Mazel Pups Podcast
The Mazel Pups podcast is that perfect space for Jewish and Jew-ish (however you define it) dog lovers to connect. Join us for a delightful blend of learning, insight, humor and love for our four-legged friends.
You'll hear from a wide variety of Jewish people who do all kinds of fascinating things related to dogs: an academic who studies Jewish pet names; a pet lawyer; veterinarians; human parents of canine social media stars; a long-time employee, and current Board Member, of the Israel Guide Dog Center; an entrepreneur who started a dog-walking and pet-sitting business; artists who paint dogs; a dog mom who had a Bark Mitzvah for her pup; a couple who included their dogs in their wedding; and many others.
The podcast is filled with heart, humor and a deep appreciation for both Jewish culture and our beloved canine companions. It's Paw-sitively awesome and we hope you'll join us!
Mazel Pups Podcast
Turning a Love for Dogs into a Thriving Biz
This heartwarming episode of the Mazel Pups podcast features Sammy Leighton, a passionate Jewish entrepreneur from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Sammy shares her journey from dreaming of having a dog as a child to running her successful dog-walking and pet-sitting business, The Dog Walker FL. Listen in as she introduces her beloved rescue dog, Zuli, and talks about her warm feelings for Judaism, especially the sense of community and family-centric holidays like Hanukkah.
We then explore Sammy's path to entrepreneurship, tracing her early aspirations and the professional experiences that led her back to her true passion. From her childhood lemonade stands and dog walking ventures growing up in the New York suburbs...to her college years as a hospitality major...to her career in sales, Sammy's story is one that many people will be able to relate to. Discover how a desk job that wasn't very satisfying and multiple dog walking requests inspired her to embrace the outdoor life she loves, eventually leading her to establish The Dog Walker FL.
Finally, Sammy opens up about the challenges and growth of her business and she shares her strategies for balancing work and personal life. Learn about her initial marketing efforts, the importance of building a solid client base, and her future goals, including potential expansion and franchising. Sammy offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasizing the benefits of starting your business as a "side hustle" - until you can afford to leave your job.
This episode is a treasure trove of insights, inspiration, and love for both pets and community. Don't miss it!
I hope you enjoy listening to the Mazel Pups podcast as much as I enjoy making it. If you have an idea for a future episode or want to be in touch, email me at mazelpups@gmail.com.
If you want more of Mazel Pups, you can:
* Follow on Instagram @mazelpups
* Follow the Mazel Pups Facebook Page
* Join the Mazel Pups Facebook Group
* Check out the Mazel Pups Store with fun Jewish dog-themed items for dogs & humans (mazelpups.com.shop)
And the PAWSITIVELY JEWISH 2025 CALENDAR, which features super-cute dogs dressed up for & celebrating Jewish holidays, and includes Jewish & Israeli holidays, dog holidays & national US & Canadian holidays, is now for sale at PrintArtKids.com/Calendars. A portion of the proceeds from the calendar will go to the Israel Guide Dog Center. Check out this awesome calendar and get one for yourself - and they make great gifts for friends and family, while helping to support an awesome cause.
Finally, I'd love it if you'd subscribe to the podcast and let us know if you enjoyed it by giving it five stars.
Thanks for listening!
Rabbi Robyn
Transcript
Rabbi Robyn Host 00:08
Shalom, welcome. I'm Rabbi Robyn Frisch and this is the Mazel Pups podcast. If you are Jewish or Jew-ish, however you define that, then if you love dogs, this is the podcast for you. My guest today is Sammy Leighton.
00:24
Sammy and I first connected a couple of months ago through Instagram when she sent me an adorable picture of her dog, Zuli, and her challah toy to post on Mazel Pups. And I was posting on my Instagram account. And then I decided to check out Sammy's account and I learned that she was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and that she had started The Dog Walker, which is a dog walking and pet sitting business in Fort Lauderdale. And we started messaging and she shared how much she loved what she did. And I just loved the idea that Sammy was a young Jewish entrepreneur whose business was all about pets and mostly dogs. So I knew that when I had a podcast, which at that point existed only in my mind, that I wanted Sammy to be on it. So I wrote to Sammy and said: "Will you be on my podcast?" And she immediately agreed. And then I realized that I had to tell her that I don't actually have a podcast yet, and I was just planning to have a podcast. So that gave me a lot of incentive and even though I'm lousy with technology and I didn't know how I was going to record a podcast or anything else about one, I now had Sammy on board and I was determined to find a way to start a podcast.
01:36
So here we are just a couple of month s later, the podcast is now a reality, thanks to the ability to outsource things, and I get to interview Sammy and you all get to hear. So, Sammy, before we get started with our official questioning, we have to go through the lightning round, which is four questions, just like in a Passover Seder, except I was thinking the big difference is, in a Passover Seder it's the youngest who knows how to ask that ask the questions. Let's just say I'm more than twice your age, so it's not the youngest asking the question, but one of us will ask questions and the youngest will answer the questions. First Question....you ready?
Sammy Leighton Guest 2:14
Yes I am
Rabbi Robyn Host 2:17
Do you currently have a dog.
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:18
I do. She is a rescue baby and she's five years old. I got her when she was three. Her name is Zuli.
Rabbi Robyn Host 02:26
And can you share a fun fact or two about Zuli?
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:28
She is 14% Boston Terrier and 44% Pitbull.
Rabbi Robyn Host 02:35
Wow, so you did of those tests, obviously.
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:39
I did.
Rabbi Robyn Host 2:40:
I’ve been saying for years…I have an 11-year-old and a 4½-year-old. I don’t know that I’m waiting for. I don’t know what they are and I just don't do it. So, switching gears for a moment: What is it that you like the most about Judaism?
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:55
I would say the thing I love most about Judaism is I really like being part of a community that really values family and friends and good food. I also have to say I grew up with a really cool rabbi - shout out to Rabbi Sirkman - who was just fantastic and made everything fun when learning about Judaism, learning about the culture, so you know all of that and being around family and you know enjoying the holidays together. It's very special.
Rabbi Robyn Host 3:21
I'm a big fan of cool rabbis and rabbis who had an impact, and someone you know after growing with them really still likes them. That's great to hear. And my final question is: what is your favorite Jewish holiday and why? So it's really two questions.
Sammy Leighton Guest 03:36
It's got to be Hanukkah. Presents. Nothing gets better than that. Also, just you know, being around family, that time of year is just the best.
Rabbi Robyn Host 03:49
Awesome, thank you. So now, going back a little bit number of years, did you have a dog growing up?
Sammy Leighton Guest 03:56
I did, but not till I was 12. So the first 12 years of my life was pretty much me just begging my parents for one.
