Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

Your clients are not searching the way they used to. And if your website is still built for the old rules — you are invisible in the new ones. TIMESTAMPS: [0:00] — Someone booked a call with me from ChatGPT. Here is what that means for your business. [1:30] — The Google problem: why clicking and backing out is exhausting your clients [3:00] — What SEO is and why it still matters (but is no longer enough) [6:30] — What AIO is and the one line that explains the difference [8:30] — The 12% stat: why 88% of websites are invisible to AI right now [10:00] — The three things your website needs for AI to recommend you [13:00] — The villain: the business owner who keeps saying 'I'll do it later' [15:00] — What it actually looks like when it's working [16:30] — Your 3-minute self-audit: do this before the episode ends IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL DISCOVER: What SEO is and why it still matters in 2026 What AIO (AI Optimization) is and how it is completely different from SEO Why 88% of small business websites are invisible to AI search right now — and how to check if yours is one of them The three things your website must have for ChatGPT and Perplexity to recommend you A 3-minute self-audit you can do tonight to see exactly where you stand ABOUT THIS EPISODE: The way your clients find you has changed. They are not Googling and clicking through ten links anymore. They are having conversations with AI — and AI is recommending someone. In this episode, Bella breaks down the difference between SEO and AIO, explains why 88% of small business websites are invisible to AI tools right now, and walks through exactly what you need to fix it. No tech degree required. This is strategy, not software. A NOTE ON THE STATS IN THIS EPISODE: Every statistic Bella cites has a source link in the show notes below, along with who funded the study and what their potential bias is. Bella believes you deserve to fact-check her. Click any link and see for yourself. RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Magai — All the major AI models in one place — 30% off for 3 months Website Sessions with Bella — 6 focused sessions to rewrite your website for AI search The Jumpers Mastermind — Where Bella works with business owners on AI, hiring, marketing, and more Eight Oh Two 2026 AI Search Study — The 37% stat — who did it and their bias (self-funded marketing agency) Seer Interactive ChatGPT Conversion Study — The conversion rate data — one B2B client, 6 months Schema.org Structured Data — The 12.4% stat source — neutral standards body, no commercial bias Xponent21 AI Overviews Analysis — The 60% Google AI Overview stat Search Engine Land AI Referral Traffic — The 527% growth stat — owned by Semrush, editorial independent CONNECT WITH BELLA: Website Sessions with Bella The Jumpers Mastermind  Subscribe to Bella in Your Business   Bella's Website   Find Bella on Instagram and Facebook — search Bella Vasta     FAQ SECTION: What is the difference between SEO and AIO? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of structuring your website so Google ranks it in search results. AIO (AI Optimization) is structuring your website so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can read, understand, and recommend you. SEO gets you found. AIO makes you the answer. Both matter in 2026 — but most small business websites have only been built for one of them. What is AIO and why does it matter for small business owners? AIO stands for AI Optimization — also called AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) or GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) depending on who you ask. The industry has not settled on one term yet. What they all mean is the same thing: structuring your website content so AI tools can read it, trust it, and recommend your business when someone asks for help with the problem you solve. As more people use ChatGPT and Perplexity to find services, businesses that are not optimized for AI are losing referrals they never even know about. How do I know if my website is visible to AI? Open ChatGPT or Perplexity. Do not search your business name — search the problem your ideal client has, the way they would actually type it. If your business does not come up, that is your answer. Other signals: your website has not been updated in over a year, you do not have a blog, your homepage is vague about who you serve and how, and your site does not use structured data (schema markup). All of these reduce how findable you are to AI tools. What is schema markup and do I need it? Schema markup is code you add to your website that tells AI systems exactly what your business does, who you serve, what questions you answer, and why you are credible. Without it, AI has to guess — and AI would rather recommend someone it does not have to guess about. As of 2025, only about 12% of websites use any structured data at all. That means the businesses who add it now have a significant early advantage in AI search visibility. Does my website need a blog for AI search? Yes. A blog is one of the highest-value things on your website for AI visibility. AI tools favor content that is specific, answers real questions, and has been published recently. A blank or outdated blog page gives AI very little to work with. You do not need to publish every day — consistent, specific, question-answering content matters more than volume. If you have not posted in over six months, that is your most urgent gap.   Full Episode Transcript Someone booked a call with me recently and I asked what I always ask. How did you hear about me? And she said, chat GPT, not Google, not Instagram, not like I saw you on my feed or I was on your email list or I listened to your podcast, podcast, what you're listening to right now It was chat GPT. She had been mid conversation trying to figure out a problem and was asking what top consultants could help her with the problem. And chat GPT told her me. and proceeded to explain more than just my name, but the reasons why. That conversation stopped me cold because what I realized is what if my website had not been set up the right way? That conversation would have ended with someone else's name. And then I started thinking of you and your website and whether AI even knows you exist. Welcome back to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. I've been doing this podcast since 2014 for you, my small business, pet sitting business, dog walking business, dog grooming business, dog training business, all of you, since 2014. Your clients are not searching the way that they used to. And if your website is still built the old way, then You are invisible in the new way. And so today we're going to talk about SEO, AIO. There's a couple of different forms of that, AEO. And there's a couple others, but for the sake of the show and today, March 20, 26, I'm going to call it AIO. And what to do in the next 90 days will determine whether your business is findable or just existing. OK, I want you to think about the last time you Googled something for your business. So you typed it in, then 10 blue links came back. You clicked one, it wasn't quite right, so you hit back. Then you clicked another one and shoot, it was an ad. Clicked back, you scrolled, you got distracted, you got overwhelmed, and then you gave up. That's what your clients are doing when they Google you. Or the problem that you solve, or the service that you offer. They're clicking, they're backing out, and they're clicking, and they're backing out, exhausted. Because before they have even found you, they're just overwhelmed. Now think about what it feels like to have a conversation with Chachi BT when you're trying to figure something out. It's different, right? It like listens to your whole situation. You feel heard. It asks follow up questions sometimes and it gives you one clear answer instead of 10 options that you have to sort through yourself. And when it says you should go talk to this person, you go because it felt like advice, not advertising. All right. Before I give you some numbers, I want to be upfront about something. A lot of statistics in marketing worlds are produced by companies that have a financial interest before believing in them. All right. So for every stat in this episode, I have put the source in the show notes. You want to go to JumpConsulting.net, click on podcast and you could find that so you can know who did the study, who paid for it, what their potential bias is. And I want you to go fact check me, like not because I'm hiding anything, but because A business owner who makes decisions based off of bad data is worse off than a business decision being made, like no business decision being made at all. And so here's what the research says with full context. A marketing agency called 802 surveyed 500 people who have already used AI tools. 37 % they say that they now start their searches with AI instead of Google. And here's what I want you to know. 802 sells AI search strategy services. So they do have a financial interest in what you're carrying about with this number. I'm telling you that because you deserve to know, but the finding really does line up with what I'm watching in my own business and what I hear from all the other experts that I follow. Okay. So take it with context and decide for yourself. But here's the question that I want you to sit with while you're reading this right now. Someone's having a conversation with AI. about the exact problem you solve. my gosh, I wanna go to Las Vegas this weekend and shoot, I need a dog walker. Who do you know near me, okay? It doesn't show a list of links unless you pick. It reads the website behind the scenes. It reads it and it crawls it for your structure, your content, your copy, the unique value proposition that you have. And it decides whether you're credible enough to

You've heard of ChatGPT. But do you actually know which AI model is right for your business — and why using just one might be slowing you down instead of speeding you up? Timestamps: [0:00] — The steak and spoon analogy: why most business owners are using AI wrong [3:00] — ChatGPT: the Kleenex of AI, what it's good for, and the hallucination problem [9:00] — Claude: why it feels like talking to an emotionally intelligent adult [13:00] — Gemini: the best tool if you live in Google Workspace [16:00] — Perplexity: the AI search engine your competitors don't know about yet [19:00] — Grok: what makes it different and what to watch out for In This Episode You'll Discover Why ChatGPT is the most famous AI tool and not always the best one for your daily business workflow How Claude thinks differently from every other model — and why that changes the way you should talk to it The one place Gemini beats everything else if you run your business inside Google Why Perplexity might be the most important tool for your business visibility that you've never heard of The truth about AI knowledge cutoffs — and which models actually have access to current information About this Episode: Not all AI tools work the same way — and using the wrong one for the wrong job is why so many business owners feel like AI isn't working for them. In this episode, Bella breaks down the major models from her own real-world experience in March 2026: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok. What each one does well. Where each one falls short. And how to stop using one spoon for everything. Resources and Links Mentioned: Each item below should be a clickable link on the BOLD word or phrase. Do not write out the URL on the page. Magai — All the major AI models in one place, 30% off for 3 months The Jumpers Mastermind — Where Bella works with business owners on AI, hiring, marketing, and more Free 20-Minute Call with Bella — One problem, 20 minutes, totally free How to Switch from ChatGPT to Claude Without Losing Your Brain — Bella's blog post Watch Bella's ChatGPT Agent Mode Reel on Instagram CONNECT WITH BELLA The Jumpers Mastermind Free 20-Minute Call with Bella Subscribe to Bella in Your Business Bella's Website Find Bella on Instagram and Facebook — search Bella Vasta FAQ SECTION: What is the difference between ChatGPT and Claude? ChatGPT is the most widely known AI and excels at a wide range of tasks, agent automation, and image generation. Claude tends to be more precise, asks better clarifying questions, and produces fewer errors — making it better for writing, deep analysis, and coding. Most serious business owners end up using both for different jobs. Which AI model is best for small business owners? There is no single best model — the right answer depends on the task. ChatGPT is the easiest starting point. Claude is best for deep work, writing, and analysis. Gemini is best if your business runs on Google Workspace. Perplexity is best for research and checking how your business appears in AI search. Grok has real-time access to X/Twitter content. Use different tools for different jobs. What is Perplexity AI used for? Perplexity is a search engine powered by AI. Instead of giving you a list of links like Google, it reads the web and gives you a direct answer with cited sources you can verify. It is especially useful for research, fact-checking, understanding what questions your customers are asking, and seeing how your business appears in AI search results. Do I need to pay for AI tools to get good results? Free versions of AI tools are typically six months to over a year behind the paid versions in capability. If you tried AI on a free plan and it felt limited, that's likely why. Paid plans are $20 per month or less for most tools. Magai lets you access most of the major models for the price of one subscription — it's where Bella recommends starting. What does 'AI knowledge cutoff' mean? Every AI model is trained on data up to a certain date. After that date, it doesn't know what happened in the world. As of March 2026, most models are trained through late 2024 or 2025. This is why they can't tell you today's news unless they also have a web search tool connected. Perplexity and Grok are specifically built around real-time web access. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT   Have you ever tried to eat steak with a spoon? Like... actually tried it. No knife. No fork. Just a spoon. You can't cut it. You can't stab it. You end up having to pick the whole thing up and just... bite into it. And now it's dripping. And your fingers are a mess. And you need a napkin. And now you're annoyed. And the steak was GOOD... but you barely got to enjoy it because the whole experience was just a disaster. Now imagine someone hands you a knife AND a fork. Suddenly the same steak is a completely different experience. Bite-sized. Clean. Enjoyable. You're actually tasting it instead of wrestling with it. That's what AI literacy is. Most business owners right now are sitting at the table with one tool... one spoon... and wondering why AI feels overwhelming and messy and like more work than it's worth. Today we're going to fix that. I'm Bella Vasta, and this is Bella in Your Business. Let's get into it. Before we dive in... if you're finding value here, hit subscribe wherever you're listening. And if there's a topic you want me to dig into, send me a message. I actually read them. So I want to back up for a second and tell you why I'm doing this episode. In my last episode, I touched on the differences between the major AI models... and a LOT of you came back and said you wanted more. You wanted me to go deeper into my own personal experience with each one. So that's what we're doing today. I want to be really clear about a few things before I start though. Number one... this is March 2026. This space is moving FAST. What I'm sharing is accurate right now, in this moment. But six months from now, some of this may look different. That's just the nature of AI. Number two... these are MY personal experiences and opinions. Not sponsored recommendations. Not political statements. I have no axe to grind with any of these companies. And number three... and this is IMPORTANT... If you think you know what AI can do because you've been using the free version... you don't. I'm not saying that to be harsh. I'm saying it because it's true. The free versions of most of these tools are running on older models... anywhere from six months to over a year behind what the paid versions can do. So if you tried AI once, it felt limited, and you moved on? That wasn't AI. That was a demo. Okay. With that said... let's talk about the tools. ChatGPT. Let's start here because... everyone starts here. ChatGPT is the Kleenex of AI. It's the Xerox. It's the name that became the thing. When someone says "I asked AI," they almost always mean they asked ChatGPT. And look... it got us here. It introduced an entire generation of business owners to what AI could do. That matters. But I want you to think about something. Remember Yahoo? Yahoo was THE search engine. Dominant. Everywhere. And then Google came along, and within a few years... Yahoo who? ChatGPT could very well be the Yahoo of this moment. That doesn't mean it's bad. It means you shouldn't assume it's the only option just because it's the most famous one. Here's my honest take on ChatGPT... The best thing about ChatGPT is its ecosystem. It has the GPT store, where you can find and use custom-built AI tools. It has projects. It has agent mode, which I actually love for very specific tasks. Agent mode is where ChatGPT can go take action FOR you. Not just answer a question... actually DO a thing. I've done reels about this. Like asking it to figure out what I need to buy for the week, build a grocery list, and then have the agent actually add everything to Instacart and get it delivered. No rabbit holes. No "ooh, that looks good too." Just... done. That's genuinely useful. But here's where I get a little bit... complicated on ChatGPT. Talking to ChatGPT for me sometimes feels like talking to a very enthusiastic, very distracted five-year-old. You ask it one thing and it gives you that thing PLUS twelve other things you didn't ask for. It assumes. It keeps going. It will never stop and say "wait, what do you actually mean?" And here's the bigger issue. ChatGPT will NEVER tell you it doesn't know something. It will make up an answer. Confidently. Professionally. Completely wrong. That's called hallucinating, and ChatGPT does it more than any other major model I use regularly. Studies have measured hallucination rates across models and found they can range anywhere from a few percent to over 30% depending on the task. And the problem isn't that it's wrong. The problem is that it SOUNDS right. It gives you a polished, confident answer... and now you trust it and share it... and it was made up. Most business owners I know are already overwhelmed. Already going in five directions. The LAST thing you need is a tool that also goes in five directions and occasionally makes stuff up. Great for playing around. Great for agent tasks. Great for the GPT store. Just... go in with your eyes open.   Now let's talk about Claude. And I want to be upfront... Claude is my daily driver. This is the tool I actually live in. The best way I can describe the difference between ChatGPT and Claude is this: ChatGPT is like talking to a smart kid who never stops talking. Claude is like talking to a really emotionally intelligent adult who actually listens before they respond. Claude will stop you. It will ask clarifying questions. It will tell you if it thinks you're heading in the wrong direction.

How do you switch Ai platforms? With the recent events of AWS centers being bombed, the Department of War threatening to label Caude as a "supply chain risk" and Open Ai stepping in and "saving the day" there is a lot that you need to consider with your Ai strategy. In this episode, I’m stripping away the politics and the drama to give you the facts you need to protect your workflows. I’ll show you why you are the operating system, and why being "AI literate" is the only way to thrive when the tech landscape starts shifting under your feet. In This Episode You'll Discover Why Anthropic refused military access to Claude and the two specific lines they won't cross. How Sam Altman signed a military deal hours after Anthropic was blacklisted. The first time a U.S. tech data center was knocked offline by military action. A high-level breakdown of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and the autonomous agent Manus. My 3-step process to export your custom GPTs and replicate them across any platform in 15 minutes. Takeaways AI is transforming the business landscape and requires attention. Military involvement in AI raises ethical concerns and operational risks. Data center outages can significantly impact business operations. Understanding multiple AI platforms is crucial for business resilience. AI literacy is more important than loyalty to a single platform. Switching AI platforms is easier than perceived; it's about mindset. Your expertise is the core of your operations, not the AI tool. Practical steps can simplify the transition between AI platforms. Staying curious and flexible is key to thriving in uncertainty. The future belongs to those who can think critically with AI. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to the Current AI Landscape 06:08 – The Impact of Global Events on AI Infrastructure 14:59 – The Importance of AI Literacy 21:01 – Practical Steps for Transitioning Between AI Platforms Notable Quotes "AI literacy beats AI loyalty every single time." "You are the operating system. The AI is just an app." "The future belongs to the people who learned how to think with AI, no matter which tool they're holding." Resources and Links Blog Post: This post includes the exact prompts, step-by-step screenshots, and markdown instructions mentioned in the episode. Jumpconsulting.net/magai: Use this link for 30% off your first three months. Mastermind Intensives   Transcript Hey, so I need to talk to you this episode and it's gonna be a little bit different from what we normally do. And I want you all to really listen. I understand that a lot of you are probably doing laundry, driving around, walking dogs, like getting the kid from school, but like I want you to listen up because I'm gonna throw a lot at you today. It's gonna feel a little bit doom and gloomy, but it's not intended that way. It's actually intended to be very empowering. So stick with me all through this episode and I promise to give you a direction. The world is shifting right now. And if you're a business owner who uses AI, which if you're listening to this show, you probably are, then what is happening is gonna be directly affecting you. And I'm not gonna be dramatic, okay? I'm gonna literally tell you the facts and then I'm gonna distill it, strain it down to exactly how this is gonna help your business, okay? So let's just... paint the picture right now, the state of the world. So let me like that. We'll set the stage here. Okay. And I'm going to also keep it at high level. I'm not going to get into politics. I'm going to give you the facts that matter for your business. And if you're listening to this in the future, I am recording this in March of 2026. I am so interested in what my future self thinks about this episode and how things are going to develop over time because it is the most exciting and wild time to ever have a business. I've said that before and I keep, I will keep saying that. All right, so let's go. So Anthropic, they're the company who makes Claude, all right? And it's one of the AI tools that I use every single day. If you follow me on my Facebook page, you'll see that I am like, I wanna marry Claude. Not really, but, and I feel like Claude is talking to an intentional adult and I feel like ChatGBT is like an ADHD, five year old, okay? And they're very, very different. That's not to say that they both don't have their strengths and weaknesses. But listen, this week the Department of War, that's what we're calling it now, wanted Anthropic to give military unrestricted access to Claude's AI technology. And the Anthropic CEO said, no, he drew two red lines. He said, one, Claude cannot be used for mass domestic surveillance on American citizens. Bella Vasta (02:23.424) And two, that it cannot be used to fully power autonomous weapons that make targeting and firing decisions without the human in the loop. It was also said that that was actually used in Venezuela back in February when we did that. I think it was February. And that didn't go over well. President Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using anthropics technology. They have a six month period to phase it out and the... the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth went even further and he said that he's designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk. That label is normally reserved for foreign adversaries and has never been applied to an American company before. Now hundreds of tech workers from companies like OpenAI, IBM, Salesforce, Slack and Cursor have signed an open letter urging the government to reverse this decision. And so there's a lot of pushback that's happening. And on top of that, Claude went down today. That was this morning when I'm recording this on the second of March in the morning. A major global outage. The company says it's been dealing with unprecedented demand, which makes sense because after all this news broke, Claude actually shot to number one on the Apple App Store. People are rallying behind all of this, all right? Now this is just, this is what's happening right now, okay? Right now, it's really important. to not necessarily react, but I want you guys to understand this information. so, Claude could get harder to access, whether it's because of governmental pressure, demands from outages, or infrastructure issues, which I'll get into a second. It's a real thing, no matter what, it's a real thing and it impacts your business, which is why I'm here today, okay? So now, here's where it gets interesting, and honestly a little messy. Earlier this week, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI actually came out and praised Anthropic for taking a stand. He wrote a company memo that was seen by the BBC and it wasn't just an Anthropic issue. It was an issue for the whole entire industry. And that was important to clarify because it's where everyone stands. And then literally hours after Anthropic got blacklisted on Friday, OpenAI swooped in and signed a deal with the Department of War. Bella Vasta (04:43.64) to deploy its models in a classified military environment. So on one hand, OpenAI is saying we stand with Anthropic, and on the other hand, they're signing a deal that Anthropic just refused to sign. Altman himself said that the deal was quote, definitely rushed, and that he did it because he wanted to deescalate things between the government and the AI industry. Bella Vasta (05:10.914) I used to watch all my children with my mom when I was little. This has got nothing on this. Now in all fairness, OpenAI says that the deal includes the same red lines, no mass surveillance, no autonomous weapons, and they asked the governments to make those same terms available to all AI companies, including Anthropic. So they're framing it as we took one for the team by trying to fix this for everyone. Now, Sam says that the deal includes some same red lines, no mass surveillance, no autonomous weapons. He says that OpenAI's contract is actually more guardrails than the previous agreements, and they'll keep control of their safety systems. And they deploy through the cloud only, and they have cleared up OpenAI personnel in the loop. Yes, I am reading this, you guys, because this is a lot of facts, and I need to make sure that I'm getting them correctly for you. But like, literally, let's be real. A lot of people are not buying into this. There's been significant backlash. Some people have literally started campaigns to boycott Chachi BT and switch to Claude and protest. And critics are pointing out that saying we support you and then making the contract you just refused is a choice. So both of the two biggest AI platforms are now tangled up in military contracts, government drama, and public controversy. That's the landscape that we're living in, in March of 2026. All right, so the war and your data centers. This is something else that gets really real that I want you guys to understand. Now as you probably know, the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran this past weekend. Guys, I have never talked about any of this on the podcast before, okay? But this is all laying the foundation for what I need you to understand as a basis of what I'm about to tell you. Okay, so Iran's supreme leader was killed. Iran retaliated with massive drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, hitting targets in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and more. And one of the things that got hit, it was an Amazon Web Services data center in the UAE. Objects struck the facility, caused a fire, and knocked it offline. A second data center in the same region went down after that. AWS centers in Bahrain, I hope I'm saying that right. Bella Vasta (07:30.71) are also experiencing connectivity issues. Now think about that for a second, because I know you guys have all lived through when AWS goes down. It affects like a lot of websites that we use, okay?

