Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Hammond. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I decided to take a risk in starting my own pet care business in 2022 after experiencing burnout working in veterinary clinics. I have always loved animals and helping people, but the long hours and low pay many technicians experience was starting to affect my health and happiness. I decided to take some time away to heal and think about what else I could do with the skills I learned while working as a veterinary technician. While working as a barista, I started to do dog walks and small animal drop in visits to supplement my income. Caring for animals in their homes and on walks where they’re comfortable, happy, and healthy reignited something in me. As I started to get busier, I began to think about trying to do it full-time. I eventually got off the petsitting apps I was using and formed my own LLC. I was so thankful when many of my clients decided to continue to book me directly. Over time, my client list grew with a bit of online and in-person marketing. After a while, my schedule got busy enough that I decided it was time to say goodbye to my barista job and put all of my attention on my business. Two years later, I’m so happy I decided to take this risk and have never looked back.
Lauren, 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?
My name is Lauren and I own and operate Lobo Tails Pet Care in Boulder, Colorado. I am an experienced Certified Veterinary Technician turned full-time pet care professional. I provide dog walks, cat and small animal drop in visits, plant and home care. Dogs in my care are always walked on-leash and never walked with dogs from other households. I provide peace of mind for pet owners with busy schedules, those going on vacations, and people with special needs pets who are looking for someone with clinic experience they can trust. I am proud to offer medication administration as well as post-operative care. My clients receive reports after every visit with detailed notes and photos via my petsitting app where everything is streamlined and paperless.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Word of mouth and referrals have been huge for me. My vet’s office asked for some of my business cards one day, and since then I’ve continued to visit local veterinary clinics and pet supply stores to foster relationships. Some of my clients have also kindly referred their friends and family to me. I am always grateful for their support and am happy to give them a referral credit. I am also on Instagram (@lobotails) every day posting content and connecting with other professionals in my field. I have a few group chats with other petsitters and we refer clients to one another when we have busy schedules or are helping a potential client outside of our service area. The community I’ve found has been so helpful, and we truly believe in community over competition.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I began building my Instagram (@lobotails) by following others in my field, local businesses, and pet product companies. During my career as a veterinary technician, I got to know a lot of the brands in medicine as well as products pet owners love. I’ve also done a lot of volunteer work with animal shelters and dog rescues, and have connected with them on social media as well. I think one of the most important things is to post frequently. It’s so easy to get buried in the algorithm these days if you’re not posting enough. I’m often posting Instagram stories of my dog walks and small animal drop ins, demonstrating the care I provide. I also share health and training tips, as well as local events for pets and their people. Posting authentic, engaging content is key. Commenting on posts and finding like-minded individuals and businesses has also been helpful for growth. I now have a community of over 1000 followers, and I hope to continue to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: lobotails.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lobotails
- Facebook: facebook.com/lobotails
- Twitter: x.com/lobo_tails
- Yelp: https://yelp.com/biz/lobo-tails-pet-care-longmont
Image Credits
Alice Guzman