Rabbi Robyn Host 04:06
And what can you tell us, besides the name, which I'd love to hear, about that dog?
Sammy Leighton Guest 04:10
Sure, her name is Sadie. I chose the name with my sister - we're Sammy and Sophie and then, you know, we had to have another S. And she is a mutt. We rescued her as a puppy. She was a little baby and now she's 14, which is crazy. She's actually doing pretty well for her age. She has some arthritis, but other than that, you know, she was my soul dog in the very beginning and she's my soul sister and I love her and, yeah, I hate watching her get old, but you know it happens and she's still doing very well for her age, which is impressive.
Rabbi Robyn Host 04:48
I also have a dog with arthritis. I want to ask you because you have, as people know, you have this entrepreneurial spirit and you have your own business. Growing up what did you think you were going to do for your career?
Sammy Leighton Guest 05:09
You know, my mom’s a career counselor, so growing up I was handed all these different tests, you, know, to take…to figure out what my career was going to be, because that's what my mom did for a living. And it would often say art teacher or, you know, a lot of different teacher options and then a few other things here and there. So that kind of pushed me to go to school to be a teacher. I originally went to school to be a art teacher, which was one of the answers on the test. And I, you know, I studied art for a few years and eventually I kind of realized, after I did an internship at a middle school with an art teacher, that it just was not my cup of tea. I did not want to be around teenagers all day. Maybe would have been okay with elementary school, but I wanted to do more. know intense art that they wouldn't necessarily be able to do. So I ended up switching to hospitality and that, you know, that's what I got my degree in. But here I am now as an entrepreneur. .
Rabbi Robyn Host
Did you ever, when you were younger, think like “It would be really cool to start my own business at some point”?
Sammy Leighton Guest 06:15
I think it was always something that kind of crossed my mind. I really like doing like lemonade stands and I actually started dog walking when I was a kid by just putting flyers up on trees around my neighborhood. So I definitely think it's something I've always kind of wanted. I was pushed more in the direction to go to school, go to college, get a job, you know, so on and so forth, as long as my family was helping me. So once that kind of got out of the way and I started to become financially independent, it was kind of like: “Ok, now I can do what I want to do, now I can go in and do the entrepreneurial stuff that I really want.”
But I don't think as a kid it ever really crossed my mind. I think it was more in high school that I started to realize like kind of want to do my own thing, I don't really like the idea of working for other people. And then in college I learned I really don't like the idea of working for other people. But yeah, I would say like as a kid I kind of just thought I would, you know go to college and then figure something out.
Rabbi Robyn Host 07:15
You grew up in New York, you went to college in Massachusetts. What took you to Fort Lauderdale?
Sammy Leighton Guest 07:22
Seasonal depression. I really couldn't do the winters. I mean, I was right outside of Boston. If anyone knows like or has been to New England, it is really really cold in the winter and really miserable, and there's never sun out in the sky. It's gray, it's, it's just depressing. So it was that was, my, like, main thing of why I moved here. Pretty much right after I graduated college, I started to apply for jobs in different sunny states, and I ended up in the Sunshine State, so it worked out really well.
Rabbi Robyn Host 07:59
Very sunny. Yeah, I'm one of those people who, when people talk about the change of seasons, I'm like: “yeah, it's great, but it changes to cold.” Like fall is beautiful, but it just leads to winter, which is I'm not a big fan of. So I totally get that.
Sammy Leighton Guest 08:10
So now I'm like I don't know about summer anymore. It's raining a lot, but it's, you know, it's sunny for the most part.
Rabbi Robyn Host
So, okay, so you’re in Florida – and you’re obviously working, after college. Can you tell us about some of the jobs that you did after college, before you got into the dog walking business?
Sammy Leighton Guest
Absolutely. I was kind of grasping for straws when I graduated college. I studied hospitality management with a focus in hotels. And I worked at a hotel through college. I was making pretty much no money – not enough to support myself in a big city like Fort Lauderdale. Fine in Salem, Massachusetts, but not gonna’ work here. But that’s still the amount that hotels were offering, it was very low, even with a degree. So I quickly realized maybe that wasn’t the right major. But, you know, I enjoyed it, so it worked out for me. It was also a good learning lesson, you know, learning how to talk to strangers when they come up to you. And that's, you know, helped me out with my career now, but you know like, I decided I'm going to do sales. My dad has been in sales. I'm very similar to my father, so I decided I'm going to do what he does. Because you know we're the same person. It should be easy for me. I got my first job in fundraising sales. I was working for a company that essentially gave out these like Domino pizza cards. It was like buy one, get one, and helped out schools that might not have the funding to be able to do certain things, and they would sell these pizza cards and then they'd get, you know, the money to buy their new. you know, what was it like a playground or whatever you know.
Rabbi Robyn Host 10:02
So you were at least doing something. It was like something nice was coming out of it. You weren’t just….
Sammy Leighton Guest 10:04
Yeah, it was rewarding. It was just that my commissions were based off of middle schoolers and elementary schoolers and high schoolers who did not want to fundraise and know, there was a few, a few nice commissions here and there when there were kids who were a little more serious about it, but it was just a lot of cold calling. So I was good at it. I just wasn't making the money I wanted to make. I was in a call center. It wasn't really my thing. I then got a job. Actually I was in an elevator in my building and I was talking about dog walking, which I was doing as a side hustle at the time, and I had someone say to me “Oh my gosh, I love how you sell yourself. Would you have any interest in a sales job?” So it was like: Yes! and I quit my job and I went for that. I was selling ads on the side of these big trucks that have like LED signage on the sides, which was really cool. I got to be part of Miami NFT week, which I got to, you know. I set up the partnership with them and it was really cool. You know stuff like that. It was a fun, cool job.
11:10
I just wasn't trained enough to understand exactly what I was doing, so I ended up fired for not knowing what I was doing. You know, as a startup, so it's hard for - I know I it now as a business owner that it's hard to make time to train someone when you're doing everything. And they had around the same amount of people that I have now, so I get it. Then I ended up in a corporate position at CHG Healthcare, which was really cool. I really liked their mission. I thought it was an amazing job.
11:40
It was just a lot of calling and I also like I'll publicly say it: I have severe ADHD. That is not the right thing for me to be doing. I need to be moving. I need to get up and stretch my legs. I'm very fidgety, I've always had a hard time in school, so sitting at a desk all day is just not for me. Um, and I, I you know I knew that my whole life that sitting at a desk was probably not going to work. But you know: society. But yeah, and then I pretty much eventually I'm sitting at my desk and I get texts from three different dog walking clients that day asking if I could walk their dog. It's around lunchtime and it just kind of hit me: I want to be outside, I want to enjoy the weather. I want, you know, I want, I want that Florida lifestyle. So that was kind of the start of when I started to think about starting a business.
