This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
A New York City exotic pet sitter cares for bearded dragons. That's right, not just bearded dragons, but also chinchillas, axolotls, and more. This was a fun one to work on. In this week's first $1,000 segment, we're going to hear from this New York City pet sitter who specializes in exotic pets. And by the way, welcome to Side Hustle School.
My name's Chris Guillebeau, your host, every single day. New episode 2,837 for you here today, every day since January 1, 2017. And a few years ago, we started doing some segments. This is one called Your First Thousand Dollars. And as you might guess, as you might surmise, or as you might know by now, it's all about how someone made their first $1,000 with a unique side hustle.
How did they get to that point? Not their first $100,000. That's cool, but also a long story. How did they get their first $1,000, which of course you can grow from there. So if you're trying to start your next side hustler business, or you just like hearing stories of different people doing fun things, that's what we're all about here.
So today we're going to hear-- her name is Zoe. Zoe is a vet tech in New York City. And as noted, she specializes in pet sitting with really interesting and fun creatures. So yeah, I don't quite know entirely how this works. I'm more of a cat person myself.
I mean, dogs are cool as well. I really know nothing about chinchillas and axolotls, aside from seeing them on Instagram or whatever. But she actually takes care of them. So let's hear the story of how she makes this a business. I'll come back at the end with a few words of wrap up.
When my neighbor asked if I could watch her bearded dragon for a weekend, it ended up changing my life. How's that for an opening to the story? If I ever write a book, that's how I'll start it. My name is Zoe Chen, a 28-year-old vet tech in New York City. And my exotic pet sitting service is my favorite and longest running side hustle.
It all started two years ago with that fateful bearded dragon. I've always enjoyed caring for all sorts of pets, including the lesser known ones. But living in a tiny Manhattan apartment meant I couldn't have any of my own. Watching my neighbor's lizard gave me a chance to hang out with a new buddy while helping out a neighbor. After that weekend went well, I saw an opportunity.
New York City is home to countless exotic pet owners, and I bet many of them struggled to find reliable care when they traveled. This isn't like cat sitting or dog walking, after all, so I decided to turn this insight into action. My first step was leveraging my professional network. As a vet tech, I had connections with several clinics in the city. I made a simple flyer outlining my potential services and asked if I could leave them in waiting rooms.
Three clinics agreed, and one even offered to personally recommend me to clients with exotic pets. I also reached out directly to veterinarians specializing in exotic animals. I explained my background, my passion for unusual pets, and my new sitting service. Two vets were particularly receptive, appreciating that I had professional experience in animal care. They began referring clients to me when asked about pet sitting options.
My first client, outside my neighbor's circle, came through a vet referral. A couple with a pair of fennec foxes. I charged $125 per day for this job, which included multiple daily feedings, playtime, and meticulous habitat maintenance. The owners were thrilled with my service, and their glowing review on my newly created Google Business profile helped attract more clients. Growth from there was slow, but steady.
In my first three months, I only had five clients, but each one provided repeat business and referrals. By month six, I was caring for exotic pets almost every weekend, from chinchillas to a Savannah monitor lizard. In my first year, I made $12,000 from pet visits on weekends and evenings. By year two, it jumped to $30,000. I've had to turn down some lucrative opportunities, like a month-long gig caring for a collection of rare frogs, because I couldn't take that much time off work.
But overall, I have plenty of jobs. Looking ahead, I'm considering whether to take the exotic oasis full-time. The demand is certainly there; I'm currently booked solid three months in advance. But for now, I'm enjoying the best of both worlds; a stable career, and a side hustle that lets me hang out with some of the coolest creatures in New York City. Thank you so much, Zoe.
I really appreciate the rundown. Next time, I have a chinchilla or a hedgehog, and I need a pet sitter, and I'm in New York City. I know exactly who to call, and we'll see which of those factors actually takes place. I do go to New York once in a while, but the other things, I don't know. It is cool, though, to see how different people find ways to do something that they're good at and that they enjoy and turn into a helpful service for other people.
If you have one of these pets, then you need someone to look after them from time to time, presumably if you travel, and your average dog walker on Rover, no disrespect, probably can't take care of your bearded dragon or your lizard or whatever it might be. That's why you need somebody like Zoe. Anyway, thank you again, Zoe. Listeners, thank you. If you have a question and update about your hustle, anything else, sidehustleschool.com.
We've got new episodes coming out every day, always free. So entire archive is free at the same website, and I'm excited to make more for you. Hope you'll tune in again tomorrow. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School.
the Onward Project.
