A Conversation with Jennifer Krepps | S03E05

Welcome to season three of the Leadership is Feminine podcast. I'm Chris Plackey and I'm so happy that you're here. In this season, we're doing something different. One of the things that I believe to be true is that there is so much unsourced, beautiful wisdom in the everyday person. I really like to talk about what I call obscure wisdom. That means these are things that people know that unless we meet them at a cocktail party or at a barbecue or sitting next to them, you know, on a train, we don't hear about it. And these aren't celebrities. These aren't people who've written, you know, best selling books yet. These aren't people that are on the circuit that everybody else is learning from. These are everyday women who are CEOs building, dealing with, working through all the pieces and parts of running a company. And I want to bring my beautiful clients and their wisdom to your ears because I know that you'll find it to be validating and insightful and hopefully also some fun. So without further ado, let's get started with this week's amazing personal client and guest on Leadership is Feminine. Hello everybody. I am so excited today. Welcome to the podcast Leadership is Feminine. I am interviewing one of my amazing clients, Jennifer Kreps. Jennifer is amazing and has been had a CEO program for how long now?

Since either April or May of 2021.

Okay, so almost a year.

Yeah, I'll be able to participate in an amazing year plan program that you do.

Listen, we're always up leveling just a little. Okay, so Jen, tell everybody who you are and what you do and why your beautiful business exists in the world.

So my, my business is a dog care facility. It also includes a pet sitting in home. Pet sitting service. That's where it started. And then it evolved into a brick and mortar. I am in the Midwest area and live in Illinois. So I live in a rural community. And I am a reformed doer. I am now a driver, should we say a reforming.

A reforming doer.

Reforming doer. Yes, I'm a reforming doer trying very hard to learn how to be a driver. But my whole journey started pretty much without my, without my desire actually. I was let go. My business or the company that I worked for let me go due to the service changing. And so I had to redesign myself and always had a passion for customer service and for pet care. So it made sense to me to try and do something. And it started out money wise. It started out doing the pets thing because it was easy to get into as an easy entry. And then it evolved into, I'm missing clients, I'm missing opportunities. And so it grew to a brick and mortar. And we've been in business since May 2016. And after basically a year and a half, two years, we reached six figures. So that was really exciting, even for, like I said, for a smaller community. So I knew there was a need and I'm thrilled where we are today and only want to do more. So, yeah, it's kind of exciting. I went live.

I love it. Yeah, I love the story. Right. I think there's a lot of listeners who are. Who are tuning in today who can identify with what you said. Like, I. I like that you talked about how this was easy entry. Right. I was able to get in as a pet sitter. Right. And just start making myself available. And then there's only so much capacity, which is true for so many solopreneurs. Right. Beyond eventually, there's only so many hours in a day and so many pets you can feed in a day. So in that natural progression. And so there's pros and cons with that, right? Because the pro, of course, is this is cool. It's growing and you're expanding. I would imagine part of the con is.

Not really having the plan for that extended growth. Like you went from pet sitting to now having a boarding care, right?

Yes, correct. Correct.

So what would you say, knowing what you know now, what has been kind of the most difficult part about that transition?

I think you touched on it, the plan. And I think the idea that a business plan is enough is not realistic. There is a whole plethora of other issues that you have to tackle. And I think if I knew then what I know now, it would be surrounding myself with other entrepreneurs, women especially, because, you know, there. There's that whole giving and approach that women have, and that's part of the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing is because I want to, you know, I'm a caretaker. You know, there's a caretaking nature to us. And finding that support, finding that business coaching is huge, is just so it levels you up to. To a point where you don't feel so alone, which is another challenge with being in this world. And then obviously just having that background knowledge that you can't get from just starting your business. I mean, like I said, I'm a reformed doer, so I just followed the task lists. I didn't have to strategize. I didn't have to do the things that I'M doing now. I love it. But it's not just second nature. It wasn't something that I went to school for. It just I had to do it. So being thrown into that pot and trying to swim is a little challenging when you don't have people there with life vests and so forth to guide you accordingly. That's what concerns you.

