Pet Sitter Mental Health and Wellness Summit

Pamela Ahart-Steward and Beth Cotell

Lifelong best friends Pam Ahart-Steward (left) and Beth Cotell (right) co-founded their pet sitting business All Friends Pet Care (www.allfriendspetcare.com) in April 1998, and quickly grew it to a seven-figure pet sitting business covering most of Northern Virginia.

Over the past 26 years, they have mastered many techniques to streamline their management of pet sitters, clients, crises, and their own personal lives, to simplify and amplify the job of owning their own business. One common theme they have dealt with head-on through their own personal and business lives is overwork and burnout, and they hear similar stories over and over from fellow pet sitting business owners across the country.

Recognizing the need to help other pet sitting business owners with their experiences, Pam and Beth decided to launch Monarchs in Motion (www.monarchsinmotion.com) earlier this year. Their focus is on the seriously under-addressed concept in the pet sitting industry of SELF-CARE. Their first priority was to get certified as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) coaches, which allows them to take a powerful approach to enhancing self-awareness, increase confidence, and build communication skills by coaching, encouraging, and MOTIVATING other pet care business owners.

Pam and Beth invite you to listen with an open mind (and with pen in hand to jot down notes as the inspiration strikes you!) so you can learn how SELF-CARE MEANS BUSINESS, and how to prioritize your own self-care in your personal AND business life!

Renee Machel

Renee Machel is an internationally recognized speaker. She co-founded Get MotiVETed LLC, which provides wellbeing solutions for veterinary professionals and organizations. She holds her certification in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction), CYT 200 (Certified Yoga Teacher), and is a highly regarded CPC (Certified Professional Coach). Renee has spent over 20 years in the veterinary industry—as a team leader and veterinary assistant. She is a Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) approved Speaker and has presented at such places as DVM 360’s Fetch conference, Black DVM Network, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, and many more. Please visit this link to sign up for additional resources from Get MotiVETed, LLC. 

Beth Stultz-Hairston

Beth Stultz-Hairston has worked in the pet industry for two decades and began her career with Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses, in 2004.  She has served as PSI President since 2020. Beth is also the editor of Pet Sitter’s World magazine and author of The Professional Pet Sitter’s Startup Guide. She has also written for multiple pet-related blogs and publications. She regularly writes for The PSI Blog and was awarded the Certificate of Excellence from the Cat Writers Association and selected as a 2017 Muse Medallion winner. Beth received her B.A., English, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She pursued her studies in compassion fatigue through Divine Mercy University and Regent University. She is a member of Green Cross Academy of Traumatology and has obtained certification as both a Compassion Fatigue Educator and Compassion Fatigue Therapist.

Gail Pope

Gail Pope (left), with over 30 years of experience in animal healthcare, is the President and Founder of BrightHaven Center for Animal Rescue, Hospice and Holistic Education in California. She has paved the way in the field of animal hospice and palliative care, being present at over 600 animal deaths and providing a holistic approach to senior and special needs animals. She is a cofounder of Animal Hospice Group, a certification program for allied animal care practitioners and veterinary professionals to learn better end-of-life skills to support pet parents and is a member their training faculty. An international consultant and author of seven books, Gail’s expertise has made her a renowned figure in the industry.

Karen Wylie

Karen Wylie, MEd, EdD, CAHP (right), is a lifelong business educator and consultant who has a deep passion for animals. Her journey of caring for a diverse range of animal companions, including purebred Birman cats, Rough Collies, and Quarter Horses, as well as active involvement in Golden Retriever Rescue, ignited her commitment to improving the lives of pets in their final stages. With training and certifications in both human and companion animal death, dying, and bereavement, Karen has become a dedicated advocate for enhancing hospice care for aging and terminally ill pets. She currently serves as the Director of BrightHaven Caregiver Academy for pet parents and holds the position of Executive Director of Animal Hospice Group.