Letter to my clients

Hello! This is a long one, so buckle up!

THANK YOU

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for all the blessings I have received from having amazing clients like you and the very best dogs (and cats) to care for these past 5 years. I had no idea that when I started dogsitting in January of 2020, that it would become my full-time job. It sounded like a wonderful way to fill my heart with dog love after my own pup, Elwood, passed a little over a year prior- and to make some extra side income. I couldn’t have imagined the friendships I would make, the privilege and honor of being part of each of your lives in such an intimate way, being entrusted to take care of your beloved babies, as well as sharing in the joy of celebrating weddings, human babies, and other milestones together. Gratitude almost feels too small of a word to embody all the feelings I’m feeling right now. These last 5 years have been quite extraordinary for me. You and your animals have had a profound impact on me and who I continue to become in countless ways, that it would feel inadequate to even begin enumerating them here- so I digress.

WHAT I’M UP TO

As many of you already know, I have been working towards significant goals in my life. Since moving out of my apartment in October 2023, I decided that the next home I would live in, I would own. Yes, in Santa Barbara!- with the help of program support for people in my income bracket. Additionally, for the past 10 years, I have been developing a multi-channel brand called Spread Goodness®. For a year now, I have had the privilege of working with teams of Computer Science majors from Cal Poly-SLO, and now also Toronto Metropolitan University, to build a native web-application called the Spread Goodness® Challenge. It is a technology tool for the classroom that encourages kids to do something kind and unexpected for someone, share what they’ve done on our online platform, and nominate others to participate. As they do, they share a unique code so that when those nominated participate, their “Spread Goodness® stories” will populate in that child’s feed. Ten years ago, I believed we needed to plug into something that reminded us of all the good in the world, and it seems this is the moment. People keep telling me, “We need this now more than ever,” and thankfully it is now building momentum!

SCHEDULING SHIFTS

As I’m sure you can imagine, operating my full-time dog care business and self-funding my full-time startup, while also managing where I am going to sleep each night (a part-time job in itself) has become unsustainable if I want to maintain my health and wellness, while running both businesses optimally. It’s actually amazing I’ve made it this long, but I’m finally acknowledging that I need to make some changes. Here are the details:

• Apart from Friday morning off leash beach runs, I am trying not to take on any more dog walking or checkins as my workload continues to expand.

• I have updated my pricing (see graphic below). For those of you still on Rover, you have already seen some of these price changes take effect, as well as the addition of fees I incur through the app.

• Rest assured, your current pricing is locked in for overnight bookings already on my calendar for sits through August 31st.

• I am mostly booked for overnight care between now and the end of August. Listed below are some openings I currently still have available.

• I can take booking requests beyond August, but will have to confirm as we approach mid-summer when I know how certain goals in my life have progressed.

• Below my availability, I have provided 3 referrals for dog care providers already helping out with many of my current clients.

• In order to better accommodate the needs of my most loyal clients, YOU, I would like to encourage each of you to let me know as soon as possible how and when I can best serve you. I try to plan out my schedule a week or more in advance. I will always do my best to accommodate last minute requests, but please understand my time is becoming more and more limited.

IN CONCLUSION

Again, thank you to each and every one of you and your fur babies for all the ways you have helped transform my life over these past 5 years. I’m not embarrassed to say that your dogs and cats have become some of my best friends, and it brings me to tears to scale back my time with them. I look forward to the possibility of finding new ways to connect as I move through this transition in my life. Please feel free to reach out any time with questions or anything else. I look forward to hearing from you! And if you’re curious about my Next Act- you’re in it. Feel free to navigate to the home page at www.SpreadGoodness.Love :)

Sincerely,

Lisa Lang