Here, grab onto this. No, no, hold on. I got you.

Pulling you to the side.

And it's interesting because you're in an interesting market. Right. We have a few clients who work in pet services, and. And you have this client who is an animal.

But you also have a client who is the owner, Right?

Right. Correct.

And so what is your goal with this business? What are you trying to achieve?

Expansion is certainly. Realistically, I want to expand, so I have a real drive to take what I'm doing now and replicate it elsewhere. I'm not sure. I'm not sure how big I want to be, but I definitely want to expand.

But there's a bigger sense of wanting to. And I've mentioned this to you before, and I think it's maybe even overused, is that I want to make a difference. I want to give a voice to this industry, which I think it's been abused in a way it's not been presented in a way that's reaffirming to both the client and the pet. And.

There'S just a whole level of loss, and it's sad. I want to see this industry have more respect, and I want to give it, through excellent customer service, more care for the pet. That there's this whole level of not feeling trusted or that the client doesn't trust us. They don't know what we're doing. They don't know if everything's going to be okay. That has to stop. So I'm just hoping that I can change that in some way I can make it different.

So the thought that you have or one of the goals that you have to make a difference. Right. You want to make a difference. How does that thought also get in your way?

I think it gets in the way by my own limiting beliefs.

I think one of. One of the challenges with wanting to make a difference is that you sometimes do things out of fear.

Maybe it's a fear of failure. Maybe it's a fear of lack of knowledge.

And the best example I can use is when I got divorced, and I'm now remarried, but through my divorce, I had two boys through that marriage. And there was this whole. Whole fear of them not Loving me, not wanting to. You know, their father was still very involved in their life, so I was competing with him, and I lost my ability to parent. I started parenting scared. And I saw this whole transition of my kids not trusting me, not believing me, not, you know, knowing that I was the same person, because I wasn't. I wasn't. I wasn't respecting who I was as a mom. I was trying to be something I wasn't. So I think. I think when you are trying to make a difference, you get lost in the difference, and you forget about the fact that you're, you know, you. You got to follow your heart, you got to follow what you're doing, and you got to trust in that and. And not worry about if you're not making a difference or if you're not doing what you're supposed to or what you originally thought, maybe through your business plan or whatever you. Whatever motive you came up with.

Right.

So, yeah, I think. I think there's. There is some limiting features with just focusing on making a difference. And so there's. There's got to be a pursuit. You got to pursue what's in your soul, you know, what. What really matters to you. And I think in doing that, you will make a difference. At the same time, I love.

Well, first of all, thank you for sharing that. I think a lot of women will identify with what you said, and I think it's ironic, right, when we say one of the most important things for me is to make a difference. And that belief actually makes us compromise who we are in order to make a difference, when really, how we're most going to ever make a difference is by being ourselves.

And then that's the right person, the right way for the right people. And not everybody will want what we have when we're making a difference. And that's. Okay. Right.

Correct.

That expression.

And I think that was something. Yep. I think that was something that I've learned through this program is to trust in myself and not. Not compare myself all the time. Compare myself to other businesses, compare myself to other women, compare myself. That, I think is. That's limiting. That's a limiting belief, and it's. It just doesn't work. It. It wears you down. You become very exhausted from that feeling.

Yeah. And I, you know, I think that's a lot of the reason why a lot of women don't do a program like this, because they have fear around not being good enough or, you know, feeling terrible about themselves when other people are making this much money or have this Many businesses or clients.

And sure.

What I hope anyway is it's been your experience is, you know, I think how to CEO is the great level set. It's like it doesn't matter if you have a $16 million business or a $200,000 business, you still have days where you hate people.

Exactly.

You don't want to work or you feel like you don't know what you're doing. And yeah, that's my hope is. Is that we, We. We create a space where you're just a. You're just you.

