From corporate marketing to pet waste management entrepreneur, meet Courtney Copeland, owner of SD Scoop Squad in San Diego, California.
Have you ever walked down the street and spotted a pile of dog doo just sitting there? Even with doo-doo bags available from the city or apartment complex, some folks just don’t bother to pick it up. It's gross, right? And let's be real—nobody wants that mess ending up on their shoes!
Now, let me introduce you to Courtney Copeland. She made a big career change, leaving her corporate marketing job after over a decade to start her own dog waste removal service, SD Scoop Squad, in sunny San Diego, California.
Courtney's journey is pretty inspiring! She shares how her love for dogs and her desire to tackle this “crappy” problem led her to her next career step. You might think, “Isn’t that a bit bougie? Can’t people just pick up after their pets?” But you’d be surprised at how many people genuinely need this service. Whether it's someone with a disability who can't bend down or just folks who can’t be bothered to use the free bags provided in their apartment complexes, there’s a real need out there.
Courtney is out there making a difference, one scoop at a time, and helping pet owners keep their spaces clean and enjoyable. It's all about turning a problem into an opportunity and making life a little easier for everyone.
Connect with Courtney
Jenny Dempsey (00:00.212)
I don't want my daughter to have a miserable mom. And I think that played a big part into it because not all the time, but I was miserable working at a desk every single day. just, the past 15 years, it just was not the environment for me. I just didn't know what else to do. So I felt very stuck. Welcome to The Career Flipper, a weekly podcast featuring career change stories from people all around the world in all kinds of industries.
We talk about how they get from point A to point B and all the twists and turns in between. If you've been thinking about switching careers, consider this your permission slip. I'm your host, Jenny Dempsey, a career flipper myself. After many years working in customer service and experience leadership in the tech startup world, I got laid off and stumbled into furniture flipping, taking pieces headed for the trash and giving them a second chance at life.
If you're into that sort of thing, check out my makeovers over on Instagram and TikTok under San Diego Furniture Flipper. I started this podcast because I felt really weird and alone when I switched from tech to furniture restoration. But as I've been flipping my own career, I've discovered that I'm not the only one making big changes. So I figured why not talk to others and have them share their stories? We all have a lot to learn from one another.
So I hope these episodes give you little actionable boost of inspiration for your own career journey. Okay, quick question for you. Have you ever walked down the street and spotted a pile of dog-doo just sitting there? Even with dog-doo bags available from the city or the apartment complex, some folks just don't bother to pick it up. It's gross, right? And let's be real, nobody wants that mess ending up on their shoes.
Now let me introduce you to Courtney Copeland. She made a big career flip, leaving her corporate marketing job after over a decade to start her own dog waste removal service, SD Scoop Squad, here in sunny San Diego, California. Courtney's journey is pretty inspiring. She shares how her love for dogs and desire to tackle this crabby problem led her to her next career step. You might think, hmm, who really uses that? Isn't that a bit...
Jenny Dempsey (02:20.268)
bougie, can't people just pick up after their pets? But you'd be surprised at how many people genuinely need this service. Whether it's someone with a disability who just can't bend down or folks who can't be bothered to use the free bags provided, there's a real need out there. Courtney is out there making a difference, one scoop at a time, in helping pet owners keep their spaces clean and enjoyable.
It's all about turning a problem into an opportunity and making life a little easier for everyone. So get ready to scoop up some great insights in this episode. Let's get into it now. You know, I think I actually need to change the title of this episode to Following the Duties, Following Your Dreams. Courtney, it's so good to have you here. Thank you for being here. Tell everyone about you.
So I am Courtney Copeland. am the owner of San Diego Scoop Squad. We are a dog waste removal service for both residential and commercial properties. So backyards, apartment complexes, HOAs, waste stations, all that fun poop stuff. And I started my business three years ago, back in August, 2021. Well, congrats on three incredible
I was trying to think of a fun poop pun I could add in, but I can't think of anything. You know, we found each other on Instagram. Well, I think actually I found you. I saw a post. I'm a huge dog lover. And I was just intrigued. Like someone actually has this as a business? That's incredible. How does someone do that? So yeah, I'm just excited for you to jump into your career flip.
