Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Menegotto.
Matt, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After I graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2009 I worked in sales for over 4 years. I sat in a cubicle 5 days a week, every morning waking up and dreading having to go into work. You can say I wasn’t really a happy person. I was 220 pounds, out of shape, depressed, and didn’t enjoy what I was doing with my life. We moved down to Houston in 2014 because my wife matched at a residency to train as an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon. I saw this as an opportunity to change my life and do something that I truly had a passion for. My first love and passion has always been animals, specifically dogs. I have had dogs my entire life and knew how special and happy they always are. I always thought to myself growing up, why can’t I be as happy and carefree as a dog. I knew I wanted to start some sort of business where I could work with them every day. I figured I could get myself healthy again by walking every day and doing it with dogs. They are the best workout buddies ever, haha. So, I decided to start the Houston Dog Walking Club. It was second best decision I have ever made in my life, marrying my wife is number one of course. Fast forward a couple of years and with a lot of hard work and dedication there is now 4 of us that work for the HDWC full time and 3 of us that work part time. As a company we do over 150 walks a week and I personally walk in-between 15-20 miles every week day. I love every minute of it. I have lost over 60 pounds and I am in the best shape I have been in since I played collegiate sports. I am one of the happiest people that I know now and look forward to waking up in the morning and heading out to the best job in the world. I mean I get showered in 100’s and 100’s of doggie kisses and hugs each day, who wouldn’t love their job!!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would say it has been a very smooth ride. When I started this business I told myself that I was going to just let it happen naturally. I put so much pressure on myself in my last job that it drove me crazy at some points. Losing sleep at night and being stressed out all the time. I just wanted to let my business grow at a slow and steady pace. I didn’t want to overwhelm myself to where I became the same person I hated all over again. The HDWC grew perfectly. For the first 6 months or so I only had a couple of customers and I learned a lot as my business grew. It was at the almost 1 year mark where it took off and I had to hire another person. Then the business just kept growing and growing and hasn’t stopped since. I would say my biggest struggle was trying to find someone to work with me that was going to give my customers the same high level of customer service and had the same appreciation as I did for them. My customers mean the world to me and I wanted to find people that were going to treat them the same way that I do.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Houston Dog Walking Club is Houston’s premiere dog walking and pet sitting company. Trust and responsibility are the two main principals our business is based on. You need to be able to trust the person you hand your keys to and be responsible enough to take great care of your pet while you’re away. Around 50% of all of our new business comes from referrals. All of our services are 1 on 1 with your dog and will always be walked by a fully trained dog walker that has completed a pet CPR/First Aid course. You can feel safe and at ease that your furry friend is in great hands!! I am most proud of all the amazing reviews that we have from our customers. We have 5 star reviews across the board.
What were you like growing up?
I had the best childhood anybody could ever ask for. I had a very supportive, loving family and great friends. I was a very happy kid and surrounded myself with happy people. I always told my older self that I wish I could go back and do it all over again. I was very successful in athletics growing up. In high school I won 3 hockey and 1 lacrosse state championships; achieving all-state honors in both sports. I also achieved a division 1 scholarship to play lacrosse at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. I played and attending school there for almost 2 years before transferring to the University of Kentucky, where I completed my degree in Health Communication.
Contact Info:
- Address: Central & Southwest, Houston, TX, 77401
- Website: www.Houstondogwalkingclub.com
- Phone: 713-899-0068
- Email: hdwc.owner@gmail.com
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