When Steven Chmielewski was laid off after 10 years at T-Mobile, he decided to take a year off to be a stay-at-home dad. It wasn’t long before he started wondering what came next – and whether it was time to build something for himself. By Tamara Rahoumi
Trading Meetings for Morning Walks
When Steven Chmielewski was laid off after 10 years at T-Mobile, he decided to take a year off to be a stay-at-home dad. It wasn’t long before he started wondering what came next – and whether it was time to build something for himself.
A friend who owned a fitness franchise encouraged him to look into franchising for the built-in structure, tools and brand recognition. That advice led him to Pet Butler, a pet waste removal and pet care service.
“I didn’t even know this was a thing,” Chmielewski said. “But when I saw the opportunity, I realized the market in my area was really underserved.”
He purchased an existing franchise in Tacoma, Washington, and nearly tripled his customer base and boosted revenue by 200% in his first year. Chmielewski said the key was being hands-on – building relationships with local veterinarians and groomers, calling every customer who canceled and staying involved in the day-to-day work.
Pet Butler’s personal support also helped early on. The brand sent a business consultant to his market to help him develop a growth plan and partnership strategy.
Today, Chmielewski has two part-time employees and still scoops a few routes himself each week. It’s busy, but the flexibility is worth it.
“I might be working just as much as I did in corporate, but it fits into my life,” he said.
Here’s what a typical day looks like for Chmielewski as a Pet Butler franchisee:
- 7 a.m. Chmielewski opens his garage workspace, preps the trucks and meets with employees to review routes and new customers.
- 8:30 a.m. He drops his kids at school before heading home to handle emails, billing and customer calls.
- 10:30 a.m. He heads out for his own manager route, servicing clients, visiting local veterinarians and groomers, and taking photos for social media.
- 1 p.m. Chmielewski takes a break and checks in with returning employees to review performance and daily notes.
- 4:30 p.m. He reviews contact center and route data, plans schedules for the next day and drafts upcoming social media posts.
- 5:30 p.m. He shifts gears for family time, cooking dinner and spending the evening at home.
Tamara Rahoumi