Hard truth: You need to level up your Ai Skills and this weeks epiosde is going to show you 7 ways you can do that. No tech. No crazy 30 steps. Things you can do in your small business today. Most pet business owners are either ignoring AI or just using it for basic tasks, but I’m here to up-level your thinking and show you how to shift your mindset to achieve your goals faster. In this episode, I’m breaking down seven practical, straightforward ways you can use AI right now to save time, increase trust with your clients, and stop the "content slop" madness for good. In This Episode You'll Discover Boost your local ranking by replying with pet names and service-specific keywords. Use AI to find exactly where your site fails to answer client questions. Build instant trust by answering questions before they are ever asked. Stop hiring "warm bodies" with personality-driven ads that attract top talent. Turn one client email or blog into ten high-quality social posts. Use your "Sent" folder to build a document that ends repetitive emotional labor. Let AI analyze your competitors to find their weaknesses and your competitive edge. Timestamps 08:18 – Use AI to find the "missing answers" on your site that are costing you sales. 11:36 – Create a "What to Expect" guide that closes deals before you even speak. 14:45 – Stop running ads; start writing talent magnets that filter out the fluff. 18:13 – How to turn one high-value insight into 10 strategic, high-quality posts. 23:30 – Turn repetitive emails into a permanent FAQ to reclaim your emotional labor. 26:15 – Use AI to spot your competitors' weaknesses and exploit your strengths. Notable Quotes "Every negative review, you're actually not responding to them, you're responding to everyone who's ever gonna see it for years to come." "I can tell you how successful or unsuccessful you're gonna be based off of where you're spending your time." "It's not AI [that will ruin the world], it's the people that understand how to use AI the right way." Resources and Links Get organized and stop the resume chaos. Click here to try my favorite applicant tracking system: Breezy HR (ATS): bellavasta.com/breezy If you want to know what your competitors are really saying, you need my phone sales script exercise Want the exact prompts for every strategy I shared today? Join our community and let’s make your business fly: Jump Consulting Mastermind: (Use code BELLA25 for $25 off!) Have a specific question or need a partner hookup? Shoot me a message directly: bella@bellavasta.com Transcript Welcome back to another episode of Bella in Your Business. Today we're going to talk about seven things that AI can do for your pet business this week that you probably didn't think of. Now guys, I think this is really, really important because I've been seeing people use it, but like use it at a very kindergarten level, not in elementary, middle school, high school, or dare I say collegiate level. Okay. And I'm here to up level your thinking of what is actually possible. And hopefully by the end of this episode, you're going to have a lot of different ideas and I'm going to change your mindset slightly. That's always my goal in everything that I do is to shift your mindset, to think bigger, think more strategic and achieve your goals faster. So most pet businesses are like, they're either ignoring AI, complaining about AI and I'm not even gonna go into that and I give that any life, okay? But I wanna talk to you who you feel like you're using it every day. Maybe you have it on your phone, you have it downloaded, you talk to it all the time, you feel like you're getting a lot from it. Harvard actually just came out with a study that people are actually more busy because of AI, because they're not, especially a chat GPT, which is one of the reasons why I kind of broke up with them. It's always like, well, here you go and I can do these other three things for you, which really doesn't help the ADHD brain. What that does is it helps keep you in the loop of in their ecosystem and feeling like you're doing so much, but you're not actually producing a lot. And there's a difference there. I want you to just be mindful of that. But there are things right now that AI can do that are free that you probably haven't considered. And so I wanna like, you peep those things to you today. They're not fancy, they're really practical, they're very straightforward, anyone can do these things. So before we get started, I really, really, really wanna say to you, please subscribe to the episode, please subscribe to Bella in Your Business, please share it with your friends if you find this is going to be a valuable episode for you. And I'm just sitting here at 7.30 in the morning. My child is getting ready and I am just talking to you guys and my I live for those comments those feedbacks the shares the DMS because that lets me know that what I'm hitting what I'm saying is hitting okay, and so I just if you like the show, please let me know All right, and and I'm also gonna probably save you a little bit of money today, too Which is also really cool. So the very first one and I want you guys to hear me out because you might be like, yeah. Yeah. No I'm going to show you how to uplevel this, okay? So let's talk about those Google reviews responses. I know some of you don't really even pay attention to your Google reviews and others are going for 55 star reviews, 105 star reviews, 505 star reviews. And let me just set the foundation and say, if you're not actively seeking Google reviews from your clients, you're missing out. The Google reviews are something that AI is going to be using as one of their many tickers on who they can trust. Okay. So the more reviews you have, the better it can be for your business . can't hurt you unless they're a bunch of one star reviews, I suppose. But let's just say now we're in the orbit of you got a five star review and most of the time people are like, thanks so much. We love taking care of buddy. You know, like, I know I need to respond. And that's what they do. That response is a potential for another, let's think about this, the Google My Business when you're posting updates, hopefully weekly. Yeah, another thing you gotta do. But something that's gonna really help you, okay? And this is AI could help you with it too. But you wanna make sure that your responses also have your keyboards in them, right? But what happens is we either find out, my gosh, there's some reviews. Bella, you're just reminding me now I gotta go in and see if there's any reviews I need to respond to, everyone always likes to be responded to. Especially the faster you can respond, the better. It just shows that you're an active business owner. Right? Or sometimes even worse, people don't respond at all because they didn't have the time, they didn't know what to say. Right? Or the negative reviews. I mean, that just cuts you to the core. Right? If someone doesn't give you five stars, maybe they give you three or four. You're like, what the what? Right? And it's haunting you and you're kind of scared to say the wrong thing back. So you just kind of let it sit there and be like, don't address it. Nobody knows. You stick your head in the sand like a flamingo, right? Well, what AI does do, it can write a very personalized response to every single review and you can instruct it to have the pet's name, the reference of the service. So even if you might call it like an adventure, you want to call it a pet sit in this comment back or a dog walk because that's what people are gonna be searching for on the internet not your cute name, all right and You want to respond to every single review? We all we all know that by now, right? We can agree on that and then you want to mention the pets name Reference this service and match the energy of the review. So if someone comes in like my god, you're absolute best like my gosh, you're the best too, but if someone is like hey, you did a really great job, thanks so much. You're like, my God, you're the best. We wanna match the response, okay? It's free and it takes about two minutes per review. And now Google rewards businesses that responds to reviews. So every single one of your reviews right now, go check. You need to make sure they're all responded to. It will help with your SEO. You will show up higher in searches and potential clients will read your responses. And even when it's a negative review, it shows how you show up in adverse times. Okay, is this a business that I wanna do business with? Because they handled a icky situation very respectfully and heard the person and just really addressed them, right? They were seen and heard. Or were they a-holes? And were just like, you have to remember that every negative review, you're actually not responding to them, you're responding to everyone who's ever gonna see it for years to come. Okay, just something to think about. And sometimes that does happen because we're not perfect or our team isn't perfect. I have a prompt and I have a prompt for every single one of these and I'm gonna drop them inside the community to reward them because what we do here is we tell you what you should be doing and then we break down the how inside the community. So for this episode specifically because it's gonna be jam packed with tons of detail, I will put it all on a PDF and if you're in the mastermind or you've been thinking about joining the mastermind now is a really great time to do it. All you gotta do is go to jumpconsulting.net forward slash mastermind and it's just month to month. There's no real long commitment. Although we just had a member sign up for an entire year and then she asked me, can I do 20, 27 too?

Are you still climbing ladders to clean gutters at 6 p.m. because your "reliable" hire ghosted you? Or maybe you’re the dog walker getting called in for a shift because someone bailed an hour before it started. I know you’re exhausted, and I know you feel like you’ve tried everything even praying about it or putting it out into the universe. But the truth is, you’re likely hiring on a hope and a prayer because you’re desperate for help, not work. In this episode, I’m pulling you off the hamster wheel. We’re moving from chaos to a proven system: the 10-Step Jump Hiring Method. I’m breaking down how to stop hiring "anyone with a pulse" and start building a team that actually values the opportunity. We’ll talk about why your gut feeling is lying to you, how to write job ads that read like love letters, and why investing in your people from day one changes everything. Stop guessing. Start building. In This Episode You'll Discover How to stop looking for "hard workers" and start defining your dream team member. Why your boring job ads are attracting people who don't care and how to write ads that hit emotional buttons. Using "anti-questions" to make the wrong people self-select out before they waste your time. Why hiring off a "gut feeling" is like getting married on the first date (and how to fix it). The simple math equation to know exactly when you can afford to hire without the late-night anxiety. A simple trick to ensure you talk only 20% of the time during interviews. How to make a new hire feel like a human, not a cog in a machine, from day one. Timestamps 02:29 – The reality of ghosting and why "hiring on a prayer" fails. 04:54 – Why hiring based on a "gut feeling" is like getting married on the first date. 07:17 – The math of hiring: How to know if you can actually afford to grow. 09:38 – Phase One: Defining your ideal candidate avatar beyond just a "pulse". 12:01 – Using knockout questions to make the wrong people self-select out. 14:24 – Building a phased process and using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). 18:49 – The "Drink Test": How to master the 80/20 rule in interviews. Notable Quotes: "Your hiring process should make people work for the opportunity to work for you." "When you hire based off of a gut feeling, you're hiring someone you liked, not someone who's competent." "Hiring is not a panic decision. It's a math equation." Resources and Links Get organized and stop the resume chaos. Click here to try my favorite applicant tracking system: Breezy HR (ATS): bellavasta.com/breezy Want to stop losing your best people? Grab the book that changed how I look at retention: Never Lose an Employee by Joey Coleman Take the guesswork out of personality and honesty. Use these assessments to vet your next hire: Assessments: Orion Test or Predictive Index Ready for a personalized audit of your system? Book a session and let’s fix your business together: Strategy Call with Bella: bellavasta.com Have a specific question or need a partner hookup? Shoot me a message directly: bella@bellavasta.com Transcript Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today, we're going to talk about something that almost every single one of you are affected by. And that's how we feel about our hiring method. Are you the one that's still climbing ladders to clean gutters at 6 p.m. because your reliable employee ghosted you? Are you the one answering emergency HVAC calls at midnight because you can't trust anyone else with your clients? Are you the dog walker that's getting called in because someone decided to call out an hour before their shift? If you're stuck on that hamster wheel, alright, spinning and spinning and spinning, working in your business instead of on your business, we're gonna fix that today. We're gonna talk about it because you're not alone. You're actually very similar to a lot of other people there and I'm gonna help give you all the information you need in this episode to help get you over that hump once and for all. Because here's the thing, like I know that you need help. I know that you can't scale like all by yourself, but like every single time you try to hire and you have, you really have tried to hire properly, okay? It's a disaster. You've given it your all, you've done every single thing you know how to do. Even prayed about it or put it out into the universe, okay? But today we're going to move from chaos and hoping for the best to a proven system, the 10 step jump hiring method. And by the end of this episode, you're going to know exactly how to build a team, all of the steps. And I would even maybe recommend that you record this episode. Here's a quick little AI hack. Record what I'm about to tell you right now, or go grab the transcript from the show notes and then put it into Chat Sheep E.T. to give you all the Cliff Notes. That being said, please stay with me for this whole episode because you're not going to want to miss out on the inspiration that you're going to get from hearing what I have to say. Okay. Can we actually talk about ghosting for a minute though, before we get into all of it? Like you've posted a job on Indeed. You maybe get like three responses. You schedule the interviews, you arrange like your entire day just to be available for this meeting. You are hoping that they show up and it's amazing. but then they don't show up. There's no call, there's no texting, nothing. Or worse, they do show up for the interview, you hire them and then maybe one day they're cleaning houses and poof, they vanish into thin air. You text them, nothing. You call, straight to voicemail. And then like two hours later you get some halfway email saying, sorry, I had something come up. Does that sound familiar? I'm pretty sure that every single business owner has experienced a version of that at some point during their career. But here's what's happening. You're hiring on a hope and a prayer and you're so desperate for help, not work, and those are two different things when someone works for you versus helps you. But you're so desperate that you'll take anyone with a pulse. Your job ad probably says something boring like, pest control technician needed or dog walker with a list of requirements that sounds like a corporate robot wrote it. And you feel great because you're like, hey, AI helped me write this. And then you wonder why you attract people who don't care. Let me bust a myth right now. The problem is not that good employees don't exist. And that's what everyone wants to say because that takes it away from being their problem. or they're them as a part of the solution. I've seen it happen countless times. The problem is that you don't have a system. You don't have hoops. You don't have filters. So when someone could just walk right into your business and get hired after one conversation, they have no skin in the game. They didn't earn it. And they also don't want it. They just kind of need the paycheck right now. So therefore they don't value it. Is this starting to like, it might rub up against some of you a little harshly right now because it's stuff that you kind of know is already true, you just don't want to hear. But don't worry, because I've got solutions for you today. Your hiring process should make people work for the opportunity to work for you. And we're going to talk about exactly how to do all that. What about the gut feeling though? Any of you guys, you know, like hire off of your gut? You interview someone for your service. They seem nice. They smile a lot. They tell you they're really good with details. You like them. So you hire them on the spot. You're like, my gosh, something just, I just feel so connected to you. It's like being on a first date and like getting married. It's not gonna work. Here's the analogy. Like literally like you go and you want a first date with someone and you meet them and you decide to get married that night. That's never gonna happen. But in hiring, one interview, you're basically handing them the keys to your business and your clients homes. But the danger is massive here. When you hire based off of a gut feeling, you're hiring someone you liked, not someone who's competent. Those are two completely different things. Now, you definitely have to like them, but you don't know if they're competent yet. And that friendly person who seemed really great turns out they don't know the difference between a flexy lead and a hornist. But hey, they made you feel good. And the fix? You need a process that forces you to date around. You need to interview multiple people before making a decision and go on multiple dates with that person. You need to test their skills, their reliability, their attention to detail. Your gut is great for some things, but hiring? You need data and you need a system. Here's another big thing that I see happening. And I'm asking you all of these things because I really want you to understand I know exactly where you are, okay? Like the fear of investing in the late night worrying, okay? How many of you lay awake at night, and I'm willing to guess this is everyone listening right now, saying can I even afford to hire someone? Or what if I invest all this time in training and certifications and education and then they quit? What if I buy them uniforms and equipment and they disappear? I get it. Like I've been there. The fear is real. And what happens is this makes people say, well, after you've been with me for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, then I'll get you the certification or uniform or whatever it might be. And the counterpoint to that, this is gonna change your business forever. You don't invest in them. If, no, sorry, if you don't invest in them. They have no real reason to be loyal to you. Like think about it, you get a new hire, right? And you don't give them a company shirt.

