Rising Stars: Meet Christiana Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christiana Johnson.  

Hi Christiana, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
In fall 2020, I was a law student at the University of Michigan, and I desperately wanted a pet! Due to being a student, however, owning my own pet just wasn’t feasible. On a whim, I posted on the law school’s listserv, “free pet-sitting!” I wasn’t expecting anyone to respond– I got over 15 replies in 30 minutes.

My first gig was for a 6-month-old miniature dachshund who came with a whole lot of attitude.  I cared for him once a week every week for a couple months until the owner told me they really wanted to pay me. I was shocked, I was loving just spending time with the dog, that was payment enough! But they insisted, and so I took some money on the side. I kept getting emails, so I started a Google form, and then I started an Instagram where my advertising really took off. Suddenly, I had multiple requests coming in per day, and I was telling folks to book me 2-3 months in advance! By chance, I ran into another graduate student who worked for Rover, but he wanted to join me to have more business. He referred more individuals who were interested in being part of the team, and then I had 4 people, all graduate students, working on my team to field all of these requests.

While we do not have a brick-and-mortar establishment, what was once just a couple hours a week has turned into an opportunity for other graduate students to partially support themselves during the summer and the academic  year. I’m proud of what I was able to create for both myself and for other students looking to finance their way through school.

Today, all of our team members are fully booked every week. I have met incredible people and animals through this process, and it has fully satisfied my need to own my own pet! Instead of having just one dog, I have up to four on any given week.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has most certainly not been smooth. To get the business off the ground still during the pandemic was difficult; although there were so many more pet owners out there (shout out to COVID puppies), those owners were still working at home and didn’t need pet care services. I had to advertise aggressively during this time. I went door-to-door delivering flyers in neighborhoods throughout Ann Arbor, went into small businesses to place my business cards, and coordinated with Instagram accounts to promote me on their pages.

At some point, I wanted to quit. I was severely injured due to dog bites on two separate occasions, and I was worried that what was once a small side hustle had taken over my life, even overshadowing my studies at some point. However, I took a pause in February 2022; I started saying “no” to more requests to give myself time to mentally and physically heal. Taking good care of your clients also means taking good care of yourself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work in the pet care industry and run a 5-member team (including myself) of other grad students who provide pet care services. We do dog walking, home care, cat-sitting, dog boarding, and more. What sets us apart is that we’re a co-op rather than a single organization. Each team member provides only what services they wish to provide, they accept clients based on their own skills and availability, and clients are given the opportunity to select the provider that works best for them. Additionally, unlike large pet care facilities, everything we do is on a smaller scale, giving us more room for customizing our care for your pet. We welcome your dog into our home and make it as comfortable for them as possible.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Do your research. I knew nothing about the industry I was going into before I got started, and I learned everything on the job. A lot of mishaps could have been avoided if I had done more research! Look at your competitors and analyze what they’re doing well and what you’d like to do better. Lastly, customer service wins in this industry; always put the customer first.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://docs.google.com/forms
• Instagram: @christianapetcare