We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenna Nelson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jenna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

This business has been my biggest and most rewarding risk. I was doing pet sitting on the side up until 2021 and working in the restaurant service industry. During COVID I reflected a lot about where I wanted to go in life and decided I wanted to break free from the job I had whenever the world decided to open back up. I took the time to build a website, became certified and obtained pet insurance. I let my side gig clients know I was going full time and got the momentum going quickly. The first two years were slow and had months where I did not know if i’d make it but had continuous support and have persisted. Its opened me up to other avenues of marketing, customer service and really shown me what it means to be a small business owner. I’ve kicked off the training wheels this past year and this year plan to grow as far as more walking clients, my understanding of the financial structure and stability, and community involvement.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Jenna Nelson, the owner of Jknelson&Co. Currently located in Woodland Hills and covering areas ranging from Encino to Lake Sherwood and Malibu to Porter Ranch. Services provided are pet sitting, dog walking and check in sessions.
As i’ve shared before, I was working in the food service industry up until COVID hit. I’d occasionally pet sit for friends and family as a side gig but it was not until COVID that I decided to pursue it full time. In 2021, I was able to grow a sufficient amount of clients to leave my job and have not looked back since. It has been five years now and I have been fortunate to sustain a consistent sitting clientele list. I do hope to build a stronger walking clientele this year.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I would say client referrals are the best source. It makes me happy to know my clients are so satisfied with my services and care that they refer me to their friends, family, and co workers.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think being trustworthy, transparent, and reliable have helped build my reputation. My clients have expressed when I send pictures, videos, and updates it gives them a sense of ease and allows them to enjoy their vacations, get work done or handle emergencies they may currently be dealing with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jknelson.services/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jknelsonandco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jknelsonandco

Image Credits

Images courtesy of Nicholas Lamm at jknelsonandco