We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Gann. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Ashley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
In my journey through life, the one thing I always did was work with people- client services or customer services, in some manner. A waitress, retail sales, property management, and even healthcare for a while. One thing that always stayed constant in my life was my deep love for animals and also my pull and passion towards them. It would drive my mother crazy because, as a child, I would approach every stray dog or cat on the street without fear. I would bring home every living creature I found when playing outside. I even found myself the playground protector of worms in K-5. often sneaking them inside after recess just to make sure the boys didn’t step on them later. It took me a while to find a way to use my love, knowledge, and passion for animals in a way that would bring my life joy. Through many different jobs and working up the courage, I finally pushed myself forward toward a new path, and it led me right to it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
All Paws Pet Care Services, LLC, started out originally as a second source of income for myself and truly, a fun thing for me on the side. If I had my way, I would live on a huge lot of land with a ton of various animals, spending all my time rescuing as many animals as I could. Since I knew that wasn’t on the 10-year plan, my journey began with me just having the desire to earn some extra money by spending more time with animals, which brings me so much joy.
I didn’t put effort into growing my base or putting my name out there, but it did not take long before referrals started to roll in. Within 2 years of doing it part-time on the side, I had real potential to turn it into something more than just a side gig. I had fallen in love with what I was doing, my clients and their animals. After years of changing career paths and finding that I wasn’t happy in my newest job, again, I was ready to make a big change.
I decided I would launch the business full-time and see what I could do with it. Seeing it grow as a referral-based business only, has been so amazing. I didn’t want to spend money on marketing and never enjoyed external marketing. I felt that if the clients needed me, they would come. Boy, did they!
I have learned over many years as a pet parent that boarding at a vet or a boarding facility isn’t always the most appropriate for my animals. It became my mission to provide an alternative to my clients and prospective clients just like me, who see their animals as children, as commitment, and as living beings to be loved with all they have. They deserve all we can reasonably give to them, and if I can provide a service that will bring peace and comfort to my human clients and provide joy and ease to their animals, I have done something great with my time.
Over the years, All Paws has continued to grow thanks to the amazing clients who continue to refer me! It came to a point where I realized expanding my team was necessary if I wanted to continue growing and working towards new goals and ideas. In 2023, All Paws has added two new members to the team, and I am eager to bring more sitters on board soon! What originally started as a part-time job of overnight pet sitting has expanded into a 4 Member team of pet sitters and services such as; walks, hikes, drop-ins, taxi trips, overnights, and more. I hope to add nutritional services in the future and even photo shoots!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
This makes me think, it is funny, many people have asked me if I am not a people person because I work with animals. I love people! And I am, in fact, a people person! I did find, however, with age, that my mental health was suffering with my working in careers where I spent all day communicating and working with the actual people. Being diagnosed with a lifelong chronic mental illness, I knew I had to make changes to my life. I found so much peace in bringing joy to animals, and it was a wholly better environment for my health.
Looking back now, if I had someone to give me advice then, these are the things I wish someone would have talked with me about. I think the most amazing thing about this community that I have found personally is how welcoming it is and how willing everyone is to help each other. Pet sitting is not for everyone, though, and is not as easy as just picking up a leash and walking a dog; making sure it is the right fit for you is very important before making the commitment!
Three qualities, short list: Patient, Caring and Trustworthy
Patience is crucial when working with people and animals. Animals can read body language and they are incredibly intuitive creatures; your energy will control the situation in all things you do in life. Being caring and compassionate in this job is also a major quality plus because you are literally caring for these animals and it requires a big heart and someone with a true desire to care for others. And the most important to me is you must be trustworthy because the human and the animal count upon you to do all the necessary care, to the letter. Trust is key in the relationship between the sitter, pet, and pet parent.
Three Skills: Client communication, Time Management, and Attention to Detail.