Are you actually running your business, or is it running you? This episode is for the person who feels like they have to be the brain for everyone they hire. If you've ever felt like it’s just easier to do it yourself, or if you’re treating AI like a magic eight ball instead of a teammate, we need to talk. I’m showing you exactly how to climb the ladder from Level 1 to Level 6 so you can finally stop being the bottleneck. In This Episode You'll Discover Why paying $30/hour for a "button pusher" who can't think for themselves is a waste of your money. Why free AI tools keep you stuck in Level 1 while paid versions act as a strategic brain for your business. How to stop letting data kill your creativity by delegating the heavy lifting to Level 3 systems. The secret to cloning your brand voice and SOPs so you aren't the constant bottleneck. How to move toward Level 6 agents that handle client onboarding and dinner orders while you're at swim school. Timestamps 03:45– Why AI is now as mandatory for business as a cell phone. 05:20– Level 1: Stop micromanaging the "follow the recipe" tasks. 09:19– Level 2: Research and report. Let AI build your spreadsheets. 11:40– Level 3: Moving from options to recommendations. 18:45– Level 4: "Decide and inform." Trusting your custom GPTs. 25:35– Level 5: Full agency. Systems that run without your permission. 29:20– Level 6: Owning the outcome. The holy grail of business freedom Notable Quotes: "If they are not using AI as a tool, then you are severely misled." "I don’t want you treating AI like a magic eight ball where you shake it and start over every time." "Analytics is like where you go to die... it kills your creativity and overwhelms you." "You’re no longer in every decision. AI is making choices with your guardrails. This is how you get your real freedom back." Resources and Links: Marketing with Bella The Mastermind: Join us for month-to-month coaching at  Custom GPT Class: Buy the $70 class and learn to build your own assistant. Book a Chat: Let’s talk in real life.  Transcript Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today I'm really going to try to keep this shorter episode just because we've been getting to be so long because I've been so excited. But I have to admit this episode is another going to fire episode. I mean they all are right. Last week I want to give a big shout out. I had one of my gals say about episode 459 where I talked about social media and what was working and what you need to stop doing in 2026. She said, I freaking love this. This episode has some serious gold in it. I'll be joining the group chat finally today. I think my favorite thing is I don't have to think about being perfect and you can just be yourself and real in marketing. Another person said, and I'm telling you guys this because if you have not listened to that episode, I'm telling you, it's going to change your 2026. Please do it. Another one she literally started off, said, hashtags are stupid. They're old school and they should have went away when payphones went away. I will agree. Well, I mean, they weren't around when payphones were there, but you get the drift, right? I will agree with you there. Biggest takeaway is that everything is content and that posting to blogs, posting info like blogs is kind of a waste of time because people don't pay attention to it . and also agree that today's vibe is a real and is being real and it speaks to an individual person. says, Nicole left me a longer message. I'm not gonna read the whole entire thing to you, but guys, you have to go check out episode 459 if you haven't already. She says, I definitely am someone who struggles with social media mostly because she works two jobs, right? And she was really inspired to hear that I was talking about. It's that and what she's also noticing is that making a boring carousel that takes her 20 minutes never gets any views. So I'm talking about like one of those points was those carousels that everyone's making and they're trying to do like overly graphics when like really all you need is a picture and something to look like you wrote on top of it. Yeah. you're gonna wanna go check that episode out, because I not only tell you what you shouldn't be doing, but what you need to start thinking about doing to change your strategy. And of course, this is all the stuff that we do with marketing with Bella. We still have one more spot if someone wants to jump in for this semester, just go on over to jumpconsulting.net forward slash marketing, or shoot me a DM at Bella Vasta or Bella at jumpconsulting.net. All right guys, today we're gonna talk about something that is really, really important. And this is gonna be like, this is more strategy. This is what people pay me for. But you know what, my team's gonna kill me, but I'm gonna give you all the golden nuggets today. Again, I actually have a coaching session starting in 29 minutes. So hopefully I'm gonna be pretty concise and fast here with your time today. Because when I do get excited, they do tend to go about a half hour. But today we're gonna talk about delegation. And before you go roll your eyes, let me explain something to you. This is not only gonna be delegation for as you think of it traditionally when it goes to like your office manager or maybe a VA, but also AI. Because what was my promise to you is that everything we do, it's always gonna have AI weaved into it. And let me tell you right now, if you're paying anyone, I don't care if it's internally like in your company, or maybe it's like a coach or a mentor . or a strategist, if they are not using AI as a tool, keyword tool, then you are severely misled. Because AI is a tool that everyone's gonna be using in the future. It is literally the same thing as hiring someone who doesn't believe in using email and a cell phone, okay? Let me be very clear about that. So let's just all start off on that understanding. But I'm gonna talk today about the six levels of delegation and because of AI, I also have this amazing graphic. I think I'm gonna actually, Chris, if you can, he's my podcast producer, pop that up if anyone's watching us on Spotify or YouTube. Go ahead and pop that up for reference so that people can see it maybe for about 60 seconds. And if you're not watching us on YouTube or Spotify and you're listening . then I'm gonna put it in the show notes on my website so you could also see it there. And of course, I'm gonna post it all over social media. But let's get into it because for each level, I'm gonna literally show you what it looks like to delegate to a human, what type of person operates at that level, and where it gets really good is gonna be the AI, okay? So like literally, I'm gonna get right into it, so level one. And this is... This is gonna become so clear and I wanna hear all your comments you guys. Comment wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. I wanna hear like what your biggest takeaway or your aha moment or like my gosh, this is why it's not working for me, okay? So level one, this is like the very basic level, okay? This is the follow the recipe. You hand someone an exact step by step instructions, think SOP, okay? Think like the mom factor and they execute. There's no decision making. There's no creativity. It's perfect for repeat admin work like scheduling posts or data entry. The human delegation, this is your button pusher. That's who they are. So they're your virtual assistant who schedules your social media posts, enters client information into your CRM or like time to pet, precise pet care maybe, or processes invoices. They're not making decisions. They're following your exact process. It's like literally, punch and pull, okay. That you say, this caption on Instagram at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and they do it. This person might be a part-time VA, an entry-level admin, or even a high school student, and they don't need business experience. They just need to follow directions. Now, here's where it gets wrong, is because sometimes there are people like that, that have this high horse because everyone's a VA now, and they're like, oh, it's gonna be $30 an hour . and I'm just, but you have to tell me how to do everything. And it's like, no, I'm sorry, you're not worth $30 an hour. If you are only doing exactly what I have to say and I have to be your brain, then that's not worth $30 an hour, okay? So these are things that you really have to understand and that I help a lot of my clients with when they're starting to bring on office people or VAs, because every office manager is not equal, okay. When someone says, oh, how much do you charge? How much you pay your office managers? Like, well, what's their scope and what is their responsibility level? Do you get what I'm saying? I know I just exploded your brain right now and you're like, okay, what else you got? So let me translate this to AI, okay? This is where most people are at with AI right now. You're asking it one off questions. Write me a social media caption about dog walking. Give me five subject lines for my newsletter. Summarize this article. Yes, if you're not doing that already, you should. It's great. You get an answer, you copy paste it and that's it. Every single time you need something, you have to start from scratch. There's no memory, there's no context, there's no building on previous work. This might even be for the people who have the free AIs and think, I don't need to buy AI. It's like, I can get it for free. Well, you're missing out on a lot of memory and that memory saves you a lot of time and mistakes, but that's another story. So, like a pet business, like the old way, you sit down every Sunday and manually write out all your social media captions for the week. It takes you two hours, okay, or type out. Level one,

What is it going to take to finally get your social media reach and engagement back? This episode answers that exact question by revealing why your current strategy might be failing and what specific shifts you must make to thrive in the 2026 landscape. I am coming at you with news that might be hard to hear: if you are still doing social media like it is 2023, you are doing it wrong. You are wasting time and money on tactics that the algorithms no longer understand. In 2026, the landscape has shifted drastically because of AI, and if you are not evolving, you are invisible. I am breaking down exactly what is OUT. People want authenticity. They want to see your face, not just your logo. It is time to build momentum with authentic consistency so your clients can finally feel a real connection with you. In This Episode You'll Discover Why educational tip lists and infographics are no longer capturing attention. The truth about hashtags and why Instagram has limited you to just five. How to use "edutainment" to teach your audience while keeping them engaged. The power of keywords and social SEO over traditional discovery methods. Why unpolished, "FaceTime style" reels are winning in 2026. My "just press post" mindset to overcome perfectionism and build momentum. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome and why 2023 social media tactics are dead. 03:42 – What is OUT: Boring educational posts and hashtag overload. 06:37 – Stop using over-polished graphics and "bait and switch" content. 12:24 – What is IN: Edutainment and leveraging Social SEO keywords. 18:00 – Why casual carousels and FaceTime style reels perform better. 22:22 – Adopting the "just press post" mindset and signature series. 24:47 – Your 2026 action plan for authentic consistency. Notable Quotes "If you're still doing social media like it's 2023, you're drastically doing it wrong." "Hashtags are out, SEO is in. Hashtags alone do nothing now for reach." "The more unpolished you are, the better. You will be rewarded for it." "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. The new game is momentum." Resources and Links Jump Consulting Calendar: Get a verbal audit of your social media at JumpConsulting.net/20. Email Me: Send your feedback or questions to Bella@JumpConsulting.net. YouTube: Watch video versions of these episodes at my YouTube channel. Jump Mastermind: Learn about our strategy and AI systems inside the mastermind. Transcript Welcome back to another episode of Bella in your business. Happy New Year. It is January 6th, 2026 at the drop of this episode. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and got to do everything that you wanted to or it was a big awakening and you realized some things need to change. And with some of that change might come your social media because I've got news for you today that's going to be a little hard to hear. If you're still doing social media like it's 2023, you're drastically doing it wrong. You are wasting your time and you are wasting money if you are paying someone who is doing your social media the same exact way that you were doing it in 2023. That also goes for all my previous better marketing with Bella clients where we were serving 40 companies a month and we were giving you lots of graphics. Today I'm gonna give you actual statistics straight from the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri. I am going to tell you what you need to stop doing and what you need to start doing. Things are changing. AI has literally changed the landscape of so many things drastically in 2025 and we're now in 2026. It's imperative that you understand the differences. How many of you have been focusing on Instagram or posting on Facebook and doing all the things that you've been told to do and your reach is like crickets? Your engagement's probably down. You're wondering why the algorithm hates your business. You're using all this AI stuff thinking finally I know what to post and now your volume has gone up, but your attraction has not. Well, there's a reason for that and I'm actually really excited to deliver this whole message. I went through that in the summer. I was like, what is happening? I never teach about stuff that I don't know about, that I haven't tried and tested myself and I haven't done it with my clients. Part of the reason why I switched from a one to many model with better marketing with Bella where we were doing 40 companies to only half a dozen companies where I get to customize their content is because it doesn't work the way it used to work anymore. I am not about taking anyone's money without an ROI, without a sincere desire to make their life better. Meta has been making major, major shifts in groups, your personal page, and your business page. If you're still doing what worked in 23 or 24, then you're speaking the language that the platforms don't even understand anymore. You might as well be talking Japanese in Russia. Today I'm going to break down exactly what's out and what's in for 2026. I've been talking about this on my own socials for months and no one's been listening to me. If this stings and you don't know where to go, reach out, let's talk. Not everyone is a fit for Marketing with Bella and this is not a pitch for Marketing with Bella. I could still get on a phone call with you for 20 minutes, give you a verbal audit of your social, and give you some tips or tricks or ideas on how to do it. If you're gonna hire someone to do your social, that comes with a huge responsibility for you. You need to be a good leader. You need to tell them what your keywords are, what your strategy is, what your lingo is, hopefully have a GPT so they can talk just like you. You have to have your pillars. If you hire someone for a lower cost, you have to tell them what to do. If you're gonna hire someone for two, $3,000 a month, then they're gonna be a strategist and they're gonna know and that's it. But a lot of pet companies don't have that kind of budget. This is why I have to give you this knowledge and educate you. Here is the first thing that's out: Boring educational posts with a hashtag overload. Those purely educational posts, the tip lists, the infographics with bullet points, they're out. And while we're at it, those 30 hashtags that you've been adding to every post are also out. Instagram just limited it to five hashtags now. I still see you guys doing that wrong too; it's like national hashtags instead of local hashtags. People aren't scrolling Instagram and Facebook to learn. They're scrolling it to be entertained. According to Brock Johnson, if you're reading a script straight from a camera about the importance of something with no story or emotion, the viewers are gonna tune out. Even if you put that script onto a carousel or onto a graphic, nobody cares. The five reasons to hire a professional pet sitter post with the stock photos and the bullet points makes your audience's eyes glaze over. Instagram has pivoted from hashtag based discovery to keyword and AI based search. Every single one of your posts has to be like a micro blog and a micro blog has to have certain keywords in it in order for the search engines and for AI to pick it up. Instagram is now officially recommending using only three to five relevant hashtags. Hootsuite ran an experiment that posts with keyword rich captions got 30% more reach than posts stuffed with hashtags. Hashtags are out, SEO is in. If your hashtags are coming over from Instagram to Facebook, you really look like a pilgrim in a fancy ball. The number two thing I need you to stop doing is over polished graphics and bait and switch content. Those perfectly branded Canva templates with matching fonts and colors are not performing like they used to. Research found that audiences crave authentic perfection more than polished perfection. People have grown tired of the perfectly curated magazine-like aesthetic. Posts with human faces are 38% more likely to get likes and 32% more to get comments. People want to see people, not just graphics. I want to know what your team looks like. I want to know what you look like. Who am I hiring? Do not hide behind the logo. We are inundated with more information. When you're a pet business and you have pets, entertain the people. You need faces. I'm constantly harping saying I need more videos and more pictures of people in them. Those "read the caption" reels and the five second video of people saying to look below for info need to die. These are Instagram equivalents of click bait. Research shows those reels have a low watch time and poor completion rates, which kills your reach. The number three thing is overthinking, random posting, and chasing every trend. Mindset is way more powerful than any tactics. Always think as a journalist. Everything is content. People want to see those behind the scenes kind of things. Overthinking your content is out. All you perfectionists, you're not cool anymore. Posting random disconnected content without a strategy is out. Chasing every viral trend is out. If I go to your feed and all I see is graphics, you look like a newsletter for pet information. It's boring. Instagram's analysis found that accounts going from one to two posts a week to three to four posts had more than doubled their follower growth rate. If you don't post consistently or if it's all over the place, the algorithm doesn't know who to show your content to. Unless you're constantly posting about dog walking and pet sitting in your city in the caption, the algorithm's not gonna be able to follow you. Let’s switch gears to what’s in. The first thing is edumtainment—education plus entertainment blending so your audience learns without it feeling like a chore. Figure out how you're unique and present it in a funny way, whether it's a funny picture or story, and tell them that's why you're different. Instead of a boring five tips for preparing your pet for vacation,

What did AI actually do for the pet industry in 2025 and what’s the real risk if you don’t adapt going into 2026? This episode is a passionate, real-talk reflection on how AI revolutionized the pet industry in 2025 and why pet business owners can't afford to ignore it in 2026. I share real examples from inside the mastermind, my personal experiences, and exactly how AI helped us become faster, smarter, and more aligned across every area of our businesses and lives. From hiring to headshots, route planning to recruiting, I break down how AI isn’t just a tool, it’s a way of thinking. If you’re still treating it like a copy machine, you’re already behind. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The mindset shift from “Is AI safe?” to “How do I use AI authentically?” Why AI is not just about automating tasks, it’s about creating freedom How I used AI to write training, create SOPs, and plan goals for my mastermind members The difference between using AI as a thought partner vs. outsourcing your brain Why even your pet sitters and dog walkers need to know AI basics What “wrapped” reports and Elf on the Shelf have to do with your next level of growth My warnings (and tough love) for those still stuck in 2023 thinking Timestamps: 00:00 — Why ignoring AI in 2026 will cost you everything02:21 — Using AI to analyze dating data (and why it matters for your business)05:00 — 30+ ways we used AI in the mastermind this year07:12 — Rewiring your brain with AI-powered goal setting13:00 — Thought partner vs. outsourced brain: which one are you?23:30 — Why even your dog walkers need to understand AI28:15 — The AI tech stack I swear by (and how to access it all for $20) Notable Quotes: “If you refuse to use AI in 2026, you’re going to look like the sitter still using pen and paper.” “Most of you aren't using AI wrong—you're just not using it deep enough.” “Stop acting like ChatGPT is the entire universe. That’s like insisting skinny jeans are still in when the world’s moved to wide leg.” “The winners in 2026 are the ones who use AI as a co-strategist—not just a copy machine.” Resources & Links: Try Magai AI Hub: Get access to ALL the major AI models in one place (and 30% off your first 3 months) Book a 20-minute strategy call with me. Need website copy help? Get in before the rates go up. Follow me on Facebook for real-time AI examples Transcript: Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and this may be one of the last episodes of 2025. As such, we’re going to talk a lot today about just how far we’ve come and what is actually possible. I hope that this episode excites you, delights you, and lets your brain start thinking about all the things that are possible this year because of AI. I’m not exaggerating. There has never been a better time to own a business than right now. The things that we have access to and the things that we are able to do without having to go out and try to hire somebody are impeccable. If you ignore AI in 2026, and this is my warning as we look forward, you’re going to look like the sitter who’s using pen and paper, not online scheduling. At the start of this year, back in January 2025, I was trying to convince people that AI was not a fad and that it was actually here to stay. By the end of the year, now, most of you are no longer asking if it’s safe to use. You’re asking how to use it and still be authentic. That’s what I’ve been here for every step of the way, pacing alongside you. At the same time, I have a lot happening behind the scenes where we are far ahead. I want to keep being your filter. I want to show you exactly what you need to know for your specific pet business so you don’t get overwhelmed or distracted by shiny objects. AI is a spectrum. You can show up at a mediocre surface level, or you can go deep. The breadth of what you can do with it is enormous. Thinking that AI can only be used for your pet business is actually a detriment to your life. I hope that through my ideas, the things I show you, and what I share on Facebook, you start to see real examples of people applying AI to their lives. Earlier today, I posted about a client where we downloaded her entire dating profile and analyzed her behaviors. The data came in as raw files that were unreadable on their own. But once we plugged that data into AI that can interpret spreadsheets, something most of you already have access to, we were able to help her redesign her profile. It was wild. If you want to run a pet business in 2026 and you refuse to use AI or think it’s wrong, you’re going to fall behind. Clients may not always know you’re using AI, but they will feel the difference in your speed, creativity, and professionalism. Without AI, you’ll continue feeling overwhelmed and overworked. So many people say they wish they could clone themselves. Now you can. The question is whether you will. A concrete example of this is Precise Petcare. They introduced AI into their software earlier this year, especially for routing and internal systems. Time To Pet was once considered the top platform, and they were highly innovative in their early years. They made smart business decisions that allowed them to reinvest and eventually sell. Since then, innovation has slowed. What excited me was seeing Precise Petcare integrating AI. That shows a mindset shift. Earlier this year, I was teaching people how to use AI to improve SOPs, training programs, and business systems. We were doing dozens of things with it. Goal setting changed. We moved from traditional ninety-day goals to AI-assisted breakdowns that translated big goals into monthly themes, weekly affirmations, and daily actions. That already evolved. In the mastermind now, I built a bot that talks with members for nearly an hour and produces a personalized mantra or script they can record themselves. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between reality and imagination, so we leverage that intentionally. From there, we’re creating music in genres people love using their own future-focused words. We’re creating images, turning them into video, and reinforcing progress in ninety-day increments because that’s what the brain can process. We use ninety-day increments because the brain can’t truly comprehend years into the future. It needs small dopamine wins so it can evaluate progress. March comes and you ask yourself, did we get there or did we not, and what did we learn. We have all these trainings, and I want to explain them because it matters. We worked on building foundations for employees by identifying personal goals, creating full hiring plans, and implementing employee love systems. We created emergency SOPs like what to do if there’s a dog bite. We worked with people scaling multiple businesses at once, combining boarding, training, and retail. Staffing optimization has been fascinating to watch evolve. Early on, we were manually inputting addresses and routes. Now it’s far more intuitive and efficient. We’ve created newsletters, generated headshots for staff, strengthened operations, and built SOPs, manuals, and training systems. Every AI model will give you answers, but without strategy and vision, you won’t know if those answers are good. You need to ask what’s wrong with this, where the blind spots are, and how to make it better. Otherwise, you’re not using AI effectively. We used an AI operator to book a dog walking service on a website. An agent went in and completed the entire process. That happened in March of 2025. We’ve created hiring ads in different tones, optimized websites, built GPTs for care notes and handbooks, and designed entire interview processes. We’ve developed systems to create highly specific client and employee profiles for marketing and hiring. We’ve streamlined interviews, onboarding, and training as separate systems. We’ve turned images into cinematic videos that look incredibly real. Many people rely on the image model inside ChatGPT, and it shows. You should not only be using ChatGPT. Things will look very different by the end of next year. I’m only halfway through the list of things we’ve done. Short-form video creation is so easy now that every single AI training I’ve created is under twenty minutes. Most are ten minutes or less. The biggest challenge is not the technology, it’s creating enough mental space to imagine what’s possible. I want you to stop using AI in a remedial way, just asking it to reword text and then editing it yourself. That’s surface-level use. Earlier this year, many people were in shock, worried about jobs being replaced or things sounding fake. The reality is AI will replace jobs for people who don’t know how to use it. It’s like having a powerful car and not knowing how to drive it. I spent the first part of this year focusing on emotional regulation and mindset before technical training, and I’ll continue doing that. We’re now using AI for things beyond business. We’re analyzing fitness wearables, health data, travel plans, conversation starters, and life organization. People are gathering years of medical data and using AI to analyze it before going to doctors. You can improve health, parenting, time management, even do fun things like palm reading or Elf on the Shelf scenarios. I take a photo of a room and ask AI to put our elf into mischief. There are endless possibilities. When you repeat AI tasks frequently, that’s when they should become a GPT, a system, or a style. AI helped me diagnose a car battery issue and find solutions. It can even help style outfits or reduce decision fatigue. The point is curiosity. Ask if AI can help solve a problem, even if you don’t know the right prompt yet. One of the most important things you need to do right now is protect your brand voice. If people can tell you’re using AI because your captions suddenly sound generic,

