Please tell us about your company and what role(s) you play.
I am the owner of Sit. Stay. Grow. which provides a wide array of pet services, in addition to offering plant care to customers. Sit. Stay. Grow. supports the Columbus, OH region including the suburbs. I wear many hats from scheduling pet sits. issuing contracts, and taking care of daily business tasks. I am responsible for the vision of the company and making key decisions.
How and when did you start your business? Was it inspired by a pet?
I quit my 30-year career with the printing industry (mostly in corporate sales) to start my business. I always loved animals and plants. I thought this new career path would make me happier and it has. I am solely responsible for my success or failure.
Do you have a pet(s) that joins you at work, what are their names and roles?
Linus (my cat) joins me at work. He mostly blocks my keyboard. I lost Lucy (my dog) to a stoke. She was super-sweet and was always by my side. She protected my daughter and granddaughter and me from everyone that came near the house.
What makes your business or brand unique?
At Sit. Stay. Grow. We provides everything from potty breaks to pet taxi to around-the-clock services for all types of pets including chickens and horses. One time I personally cared for a bearded dragon. I didn’t think I’d like giving it live crickets but, I did! All of these services are provided in or at a client’s home.
How does your business help other pet lovers like you?
Since we provide both pet and plant care I will care for house plants and/or outdoor garden plants while caring for their pets. Plant care can include weeding and transplanting plants and shrubs to thinning and pruning them.
My clients have come to trust me with important aspects of their lives so I have been asked on occasion to house sit for people that have moved, are on vacation, or people that only need someone to occupy their home for a couple hours a day to wait for contractors.
What have been some of your biggest challenges in running your business? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge to date is the pandemic. I have spent a lot of time marketing as a result. I have also partnered with a local non-profit that custom makes dog treats out of local breweries left over Nash, called Growlers Dog Bones. I sold gift certificates to help get me thru the downtime and started a GoFundMe for frontline workers. I am thinking about offering an online course in dog care.
What qualities have made you successful or do you feel are important for inspiring leaders?
I am meticulous and detail-oriented. I keep track of a lot of moving parts. I think any owner/operator would need to be like-minded to be successful.
What cool things are you/your business working on that you would like to share? New product or service? Podcast or training series?
We are partnered with Growlers Dog Bones. They are a small 501c social enterprise that employs developmentally-challenged individuals and provides work opportunities to differently-abled persons in the creation of their dog bones treats. They use the leftover mash from local breweries to make dog treats.
I am considering offering a course in dog care because that is probably what I am most expert in. This would be for customers and laypeople that need help with their current pets or want to learn before they adopt one.
Where can someone get more information about your business?
People can learn more about my business by visiting https://www.sitstaygrow.com/. Our Covid 19 policies are also posted there.
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