So how did you get started doing this, Courtney? So I originally, I worked in corporate America for 15 years previously. So I graduated high school, had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. And I tried going to college, community college for a year. And it just was not for me. I still didn't know what I wanted to do with that.
Jenny Dempsey (04:36.858)
and my mom is a very like school oriented person and you know, she's like, okay, well, if you don't re register for school, then you gotta get a good job. So back where I'm from and Connecticut, there's a big helicopter company that a lot of people work at. And, I got a job there. My grandfather retired from there. My aunt and uncle at the time, worked there and I ended up working there for 10 years. I worked a lot.
of long, long hours. I worked in the proposal department, putting together multimillion dollar proposals for helicopters. And the burnout was real very early on there. But, you know, I loved who I was working with, like the people that I was working with. So I think that helped me get through. But the whole time I was there, I didn't feel like I was supposed to be there.
And I kind of feel a little fraudulent being on a career flipper podcast because for me that was, it didn't, that's not a career for me. It was a job, right? Even though was there for 10 years, it just, it didn't feel right saying this is my career because it just didn't feel right. So after 10 years there, I moved to San Diego and then I worked at a electrical contractor for five years. So another corporate job.
working in marketing. And even there, again, I just couldn't find any passion for what I was doing. And rewind a little bit, I did go to school for massage therapy back in Connecticut about 10 years ago. And because I was like, I want to do something that helps people. I want to be using my hands. And I went through the whole program, got licensed and never took that leap.
because it was scary. It was scary because I had a secure job and I didn't know how building a clientele would be in the massage world or how good the money would be because for me, security financially is everything. I grew up from humble beginnings and I feel like that kind of gets ingrained in your mind that you need to have a good job so that you could live.
Jenny Dempsey (06:58.894)
So I never took that leap, even though I went through the whole program. but it was kind of like something that in my mind was like, okay, this is an option. I don't have to stay at this desk job that I don't like. there's other options out there, even though I didn't, you know, pursue it. But not once I was in San Diego, I ended up, it was 2020 and I found out I was pregnant, right before COVID hit. And so,
my husband and I started working from home side by side. He was doing his job. I was doing my marketing job and all we really did was go for long walks with our dogs around our apartment complex. And this wasn't the first apartment that I ever noticed it at, but there was dog poop everywhere. And I was like, this, what is happening? Like there's dog poop bags. There's like waste stations and
It was just everywhere and I would be picking it up for people. And I did this at previous apartments too, but it never gave me any light bulb moments. But I was heavily pregnant at this point and I said, I'm going to start a poop scooping business. And I not knowing if that was even a thing. I had no clue if that was a service that was provided. I just thought I made it up in my head.
Completely false, this industry has actually been around for 30 to 40 years, which is shocking to most. Yeah, there's a guy in LA actually that started I believe 30 to 40 years ago. I don't know if it was because I was expecting a child and you know, it kind of shifts your mind about what you want in your life. But I started doing my research on poop scooping and I found a YouTube channel.
this woman, Erica Crouppen in Michigan. And she has this whole YouTube channel about how she used to work in the hospital setting. And then she started her poop scooping business and she basically shared all the ins and outs, the ups and downs, the money, right? And for me, that was an important part of it. It's not everything, but for me, I need that security of knowing if I'm going to do this, this is an actual thing.
