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Meet Ridge Gullette III of Pet Sit Arizona in Central Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Ridge Gullette III.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Ridge. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am Phoenix born and raised. I attended Brophy College Preparatory and went on to receive my degree in secondary education from ASU. I taught high school English Language Arts for two years before leaving the profession to start my own business dog walking and pet sitting. While I was in school, I walked dogs for some side money, so I figured I could create and grow a brand representative of high-quality pet care services. When I started, I had no idea what I was doing. It has been three years since that time and I have been able to grow the business at a manageable pace while recruiting quality pet sitters. For a more specific timeline, I have been pet sitting since 2006. In 2012, I came up with the name, created a logo, and purchased my website www.PetSitArizona.com. At the end of my teaching contract in 2016, I created my LLC.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been smooth, but it has been worthwhile. I have encountered a number of obstacles that, although I fretted over at the time, I have grown stronger for overcoming as a result. One obstacle was finances. I had no real money in savings when I started the business. However, the business model I put together for myself was one in which I maintained low overhead costs and was solvent. I didn’t even know what solvent meant until someone asked me about my finances and told me that I was solvent. I’ve also had to learn how to operate bookkeeping software far more in-depth than I thought I ever would. Another hurdle was learning how to properly take the information in my own head and communicate it to the sitters I interview. This is not for everyone, and that needs to be clear, which is why my application for sitters is 18 pages long and the policy manual is 14 pages long. I set exceptionally high expectations, and we do a lot more than simply playing with the dog or cat – we are taking care of clients’ entire homes in their absence. We’ve had air conditioners quit in the middle of the summer, power outages, water shutoffs, and more. We manage whole home operations. I’ve also had to learn that it is okay to say no when the pet(s)/sitter is not a good fit. Meet-and-Greets are two-way interviews. In order to set everyone up for success, the sitters, pets and owners must be comfortable and confident in one another. Beyond that, I’ve worked with clients to learn how to give insulin injections, fluid injections, and other medications even when it has been difficult. Every minute detail is incredible, so my New Client Agreement is 19 pages long in order to capture all the questions we might otherwise forget to ask during an interview.

Pet Sit Arizona – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Pet Sit Arizona is a small company of dedicated pet sitters offering top quality Dog Walks, Drop-in Visits, and Overnight Care. We endeavor to foster long-lasting relationships with our clients. What sets us apart is our flexibility and commitment to delivering the highest level of quality care to our clients’ pets because our pets are our family members. For example, perhaps the pet sitter who usually visits your pets is unavailable for a particular set of dates. With Pet Sit Arizona sitters, we ensure that no matter which sitter works with a client’s pets, she or he will provide the same level of services. As a company, I would say I’m most proud of how I take care of my sitters. I strive to make sure they are happy, and in turn, they make sure our clients are happy.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I don’t often reflect on my own accomplishments the way I probably should because I’m usually enjoying a calm moment where business has tapered off before it ramps back up, or I’m working towards more short and long term goals. Moments in which I find I pat myself on the back have included the latest redesign of the website www.PetSitArizona.com making it mobile-friendly, as well as going paperless, working with sitters and further developing our systems. I love when everything comes together and runs smoothly. I would have to say that my proudest moment so far is hearing client feedback about how much they appreciate and trust us. My business is based on word-of-mouth referrals and it amazes me how highly regarded we are in our community. It reminds me that I’m well on the road to reaching my long-term goals and I’m meeting my own benchmarks at year three on my 10-year plan.

Pricing:

  • Dog Walk: $20
  • Drop-in Visit: $20
  • Overnight Care for One Pet: $55/day
  • Overnight Care for Two Pets: $65/day
  • Overnight Care for Three to Five Pets: $75/day
  • Overnight Care for More Than Five Pets: $15/pet, per day.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Ridge Gullette III, Pet Sit Arizona LLC

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