Proud to Share The Poop Valet Story with Review Harvest

I was genuinely proud to be asked by Clay Lawrence to join him on Review Harvest and talk about the story behind The Poop Valet. When you are busy running routes, answering phones, supporting your team, and making sure every yard is properly cared for, you do not always stop to look back at how far the business has come. This conversation gave me that chance.

Clay titled the interview The Pen Strategy That Grew His Poop Scooping Business (0–240 Google Reviews). The pen story is in there, of course, but the conversation is really about much more: starting a business while living with a disability, finding our first customers, earning trust one yard at a time, and learning how a local company can grow without losing the personal service that made people notice it in the first place.

Watch the full 28-minute interview on YouTube.

From an unexpected beginning to a business I am proud of

The interview begins with how The Poop Valet came to be. This was not a business I had mapped out years in advance. It grew from a difficult chapter, an opportunity I recognized, and a willingness to do work that people truly needed done. That first client mattered. So did the local newspaper story that brought a wave of new customers almost overnight.

Those early moments taught me something I still believe today: people want to support a local business when they understand who is behind it and know that person will stand behind the work. That is why sharing our story, participating in the community, and being easy to reach have always mattered as much as any advertisement.

The little things that keep a local business top of mind

Yes, we talked about the pens. I have handed out a lot of branded Poop Valet pens at networking events and around the community. They are useful, memorable, and just unusual enough that people tend to keep them. Months later, someone may see the name, remember a conversation, and know exactly who to call when the yard becomes one chore too many.

But a pen only opens the door. Growth has come from what happens afterward: answering the phone, communicating clearly, showing up, sending our Poop Report, and giving clients a reason to recommend us. Networking through BNI, Chamber events, and local partnerships works because it builds real relationships. The branded item is simply a reminder of the trust created in person.

What 240 Google reviews really represent

Going from fewer than 100 Google reviews to nearly 240 was a major part of the conversation. Review Harvest helped us make the process more consistent, but the software cannot create a good client experience. It can only make it easier for a happy client to tell other people about one.

If you run a local business and want to try the service for yourself, start with Review Harvest through my affiliate link. If you sign up through it, we may receive a referral benefit at no extra cost to you.

Every review represents a real household that trusted us with its yard. It represents a visit completed, a gate closed, waste hauled away, and one less job on somebody's list. That is why I am proud of the number without seeing it as just a number. Our customer reviews are a record of thousands of small promises kept by our entire team.

Building the next version of The Poop Valet

Clay and I also discussed pricing transparency, rebuilding our website, and using AI to make the business more helpful and more efficient. I am not a technical person by training. I am a business owner who keeps asking what can be improved, then learns enough to take the next step.

Putting clear pricing, useful answers, and structured information on the site helps both people and modern search tools understand what we offer. Automation can handle repetitive work and create more time for the parts that should stay human: supporting the team, talking with clients, and improving the service.

Why being asked meant so much

I am proud that Clay saw something in our story worth sharing. The invitation felt like recognition not only of the business, but of the people who helped build it: Sherry, our staff, our clients, our referral partners, and the local community that gave a slightly unusual idea a real chance.

If you watch the interview, I hope you take away that steady, honest work compounds. A newspaper story can open a door. A pen can start a conversation. A review can help the next family trust you. And answering the phone can still be one of the best business strategies there is.

Thank you to Clay and Review Harvest for having me, and thank you to everyone who has hired us, reviewed us, referred us, or simply remembered the name. I am incredibly proud of what we have built together—and excited about where The Poop Valet goes next.

If our story has you thinking about taking dog poop cleanup off your own list, you can get a fast quote here.