Jenny Dempsey (09:21.068)
you know, bring in good money. It's sustainable. Right. So for me, that was important because I'm such a safety security type of person. I would have probably worked in corporate America for the rest of my life because it was a job with benefits and all of that good stuff. Right. But once I started doing my research, I would take notes and I would just
The more I watched these videos, the more I was like, wow, like, I think, I think I could do this. And I brought it to my husband and like, look at these receipts. You know, like I brought the receipts, right? This is not some crazy out of the box. It is kind of out of the box, but it's not crazy to think that this could work. And you know, he supported me and I didn't start my business for like a whole nother year.
because I still, I had a daughter at that time and now it's real, like I have a child that I have to take care of. But I think also in the back of my mind was I don't want my daughter to have a miserable mom. And I think that played a big part into it because not all the time, but I was miserable working at a desk every single day. just, the past 15 years, it just was not the environment for me. I just didn't know what else to do.
so I felt very stuck. so I feel like that played a big part of actually taking the leap, and starting my business. I, I started in August, 2021. I, you know, did all my branding and cause I've worked in marketing. I knew some type of graphic design ish. so I brought that into it, right? I made poop kind of pretty with my branding. and I posted.
on Instagram, like I knew what I was doing and I didn't. I didn't know what I was doing at all. But having some research behind, you know, the business side of things that helped me to kind of make those moves and grow the business. And eight months into starting the business, I was able to quit my corporate job. I wasn't making as much as my job.
Jenny Dempsey (11:49.718)
But it was like, wow, we are doing something. Our clientele is growing. It's a recurring revenue with the business, right? We have these weekly clients that we have that pay monthly subscription basically. And that's how we grow. Yeah, I was able to just quit and go full time and it's exploded since.
you are miserable at your corporate job. You knew you needed to make a change, but you weren't entirely sure how. So you started to research and you started to read through this research, watching videos and realize that these were things that you could actually see yourself doing. And you have that like stability mindset, you know, which is smart. We need money. And when you're a parent and you have a family and
there are things that we're responsible for. So you didn't necessarily want to just take a leap without having the financial backing, because that would just go against you, your core beliefs, your values. So, you you took this risk very calculated. And I think the other thing that stands out to me is you, you bring up the difference between career and job and how we define it for ourselves, because, you know,
Sometimes it's okay to just have a job that's just a paycheck. It doesn't, you we show up, we do great work and we leave. At the end of the day, it's not necessarily what lights us up, but it does pay our bills. And in some ways I like to say it funds our dreams for things that we're doing outside of work. And there's nothing wrong with that. And I think that it encourages us to dream outside of, you know, work. It encourages us to be.
more and realize that we're more than just our jobs. So I'm wondering, can you talk a little bit more about when you realized that this job was just a job and maybe not what you wanted on your actual career path? Cause I think a lot of people listening would, you know, are thinking about these things, but may not have the insight, know, or intuition to this, these answers yet. Yeah.
Jenny Dempsey (14:13.708)
So, one comment that I received from a VP, which that's a whole other subject of kind of the belittling, harassment and other things within corporate America that is not talked about a lot. But one comment I got at a fancy event down in Miami for this company was, hey Courtney, know, if you want to move up here,
Here, you really got to go back to school. In my head, I really wanted to say back, who told you I wanted to move up here? Yeah. Because in my, I'm just like, first of all, you don't know anything about me besides that. I don't have a degree. know, that was like a new VP. just looked at everyone's kind of like whatever cards that they had and said, well, this girl doesn't have a degree. So let me go tell her she can't move up here until she gets one. And.
It was just and that was just one of many comments that I received when it revolving around my education or lack of education. And it was, you know, it could it could hurt someone in their confidence and their self worth and all of that that stuff. And it did for me for many years. But for some reason, that comment was like I never said I wanted to move up here because I don't. And that was my like
Awakening moment where I'm like, this is a job for me. This is a paycheck until I figure out what the heck I want to do with my life. And I think that was the hardest part for me was finding whatever it was that I was passionate about so that I could leave so I could go do that thing. And I mean, I would never guess it would be dog poop. But here we are. But I think that was definitely a pivotal moment.
for me, just trying to combat those comments from upper management and stuff like that. Yeah, I kind of wish I said it. I kind of wish I actually said it out loud, but I didn't. But that for me, that was a big moment. Yeah, I can see how that would be such a big moment, having that realization and just knowing that there was something else.
Jenny Dempsey (16:41.73)
You know, I've had like, I've had some guests on and even for myself, people to kind of describe it of like, there's just this nagging feeling that something else, like there's something there. I kind of equate it to like, you know when you got something on your to-do list, but you didn't write it down and you just can't remember what it is, it's on the tip of your tongue, you're like, I know I need to do this. There's something important I need to do. I can't remember what it is. And it feels similar.
I don't know, this feeling that nags you, you know? So it's kind of just how I describe it. And I completely relate to what you said. You didn't know that this nagging, that this feeling inside was gonna be poop. You know, I didn't know that I was gonna find my business in the trash. I think it's funny things like this that, you when we're looking for that thing that we...
you know, that we think we want to do to look in the most unexpected places. You know, sometimes it can shock us. to be honest, know, breadcrumb, cookie crumb-wise, like during COVID, there's like these buy nothing Facebook groups, buy nothing, sell nothing groups. And a lot of people give things away that they don't need, a lot of junky things, a lot of great things, but...
I was really interested in these like junky pieces of furniture and I don't even know where that came from, but you got a lot of, we had a lot of time during COVID and people were giving things away. So I took them in. I lived in an apartment. I didn't even have a garage at that time. And I didn't have any tools and I was just like watching a couple of videos and then painting or staining or sanding things. And it was just, just for my own furniture use, but I didn't think that that.
thing would be something that I would return to at another place. And just like you were walking through the apartment complex, seeing piles of poop everywhere, you didn't think that that would be something that you end up turning into a career. Yeah. And it totally is. And I love what you're doing because I love the creativity. I actually had a Etsy business also at a time making bracelets, which I'm wearing one of them.
Jenny Dempsey (19:03.914)
And I would do like painting and wood burning and stuff like that, that creative side, which I really loved. And I think that's the path I really, really, really wanted for myself. And it just never was sustainable. It was a lot of hours working on something for not much in return. Right. For me, when it came to what I'm doing, the poop scooping, I think I brought in
my love for researching things once that light bulb moment came. And, you know, there is not much content out there for poop scooping, but there was a few people out there making content. And I'm glad because I don't think I would have gone for it if I did not see that it was a sustainable thing. So I think doing the research, which I really love doing as well, and just knowing that it's a problem that needs to be solved.
And it was those apartment complexes that really brought light to the idea of the business. However, 99 % of my clients are residential. So now my new fight is showing the value to these apartment and HOA communities on how important this service is, just as important as pool services, landscaping, all of those things. Boop scooping, dog waste removal, consistent dog waste removal is
Crucial because this is a waste, a hazardous waste that needs to be picked up. And I know that people should be doing it themselves, but they're not. And that's not gonna change. And I feel like that's my next task that I'd have to do in my own business is really trying to get across that value because I saw it so long ago and it did spark something in me, but that plays a big part into.
you know, my passion of the business, right? Like my passion is this is a problem. I want to solve it. You need to hire me, right? But also back to the creative side, I love that I am not in a box when it comes to my social media. I get to create the content that I want. That was another thing when I worked in marketing at my last job is I did the social media for the company there. But I was it was like, be creative, but stay in this box. Right.
Jenny Dempsey (21:22.894)
You're always in the box. can't. You could have all these great ideas, but someone's going to know it to you and be like, no, you cannot post that. Right. So but for me, my business, of course, I'm not going to go absolutely nuts with my postings, but I am no longer having to answer to someone else when it comes to my creativity in that sense. As much as the business is not created for me,
Really, I still get to have that creative piece, which I think helps that side of me that really wanted to work in the creative space. So I think that has helped me as well. Yeah, I totally get that. And I think the important thing I want to call out that you mentioned and that I think I kind of hinted at before too, we're on that same wavelength, but those cookie crumbs of things that we learn along the way where maybe, you know, something we were doing wasn't the best fit for us.
but it becomes something that helps us in the future, whether it's a skill, a network connection, I don't know, a new job, a new talent, like whatever it is, it eventually finds its way back to us. Yeah, and that's where my passion, I think, comes into this because from the very beginning when I first started my business, I got a lot of really rude, mean,
comments, especially when I would run ads on Facebook. Just, you know, they call them Facebook trolls for a reason. But my skin was not very thick then. And I would literally cry about these comments because I knew what we were doing. I knew who we were helping. And I didn't want people to see these comments and be deterred or feel shame.