Communication happens every day in our industry between new prospects, current clients, and even with other companies or shelters in the community. It is a misconception that being a pet sitter means that you will never deal with people- you absolutely will! Building a community and communication is an important skill to hone in; not everyone is as bubbly as the other or even enjoys social situations but, finding a way to adapt and learn to expand your skills despite your fears will help. I was someone that struggled a lot in the communication area for a lot of my life, and I had to work very hard to get to a place where I felt comfortable communicating regularly with customers and essentially selling myself (the sitter) or the service. It is something that not everyone is great at and I think it’s something that almost everyone would benefit from growth in.
Time Management is hard for a lot of people and can be even more difficult when you factor in the aspects of a pet sitter with traffic, travel, and unforeseen things that often pop up every day in our jobs in pet care. It is a huge skill to work on if you struggle in this area. When clients count on your at specific times, and you know you have a full schedule of others, you must learn to manage yourself and your time very well. It is not something that comes easily, and you must work on it if you do know this is a difficult area for you. TIP: I absolutely would recommend starting out with a client database software from the get-go; I waited until 3 years in to convert to a database and the conversion process was difficult! I think this would have been key in helping with time management from the beginning.
Attention to detail is a big one! So many little things can change week to week between clients and it can be easy to miss a detail. Being able to pay attention and carefully note you have completed every task correctly is how you ultimately achieve that happy client. Medication must be given properly and food portions; some animals may have allergies while others may have major medical needs. Being responsible and attentive to what is required of us is a top priority- this is not a job we coast through and expect to see that client retention or a lot of smiling faces all around. It can be easy to assume a dog walk or overnight is just that but in fact, there is always much more to it. Details are the name of the game and a part of every single job we complete. From the sex of the animal to the color of the right leash, it all makes a difference to the client and we are here to make sure we get it all right.
Areas of Knowledge: 100% Pet First Aid and CPR should be on every pet parent and pet sitter’s list! Insurance Insurance Insurance! Protect yourself, your clients, and their pets! Be prepared to do 15 jobs as a business owner and sitter because you are the jack of all trades! You are the boss, the auditor, the marketer, the website designer, the manager, the sitter, the scheduler, the accountant, the communication coordinator, the social media magician…you do it all! Expand your knowledge in areas you aren’t familiar with or ask for help, hire a team! Don’t let anything keep you from starting though, just be prepared.
Continuing education: I have expanded my knowledge with dog training courses, certifications, pet nutrition, holistic medicine, and online medical journals. I will do whatever it takes to provide the care and knowledge to my clients that will allow them to be the best pet parents to their pets and advocate for them, when needed, in a way they never could before. Be curious, be fearless, and be open-hearted. There is a world out there full of knowledge about dogs and cats; ways we can improve their lives and ours. Never be afraid to become more educated in something to give you fulfillment and joy; you may just bring something new to the table with the knowledge you gained. Find what drives you and just keep the pedal down and your eyes ahead.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My growth rate is beyond imaginable for a business that is paying for zero marketing! My biggest challenge so far this year has really been finding a way to build my team. As a lot of small businesses know, trying to hire is an expensive, time-consuming, and often stressful challenge. I have been turning business away due to a lack of extra staff to accommodate the requests from new clients at this point; nothing kills my soul more than sending a prospective client in need away.
I have been so pleased with the members I have brought on board so far but the next people I bring to my team, I want to be here for the long haul. I am looking for partners, for people like me with passion and a deep, truly insane love for animals. My friends and family tease me because I am the “animal whisperer” they like to say; I want more of those!
I cannot wait as a small business to be able to offer quality jobs and I look forward to providing jobs with promotion opportunities, bonuses, and other benefits for my team. In a lot of companies and businesses, staff don’t feel like they are part of something and I want my business to be the opposite. If the staff want to, they have the option to become a lifelong part of All Paws.
Right now, I am still looking at how that will happen and who those people will be. I am searching for them, and the day they come, I will snatch them right up!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allpawspcs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allpawspcs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allpawspcs/
Image Credits
Ashley Gann