Rabbi Robyn Host 12:34
Did you eventually just decide I'm going to go for it and leave this job? Like at what moment, you know? Was there a moment or something happened, or just you…you got there?
Sammy Leighton Guest 12:42
I mean I was crying a lot. That was a good, like, sign that I needed to change something in my life pretty immediately. I moved here to get away from the depression that I was in in New England and I didn't want it to start again because I was miserable at a job. I pretty much was like I'm going to take control of my life here and I'm going to do what's best for me. And my parents didn't know that I was doing this, my grandparents didn't know that I was doing this, but I ended up quitting my job.\, working on a website for a while, letting every client that I had at that point know that I was going to be full time going forward. And that was about 40. So I had a good start and I said you know, people know that I'm a dog walker in Fort Lauderdale and for every client that finishes their first walk with me, I'll give you five dollars off your next walk. That kind of helped bring in some clients. You know it's two years later. I'm at 250 clients.
Rabbi Robyn Host 13:46
I'm assuming your parents know by now
Sammy Leighton Guest
They do.
Rabbi Robyn Host
So how did that conversation happen, and how did it go?
Sammy Leighton Guest 13:52
Yeah I was super nervous. It was like kind of one of the scariest moments of my life, but I brought the numbers, I brought what I would have been making from my previous paycheck and what I made dog walking in the first month, and I showed it to my family and they were like OK, all right, if this is what you want to do, you clearly have figured out a business model to make this work. We're not going to give you a dime, but we will be more supportive of it.
Rabbi Robyn Host 14:26
Did you feel really good once you got it out?
Sammy Leighton Guest 14:28
Yeah, I still didn't think they really a hundred percent believed in it. I think it was like I had to work really really hard to get to the point where they're like, okay, yeah, now she's killing it, now she's really started a business, but because now they bragg to all their friends and all that, which I I find funny. But you know, in the beginning I did kind of think like, ok, my dad is going to help me a little because he's he's good at all the you know, the financial stuff and the business stuff and he's good at talking to people and he's good at handling difficult situations. So he helped me through all those like little things in the beginning, which was really helpful. And other than that, though, I think it was kind of like we'll see, like we'll believe it when we see it, you know, which to me just made me work harder. So I'm kind of grateful for it. But yeah, it was definitely a scary conversation.
Rabbi Robyn Host 15:25
I mean I'm thinking it was my kids and I'd be like you left your job and you're like walking dogs. I'm kind of curious about your life because I think I could be wrong that not only are you running a business, which is a serious thing, you're doing all these aspects and you're in charge of all the administrative pieces and you are literally running a business. I assume you're also walking dogs a lot. I know I talked to you on the phone. You're like hold on, I'm going to get a dog. You were also awesome, like you saw some with the dog and you gave them your card. You're still a great salesperson, but you're doing like every. I think you can tell me if I'm wrong. Right now you're doing everything, even though you do have employees who are also doing things as well. But you are the CEO or whatever your title is and all of the work that involves. Plus, you're walking dogs on a regular basis. Are you exhausted? Are you overwhelmed? Or is it like this is so exciting and something I love and I'm investing in it? or a combination ?
Sammy Leighton Guest 16:16
Yeah. So okay, yes, there's been ways like, over time it's developed, it's evolved. So in the beginning I was working from 9 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. I had to. I had no choice. You know, I had to figure out how to pay my bills and Fort Lauderdale is not a cheap place to live. So I was working nonstop and you know it did burn me out, but I loved it. It was, you know, it was great.
16:47
And at that point I didn't have the system I have set up now that you know I can have people book online. It was just texting and somehow kept it all organized and did my best. But over time I decided eventually, you know, okay, now I have the clients, I’m gonna cut back a little. So I hired someone and I said I need your help. You know, I'm gonna start taking off these hours and I started working like 10 to 4 or 5 o'clock, which is kind of my schedule now, and then, after I realized she was great and she was helpful and I gave her more and more work, I decided OK, I'm going to take off the weekends now, so now I have shorter hours within the week.
Rabbi Robyn Host 17:35
And when you say shorter hours, that's just the dog walking part, not all of the other stuff that you're still doing.
Sammy Leighton Guest 17:40
Yes, that's just dog walking. I'm out and about walking dogs from usually around 10:30, 11 o'clock until 5 o'clock pm. And that's like perfect for me. Part of why I started a business, too, is to seep in. I don't like mornings. I'm not a morning person.
Rabbi Robyn Host
I could totally understand that.
Yeah, I was like, if I'm gonna start a business, I'm you know I'm gonna work hard in the beginning and then the second I can sleep in I will, um. So yeah, it's developed over time. I am doing a lot still, Now that I have more employees, it's been really great. It's actually interesting you brought this up too, because I just added something to my system last night, um, where it says dog walk and says the $25 and it says dog walk, request Sammy, $30. So I did raise my rate so that I could have people who requested me consistently go to my employees who do just as great a job because I hire well. That's helped my schedule a lot. It's given me more time to do the admin side of things.
18:47
But I am thinking about hiring someone to do the scheduling and the invoicing because to me it's just not fun. It's not the fun part of the job is like walking dogs and being outside. I just I'm such a dog person. I want to be around animals all the time, like dogs, cats, turtles, lizards I don't care. I just love animals. So that's what's fun to me, and eventually I will find someone who can do the other side of stuff, because that's not my cup of tea. But I'm good at it and I know how to do it. So you know, writing emails to clients has been easy for me and stuff like that, and I do love every aspect of running a business just because it's mine. It's something I've created, it's something that I've found people to work for me who respect that. I worked this hard to get to this point and acknowledge that. So I'm very grateful for that as well. But yeah, it's a lot of work. I’m not gonna lie.
Rabbi Robyn Host 19:51
So, Zuli. I'm assuming, when you're walking other people's dogs, that you - I don't know - can you take more than one dog at once, or is it just one person's dog at a time, or dogs?
Sammy Leighton Guest 19:59
Yes. We do private walks. However, if there are multiple clients in a building, which there often are, and those dogs are friends, the client might suggest: “hey, why don't you take Pickle and Violet together,” or you know whoever. So sometimes, here “and there we will. My dog, Zuli, is a little reactive with other dogs. She does have one friend, it's Pickle, the one I was just talking about. So when I walk him I will sometimes bring her along, just because she gets so happy to see him and he's so happy and they're so cute together and they walk right next to each other and I love it. But other than that, she usually is home with my boyfriend who works from home, so she's always had someone around, she's never alone.
