Today we’d like to introduce you to John Byler.
Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I guess it all started back in childhood. I grew up surrounded by animals, two Retrievers, a Lab and a Golden, then a mix of cats, fish, and later a little Bichon Frisé named Coco. Our pets were truly part of the family, and that belief of caring for pets as family has always stayed with me.
Later, while I was in graduate school for business at the University of Colorado Boulder, my wife and I began house and pet sitting for friends and then friends of friends. We loved it. It was the perfect way to spend time with dogs and other pets when we weren’t in a place to have our own yet.
I began to see how beneficial it was to have your pets, especially dogs, in their home environment for pet sitting care, instead of boarding your dog or bringing them to a sitter’s home in an unfamiliar environment. Boarding or kenneling your pet, surrounded by other animals where they are at higher health and confrontational risk from other dogs or cats is not ideal. Your pet becomes one of many competing for attention and care. The environment is often noisy, space is confined and for many dogs, it can leave them feeling anxious and disrupt their normal routine. Asking a friend or neighbor to help out often leaves your pets alone for much of the day and competing with a friend’s already busy schedule and other responsibilities.
Fast forward to the post-Covid era, and so many of our pets are used to having us around during the day since working from home has become more common.
With in-home pet care, aside from all the benefits for your pet, you also gain the added value of having your home looked after. If you are traveling for a week or longer, that can be a real benefit for the security of your house, and your peace of mind. The last thing you want while you are away from home is to have to worry about your pets. We get it. That is why we started Pure In-Home Pet Sitting.
I realized how much trust is involved when you leave your pets in someone else’s care. I also saw how much the industry was lacking in that department. Many of the big pet-sitting platforms made it easy to find someone, but not necessarily the right someone. Too often, pet owners were left scrolling through endless profiles online, hoping to find someone reliable and needing to do all the research and screening themselves. Sitters often went into jobs without really knowing the pet’s personality, history, or care needs. That’s a recipe for stress, for everyone involved.
So I started thinking about a better way. What if there were a service that prioritized the match, aligning the right sitter with the right pet and giving everyone all the info they need up front?
That’s why we founded Pure In-Home Pet Sitting, to create a better experience for everyone involved. Our mission is simple: to deliver peace of mind for pet owners and confidence for pet sitters through thoughtful, proactive matchmaking. Because not every sitter is perfect for every dog, and that’s okay. Each animal has its own personality, quirks, and needs. By learning those details in advance and matching sitters based on experience, temperament, and comfort level, we ensure every pet, and every person feels secure, cared for, and happy.
At the end of the day, Pure is about trust, compassion, and peace of mind, making sure pets are truly treated like family while their people are away.
Alright, 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?
I’d say it started more like a rough, rocky singletrack trail than a road, definitely not well maintained, but full of adventure.
In the beginning, the biggest challenge was doubt. I wasn’t sure if this idea could actually become something real. For a long time, it was just that, an idea I’d think about from time to time, wondering if it could turn into a viable business.
Then came our first real customer. That moment was electric, it sparked so much confidence. But it was also the moment the real work began. Suddenly, I was faced with all the unknowns: how to create a customer experience and the workflow of the business, find top quality pet sitters and retain them, attract more clients, and build something sustainable from the ground up.
The early years were full of late nights and endless to-do lists. I was wearing every hat: customer service, marketing, sales, operations and finance, all while still working a full-time office job. It’s one thing to hear entrepreneurs talk about the hustle, but it’s another to live it. You come home tired from your full time day job, and that’s when your “second shift” begins, pouring energy into your dream while still trying to make time for family, friends, and life outside of work.
There were definitely moments of exhaustion and uncertainty, trial and error, mistakes made, lessons learned. Learning how to attract and retain top quality pet sitters was a learning process for sure. We wanted to deliver the highest quality pet care available, and that meant finding the best quality people and developing a thorough and extensive vetting process. That takes time and lots of hard work.
Then came a point where my pet sitting business was being held back by my full time day job. I remember turning away business left and right because we didn’t have enough team members to fulfill the customer demand. I knew I was getting close to the stage in a small business where it required more of my time and it could no longer be a side hustle if I wanted it to continue improving.
However, I also needed that full time day job to help pay our family bills while my pet sitting business was still slowly growing and in its early stages. Then came the layoff notice.
The company I was working for needed to slow down operations and cut costs. Like many who have been in this situation, I was laid off with no warning and no longer had the much needed income to rely on. At the same time, my wife and I had two young kids to provide for so the stress of not having a reliable salary paycheck was a real concern.
I knew it didn’t make sense to try and find a new full time job again, only to see my small business continue to suffer from my lack of time, so I took the plunge to focus on turning my small business dream into a reality that could sustain our family.
Without the support of my wife, who also worked full time and fully supported my decision, I never could have succeeded. It takes a true partnership to allow one person to pursue creating a small business, knowing the short term price is a significant decline in income and a significant increase in time and dedication to grow the company.
It was a challenging and scary time for sure. But there were also moments of real joy and progress. Every small win, every happy client, thankful pet sitter and happy pet photo reinforced why we created this business.
Thankfully, being in Colorado also makes it easier to recharge. Getting outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding or just spending time with friends and family in nature has always been my way of finding balance. It’s a reminder that bumpy roads usually lead to beautiful places. it’s all part of the climb, and the view keeps getting better the further we go.
More than anything, many of these challenges have taught me resilience and trust, both in myself and in the process. Building something meaningful takes time. It’s not about overnight success; it’s about consistent effort, small steps, having an open mind, leaving the ego at the door and learning as you go.
I’ve also learned the value of community, of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, encourage you, and remind you why your work matters. Whether it’s friends, clients, or fellow entrepreneurs, that support network makes a big difference.
Looking back, the early challenges were really a blessing. They forced me to grow, to get creative, and to stay true to the “why” behind Pure: creating something genuine and trustworthy that improves people’s lives, and their pets’ lives in a real way.
As you know, we’re big fans of Pure In-Home Pet Sitting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Pure In-Home Pet Sitting started in Boulder back in 2017, and we now service the Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas of Colorado.
We purely offer in-home pet care, where your dog or pet’s are most comfortable, while giving them the one-on-one, dedicated care they are used to and deserve throughout the day and overnight.
We specialize in delivering a more thoughtful matchmaking approach to in-home pet care, to ensure the sitter caring for your pets is not just someone who happens to be available, but rather an experienced pet sitter that is truly a great match and confident in your pet’s normal routine and care needs.
We solve the problem that many pet owners encounter when looking for a reliable, trustworthy pet sitter. Many of the big pet-sitting platforms made it easy to find someone, but not necessarily the right someone. Too often, pet owners were left scrolling through endless profiles online, hoping to find someone reliable and needing to do most of the research and screening themselves.
Sitters often went into jobs without really knowing the pet’s personality, history, or care needs. That’s a recipe for stress for everyone involved.
We don’t just pick a sitter that happens to be available and hope for the best. We learn all the “ins and outs” of your pet, their routine, quirks, health, behavior, then match you with a sitter whose experience, temperament, and comfort level align.
We focus on comprehensive, daytime + overnight pet and house sitting care, delivering a higher quality pet sitting experience for both pet owners and pet sitters.
Our mission is simple: to deliver peace of mind for pet owners and confidence for pet sitters through thoughtful, proactive matchmaking.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Absolutely. If you have an idea for a business, don’t wait until everything feels perfect, because it never will. The early stages are messy, uncertain, and full of trial and error, and that’s completely normal. The most important thing is to start. Take the first step, test your idea, and learn as you go.
If you spend too much time trying to make things flawless before launching, you risk building something that will need to change anyway once real feedback rolls in. The market and your customers will be your best teachers.
Focus on small, consistent progress each week. There will be times when you doubt yourself, when results are slow, and when others tell you it won’t work. That’s part of the journey. There are always a hundred reasons to stop, but you only need one reason to keep going.
Especially for small businesses, it’s important to be flexible, stay curious, and don’t isolate yourself. Talk to others who’ve built something from scratch. Seek feedback early and often, even when it’s uncomfortable. The more you learn from others’ experiences, the faster you’ll grow and improve.
And finally, always come back to your why. That core motivation, the reason you started in the first place will guide you through the inevitable challenges and help you stay grounded when things get tough.
Pricing:
- Pricing is customized based on pet care needs and routine
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pureinhomepetsitting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pure_in_home_pet_sitting/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coloradopetsitting
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pure-in-home-pet-sitting/
Image Credits
Not applicable.
