Today we’d like to introduce you to Noelle Morovich.
Hi Noelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I founded Paws in the Land in July of 2019. Prior to that I was helping run a pet care business for someone else. With my background in small business management & my years of experience with doing pet care on the side & my unique ability to understand what cats & dogs are thinking it made perfect sense to start my own pet sitting business. With owning my own pet sitting business, rather than helping run someone else’s I could ensure we are providing the absolute best pet care in the greater Cleveland area, ensure staff is being valued and treated fairly, run the business with integrity & maintain profitability.
6 months after founding Paws in the Land is when the COVID pandemic hit. We had over $20k in bookings cancel in one day. Instead of falling into despair, I allowed myself a couple hours to panic & then I got to game planning. I quickly realized even though the world was in chaos, doctors, nurses & those on the front lines of the COVID pandemic would still need pet care. That is when I began putting my focus on building and growing my client base that works in the medical field. Which is a big reason why Paws in the Land not only survived the pandemic when many other pet sitting businesses failed, we actually grew during that time. To this day doctors, residents, nurses, physicians assistants, etc. make up the largest percentage of our client base.
Since that time we also started a specially priced program for our CCF & UH resident & fellowship doctor clients. We truly appreciate how hard they work & understand that during their residencies & fellowships they work extremely long hours & varying schedules for far too little. With their long hours, varying schedules & budget constraints they need an affordable, reliable and flexible pet sitting & dog walking company to care for their pets & that is exactly what Paws in the Land provides. We love our resident doctor clients!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like most of my life starting and running the business has come with plenty of challenges and curve balls. The Covid 19 pandemic was one of the biggest curve balls, which I already touched on in the previous question how I handled and overcame that major challenge.
Some other challenges I have faced is I had two major falls within 6 months of each other. First one was in the fall of 2021 down some stairs. I sprained my neck, entire spine, pelvis & bruised my tail bone. I could have let that stop me from working and running the business but I’ve survived worse. So I delegated what I could to employees but I still handled a rather large work load between PT & chiropractic appointments. I am blessed to have a high pain tolerance so I was able to push through and I was told the fact that I remained active actually made my healing process a lot more successful. Then in February 2022 just as I was finally cleared and back to normal from the October 2021 fall, I slipped on some black ice getting out of my car and re sprained my entire neck, spine & pelvis. Once again I delegated what I could to staff but still kept my visit work load very busy in spite of being in pain & having to do another several months of PT and chiropractic appointments to heal my injuries yet again. I refused to let two major falls get in the way of running a successful business.
Currently I am battling another curve ball from life. On March 30th I was rear ended by a driver who wasn’t paying attention at around 35mph. Thankfully I have a back up older spare car so I can still easily still get to and from clients homes. But due to the impact of the accident I have whiplash & was informed by doctors this neck injury is worst of the three I have been through. It’s going to be a long three month recovery and I am in some pretty significant pain. My intention though is to get through this obstacle like all of the rest, one day at a time, staying focused on the positive moments in each day. I am blessed to still be able to work through this time thought it won’t be easy & my team, especially Krissi is gladly stepping up as always to help out with additional clients on the days I have appointments to get over this injury. The key to getting through the difficult moments in life & in business are to find the positive moments in each day, allow others to help you when you need help, remind yourself of all of the hard times you’ve persevered through before & be thankful for each day you are alive and doing what you love.
One of the many reasons Paws in the Land is so successful in spite of obstacles is because I refuse to give up no matter what I have to battle through. I’m stubborn, strong willed & relentless in my personal and professional life. Just because life kicks you down, doesn’t mean you stay down, you get back up and keep fighting. If you fail, don’t stay stuck in that failure, find a different path or method to success.
As you know, we’re big fans of Paws in the Land. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We provide pet sitting, dog walking, cat sitting, dog & puppy training, insulin and sub q fluids to pets who have those medical needs & pet photography services. All of our services are provided at our clients homes so the pets remain in their comfortable and familiar environment. We service the greater Cleveland, OH area including but not limited to: Cleveland proper, Cleveland Heights, Bratenahl, Collinwood, Ohio City, Tremont, West Park, Old Brooklyn, Lakewood, Rocky River, Fairview Park, Bay Village, Westlake, North Olmsted, Avon, Avon Lake, North Ridgeville, Berea & more.
