My own pet business, Preferred Pet Partners is turning 3! I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. As I write this, we’re still in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic. There are so many reasons to feel down. When people stopped traveling and started working from home much of the business came to a screeching halt. I know recovery will take time but I also know recovery will come. On the eve of our 3^rd birthday I prefer to look at the future with hope and to reflect back.

How it started

The first spark of the business started on one of the worst days of my life, or at least I though so at the time. Let me go back a bit. I graduated in 1990 with a degree in Zoology full of plans to work with animals. Life took a detour though and I got a job with a large pharmaceutical company and before I knew it, I was climbing the corporate ladder with a goal of becoming a vice president.

In 2013 I made it! I accepted a position as vice president of operations for a large company. I finally had what I’d worked so hard for; the corner office, the title, the money, I had it all, or so I thought. Then in 2014 I got fired.

I was devastated. My career had defined who I was for such a long time. I was left lost and floundering. I began a job search and, six months later, finally accepting a position for half the money and a fraction of the responsibility.

Fast forward two years, I was sitting at my desk when I suddenly felt ill. I mean, throw up on my shoes ill. I was struck by the absolute certainty that I was in the wrong place. I managed not to barf all over myself but I couldn’t shake the sick feeling. I went home that night and told my husband I wanted, no not wanted, had to start my own business working with animals.

Why I started the business

I’ve always been a problem solver. It served me well in my corporate life and I knew I could use it in my new life as an entrepreneur. I knew the problem I wanted to solve because it was one I’d struggled with. I love animals and I love to travel. These don’t always mesh well. When I would travel, I would be constantly worried about my pets at home. I wanted to trust the person taking care of them to the point where I didn’t have to worry. I wanted someone who would not just tell me they were trustworthy, but show me I could relax by showing me everything they were doing to ensure my pets were safe.

What inspires the business today

A love of animals inspired the initial idea but so many different things have and continue to inspire the business. My time in the corporate world taught me a lot, good and bad. One thing I came to realize was that most large companies have lost their way. Profit is valued and it should be, but not at the expense of people. Corporations have forgotten the value of people. That principle is what inspires and drives me today.

What the business has taught me

The business has taught me to value everyone around me, clients, employees and myself. I believe this is the foundation for any successful business. This is how I want to change the world, valuing one person and one animal at a time, every day.