We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Tidwell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.

Erin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

I think the thing corporate America gets wrong about this business is the personal touch you lose when you operate on a larger scale. I also think people mistake the hard work it takes to take care of a pet, they’re like clients children. When start using apps and every person in the world is out there trying to dog walk to make a quick buck it becomes quickly apparent that the job isn’t for everyone and takes extra attentiveness and care.

As far as the music stuff goes.

Erin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been a creative, dreamer, problem solver since I was very young. At age 11 my parents got me my first guitar (which I , of course, begged for, for months). Not soon after my passions quickly shifted to drums. Again, I begged for months to get a drum set. At 12 I finally had the drum set of my dreams and I’ve never looked back.

When I moved to LA to follow my musical dreams I started walking for several corporate dog walking companies. Often times I found myself feeling like the interactions with my clients were less personal than they should be. I’m taking care of a member of their family and I wanted to put that personal touch. So BarkSideLA was born out of wanting to connect and big a dream to be better then the usual offering.

Still today I strive for that personal touch, all of my new clients are introduced to my dog Dottie before I taken them on, and with music I like to hear the music the bands I play for come up with and add slight changes that add my own personal sound.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Consistency and quality are crucial. Being reliable in dog walking and delivering great performances as a musician can earn a solid reputation. Word-of-mouth recommendations and testimonials from satisfied clients can also significantly boost your credibility in both fields.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of clients has been the entertainment world. Living in LA is a hectic place with a lot of people perusing their dreams. Musicians and the film world has been a great source for new clientele. Being a musician myself there are lots of times when you have out of town shows or tours and you need someone to take care of your pet. That coupled with the film world and honestly world of mouth.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @erindrums @thebarksidela

Image Credits
Patrick Yandoc