Rabbi Robyn Host
So I assume he's doing more of the Zuli walks, ironically. even though you're a dog walker.
Sammy Leighton Guest 20:47
Yes, he is. He's very helpful.
Rabbi Robyn Host 20:49
I was concerned to make sure she gets enough walks and attention, but she does, okay, good.
Sammy Leighton Guest 20:53
She does, she gets constant attention, she's very spoiled.
Rabbi Robyn Host 20:56
I think it's one of those things that parents of dogs and of humans are constantly facing, like when you're doing other things it's your own that can kind of get on the back burner, but I'm glad that Zuli is getting all of the attention she deserves.
Sammy Leighton Guest 21:12
Oh yes.
Rabbi Robyn Host 21:13
So let me ask you: what were, and you may have said them all, but the greatest challenges of starting a business? Was there anything else that was challenging besides the things you've mentioned?
Sammy Leighton Guest 21:21
I'd say like the biggest thing was proving myself. I mean, I had my grandma call me once and say: “What am I supposed to tell my friends when they ask me what my granddaughter is doing for a living?” I was like: “Tell them she's a business owner. You don't have to say, dog walker. I'm a business owner.” I'm doing much more than dog walking, so that that was a challenge Having people respect and understand this. Because proving myself was definitely a big challenge. Learning how to handle difficult situations, learning how to price myself reasonably, what I'm worth, going back and forth with that, you know what the industry standard is versus what I would be charging, because it is a luxury service and I do go above and beyond for all my clients and my employees do as well.
22:11
So it is not one of the cheaper dog walking businesses in the area. It's because we do go above and beyond getting to learn how to explain that to people, because I did, in the beginning, have people like oh my God, I can't believe you charge that much and I still will have people say that to people. Because I did, in the beginning, have people like oh my god, I can't believe you charge that much and I still will have people say that to me. But people pay it! Because I'm going above and beyond for all my clients. I'm doing more than the average dog walker, dog sitter, would. So I would say that was definitely a big challenge for me in the beginning.
Rabbi Robyn Host 22:46
As far as getting the word out, so people knew about your business. It sounds like by the time you started you already had a number of clients. But were there other things besides, you know what I heard you, do giving someone your card, which is a great way to do it, other ways that you got the word out?
Sammy Leighton Guest 23:02
Yeah. So the first week that I like really went full time, me and my boyfriend long boarded into Las Olas and started handing out business cards to anyone we saw walking a dog. Likee prime time, like right after work, you know, right when people got home. So everyone's out with their dogs and it's along the river and that's where everyone walks their dogs. So I'm out there just handing business card after business card after business card and that got me a lot of clients. And not only did that get me a lot of clients, but they gave my card and told their friends that they found this dog walker. So most of it is word of mouth. I did not spend a dime on getting clients. It's word of mouth, it's Instagram and now that I'm where I'm at, it's Google, because I have 86 five-star reviews on Google. So when people look up dog walker Fort Lauderdale, I'm one of the first ones to pop up.
24:00
But in the beginning it was pretty much all word of mouth and handing out business cards. I did do a few events. I started to partner with different companies. I partner with Wolfgang Bakery and Groomer and New Habits Canine Dog Training. So I started to make those connections and build those connections and figure out, you know, who was going to be the go to person that I send someone. Will I get a referral fee? Will that help my business? Are they going to tell people about me as well? You know, getting all of that sorted has been great.
Rabbi Robyn Host 24:33
Five years from now, 10 years from now not in life, that's a whole different thing. But in the business aspect of your life, in the career aspect, do you see yourself still doing this? And where do you see your business? Do you see it growing, changing?
Sammy Leighton Guest 24:46
Yeah, I think five and ten years are very different. At a five-year mark I would like to still be kind of doing exactly what I'm doing in a bigger scale. I've been expanding a little bit here and there. Like in the beginning I was just like one mile from where I'm at now. Now we have like a five mile radius, and then I keep kind of bringing new areas in as we go. I like to keep them close enough that if something were to go wrong I can get there quickly. So I haven't gone too too far, but I'm hoping at some point I can either start franchising - I think that would be really cool - teaching people you know, how to build a six figure dog walking business or running a course.
Rabbi Robyn Host 25:33
Maybe it'll be seven figures.
Sammy Leighton Guest 25:36
I know, hopefully. That is the goal. You know I also, at some point I'm going to want to like settle down and have kids, so we'll see how that builds into everything. The ten year plan, I would say, is more taking a step back and letting my staff do the work. And you know, I still, I'm always going to be the person to make the decisions because I have a very specific image of my business, very specific, really great reputation that I am not ever going to try to jeopardize. So you know, I am the face of the business and I hope to still be in 10 years. But I would like at some point to kind of take a step back and enjoy the life that I have and not be working all the time and say you know, I've worked hard to get here. That's what I'm hoping for.
Rabbi Robyn Host 26:32
So let me ask you: someone's in college and finishing up, or someone's, you know, been out in the world for years and they're thinking I want to start like a dog walking, pet sitting business. What advice would you give to them?
Sammy Leighton Guest 26:45
I would say, start it as a side hustle. I actually got a book before I started. When I quit my job I went on Amazon and I bought a book “How To Start Your Own Business,” you know, how to be an entrepreneur, or whatever it was.
27:01
And the first thing it said that I took to heart and highlighted and underlined was start as a side hustle, and I 100% agree with that. If I had just quit my job without having any dog walking clients, I would have probably been screwed. I wouldn't have been able to pay my rent, you know. So start it as a side hustle, build it over time, keep your other job until you are able to say: okay, I have enough clients to be able to afford to live if I'm not working this job. You know, hard things can bring in great things. Some of the hardest experiences I've had have shaped me to be who I am today. So I would say that's probably the advice I'd give.
Rabbi Robyn Host 27:44
How can people follow you on Instagram and see all the great stuff you're doing?
Sammy Leighton Guest 27:51
So our Instagram is @thedogwalkerfl, as in Florida; the business is The Dog Walker FL; and our website's thedogwalkerfl.com. So, yeah, feel free to follow. We post cute dog content every single day and just the cutest dogs in the world and we're trying to, you know, work hard on our social media and do some cute reels and stuff and, yeah, lots, lots of cute things coming.
Rabbi Robyn Host 28:21
I love following you because every day it's like a different dog and they do look really happy, which I think is something, because I'm assuming it's when they're with you getting a walk and, they're really cute, very cute dogs. So I would encourage people on a personal level to follow you. It's just fun. You know people always write to me on Mazel Pups. They'll send me a, like, a DM, like: “It’s just nice to look at something that makes me happy for a few minutes in this crazy world.” And it's the same thing with your page.