about hiring a service like ours, which I feel like there is still shame behind it because it's not as known of a service like landscaping or house cleaning, right? People hire those people, those services all the time. So I feel like my passion has just grown for that, that just kind of making it known what we do, who we help and why we do what we do. Because I feel like the more
Jenny Dempsey (23:45.346)
we get that message out there, the more it'll be normalized to hire service like ours. And people won't feel the shame behind it, right? We've cleaned some very, very bad yards. But even in those times, you you can tell the person is embarrassed or feels some type of way. I always say to them, we've seen it all. Just because you need to help them feel a little bit better about the situation, but you also need to
share like we are here to help you now. Like we're not going to let it get like this again. we, know, we could come every single week and it will never be like this again. If you, if you continue on with our service, but there, there's just a lot of, you know, stigma behind it. And I, I just want to be part of the, part of the, you know, way of breaking the stigma. So I'm glad that, you know, I can go on my own social media and keep it real. You know, you, you just gotta get the message out there.
in a way that people can digest it. I just feel like a lot of people can't think outside of themselves a lot of time for what they're able to do. And that's, it's just the quick judgment, the quick comments. So I'm just working on trying to break that apart so it doesn't happen anymore. Yeah. That sometimes that can be what holds someone back from taking any risks.
Whether it's a career business or anything in life, that judgment from others, Facebook trolls, family, friends, just society in general. Someone at the grocery store makes a comment. I don't know. And it really just sounds like your support network, like your husband was all in. Was there anyone in your life, in your personal network that maybe wasn't as supportive as when you took the job, you when you took the leave from the stable job to starting this?
Thankfully, no. My parents just moved out here last year too, and they've been like, my mom especially is super supportive. Like she's out there handing my cards out to anyone that will take one, right? Like super, and she always has been, right? Even from that first story of, well, if you're not going to go back to school, you need to get a good job. Everything that I've done in my life since, she's been a huge, she's always supported, right? Like as much as I didn't go to school and she probably would have loved for me to go to school.
Jenny Dempsey (26:07.694)
I was still was like doing things to better my life or whatever. So she's been a huge support. I think the only weird thoughts probably came from people at my job because I actually got my car wrapped before I left. had my poop mobile coming into the parking lot at work. I was telling everyone, this is my plan. I told my direct boss, Cynthia, like what I was doing.
She knew, she knew, she knew that what I was doing there was not for me. But I was there, because I was there for five years and it was still like, if I'm not interested in it anymore, I don't want to do it. Like that's kind of where it came down to, but she knew what was up. But I think when I told people, hey, just put in my notice, going to do this poop scooping, I think they're all were like, wait, what? Like, like they probably were like, well, good luck with that.
But they don't know the possibilities of it. I knew the possibilities of it. I knew how far I could take it. And that's all that really mattered to me when it came to that. I think I was just more sensitive to the stranger comments than anyone else's because I didn't really get any negative comments in person from people I knew. Yeah, I totally get that. Kind of ruminating on comments from strangers. Why do those have more impact? Makes zero sense.
But I mean, having the support and knowing that, okay, I'm doing this and I know that people that I love that love me are behind me. It really gives us, I don't know, courage. Maybe that's not the right word, but that's what's popping in my mind right now to really move forward. And when you do take that leap, I'm gonna jump around on my questions for a second, but stability mindset. I really feel that. I think sometimes people
will mention that they feel this too and they're not able or not willing to or risk what they have because who knows? You need your benefits. You need a stable paycheck to pay your bills. And without that, it's terrifying. And it was really challenging for me at first after getting laid off and not having that and not being able to find a job. I was like, okay.
Jenny Dempsey (28:28.61)
Like I just need to be resourceful. I have to figure out what I'm going to do. because I can't go back. I can't go back to being burnt out and stressed just for this stability that I just learned is no longer really stable. Like it really shook my foundation because I thought that it was, I thought I was set for my career. I thought this is what I was doing and to just be, you know, laid off. And I know the business had the reasons, but
and laying everyone off that got laid off. wasn't just me during that time, but you know, it's, it's really all in our head stability and trying to shift our perspective on that sometimes takes something to really smack us in the face. Exactly. feel like a lot of times we forget that we're just a number at these companies, right? Versus if you own your own business, it's in your hands now. Your destiny is in your hands. You know, how hard do want to work?
is up to you. How much money you want to make is up to you. But I feel like the sky's the limit when you're running your own business versus at companies, there's a ceiling, right? Like I was at a ceiling and I didn't want to go back to school to go past whatever ceiling they gave me versus with my business. I could stay as small as I want to or grow as big as I want to. It's going to take a lot of work to grow to that high point.
But if I wanted to just keep it in the family, I could have just stayed at a lower clientele, right? But I don't want to. So now I have two employees and now I'm providing jobs for them where one of my employees tells me this is the best job she's ever had. I'm like, that like makes me feel so good. know, that makes me want to cry because it's like I built I built that, you know what I mean? And and I'm providing a job to someone that
also did a career flip for herself. She was a trained chef and she lost her passion for it. Now she's doing something, she loves dogs. I love dogs too, I get it. You know what I mean? And she loves the job that she has working for us. So that means so much more than anything else. But yeah, you're completely right when it comes to, we have this, it's like a false security at jobs, right? I saw when I was back in,
Jenny Dempsey (30:55.598)
Connecticut at the helicopter company. I saw so many layoffs, so many, but I was cheap labor. I was cheap labor. They weren't gonna get rid of me. I wasn't really worried. But like, I saw so many where I'm just like, that just like completely flips people's lives, right? People that have families, you know what mean? Stuff like that where now my business, okay, like it's in my hands. No one can do this to me but myself. The beginning of this year, we lost.
25 clients, which is huge for us because our turn rate is pretty low because people get used to the service and we try to make it easier for their lives. But 25 people moved out of state. So I couldn't really help that. But that was like, that hurt me because it was out of my control. But we've built it back up. So it's in your hands.
if you decide to do something else, it's not, it's no longer in someone else's hands. You are no longer a number, you're number one. and I think people need to remember that. It's a heartbreaking because like you put your all into that and then the next day they're like, sorry. Right. It's business. That's business. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. When you've given so much of your time and energy to a company doing work that
you thought mattered, that you thought made an impact. I'm one of those people that wants to do work that makes an impact. Anything I do, whether it's customer service, I'm serving coffee, I'm answering an email, like I want to make sure I'm making a good impact on whoever's day that I'm serving. That's just how I operate. can't, I can't seem to change that. I'm, I'm a helper. But you know, you're doing all these things and then suddenly to have the realization that it doesn't matter.
it doesn't matter this company, you know, they're gonna do what makes sense for the business. And when you do your own thing, you get to call the shots, you get to make those choices. And this is really what I've been realizing over the past year and a half, you know, it's fulfilling, it's terrifying to take your own path and make these decisions on your own. And then when it comes to social media, where you build a lot of the community,
Jenny Dempsey (33:15.608)
customers, future clients, word of mouth referrals. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. And I've been doing this forever and I still don't know what I'm doing. And I feel like when I post, I get caught up in the comparison trap. it doesn't look like so-and-so's post or people are even gonna like this. Is this dumb? And I'm really trying to work on not caring and just putting out there something that I like.
experimenting. And I really think the experiment to me comes the fun part, because that's where you build a community. You show up, you learn, okay, this didn't quite hit as well as I thought it would, but this one did. And here's what people are saying and what can we learn from it? And, you know, it's, it's a great opportunity to build a community and supporters of what we're doing. I feel like, especially when it comes to Instagram and I have a, I have a
very large network of fellow scoopers. You wouldn't believe it, but we are all, are in like Facebook groups, other groups, you know, and we like share what works for us and everything. And I constantly try to drill in that how important Instagram is. And people are like, well, how much, how many clients have you gotten from? I said, it's not even about that. It's about the community that you make. I said, you know, I posted like crazy when I first started, just kind of.
doing what I could, you know, what was entertaining, what would get people engaged. But then you come across fellow business owners, especially for my industry, fellow pet industry business owners, dog walkers, dog trainers, doggy daycares. One of my good friends is a dog photographer, which I met her in a Facebook group. This is the community that needs to be built, especially if you're a local service, right? Because these are the people that get to know you.
And I tell people, just be yourself on Instagram when you make videos and stuff. Because people get to know you, they trust you. You're not just a business name. You're not just a logo behind this business page. You're a person behind it. You're the passion behind it, right? And people are going to see that. they're going to want, even like you said, even if they don't use my service, if they know of someone that has a dog poo problem, who are they going to tell? They're going to mention us, right? And then same for them.
Jenny Dempsey (35:38.486)
Right? Like I love to share other people's stuff too. because you know, that's what we're here for. We're here to like support each other. It's completely free. Like, and that's what I try to tell people it's free to support others, your friends, fellow business owners. Right? so I try to drill in how important Instagram is just for building that network. You know, like we met, like you said, through Instagram. So I think I know what it was. So I think the junk removal.
yes. Yes. So so I think they shared our one of our videos and I think that's how you might have found us. OK. OK. Yeah. I did a partnership with the junk M.D. here in South D. Yes. Brought me a dresser and yeah. And so I've been following that. They're incredible as well. Right. Shout out to them. And that is yeah. That definitely must been right.
And I use this example for someone that I was trying to, because they're like, I don't want to get on Instagram, a fellow scooper. But I'm just like, just try it. like, don't, you know, don't spam salesy spam, like salesy posts, right? No one wants to see that. They want to see you. They want to see the personality behind you. And and that's how you really build like a true community on there that is, you know, willing to back you up. Like I get when I get
mean comments and stuff. have a dog trainer that has like a lot of disabled clients that she's like, this service is great for that. You know what mean? I don't ask people to support me like that, but they step up and do that for me, which is really nice in those moments. Yeah. Power of community is- Yes, so important. And if that- Especially on Instagram. Yes, I agree. Yeah, I completely agree. And speaking of showing up as yourself,
One of the other things that you mentioned stood out, you there are a lot of career flipping parents listening in and I know that from hearing their stories, a lot of the choices that they made happened when they had kids. It really opened their eyes to how they want to spend their time. And you know, you mentioned with your daughter and can actually, can you just talk a little bit more about that? Because I think that's really important.
Jenny Dempsey (37:58.19)
and relatable and special. Setting the example of making choices, these calculated risks that we're taking, that are hard and trying to juggle multiple things and still be there for her. you talk a little bit more about that? So I started a business just before she turned one. Okay. yeah, it was tough because we didn't have family here either. We had no support system here.
to help babysit, you know, it was just my husband and I, and my husband was working 4am to noon at his job, and then he would scoop every afternoon for me. Still sometimes does. And then I would work my, you know, eight to five job during the week, and then on the weekends, I would scoop.
I did receive some comments where it was like, well, you're not spending time with your daughter during this time. And I'm just like, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm thinking of the bigger picture, right? Like, first of all, she gets to spend time with her dad when I'm gone, because we all know mom is mom, right? You're typically the go-to parent, right? But if I'm not there, now they can have their special bonding time.
