SPEAKER_00 0:00

If people have a genuine connection with you and they trust you and they refer you to someone, that's how this grows.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

All right, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Connections That Matter. Today I have a super special guest, Ann Coughlin from Peppy's Pets. Ann is a dog walker, uh, lover of animals, and a really brilliant business owner. So, Ann, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Awesome. Well, tell us a little bit about Peppy's Pets and how did you get into that?

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Yeah, so I started uh Peppy's um it while kind of as a lot of pet sitters and dog walkers do, is just a hobby. You got a passion for animals and you just want to do it. And then so I did started it while I was in college, and then I graduated and I kept it going. Um, I always knew I wanted to do something that uh Peppermint, who the business is named after, um, her legacy lived far beyond me. And um it has evolved into what it is today, I guess. Uh and just having the passion for animals that I have and the love that I have and had for her and all the other animals that I've had too.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

So how much of it is a a pet business or where you're dealing with animals, and how much is it a people business where you're dealing with the owners?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yeah, so a lot of people think it's pet business, right? You hear a lot in the industry of like, I don't like to deal with people, so I got into this because of that. When in reality, it's the opposite. The these people need they want to trust you, know like and trust you to take care of their babies, and so it really is a people business. Yes, we take care and directly see the pets themselves, but the people need to trust us, they need to know us, and we have to make that connection with them prior to getting their trust and their acceptance to taking care of their pets.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Yeah. I mean, talk to I mean, I imagine somebody's at work, they're hiring you to come in, let the dogs out or take them for a walk, but to trust you with, like you said, their babies or in and in their home is a is a big thing. So how do you how do you set that um ground groundwork for relationship and trust?

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Yeah, um we just I think referrals. So if people have a genuine connection with you and they trust you and they refer you to someone, that's how this grows. Like a paid advertising, you can do that in our industry, but it's not the best way because people are looking for the people that uh the people that they now trust. And so um so building that connection with anybody, not just your current clients, but anybody, but also current clients. My current clients are have become friends at this point just because we've gotten to know each other so well because they need to trust me and they want to trust me with their babies, but coming into their house, if something seems off in their house, not just with their pets, but whatever that may be, um, they want to know about it, right? Like if something, if their garage door was left open or a door was unlocked, like I'm gonna tell my clients that and build that trust so that and give them the say of like, oh, I didn't mean to do that. I'm gonna and I'll take care of locking it for them, or you know, whatever that may be. I'm in their space and that's vulnerable. And so I want them to trust that we have the utmost right intentions, and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Well, I would imagine referrals are a good part of that. Like if you're doing great service for somebody and then they're talking to somebody else about it. Um, there's already that level of trust. Uh so you're located in Windsor, uh, but expanding. So talk to me about your expansion plans.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Yeah. So we um so I did this solo for six years, and then I hired my first employee, and I'm actively hiring. Um, and when I hired, I hired for Windsor just because that's where I'm located. Um, Windsor is a great town, but it's is kind of small.

unknown 4:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

And so um we're actively branching out. You know, we've done Windsor, Severance, and Timnath just because they're all pretty close, easily drivable. You know, we're going for 30-minute visits, so it's got to be reasonable driving distance for my team and myself, obviously. And now growing as the team grows, um, growing into other nearby areas such as Fort Collins.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Right on. Well, and I'm I'm just amazed by every time I drive through Timnath or Severance, like there's so many, so much new construction. I mean, uh the schools are popping up everywhere. Um and when you move into a new house or a new town, uh a lot of times we set up things for ourselves, but you don't necessarily think about for your pets. But uh, you know, beyond a dog walker, you might need a groomer or a vet. Uh so what are some other animal uh businesses that you collaborate with that's been successful for you?

