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June 2025 | Beth Stultz-Hairston, Pet Sitters International

Whether you’re walking dogs in the pouring rain, juggling cat visits while emailing prospective clients, or trying to create the perfect Instagram Reel to promote your business, you may need some inspiration.  

Well, here’s one name you might not expect to inspire you on your pet-sitting journey: Taylor Swift.

While Taylor is known for her love of her cats (Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button), she’s certainly not scooping multiple litterboxes or trying to explain to a new client why they need to complete the forms in Time To Pet before her first visit.

So, how can she inspire you?

While she may be better known for topping the Billboard charts and garnering camera time at NFL games, Taylor Swift is arguably one of the most brilliant brand strategists of our time. Her success isn’t just built on catchy lyrics and stadium tours. She has built a brand through storytelling, reinvention, authenticity, and a deep understanding of her audience.

And for pet-sitting business owners navigating a competitive market, there’s a surprising amount to learn from her playbook.

Here are five Taylor Swift-inspired lessons to help elevate your pet-care brand, build your business, and connect with your clients. And no, I’m not going to tell you to “shake it off!”

#1: Know Your Niche and Target Audience

When Taylor Swift launched her career in country music with her self-titled debut album in 2006, she didn’t try to be everything to everyone. She was a teenage singer-songwriter who wrote vulnerable (if not sometimes cheesy) songs about high school love, heartbreak, and her small-town dreams. Her music certainly wasn’t for everyone—but she leaned into what she knew, and she did it unapologetically.

As a pet-sitting business owner, knowing your niche is just as important. As a business owner, your unique selling proposition (USP)—the reasons, characteristics and expertise that set you apart from your competition—will help you find your audience (your ideal clients) and determine how much business comes your way.

Are you the go-to sitter for reactive dogs? Do you specialize in senior cat care? Are you the only CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter^® in your area? Maybe your superpower is sending the most creative visit updates or offering pet-enrichment services no one else in town does.

Yes, you offer pet-sitting services, but that doesn’t mean you need to market to all pet owners in your service area. Instead of trying to appeal to every pet parent, dial in your messaging and services to speak directly to your ideal client. Just like Taylor, when you have clarity about who you are and what you offer, you are better positioned to establish your reputation, create trust, and build a fiercely loyal fan base of dedicated clients.

#2: Share Your Story (No Guitar Needed)

From the defiant and punchy lyrics of Look What You Made Me Do to the introspective but cheeky lines in Anti-Hero, Taylor Swift’s song lyrics connect because they tell a story. She invites her audience into her world, and because we feel that we know her, we go along for the ride.

Your pet-sitting business has a story too. You may not make the Billboard Top 100 or win a Grammy, but you still have a compelling story about transforming your passion for pets into a professional business. Share it!

Exploring these questions is a great start:

• Why did you start your business?
• What do you love most about caring for pets?
• What inspires you to grow in your career?
• How do you go the extra mile for your clients?

Whether shared on your website, in email newsletters, or through your social media posts, stories resonate. They humanize your business and help clients connect with you on a personal level.

This doesn’t mean you need to reveal your deep, dark secrets. Business boundaries are important. But sharing the story about your “why” for starting your pet-care business can help bring potential clients into your world—and make them feel more comfortable bringing you into their own.

Need tips on how to share your authenticity and market your story to local pet parents? PSI members, log in to the Members Area to view the Marketing section of PSI’s Learning Library to access free online marketing training.

#3: Evolve But Keep Your Brand Values

Taylor Swift's transformation from country princess to pop queen (and more recently, indie-folk icon) has been nothing short of masterful. But at every stage, her core brand values remained: authenticity, creative control, and a deep connection with her fans.

As a pet-sitting business owner, your business will evolve too. Some changes will be smaller, like gradually increasing your pet-sitting rates or narrowing your service area. Other changes may be bigger, like transitioning from being solo to using staff. You may even decide that you want to change your business model entirely. We’ve spoken with many PSI members who have decided to transition from a full-service pet-sitting business to midday dog walks only. Others have decided to narrow their service offerings to only focus on cats.

In recent years, we’ve seen changes in both the economy, as well as in the professional pet-sitting industry landscape. Those changes have brought exciting new opportunities, as well as some unique changes for pet-care business owners.

What has not changed, however, is our industry’s core focus of providing reliable, professional pet care. You need to make sure that with any changes you make to your business, your focus on offering high-quality professional services remains consistent as well.

Reinvention doesn’t mean ditching everything that’s worked. It means evolving strategically as the industry changes, your clients’ needs shift, and you grow as a business.

Maybe that means upgrading your software, offering virtual consultations, adding new service offerings, or rebranding with a fresh visual identity. The key is to keep your business current—while staying true to the values that brought you success in the first place.

#4: Control Your Brand

While she was recently able to buy back her master recordings in May 2025, one of Taylor’s most famous business moves in recent years was re-recording her previous albums to regain ownership of her music. She knew it was important to have control over her reputation (pun intended) and to retain control over how her work was used and presented.

Pet-sitting business owners face their own version of public perception. Online reviews, social media, and word-of-mouth all contribute to how potential clients see you. And while you may not be battling a greedy record label, you still don’t want to leave your company’s reputation in someone else’s hands.

Take a page from Taylor’s book and be proactive in shaping the version of your brand the public sees:

• Regularly update your website and Google Business profile.
• Share client testimonials and behind-the-scenes stories.
• Address negative reviews gracefully and professionally.
• Show your face—literally. Let clients see the person behind the leash.

To have a strong public brand, you have to have a strong business foundation and focus on best practices as well. Don’t commit any of these mistakes that can ruin your company’s reputation, and focus on continuing education and learning from others to avoid these common mistakes that many new pet sitters make.

Owning your story builds credibility and helps ensure your company’s reputation is aligned with the quality care you provide. So, don’t leave your company’s reputation and online presence to chance!

#5: Cultivate Community, Not Just Clients

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour broke records and grossed more than $2 billion in ticket sales alone. Swifties excitedly wait for her merch drops and buy multiple variations of the same album to get different bonus tracks. Why? Because her fandom isn’t a passive audience—it’s a community. Whether it’s through secret album clues, fan meetups, or interacting directly on social media (and notoriously leaving “Easter eggs” in her music, videos and posts), she makes her fans feel like insiders.

While you aren’t making plans to sell out arenas, pet-sitting businesses still thrive on this same principle. You should not see your clients as just transactions. They are also a part of your local pet-loving community and a part of your company’s community, and they want to feel connected.

While pet-care businesses focus on marketing their services, many still do not focus on creating a community. By taking a few simple steps, you can make your clients feel like VIPs and make your business stand out from the competition (and you don’t even have to pass out friendship bracelets, unless you want to!).

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Create a private Facebook group for clients.
• Host a “Yappy Hour” or partner with local pet businesses for a client appreciation event.
• Spotlight a “Client Pet of the Month” on your Instagram or Facebook.
• Provide special offers or helpful resources to pet parents who sign up for your newsletter.
• Offer branded merch your clients can purchase for their pets or themselves.

Need ideas for events or contests that can engage your clients? PSI members can access the free online training, “Engage Pet Parents through Events and Contests,” in the Client Relations section of PSI’s Learning Library.

By turning your client base into a community, you increase referrals, boost retention, and create an environment where people feel connected—not just sold to.

…Ready For It?

Taylor Swift’s rise to superstardom wasn’t accidental. Throughout her career, she’s been intentional, consistent, and deeply rooted in knowing who she is, what she offers, and how to connect with her audience.

As a pet-sitting business owner, you may not have a world tour or a legion of Swifties, but you do have an important story, a much-needed valuable service you offer, and the power to create a pet-sitting brand that is authentic to you.

So next time you’re feeling stuck on your marketing strategy, just think: What would Taylor do?

But if you need more marketing inspiration for your pet-sitting business, PSI can help! Our focus is on giving you access to the credentials, continuing education, and community you need to succeed in the pet-sitting industry.

We like to say that because you are busy taking care of pets, we make it our job to take care of you! We invite you to learn more about PSI membership and check out the tools, templates, and training we provide to help your business shine brighter than a disco ball at the
Eras Tour.