Hi, I’m Kristin
Pet Business Coach, Author, Podcaster, Online Educator and Speaker.
You’ve Heard of Overnight Success Stories? Well, Mine Isn’t Quite Like That.
It’s Better.
Helping pet business owners isn’t my first rodeo. My first business was a pet sitting and dog walking business that grew into one of the largest of its industry in California 🐕.
But I wasn’t always this business savvy. In fact, my pet business started by accident! I knew NOTHING about business when I started. I didn’t have a degree or a plan. I simply helped a few friends by walking their dogs, then realized I LOVED it and in 1995 decided to start a business working with pets.
A year after starting my business, I got some local publicity and within 24 hours (literally overnight!) I had over 50 new (human) clients lined up wanting me to care for their pets.
Suddenly I was thrust into the world of hiring staff to keep up with the big demand, yet I had never been a boss or even a manager of people before. I was happy about the all the new client requests, but my stress level from juggling all the aspects of the business went through the roof!
Because of that and not knowing what I was doing when it came to growing a pet business quickly, I made a lot of mistakes around expanding, marketing to get new clients and hiring and training staff.
Over the nearly twenty years that I had my pet business, I hired over 250 people to work for me, so I’ve learned a thing or two since my early hiring misfires. But even though my business got to the stage where I was a successful businesswoman in the eyes of many people around me, I wasn’t successful in my own eyes.
I was, in fact, suffering crippling business burnout.
Even after hiring a lot of staff members, I found myself working 12-14 hours a day, often 7 days a week, and yet somehow still not making much of a profit. All my revenue was going back into my business and to my staff for operating costs. The time and energy I was devoting to the business was bleeding me dry and what was left over for me hardly felt worth it.
I also didn’t know where best to put my energy, time and attention with all the business tasks that needed my attention and so I ended up spinning my wheels a lot. (Can you relate?)
I was exhausted and burned out every single day and my business consumed my whole life. When people asked me what I liked to do outside of running my business, I’d laugh to myself and think, ‘I don’t have a life outside of my business!’
I considered selling my business or even simply walking away from it. What held me back? For all the challenges, I still loved being self-employed! Even though I was working long hours and had fallen out of love with my business as it then existed, I really loved getting paid to be with animals and being able to make my own schedule.
So I created an extraordinary goal:
Fall in love with my business and my life in ONE YEAR. Make it wildly profitable – and let the money come easily. And have way more fun doing it.
I decided if I didn’t achieve these goals in one year, I would sell my business, or simply walk away.
My goal was to transform my pet business into one that was:
- Highly profitable;
- Easy and fun to run;
- Allowed me time to travel and live abroad for extended periods of time; and
- Have a fulfilling life outside of work.
The race to make big changes was on!
I soon realized that it wasn’t my business that was making me unhappy — it was the way I was running it.
And so, I set out to change the way I was running my business.
I explored everything I could get my hands on about how to run a profitable business in an automated, smart way. I began getting my own “MBA” at night through devouring business books and investing sweat equity into my newfound business. I applied all that I learned to my own pet business to see what worked and what didn’t.
Little did I know, the business “breakdown” I was experience was the beginning of a big breakthrough and huge gift.
It was the beginning of more business success than I could have ever imagined – and a lifestyle many people call enviable.
In less than a year I went from working 7 days a week to working 3 days a week – and making double the profit of the year before when I’d been working over double the hours!
After that, I was also able to live abroad for nearly a year while my business ran like a well-oiled machine, under the care of managers I’d trained to run it.
It was astounding to me.
So, if you’re feeling frustrated by your pet business, I completely understand how you feel. I know just how challenging running your own pet business can be.
The frustration.
The crazy burnout.
The difficulty finding good staff that you (and your clients) love.
The feast or famine aspect of running a pet business and needing recurring, steady income to create a solid financial foundation, but having no idea how to create it.
The moments of feeling so stuck you’re not sure how you’re going to figure things out.
I can honestly say that everything you’re going through I’ve probably felt and dealt with during the nearly two decades of running my pet business.
When my business began to work, I began to fall deeply in love with my business again. I felt like myself again!
In 2000, I began getting requests from pet business owners who wanted coaching from me.
