Cara Armour: Managing Emotions and Expectations in the Business of Caring
Jamie talks to Cara Armour, award-winning founder of Active Paws (a petsitting company in Boston) and pet industry entrepreneur, about how her dogs changed her life and shaped her future career. They also discuss how important it is to set up realistic boundaries and processes in order to responsibly grow your business, avoid burnout and compassion fatigue, and maintain your sanity.
BIO:
14 years ago Cara Armour co-founded Active Paws Inc., a professional pet care business based in the greater Boston, MA. She started it with her husband whom she met at the dog park. It later expanded to include grooming and operating a holistic pet supply store. In 2009 Cara won Pet Sitter of the Year, the industry’s highest honor awarded by Pet Sitters International and collected many other accolades over the years. Since 2003, Cara has been trained in Pet First Aid and CPR. In 2011 she completed an instructor training course and became a certified pet 1st Aid and CPR instructor. Later in 2015 she started her own online pet first aid & CPR company. When she found the training online by an ER veterinarian produced by ProTrainings, she decided to set her pride aside and join the ProPetHero team, the pet first aid and CPR division of ProTrainings. She is also a volunteer and foster home for The Boxer Rescue Inc, a health conscious breeder of Boxers, as well as an active member of several kennel clubs. She has been a mentor to many in the pet industry as well as those in the small business world. Cara spends her free time traveling to agility, lure coursing, and conformation trials. When not at a trial or finding a good home for a Boxer through the rescue, she’s training with her pups, giving free business advice on Facebook, or playing in her neglected garden.