Sammy Leighton Guest 28:44
I was gonna say like when I look at your page and I see all the dogs wearing their like yarmulkes and everything, I'm like, oh my God, I can't.
Rabbi Robyn Host 28:52
Yeah, so, you know, we need that.
Sammy Leighton Guest 28:55
And I think that our followers would benefit from following both of us.
Rabbi Robyn Host 29:04
if you like, dogs look at both for a few minutes and you'll be very happy.
Sammy, thank you so much. It was really a pleasure to be able to interview you. I said in the beginning, like you were part of the inspiration for finally moving. You know, something I'd been wanting to do for a long time and just hadn't done, and then, when you agreed to do it, I'm like I got to start this podcast. So I want to thank you for that and thank you for sharing about your business and wish you the greatest success. And I'm sure many people have heard this, have been inspired by what you've done. And start as a side hustle everyone. I think it's a great idea. And you never know where it's going to go. And you are proof of that.
Sammy Leighton Guest 29:38
Thank you so much for having me, Robyn. This has been awesome. I would have literally never said no to something like this. I think it's amazing and I can't wait to see when it comes out and see all the other people you interviewed. I'm so excited for you and I just can't thank you enough.
AFTER CLOSE OF CONVERSATION: Rabbi Robyn Host 29:53
Hi again, I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode. If you did, don't forget to hit the subscribe button, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd give us a five star rating and follow Mazel Pups on social media. Thanks for listening. Transcript
Rabbi Robyn Host 00:08
Shalom, welcome. I'm Rabbi Robyn Frisch and this is the Mazel Pups podcast. If you are Jewish or Jew-ish, however you define that, then if you love dogs, this is the podcast for you. My guest today is Sammy Leighton.
00:24
Sammy and I first connected a couple of months ago through Instagram when she sent me an adorable picture of her dog, Zuli, and her challah toy to post on Mazel Pups. And I was posting on my Instagram account. And then I decided to check out Sammy's account and I learned that she was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and that she had started The Dog Walker, which is a dog walking and pet sitting business in Fort Lauderdale. And we started messaging and she shared how much she loved what she did. And I just loved the idea that Sammy was a young Jewish entrepreneur whose business was all about pets and mostly dogs. So I knew that when I had a podcast, which at that point existed only in my mind, that I wanted Sammy to be on it. So I wrote to Sammy and said: "Will you be on my podcast?" And she immediately agreed. And then I realized that I had to tell her that I don't actually have a podcast yet, and I was just planning to have a podcast. So that gave me a lot of incentive and even though I'm lousy with technology and I didn't know how I was going to record a podcast or anything else about one, I now had Sammy on board and I was determined to find a way to start a podcast.
01:36
So here we are just a couple of month s later, the podcast is now a reality, thanks to the ability to outsource things, and I get to interview Sammy and you all get to hear. So, Sammy, before we get started with our official questioning, we have to go through the lightning round, which is four questions, just like in a Passover Seder, except I was thinking the big difference is, in a Passover Seder it's the youngest who knows how to ask that ask the questions. Let's just say I'm more than twice your age, so it's not the youngest asking the question, but one of us will ask questions and the youngest will answer the questions. First Question....you ready?
Sammy Leighton Guest 2:14
Yes I am
Rabbi Robyn Host 2:17
Do you currently have a dog.
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:18
I do. She is a rescue baby and she's five years old. I got her when she was three. Her name is Zuli.
Rabbi Robyn Host 02:26
And can you share a fun fact or two about Zuli?
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:28
She is 14% Boston Terrier and 44% Pitbull.
Rabbi Robyn Host 02:35
Wow, so you did of those tests, obviously.
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:39
I did.
Rabbi Robyn Host 2:40:
I’ve been saying for years…I have an 11-year-old and a 4½-year-old. I don’t know that I’m waiting for. I don’t know what they are and I just don't do it. So, switching gears for a moment: What is it that you like the most about Judaism?
Sammy Leighton Guest 02:55
I would say the thing I love most about Judaism is I really like being part of a community that really values family and friends and good food. I also have to say I grew up with a really cool rabbi - shout out to Rabbi Sirkman - who was just fantastic and made everything fun when learning about Judaism, learning about the culture, so you know all of that and being around family and you know enjoying the holidays together. It's very special.
Rabbi Robyn Host 3:21
I'm a big fan of cool rabbis and rabbis who had an impact, and someone you know after growing with them really still likes them. That's great to hear. And my final question is: what is your favorite Jewish holiday and why? So it's really two questions.
Sammy Leighton Guest 03:36
It's got to be Hanukkah. Presents. Nothing gets better than that. Also, just you know, being around family, that time of year is just the best.
Rabbi Robyn Host 03:49
Awesome, thank you. So now, going back a little bit number of years, did you have a dog growing up?
Sammy Leighton Guest 03:56
I did, but not till I was 12. So the first 12 years of my life was pretty much me just begging my parents for one.
Rabbi Robyn Host 04:06
And what can you tell us, besides the name, which I'd love to hear, about that dog?
Sammy Leighton Guest 04:10
Sure, her name is Sadie. I chose the name with my sister - we're Sammy and Sophie and then, you know, we had to have another S. And she is a mutt. We rescued her as a puppy. She was a little baby and now she's 14, which is crazy. She's actually doing pretty well for her age. She has some arthritis, but other than that, you know, she was my soul dog in the very beginning and she's my soul sister and I love her and, yeah, I hate watching her get old, but you know it happens and she's still doing very well for her age, which is impressive.
Rabbi Robyn Host 04:48
I also have a dog with arthritis. I want to ask you because you have, as people know, you have this entrepreneurial spirit and you have your own business. Growing up what did you think you were going to do for your career?
Sammy Leighton Guest 05:09
You know, my mom’s a career counselor, so growing up I was handed all these different tests, you, know, to take…to figure out what my career was going to be, because that's what my mom did for a living. And it would often say art teacher or, you know, a lot of different teacher options and then a few other things here and there. So that kind of pushed me to go to school to be a teacher. I originally went to school to be a art teacher, which was one of the answers on the test. And I, you know, I studied art for a few years and eventually I kind of realized, after I did an internship at a middle school with an art teacher, that it just was not my cup of tea. I did not want to be around teenagers all day. Maybe would have been okay with elementary school, but I wanted to do more. know intense art that they wouldn't necessarily be able to do. So I ended up switching to hospitality and that, you know, that's what I got my degree in. But here I am now as an entrepreneur. .