Exactly. Exactly. And I. And I do like being the people that I'm in the group with. Probably I don't know if I'd ever would have met other than through this group. And that's. That's fantastic in itself. I mean, that's. That's a door that I am so glad I walked through, so.

Me too.

What a nice place that is.

A door. I'm so glad I walked through. I like that.

Thank you.

I could come up with other doors. I'm really glad I walked through.

Definitely. Definitely. I call it that scenic stop. You know, how many times you've been on a road trip and you haven't stopped at those little scenic outlooks or those scenic moments because you're just like, I got to get there. I got to get there. So. But if I would have just stopped, how much better would have my journey been? So I'm so glad I got to stop and do this.

Really well said. Oh, I'm thinking about it. I do that all the time. And I, you know, we all live in these places. I mean, I live in a place that people pay. My kids and I have this conversation a lot. Like, we live somewhere that people save for years to be able to come, and we can just go there in an hour and hang out and then we come home. Right. And so we just, you know, you're absolutely right. You don't really invest in it, so. Okay. So I know that the last couple years, for many people, including you and your business. Right. This pandemic has been a little rough on service.

Ma'. Am.

Businesses, especially public facing people coming in and out of doors. So what would you say has been. You know, I'm reluctant to say the biggest challenge because I think a lot of that is given, but really more like the biggest learning out of this last couple years for you.

The biggest learning that I have is. I think you mentioned it in one of the classes or one of the episodes, one of the training calls that there was this belief that this pool of people that we could connect with would always be there.

And knowing that, like, my business is obviously very connected to the travel industry, but it's also. Also the pool of people that I am connecting with are the same pool of people that I think a lot of restaurants connect with or other service industries that maybe have a more cyclical turnover. You know, it's just. It just happens more frequently. So it's never been an issue.

Before to try and reach out to an individual or pool of people and find what I needed them out and, you know, have them for the time that I could.

A team member.

Yes, exactly.

And so learning the learning challenge or that that opportunity, I think is the reinventing of that. The reinventing of how am I going to. Because I can't do it all by myself. So I need to figure out a way to learn how to pull these people out from the shadows of sorts and bring them in. I need them. And that's. That's been. I mean, you talked to me, said you didn't really want to mention challenge, but that's certainly a huge challenge. And I know I'm not meek in that. But the learning part, it's exhausting and it's invigorating at the same time, because I'm glad I'm learning something new, because I don't. I know that I'm a survivor, and I know that by learning these things, these skills, I'm going to be a better business person, a better entrepreneur, and I am going to be able to scale despite things like pandemics and whatever.

You know, I like the word thriver over survivor.

Ah, thriver. I like it, too.

Yeah. I mean, I think that we. That all businesses have sort of encountered these. Oh, okay. This doesn't work the way it used to. And we have to be really, really careful in these moments. Right. Of where we fill our bucket, where. Where do we go to get information. And I was actually listening to a podcast, and now I wish I could give good credit for it. Now, I can't remember, but they were talking about looking at times in your life when things didn't go as well as you would like versus times when things were thriving. And one of the things the guest on the podcast said, I think it might have been Jay Shetty, just to give him credit, but he said, one of the things that I've learned to do is to reflect on. Okay, this was a time that was difficult. Who was I listening to? Right. So if I find that in my life experience, I Was really.

Bummed out about being a mother or something. Right. Like, then, sure, okay, so who was in my ear? Right. What was I buying into? And it doesn't have to actually be a person that, you know, it could be programming, tv, Netflix, books that you're reading. It's important, I think, as a CEO in these times when things are really tumultuous.

To be sure that you are feeding your brain not just positive, but constructive direction instead of just because there's so many people who are the sky is falling messaging. I just talked with another client for a podcast interview, and she. We talked about hiring. And her belief is the law of desire, she said, is, as soon as I know what I want.

They exist.

It's a universal law. And I was like, well, that's powerful to just believe instead of, I wonder where they are. I'm never going to find them. They're so hard to find them.

Right.

This is, you know, I think. Because I think a lot of people resonate with what you're saying this. We're all competing, right? At the service level. There's a lot of you competing for talent.

Sure.

And yet I will tell you, my daughter, who is 17 and totally amazing and like captain of soccer team and exceptional. Right. How does that experience.

Right. Applies to other jobs and they don't want to hire. Right. So that says there's still. To me, wherever you live, there's still a lot of really great people who want work, but you haven't. It hasn't synced up yet. Rather than giving up on the whole process.

Yeah, I agree. I agree. Yeah.

So I'm glad you said that, though, because I think a lot of people relate to that. So we have time for a couple more questions. And I really want to know for you, when you talk to other. Knowing what you know now, right. Like, now you've built this business organically. You've gone through one of the most challenging probably times to run a business that any of us will ever go through. I hope.

I hope so, too.

Can we just agree?

I hope so. Yeah.

I think you and I are contemporaries. I think. I think we hit ours like that. Okay. Got it.

Yeah.

No more. Listen, we're good.

What is the wisdom here? That because you could have folded this thing up and said, forget it. Right. Come out, but you haven't. So what's the wisdom you would share maybe with another woman who is feeling a little bit like, what's the point, man? This is hard to run this company. Maybe I should just go. As I say, Work at the Clinique counter.

Yeah. And I think you've heard me say that several times where I've wanted to just close up shop. I'm done. This isn't fun anymore. I want to return back to a comment I made about stopping and enjoying. I think that.

When you're so focused on the journey.

That you forget to stop and recognize the. The joy, the moments of joy. And there are moments of joy regardless of the challenges. There are moments of joy that you know, the joy that you've created something like you've talked about. You'll create it from scratch. You know, you created this magic and it's here and now. And. And you're living it. And you. You're touching people's lives either through opportunities or through services or through product or whatever it might be. You're making.

You're touching people's lives. You're making a difference. And I think that when you look at it that way, you can enjoy those moments because they're defining your legacy. And that legacy is something that you should embrace and cherish and.

Recognize that, love that and share in that. Talk about that with others. Talk about that with your business coach or life coach or somebody. Somebody that can say, yes, you're right, you've done it. You made this. We have this little baby like you talk about our little baby and being a mother and you being a mother, I mean, we can appreciate that means something, that you've created something from nothing. And that's. And that's fantastic. That's magic. That's magic. Yeah, that's definitely magic and commendable and love that.

That give me goosebumps. How much of this version of Jen goes to work every day?

As much as it possibly can be. I don't. But I. If I may, I had a moment today where I was an employee, new employee was supposed to start and texted me at 9:40 last night and sent me a message saying, so sorry, not. Not going to be taking the job. So, you know, today has been a year.

I figure out you. I just have heard this story. I can't. Like what happens to people. They just decide on that day. Like, I just hired a new executive admin and I was waiting till on Monday morning for her to text me to say, I've decided not to come. Just hear about it so often. Yeah, I'm not laughing at you.

It just.

I'm sort of weird.

No.

So anyway.

It'S.

It's bad. I mean, the woman gave me a hug after her working interview saying how Excited she was about this opportunity. And then the next thing I know, she's sending me. And it's hard to not have this, you know, kind of cynical, negative attitude about people after all of that. So, you know, I can say that there are days where this side of me that. Where you're getting to see that I'm sharing with you and your audience is, you know, a shining beacon. And then there's days where I literally.

And you gotta go deal with it.

Yeah, yeah. And I want to hurt people. I want to. I turn into, like, the Hulk, and I just want to rampage and destroy something. But yet, you know, it's. It's okay. It's all right. And that's life. I mean, it's never going to be exactly what you want it to be. So you have to recognize the fluid nature of it and go with the flow.

Yeah. And I love that you said that because I was talking with somebody else last week about this, and we were talking. I decided I'm going to do something on this. I haven't decided what it is yet, but there's a weather in a company, just as though there's weather out there, right?

Yes. And you live in Illinois, so you.

Have really good examples of weather. The Californians, they're a little less tolerant of weather. Right. If it's not 62 and sunny, like, something's wrong. Right. So. But it's this belief that. That it should always be sunny skies.

Inside your business. That is such a lie.

Yes.

So what I've heard you say is savor the moments of joy. Savor the moments that feel amazing, savers a moment that are easy. And also, there will be days where there's clouds and thunder and maybe even a little tornado blows through, but it doesn't mean you're not prepared. It doesn't mean you have the tools. And it also doesn't define the whole thing. It just defines a moment.

Correct? Yeah, correct. Yeah. I was going to say, you and I both know Tanya Dalton. I've worked with her and she. I know she's been a guest on your show. And so for guest with your program, and she commented about something, she said that success is not a checklist item. It's a daily choice. Like, that's completely true. Because I think before I started doing this even I used to think, oh, I just had to get to this level. And then it would be an easy road. I won't have to worry about things anymore. I just need the right team and then it will all be good. And I Won't have to worry about this anymore more. I just need this dollar amount and then I'm not going to have to worry. And it's. There's nothing about that that's true.

No, I love that you. You know, I've had that conversation with so many people, and people like to still argue and say, yeah, well, things are still easier when you have more money and. Yeah, well, things like. Yes, some things get easier, but then do you know what else? Things get harder.

Yeah.

So things that you didn't even know about become hard. And so that notion and doesn't feel any different. Nothing feels different. Hard is hard is hard. It's just hard. I don't want to deal with it. It's the same emotion that I have now when something's hard as when I had when I was 22 and I.

Didn'T want to do it.

It's just that the things are absolutely.

The consequences are different, but absolutely. Absolutely.

Okay, so what's one thing? You have this beautiful business in Illinois. We're taking care of the pets.

Mostly dogs.

Yeah. Not at the brick and mortar, but all types of animals that we care for in the home pet city.

Yeah. And the name of your business is what? Because it's really cute.

It is cute. I love it. So the name of it is Critter Cares, and it's with K's. So Critter Cares. And then how are they in. So I have to make sure that when I call people back, I say it that way because a lot of times that I didn't call the holiday in, like. I know, I know that's not where we. Reservations for myself at the holiday. I know.

Yes.

Because y' all dog care facility.

In the Midwest.

You all say it like that. Holland Howard. Your accents.

Yeah. Agree.

I mean, not that you have an accent. How.

How.

Yeah. I don't even hear it. I don't even hear it. But it was funny. I was in Phoenix and I was ordering food, and the gentleman that waited on me said, you're. Are you from, like, St. Louis area? I went, how do you know that? That scared me. And he said, your accent. I have an accent. Oh, wow. Okay. You do. So. Yeah, people say that too. And I'm.

I'm like, californians don't.

But yeah, I think. I think that's.

I don't hear that. But okay. Okay, that's fine.

Okay. I have another question.

That's too funny, though.

I have one final question.

I'm glad I have an accent. Yes, yes, yes.

Ma' Am what is something that you're afraid of but you're determined to do it anyway?

Are we talking business? Are we talking personal?

We could do both.

Okay. Business wise, what I will do anyway, even though I'm a little afraid of it, is I really want to do what you're doing with the podcast. I would love to do that. I think there's something really exciting about sharing good information with the masses. So I'm hoping to do that. And even though this was all. This was very nerve wracking being with you today, I won't lie. I practiced, I practiced, I practiced. I still don't think I did as well as I would have liked to, but that's all good. But yeah, that would be my business goal. And the other one is skydiving.

I would love to. I'm scared of heights, but I am determined to skydive sometime. It used to be taking a trip by myself. I always was. I'm like, concerned about. I don't know why. I just don't like being by myself. And now I've done it once and I can't wait to do it again. So I figured if I can do that, then I can skydive.