What sets us apart is we truly customize each visit to your pets specific needs & comfort. Our focus is always putting your pets first. We are very attune to pet behavior & energies & notice right away if your pets are observing signs of anxiety or discomfort and we adapt the visits to make each pet calm and comfortable and change our approach based on the pets comfort level and happiness. We also specialize in working with anxious cats and dogs. Because of my own journey with CPTSD and anxiety and ADHD, I have a very in depth understanding of triggers and how to handle those triggers in a healthy way by using exposure and desensitization tactics to help re train the brain to associate what is a trigger with a positive experience instead. This crosses over into the pet world as well and works to help pets be less reactive to triggers and to help them become more confident and happy.
We also offer themed pet photos for birthdays, holidays, movie themes, summer pool party, rock star, doctor, game of thrones, princess, emo & more. I also sometimes bring themed toys to regular pet sitting visits just to add extra fun to the visits even if the client hasn’t booked a specific photo shoot.
Besides our extensive experience and backgrounds in pet care we are constantly reading up on pet related studies, completing continue education courses & webinars to expand our knowledge of pet health, safety & behavior. The only way to be the best is to continue to learn more every day.
We are very honored to have been named the Best Pet Related Business by Cleveland Scene Magazine for 2023 & 2024!
What matters most to you?
Honesty. I live my life authentically and with extreme honesty and I run Paws in the Land the same way. My biggest rule with my friends, clients & people in my life is do not lie to me. I won’t lie to you, so don’t lie to me. If you are consistently honest and communicate there aren’t many issues that can’t be solved personally & professionally.
Always do the right thing even if it isn’t the popular thing. I always have stood for what’s right & stood up for marginalized people even though it meant standing up against the majority of my own family. Standing for love, equality, inclusion & living authentically is more important to me than blood. You can always create a new family of friends that is based on mutual love, kindness, support & beliefs. To quote Dean Winchester on the TV show Supernatural: “A wise man once said: “Family don’t end in blood.” But it doesn’t start there, either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family’s there through the good, the bad-all of it.”
One of my beliefs in life is to treat people with kindness and respect but also know when to set boundaries personally and professionally.
Love is equally important to honesty. Love people for who they are. Love people of all races, all genders, all backgrounds, from all countries. Only judge people based on how they treat others and how they treat animals. Stand against hate, stand against racism, stand against homophobia, stand against xenophobia. Let people know you are a safe person and provide a safe place for them. Treat everyone with kindness and love.
Mental health is important. Be a support to those who struggle with mental health. I am very open about my CPTSD, anxiety & ADHD with my clients and friends. I share that I have actively been in therapy for years and am open about my healing journey. I’ve found that by being open about my struggles & successes it helps my clients and friends know they aren’t alone in their struggles & I have actually inspire several clients and friends to go to therapy and continue their healing journeys!
Love your pets as if they were human children. There is no one who gives you unconditional love like a dog or a cat. So treat them with care. Spoil them every day and appreciate each moment with them. We are so blessed to have cats and dogs and need to do all we can to give them the best lives!
Lastly wanted to mention a few important people & friends and who have truly been such a huge support to me & my personal growth journey. Some of you have been in my life for many years & others the last few years but all of you mean so much to me and have truly been there to help me when I’ve needed it most. Thank you to my Sensei for all of the lessons & life chats & advice over the years and recently. Thank you to my “lil bro” Matt for being a pain in the butt the last 23 years & for always having my back. Isshinryu family for life! Thank you to Holly for continuing to be such a bright light and support even though you are across the pond now! Thank you to Tony for being apart of my transformation into being a much better and healthier person these last 8 years & for being there to remind me to never give up. Thank you to Kristin for being my friend I can vent to & laugh with no matter what without judgement. Lastly to Max, thank you for being such a good friend to me the last year and a half & so supportive of the business as well. There is something life changing about having a friend I can fully trust & who is willing to support me & remind me that I can get back up & keep fighting even when things feel impossible. Thank you for being that person in my life. To everyone I mentioned above I wouldn’t be where I am today personally & professionally without you all. I love all of you & am so grateful to have you all in my life! 🖤
Pricing:
- 30 Min Dog Walks $28-$38 depending on location
- 30 Min Pet Visits $28-$38 depending on location
- 1 Hr Dog Walk/Pet Visit $52-$72 depending on location
- 1 Hr Dog Training $90-$150
- 1 Hr Pet Photography Session $175-$275
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pawsintheland.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawsintheland
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pawsinthelandllc/
