Pet Sitter Confessional

What does it take to confidently care for dogs that other pet professionals may be hesitant to handle? Collin talks with Maddie Krzonowski, owner of Maddie's Dog Walking, about building trust with reactive dogs, recognizing behavioral warning signs, and knowing when a case is beyond your skill set. Maddie shares how honest client communication and thorough meet-and-greets help her determine whether a dog is a safe and appropriate fit. They also discuss growing a pet care business while attending college, hiring help, and becoming known for solving difficult client problems. Finally, Maddie opens up about burnout, physical limitations, grief, and why sustainable self-care matters when you build close relationships with pets and their families. Main topics: Evaluating Reactive Dog Clients Reading Canine Warning Signals Building Trust Through Boundaries Protecting Staff From Risk Preventing Pet Care Burnout Main takeaway: "Come to me with how your dog is, not how you want them to be." That may be one of the most important things a pet care professional can ask of a client. Honest information about reactivity, bite history, triggers, equipment, and behavior allows us to make better decisions for everyone involved. We cannot build an effective care plan around the dog someone hopes to have six months from now—we have to care for the dog standing in front of us today. In this episode, Maddie Krzonowski shares how that honesty helps her work with reactive and behaviorally challenging dogs while maintaining clear safety boundaries. Sometimes great pet care means helping a dog make progress. Other times, it simply means respecting that dog's limits, creating predictability, and giving the client a trustworthy person who understands their situation. About our guest: Maddie Krzonowski is the owner of Maddie's Dog Walking, a New Jersey pet care business she first began as an entrepreneurial 11-year-old walking neighborhood dogs. Over the past decade, she has grown the business into a multi-area operation with additional team members while simultaneously completing her undergraduate education. Maddie is also a dog trainer with a particular interest in reactive dogs and helping owners navigate challenging behaviors. Her background also includes several years working as a veterinary technician, giving her a broad perspective on animal care, client relationships, and the emotional demands of the pet care industry. Links: Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/maddies.dog.walking/ Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583299275196 Her new book: https://amzn.to/4AEYR6x Check out our Starter Packs See all of our discounts! 📞 Call us: (636) 364-8260 Follow us on: Instagram, Facebook Email us at: [email protected] Full show notes and transcript Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest. Sponsored by: ❤️ Our AMAZING Patreon Supporters   Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months   Tiny Paws Bookkeeping - visit TinyPawsBookkeeping.com to start putting profit first!  

What if the next stage of growth in our business comes not from adding more, but from deliberately taking things away? In this episode, we examine the owner trap; how work stays on our plates because we are fast at it, familiar with it, and emotionally attached to being needed. We explore how complexity creeps into services, scheduling, pricing, communication, and client exceptions, and why every extra variation quietly raises the cost of running the business. We walk through a five-question subtraction audit: should this stop, can it be simpler, can we standardize it, can we automate it, and who should own it? By learning to remove what no longer deserves to exist, we can create more capacity for the work, people, and systems that actually move the business forward. Main topics: Escaping the owner dependency trap Reducing operational complexity deliberately Standardizing policies and exceptions Stopping work before automating it Building capacity through subtraction Main takeaway: "A better business isn't the one doing the most. It's the one that has figured out how to do fewer things exceptionally well." Growth has a funny way of convincing us that the answer is always more. More services. More software. More meetings. More processes. More exceptions. But every new thing we add creates something that has to be priced, trained, scheduled, communicated, monitored, and eventually handed off. Sometimes the best thing we can do as business owners is stop asking, "How can I get this off my plate?" and start asking, "Does this need to exist at all?" Before you automate it, delegate it, or write another SOP for it, give yourself permission to remove it. Your next stage of growth might not come from adding another thing. It might come from finally deciding what your business can do without. Links: Check out our Starter Packs See all of our discounts! 📞 Call us: (636) 364-8260 Follow us on: Instagram, Facebook Email us at: [email protected] Full show notes and transcript Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest. Sponsored by: ❤️ Our AMAZING Patreon Supporters   Your peace of mind is part of great pet care. Pet Sitters Associates provides the insurance you need to get the work done. Visit: https://www.petsitllc.com and use the code 'confessional' for $10 off today!   Pet Perennials Visit: https://petperennials.com/pages/register-for-a-business-account Code: 'PSC' when registering for a $2 off coupon on any purchases in the 1st 90 days  

What does Google actually need to see before it trusts and recommends your pet care business? Amy Toman of Pet Sitter SEO joins us to explore how AI is changing Google Business Profiles, local search, reviews, photos, verification, and even phone calls to businesses. We discuss why consistency across your website, social media, directories, and Google listing matters more than ever and how experience, expertise, authority, and trust help establish your business online. Amy also shares important cautions about changing your Google Business Profile, dealing with missing or fake reviews, claiming 24/7 availability, and relying on AI-generated advice. We close with practical ways pet sitters can build a stronger digital presence without chasing every new SEO trend. Main topics: AI Changes Local Search Building Google Business Trust Managing Reviews and Verification Optimizing Google Business Profiles Strengthening Online Business Authority Main takeaway: "The more Google knows about you, the more likely they are to recommend you or your business." — Amy Toman Being found online is becoming about much more than stuffing the right keywords into a website. Google is looking across your website, Google Business Profile, social media, reviews, photos, services, directories, and other sources to understand who you are, what you do, and where you do it. For pet care businesses, that means consistency matters. If you want to be known for dog walking, cat sitting, or another specific service, make sure your online presence actually demonstrates that expertise instead of simply mentioning it once. In this episode, Amy Toman joins us to unpack how AI is changing local search and what pet sitters should be doing now to build trust, authority, and visibility. The goal isn't to trick Google. It's to give Google enough consistent evidence to confidently understand and recommend your business. About our guest: Amy Toman is the founder of Pet Sitter SEO and a Google Business Profile Diamond Product Expert who specializes in local SEO, Google Business Profile troubleshooting, and reinstatements. She founded Pet Sitter SEO in 2017 after beginning website work in 2015 and has worked extensively with pet care professionals to improve their online visibility. Amy has contributed to industry organizations, spoken at pet care conferences, and audited hundreds of websites and Google Business Profiles. Today, she continues to help small businesses navigate the increasingly complex relationship between local search, Google Business Profiles, and AI. Links: Earn 1 CEU https://petsitterseo.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-toman-🗺️-25945047 https://www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/575 https://www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/267 https://www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/120 https://whitespark.ca/blog/missing-google-reviews-checklists-for-troubleshooting-review-loss/ https://reputationarm.com/why-are-my-google-reviews-disappearing-the-silent-review-purge-what-google-isnt-telling-you/ Check out our Starter Packs See all of our discounts! 📞 Call us: (636) 364-8260 Follow us on: Instagram, Facebook Email us at: [email protected] Full show notes and transcript Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest. Sponsored by: ❤️ Our AMAZING Patreon Supporters Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months Critter to turn insights into action. Use 'PSC20' for 20% off your first three months

Have you reached the point where your pet care business is too busy to run alone but not yet profitable enough to comfortably add support? In this episode, we unpack the "messy middle," where demand has outgrown our available hours even though the margin has not caught up. We talk through the two intentional paths forward: growing through the stage by pricing in help, delegating, and building systems, or scaling back by raising prices, tightening service areas, and simplifying services. We also explain why hiring admin should be based on hours, measurable triggers, and a defined trial period rather than fear or vague job titles. Most importantly, we challenge ourselves to build a business that fits our lives, protects our capacity, and operates better regardless of its size. Main topics: Recognizing the messy middle Choosing growth or scaling back Pricing support into services Delegating through strategic admin hours Protecting capacity with boundaries Main takeaway: "The messy middle is your business asking a simple question: Do you want to operate in a better way, regardless of size?" The messy middle isn't just about revenue. It's what happens when your business has grown beyond what one person can comfortably carry, but the margin hasn't caught up enough to pay for the help you need. That tension can make you feel like the only answer is to keep pushing harder. It isn't. You can intentionally grow through this stage, or you can intentionally simplify and scale back. Both can be smart business decisions. What matters is choosing a direction, building the systems to support it, and creating a business that works better for the life you actually want. If you're in the messy middle right now, what needs to change first? Links: Check out our Starter Packs See all of our discounts! 📞 Call us: (636) 364-8260 Follow us on: Instagram, Facebook Email us at: [email protected] Full show notes and transcript Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest. Sponsored by: ❤️ Our AMAZING Patreon Supporters Your peace of mind is part of great pet care. Pet Sitters Associates provides the insurance you need to get the work done. Visit: https://www.petsitllc.com and use the code 'confessional' for $10 off today!  Tiny Paws Bookkeeping - visit TinyPawsBookkeeping.com to start putting profit first!  

What happens when your business is built around a mission instead of just making money? In this episode, Collin sits down with Jon Eckrich of Jon Loves Dogs to discuss how a clear mission influences every decision—from hiring and onboarding to client relationships and long-term growth. Jon shares how his corporate leadership experience shaped his approach to building a professional pet care team without losing sight of compassion. Together they explore company culture, Fear Free principles, training systems, and setting high standards for employees. The conversation is a reminder that a strong mission doesn't limit your business—it gives every decision a clear direction. Main topics: Mission-driven business leadership Hiring with clear standards Fear Free training principles Building intentional company culture Balancing purpose and profit Main takeaway: "If the business doesn't exist, then we can't achieve our mission." Every business owner eventually faces the tension between purpose and profit. Jon reminds us that those two things aren't enemies—they depend on each other. A healthy business isn't the destination; it's the vehicle that allows us to keep serving pets, clients, and our teams for years to come. When every decision is filtered through a clear mission, even difficult choices become easier to make. About our guest: Jon Eckrich is the founder of Jon Loves Dogs, a New Jersey-based professional pet sitting and dog walking company built around a mission of enriching the lives of companion animals. After spending more than fifteen years in corporate healthcare recruiting and leadership, he transitioned into professional pet care, combining his leadership experience with Fear Free principles and animal welfare. In addition to running his growing business, Jon consults with pet care companies on hiring, onboarding, leadership, and building healthy workplace cultures. Links: Jon Loves Dogs — https://jonlovesdogs.com Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jonlovesdogsllc Check out our Starter Packs See all of our discounts! 📞 Call us: (636) 364-8260 Follow us on: Instagram, Facebook Email us at: [email protected] Full show notes and transcript Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest. Sponsored by: ❤️ Our AMAZING Patreon Supporters   Time to Pet Visit: https://timetopet.com/confessional Code: 50% off first 3 months   Pet Sitters International Visit: https://www.petsit.com/psc Code: PSC15