success

Relive All The Best Moments from Our 2014 Vegas Conference and Become Part of 2015 Today

Pet Care Conference in Las Vegas 2014

You know that feeling when you come back from an incredible vacation or getaway and it’s all you can think about?

Or when you return and lay in bed at night amazed at the profound impact it had on your life and business?

Yep, it’s that feeling with an overall sense of pride and humility (Primility) that I carry with me since our return from the 3rd Annual Pet Care Conference in Las Vegas.

While we are in the early stages of planning our 4th annual event (set for October 2015), 32 of our colleagues have already put up a deposit to be part of the experience next fall.

So many amazingly good things came out of this event, not only for me personally, but from the results I see everyday online from those that attended.

Allow me to share with you just some of the highlights from the 2014 3rd Annual Pet Care Professionals Conference.

If you appreciate what being part of this event, experience, and journey might do for you and your business, consider joining us for our 4th Annual Conference.  (Exact details below on how you can become part of our movement!)

I assure you, with pride and humility, it will remain with you in ways you can’t imagine.

Click on each picture to view the full image.

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How This One Book Can Change The Course Of Your Pet Business

Marcus Sheridan signing copies of Youtility
Marcus Sheridan signs copies of Youtility for attendees at the 2013 PetSittingOlogy Conference!

About this time last year, a book came across my radar that has literally changed the way I run my business.

It had such a powerful and profound impact on me that I purchased 40 copies of the book to give away to our 2013 conference attendees.

The book is called Youtility, and it continues to be the guiding way I choose to operate.

Why?

First, look at the book’s tagline: “Why smart marketing is about help not hype”

Did you catch that? Help. Not hype.

Sadly, much of what we do as business owners tends to fall into the hype category more often than not.

Want an example of HYPE?

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Life Is Short: How My Daughter Danica and Joel Osteen Keep My Business Thriving

Josh and Danica

You know that moment in your life when everything changes and absolutely nothing petty matters any longer?

The birth of my beautiful daughter, Danica, was that moment for me.

My 13-month old precious girl is now sufficiently walking.

(I know… I’ve been told (warned!) that life as I know it will never be the same!)

Watching lil Dani go from only able to lay on her back, to rolling over, to crawling, to scooting, to walking around holding the edge of a couch, to a full on confident stroll around the room is a spectacular miracle to watch.

As a proud father, it’s amazing to witness this progression unfold before your eyes.

She is able to pick toys up along the way as she walks and continue about her business.

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A Look Back: The First 5 Years of PetSittingOlogy – 2009 through 2014

passion and persistence for successThis May (in 2014) marks the 5 year anniversary of PetSittingOlogy’s first published blog post, which led to more professional goodies for the working pet sitter.

I have more zest, excitement and desire to nurture this brand than ever before. And I credit that to one specific attribute:

Passion.

The word passion is defined as an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

I don’t need to tell you that nearly everything we do in life must have a bit of passion behind it, or else it becomes what we call a chore. And the more passion you have for what you do day in and day out in this industry, the more success and longevity you will find.

[Passion + Persistence = The Pet Professional’s Secret Sauce for Success!] (Do you have both?)

As with any reflection of a 5 year chunk of time, a lot has happened. A lot of good, and a lot not so good. It had it’s ups. It had it’s downs. But the internal desire to serve and remain available continues to shine.

My work has also been able to resonate because of a tremendously motivated, kind, and generous industry (that’s you!).

I’m what you might call a social guy. I like talking. I like meeting new people. I like asking questions. And I like learning new things. I’m curious.

But more than anything, I enjoy listening.

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Creating the Most Impressive Conference Ever

Sweet lil Monkey

Have you been to a conference before and been unimpressed?

Maybe it was some industry conference, maybe it was a business class offered by a local college or business professional.

Did you walk into the room and not know anyone? Did you cordially put on your fake smile and say hello, and then sit down and bury your head in your phone until the lecture started?

And is that what it felt like – a lecture?

A broad overview on what you need to do to grow a successful business but no real, pertinent to you, how am I going to implement, nothing pertains to ME and my business.

So you leave and promptly forget everything you “learned” and don’t even remember the name of the person who sat next to you.

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Who Is Winning The Post-Holiday Pet Sitting Blues Fight?

empty office

Do you notice how some months are busier than others, while others seem to come to a grinding halt?

In our pet care industry, most pet sitters experience this sort of ebb and flow, but the trick is what to do when there is little to do?

After the Winter holidays, business can really slow down for a lot of us pet sitting business owners.

Everyone got their traveling done in November and December and now the kids are back in school, vacation days are gone from work and the post-holiday blues are starting to sink in.

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These Pet Sitters Will Be Joining Us in Vegas as Our Sponsor A Pet Sitter Winners

winner picOur 2nd Annual Pet Sitting Live Event and Conference is coming along nicer than I could have imagined – thanks, in part, to our incredible sponsors.

We created 2 programs this year to allow even more pet sitters to attend who otherwise could not because of financial restraint.

Personally, I created the Sponsor-A-Pet-Sitter program and the PetSittingOlogy Scholarship to help do all I can for those pet sitters who want to attend, but simply do not have the financial means at this time.

Plus, keep reading… we have great news for those pet sitters not selected who truly want to attend the conference, as our guest! (Watch video below.)

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It’s OK To Steal, As Long As You Steal From The Best

stealing foodDid you know that I steal from people every single day?

And I know you do, too (or at least you should be)!

I spent close to 15 years in the acting and film world before I became a pet sitter.

And one of the things that I still remember today from an acting teaching of mine was that very quote (about stealing from the best).

What exactly did she mean by this?

Was she condoning illegal or unethical activity?

Of course not.

She was referring to learning, studying, and applying the techniques of the best in the industry to yourself.

Whether it’s acting, a new website, or the next greatest invention, people “steal” inspiration from those respected around them.

That’s how we learn, create and discover our own great potential.

For example, I teach pet sitters how to create an amazing website from the success of my own pet sitting business website.

Over the past 4+ years, I continue to deliver articles, tools and resources and basically say, “Hey, this is how I do it and found it to work, you should do the same (steal it!).”

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Are Pet Sitters Taken Seriously?

If you spend any amount of time chatting with other pet sitters online, you quickly to hear similar stories, questions, issues, and frustrations.

One big overriding theme I see all too often has to do with the public perception of a pet sitter.

Sure, the pet owner who winds up hiring you understands and respects the service you provide, but this may be the exception, not the rule.

Dialogue of pet owners sneering at your fair pricing structure, making absurd requests, and expecting you as the service provider to be thankful that she is giving you the opportunity to be hired has got to stop.

But it starts with you.

In order to consider whether or not pet sitters are taken seriously (and why), we need to take a step back and understand what it means to be professional first and foremost.

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What is the PetSittingOlogy Scholarship Program – 2013

scholar photoSince 2009, PetSittingOlogy has been providing pet sitters at every stage of their careers with tools, services and resources to build stronger businesses.

You have seen everything from our “Start a Pet Sitting Business” course, IC Toolbox, and training webinars to the SEO master classes and WordPress-powered website system.

As part of the upcoming conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 7 and 8, we are proud to announce the PetSittingOlogy Scholarship Program.

NOTE: Visit petsittinglive.com for all details on the conference.

This program will award up to 3 professional pet sitters a full, complimentary trip to the live conference, including ticket fee, 2-night hotel stay at the Tropicana, and round trip airfare.

Simply put, the aim is to find, discover and promote pet sitters that bring something different, incredible and unique to the table.

There is no one correct way to run a pet sitting business, and so many professionals today have amazing stories that need to be heard.

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