What if I told you the best clients are already looking for you, but your message is accidentally pushing them away? In this episode, I dive deep into the psychology of pet owners, showing you how to build a 'Customer Avatar' so accurate, they feel like you're reading their mind. Discover the simple, emotional language, and your 'transformational messaging' that instantly turns curious leads into lifetime clients. Plus, the AI tool that makes this all effortless In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Your marketing may be costing you clients. Focus on customer pain points, not just credentials. Create detailed customer avatars for effective targeting. Transformational messaging is key to connecting with clients. Emotional connection drives trust and loyalty. Your homepage should address client worries first. Use AI to streamline your marketing efforts. Generic marketing fails to resonate with potential clients. Understand your ideal client's fears and desires. Marketing should reflect the transformation clients seek. Timestamps: 00:00 The Cost of Ineffective Marketing02:39 Understanding Customer Pain Points05:45 Creating Effective Customer Avatars08:31 The Importance of Deep Understanding11:44 Transformational Messaging in Marketing14:27 The Power of Emotional Connection17:05 Crafting Compelling Content20:01 Navigating Change in Marketing Strategies22:44 The Role of AI in Marketing25:37 Final Thoughts on Effective Marketing Notable Quotes: "If you talk to everyone, you talk to no one.""Your marketing will basically write itself.""Stop talking about yourself." Resources & Links: Join the Mastermind – Get instant access to Bella’s custom avatar-building bot and start speaking your client’s language Marketing With Bella – Done-for-you marketing that actually converts If this episode lit a fire in you, reach out to bella@jumpconsulting.net Follow on Instagram – Watch how real pet businesses are implementing this in real time Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Previous podcast episode: ? Transcript: Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella In Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I'm here to talk about something that is costing you clients every single day, potentially. I see this online and I finally had to do a podcast on it, and you probably don't even realize you're doing it. I'm talking about your marketing—specifically your website, your social media, your emails, all your intake forms, everything. Let me take a guess at what they probably sound like. Does this sound like you? “We have been in business for 10 years, we're insured and bonded, we love animals, we go above and beyond, we give you peace of mind, we're experienced and professional.” Yawn. Blah blah blah. Everyone can say that. It’s not unique and it's not something that's going to make people stop their scroll and get their eyeballs on your content. And if you're spending time or money creating and publishing this content, then you want it to get traction. The truth is they only care about their problems. They don't care how great you are until you get their attention. It's their fears and sleepless nights worrying about how their pet is at home while they're away. And if your marketing isn't speaking directly to those pain points, then you're invisible. And I don’t want you to be invisible. You work too hard and you're too amazing to be invisible. You're just another pet sitter in a sea of pet sitters. That’s why they don’t understand the difference between you and Rover. You end up competing on price because you haven't given them any real reason to choose you. You haven’t made them feel anything. You should be making people feel something online. In this episode, I'm going to show you how to transform your marketing by creating deeper customer avatars and speaking directly to the people you want to serve more. We're going to narrow that down. I know this sounds crazy, and yes, there's still work you’ll have to do after this episode, but I know many of you grab these transcripts and make SOPs, so let's go. We're going to talk about the avatar creation bot I've created for everyone inside the mastermind. We're going to talk about how to use the information you know about your clients to create content that converts—not just gets likes, not just looks pretty, but actually turns browsing into bookings. Fair warning, this episode might make you uncomfortable. Don't come for me. Don't hate me. This is me inspiring you into greatness as we go into 2026. It’s almost December 2025. Discomfort is where growth happens. Anytime you feel uncomfortable, lean into it and ask: “Why am I uncomfortable? Am I being triggered? What can I learn? What does this make possible?” Let’s be real. Go to your website, pull it up on your phone. Look at your homepage, your about page, your services page. How many times does the word we or I show up compared to you? I’ll wait. Actually, you can pause me. Most pet business owners write their marketing like a résumé—credentials, pats on the back, reasons they're great. “We’re certified through Pet Sitters International. We've been doing this since 2015. We're bonded and insured. We have five-star reviews.” I'm not saying there isn't a time and place for that. I built my business off a solid reputation. Those certifications matter. Those reviews matter. You earned them. But your potential client is doom-scrolling at 2 AM Googling “pet sitters near me.” She doesn't care about your credentials yet. She’s freaking out about leaving her anxious rescue for the first time. She isn't thinking, “I hope they’ve been in business 10 years.” She’s thinking, “Will they understand my dog’s trauma? Will they know what to do if he panics? Will he think I abandoned him?” Those are the questions in her head. Most of you are not putting “pet sitters in Scottsdale” or whatever your location is in your captions or titles. So you won’t show up in her scroll. If your copy says things like, “We're experienced and professional pet care providers,” instead of: “I understand your rescue has been through a lot. I will move slowly, speak softly, and give them the things they need to trust me,” you're losing her. She's clicking back. She’s moving to someone who sees her. I see this constantly in pet businesses I coach. That’s why people work with me in Marketing With Bella—because there is so much fluff out there. Anyone can claim they do marketing for pet sitters. Do they actually know what gets conversions? Maybe your homepage has a beautiful photo and your headline says, “Premier pet care services in Scottsdale.” What does “premier” even mean? Then the paragraph says, “Welcome to Happy Paws Pet Sitting. We’re a family-owned business providing love and care for 10 years.” I’m sorry if this is you, I swear I’m making up this name, but that copy could be on ANY pet sitter’s website. There’s nothing unique. Nothing speaks to a specific person or problem. In a world where clients look at 5 websites in 10 minutes, you cannot afford to sound like everyone else. And honestly, many people aren’t even clicking websites anymore. The number of searches ending in “no click” is skyrocketing because AI summarizes everything. Is your website worthy of being summarized? Agents and AI are taking over. We're in a drastically different place than we were in January. Thankfully many of you are embracing AI. So how do we fix all this? One thing: AVATARS. If you talk to everyone, you talk to no one. I’m not saying you can only take one type of client. You will serve many. But I want you to create ONE really good avatar first, then expand to three to five. People try to make avatars based on their existing clients, but existing clients can be the wrong compass. A bad avatar is: “Sarah, 35, two dogs, works in marketing, likes weekend trips.” That tells me nothing about her soul, her fears, her emotional drivers. You need avatars so deep that when you write an email, you think of her like a best friend whose brain you live inside. Inside my mastermind, I interview people for over an hour to create these avatars. We build their voice. We build their heart. It becomes a living character. Let me read you an example from our bot. Maggie is a 48-year-old part-time librarian, full-time rescuer. Her home is cozy chaos. Two adopted cats, three fosters, a heart too big for words. She’s compassionate, thrifty, community-driven. She pours herself into rescue. She believes animals are souls. Her fear is being misunderstood or that her rescues won’t receive the same kind of loving care she gives them. Her primary objection: “Can I really trust anyone else to care for them the way I do?” Her deeper fear? That her cats will feel scared or abandoned. Before your service: overwhelmed, anxious, hesitant.After your service: supported, relieved, connected. Messaging for Maggie: “You don’t have to do it all alone. I’ll care for your rescues with the same heart you do.” That’s deeper than “We love animals.” Now imagine your website and socials start talking like that. Maggie screenshorts your website and sends it to her rescue friends saying, “Finally someone who gets it.” That’s the power of specificity. You can have Maggie the rescue mom, Corporate Chris who travels weekly and feels guilty leaving his dog, First-Time Fiona who just got a puppy and is overwhelmed. Different fears, different needs. Stop posting graphics. People don’t want graphics anymore. They don’t stop the scroll. They look like ads. They look generic. Use stories. Use hooks. Use emotion. Your homepage should speak to your avatar's pain from the first line. Not “welcome.” Not “premier pet care.” Start with THEIR problem, not your solution. Use “you” more than “we.” Flip every sentence: instead of “We offer customized care tailored to your pet’s needs,” say: “Your dog has quirks, routines, a specific way of doing things.

Want the secret to leverage the holidays so everyone knows about you? In this episode, I’m breaking down how holiday pet events can be one of the most powerful and fun ways to boost your visibility, build relationships, and become the pet business people think of first. With these strategies, you'll master pet business marketing like a pro. We’ll talk about why exposure is more valuable than quick sales, how to turn local events into long-term growth, and how to create content from these moments that keeps working for you well into the new year. I want this episode to fire you up, not stress you out, because this strategy is something you can absolutely do, no matter your budget or bandwidth. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: AI is being underutilized by many business owners. Mindset is crucial for success in hosting events. Success is not just about gaining clients from events. Building relationships is key to business growth. Holiday events are a unique opportunity for exposure. Community engagement can lead to long-term referrals. Content creation at events is essential for visibility. Networking with other businesses can yield significant benefits. The ROI of community events can be substantial. Consistency in community presence builds brand trust. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and AI Awareness 02:51 Holiday Pet Events: Building Community and Trust 06:02 Mindset for Success in Events 08:53 The Power of Exposure Marketing 12:05 Strategies for Attending and Hosting Events 15:01 Creating Engaging Content at Events 17:55 Long-Term Benefits of Community Engagement Notable Quotes: "You need to be in my community." "You don't need a huge budget." "It's about relationship building." "Holiday events are shareable." Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube ? Resources & Links: Join the Mastermind for ongoing AI tools, strategies & coaching: jumpconsulting.net/mastermind Need help finding events? Check your local Facebook Events, Nextdoor, or city community calendars Amazon Santa Suits & Backdrops: Just search “Santa costume” or “Christmas photo backdrop” Hosting in a local business? Ask your local pet boutique, groomer, or brewery with a dog-friendly patio! Transcript: And we're back with another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and we've been doing this like on and off week. How do you guys like it? Our statistics show us that you really like it because actually on the off week, when we're promoting a certain kind of topic like AI and giving you three episodes to binge on, y'all are binging. So I hope that this is working out. I would always love your feedback because I do this for you. I don’t do this for me. So go ahead and just shoot me an email, bella@jumpconsulting.net. Well, let's go. It is November. We're in the final couple of months of this year of 2025, and it is amazing. At the beginning of this year, I was trying to get people to actually pay attention to AI, and now I would say that a lot of people are using ChatGPT, but they’re using it as if it's a cell phone that they’re only using for calls. They’re not actually using it for all the things that a cell phone can do. And that's my analogy. I know this because I talk to people all day long. They’re like, “You know so much,” and I'm like, “I don't even understand that,” because I just kind of feel like everyone knows what I know. So right after I'm done with this episode, I'm actually jumping into the mastermind where I'm going to do the AI Lab. Every single month we have a call on Zoom where I teach new AI stuff, answer questions, or we play. It's actually really organic and fun, and we’ve been going over the time limit sometimes because it is so much fun. So I just want to encourage you, if you're using AI, are you using it to the fullest of your capabilities? Right now is the cheapest it's ever going to be. It is going to start increasing. In fact, Sora 2 that just came out last month, that everyone’s been playing with, just slapped a $4 fee on it. So right now you are the product. Right now you are helping all of these language models and video models and picture models learn and get better and better. Once they've got all of that done, the prices are going to go up, and they’re not all going to be as accessible as they are right now. So I'm telling you—you need to be in my community. You need to understand. You need to know the difference between all the different things out there so that you can leverage them, or for when one is acting up, you can jump onto the other one. So come and join us at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. Okay, getting into today's show—something that you can literally probably print out this transcript for and just get the SOPs or the Cliff Notes for—this is going to be jam-packed with tons of value. Most of this stuff you probably already know, but I'm here to remind you, excite you, and give you the details you didn’t know. So let’s get into it. We're talking about something that is going to really help get your visibility out there in your community for the holidays. The strategy works all year round; you just plug and play it, but the holidays are the perfect time to implement and even try it out right now. We're talking about holiday pet events. I know what you're thinking. “I'm already overwhelmed. I don't have any time to do anything else.” I get you, but what I need you to understand is that there are very powerful ways to get your name out there, build trust in your community—that’s huge—and position yourself as the pet business everyone thinks of when they need services. And the best part? You don't need a huge budget. You don't need to be at all the marketing events. You really just need to show up. I'm going to show you two ways to do this. I’ll talk about why attending holiday pet events is a game changer if you do it right, and I’m also going to give you super practical, actionable strategies that you can implement immediately and create your own event, like Santa Paws events or Pup Cup stations, and exactly how to leverage these events for maximum exposure. First things first, we need to talk about mindset. Mindset is literally the foundation for anything you do in your business. If you've been with me, you know that. I can tell you the “how to.” ChatGPT can tell you the “how to” now. What I help you with is the mindset. That is my job—especially going into 2026—where most business owners completely miss the boat with events because they think success looks like, “Well, I hosted an event and I didn’t get any clients, so that didn’t work.” That’s not the goal. And if that is your goal, don’t do it. Because that’s salesy. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being sold to. It’s not how this works. It’s about relationship building. The success of your holiday event is not measured by how many clients you get. It’s not a failure if you don’t walk away with new clients. So what is the point? It’s exposure. It’s literally so that everybody sees your logo, gets familiar with your brand, and feels like they already know, like, and trust you because they’ve seen your brand everywhere. That’s what’s going to make you stand out because they feel like you’re in the community. That’s human psychology. That’s how it works. If you think back to how you make decisions, you’re going to gravitate toward the brand that feels familiar. We trust what we know. If you’re hiding in your house or always in your car running from client to client and nobody ever gets to see your business, this is an amazing opportunity. All those touchpoints add up. It’s called the “exposure effect” in marketing—the more times people see you, the more they trust you. So release any pressure about getting instant results. Stop judging events by how many people booked with you afterward. You’re playing the long game here. You’re building brand awareness. Most of the time, people you meet at these holiday events will contact you months later and say, “Yeah, I saw you at an event.” They forget the event, but they remember how you made them feel. You’re establishing yourself as a community leader and becoming the pet business that everyone knows and trusts. Here’s what happens when you do this consistently: later, when people search “dog walker near me,” they’ll remember seeing your brand everywhere. Boom—you’re top of mind. That’s the power of exposure marketing. Why holidays? Because people are already emotionally invested in their pets. They’re buying gifts, taking photos, making treats. They’re in celebration mode. You’re meeting them when they’re already thinking about their pets and wanting to celebrate that relationship. That’s powerful. Holiday events are shareable—people post photos of their pets everywhere. And your business name can be right there in the photo they’re sharing. The holidays give you a legitimate reason to reach out, promote in Facebook groups, post on Nextdoor, or email your list without sounding salesy. People are lonely and looking for festive activities—especially those that involve pets, which are natural icebreakers. You’re not just meeting potential clients; you’re meeting other business owners, veterinarians, pet store owners, and influencers. That’s why holiday pet marketing is a gold mine. These relationships can become valuable referral sources. One veterinarian once referred me $25,000 worth of business in a year. You can’t put a price on relationships. Maybe you don’t have the time or energy to host an event, but you can attend them. That’s the easier option and a perfect way to start if you’re on a tighter budget. Someone else already did the hard work of organizing it—you just need to show up with business cards, a small giveaway, and your game face on. Strategy one: co-promotion. Many event hosts would love for you to help promote their event. It builds goodwill and trust.

