Share The Show:

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Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

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Transcript:

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. This is episode 157 and I'm your host, Bella Vasta. The Best of Bella. Today we're going to be replaying episode 95 with Nikki Ramirez as part of the Best of Bella series. Now, Nikki Ramirez is here locally in Arizona. She has been an incredible supporter and advocate of the dog walking and pet sitting industry. I'd like to say that her and I's partnership have helped tons of pet sitters, probably hundreds over the past two or maybe even three years. Nikki is a wealth of information. She is an independent human resources consultant, HR, and she is a monthly guest inside the mastermind. She was on the podcast and we talked about all things HR, something that I think a lot of pet sitters and dog walkers think that they are too small to afford. But in actuality, this is one of the very biggest things that you can have on your team or knowledge or help to make your systems and processes succeed so that when you're hiring, training, recruiting, and firing, you always have the confidence to know what to do and no situation can knock you off your solid ground. Without further ado, I want you to listen intently to Nikki Ramirez and see how she helps pet sitters and dog walkers and all the good things you can learn.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready. Bella's got your chute. Let's jump!

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and I'm your host from Jump Consulting. Today I have a very special guest with me. I have known Nikki Ramirez for probably a year and a half at least, and I need to tell you all that it was not easy to find her. I went through so many people, convinced myself that there is a magical person like Nikki out there in the world to help small business owners like you, the listener, and myself. Nikki is actually an HR consultant. She offers compliance, support, and employee training for small businesses. Her mission is to take care of the HR, the human resources, so that her clients can focus on their business. I was instantly drawn to her and have been lovingly using and abusing her in almost everything I have to offer. Nikki has actually endorsed the employee manual that Jump Consulting sells to pet sitters. She's also been my guest numerous times in the employee quick start mastermind groups that I have to help get pet sitting business owners from solo to employees. And she's been a wealth of information. You guys, what Nikki does is she is literally a contractor that you can bring on your team, project-based or ongoing, and she can help you exactly what she said, take care of your employee or your people problems.

Nikki shares that she started working in the realm of human resources and employee training about 25 years ago. She fell in love with the idea that she could have an impact not only on people's success at work but also on their happiness. By creating great work environments, we create great communities. She holds a master’s in business, has been a dual HR-certified professional for over 12 years, and recently added a third certification. Her ongoing education keeps her informed of ever-changing laws and workplace dynamics.

Bella shares how she didn’t realize until a few years ago that someone like Nikki was accessible to small businesses. Many assume HR professionals are only for big corporations with high salaries. Yet small businesses need HR expertise the most, especially when it comes to hiring and managing employees. She notes that many pet sitters struggle with two things: getting clients and getting employees. Managing people doesn’t always come naturally to pet sitters and dog walkers, so developing coaching skills is crucial.

Nikki explains that everyone has the natural ability to coach; we just need to tap into it. What holds people back isn’t the lack of ability but the desire to avoid potential conflict. Coaching, she explains, is an opportunity to change the outcome of the game while it’s happening — it’s active, in-the-moment guidance. Coaching capitalizes on strengths and points out immediate areas of adjustment. It also builds rapport and relationships through open two-way communication.

They discuss how adopting a coaching mindset can transform relationships with employees, contractors, and even virtual assistants. Coaching encourages openness, feedback, and growth rather than criticism. Nikki emphasizes that great coaches provide vision, lead by example, and remove obstacles so their team can succeed. They are like captains steering a ship toward a destination while keeping their team motivated and supported.

When it comes to frequency, Nikki says coaching should happen often in the beginning — daily during a new employee’s first 30, 60, or 90 days. This establishes the expectation that coaching is a normal part of the relationship. As employees grow, coaching can shift to a monthly check-in. She recommends three core questions for these check-ins: What’s going well? What are you struggling with? And what should I start, stop, or continue doing to help you succeed? These 15-minute conversations build trust and yield high returns.

Bella notes that creating a fun, branded term for coaching, like “bark backs” or “tail wags,” can make it part of the company culture. The key is consistent communication that shows care and development rather than command. Nikki adds that structure prevents conversations from derailing into personal or emotional tangents. Leaders can validate personal struggles while refocusing on work-related goals and expectations.

When dealing with stubborn employees, Nikki advises recognizing when coaching is no longer effective and it’s time for discipline. Repeated retraining is not coaching—it’s direction. Coaching reduces the need for discipline because it sets clear expectations early on. However, when necessary, leaders must confidently address noncompliance by outlining consequences while staying professional.

They also discuss how business owners can empower team members to coach one another. Within any organization, some employees naturally demonstrate leadership qualities and can mentor others. Assigning peer coaches strengthens company culture, helps develop future leaders, and frees up the owner’s time.

Nikki concludes by explaining how she works with pet sitters and small businesses—helping them resolve employee relations issues, refine job descriptions, create training programs, and ensure compliance with wage and hour laws. She helps business owners build solid HR foundations so they can handle situations confidently and proactively.

Bella reinforces how valuable this is for small business owners who often wait until a crisis to seek help....