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Yeah, uh a lot.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Okay. Give them a shout-out.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Yeah, I um it's all for me, it's all about the genuine connection. And so I had peppermint, and as you know, she was uh she's a new she was in Newfoundland that lived to be 14 years, 364 days old, and their lifespan is eight to ten years. And so I got really lucky. What also comes with that age is needing a lot of help and a lot of care for her, and so groomers, newfies have thick, sure, big fluffy coats, so needing the grooming was a big deal, and then veterinary care. Um, the team at Crossroads in Windsor is phenomenal. I'm so incredibly grateful for them. And um, and then Tails Animal Chiropractic and just a dog chiropractor, incredible. Um just you know, and and then the team at CSU, the small animal rehab department, and I couldn't have given her the quality of life that she had without them. And the they'll tell you the opposite, but I'm so incredibly grateful for all they did for her, and I'm so I'm so lucky that I got as long as I did with her, and that also shows through in my business, and um and just but the connections that I created with them and the genuineness of that, they know how much I care about my dogs, but all pets, you know, my dogs and cat, but all pets in general, and so when I reach out to them and you know ask them for endorsements. Yeah, when I reach out to them and I ask for endorsements or you know, collaboration, they have that trust in me because we've built that relationship. They saw for years how I took how I took care of peppermint and how I take care of my current dogs, and just that I have such a passion for it, and those endorsements come easy when the the relationship is as deep and as genuine as we have.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Well, I I'm super curious on your your path to being the business owner because my daughter's into animals too. Like she has dreams of owning her own dog boarding facility, she just has a heart for it. But it instead of going and getting a job or volunteering for someone to be the business owner and starting it, um, where where did that come from uh in you?

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Yeah, well I think I got lucky. I was exposed to it my whole life. My dad is a business owner and entrepreneur. Um, so I was very exposed to that. And I grew up in Minnesota, that's where I'm originally from, and I'm the youngest of seven kids. And so being the youngest of seven kids, I was very on my own, did my own thing kind of a lot, and also being the youngest, didn't really like to be told what to do. There you go. Train of many an entrepreneur. And so I was kind of built to just do my own thing and have the control of my own thing from the very beginning.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Yeah. And then what's what's the five-year plan? Where where are you headed? Like what is the big goals?

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Yeah. Uh Peppy's. So right now, Peppy's is Peppy's Pet Care. Um, and we focus on midday dog walking. Um, but the brand will be beyond that. So there's a bigger brand called Peppy's Pet Shop, and the goals beyond Peppy's Pet Care are just kind of everything you can imagine you need for your pets. We want to make sure we're giving them the best life possible, but also making sure you have you, as a pet parent, have the resources to have that bond for as long as possible. And it'll never be long enough. And but I have that passion and I want to make sure I give people the resources that they need to make it as long as possible. And so pe Pepys is the dream is kind of everything that you need, you know, the supplies, the care itself, the you know, the the pool, the grooming, you know, everything like that. Not that's not necessarily in a five-year span, but just that's where we're headed, just to be that resource and that people know they can trust, and that there is a genuine passion here because I've seen what it can do. I've seen what it could do to keep your dog as active as possible. You know, I tell the story that Peppermint was still walking half a mile a day the day before she passed away, and keeping her that active, no doubt, was the reason why she lived to be 14 years, 364 days, you know. And I want everybody to get that experience.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

Well, I always love who who's gonna help me get there, right? So it's one thing to you know, shout out your big goals on a podcast, and now you now you gotta do it, and but um you know what kind of people are you looking to network with that um can support your growth and can support your ambitious goals?

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Yeah, so networking and like who I'm looking to connect with, the pet industry is great. I, you know, I love them, I'll support them. You know, we can collaborate together, but right now, especially focusing on like the pet care side of things, it's a lot of in-home services and personal services are also people that I'm looking to connect with and um help each other.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Yeah, and I sometimes I would imagine like I I I like to walk my dog, but if I would get in a car accident or injured and all of a sudden I can't to have that level of relationship with theirs. So um yeah, I mean I would love to help you get some more business and some more connections. I'm a big I'm a big proponent of build relationships with people who have that high level of trust with their clients. Uh if somebody's trusting you to go into their house or trust them with their pets, uh they have a listening of you and a trust of you that's different than somebody else that might be a little bit more transactional. So uh if you're interested, if you're in the Windsor area, Severance area, Tim the Theriat, and you're interested in connecting with Anne from Peppy's Pets, how can people get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_00 12:09

Yeah, they can go on our website um and all our contact info will be there. Um but they can also call uh 970-232-2068 or email us at wolf at peppy's pets.com.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Best email. Wolf at Peppy's Pets. All right. Well, Ann, thanks so much for coming on the show and uh sharing your passion and your heart for animals and also uh your goals for what you're doing with your business.

SPEAKER_00 12:34

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

Right on. Hey all, thanks for watching. I love networking and building relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders. So if you want to come meet some of these podcast guests, meet me or meet some other amazing entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado, I would love to have you attend one of our next events. Uh, go in the podcast description. There's a way so that you can see our upcoming schedule. And maybe you could be a future podcast guest as well. Thanks.