? Do you feel like you're constantly re-explaining the same things to new hires and still crossing your fingers they don’t mess it up? If you're nodding, you're not alone and it's not your fault. Most pet business owners were never taught how to train people, and now you're stuck in a cycle of “watch me and hope for the best.” But hope is not a hiring strategy and it’s definitely not a training plan. In this episode of Bella in Your Business, I’m breaking down exactly how to build a pet business staff training program that actually works, without you having to micromanage every detail or babysit your team. You’ll learn how to create a 2-day training program that’s rooted in psychology, supports every type of learner, and makes your business run like the legit brand it’s meant to be. And spoiler alert: good training isn’t about hand-holding, it’s about creating clarity, confidence, and culture. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The truth about how people learn Shadowing isn't a strategy Build a 2-Day powerhouse training The psychology of a good training program How to use your training process as a marketing and hiring advantage Timestamps [00:45] – The harsh truth about shadowing and why “hope” isn’t a strategy [02:20] – The 5 learning styles your team may be missing in training [07:10] – Why shadowing alone causes confusion, ghosting, and stress [09:40] – How to build a two-day training system that actually works [14:20] – The emotional psychology behind confident, loyal staff Notable Quotes “Shadowing isn’t training. It’s saying, ‘figure it out’ without actually saying it.” “You’re not just training a body. You’re training a brain and a belief.” “Clarity is kindness for your staff, for your clients, and for you.” Resources & Links Pet Care Team Training – (Bella’s co-owned platform for quick, effective pet sitter certifications) Book a Coaching Call – 20-minute no-pressure strategy session with Bella Join the Mastermind – Where hiring and training support gets real Bella’s 10-Step Hiring & Training Process – Everything you need to build your dream team Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube   ? Transcript Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today we're gonna talk about something that literally keeps so many of you up at night wondering, how am I gonna get through this? And it's all about how to train staff for a pet sitting business. And I'm just gonna say it, this episode might sting a little, but I say all of this with my mama-bear love for you. If your pet business staff training is basically just “shadow me and we'll see how you do” or “just go off with one another sitter and see what they do,” then you're living on a hope and a prayer and you know what I always say, hope ain't a strategy. Okay, so let's be real for a second. I know what you're thinking: “Bella, I don't have time to build all this out,” or maybe it's like, “If I invest the energy into all of this, they just leave.” And when I hire someone, just like hope that they're gonna stay with me. Okay, but here's the thing you don't have time not to do this. And let me just tell you this too: we're in 2025 at this recording, soon to be 2026. It has never been a better time to devise an entire training program for your company because you can do it in a day using AI the right way, all right? Right now, you're probably spending more time fixing mistakes, re-explaining things, getting stressed over whether your staff is going to mess up a client's dog. And that's not sustainable. It's not scalable. And it's definitely not the business you've been dreaming of. You're probably in this stage right now where you're like, “I got into this business because I love pets.” And now you've realized that you need to be a trainer of people. Wait—what? Yeah, that's the harsh truth. But today I'm gonna help support you, gonna come alongside you and I'm gonna give you some things to think about and ponder about. Some of this you might have already done, some of this you might not have even considered. So sit back, relax, and let's get into it. We're gonna talk about the real transformations that take your team from “I think I've got it” to “I've got this,” and excited to represent your brand and you are proud to have them wear your t-shirt or your sweatshirt. Okay, so we're gonna talk about a lot of the psychology—one of my favorite topics, by the way—of how your team actually learns, why shadowing alone is going to set everyone up to fail, and how to build a powerful two-day training program that actually works. Let's go! So the truth about how people learn—let's talk about this, because I don't think that we really think about this too much. We just write a whole bunch of stuff and we're like, “It's in the SOPs or it's in the training manual.” And then we're like, “Why didn't they retain it?” We gotta see what part of our side of the street we can clean up because chances are you might've done your best job at trying to put it out there, but in order of them retaining it—and not just retaining it, but getting excited about it—is a big deal, okay? What most pet business owners don't realize is that you're not just teaching someone how to walk a dog. You're reprogramming habits, you're reshaping expectations, and you're teaching attention to detail in ways they've probably never really thought about. People don't all learn the same way. They don't. Some of your staff learn by doing—they need hands-on experience with a leash in their hand and a dog on the other end. Some learn by watching—they need to see you do it. They need to see it demonstrated: the harness, the buckle, the three times before it clicks, the lifting up on the key and turning the lock so it doesn't stick. Some people learn by listening—voice memos or audio walkthroughs stick in their brain better than a manual ever would. Case in point, my daughter actually has an IEP, right? But she retains information a lot better when she hears it than when she reads it. Some people need to read it—step-by-step handbooks, outlines, checklists that they can refer to later. And some actually need to write it down. I'm one of those. I'll always take notes, but I'll never really look back at them; just the act of writing the note down helps me retain the information. That would be like quizzes or fill-in-the-blanks, reflections that help them process what they're learning. And you know what the most powerful learning tool actually is? Storytelling. This goes for anything, not even just your job. It's not just what to do, but why it matters. Storytelling always has a beginning, middle, and end—and a why. There's a moral of the story. So I used to do this a lot in my orientation when I went through the handbook and manual. I would pick out certain sections that were really important and tell a story about it. Tell them about a time that a dog slipped a harness because it wasn't double-checked. Tell them about a client who left a five-star review because their walker sent a photo update at just the right moment in just the right setting. When you train your pet business staff, you're not just dumping information; you're delivering a transformation. And that's the difference between someone who shows up and just tries to do the job and someone who owns the job—who really takes leadership and ownership over it, who represents your business like it's their own. That starts with understanding that every person on your team needs multiple ways to absorb what you're teaching. Sometimes having multiple ways of learning things helps reinforce it. So the first reflection question I want to ask you—and of course this is rhetorical unless you want to shoot me an email at bella@jumpconsulting.net—tell me how do you administer your training, and which of those methods do you? If this topic is really exciting to you, you're gonna wanna join us in the Mastermind in November, because we're gonna be talking all about hiring and training. You really, if you wanna successfully scale your business and achieve your dreams, need to have this down pat. Let's go into one of the biggest problems I see—and I'm gonna call some of you out, but again, I'm doing this with love, so please remember that. Your pet business staff training—if it's “shadow me and watch what I do and we'll figure it out”—then we definitely need to talk right now. Because shadowing is not training. Shadowing is overwhelming. They don't know what to focus on. At one point it's just overload. There's only so much information a person can retain. It's like saying, “figure it out,” without actually saying “figure it out.” And what happens is their anxiety and stress also grow. You are producing anxiety and stress in their body—and in the trainer's body too, because they're like, “My gosh, am I gonna get all of this information out?” A new staff member follows you around. They watch you unlock the door, greet the dog, hang up the leash. Maybe you explain a few things, maybe you don't. They're overwhelmed. They're trying to remember everything. Maybe they're writing it down or making voice notes. They're wondering if they should be taking notes. They're not sure what's critical and what's just your preference. And then the next day you send them out solo—they're terrified. That's the problem with leaving pet service staff training up to chance. You're not just creating confusion for them, you're creating a liability for you. You're creating inconsistency—that's a big one—for clients. And you're putting the emotional weight on someone who's trying their best but hasn't had their best chance to succeed. This is stressful. It's also where some ghosting happens—“My gosh, I just thought this was a dog-walking job. I didn't realize it was all this stuff. This is overwhelming.

Are you about to get slammed with holiday bookings… and still don’t have enough pet sitters lined up? If the answer is yes, you're not alone—and you're not behind yet, but you’re about to be. In this episode, I’m here to help you get ahead of the madness. The holidays aren’t just busy—they're a pressure cooker. Your clients are planning $5,000+ vacations and expecting their pet sitter (you!) to run their home like clockwork. But here's the truth: you can't deliver peace of mind if you're short-staffed, hiring reactively, or skipping the systems. So in this episode of Bella in Your Business, I’m walking you through exactly how to hire pet sitters for the holidays the smart, legal, and sustainable way. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why hiring in Q4 is harder—and what to do about it starting today The legal interview questions to ask (and what can get you sued) How to make holiday work appealing so your team doesn’t quit mid-season Why clear onboarding is non-negotiable—and how to set up a 6-step process Genius ways to recruit returning college students, past staff, and local talent How to spot red flag answers that scream “I’m going to bail on you” Timestamps 04:00 – Why you must start hiring before the holidays hit—and the trends showing it’ll be busier than ever 07:30 – The 6-step hiring process that filters out the flakes and sets you up to scale 11:45 – What’s illegal to ask in interviews—and the exact phrases to say instead 19:30 – How to communicate holiday work expectations without sounding desperate or begging 28:00 – Creative (and proven) ways to find seasonal pet sitters, from college students to vet techs Notable Quotes “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no.” “You are their insurance policy for their pets and home—and you can’t deliver that without a rock-solid team.” “Hiring is a leadership play, not a desperate grab.” Resources & Links: Book a 20-Min Coaching Call with Bella Join the Mastermind Pet Sitter Hiring Jump Method Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube   ?   Transcript Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta and today we're going to talk all about hiring for the holidays. But before we get started, I wanted to say ? last week we talked all about mindset. I gave you three different episodes to go check out to help with your mindset because especially now coming into fourth quarter, we're going to need all the mindset and positivity possible because it's about to get really busy. ? In that light, I would be so honored if you would like and subscribe to this podcast. Believe it or not, a lot of people actually don't subscribe to it, but they're listening to it. Our numbers are going up and I absolutely love it. So feel free to share it with anyone you want. As you see, we have ? a lot, hundreds of episodes for you to listen to. So I wanted to thank you for that. I've also been having some really amazing discussions with you guys, even out as far as Dubai. I wanna say hi to Sam if you're listening. Thank you so much for our conversation last week. I really enjoyed it and that's super. So if you guys wanna get on my calendar and just have some questions you wanna ask me, feel free to go to jumpconsulting.net forward slash 20. I am truly here to help you. I'm not here to even sell to you, which I know is probably weird to hear, ? but I love working with business owners that are ready. And ? if there's other things that you need to do, I'm gonna give you resources or whatever, because at the end of the day, I wanna change your I-cans into I-cans and inspire you to greatness. All right, let's get into today's episode. Did you know that according to Yahoo Finance, 2025 is literally predicted to be one of the biggest years for holiday travel? We're not just talking about people taking quick weekend trips. we're seeing multi-generational travel happening because the older generation has this money and they're funding a lot of the trips. And there's also this trend of getting off the beaten path and taking unique experiences. So people are really drawn to, instead of the all-inclusive corporate kind of hotels and experiences that you see, people are really getting into the meaningful ? memory creating, right? This is what people are really starting to value. And I, I know this is as a trend. I see this happening because the more and more things are being automated and AI is coming into everyone's life. The more people are looking for that human connection and that personal experience. want you to keep that in mind as we talk today. Okay. This isn't just for clients. This is also going to be for employees, which we're going to talk about. And so the pet owners, they need their home situation to run like absolute clockwork. They don't want to ever wonder, you know, if the power word to go out is the pets that are going to get there. They're spending thousands of dollars on these trips and you are like their insurance policy for their home and their pets. And so you can only deliver peace of mind if you have a rock solid team in place that is also systematically trained and it doesn't matter who you send into what house because the client is always going to get this same experience. cannot stress that enough. All right. So let's dive in. ? The hiring starts now. Okay. And like you're hearing this right now, the beginning of October. When I say now, it really would have been better like to start in September, but go ahead and start now. If this is something you've been procrastinating, think of this as your, as your sign to get out there and hire. Okay. And I get it because summer is your busiest season, but traditionally this is when, in the fall, when pet sitting companies really start another hiring blitz. It's usually in the spring and in the fall, okay? I've been doing this for 20 years. I see these trends all the time. Okay, so the holidays feel far away, but the problem is is that by the time you realize you're gonna need help, it's gonna be too late to find good help. It's very difficult to hire fourth quarter, because not a lot of people are looking for jobs. When we go into first quarter, people are definitely, because they've got all these like New Year's resolutions and they want to make more money and they want to have more fun. Like it's just it's this is the climate we're in. So I for the sake of this conversation, I want to all agree about that. So the very first thing that I'm going to need you to do and if you're writing notes, go for it. If you're listening to this transcript, then put it into chat. GPT, I know a lot of you guys do that already to kind of create these trainings and SOPs. ? The first thing I want you to do is get your ads out there. Okay? If you don't have a smooth hiring process, it can take even longer if you're trying to do all of this by hand each time. Your hiring process should be at least six steps. Okay? If you're putting an ad out there and then talking to people on the phone and then wondering why they're ghosting you or not feeling like you can actually invest time and money into them to train them properly, it's because it started wrong. Your process started wrong. Okay, I will die on that hill. Okay? The next thing that you're gonna wanna do is the interviewing, background checks, making the hiring decisions, and then onboarding and initial training. This is also a very sensitive process. You need to have onboarding in as clear and concise steps as possible. Last week I helped Carla in the mastermind ? on a quick 20 minute call. I helped her with her onboarding process because it was very confusing and at that point you don't want to lose people when they're trying to get onboarded into your organization and then the training Your training cannot consist of just follow me around and watch what I do That's a great way to lay awake at night and wonder if things are being done properly Okay, you need a systemized training established. So we're gonna assume that all of this stuff has been done We've talked about it many times in the podcast. I have six months worth of this stuff all in the mastermind right now I'm going to assume that we have all those details because this is about thinking ahead today. Today is about thinking ahead for the holidays. ? And so when you when when you have them in the point where they're proving it to you, it's like the 30 day review, right? This person is out there now. It's really important to have those checks and balances to let them know that in 30 days you're going to be grading them on this criteria. And here's the kicker. that most people forget about, you allow them to also grade you on how was the onboarding process, how was the training process, how do they feel about it. When you let them bring their opinion into you, it builds tremendous respect and opens up the lines of communication. All right, so while we're interviewing these people, I never want you to ask things like, Do you celebrate Christmas? What holidays do you celebrate? What's your religion? Do you have family obligations during the holidays? Are you married? Do you have kids? Where's your family from? Do you travel home for the holidays? That's all illegal, okay? All of that is about a protected class, religion, natural origin, family status. Even if you have good intentions and you're just trying to figure out availability, these questions could be used as evidence against discrimination. So I want you guys to know that. The other thing is is that You do have a legitimate business need and you need people who can work during the holidays. And it's called a bonafide occupation qualification. It's an essential foundation of function of this particular job. So how do you find this out? Okay. You want to be direct about the job requirements.

Feeling stuck in your dog walking business? You’re not alone, and this episode is your permission slip to finally move forward. I’m pulling back the curtain on what actually happens inside my business coaching intensives, specifically tailored for pet industry pros like you. In just six sessions, we tackle everything from hiring systems and scaling strategy to rewriting your website and crafting SOPs. These aren’t cookie-cutter sessions. They’re custom, one-on-one, done-with-you experiences that help you cut through the noise, finally take action, and build a dog walking business that grows with you. If you’ve been spinning in circles trying to scale, hire, or rebrand, this episode will show you exactly what’s possible through powerful, high-impact coaching. In This Episode, You’ll Discover… How dog walking business coaching intensives deliver massive clarity fast Why mindset—not just mechanics—is your biggest growth block Real client examples: from building websites to fixing broken hiring systems How to turn SOPs and phone scripts into scalable systems What makes these coaching intensives different from DIY courses or masterminds Timestamps: 00:00 – Why everyone’s asking about coaching intensives lately 03:35 – Website paralysis? Here's how we write your copy together 06:15 – Starting your biz from scratch? Don’t go it alone 10:00 – The mindset (not mechanics) that holds you back 13:00 – Fixing hiring systems that are… well, poop 16:10 – Building SOPs, phone scripts, and training with AI support Notable Quotes: "Dog walking business coaching isn’t just about tactics—it’s about transformation." "You don’t need more how-to. You need mindset, clarity, and structure." "Energy is contagious. If you’re stuck, get in the room with someone who can shift it." Resources & Links: Want to see if we’re a good fit for a Coaching Intensive? Book a complimentary 20-minute call with me: jumpconsulting.net/20 Website Examples: peppyspets.com pawsaroundmotown.com animaladmiration.com JazzHR (hiring software): jazzhr.com Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube ??   Transcript: Welcome back to another episode of Bella in Your Business. Today, we're going to be talking about something that happens a lot behind the scenes, and I've been asked this question a lot because my schedule's literally getting eaten up right now. I don't know if it's the fall is in the air, or what. But so many of you have been inquiring about these intensives. Intensives is just another name for coaching, and I really want you to hear what actually happens in them. Not even as a way of… I'm not promoting them. I'm letting your brain expand onto how you can actually move forward in your business in just 6 sessions. Seriously. I'm gonna tell you the story of a couple of my clients and what we're actually working on, because the things that we're doing, I talk about them on my Instagram stories sometimes, but I don't actually go into detail, and today I want to go into detail, because I guarantee that you will see yourself in one of these scenarios, okay? But first, before we get started, I humbly ask you if you could like and subscribe to the podcast. And even leave a review. That would mean the world to us, as, you know, I've been doing this for you guys since 2014! Non-stop. Maybe the pace is adjusted, the pace is recently adjusted. Last week, we featured 3 episodes that had all to do with finances, so saving money on taxes, how to figure out your profit, and a couple other things. It was absolutely awesome. And so we're going to keep doing that. If there's a topic you want to hear about, feel free to email me, bella@jumpconsulting.net, and I'd be happy to feature that as one of our round-offs that we have, okay? So, let’s get going. The very first scenario that I want to tell you about is something that I know every single one of you can relate to. You’ve made the decision to invest in a new website. The next problem you have is: “Oh, shoot, what do I put on the website?” You stare at that cursor blinking on your screen, wondering what to write. You want to be unique and have people fall in love with your business when they land on your website. They’re not just looking at yours—they’re looking at many others. The words on your site are so important. I have a whole methodology for this. Sure, you could send it off to a copywriter, and they can create words for your website. That’s possible now with tools like ChatGPT and Claude. But my method is different. My method includes creating your entire brand voice—something you get to take away and use forever for care notes, client emails, social media, and more. You basically walk away with a “bot” that is specifically your voice. That alone is normally valued at $695. Once we’ve created your brand voice, we use it to build each page of your website together during six 45-minute sessions. Not only that, you also get the recordings, and you get to see how I use multiple AI tools—not just one—to accomplish this. If you did three sessions a week for two weeks, you could have all your website copy done in two weeks. Wanna see examples? Go to Anne’s company, PeppysPets.com. Then check out PawsAroundMotown.com. Then look at Brooks’ company, AnimalAdmiration.com. You’ll see how drastically different each is. Read them, feel them, and you’ll understand. If that’s something you want help with, I can get you out of the overwhelm that comes with not knowing what pictures or copy to put on your site. The next thing I want to tell you about is starting businesses. Many people come to me after considering buying a franchise or after losing a job, and they decide to start their own business. Now, this is 2025—the age of information. You already have access to the “how-to.” ChatGPT can tell you how to start a business. What you need me for is not the “how-to,” but the mindset, the strategy, and the clarity. For example, I’m currently working with someone who was laid off. He’s very into ChatGPT, to the point where it became too much. It kept giving him more and more ideas, but without a strategy, it was overwhelming. Our conversations focus on self-worth, future goals, and how decisions support or hinder those goals. When you work with me and purchase a six-session package, you have six months to use them. You have time to process and percolate, plus you get recordings, AI summaries, and anything we create together. That flexibility is so valuable for people who are starting or wanting to get serious about their business. The “how-to” is easy—it’s out there. What you can’t get from AI is 20-plus years of my industry knowledge, or the mindset shifts that are necessary. That’s why some people don’t like me. Sometimes I tell them things they don’t want to hear, like “You can’t charge $18 a visit if you want to pay your mortgage and your employees.” Coaching often challenges deep beliefs about money, communication, boundaries, and worth. Another scenario I want to share is about expanding. I’ve worked with a multi-million dollar company built from the ground up. She started with dog walking and pet sitting and grew to 50+ employees, stores, and more. Recently, we’ve been redoing her entire hiring, training, and review processes. The employee life cycle has at least 15 steps, from job descriptions to ads to hiring stages. You need multiple hiring ads to test performance, so that when you need someone, you can pull the lever and hire quickly. This is why I recommend JazzHR—but not the basic Hero plan. That plan is too limited. Without reporting, conversions, and advanced tools, you’re wasting money. Cancel Hero unless you’re willing to upgrade. Beyond the ads, you need a hiring process with at least six stages. People often resist this, saying it’s too much. But years later, they return desperate, realizing they should have listened. The right process prevents you from hiring out of fear, crossing your fingers, and hoping people don’t ghost you. With a proper system, by the time you hire, you and the candidate are both excited. Responses I’ve heard include: “That interview process was so amazing, I’m so excited to work for you,” or even “My husband stole your questions for his own job interviews!” That’s the impact of a strong process. And when we build it out—onboarding, training, review, employee love—you end up with a backbone that sustains growth. To illustrate: imagine two wheels. One is hiring, one is marketing. If you focus only on hiring, your business spins in circles. If you focus only on marketing, it spins in circles. But if both are moving forward together, your business moves forward. Intensives are a chance to work on exactly that—to ensure your foundation isn’t shaky, to make your SOPs strong, and to scale with confidence. This is not about me sitting and talking at you while you take endless homework. These sessions are hands-on. By the end of 45 minutes, you’re walking away with documents, strategies, KPIs, forms—done. That’s why I love these intensives. Most of my business model is one-to-many, through masterminds and the podcast. This, however, is one-on-one. Because my time is limited, I only accept clients after a 20-minute call at jumpconsulting.net/20. We’ll talk about your goals, what’s failed you before, what you’re good at, and what you’re not. Sometimes I tell people they’re not ready for coaching yet, but they’re perfect for the mastermind. That honesty is important, because coaching requires mindset readiness and commitment. Takeaway: I love working with you one-on-one. If you want to finish 2025 strong, if you want to learn AI while it’s integrated into your coaching, reach out. Instead of taking a class on AI, you’ll watch how I use it live, and you’ll walk away with finished outputs. If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, if you need tweaks but don’t know where,

