From Flip Phones to Founders: The Real Story of Starting a Pet Business

Oh friend, we are SO happy you're here!! 🎉Welcome to the very first episode of the Pet Biz People Podcast Meet the founders — the show that's honestly been a long time coming and we cannot believe it's finally happening!I'm your host Jessica Abernathy, co-founder of Pet Biz People, and in this episode I'm sitting down with my business partner Matthew Kutas to do something we almost never do: go all the way back to the very beginning.No polished founder stories. No "and then everything just clicked" moments. Just the real, unfiltered, laugh-out-loud truth of what it's actually like to build a pet care business from scratch.Matt started his dog walking company by accident — completely by accident — with a flip phone, a plan to spend one summer walking dogs before moving to New York, and marketing that said "because Rover can't get a gym membership."And somehow, 25 years later, here we are.In this episode we talk about:The actual day it all started (and why it had nothing to do with a passion for pets)The Great Dane van incident that made them both sit in silence questioning everythingThe wildest things they saw going into clients' homes (dog walkers know TOO much)The dumbest money they spent in year one (hint: it involved a school bus)The art of faking confidence when you have absolutely no idea what you're doingThe exact moment the business stopped feeling like a side hustle and started feeling realWhy the question "why do you want to own a business?" is the most important one you'll ever ask yourselfWhether you're just starting out or you've been in the pet industry for years, this one is going to feel like that conversation you wish someone had with you on day one.New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe now so you never miss one, and if you're loving the show, please leave us a review — it genuinely means the world to us and helps more pet business owners find us! 💙🐾Connect with us at www.petbizpeople.com