Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristyn Bergen.
Kristyn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I had recently graduated college and was in the service industry for over 10 years, so I was ready to start something new. I wasn’t sure what, so I asked myself “what do I love?” and came up with exercise, nature and animals. I had been animal and baby sitting on the side since I was 12 years old, so it seemed natural. A friend of mine, and partner in the beginning, was walking dogs for another person and asked if I wanted to join. I jumped on board and we quickly decided to venture out on our own and came up with the concept within a day. I immediately started marketing through social media and attending dog events, vet offices and pet daycares around Houston, I was trying to get my card visible everywhere. After a few months of non-stop marketing, it started to take off. Here we are two years later and it gets better every day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Transitioning from making consistent money to making almost none in the beginning was definitely a struggle. But that’s the price you have to pay with opening your own business. Also the Houston heat is a daily struggle haha.
Please tell us about The Barky Bunch.
The Barky Bunch provides dog walking, dog boarding, pet taxis, and we love kitties too! Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer, is a dog guru and my idol! I use his tactics daily and they truly are affective. When I walk someone’s pet, I’m not just walking them to get the day done. I’m constantly trying to train them how to walk when on a leash, how to act towards other animals and people, and how to be an all-around well-behaved man’s best friend…with the owner’s permission on course!
What sets me apart from other is that it’s just me at this moment. I take pride in my clients’ privacy and with this being such a trustworthy business, it is a challenge to finding potential employees that check all my boxes. I truly cherish my client relationships and their animals feel like family.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I started playing volleyball when I was 9 years old and played club volleyball year round until I was 18. It gave me the opportunity to travel all over the United States with my mom and meet some of my best friends that I am still close with to this day. Those memories are priceless but my favorite of all of them was being able to experience going to the Junior Olympics and my high school team were runner ups on going to the State Championship!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebarkybunchhouston.com
- Email: thebarkybunchhouston@gmail.com
- Instagram: @thebarkybunchhouston
Image Credit:
Photos taken by: Diego Nuila
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