When someone hears that I own a pet sitting business, the second question they ask is "how many clients do you have?" What's the first question? It's: "You mean you do that as a real business and you make a living from it?" Well, that's actually two questions.

I never know what to say when people ask how many clients I have. Do you mean over the lifetime of my business? Do you mean active right now? Or just this week? Or today?

Clients come and go depending on circumstance. In the past few years, the most crucial factor has been the economic state. Clients have moved away to live with their parents in another area of the country or they take one vacation per year rather than four, so we don't see them as much. Or maybe a former stay-at-home mom has had to take work outside the home so I gain a client that needs potty breaks for the family dog.

The ebb and flow is also seasonal. With reasonable predictability, we are busiest in the summer and during the holiday season. If you go by the calendar, January and February are our slowest months. Travelers have returned home after the holidays, and kids are back in school. Come March, things start to pick up as spring springs and Arizonians start to enjoy a few weeks of "not too cold and not to hot"–perfect–weather. As we ease into summer and everyone evacuates our virtual hell, things really get cookin' for Well Minded. While you're all enjoying your lake breaks and coastal getaways, I'm hanging with your pets. And I love that. September and October are a bit sleepy, and then we pick up again through the end of the year for holiday travel. Basically, we're here when you're not.

So today I saw three animals. That's today, and who knows what tomorrow will bring?

I have over a hundred currently active clients, which means they have booked service with us in the last year. Some clients I see five times a week, some once a month, and some twice a year. Or something like that. I appreciate the business, but, more importantly, I love all of the animals. I have never (hardly ever...that's another story) met an animal I didn't love.

So how many clients do I have? Today I saw three. And those are the ones that especially matter.

I don't recall the exact beginning of my pet sitting career, but it probably started when I was about twelve years old, just on the verge of possibly being considered responsible. I initially followed the jr. high herd and tried my hand in baby sitting, but no amount of movie and apparel money could convince me that I wanted to spend my weekends monitoring short people who refused to listen and needed to be endlessly entertained. I found myself more drawn to the pets in the household. The mother of a young girl I reluctantly baby sat on a regular basis noticed this and asked if I'd watch their dog while they went away for the weekend. Pop in on him several times a day to let him out, feed him, and provide him with a bit of company. I didn't even need transportation, because they lived two doors down. Why, sure.

And you'll pay me? Even better. I referred out my weekend baby sitting jobs to a grateful girlfriend and never looked back.

I took care of that neighbor's Siberian Husky for several years following and added a few other neighborhood pets to the mix. A cat here, a hamster there. People liked me because I actually loved the animals. I didn't just drop food and run out, forgetting to fill the water bowl. I followed the care instructions to the letter and spent time with the pets because I enjoyed it. And because I enjoyed it, I did a really good job. The animals were happy and healthy, and the owners thanked me by referring me to their friends.

As I grew through my teens and early twenties, I tried other odd jobs and career paths. I worked in retail for a spell, and paid my dues in food and drink service. I earned my bachelor's degree in art history and went on to work as an account manager at a Southern California graphic design firm. All the while, keeping my hand in the animal scene, pet sitting here and there and rescuing any animal that wasn't tied down.

When my husband and I decided to move from California to Arizona, we both started looking for work in our new city. I loved working in graphic design and hoped to find a similar position. I also started fantasizing about opening my own business, not in graphic design, but in pet sitting. Could I do it full time? Could I be my own boss? Never one to shy away from risk, I dove into all the pet sitting and business planning books I could get my hands on. My fantasy started to morph into reality and something I knew I couldn't let go. I created a business plan, paperwork, and recruited my designer friends to help me with my logo, Web site, and printed collateral. I was official. Well Minded was born, and we had exactly zero clients.

I remember my first official consultation well. I'd been to clients' homes before, of course, but there had never been so much at stake. It was two slobbering, jumping Rottweilers. Sweet as pie, but they didn't coordinate well with my skirt and high heels, which were supposed to convey an air of professionalism. I didn't get that job, but I quickly learned that professional pet sitting was not about appearing professional, but it was about being professional. For my next consultation, I proudly wore my new Well Minded t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes. I was able to get down on the floor with the pets, and it didn't matter that they drooled and shed. And the owners loved me for being me and for being in love with their pets. Well Minded was born again, and we had exactly one client.