We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Copeland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
People that use our services are NOT lazy dog owners. They simply are gaining time back by hiring us to help them. Dog waste removal is another service to make busy lives a little bit easier. Similar to taking your dog to the groomers for a bath, hiring a dog walker/sitter, getting a car wash & detail or hiring a landscaper or house cleaner. These are all things we can typically do ourselves but there are only 24 hours in a day and thankfully we can choose how we want to spend that time.

Some people would rather have help with tasks such as our dog waste removal services because they have a busy schedule, they have physical limitations or – they simply hate poop!

Whatever the reason – our customers are AMAZING dog parents that hire us knowing the poop needs to be picked up to make sure their dog(s) have a nice, clean and safe yard to play in.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
San Diego Scoop Squad is a full service, dog waste removal company. We provide dog poop removal services for residential backyards, commercial apartment complexes, HOA properties and local parks. We offer one-time clean-ups and 3 different recurring weekly services. We also offer sanitizing and deodorizing to help kill potential viruses & bacteria as well as eliminate dog urine & waste odors that build up. What sets us apart from others is that we are the only woman-owned pet waste removal business in San Diego County! Not only that, but we take pride in building relationships with all of our customers and treating their dogs as if they were our own.

We were able to grow our business in the last year with a LOT of hard work. Both physical work and marketing our business through great customer service, social media, advertising and networking with other small business owners and pet industry professions. All of these helped us to build our business, our brand and our customer base.

The journey to where we are now wasn’t exactly easy per say, as we wanted to grow as fast as we possibly could while also working our full time jobs. However, because we grew so fast – life got pretty hectic at some points! We overcame those harder times by focusing on WHY we were doing what we were doing and WHERE we wanted to be.

My goal was to quit my 8-5 job by April 2022 so that I could work on the business full time and I did just that. I never lost sight of where I really wanted to be and that 100% helped me push through the more difficult times.

We want potential customers to know that it is a judgement-free zone when you come to us for help. Life gets busy and some may feel ashamed for not cleaning up the yard for months at a time. Even if it has been weeks or months since you last cleaned up after your dog, we just want you to know that we are here to help you – not judge you!

Our goal with San Diego Scoop Squad is to be a go-to service provider, just like someone would hire a house cleaning service or landscaping service for their yard. Sometimes everyday chores such as cleaning up the dog poop in the back yard can take a back burner. We strive to help dog parents by taking something off their plate each week by cleaning up their backyard. We also strive to clean up San Diego apartment complexes that we’ve seen all too many times, containing a lot of dog poop that is left on the ground. We want to help these communities so that all their residents (including the 4-legged ones) can enjoy the common areas outside without the worry of stepping in dog poop and bringing it into their home.

Long story short – San Diego is the 3rd most dog-friendly city in the country, which means if all these dogs are pooping, we’ll be out here scooping!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh man! There’s so much to see and do in beautiful San Diego!! Here are some of my favorite places to eat and favorite things to do:

My favorite Brunch spot is Wonderland Ocean Pub. Amazing food & drinks with a view!

Lunch at Puesto in Seaport Village followed by a stroll around Seaport Village to visit the cute shops.

Lunch at ¡SALUD TACOS! in Barrio Logan, amazing food & drinks (GET THE CHURROS & ICE CREAM!) and I LOVE all the beautiful artwork both in the restaurant and around Barrio Logan.

Dinner at Coasterra which is also (of course) right on the water. Coasterra has a soft spot in my heart because that is where my husband and I got engaged, I definitely recommend making a reservation at sunset, getting a coconut margarita and finishing the night with their delicious Butter Cake! YUM!

Mission Bay Park is a great place to set up a picnic and then go for a walk around the bay.

Visiting La Jolla Cove is a must to see the Sea Lions.

The San Diego Zoo is a super fun, day long adventure, especially if you have kids!

I would say my go-to beaches (if I had to choose) to visit and catch a beautiful sunset are Windansea Beach in La Jolla, Coronado Beach and of course the dog beaches – OB Dog Beach and Del Mar Dog Beach. Oh, and I can’t forget Sunset Cliffs… no explanation needed!

Having a bonfire on the beach is the perfect way to end any day in San Diego. Make sure to bring the s’mores!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
San Diego Scoop Squad wouldn’t have been successful without my extremely loving and supportive husband, Leon. When I told him I wanted to start this business he fully supported my idea and passion behind it. The first 8 months of our business we were both still working our full time jobs. Leon would go to work from 4am-noon then work all afternoon, every day of the week to service our customer’s yards. I would work 8-5 during the week and then every weekend for the business, while he took care of our daughter. He didn’t even complain about the long 12-16 days! My hustle was also very much his hustle, to create a successful business.

Our daughter Cali Sage motivated me to work hard every single day. I want to make her proud. I also want her to know that with passion and hard work, she can do ANYTHING she wants to do in this life!

My family and friends – most of which live on the east coast have been super supportive from afar. Especially my mom, Ritamarie. We facetime almost every day and she always asks about the business and gives advice or encouragement when I need it. She’s always believed in all the things I’ve wanted to do in life and her support means the absolute world to me!

Last but certainly not least, the connections I’ve made within the small business community in the last year, both in San Diego and with my fellow scoopers all around the world, has helped me tremendously to keep going when the going gets tough. Being a business owner/entrepreneur can be a very lonely journey sometimes and it feels like you are constantly “on” and working 24/7. Having this community of fellow business owners brings an amazing and much-needed camaraderie and mentorship. I am so thankful to have built such genuine friendships!

Website: www.sdscoopsquad.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdscoopsquad/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdscoopsquad

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-diego-scoop-squad-san-diego-2

Other: Google Reviews: https://goo.gl/maps/YvG6GxYHSc7FDnBZ9 TikTok: @sdscoopsquad

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