I don't know. I think those are.

Things.

You didn't see me during that trip. I mean, I was like bawling and having like a. Because then it just so happened where I went, there was no phone service or anything. So I was completely, completely separated from everyone. And that freaked me out a little bit, I won't lie. But I did it. And so that's why I say I think I can do skydiving. But I get the point that, yeah, it's not the same.

I do not think that skydiving is.

A good idea.

Sid. Travel alone all you want. Come to Hawaii. Sounds like a great idea. Jumping out of a plane pass.

Maybe I'll just jump off of a ladder, a tall ladder onto something very cushy and that will suffice. Or do those air those skydiving where you can do it indoors, maybe that will give me the experience without actually jumping out of a plane.

I like this plane much better. Yeah.

Or maybe I'll just come to Hawaii and say the heck with it all.

I think it's a great idea. That's even better.

But I.

And I love your business plan. I think that. Listen, I believe everybody has a podcast or a book or both in them. As I was listening to you, you have a role here that I think is bigger than this is what I would say, based on what I heard you say, which is you have a goal and a purpose that's bigger than the logistics of care daily. It's more about a relationship that you want to help people change in their minds in general, on both sides of this partnership that people have with their dogs and care. Right. And there's, you know, there's space. There's so much growth in your industry that feels like there's space there for some thought leadership that I'm willing to bet doesn't really exist in a way that is palatable both for the public and also for people who are practitioners. The thing about podcasting and any kind, I consider it art. I think this is art. Coaching is art. I think that work.

I agree.

It's art. Yeah. And we have to make art for ourselves.

So you.

You paint a beautiful picture because you feel like painting, not because somebody wants to buy it from you. Right. You paint and then maybe somebody wants to buy it, but you have to put a true artistry comes internally. Right.

And then, sure.

Oh, good news. Someone wants to buy it. So I think when you stay in that space with your podcast, and I hope anybody who's listening to this hears this. Right? Like, don't record a podcast with the expectation that people will listen. Record a podcast because you have something you want to say.

And that's the first time I've heard that before. So that's great news.

Enough.

Yeah.

I like that. I can work with that.

I think you should do that immediately.

I plan on it.

So does my dog. Can you hear him?

Well, Mima's doing it too, and I'm petting her so she doesn't keep working.

He agrees completely, of course. Right. Right on cue. But it's. It's okay. It's actually good timing, so very much. Is there anything else you would share before we sign off for the day?

I would like to share a personal thank you.

A personal thank you for your grace.

That you've. You've shared with me, because I think that's something that I was lacking. And.

You know, you filled up that empathy cup that I need and that understanding. And there's something special about that that I can't put into words. But other than by saying thank you. Thank you for. For being available. Thank you for doing this and following your soul's purpose and know that it's. It's definitely made a difference in my life. So I just wanted, you know, that.

Well, thank you. That's.

You're welcome. Yeah.

Yeah. We've had some good chats. And I. You know, I feel so blessed to do what I do. So I'm. I agree. Right. Like, it's just lovely when whatever our individual purposes are, right, that we. We find those intersections. And I do believe that every woman that comes into this program is here for exactly the right reason and for exactly the right amount of time. And the cocktail that we all create together is something that. I think that's the part I never even really thought about until I was doing this longer and longer, and I realized, oh, this doesn't even have that much to do with me anymore. It's just this space that we all hold for one another. But you're lovely and gracious and beautiful, and you've done a beautiful job, and you're continuing to do so, so.

Yes. Yes. And I'm glad I. I'm glad I have you in my life now so that. Yeah. So that my beacon shines a little more than my. My dark clouds. No.

Dark clouds. No more.

Yeah, definitely. All right.

Thank you, Chris, so much. I really appreciate you being here today. Thank you.

Thank you. You have a wonderful day.

Sam.