We recently connected with Katie Shepherd and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

Gifts and showing appreciation are actually not my specialty. My love language is spending time with people. So until recently I showed my customers I appreciated them by listening to them, answering their questions, and giving them my undivided time and attention when I’m with them. I took a class on how to show better appreciation and have better customer service, so I came up with a plan. I have a friend who has a woodworking business so I commissioned her to engrave my client’s dogs’ names on keychains and gave them out for Christmas. People actually thought they were really big and heavy dog tags! So I had to include a little note that it was a keychain for them. My clients have loved them, and been so grateful. It’s been so much better! It’s been so successful, I’ve added it to a permanent appreciation to everyone that purchases my training courses!

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?

Like so many little girls, I grew up wanting to be a veterinarian, I prided myself at being able to get the cat in the room to come to me. My hands-on experience in the industry began when I whelped all our Scottish Fold kittens that we bred. At 15 I joined my mom in her grooming shop and learned to groom. I did my senior project in a veterinary hospital, and actually fainted watching my first surgery! I continued to groom while I went to school, and volunteered at vet clinics. I eventually became the head tech at a clinic before getting married. I put that career on hold for a while so I could be a mom and focus on my kids. I went back to school when they were a little older and was back in the clinic. I managed a large schnauzer breeding business and leaned how to train puppies. I also dove into nutrition and how to actually help dogs live healthier lives. Now my business is a combination of all my experiences.

I help people who are getting or just got a new puppy. There is so much information to sort through, and they really need to be started off in the right direction. I have so much more experience in this industry than many other trainers. All of my products contain all my knowledge. I don’t hold back! I love to help and educate. I offer online training course, and virtual lessons. I’m most proud of my signature course “1 Month to the Perfect Pup” which is patterned after the curriculum I use for board & trains. I’ve thrown everything into that course!

My soul cannot handle ASPCA commercials or animal shelters, or movies with animals in them. My goal in my business is to use all of my education so people make better decisions about the dogs they get and have all the info they need to keep them at their home for the rest of their lives.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

My desire to help is my most effective strategy. I love to talk someone off the cliff of frustration or hopelessness. I often have friends and clients that call when their dog is in distress, wondering if they need to get to a vet. I am so grateful that people trust me in that vulnerable and scary moment. Sometimes it’s people I haven’t talked to in years, and they still call. I love it. I love having just enough knowledge to help them know to get to a vet, or that it’ll be okay to stay home. That obviously connects us and raises trust. But I guess that was already established before then. I just love helping people with their pets, and almost to a fault. Sometimes my kids have to hold me back from sharing too much, or giving unsolicited advice.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’m actually pivoting right now. When I worked for a schnauzer breeder, my kids were around to help me train and take care of dogs. I’m nearly an empty nester now, and won’t have their help. I’ve seen this coming and began my pivot last year, designing my courses and getting them online. Focusing on my social media and reaching clients that way. It’s been a job for sure, but I love social media and how we can have these awesome relationships with people we’ve never met. I love being able to help more people and ease their struggles with their pups. It’s been fun, stressful, questioning, exhilarating….probably the entire gauntlet of emotions. But the pivot has to work! So I keep pushing forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katetrained.com
• Instagram: @puppyhelpwithkate
• Facebook: katetrained
• Other: TikTok: @puppyhelpwithkate and soon to be Pinterest @katetrained