They wanted me to help them create a successful business. I began coaching pet sitters, dog walkers, pet groomers, dog trainers and dog daycare owners on the days I wasn’t running my pet business.
The business owners I coached began creating successful businesses that gave them more time and money, and they told their business owner friends about me, who then told their friends and soon I had a large coaching business in addition to running my pet business!
In 2013, I sold my first company after running it for 18 years.
I had 35 staff members and 4 managers at the time.
On the side, while running my first business, I coached thousands of business owners and wrote business books, created online courses and passive income products, and hosted a podcast. After selling my business, I decided that would be the direction I’d now go full-time – helping business owners thrive. And that’s where I am today!
I would love to support you to create a business you love that loves you back.
Kristin In The Press
Kristin’s Quick Business Stats
YEARS IN BUSINESS
BOOKS PUBLISHED
AUDIOBOOKS CREATED
People Coached
ONLINE COURSES
PODCASTS LAUNCHED
PODCAST DOWNLOADS
Webinars TAUGHT
Headquarters
San Francisco Bay Area +
Big Island, Hawaii
CLIENTS
Pet Business Owners From All Over The World
Here Are The Values That Guide My Work…
Full-Tilt, Technicolor Life
I believe a successful business isn’t just about financial gain. It’s about serving your clients while also setting boundaries and respecting your own time and energy. It’s about building a life of freedom and abundance, where you can prioritize the things that matter most. It’s about living life and running your pet business in an abundant, prosperous way, which allows all of you to flourish – including your pet business.
Deep Listening, Intuition + Trust
I pay close attention to your words and your unspoken messages: your body language, your tone of voice, and the subtle nuances in your communication. I trust my intuition and offer a supportive, non-judgmental space. Together, we make significant breakthroughs. I often hear clients say, “I feel so much better,” “You gave me so many good ideas” or “Wow, I never thought of that!”
Empathy + Love
I understand the challenges that life and business can bring, having faced my own share of adversity. Through perseverance and support, I’ve overcome significant obstacles. My experiences enable me to offer compassionate and empathetic support as you navigate your own journey. Your well-being is important to me.
Authenticity + Transparency
I’m all about being real. If I don’t have the solution to your challenge, I’ll be straight with you and refer you to the right person who can help or get you pointed in the right direction. I’m not here to portray a perfect life. An Instagram life is not the life I want to live. I live a truthful life, one containing mistakes and struggles as well as amazing success and a life that blows my mind sometimes!
Things You Might Not Know About Me
DOG MAMA
I have a dog named Lili in honor of the last Hawaiian queen, Lili’uokalani. She was a stray I rescued on a busy road in Hawaii. I’m smitten with her!
TWO PLACES
I live on a tidal marsh in Northern California and in the jungle on the Big Island of Hawaii. When people ask where I prefer living, I have no words – they are both magical and inspire me in completely different ways.
FINDING LOVE
A few years ago, I consciously decided to go back into the dating scene and set a clear intention to meet my husband. 9 months and many first dates later, I met my husband, Spencer.
YAHOO FINANCE
I was almost late to a live TV interview with Yahoo Finance in New York City because the taxi driver got lost on the way to the studio. I arrived 3 minutes before the live interview.
I’m afraid of...
I’m not afraid of many things, but I am afraid of spiders. There are spiders the size of large hands in Hawaii! I’m learning to conquer my fear of spiders, but it’s not easy, especially when I see them inside our Hawaii house. The good news is the California spiders are of no concern to me now.
MEDITATION SAVED ME
When I was in India a few years ago, I stood in front of a bakery deliberating between eating chocolate cake or meditating down the street at a meditation hall. I chose meditation. The bakery was bombed a few minutes later and nearly everyone in the bakery died.
Quitting Drinking
I decided to take a year-long break from drinking alcohol on January 1, 2021 and I felt so good after that abstinent year that I decided to continue not drinking. My life is much better because of not drinking. I have a lot more energy, sleep better, and experience a much deeper sense of well-being since I stopped drinking alcohol.
HOT YOGA
I love hot yoga even though I often question why I’m there halfway through class. After class I’m always glad I went. It feels like hell during the class but like heaven after the hot yoga class.