Today we’d like to introduce you to Rio Brown.
Hi Rio, 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.
Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Rio, R-to-the-I-O!
I am the lady boss behind Night of the Living Pets! I am a purebred Valley girl, a Leo and a cat mom. I am a lover of all things Halloween and Disney that I dedicated my right arm to a magically spooky tattoo sleeve! You never know what hair color I will show up with next because I am obsessed with vibrant colors and am always changing it! I thoroughly enjoy jumping out of planes, with a parachute of course! I’ve skydived 8 times and want to do it a million times more. Hockey is my favorite sport and you can catch me on the Jumbotron at any LA Kings game wearing my Bailey (the lion mascot) hat. Being in nature and traveling fuels my soul. Oh, and I am the biggest extrovert, if you couldn’t already tell.
My love for animals started at a very young age. I grew up with an iguana, a cat, a Scottish Terrier, a Husky and a German Shepherd. When I was a kid, I told my parents I wanted to be a singing veterinarian. All I wanted to do was take care of animals and make them feel better. Once I realized that a singing vet wasn’t a real profession AND that I couldn’t sing, I knew I had to figure out another way to be surrounded by pets forever. Since you’re reading this, it looks like I found a way!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has NOT been a smooth road by any means. I started my business in July of 2019, and then the world shut down in March of 2020. My whole business is based on people going to work and traveling. So, as you could imagine, it was a huge roadblock. Once the world went back to “normal,” business exploded (in the best possible way), but it was definitely something I was not prepared for. Something else I struggled with was saying “no” to people and realizing I did not know how to create boundaries for myself. I feel like my business grew faster than I was actually ready for. But I overcame it all and have come out the other side on top!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Night of the Living Pets is a pet care business that operates 24/7. What this means is, we provide top-notch, luxury services for pet owners in the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles area all year round. This includes walks/drop-in visits of 30 mins or 60 minutes, multi-hour day sits, and overnight house sits. Our main clientele are dogs and cats, but sometimes we get requests for other types of animals like reptiles, fish, bunnies, horses, chickens, etc…
I wholeheartedly believe that what sets Night of the Living Pets apart from other companies is the passion and professionalism each one of us has. We are all trained, certified, experienced, patient, flexible, communicative, and downright badass! We absolutely love what we do and it 100% shines through our work. Our clients and their pets become our family, And THAT is something special.
I am super proud of the brand I have been able to build over the last 5 years. Being able to incorporate my love of all things spooky and pets has been so much fun. My business name is the coolest out there, in my opinion! It’s catchy, and most importantly, it’s memorable.
Everyone is welcome to become a part of our cute little animal cult. There is always room for more!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned along this journey is to take a moment every single day and reflect on how far I have come since I started this business. Every little step counts! Giving myself credit isn’t something that comes easy to me, but the daily reflection sessions I have with myself have helped tremendously. Starting a successful business before I turned 30 years old is mind-blowing, and the only way it happened was through tons of hard work, tears, anxiety, stress, excitement, happiness, being overwhelmed, gratitude, patience, sleepless nights, and sacrifice. Not to mention the unconditional support I have received from my family, friends and clients. I have not only grown as a business owner, but I have also grown as a person.
Contact Info:
- Website: nightofthelivingpets.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nightofthelivingpets
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/nightofthelivingpets