Rabbi Robyn Host
Did you ever, when you were younger, think like “It would be really cool to start my own business at some point”?
Sammy Leighton Guest 06:15
I think it was always something that kind of crossed my mind. I really like doing like lemonade stands and I actually started dog walking when I was a kid by just putting flyers up on trees around my neighborhood. So I definitely think it's something I've always kind of wanted. I was pushed more in the direction to go to school, go to college, get a job, you know, so on and so forth, as long as my family was helping me. So once that kind of got out of the way and I started to become financially independent, it was kind of like: “Ok, now I can do what I want to do, now I can go in and do the entrepreneurial stuff that I really want.”
But I don't think as a kid it ever really crossed my mind. I think it was more in high school that I started to realize like kind of want to do my own thing, I don't really like the idea of working for other people. And then in college I learned I really don't like the idea of working for other people. But yeah, I would say like as a kid I kind of just thought I would, you know go to college and then figure something out.
Rabbi Robyn Host 07:15
You grew up in New York, you went to college in Massachusetts. What took you to Fort Lauderdale?
Sammy Leighton Guest 07:22
Seasonal depression. I really couldn't do the winters. I mean, I was right outside of Boston. If anyone knows like or has been to New England, it is really really cold in the winter and really miserable, and there's never sun out in the sky. It's gray, it's, it's just depressing. So it was that was, my, like, main thing of why I moved here. Pretty much right after I graduated college, I started to apply for jobs in different sunny states, and I ended up in the Sunshine State, so it worked out really well.
Rabbi Robyn Host 07:59
Very sunny. Yeah, I'm one of those people who, when people talk about the change of seasons, I'm like: “yeah, it's great, but it changes to cold.” Like fall is beautiful, but it just leads to winter, which is I'm not a big fan of. So I totally get that.
Sammy Leighton Guest 08:10
So now I'm like I don't know about summer anymore. It's raining a lot, but it's, you know, it's sunny for the most part.
Rabbi Robyn Host
So, okay, so you’re in Florida – and you’re obviously working, after college. Can you tell us about some of the jobs that you did after college, before you got into the dog walking business?
Sammy Leighton Guest
Absolutely. I was kind of grasping for straws when I graduated college. I studied hospitality management with a focus in hotels. And I worked at a hotel through college. I was making pretty much no money – not enough to support myself in a big city like Fort Lauderdale. Fine in Salem, Massachusetts, but not gonna’ work here. But that’s still the amount that hotels were offering, it was very low, even with a degree. So I quickly realized maybe that wasn’t the right major. But, you know, I enjoyed it, so it worked out for me. It was also a good learning lesson, you know, learning how to talk to strangers when they come up to you. And that's, you know, helped me out with my career now, but you know like, I decided I'm going to do sales. My dad has been in sales. I'm very similar to my father, so I decided I'm going to do what he does. Because you know we're the same person. It should be easy for me. I got my first job in fundraising sales. I was working for a company that essentially gave out these like Domino pizza cards. It was like buy one, get one, and helped out schools that might not have the funding to be able to do certain things, and they would sell these pizza cards and then they'd get, you know, the money to buy their new. you know, what was it like a playground or whatever you know.
Rabbi Robyn Host 10:02
So you were at least doing something. It was like something nice was coming out of it. You weren’t just….
Sammy Leighton Guest 10:04
Yeah, it was rewarding. It was just that my commissions were based off of middle schoolers and elementary schoolers and high schoolers who did not want to fundraise and know, there was a few, a few nice commissions here and there when there were kids who were a little more serious about it, but it was just a lot of cold calling. So I was good at it. I just wasn't making the money I wanted to make. I was in a call center. It wasn't really my thing. I then got a job. Actually I was in an elevator in my building and I was talking about dog walking, which I was doing as a side hustle at the time, and I had someone say to me “Oh my gosh, I love how you sell yourself. Would you have any interest in a sales job?” So it was like: Yes! and I quit my job and I went for that. I was selling ads on the side of these big trucks that have like LED signage on the sides, which was really cool. I got to be part of Miami NFT week, which I got to, you know. I set up the partnership with them and it was really cool. You know stuff like that. It was a fun, cool job.
11:10
I just wasn't trained enough to understand exactly what I was doing, so I ended up fired for not knowing what I was doing. You know, as a startup, so it's hard for - I know I it now as a business owner that it's hard to make time to train someone when you're doing everything. And they had around the same amount of people that I have now, so I get it. Then I ended up in a corporate position at CHG Healthcare, which was really cool. I really liked their mission. I thought it was an amazing job.
11:40
It was just a lot of calling and I also like I'll publicly say it: I have severe ADHD. That is not the right thing for me to be doing. I need to be moving. I need to get up and stretch my legs. I'm very fidgety, I've always had a hard time in school, so sitting at a desk all day is just not for me. Um, and I, I you know I knew that my whole life that sitting at a desk was probably not going to work. But you know: society. But yeah, and then I pretty much eventually I'm sitting at my desk and I get texts from three different dog walking clients that day asking if I could walk their dog. It's around lunchtime and it just kind of hit me: I want to be outside, I want to enjoy the weather. I want, you know, I want, I want that Florida lifestyle. So that was kind of the start of when I started to think about starting a business.
Rabbi Robyn Host 12:34
Did you eventually just decide I'm going to go for it and leave this job? Like at what moment, you know? Was there a moment or something happened, or just you…you got there?
Sammy Leighton Guest 12:42
I mean I was crying a lot. That was a good, like, sign that I needed to change something in my life pretty immediately. I moved here to get away from the depression that I was in in New England and I didn't want it to start again because I was miserable at a job. I pretty much was like I'm going to take control of my life here and I'm going to do what's best for me. And my parents didn't know that I was doing this, my grandparents didn't know that I was doing this, but I ended up quitting my job.\, working on a website for a while, letting every client that I had at that point know that I was going to be full time going forward. And that was about 40. So I had a good start and I said you know, people know that I'm a dog walker in Fort Lauderdale and for every client that finishes their first walk with me, I'll give you five dollars off your next walk. That kind of helped bring in some clients. You know it's two years later. I'm at 250 clients.
Rabbi Robyn Host 13:46
I'm assuming your parents know by now
Sammy Leighton Guest
They do.
Rabbi Robyn Host
So how did that conversation happen, and how did it go?
Sammy Leighton Guest 13:52
Yeah I was super nervous. It was like kind of one of the scariest moments of my life, but I brought the numbers, I brought what I would have been making from my previous paycheck and what I made dog walking in the first month, and I showed it to my family and they were like OK, all right, if this is what you want to do, you clearly have figured out a business model to make this work. We're not going to give you a dime, but we will be more supportive of it.