And to like I'm thinking of our future right if this is the sacrifice I have to make right now For a year or two years to build this business. It's gonna be worth it. Especially at a she's at a young age She's not gonna remember that I was mommy was out working all the time, right? But like for me my mom worked a lot too, you know, she worked a lot, but she had she did what she had to do to build her career, right and I don't
I don't remember that. You know what mean? I was so young. So for me, it was tough. It was tough, I think more with the leap of leaving a secure job, quote unquote. But like we said, they're not always secure, but it's just that full security of I have a job and benefits and we're good versus a business where, you know, it can be unknown, especially in the beginning. I just feel like if you, I always say, if you do your research, if you do your research,
Jenny Dempsey (40:16.174)
and you know, you have a plan, can do what you want to do and make it work. It's not going to be some like leap, literally jumping off a cliff because you don't know what you're doing. Like I don't suggest that. don't. I don't suggest not really knowing what you're getting yourself into. But I feel like if you have that like backup information to put into what you want to do, you'll be good. And I feel like it.
there's a fire under it, right? There's a fire to do well, to provide for your family, and for me to show my daughter, even though she's so young, that you don't have to stay somewhere that you don't wanna be. You don't have to stay somewhere where you're miserable. And I feel like that was important for me, even though she's so young, she doesn't see that quite yet, but hopefully down the road, when we tell her how it went, she will see that.
I think that was important for me because of how long I stayed somewhere that I was not happy in an environment that made me miserable back to like, there was like some sexual harassment, regular harassment, just the comments about education. These environments that are so unhealthy, that are not talked about. I don't want her to ever feel she has to stay somewhere like that, like I did. Right. So,
I create an environment where I never have to deal with that again. I never have to deal with those comments. You know what mean? I think that was really important for me too, to kind of back up my leap. It's okay to make a change as long as you are prepared for it. You just prepare yourself. And I always say, one of my favorite quotes is, for me when I was working at my job for that full year before I started my business and even the eight months that I was still at my job,
was never quit your daydream because if there's something that you just cannot stop thinking about, you can't stop thinking about it, put your effort into that because there's a reason why that you're daydreaming about it. So yeah, don't quit your daydream. And I know as a parent, it's hard, but you have to think of that bigger picture. Your kids will be okay. You will be okay and your kids will be okay as long as you plan properly and do your research.
Jenny Dempsey (42:42.094)
Right. And I feel like a lot of times too, you know, moms tend to lose themselves in parenthood and doing all the things, right? Like you, we have to remember we are people too. Like our feelings and our dreams matter. It's not just our kids' dreams now, right? We're still, you know, was 33 when I started my business. So, you know, that's older, but it's also young for some, right?
It is what people are going to think they're too old to whatever, but you just have to remember that you are also a living human being that has feelings and should do the things that they want to do, not just put all that stuff behind you because you feel like you can't anymore. I feel like that's important, especially for moms. Your wants and needs matter too. Well said. Courtney, that's a great way to wrap this up. Well, thank you so much for.
coming on the career flipper and talking crap with me today. I know I couldn't resist. couldn't resist. Okay. I'm done. Done with the puns. but really I'm so inspired by you and your journey and very grateful for you being on the show and I want people to connect with you here in San Diego and beyond. how can they find you? How can they reach you? Yes. So you can find me on Instagram. Like we mentioned, my username is SD scoop squad.
And that's my username on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Or you could visit our website, www.SDScoopSquad.com. The SD is for San Diego. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Career Flipper. Be sure to connect with Courtney using the links in the show notes. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who might need little inspiration at work. Make sure to subscribe for more flippin' episodes like Courtney's every week.
And if you have a second, leaving a review might seem small, but it really helps the show reach more career flippers around the world. And if you have a career flip story of your own that you'd like to share in a future episode, tell me about it. Send me an email. Hello at thecareerflipper.com. If you're thinking about switching into customer service or maybe just leveling up your customer service skills in your own new business, I have my online courses with tips from
Jenny Dempsey (45:00.896)
my years and years of working and customer experience leadership. Over 14,000 students have already taken them and they're rated pretty high. So if you want to see Corporate Jenny in her old element, head over to thecareerflipper.com slash courses to check them out. What I love most about doing this podcast is the chance that maybe one of these stories might be the spark that someone needs to break free from feeling stuck and finally taking that first step toward their
dreams. That first step is really tough. I know, I'm right there with you. But it's so worth it. Whether it helps you grow or opens doors to something you never imagined possible, it's a step that can really change everything. So keep on your path, my friend. What's the best that could happen?