Paws, Trust, and Franchise Growth with Nicole Peel
Nicole Peel, founder of Pawsitively Spoiled, explains how a college side hustle became a national pet sitting franchise built entirely on trust.
If you've ever run a side hustle while working full-time, quietly wondering whether it could become something more, Nicole Peel's story will feel familiar.
Nicole is the Founder and CEO of Pawsitively Spoiled, and her path to pet sitting franchise growth started in 1990, walking dogs for extra cash while working a full-time retail job. "I didn't really advertise it too much because I was almost afraid it would get too big," she told hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa on The Bliss Business Podcast.
The Leap From Side Hustle to Full-Time Founder
In 2016, Nicole finally made the jump. A friend helped her reframe the risk: try it full time for six months, and if it doesn't work, go back to retail. Nicole even lined up a backup plan at a local Starbucks, just in case. Her first month running Pawsitively Spoiled full-time, she made "exactly to the penny, double what I made" at her old retail job.
Trust Is the Whole Business
Letting a stranger into your home to care for a pet is a leap of trust, and Nicole has built her systems around earning it. Every franchise carries $2 million in insurance, every walker is background-checked, and the company's scheduling app timestamps the exact minute a walker arrives and leaves. But systems only go so far. "You just have to love all kinds of animals," Nicole said, recalling a candidate who claimed to love dogs but flinched when one jumped on her and refused to pick up after it during training. "It was just very, very clear within three minutes... she did not get hired."
Franchising Without Losing the Personal Touch
Nicole franchised Pawsitively Spoiled in 2020, drawing on lessons from her earlier stake in an Edible Arrangements franchise. One of her locations near Indianapolis recently partnered with a retirement community's animal hospital, transporting pets for older residents who no longer drive. It's the kind of local, face-to-face service that Nicole believes only works when the franchise owner actually lives in the community they serve, showing up at farmer's markets, learning neighbors' names, and building the veterinarian relationships that make word of mouth possible.
Love Shows Up in the Small Things
Nicole is candid that scaling required letting go of control. What didn't change is what love looks like in daily practice: showing up on time, sending photo updates, walking through bad weather. Some client relationships have outlasted the business transaction entirely. "My mother passed away in January of this year, and some of those people came to her funeral and sent flowers," Nicole shared.
Key Takeaways
• (2:02) Why Nicole kept her pet-sitting side hustle small on purpose
• (4:11-9:23) The leap of faith: a six-month trial and doubling her income overnight
• (11:18-13:50) Franchising began in 2019, right before the pandemic hit
• (14:30-18:53) How Pawsitively Spoiled builds trust: insurance, background checks, app tracking
• (18:53-20:28) Why "you have to love every single type of animal" to do this work
• (21:00-25:10) Inside the dog taxi service and the retirement-community partnership
• (35:42-39:25) What love in business looks like, including the client who sent flowers to her mother's funeral
FAQ
How did Nicole Peel know her pet-sitting side hustle could become a full-time business?
Nicole ran Pawsitively Spoiled as a side hustle for years before leaving her full-time retail job in 2016. She tested the leap with a six-month trial and a backup plan; her first month full-time, she made exactly double her old retail salary.
How does Pawsitively Spoiled build trust with new clients?
Every franchise location carries $2 million in insurance, every dog walker passes a background check, and the company's scheduling app timestamps each visit so pet owners know exactly when their pet was cared for.
Why did Nicole Peel choose franchising to grow Pawsitively Spoiled?
Nicole had prior experience owning part of an Edible Arrangements franchise and wanted to step back from personally controlling every visit. Franchising let local owners build trust in their own communities while she stayed involved without burning out.
šļø Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa
š§ Produced by Martha Huerta
Read the full recap on Trust Is the Growth Engine in Pet Care, meet more guests on our guest page, or explore the Featured Guest Series.
Founder/cEO
Started a Petsitting business to make extra money while going to college in 1990 and working another part time job. Consistently worked it and grew it just by word of worth. In 2016, I took a leap of faith and quit a full time job and made the petsitting job a full time gig. I about killed myself building the brand and growing the business. In 2020, I franchised the business and now have 6 locations.