Rabbi Robyn Host 14:26
Did you feel really good once you got it out?
Sammy Leighton Guest 14:28
Yeah, I still didn't think they really a hundred percent believed in it. I think it was like I had to work really really hard to get to the point where they're like, okay, yeah, now she's killing it, now she's really started a business, but because now they bragg to all their friends and all that, which I I find funny. But you know, in the beginning I did kind of think like, ok, my dad is going to help me a little because he's he's good at all the you know, the financial stuff and the business stuff and he's good at talking to people and he's good at handling difficult situations. So he helped me through all those like little things in the beginning, which was really helpful. And other than that, though, I think it was kind of like we'll see, like we'll believe it when we see it, you know, which to me just made me work harder. So I'm kind of grateful for it. But yeah, it was definitely a scary conversation.
Rabbi Robyn Host 15:25
I mean I'm thinking it was my kids and I'd be like you left your job and you're like walking dogs. I'm kind of curious about your life because I think I could be wrong that not only are you running a business, which is a serious thing, you're doing all these aspects and you're in charge of all the administrative pieces and you are literally running a business. I assume you're also walking dogs a lot. I know I talked to you on the phone. You're like hold on, I'm going to get a dog. You were also awesome, like you saw some with the dog and you gave them your card. You're still a great salesperson, but you're doing like every. I think you can tell me if I'm wrong. Right now you're doing everything, even though you do have employees who are also doing things as well. But you are the CEO or whatever your title is and all of the work that involves. Plus, you're walking dogs on a regular basis. Are you exhausted? Are you overwhelmed? Or is it like this is so exciting and something I love and I'm investing in it? or a combination ?
Sammy Leighton Guest 16:16
Yeah. So okay, yes, there's been ways like, over time it's developed, it's evolved. So in the beginning I was working from 9 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. I had to. I had no choice. You know, I had to figure out how to pay my bills and Fort Lauderdale is not a cheap place to live. So I was working nonstop and you know it did burn me out, but I loved it. It was, you know, it was great.
16:47
And at that point I didn't have the system I have set up now that you know I can have people book online. It was just texting and somehow kept it all organized and did my best. But over time I decided eventually, you know, okay, now I have the clients, I’m gonna cut back a little. So I hired someone and I said I need your help. You know, I'm gonna start taking off these hours and I started working like 10 to 4 or 5 o'clock, which is kind of my schedule now, and then, after I realized she was great and she was helpful and I gave her more and more work, I decided OK, I'm going to take off the weekends now, so now I have shorter hours within the week.
Rabbi Robyn Host 17:35
And when you say shorter hours, that's just the dog walking part, not all of the other stuff that you're still doing.
Sammy Leighton Guest 17:40
Yes, that's just dog walking. I'm out and about walking dogs from usually around 10:30, 11 o'clock until 5 o'clock pm. And that's like perfect for me. Part of why I started a business, too, is to seep in. I don't like mornings. I'm not a morning person.
Rabbi Robyn Host
I could totally understand that.
Yeah, I was like, if I'm gonna start a business, I'm you know I'm gonna work hard in the beginning and then the second I can sleep in I will, um. So yeah, it's developed over time. I am doing a lot still, Now that I have more employees, it's been really great. It's actually interesting you brought this up too, because I just added something to my system last night, um, where it says dog walk and says the $25 and it says dog walk, request Sammy, $30. So I did raise my rate so that I could have people who requested me consistently go to my employees who do just as great a job because I hire well. That's helped my schedule a lot. It's given me more time to do the admin side of things.
18:47
But I am thinking about hiring someone to do the scheduling and the invoicing because to me it's just not fun. It's not the fun part of the job is like walking dogs and being outside. I just I'm such a dog person. I want to be around animals all the time, like dogs, cats, turtles, lizards I don't care. I just love animals. So that's what's fun to me, and eventually I will find someone who can do the other side of stuff, because that's not my cup of tea. But I'm good at it and I know how to do it. So you know, writing emails to clients has been easy for me and stuff like that, and I do love every aspect of running a business just because it's mine. It's something I've created, it's something that I've found people to work for me who respect that. I worked this hard to get to this point and acknowledge that. So I'm very grateful for that as well. But yeah, it's a lot of work. I’m not gonna lie.
Rabbi Robyn Host 19:51
So, Zuli. I'm assuming, when you're walking other people's dogs, that you - I don't know - can you take more than one dog at once, or is it just one person's dog at a time, or dogs?
Sammy Leighton Guest 19:59
Yes. We do private walks. However, if there are multiple clients in a building, which there often are, and those dogs are friends, the client might suggest: “hey, why don't you take Pickle and Violet together,” or you know whoever. So sometimes, here “and there we will. My dog, Zuli, is a little reactive with other dogs. She does have one friend, it's Pickle, the one I was just talking about. So when I walk him I will sometimes bring her along, just because she gets so happy to see him and he's so happy and they're so cute together and they walk right next to each other and I love it. But other than that, she usually is home with my boyfriend who works from home, so she's always had someone around, she's never alone.
Rabbi Robyn Host
So I assume he's doing more of the Zuli walks, ironically. even though you're a dog walker.
Sammy Leighton Guest 20:47
Yes, he is. He's very helpful.
Rabbi Robyn Host 20:49
I was concerned to make sure she gets enough walks and attention, but she does, okay, good.
Sammy Leighton Guest 20:53
She does, she gets constant attention, she's very spoiled.
Rabbi Robyn Host 20:56
I think it's one of those things that parents of dogs and of humans are constantly facing, like when you're doing other things it's your own that can kind of get on the back burner, but I'm glad that Zuli is getting all of the attention she deserves.
Sammy Leighton Guest 21:12
Oh yes.
Rabbi Robyn Host 21:13
So let me ask you: what were, and you may have said them all, but the greatest challenges of starting a business? Was there anything else that was challenging besides the things you've mentioned?
Sammy Leighton Guest 21:21
I'd say like the biggest thing was proving myself. I mean, I had my grandma call me once and say: “What am I supposed to tell my friends when they ask me what my granddaughter is doing for a living?” I was like: “Tell them she's a business owner. You don't have to say, dog walker. I'm a business owner.” I'm doing much more than dog walking, so that that was a challenge Having people respect and understand this. Because proving myself was definitely a big challenge. Learning how to handle difficult situations, learning how to price myself reasonably, what I'm worth, going back and forth with that, you know what the industry standard is versus what I would be charging, because it is a luxury service and I do go above and beyond for all my clients and my employees do as well.
