Life & Work with Kate Titus

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Titus.

Hi Kate, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My first job out of graduate school in 1994 was at Inc. magazine, a small business and entrepreneurship magazine. Title for start-ups and established companies. I was too scared to start my own business then, but I loved reading about entrepreneurs who took the risk and made it happen. Fast forward to 2008 and the bad economy. I was laid off I realized this was my last shot at starting my own business, so I went for it and launched A Loyal Companion.

I wanted to create a business that would allow me to spend more time with my dog, Harley and decided dog training would be a way to do that. I needed something that would set me apart from other trainers so I chose canine massage as a differentiating factor. Relaxed dogs learn better, right? I went to Colorado for canine massage certification and fell in love with it. Having my hands in their fur and watching the relief spread as I worked their muscles made it clear that THIS was what I wanted to do.

At the end of our course work, our massage instructor took us to the veterinary appointment for her dog who had suffered a failed knee surgery and was now limping and painful again. The veterinarian recommended OrthoPets, a veterinary orthotics and prosthetics maker in Denver. That was a turning point for me. I could provide more than a massage for dogs. Braces and prosthetics for animals were a small but growing market. Within six months, I was back in Denver signing a distributorship agreement. Now, I help 80-100 animals a year with OrthoPets products. In addition, I met the folks at Canine Rehabilitation and Conditioning Group and was introduced to swimming as a great option for dogs.

A few years later, I entered the Veterinary Technician program at Purdue to learn more about canine anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. Soon after, I attended a week-long immersive canine rehabilitation course at the University of Tennessee. My business vision took shape here when I realized that I wanted to create a micro-niche in the veterinary market: canine mobility. After that experience, I focused on products and services that supported all aspects of a dog’s mobility, including orthotics and prosthetics, swimming, wheelchairs, functional exercise, and more.

After working as a mobile provider for six years, I opened A Loyal Companion Swim and Recreation Center in Tucson in 2015. We offered a heated indoor dog pool, a complete dog gym, training classes, swim lessons, and open swim periods. We welcomed healthy and mobility-challenged dogs.

During Covid, we limited services and eliminated all group activities. This gave me the chance to see what the business might look like if we worked only with disabled dogs. I thought we could make it work. In 2021, I eliminated all recreational activities to better focus on mobility-challenged dogs. We are now A Loyal Companion Canine Swim and Mobility Center.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting and running ALC hasn’t been easy but I’ve avoided (thankfully) many stretches of rocky road. Finding financing was a challenge, but a few folks believed in me and provided the seed money that I parlayed into business loans.

Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart — it’s stressful and exhausting at times knowing that I’m supporting all of my employees as well as myself. But it’s amazing to be a part of a great team who loves what they do and shares that joy with the dogs and their pet parents.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
One part of my business that I’m especially proud of is my writing. I’ve published two books, Sit. Stand. GO! How to help your dog overcome mobility challenges and Emotion to Motion: How the mind impacts your dog’s mobility. I’ve had many magazine articles published, including a piece in The Bark magazine.

The newest area of my business is the Canine Mobility Resource Center (learn.aloyalcompanion.com). This online resource provides access to my knowledge and experience to pet parents who are unable to visit A Loyal Companion in person. I enjoy creating written and video content for the site.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My mother was a librarian. She always said “You don’t have to know all the answers. You need to know where to find them.”

I have a few books that I love: Positioning: The Battle for your mind by Jack Trout and Al Ries. This was the first business book I fell in love with. It’s an easy read and full of fun examples.

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When new technologies cause great firms to Fail, by Clayton Christensen. I read the Harvard Business School case study based on this book and fell in love with his view of change.

The Net and the Butterfly: The Art and Practice of breakthrough thinking, by Olivia Fox. This book sits on my nightstand. I don’t re-read it often, but just seeing the cover is enough to stimulate ideas when I’m stuck on something. I also own this in the Kindle form and it’s heavily highlighted.

Pricing:

• All of the services at A Loyal Companion start with a mobility consultation. The hour-long consultation is $95.
• Orthotic (Braces) and prosthetic packages start at $1,500
• Wheelchair rentals start at $50/month
• Wheelchair purchases start at $299
• Assisted swim and gym sessions to start at $49/per session

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aloyalcompanion.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/ALoyalCompanion
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ALoyalCompanion
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-loyal-companion-llc/
• Youtube: Youtube.com/aloyalcompanion
• Other: learn.aloyalcompanion.com (Canine Mobility Resource Center)

Image Credits
Sophia Sims Images, Tom Spitz, Nikki Frahm, Kate Titus, and Katie Sue