What if the biggest thing holding you back from pet business freedom… is you? If you think your pet sitting or dog walking biz would crumble without you for a day, that’s not freedom. That’s a trap. If you’re still walking the dogs, answering every DM, handling every complaint—you’re not running a business. You’re running yourself into the ground. In this episode, I’m calling out the hustle-all-day, never-take-a-break myth that’s keeping you stuck. Because freedom doesn’t come from working more—it comes from building smarter. I’m handing you the mindset shifts and exact steps I give my coaching clients so they can finally stop surviving and start leading. In This Episode, You’ll Discover… How to audit your daily tasks and identify what can be automated or delegated Why SOPs are your secret weapon—and how AI makes them easier than ever The mindset shift from technician to CEO How to hire based on vibe, not just skills Ways to start delegating without giving up control Timestamps: 00:00 – Busting the 24/7 Hustle Myth: “If I’m not there, it falls apart.” 02:00 – Golden Cage Syndrome: When you own the business, but it owns you 04:50 – Systematize for Sanity: Automations, SOPs, and delegation 07:30 – How to Train Like You Want to Be Replaced 10:05 – What Freedom Really Means in a Scalable Pet Business Notable Quotes “You didn’t build your business to survive—you built it so you could live.” “Every time you answer the same question twice, that’s a system begging to be born.” “Delegation is not giving up—it’s leveling up.” Resources & Links Connect on IG: @bellavasta Free Consultation: jumpconsulting.net/20 Email: bella@jumpconsulting.net Marketing With Bella: Email Bella for details! Interested in cloning yourself for Reels & photos?Check out my new training: ? jumpconsulting.net/clone Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Previous podcast episode:   Transcript Good morning, and welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. I must apologize—I'm feeling a little under the weather, and you're probably going to be able to hear that in my voice today. But the show must go on, as they say. This episode, as you've probably already seen from the title, is going to be about your mindset. I've been having a lot of conversations with clients about mindset and perception, and just kind of switching things around and busting the 24/7 myth—which means you have to be on all the time. Let me remind you that one of the biggest reasons many of us got into entrepreneurship was so that we could control our time and money. You started this business for freedom, right? You wanted to make your own schedule. Maybe even sneak in an afternoon nap. I mean, you're the boss now. You should be able to do what you want, when you want. Right? But if we're really honest—is that what you've got now? This is going to either appeal to your younger entrepreneurial self, or it's going to hit you right where you are today. And if this is your younger self, I encourage you to spread some love, light, and joy by finding wherever this was posted and leaving a comment about how you got through it. Because this is a community. Together, we rise. Sometimes it kind of feels like we're in a golden cage. You're the one doing the overnight sits or you're the one answering calls after 9 PM. You're the one rescheduling your life around last-minute client requests. Sound familiar? There’s this toxic belief I hear from pet business owners all the time: “If I’m not there, it falls apart.” That’s not freedom—it’s survival. And you didn’t build your business to survive. You built it so you could live. So today we’re busting the myth. We’re breaking the lie that your business only works if you work yourself to the bone. We’re going to talk about systems, delegation, and building something that actually gives you your life back. Let’s talk about systemizing your success. You don’t need to hustle more. What you need is more systems that don’t involve you. You've already got a rhythm to your day—feeding, walking, grooming, managing books, sending reminders, handling payments—all on repeat. And guess what? Anything that repeats can be systemized. Start by writing down everything you do in a week. If that's too much, try one day—but I do mean everything. Booking new clients, texting confirmations, walking dogs, following up on invoices, posting on social. All of it. Then ask yourself: Can this be automated or delegated? Can it be turned into a system someone else could follow? Every time you answer the same question twice, that's a system begging to be born. Tools you should already be using: online booking software, automated text and email reminders, a customer management system, or a task system like Slack, Asana, Monday—so many options. This is where freedom starts. Automate what doesn't require you. Document the rest. Your SOPs will be your secret weapon. I’m doing SOPs on probably 65 to 75% of my coaching calls right now because they used to be the bane of everyone’s existence. People didn’t want to do them or didn’t know how. But in 2025, with AI? You have no reason not to. You can get them all done in a couple of weeks. It sounds boring, but SOPs are actually pretty sexy once you realize they’re your ticket out of chaos. You can't scale without SOPs. And no, they’re not just training manuals. An SOP is a written or recorded guide that says, “Hey, this is how we do things around here.” It could be a Google Doc, checklist, Loom video, or ChatGPT-generated doc. Think: How to onboard new clients. What to do if a dog eats something on a walk. How to close out a client at the end of the day. You get these in place and suddenly your business isn't a mystery that only you can solve. It’s a well-oiled machine that can run without you. Micromanaging becomes optional. Burnout becomes avoidable. Leadership becomes liberating. Delegation is not a dirty word. It’s not giving up—it’s leveling up. Repeat after me: “I am not the only one who can do this.” If you think you are, your ego is in the way. Sorry, not sorry. You don’t need a carbon copy of yourself. You need someone who loves animals, shows up on time, asks good questions, and gives a damn. Skills can be taught. Character—not so much. Stop waiting for perfect. Hire the right vibe and train the rest. And train like you want to replace yourself—because you do. That means creating a killer onboarding flow, setting clear expectations, practicing scenarios before they happen. Use roleplay, videos, buddy shifts and then—let them shine. It’s okay if they outshine you. They should be doing a better job than you because you’ve got 20 things on your plate and they’ve only got one. When you don’t let people take ownership, they’ll never rise to the occasion. And guess who gets stuck doing everything? Yeah. You. Trust is a muscle. You build it through structure. I’ve had clients feel completely different about their team after they invested time, care, and structure into the hiring and training process. They’ve received testimonials like “that was the best interview I’ve ever done.” Structure builds trust. Your SOPs are the safety net. Your training is the bridge. And when you hand them the reins—watch them run. I’ve had clients take their first vacation in years after implementing these strategies. Now they work for two months and take a month off. This is real life. This is possible. If the voices in your head are telling you otherwise, they’re wrong. Freedom doesn’t come from doing it all. It comes from letting go—with structure. It comes from trusting your systems, trusting your team, and trusting yourself to lead—not micromanage. Your business should feed your freedom—not feast on your life. Here’s what I want you to do next: Do a task audit—write down everything you're doing. Choose one thing to automate this week. Start documenting an SOP. Don’t overthink it. Just start—or voice record it into ChatGPT and ask it to make one for you. If delegation scares you, start small. Let someone handle one client or one shift. The difference between being an entrepreneur and a sole proprietor? A sole proprietor doesn’t have a team. A business is scalable—and usually sellable. If you're the only person working, you have a job. And no one’s buying a job when you want to exit. They buy a business. If you're nodding your head thinking, “Damn, I need help with this…” I got you. Message me, email me at bella@jumpconsulting.net or grab a slot on my calendar at jumpconsulting.net/20. I just opened more availability because so many of you need this. And no, I’m not as scary as you think. I promise. I’m the light at the end of the tunnel. Just walk to me. I've got you. Someone asked me yesterday—“Is there a personality type that makes a good CEO?” The answer is no. It’s your mindset. It’s who you surround yourself with. So… what are you going to do after hearing this today? One more thing—last week I launched a training inside the Mastermind where I taught how to clone yourself in photos and videos. It’s really easy—especially if you have Google Workplace. It was $97 until Sunday, and I planned to raise it to $197, but I’ve extended the price for one more week. Check it out at jumpconsulting.net/clone. And check out my Instagram feed where I show examples. You’ll see exactly what I mean. When life gets you down, always keep jumping. I’ll see you again in two weeks. Next week, we’re dropping another burst of podcast episodes. Have a great day!

Wondering why your pet business blog isn't driving leads or sales even though you're posting regularly? You're not alone. Most pet sitters, dog walkers, and pet care pros are wasting time on blogs that look good but don’t work. This episode is for you if you're tired of creating content that disappears into the internet void. I’m going to break down the exact pet business blogging strategy that actually grows your local authority, drives traffic, and gets your ideal clients to take action. Whether you've written 40 blogs or haven't started yet, this episode will give you the mindset and method you actually need. In This Episode, You’ll Discover… Why your blog needs to be more than a “random tips” article How to use a pet business blogging strategy that builds authority The power of interlinking and visual formatting for higher engagement How to repurpose one blog into multiple content pieces Why a good blog strategy will outperform Google ads every time Timestamps: 1:04 – Why I’m switching podcast formats (and how that benefits you)4:55 – The truth: More blogs ? more traffic without strategy7:12 – How to turn blogs into hyperlocal, conversion-ready content8:44 – Smart interlinking: The most overlooked SEO power move11:00 – How to promote your blog so it actually gets seen Notable Quotes “More blogs do NOT equal more traffic—especially if you’re not being intentional.” “You’re writing from the heart, but your audience needs a map to follow you.” “If you’re paying for Google Ads but not blogging with strategy, you need to call me. You’re wasting money.” Resources & Links Connect on IG: @bellavasta Free Consultation: jumpconsulting.net/20 Email: bella@jumpconsulting.net Marketing With Bella: Email Bella for details! Marcus Sheridan’s Big 5 Content Strategy – Google it or ask AI, seriously. Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Previous podcast episode: Transcript Welcome back to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and welcome to Episode 451. Okay, so I took last week off, as some of you may or may not know. And one of the things that I've decided, if you saw the email that goes out on Friday, is that I'm gonna start going to every other week. Now, that doesn't mean that there's not going to be a podcast or I'm not going to be still feeding you guys. What that means is in the off week, since we have 451 podcast episodes, what I'm going to start doing is serving you up like series. So let's say you're starting with employees. And I'm gonna say, "Hey, if you're starting with employees and you want to learn about employees, listen to these 3 episodes." Or "Hey, you want to learn some content marketing hacks? I have 3 episodes on it here." And so that's kind of how we're going to do this on the off weeks, and it'll also give you guys a little bit of a chance to catch up, because I know some of you are in the middle of a major... Something else I want to talk to you about before we actually get into the topic today, which is about blogging with a strategy — which I do not see a lot of people doing — I want to share with you a clip and let me set this up for you. I alluded to it on the last episode. This is a coaching session with Becky from Paws Around Motown. And she wanted to take her entire phone script, and she wanted to build it out — and build it out with like, why are we saying this? What is the impact psychologically? You know, like, all of it. So it's not just a bullet point script that her office staff follow and they don't know why. So we really went into it, and it ended up being more than 30 pages. And what I said to her was, I wonder if we can get AI to do this with us to role play? Because guys, you want to role play, or you say you're gonna practice, but do we ever really practice? No. What are we gonna do? Hand the script to someone, and then kind of feel awkward and be like, "Hi, um ring! Ring! Thanks for calling." Well guess what — now that we have created all of that foundation for her, we can now give it to AI and tell AI to role play with us. And not only can they role play with us, but they can also follow this script and understand what their role is. And we pretend that we're literally answering the phone and talking to them. Not only does the AI sound completely realistic, but it also can critique you at the end and tell you like, how you did based off of the script that you give it. How amazing is that? So wait, wait, listen. Right now. I'm gonna play it. Okay Chris, right there. Why don't you put that in there? Alright. And so what do you guys think? Isn't that absolutely amazing? I mean, it's truly remarkable what we can do with AI. And it's so much fun in these consultations that I — the intensives — that I do with my clients, because we're not just talking about things. They're like leaving with tangible, concrete tools that they can use in their business, and what else is better than that? Alright. If you're interested in working on that, or maybe there's a problem you've been solving in your business and you're not quite sure — I'm not literally just saying this, but like, for some reason, maybe it's because it's the end of the year or school's back in session — my intensives and my schedule are blowing up. So if you want to get on that by the end of the year, I would suggest that you get into it now and on the flow before I run out of time on my calendar. If you want to learn more about that, let's jump on a call. We could talk about your specific needs and how I can help you with the solutions so you can get a good vision of what that looks like. Just go to jumpconsulting.net/20 and you can get on my calendar so that we could have a conversation, and I'll tell you straight up what you need or if you're ready for it. Because there are different stages of things, and I think it comes a lot down to mindset. But we could talk about that later. Okay, let's get into the show today. So guys, I have literally been like racking my brain. Because what a lot of business owners don't understand is that people read one blog post, they get what they need, and they leave — unless you give them a compelling reason to stay and explore more. Okay, it's not just that compelling that it's your website, because nobody cares about your baby like you do. Most of you are treating blogging like throwing spaghetti up against the wall to see what sticks. You're writing "10 Tips for Happy Dogs" one week and "Why Your Cat Needs Exercise" the next — with zero connection between them. And you're wondering why your blog isn't driving clients or building your authority. But today I'm going to break down why blogging isn't about more content. It's about smart strategy. Alright. So I'm talking about turning each blog post into a hub that pulls the reader deeper into your expertise and actually converts them into paying clients. If you've been blogging for months or years without seeing results, or maybe not at all, this episode is going to be for you, no matter the game you are in right now. So let's start with the biggest lie in content marketing: "Just keep writing more blogs, and the traffic will come." Well, yeah, it could come. But is it gonna help you? For example, my most... In a 10-mile radius of me. And you want dog walking, and that's what brought you in. It's the fat chance that that's gonna happen. You understand what I'm saying? So it was just like — writing more blogs is wrong. It's like dead wrong. Okay? And so I see pet business owners publishing lots of blogs and then patting themselves on the back for being consistent — which is great, okay — but there's no strategy behind it. Their website traffic stays flat. Or they have the blogs, but they're not promoting them. Okay? And there's a lot to do with promotion. All right. More blogs do not equal more traffic, especially the niche of the niche kind of traffic you're looking for. You're not just looking for pet owners. You're looking for pet owners in your area who need a dog walker or a pet sitter who are going away or who are out of their home a lot, right? And so search engines don't care that you just published 47 blog posts last month. But you know what they do care about? Relevance. Clarity. Authority. Okay? And don't even get me started on AI with this. Let me paint you a picture. You write a blog called "5 Signs Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety." It's a great topic, right? But then what happens? Someone reads it, thinks that was helpful, and they leave your website. Why? Because you didn't give them anywhere else to go. And it wasn't pointed directly in your local area. So something that you could change that really easily would be like, "How to Know If Your Scottsdale Dog Has Anxiety and What to Do." And then that's a really great spot where you could say, "Use Bach Flower Remedy, and you can get it at XYZ Pet Store" or "The pet store owner says about that," right? Or maybe it's a blog about anxiety about your dog going to the groomer. And then you can quote groomers in your area, right? This is helpful stuff, but it's local. All right. But your blogs aren't libraries. Nobody — and I mean nobody — goes to your website thinking, "Gee! I wonder what other brilliant content this pet sitter has. Let me go search their blog." Like, that doesn't happen. Okay? They won't do that. People don't have time to consume it. They see it either in an email or on social, something catches their eye and it brings them in. Now we're going to move on to the second one, which is interlinking. Let's talk about the strategy that's going to come from your blogging results, which is smart interlinking. So every single blog should be linked to another blog of yours — and obviously have some outside sources too — but linking, interlinking about things is going to be really great. And in order to do that,

