Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Olbrych.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up, I felt there too much emphasis placed on education. A good education was needed for a good job if you wanted any chance for a stable income/happy life. While I definitely value financial stability, I felt like there were so many other pieces missing.
After high school, I went to college like I was expected to and earned a degree in Food Science from McGill University. At that point, I didn’t know what I wanted out of life so it was very challenging. I was proud of my hard-earned degree, but I knew that I had too many other hurdles that needed to be dealt with before I got sucked into a life consuming career. Upon graduating I put my degree behind me and started fresh in the field of custom event cakes. A career designing cakes combined my interests of food and art perfectly and led me to move from Maine to San Diego where I planned on making my cake career take off. I successfully taught myself enough skills (Thank you, YouTube!) to build a portfolio that was impressive enough to land me two cake jobs in San Diego. Sadly, working in commercial kitchens took a lot of the fun out of decorating and the creative stress too much pressure for me. I was back to square one and my dreams were shattered.
After my time at the bakeries, I was in survival mode and held a few odd jobs to make ends meet including a retail position, selling my own cakes, and working as an independent contractor for a pet care company. I fell in love with the lifestyle of working with animals all day and had a hard time giving it up, but I also couldn’t work as an independent contractor forever. After a few years, I started my own business, Tails 2 Trails. I was confident(ish) that this was something that would be able to pay the bills and give me something to smile about every day.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the biggest challenges was overcoming my own self-doubt during the first few months of starting Tails 2 Trails. I spent a lot of hours sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, unsure if things would fall into place. It was a stressful time but there was nothing more exhilarating than signing up the first dozen clients.
More recently I’ve struggled with what exactly I want this business to become. There is plenty of potential to grow and expand, but I value having full control over the reputation of my business. I know building a team I can trust will require an enormous amount of energy. For now, I have other areas in my life that require focus so I have no plans to expand but it’s something that’s always in the back of my mind.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Tails 2 Trails story. Tell us more about the business.
Tails 2 Trails’ primary business is daily dog walks while their parents are away at work, school, or vacation. We provide a break in the dog’s day for some exercise, a potty break, and companionship.
We also offer daily check-ins for cats and other critters while owners are out of town. Additionally, we offer 12-hour overnight stays in the pet’s home, if extra attention is required or wanted.
An online portal makes scheduling and payment a breeze. Clients never have to worry about leaving cash or a check, and they can double check their pet’s schedule to ensure there were no miscommunications. Every completed service concludes with an e-mail including pictures, a GPS map of the walk, and notes.
I pride myself on my communication skills and flexibility with scheduling. My clients know that I am very responsive and will get back to their scheduling changes or concerns quickly, and that I always make every effort to accept last minute add-ons and adjustments.
A lot of energy is put into my Instagram account (@tails2trails). I make it my mission to capture each pet’s personality on camera. Sometimes I’m more successful than others, but I enjoy the challenge! It’s very rewarding to snap a picture that I’m proud of.
As an added bonus, 3% the company’s profits are donated to the San Diego Humane Society. This is my way to give thanks for caring for two of my cats (I have three total :D) before they could find their way to me.
Due to the small and personal nature of my business, I currently only service North Park and surrounding neighborhoods.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Let me start off by saying I feel really lucky to be asked this question! I have mixed feelings about the term luck. Luck makes things sound so random, but the more I live the more I recognize that maybe the universe isn’t as spontaneous as I once thought.
It sounds cliché but I am really starting to believe that the more positivity (or negativity) you throw out into the universe the more it’s returned to you; things aren’t random. It hasn’t been easy but I’ve learned to be grateful for all experiences in my life. The good, bad, and mundane. Being grateful for negative experiences while they’re happening to us is one of the most difficult challenges of life, but without them, we wouldn’t be very evolved human beings. As nice as it would be to have a life without pain how would we be able to appreciate the joy?
So many things with my business have worked out perfectly, I can’t help but feel a bit “lucky.” I have realized that my inner attitude towards my business usually reflects the amount of success I receive. When I’m feeling excited and rejuvenated about my business and life that is when I am able to fill up an open spot in my schedule. I could write an endless list about the eerie coincidences I’ve experienced but nobody has time for that. Even with all I’ve seen sometimes my own jaw drops at how serendipitously things can work out. It’s kind of like magic.
Pricing:
- 15 Minute Cat Visit / Dog Walk – $12
- 30 Minute Cat Visit / Dog Walk – $18
- 12 Hour Overnight Visit – $60
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tails-2-trails.com
- Phone: 619-806-5935
- Email: zach@tails-2-trails.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tails2trails
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tails2trailssd
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tails-2-trails-san-diego-2
Image Credit:
Tails 2 Trails (@tails2trails)
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