Today we’d like to introduce you to Lane Silvers.
Hi Lane, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In the past year I have done quite a bit of reflecting on all the paths, decisions, and jobs that have landed me in the position I maintain today. I’m not sure if it is because I hit a new growth phase in adulthood or maybe it has been a rogue planet that has come into retrograde. To find where to start pulling this thread is difficult-let me start you all at the beginning.
I have always been the “animal person” in my family. I watched Animal Planet any chance I had, wanted every pet you could imagine, and devoured all the information my head could obtain about the natural world. Animals were my thing. So aptly when it was my time to enter the job market I applied at the local, family-owned pet store. While all my friends were slinging fries at McDonald’s, I was loading hundreds of pounds of feed into vehicles all with a smile on my face. I learned how customer service is key for small businesses and how to cater to each persons needs.
The pet store job came with an added bonus in the form of pet sitting. Who else would you trust with your pets then the teenager who helps you find the brown kibble in a red bag? I maintained these little hustles all through my years at the local college too. I studied biology at Alma College with big dreams of becoming a livestock veterinarian. Those dreams never happened and gave me a harsh reality check then, now I consider it my first “failing upward” event. Graduation was approaching and vet school was made clear to not be in my future. I had to pivot and explore a new career path-one that needed to include animals.
I managed to get an internship after graduation as a zookeeping intern at Potter Park Zoo. I fell in love with it. After the internship, I was able to work as a temporary zookeeper. I worked with everything from the mealworms to the black rhinos-which were my favorite. Still to this day this was my favorite job. It gave me a sense that I was making a difference. Caring for these magnificent creatures while educating the public about what they can do to help the captive animals wild counterparts. Unfortunately, this was a temporary position and I had to leave eventually. Zookeeping is tough to get into and I didn’t want to be as nomadic as the job entails so I landed at an animal shelter working in adoptions and animal care. This job was rewarding but was a labor of love, not money. I was learning very quickly that I needed money to survive. And once again I was out there trying to navigate career paths. I wanted to make money and set my own schedule. There is one place that lets you do that but for a price.
Enter my years in the service industry.
Serving and bartending was always my way to make ends meet. It was just a job for many years until I made the service industry my career. It isn’t a glorious path but I navigated my way from host to management throughout the various restaurants notched into my belt. Management was where it ended. I made it to the top, saw what lay in front of me, and absolutely hated it. It chewed me up and spit me out. I no longer recognized myself and saw a change had to be made.
This is where I tie in the “failing upwards” again. I left my stable, 401k, benefitted job to become unemployed. This was a huge risk but I knew I could do it. I saw people survive on less. If my newly off the wagon dishwasher could survive, I could too.
I revived my old fall back that funded my weekends in college. Pet sitting.
This time it was different. I have matured. I have experience that most others do not. Most importantly, I had drive. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and be my own boss.
This was the birth of Hearth and Hound Services. Your local pet, plant, whatever care from someone you can trust. I am still in the beginning part of building a business but it is going quite well. People are recommending me to their friends. My social media presence is growing and the biggest thing of all is my weeks are being filled with new faces and friends. I do most of my business on the road as my house already is full of animals. House sitting, drop-in visits, and walks has been the core of business so far, but alas, I am a dreamer.
I have plans to eventually open up a small boarding facility with on grounds staff and catered care for your pet. I even have plans to aid in various needs in our community if kennels are sitting empty. It is very important to me to give back when I can. My plans for the times when business is slow is to fill the empty spaces with shelter pets in need of fostering or for those escaping unsafe situations to have a place for their pets to go. These are big dreams that I need piece together. I know I can and I will.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth roads do not test the integrity of your cart.
I’ve struggled potentially more days than not. Most of my early 20’s was struggling to make ends meet. and find what made me happy. Lack of self-control with spending, working weird hours, and sleeping even weirder hours meant many nights eating at a restaurant after a long shift. That was expensive. I also struggled with the reality that I wasn’t “doing something with my degree.” I felt like I wasn’t the high-achieving human that most people pegged me for. It was tough mulling that over most days and made repaying my student loans a little more bitter. Sometimes that internal voice can be really mean. It’s important not to listen to it.
Identity was another struggle for me. Trying to find yourself through the work you do was tough. Work was apart of my identity. It wasn’t until very recently that I realized I didn’t have to be Lane the zookeeper, Lane the bartender, or Lane the manager. I allowed myself to just be Lane. Being her was enough. I have found identity in my likes, wit, and passions instead of a job.
That is where happiness was.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hearth and Hound Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I created Hearth and Hound to be a pet, plant, whatever it is sitting business. I strive to be the care that goes the extra mile. I saw that there is a gap in the pet sitting world. Yes, most people use the neighbor kid to watch their pet while they are away. What if the pet requires care beyond what most kids can handle? What if boarding your dog isn’t an option because they are dog reactive? What if your cat needs daily medication administered? That is the gaps I knew I could fill in my area. Not to mention some people are really private with their neighbors. It’s easier having a stranger bring in your mail than Mrs. Nosey Patterson next door.
I aim to be your one stop shop for all your “sitting” needs. I have advanced experience with nervous or behaviorally advanced pets. I can care for rodents, reptiles, birds, and even farms. I pride myself in being able to care for it all. Plus, when it comes to farm animals, most families have to leave someone behind to care for the herd. I didn’t like that. Family vacations should have the whole family there. My goal is to give them a carefree week where everything is handled. Everyone needs a break from reality and I want to give them the peace of mind we all need when away from home.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory? How does one choose just a single memory! The best I can do is give you a subset of memories.
I loved our long camping trips we used to take during the summer. We would all load up into the camper, bikes strapped to the back, and travel off to familiar and sometimes unfamiliar lands. My brother would be out biking with his friends all day, I would sit playing various board and card games at the campsite. More often than not we were by a body of water. My dad would pull us behind the boat in a tube. Those were the days of survival of the fittest as my dad would toe the line of fun and danger.
We would have dinner by the campfire and sneak off for late night walk-a-bouts. It felt like what the movies portray as the best childhood.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579140902729
- Other: [email protected]