There is a major opportunity for every single Pet Business owner right now like it’s never been before. Never before has the playing field being so leveled and technology been so advanced to make your business so unique. In this episode I go back to when I started the podcast in 2014 and take you on a tour of what’s changed since then and how technology today can help you catapult your business and set you apart from the competition. In this milestone 450th episode, I take you on a decade-long journey through the evolution of pet care—from basic tech stacks and word-of-mouth marketing to billion-dollar growth, military-grade GPS for dogs, and AI assistants that can book clients while you sleep. I share real stories, like a dog walker who boosted her rates 60% simply by integrating health trackers into her services, proving that technology isn’t competition—it’s your competitive advantage. I’m breaking down exactly what this gold rush means for you as a pet business owner, and how to either step up and lead, or risk being left in the dust. I’ll walk you through mindset shifts, leadership pivots, and why doing things “the old way” just isn’t going to cut it anymore. If you feel the pressure of change but don’t know how to respond or if you’re fired up but don’t have a plan—this episode is your wake-up call and your playbook. Timestamps: 1:39 – What the “Pet Care Gold Rush” actually is and why it’s happening now 4:28 – Why copying other pet businesses will no longer keep you competitive 9:55 – What leaders are doing differently in today’s market 14:03 – The silent killer: hesitation 20:11 – The shift from service provider to industry influencer Notable Quotes "This is the Pet Care Gold Rush. The question is—are you mining or watching?" "If you're still doing what worked in 2019, you're already behind." "The winners in this industry will be the ones who show up, speak up, and scale up." Resources & Links Connect on IG: @bellavasta Book a 20-min strategy call: Let’s build a custom local marketing plan together Surround yourself with other forward-thinking petpreneurs. Join Bella’s Mastermind. Use BELLA25 for $25 off per month until August 17, 2025. Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Here is last week's episode: Transcript Welcome back to not just another episode of Bella in your Business. It's the 450th episode. I'm sorry, what? If you asked me back in 2014 if I would be sitting here in 2025 on my 450th podcast episode, or if I looked at this and said, “Hey, I'm going to do a podcast episode for 10 years, with 450 episodes, mostly done by myself except for the 100 where I was always interviewing people”? I think you're absolutely lost your marbles. Welcome to the 450th episode of Bella in your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and welcome. And it's a hell of a milestone — not because of the number, but because it literally marks a whole decade of evolution in pet care. From basic text reminders to AI that predicts your pet's health. I literally started this podcast when pet sitting was still considered... well, it wasn't really that professional. I mean, it was professional, but society didn't really take it seriously yet. Now we're looking at smart collars that track heart rates and AI that handles customer service if you let it, or know how to. According to Grand View Research, the global industry is worth 2.94 billion with a B in 2025. But here's what really blows my mind: in 2014 we were mostly concerned with getting clients booked online instead of calling. In 2025, our clients now expect real-time GPS tracking. The game's completely changed. I wanted to take this episode to go back in time. I've done a lot of research, a lot of fact-checking. We're going to hear exactly how the entire industry went from not being well respected — like, “oh, that's a cute job” — to being a billion-dollar rocket fuel, and why you, my loyal listener, still hold the keys to winning. We're talking real numbers today, real tech, and real opportunities most pet business owners are missing because they're still thinking like it's 2014. Alright, let's get in a rocket ship and go back to 2014. Obama was president. Everyone was doing the ice bucket challenge. Pet sitting was an independent hustle for the most part. Rover had been around since 2011, but most people didn't trust it. Wag didn't even exist yet and wouldn’t launch until 2015. I just saw last week that they are closing and filing for bankruptcy — which I could have predicted. There was no “Uber for dogs” mentality. If you wanted pet sitting clients, you had to build relationships one neighbor at a time. Your tech stack was minimal: maybe a Gmail calendar, Square for credit cards, and if you were fancy, Time to Pet, which launched in 2014. Happy 10-year anniversary to them. Most were still taking cash and checks. GPS tracking? Forget about it. Marketing was brutal — Facebook organic reach had just collapsed from 16% to 6% in February 2014, a 62% drop in two years. You survived on Yelp reviews, Nextdoor posts, and word of mouth. While those fundamentals — building trust, providing exceptional care, communicating with clients — didn’t go anywhere, they’ve been supercharged by technology. Today, in 2025, the numbers are unbelievable. The North American pet sitting market hit 1.13 billion in 2025, up from just over a billion in 2024, with a 9.9% projected growth rate each year through 2035. There has been no recession or downturn that has hurt the industry. We sell guilt for love — positive emotions for people’s beloved pets. Globally, the market is 2.94 billion in 2025, climbing to 5.14 billion by 2033. This is no longer a small industry. It’s big business with Fortune 500 companies and investors buying up companies. GPS collars alone brought in 100 million euros in annual recurring revenue in 2024, adding health and behavioral monitoring in 2025. At CES 2025, Tractive debuted their latest health tracker for $69.99 plus subscription, with military-grade GPS and AI behavior coaching. Your clients can now track heart rate, breathing, and anxiety behaviors in real time. That’s not just peace of mind — that’s medical-grade pet care data. This means your role shifts: you’re not just feeding the dog anymore, you’re part of a connected health ecosystem. The pet sitter who can interpret that data, spot early signs, and give proactive recommendations gets premium clients. Technology is not your competition — it’s your competitive advantage. Those who integrate it can charge 40-50% more. Technology can track data, but it’s you who gives that data meaning. Think about how this spending, behavior, and tech growth can influence your business goals. In the last year alone, premium health insights that used to require vet visits are coming straight to your phone. Venture capital is pouring into companies that collect data, predict behavior, and create subscription models. These aren’t toys — they’re tools. One example: Maria in Austin integrated smart collars into her dog walking service. Instead of “We walked Buddy for 30 minutes,” she sent detailed activity, heart rate, and fitness reports. She raised her rates from $25 to $40 per walk, and her clients now see her as a pet wellness consultant. This is the power of strategic tech integration. Tools like AI-powered scheduling, smart feeding systems, and behavior coaching apps are already here. The question is, how will you use them to do something in 2025 you simply couldn’t in 2014, but that still delivers value to customers? Forward-thinking pet companies are building subscription ecosystems — monthly plans with smart tech, AI scheduling, automated feeding, and care coordination — creating scalable recurring revenue. This is pet care as a service, massively more valuable than a single walk. AI amplifies the human element. Build the systems now, and you’ll own your market for the next decade. Episode 450 isn’t just a milestone; it’s a pivot. The technology wave isn’t coming — it’s here. Machines may do 90% of the work, but human connection will define the winners. AI is leveling the playing field, removing the need for coders or copywriters, and creating opportunities everywhere. The choice is yours: keep running a 2014 business in a 2025 world, or jump into the future. Combine cutting-edge tech with the heart and soul that made you love pet care in the first place. That’s your opportunity, and that’s your moment. If you want to talk more, visit jumpconsulting.net/20 or join the mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind with code BELLA25 for $25 off per month until August 17, 2025. Until next time, my jumpers — always keep jumping.

If you hate creating content… this episode is for you. I am not selling anything, rather blowing the lid off how EASY it can actually be to create a pet sitter content creation system that WORKS and doesn’t overwhelm you. In this episode, I am going to show you EXACTLY what I do… and how you can finally break the cycle of scrambling, ghosting, and giving up. We’ll talk about the mindset blocks that hold most pet sitters back, why “posting consistently” is bad advice without a system, and how to create intentional, reusable content that builds trust and books clients on autopilot. This isn’t theory—it’s the real, raw behind-the-scenes of how I plan, organize, and repurpose content across platforms without losing my mind. If you're ready to make content finally feel doable, repeatable, and actually strategic... this episode is your permission slip. Timestamps 2:02 – Why most pet sitters are stuck in a feast-or-famine content cycle 5:40 – My no-fluff rule: If you wouldn't say it in real life, don't post it 9:03 – The 3 stages of my pet sitter content creation system 14:20 – How to batch months of posts in a few focused hours 18:55 – The secret to repurposing content without sounding repetitive Notable Quotes "You don’t need more time—you need a system that respects your energy." "Pet sitter content creation doesn’t have to drain you. It can free you." "Posting just to post is like barking into the void. Let’s stop that." Resources & Links Connect on IG: @bellavasta Book a 20-min strategy call: Let’s build a custom local marketing plan together Surround yourself with other forward-thinking petpreneurs. Join Bella’s Mastermind. Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Here is last week's episode: Transcript Hello, and welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. Today, we’re diving into how you're actually known in your local area. We’re going to cover a lot—my goal is to light your brain on fire and give you real examples from your fellow pet business owners who are doing this successfully. Thank you for all the likes, comments, and subscribes! I love hearing from those of you who book a call at jumpconsulting.net/20 and say you found me through the podcast. That makes my heart so happy, because honestly, I’m just sitting in my office talking to a ring light. Knowing you’re out there listening makes it all worth it. In my community, we’ve spent the past month focused on getting your name out there everywhere. Some of what I say might sting a little, but stick with me. This could be the difference between your business thriving or just surviving. Imagine having a bunch of unpaid salespeople out there working for you just because you’re known in your community. Are you actually known in your area? There’s a book called Known by my friend Mark Schaefer, a great read that ties into today’s topic. Being “known” isn’t about a logo or being online—it’s about walking into a room and people recognizing you and the energy you bring. If that’s not happening yet, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful, cost-effective tools in business. I get that networking can be uncomfortable. Maybe you don’t like being the center of attention, and your ego is blocking you right now. But this isn’t about you—it’s about your business. Local marketing for pet businesses starts with you being known in your community. It’s non-negotiable. I’m going to give you the blueprint that actually works. In my mastermind last month, we spent four weeks on tactical local marketing. One of our members, who you might’ve seen on my Instagram stories, had this moment: she walks into a coffee shop and hears someone say, “Oh my gosh! Are you the Wonder Pops person?” And that wasn’t even the first time that week. She was just wearing her business shirt—no flyers, no pitch—just existing. And her brand was recognized. That’s local marketing in action. She’s not just running a business—she’s becoming a local celebrity. People associate her shirt and her humor-filled brand with positivity. When people feel something good from seeing you online or in person, they remember you. And in her case, someone in line immediately asked about her services. Others around heard it too. So when someone later searches “pet sitter near me,” it’s not just a name—they feel like they know her. Data backs this up: it takes 7 to 11 touches before someone buys. If someone calls you without ever seeing your name before, that’s a missed opportunity. But if they’ve already seen you 10 times—at events, online, via referrals—they’re already convinced you’re the right choice. Visibility multiplies trust. You need to be seen in multiple places before someone reaches out. That’s the foundation of effective local marketing. Maybe they saw you at an event, then noticed your car decal, then saw a friend’s Facebook post, and finally saw you volunteering at a rescue. That’s when they think, “I’ve been meaning to call that dog walker.” Being good at what you do isn’t enough if no one knows you exist. If you’re hiding behind a screen, your growth is invisible. Many pet business owners focus on Instagram or Facebook ads but forget local visibility and keywords. You serve a local radius—maybe 20 miles.  You need to be known by your neighbors. Check out my blog on guerrilla marketing at jumpconsulting.net. Episode 448 includes a free download. Guerrilla marketing is cheap, quick, effective, and often overlooked. One of the most overlooked local marketing opportunities is your business anniversary. Don’t dismiss it—it’s not just about cake and balloons. It’s about giving your community a reason to celebrate you. Chambers of Commerce love anniversary stories. Local newspapers need positive content. Other businesses want to partner with established names. For example, Michaela from Adventures in Pet Sitting partnered with a grooming salon for her anniversary. They offered free nail trims while she provided half-off pet taxi services. It was brilliant cross-promotion. Morag in Canada celebrated her 25th anniversary with a full event—vendors, staff reunions, and more. It doesn’t matter if it’s one year or 25. Celebrate it! Even news stories not directly about pets—like how new tax rules affect small businesses—can be great ways to get featured locally. The point is: this isn’t about you. It’s about your brand being visible. With holidays approaching, now is the time to plan. From Halloween parades to Santa Paws events, Q4 is packed with opportunities. Your business anniversary is a legitimate news story. It shows stability and community impact. Here’s your action step: start planning your celebration now. Reach out to your chamber, local newspaper, and potential partners. Make it an event—not just another day. But it doesn’t stop there. Local marketing needs to be consistent. Maybe you don’t like networking—I get it. I’ve felt that way too. Sometimes I’d show up to events just to let the room work me. The key is showing up. Effective local marketing isn’t about exchanging business cards in hotel conference rooms. It’s about being where your people are: galas, rescues, pet events, farmers markets, community mixers. Show up where dog lovers hang out. Be present. People don’t fall in love with logos. They fall in love with experiences and how you make them feel. Energy is contagious, and when you're face-to-face, people can feel your passion. That’s how a stranger becomes a client, a client becomes a fan, and a fan becomes a referral source. You can’t create that connection through a website or Facebook ad. You build it by being present in your community. Now, I know what usually happens. You get inspired, promise yourself to do better local marketing—and then nothing happens. Why? Because when opportunities pop up, you're unprepared. It gets stressful, and you back out. So, let’s fix that. Your homework is to create an event kit—a business-in-a-box. Include a branded tablecloth, business cards, pens, treats for dogs, sign-up sheets, promo materials, and more. Have conversation starters ready, plan your giveaway, and build a partnership list. Try a bingo game where attendees visit other booths for stamps. Other businesses will love you for it. And when you're prepared, it's easier to delegate to staff or even hire someone to represent your brand. This might push you out of your comfort zone, but remember—this isn’t networking. It’s community building. I always say: a relationship lasts longer than a business card. People want to know who they’re trusting with their pets. They’re lying awake at night wondering who they can rely on. You can be the answer—but only if you show up. So stop waiting for the perfect moment. Just start. Like Michaela, Morag, and Leia—you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to jump. This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. If you’d like to join our community, head to jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. Next month we’re diving into leadership and company culture—often overlooked, but so powerful for retention and creating a thriving business. We’re coming up on 450 episodes, so send in your ideas! As always, keep jumping.

What if the biggest thing holding your pet business back... is that no one really knows you exist? If your name doesn’t ring a bell in your own community, you're not just missing clients—you're missing credibility, connection, and cash. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on Local Pet Business Marketing—what actually works, what most pet pros are getting wrong, and how you can stand out without feeling awkward or pushy. We’ll dive into how to turn your business anniversary into a publicity machine, create buzz through local partnerships, and build instant trust that Google ads can’t buy. Plus, I’m sharing real-world wins from petpreneurs in my Mastermind who are becoming local legends—and the exact strategies they used to do it. If you’re tired of being your area’s best-kept secret… it’s time to fix that. Let’s go. In This Episode, You'll Learn... How to build local visibility that actually converts Why your pet biz anniversary is a PR goldmine The ONE mindset shift that will change how you network forever Real examples of pet business owners dominating their communities What to include in your “grab-and-go” event kit Timestamps 1:25 – The difference between being visible and being known in your community 4:58 – Real-life story of a pet sitter becoming a “local celeb” (without even trying) 10:15 – How to use your business anniversary as a publicity magnet 16:45 – Why being present locally builds trust faster than any ad ever could 20:55 – What to include in your "event kit" so you’re always ready for exposure opportunities Notable Quotes "Local pet business marketing isn’t about logos—it’s about connection and consistency." "Pet parents aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for presence." "You don’t need the world to know you—you need your neighbors to know you." Resources & Links Connect on IG: @bellavasta Book a 20-min strategy call: Let’s build a custom local marketing plan together Surround yourself with other forward-thinking petpreneurs. Join Bella’s Mastermind. Free Download: Guerrilla Marketing Kit for Pet Businesses Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Here is last week's episode: ? Transcript Hello, and welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. Today, we’re diving into how you're actually known in your local area. We’re going to cover a lot—my goal is to light your brain on fire and give you real examples from your fellow pet business owners who are doing this successfully. Thank you for all the likes, comments, and subscribes! I love hearing from those of you who book a call at jumpconsulting.net/20 and say you found me through the podcast. That makes my heart so happy, because honestly, I’m just sitting in my office talking to a ring light. Knowing you’re out there listening makes it all worth it. In my community, we’ve spent the past month focused on getting your name out there everywhere. Some of what I say might sting a little, but stick with me. This could be the difference between your business thriving or just surviving. Imagine having a bunch of unpaid salespeople out there working for you just because you’re known in your community. Are you actually known in your area? There’s a book called Known by my friend Mark Schaefer, a great read that ties into today’s topic. Being “known” isn’t about a logo or being online—it’s about walking into a room and people recognizing you and the energy you bring. If that’s not happening yet, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful, cost-effective tools in business. I get that networking can be uncomfortable. Maybe you don’t like being the center of attention, and your ego is blocking you right now. But this isn’t about you—it’s about your business. Local marketing for pet businesses starts with you being known in your community. It’s non-negotiable. I’m going to give you the blueprint that actually works. In my mastermind last month, we spent four weeks on tactical local marketing. One of our members, who you might’ve seen on my Instagram stories, had this moment: she walks into a coffee shop and hears someone say, “Oh my gosh! Are you the Wonder Pops person?” And that wasn’t even the first time that week. She was just wearing her business shirt—no flyers, no pitch—just existing. And her brand was recognized. That’s local marketing in action. She’s not just running a business—she’s becoming a local celebrity. People associate her shirt and her humor-filled brand with positivity. When people feel something good from seeing you online or in person, they remember you. And in her case, someone in line immediately asked about her services. Others around heard it too. So when someone later searches “pet sitter near me,” it’s not just a name—they feel like they know her. Data backs this up: it takes 7 to 11 touches before someone buys. If someone calls you without ever seeing your name before, that’s a missed opportunity. But if they’ve already seen you 10 times—at events, online, via referrals—they’re already convinced you’re the right choice. Visibility multiplies trust. You need to be seen in multiple places before someone reaches out. That’s the foundation of effective local marketing. Maybe they saw you at an event, then noticed your car decal, then saw a friend’s Facebook post, and finally saw you volunteering at a rescue. That’s when they think, “I’ve been meaning to call that dog walker.” Being good at what you do isn’t enough if no one knows you exist. If you’re hiding behind a screen, your growth is invisible. Many pet business owners focus on Instagram or Facebook ads but forget local visibility and keywords. You serve a local radius—maybe 20 miles. You don’t need global reach. Check out my blog on guerrilla marketing at jumpconsulting.net. Episode 448 includes a free download. Guerrilla marketing is cheap, quick, effective, and often overlooked. One of the most overlooked local marketing opportunities is your business anniversary. Don’t dismiss it—it’s not just about cake and balloons. It’s about giving your community a reason to celebrate you. Chambers of Commerce love anniversary stories. Local newspapers need positive content. Other businesses want to partner with established names. For example, Michaela from Adventures in Pet Sitting partnered with a grooming salon for her anniversary. They offered free nail trims while she provided half-off pet taxi services. It was brilliant cross-promotion. Morag in Canada celebrated her 25th anniversary with a full event—vendors, staff reunions, and more. It doesn’t matter if it’s one year or 25. Celebrate it! Even news stories not directly about pets—like how new tax rules affect small businesses—can be great ways to get featured locally. The point is: this isn’t about you. It’s about your brand being visible. With holidays approaching, now is the time to plan. From Halloween parades to Santa Paws events, Q4 is packed with opportunities. Your business anniversary is a legitimate news story. It shows stability and community impact. Here’s your action step: start planning your celebration now. Reach out to your chamber, local newspaper, and potential partners. Make it an event—not just another day. But it doesn’t stop there. Local marketing needs to be consistent. Maybe you don’t like networking—I get it. I’ve felt that way too. Sometimes I’d show up to events just to let the room work me. The key is showing up. Effective local marketing isn’t about exchanging business cards in hotel conference rooms. It’s about being where your people are: galas, rescues, pet events, farmers markets, community mixers. Show up where dog lovers hang out. Be present. People don’t fall in love with logos. They fall in love with experiences and how you make them feel. Energy is contagious, and when you're face-to-face, people can feel your passion. That’s how a stranger becomes a client, a client becomes a fan, and a fan becomes a referral source. You can’t create that connection through a website or Facebook ad. You build it by being present in your community. So, let’s fix that. Your homework is to create an event kit—a business-in-a-box. Include a branded tablecloth, business cards, pens, treats for dogs, sign-up sheets, promo materials, and more. Have conversation starters ready, plan your giveaway, and build a partnership list. Try a bingo game where attendees visit other booths for stamps. Other businesses will love you for it. And when we're prepared, it's easier to delegate to staff or even hire someone to represent your brand. This might push you out of your comfort zone, but remember—this isn’t networking. I always say: a relationship lasts longer than a business card. People want to know who they’re trusting with their pets. They’re lying awake at night wondering who they can rely on. You can be the answer—but only if you show up. So stop waiting for the perfect moment. Just start. Like Michaela, Morag, and Leia—you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to jump. This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. If you’d like to join our community, head to jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. Next month we’re diving into leadership and company culture—often overlooked, but so powerful for retention and creating a thriving business. We’re coming up on 450 episodes, so send in your ideas! As always, keep jumping.

