Exploring Life & Business with Courtney Copeland of San Diego Scoop Squad, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Copeland.

Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi there! Thanks so much for taking the time to share my story! I’m the owner of San Diego Scoop Squad, a local pet waste removal business. We provide services for residential and commercial properties in San Diego and the surrounding areas.

I have worked at a corporate job for 15 years now – always behind a desk, in a cubicle. I have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience over the years; however, I’ve always known that it was never for me – it was just the “right” thing for me to do financially. In the back of my mind though, I have always been trying to find my passion, knowing that for ME, there had to be more to life than just sitting at a desk until I retire. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, being creative and being up and moving!

I am originally from Connecticut and moved to San Diego over 5 years ago. Living and renting in San Diego has been a truly amazing experience. Besides the weather and the beaches, what I’ve always loved most about the city is that it is extremely dog-friendly (the 3rd most dog-friendly city in the country!) and it was easy to find pet-friendly living accommodations compared to back home on the east coast. With so many dogs though, comes so much poop. I noticed that at every single apartment complex we lived at, or a friend lived at, there always seemed to be a dog poop problem. Regardless of the dog poop bag stations, there are simply people that just will not pick up after their dogs. As a dog parent myself, I find this frustrating and fascinating at the same time, since I always thought the golden rule of having a dog was to pick up after them.

Last year during the pandemic I was pregnant, working from home side-by-side with my husband, Leon. Just us and our dogs and a lot of time to talk and discuss our future and what truly would make us happy. A global pandemic mixed with a daughter on the way really seems to make you reevaluate your life, at least for me! The topic of the dog poop situation came up frequently whenever we walked our dogs. There was always poop that was left, not picked up, on our walks throughout our apartment complex. I have a very solution-based reaction when I notice there’s a problem. That is when I told my husband that we should start a dog poop scooping business! With how dog-friendly San Diego is, we could be the solution to the dog poop problem we had come across all too many times!

From that moment, I proceeded to do about a year’s worth of research before taking the leap and starting the business. I researched branding, marketing, social media, CRMs (Customer Relationship Management software) and what systems are needed to run a smooth service business. SO MUCH RESEARCH. I also researched other pet waste removal companies on YouTube and found my virtual poop scooping guru, Erica Krupin from Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin located in Michigan, I was completely inspired and I couldn’t wait to start the business with all this new knowledge. I finally found what I was passionate about and it happened to be cleaning up dog poop!

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?
We are just getting started so I know there will be some bumps along our journey. So far though, in some ways the road has been smooth and, in some ways, not so much. I think one of the biggest hurdles so far has been people taking our business seriously and understanding the value of the services we provide. We’ve been straight up laughed at when we tell people about our business. Luckily, I know the value that we provide and simply take the nay-sayers with a grain of salt – something I probably would have let sabotage me 5-10 years ago.

Another hurdle for me has been balancing being a wife, a new mom, a dog mom to two senior pups, working a full-time job while also building this business. Time management and self-care is KEY to not burning out which is hard when you are wearing many hats. However, I truly believe if you are passionate about something you will work hard and hustle to achieve each goal you create for yourself.

The smooth part of the road has been the actual poop scooping itself. Working outside in beautiful San Diego – the time honestly flies by! And we love all our customers (especially the 4-legged ones)! It truly makes me happy to be able to help keep our customers’ yards clean each week while also creating a fresh, clean place for their pups to play and relax.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
San Diego Scoop Squad is made up of my husband, Leon, and myself. We provide dog poop removal services for residential backyards, commercial apartment complexes, HOA properties and local parks. We offer one-time clean-ups and 3 different recurring weekly services. We also offer deodorizing to help eliminate dog urine and waste odors that build up.

We want potential customers to know that it is a judgement-free zone when you come to us for help. Life gets busy and some may feel ashamed for not cleaning up the yard for months at a time. Even if it has been weeks or months since you last cleaned up after your dog, we just want you to know that we are here to help you – not judge you!

Once we complete those first-time cleans, we highly recommend our customers start one of our weekly services to ensure the poop is cleaned up each week to avoid build-up from happening again.

Our goal with San Diego Scoop Squad is to be a go-to service provider, just like someone would hire a house cleaning service or landscaping service for their yard. Sometimes everyday chores such as cleaning up the dog poop in the back yard can take a back burner. We strive to help dog parents by taking something off their plate each week by cleaning up their backyard. We also strive to clean up San Diego apartment complexes that we’ve seen all too many times, containing a lot of dog poop that is left on the ground. We want to help these communities so that all their residents (including the 4-legged ones) can enjoy the common areas outside without the worry of stepping in dog poop and bringing it into their home.

Many people don’t know that pet waste left on the ground is an environmental hazard. Dog poop carries a number of bacteria, parasites and other diseases that can be harmful to humans and animals. When left on the ground and in the grass, dog poop breaks down and washes into water supplies, polluting our local waterways.

So not only are our services helping dog parents, property managers and our 4-legged customers, but we are also proud to be doing our part for the environment. By scooping the waste off the ground, we are helping to reduce potential spread of diseases and water contamination.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was always either making crafts with my mom or playing outside with my best friend, our sisters and all of the other neighborhood kids. I also enjoyed playing sports and I continued playing softball into my early 20s. I was always a bit of a silly kid, which I still embrace now because I love being able to make people laugh.

My first “jobs” as a kid included shoveling snow from driveways for our elderly neighbors during the winter and dog-sitting. Growing up, my mom was always a great example that hard work mixed with passion can create the life that you want. Now as an adult, my mom is still my biggest fan when it comes to all my goals (such as this business), along with my husband. I hope to be an example for our daughter, like my mom was for me, and show her that she can do anything she wants in this life and she can create the future that she desires!

Contact Info:

• Email: sdscoopsquad@gmail.com
• Website: www.sdscoopsquad.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdscoopsquad/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdscoopsquad