Meet Courtney Kinnear

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

Hi Courtney, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity stems from the values my mom instilled in me growing up. She was incredibly giving, but never a pushover. She led by example, always “killing them with kindness”. One of the biggest lessons she taught me was to treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s something I carry with me daily, in work and in life.

When it comes to pets, being generous feels second nature. They’re pure, trusting, and completely reliant on the humans in their world. It’s hard not to go above and beyond for them. Even on long days, when I’m tired or a particular client is being difficult, I always tell myself, “Do it for the pet.” That little reminder shifts my mindset and brings me back to why I do what I do. Whether it’s taking extra time to comfort a nervous pup or double-checking the water bowl one more time before I leave, that generosity is my way of honoring the trust pets (and their people) place in me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve loved animals for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t always clear how that would shape my career. In school, psychology really sparked my interest, so I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in it. But after graduation, I found myself unsure of what to do next. I bounced around a few medical offices, trying to find my footing, but honestly, it felt sufficating. Then one day, I was laid off. It felt like a curveball at the time, but looking back, it was the push I needed. I had a choice: find another job that drained me, or finally carve my own path.

That’s when I tapped into my inner child’s love for animals and started my own pet care business. I had zero business experience, but I had faith in my ability to learn and the passion to follow through. I spent countless days and nights researching everything from marketing to animal behavior, determined to offer the best care possible. It definitely took time to build a client base, and I made my share of mistakes along the way, but I chose to treat every challenge as a learning opportunity for betterment, not a setback. Slowly but surely, I turned what felt like a wild idea into a full-time career I genuinely love!

Today, my business offers a wide range of pet care services including dog walking, pet sitting, and cat care. Every visit is personalized to meet the unique needs of each pet, with a strong focus on comfort, safety, and routine. We’re not just popping in to feed and go, we’re creating meaningful relationships with pets and giving their humans peace of mind.

What makes this work so special to me is that it literally makes me smile every day. Animals are incredible teachers. Every good human quality, patience, presence, joy, loyalty, you can find it in them. And I feel lucky that my job reminds me of that every single day.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that had the biggest impact on my journey are tenacity, reliability, and flexibility. These aren’t just essential for running a business, they’ve become cornerstones in how I approach life in general.

In the early days, tenacity was what kept me going. Starting out with just one client and zero business experience, it would’ve been easy to give up when things got tough (and they did!). But I pushed through the self-doubt, the slow days, and the growing pains. I kept showing up, learning, and improving. That persistence paid off and now I have the privilege of caring for over 200 pets and serving a loyal client base that I’ve built from the ground up!

Reliability has been just as important. In my line of work, there’s no one hovering over your shoulder making sure the job gets done. It’s all about personal accountability. My team and I work independently, and if we’re not reliable, showing up on time, following instructions, and being consistent, we lose trust, and with that, clients. That trust is everything. It’s the foundation of our business, and we earn it every day.

Then there’s flexibility, a skill I never knew I’d need so much! Pet care is full of surprises. Weather delays, last-minute bookings and cancellations, pet behavior issues, car trouble, client emergencies, you name it, we’ve seen it. Schedules change constantly, and we’ve had to learn to adapt on the fly. I’ve also had to stay flexible as a business owner, evolving the way I run things based on experience, feedback, and challenges that pop up along the way. No two days are ever the same, and being able to roll with the punches has kept me sane and successful.

My biggest advice to anyone starting out? Just go for it! You can’t learn these qualities in a vacuum, you learn them by doing. You’ll make mistakes, that’s part of it. But every mistake is a chance to get better. Put yourself out there, stay open, and don’t let fear keep you from taking the first step. The growth happens in the doing.

One of my favorite quotes is “Doing it scared is just as brave”.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Burnout is very real, especially in any kind of hospitality or service field. I’m a people pleaser by nature and have always tried to accommodate my clients’ needs, even at the expense of my own. Every summer, when my days can stretch to 16 hours and I’m juggling every detail for multiple pets and homes, burnout creeps in.

But honestly, those burnout moments have been a bit of a blessing in disguise. They’ve forced me to make changes that benefit not just for myself, but for the four other sitters on my team. I’ve learned to set boundaries, like silencing my phone outside of business hours, leaning on my team more, and being okay with telling clients that we’re unavailable at times.

One summer, I spent three exhausting months completely restructuring the business from the ground up. These days, I still get overwhelmed here and there, but I’ve built systems that make burnout easier to catch—and much easier to recover from.

Don’t be afraid to change the status quo if it means things will be better in the long run!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wagnificentpetcare.com
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wagnificent-pet-care-monrovia