Are you scared AI will steal the soul of your pet business? If you’re a pet sitter or dog walker clinging to the belief that AI is cold, impersonal, or "not for you," this episode will rock your world—in the best way possible. I'm diving deep into how pet business owners can use AI not just to save time, but to get their life back, serve more clients better, and still sound exactly like YOU. I’m walking you through mindset shifts, real-life applications, and why AI is actually the most powerful way to keep your personal touch while finally getting off the hamster wheel. It’s part pep talk, part strategy session, and totally packed with love, truth, and a little kick in the pants (you know how I do). By the end, you'll either be running toward the future or realize you’re already getting left behind. Let’s fix that. In This Episode, You'll Learn... AI Doesn’t Erase Your Personal Touch—It Enhances It You Can’t Use AI Well Without a Solid Foundation Burnout Is Optional, Automation Is the Cure AI Isn’t a Threat to Your Business. It’s a Tool for Leadership You’re Either Using AI Or Competing Against Those Who Are Timestamps 2:35 – Why pet industry resistance to AI is rooted in burnout, not values 4:58 – What AI actually requires from your business before it can help 9:15 – The 2025 way to handle tough client convos without losing your mind 15:54 – How AI is a leadership move (not laziness or cheating) 22:55 – The truth: AI won’t take your job—but someone using it might take your clients Notable Quotes "AI is not here to replace your heart—it’s here to amplify your humanity." "Pet business owners can use AI to work smarter, not harder—and still be more you than ever." "AI is not the enemy of authenticity. Burnout is." Resources & Links Try Magai: My favorite AI dashboard. Use code BELLA25 for $25 off/month Jump Consulting on YouTube Connect on IG: @bellavasta Ready to talk it out and get unstuck? Book a complimentary 20-min strategy call. Surround yourself with other forward-thinking petpreneurs. Join Bella’s Mastermind. Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Here is last week's episode: ? Transcript Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. First, thank you so much for all the subscribes and likes — when you hit that like and share button, it really helps. It's the best thing you can do for any creator. I've seen it in the stats and I genuinely appreciate it. Something new: you can now watch the video version of this podcast on Spotify and YouTube. We’ve created an omnipresence where you can either listen or watch. This shift was by request, and let me tell you — it’s a labor of love. It’s 7:01 AM, my daughter’s in the other room playing, and we just wrapped up birthday weekend — hers and mine. I’m exhausted and recording this in hair and makeup, even though pajamas with no video would be easier. I hope you appreciate the video and if you do, please like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review. We're coming up on 450 episodes — wild. I started this when she was in the hospital over a decade ago. If you have suggestions for the 450th episode, send them in — this podcast is as much yours as it is mine. Today I want to talk about AI and the concern around losing personal touch. I hear this a lot. But I want to go at a pace that aligns with where most pet sitters and dog walkers are. I’m ready to sprint, but I know we need to get on the same page before opening Pandora’s box. AI requires everything to be written down — emails, SOPs, handbooks, job descriptions — because it needs something to be trained on. You also have to understand that AI is just a tool — practically free — but not always right. You need to know when and where to insert personal, human touch. And here's the blunt truth: from July 22, 2025 forward, if someone you hire doesn’t know how to use AI, they’re falling behind. That might sound harsh, but this is like hiring someone today who doesn’t know how to use a computer or smartphone. This is where we can do 7x the work — faster, better. I’m going slow because I want everyone to get past their objections and mental blocks. When you’re ready, that’s when you join the Mastermind. In there, people are excited and proactive about using AI. In fact, today we’re doing an AI lab. They’re doing things I haven’t even taught because they’ve been playing and experimenting. Last week, something big happened — agents came to ChatGPT. Yes, agents already existed in Claude and others, but this is mainstream now. Think Kleenex, Xerox, Coca-Cola level. ChatGPT is used by 400 million people worldwide. This is where the world is going. I’m here to motivate you, maybe make you uncomfortable, because growth happens outside of our comfort zones. I say this with love and a swift kick — I’m not judging you. I’m helping you. You’ve likely been told that doing everything by hand sets you apart. That’s great — but now what sets you apart is AI that knows your voice, sounds like you, and is trained to reflect your values. Some pet business owners are spending 3 hours writing one perfect email. Others are using AI to handle 50 clients efficiently. Before, I’d obsess over writing emails — send them to friends, overthink for days, rewrite endlessly. Now? I talk it out while driving, paste the client message, speak my thoughts, and AI drafts it for me. I get home, review, and send. No stress, no ruminating. That’s how 2025 works. Using AI doesn’t make your message robotic. It helps you communicate clearly without burnout. Resistance often comes from those who are already overwhelmed — working nights, losing weekends to writing social posts, staying up late for email replies. That’s not sustainable. AI doesn't steal your personal touch — it frees up your time to give it where it matters. You're already using tech: scheduling software instead of paper calendars, QuickBooks instead of ledgers. AI is just the next step. If you think it's inauthentic, you’re not using it right. It's not here to replace your voice, it's here to amplify it. Clients who embrace AI become more authentic — because they’re no longer drained. When agents launched, I had ChatGPT write a post, generate graphics in Canva, and publish it via Meta — all automated. Would I recommend doing that fully today? Not yet. But the fact that it’s possible? Huge. Agents can go out, do tasks autonomously — log in, update service descriptions, refresh employee manuals, even check local laws. AI is your assistant, not your decision-maker. Of course, AI makes mistakes — just like Google searches do. It’s your job to fact-check. Don’t treat AI like a know-it-all — it’s a research partner. Ask it for sources. Cross-check. Be transparent. If you draft a contract with AI, let your lawyer review it. That saves time and money. It’s efficient, not deceptive. Real talk: remember Blockbuster? They passed on buying Netflix. Kodak invented digital photography, then buried it. Don’t be them. Don’t stick your head in the sand. AI isn’t all good — neither are cars or phones. But we still use them. Saying AI is “bad” is a scarcity mindset. And while it’s okay to be scared, it’s not okay to let fear hold your business back. Right now, others are already using AI. They’re creating better content, faster. Analyzing data. Using Gemini in spreadsheets. Knowing exactly what subject lines convert best. That’s leadership. That’s smart business. Let’s talk about using AI with integrity. Always verify facts. Don’t take AI’s word for it blindly. Use it to dig deeper, to research, to jumpstart projects. AI isn’t cheating — it’s a strategic advantage. If you don't adapt, you're risking being left behind. AI won't take your job. But someone using AI? They might take your clients. That's real. If you think “being personal” means doing everything manually, fine — but you're working harder than you need to. Train AI to reflect your voice. Use it to draft, approve, and publish. Some of my clients have won business because they responded faster and more professionally — not because they’re better sitters, but because they’re better at operations. Right now is your chance to be ahead of the curve — like 2008 when I told pet sitters they needed Facebook pages. Most people are still scared. That’s okay. Fear is just not knowing. That’s what we fix in the Mastermind. Pet business owners who will thrive in the next five years will be the ones who combine their heart and personal touch with AI efficiency. Are you going to be one of them? Or will you be stuck handwriting invoices while others are using automated onboarding? You could have agents pulling reports, tracking cancellations, giving you a dashboard every first of the month. Or you can pay a human and hope for accuracy. What if you could gain back five hours a week? Respond to clients faster? Create content without wasting your Sunday? I haven't even touched on how I use AI personally — maybe that’s for another episode. I want you to DM me. Book a call: jumpconsulting.net/20. Or join the Mastermind: jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. Want to play around with AI? Start with ChatGPT Plus — $20/month. Then go to jumpconsulting.net/magai for another $20/month. Magai gives you access to multiple language and image models. You can test the same prompt across different models and see how each one responds. You can build your own GPT or “persona” and use it in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — everywhere. Magai is amazing for image generation too. I can create a 35-year-old woman walking a dog in Scottsdale, Arizona — then turn that into a video. Some models are better than others. It takes play and trial-and-error. It’s something you can do instead of doom-scrolling. Just play. Let’s do this together. I want to push this industry forward into the AI age — come with me, or don’t. No shame. But if you want AI, this is the place to be.

Ever feel like AI-generated content sounds stiff, robotic, or just... not like you? In this episode, I share exactly how to fix that. I'm walking you through the biggest mistake people make when using AI—and how to shift your approach so it sounds like you, not like a bot. This episode will help you tap into the magic of your voice, infuse your personality into prompts, and get AI to mirror the tone, energy, and intention you actually want. Whether you're writing blogs, captions, emails, or responses, you're going to learn how to make AI content feel real, raw, and resonant. In This Episode, You'll Learn... The Wake-Up Call - You’re Already Living in AI Land The Graveyard of “Old School” Thinking The Psychology of Struggle Worship What AI Really Gives You (The Value Proposition) The REAL Authenticity Problem - You’re Using AI Wrong The Action Plan - Training AI to Sound Like YOU Timestamps 00:00 – Why AI sounds fake—and what no one tells you about fixing it04:17 – The secret to injecting YOUR voice into your AI outputs07:45 – Real examples: what bad AI sounds like vs. authentic AI10:58 – How to “season” your AI with brand language and intent14:39 – A final mindset shift that will change the way you use AI forever Notable Quotes “AI doesn’t sound fake—you sound fake when you don’t tell it who you are.” “If you want authentic output, you need to give it authentic input. It’s that simple.” “Tone, rhythm, and context are everything. AI is just the amplifier—you are still the instrument.” Resources & Links Ready to make AI sound like you? Start by shifting how you talk to it. Then come tell me what changed—DM me, tag me, or email me. I want to hear your voice in it. Join the Mastermind Book a Free 20-min Call with Bella Bella’s Marketing Services Watch all our Podcasts on YouTube Catch up on last week's episode:   ? Transcript Welcome back to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And things are good. My daughter just got back from a 2 and a half week trip to Macedonia. That's where her dad's from for those of you who have been part of this podcast for the past 11 years! Oh, my God! Also, if you are watching on Spotify right now, there, we have a video up. We also have video up on YouTube for this podcast. You're gonna see in my back corner I got a new plant and I need help naming her. So let me know if you have any fun names for that. I was sick and tired of seeing that plug, and it's a um... oh, gosh! I even forget what that's called. It's one of those ones that are supposed to be really good for the room and the air, aren't they? Anyways, today we're gonna talk about something that I see a lot. And honestly, it was started by Pet Sitters International. I am so excited that they posted something about AI, and it sparked a lot of conversation, and it was all over the board. And if you have been listening to the podcast, you know that I have been asking and asking and asking for other people in the industry to step up and start talking about this, because it's time that we all elevate the industry with what is actually going on out there. It's just like back in... was it 2006, 7, 8? I'm really bad at dates. When I was trying to teach everyone how to do—on why they should have a Facebook page for the business. And you know, AI is just like that. But before we get into the episode, I promised my team that I would ask you to like and subscribe and comment anywhere you are listening or watching to this podcast. We spend about a hundred dollars every single episode to produce this for you with the video, the editing, and the emails, and all the things. And if you find this valuable, if you could just do me that one little favor, that would be amazing. Or even share it with a friend. If there's someone that you know that needs to hear about this—because today's episode is going to be like a blend of inspirational, and “You go girl,” and “Stop doing this.” It's going to be a little bit of tough love. It’s just what I do. I want to talk about how I am seeing pet sitters using AI all wrong. And it has to do with this post that I saw. I’m not calling anybody out. I’m not trying to be mean. I want to educate and empower. But it has to do with the concept of AI as a tool. It is a tool to help you think and get things done. It is not like Google and a to “Give me the answer,” and then you go and take that answer and post it. This is what’s happening. There are people who are saying, “Hey, I want to do a blog post,” or “Hey, I want to do a post on Facebook.” They go and they type into ChatGPT or Magai or Claude or Gemini or whatever it is. They say, “Write me a post about the benefits of dog walking” and then they go and they copy and paste that. And they put it up on their social media. Or they put it in a blog post. Or they put it somewhere. And what's happening is it’s not in your voice. It doesn't have your keywords and it doesn't match your goals. It doesn't resonate with your audience. And this is why you're probably not getting the results you're hoping for. The other thing is, when you're doing that, you're not actually learning how to use AI. You're not developing the skill. You're just treating it like a magic trick. And you're missing out on the depth and the nuance and the ability to actually train it to sound like you, to respond like you, to use examples from your business. You guys, I am in the process right now of helping a client create a bot that is trained on her business and all of her internal documentation. And this bot is going to be able to help onboard her employees, train her employees, answer her employees' questions, and eventually even help train clients. Now, is this a one-size-fits-all solution? Absolutely not. But this is where things are going. And if you're still just copying and pasting a blog post that sounds like a robot, you're missing it. You're wasting your time. You're wasting your energy. And you're not standing out. I want you to think about this. Let’s say you wanted to write a blog about the benefits of hiring a dog walker. You could tell AI, “Hey, I want to write a blog post about this,” but then you give it more. You say, “My tone of voice is friendly, professional, a little bit witty. My target market is busy moms with school-age kids and one or two dogs who need help during the day. I want to highlight how hiring a dog walker helps their dog stay healthy and happy, helps them feel less guilty when they’re running around, and creates consistency for their family.” Now imagine what that blog post would look like. And now imagine using that same base and saying, “Okay, now make this into three Facebook posts, and one Instagram reel script, and a newsletter.” Now you’ve got an entire content strategy from one idea. And you’ve trained your AI to sound like you, talk to your person, and meet your goals. That is how you use AI. That is how you do it. Not just copying and pasting. That’s not using AI. That’s outsourcing your brain. And your brain is the most powerful part of your business. Technology. Okay. Elon's goal is to have a one-way taxi for like $4.80. That is gonna completely dismantle Uber. And so unless Uber starts also changing—and they have adopted a lot—like, a lot of cars are already Teslas. Tesla... I'm not even going to go into that. That’s just down the rabbit hole. I could talk about that forever. It’s just the innovation of it. And the disruption that's happening. It’s happening all around us. That’s my point for today’s podcast. And so your old-school mentality—it’s not preserving tradition. It’s guaranteeing obsoleteness. And it doesn’t mean that you can’t still continue that tradition. But there’s room for all of it. Okay, so let’s dismantle the struggle vs. worth myth, because I feel like—and tell me if I’m wrong, come for me, like write in the comments, I would love to hear from you guys. Email me, leave a comment, message me, DM me, whatever you want to do. You can get me everywhere: bella@jumpconsulting.net or Bella Vasta everywhere. I believe that we were raised—more so—and I’ll be 43 on Friday. So the day after this comes out, I’ll be 43. Which, by the way, I’m actually doing 43% off business coaching until Sunday. So you can buy a 6-pack for 43% off. If you want in on that deal, shoot me an email: bella@jumpconsulting.net. I only do this once a year. And it’s 43% off—$2,275 for six sessions you can use within 6 months. But I have this feeling that there’s this generational conditioning, like a lot of us were raised to believe that if it’s not hard, and we didn’t work hard, and we didn’t struggle, then it’s not valuable. Like, we have to struggle in order for things to be valuable. Do you feel that way? Or have you seen that out there? Also, that struggling builds character. And that if you shortcut anything, you’re cheating. I’ll never forget my dad being like, “No daughter of mine is going to have a digital watch. She’s going to learn how to read time.” And the same thing with calculators, right? It was like, “Oh, you have to learn how to do this algebra, the calculator can’t do it for you.” Well, why? Why? I literally don’t need to know how to do that anymore. Shortcuts aren’t cheating. However you get to it—it counts. And even as an autistic mom, my daughter is obsessed with Gemini and ChatGPT. I cannot even explain to you how many pictures she’s created. She’s on like season 21 of this story she’s creating between a character named Zoe and a smart home, and Pandora and Avatar. And her creativity is just... wow. But she’s doing a lot of talking—she’s not typing—she’s talking it. And it’s brilliant, the things that she comes up with. So as a mom, I’m like: does the method in which we get to something really matter if we’re getting to something that is amazing and miraculous? Think about it. Again,