22:11
So it is not one of the cheaper dog walking businesses in the area. It's because we do go above and beyond getting to learn how to explain that to people, because I did, in the beginning, have people like oh my God, I can't believe you charge that much and I still will have people say that to people. Because I did, in the beginning, have people like oh my god, I can't believe you charge that much and I still will have people say that to me. But people pay it! Because I'm going above and beyond for all my clients. I'm doing more than the average dog walker, dog sitter, would. So I would say that was definitely a big challenge for me in the beginning.
Rabbi Robyn Host 22:46
As far as getting the word out, so people knew about your business. It sounds like by the time you started you already had a number of clients. But were there other things besides, you know what I heard you, do giving someone your card, which is a great way to do it, other ways that you got the word out?
Sammy Leighton Guest 23:02
Yeah. So the first week that I like really went full time, me and my boyfriend long boarded into Las Olas and started handing out business cards to anyone we saw walking a dog. Likee prime time, like right after work, you know, right when people got home. So everyone's out with their dogs and it's along the river and that's where everyone walks their dogs. So I'm out there just handing business card after business card after business card and that got me a lot of clients. And not only did that get me a lot of clients, but they gave my card and told their friends that they found this dog walker. So most of it is word of mouth. I did not spend a dime on getting clients. It's word of mouth, it's Instagram and now that I'm where I'm at, it's Google, because I have 86 five-star reviews on Google. So when people look up dog walker Fort Lauderdale, I'm one of the first ones to pop up.
24:00
But in the beginning it was pretty much all word of mouth and handing out business cards. I did do a few events. I started to partner with different companies. I partner with Wolfgang Bakery and Groomer and New Habits Canine Dog Training. So I started to make those connections and build those connections and figure out, you know, who was going to be the go to person that I send someone. Will I get a referral fee? Will that help my business? Are they going to tell people about me as well? You know, getting all of that sorted has been great.
Rabbi Robyn Host 24:33
Five years from now, 10 years from now not in life, that's a whole different thing. But in the business aspect of your life, in the career aspect, do you see yourself still doing this? And where do you see your business? Do you see it growing, changing?
Sammy Leighton Guest 24:46
Yeah, I think five and ten years are very different. At a five-year mark I would like to still be kind of doing exactly what I'm doing in a bigger scale. I've been expanding a little bit here and there. Like in the beginning I was just like one mile from where I'm at now. Now we have like a five mile radius, and then I keep kind of bringing new areas in as we go. I like to keep them close enough that if something were to go wrong I can get there quickly. So I haven't gone too too far, but I'm hoping at some point I can either start franchising - I think that would be really cool - teaching people you know, how to build a six figure dog walking business or running a course.
Rabbi Robyn Host 25:33
Maybe it'll be seven figures.
Sammy Leighton Guest 25:36
I know, hopefully. That is the goal. You know I also, at some point I'm going to want to like settle down and have kids, so we'll see how that builds into everything. The ten year plan, I would say, is more taking a step back and letting my staff do the work. And you know, I still, I'm always going to be the person to make the decisions because I have a very specific image of my business, very specific, really great reputation that I am not ever going to try to jeopardize. So you know, I am the face of the business and I hope to still be in 10 years. But I would like at some point to kind of take a step back and enjoy the life that I have and not be working all the time and say you know, I've worked hard to get here. That's what I'm hoping for.
Rabbi Robyn Host 26:32
So let me ask you: someone's in college and finishing up, or someone's, you know, been out in the world for years and they're thinking I want to start like a dog walking, pet sitting business. What advice would you give to them?
Sammy Leighton Guest 26:45
I would say, start it as a side hustle. I actually got a book before I started. When I quit my job I went on Amazon and I bought a book “How To Start Your Own Business,” you know, how to be an entrepreneur, or whatever it was.
27:01
And the first thing it said that I took to heart and highlighted and underlined was start as a side hustle, and I 100% agree with that. If I had just quit my job without having any dog walking clients, I would have probably been screwed. I wouldn't have been able to pay my rent, you know. So start it as a side hustle, build it over time, keep your other job until you are able to say: okay, I have enough clients to be able to afford to live if I'm not working this job. You know, hard things can bring in great things. Some of the hardest experiences I've had have shaped me to be who I am today. So I would say that's probably the advice I'd give.
Rabbi Robyn Host 27:44
How can people follow you on Instagram and see all the great stuff you're doing?
Sammy Leighton Guest 27:51
So our Instagram is @thedogwalkerfl, as in Florida; the business is The Dog Walker FL; and our website's thedogwalkerfl.com. So, yeah, feel free to follow. We post cute dog content every single day and just the cutest dogs in the world and we're trying to, you know, work hard on our social media and do some cute reels and stuff and, yeah, lots, lots of cute things coming.
Rabbi Robyn Host 28:21
I love following you because every day it's like a different dog and they do look really happy, which I think is something, because I'm assuming it's when they're with you getting a walk and, they're really cute, very cute dogs. So I would encourage people on a personal level to follow you. It's just fun. You know people always write to me on Mazel Pups. They'll send me a, like, a DM, like: “It’s just nice to look at something that makes me happy for a few minutes in this crazy world.” And it's the same thing with your page.
Sammy Leighton Guest 28:44
I was gonna say like when I look at your page and I see all the dogs wearing their like yarmulkes and everything, I'm like, oh my God, I can't.
Rabbi Robyn Host 28:52
Yeah, so, you know, we need that.
Sammy Leighton Guest 28:55
And I think that our followers would benefit from following both of us.
Rabbi Robyn Host 29:04
if you like, dogs look at both for a few minutes and you'll be very happy.
Sammy, thank you so much. It was really a pleasure to be able to interview you. I said in the beginning, like you were part of the inspiration for finally moving. You know, something I'd been wanting to do for a long time and just hadn't done, and then, when you agreed to do it, I'm like I got to start this podcast. So I want to thank you for that and thank you for sharing about your business and wish you the greatest success. And I'm sure many people have heard this, have been inspired by what you've done. And start as a side hustle everyone. I think it's a great idea. And you never know where it's going to go. And you are proof of that.
Sammy Leighton Guest 29:38
Thank you so much for having me, Robyn. This has been awesome. I would have literally never said no to something like this. I think it's amazing and I can't wait to see when it comes out and see all the other people you interviewed. I'm so excited for you and I just can't thank you enough.
AFTER CLOSE OF CONVERSATION: Rabbi Robyn Host 29:53
Hi again, I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode. If you did, don't forget to hit the subscribe button, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd give us a five star rating and follow Mazel Pups on social media. Thanks for listening.