They say when life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Well, in pet sitting, I say, sometimes you just have to bark up a new tree.
The New World of COVID-19
Pet sitting has always been pretty recession proof but who would have thought we’d ever end up in the middle of a pandemic? Certainly, not me. When COVID hit, our business came to a standstill. One day, we were clamoring for new staff and the next, crickets. Cancellations came flooding in, almost overnight. Sitters were laid off. Our doors were closed. The bills continued to come. It was alarming to say the least. In my 15 years of pet sitting, I had never seen something quite like this.
Being on lock down and working from home wasn’t new to me. These days, I spend most of my time in the office instead of on the road. I keep things rolling behind the scenes while my staff keeps things rolling in the field. COVID however was a total and immediate shut down.
Without much to occupy my time, I decided to throw myself into making handcrafted artisan products. This had been a hobby of mine for many years but I limited giving my products to friends and family. When my mother suggested I start to sell to the public, I figured, there’s no time like the present! With that, Vintage Alchemy was born.
A New Venture
While I had started with all-natural soaps, aromatherapy creations, skin and hair care products, and organic lip balms, I quickly delved into the world of candle making and soon was able to add soy candles and wax melts to my growing list of products. I even made an All-Natural Oatmeal Dog Shampoo Bar and cute cat-themed soaps.
Rebounding on Both Fronts
Now that Zoo Sitters has reopened and Vintage Alchemy is taking off, I’m so grateful to be able to balance both worlds. Having the ability to express myself within the realms of two passions has been such a gift. I couldn’t do this without my amazing crew. These ladies have been with me for many years and I am so very thankful for each and every one of them.
We all look forward to getting back to normal and in the interim, I look forward to creating products through Vintage Alchemy, that support my clients’ needs at Zoo Sitters. I already have pet picture soaps in the works! Stay tuned!