Meet Keith Young

Hi Keith, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balancing work, relationships, and personal time can be tricky, especially as a new entrepreneur. I make time for both business and my personal life, by having a calendar and not overbooking myself. Being a dog walker is a pretty free and relaxing job so it gives me an opportunity to multitask and plan ahead. I have to communicate with my clients, workers, girlfriends, family and friends, so having an outlook of what my week looks like helps me easily fit everyone in. There are times where I have to make hard decisions and may miss events or family outings but the biggest thing is not being so caught up in the business where I neglect friends and family all the time. I’m at the point in my business now where I can delegate more and push other responsibilities onto some of my workers which helps free up time for me. I still plan date nights, fun outings with my friends, and plan game nights with my family. Quality time is important to me and working on balancing my work life and personal life can coexist with structure and a plan. I told myself, balancing everything is an ongoing process, so it’s okay to make adjustments as my needs and circumstances change.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Young K9 is a dog walking, dog sitting, and training company. We also care for cats as well. The one thing that sets us apart is the photos/ updates. We love to shower each owner with lots of quality photos of their fur babies. We have clients in many different careers, but one thing they all have in common is they will stop everything to see their babies photos while they are out on a walk or dog sitting. I’m so proud of my team as we are growing and making pet parents feel at ease while at work. We make sure the pets are safe, happy and well taken care of. I’ve always had a passion for working with animals and wanted to be a veterinarian at one point. My journey started when I worked for a dog walking company here in Atlanta. I was with them for about four years until the pandemic caused them to close down. I loved what I did and wanted to continue on. So I did research on dog walking companies and then reach out to some of my old clients. A few become regulars and then they spread the word and then I was walking 10-15 dogs per day. I got so busy where I had to start hiring a team. Fast forward to today, we have 10 people on staff and are still growing. There were bumps and bruises along the way but the biggest lesson was and still is, ask for help and don’t try to take on more than I can chew. I just want the world to know that there are people out here that can love your dog or cat and can create a safe and fun environment for them. All pets just want that love and affection and that’s what we give them here at Young K9!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love some good food so I have listed a few breakfast and dinner spots like Breakfast at Barney’s, The real milk and honey, Toast on Lenox, Bad daddy burgers, Fogo de Chao, and Rock steady. As far as the night life I would show him the Buckhead bars, colony square, Ponce city market roof top and the belt line, the battery where we also can get a few drinks at all of these places. Depending on the season we can catch a Braves, Hawks, Falcons, or United game. Sky lounge would be cool for the view of the city. I’m also super competitive so I would take him to Beat the bomb, puttshack, or your third spot and beat him at some of those games. Lastly if it’s the right time, take him to the car and bike show caffeine and octane. We would have an eventful week all around the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shout to my family for believing in me and pitching ideas during the start up. They have seen the growth and development of all my ideas I had on paper. I also want to give out a shoutout to one of my clients that invested in me and gave me the resources and funding to get a few ideas started. I’m so thankful for my community of people that actively help my business grow!

Website: https://youngk9.co/

Instagram: @therealyoungk9

Other: Bark https://www.bark.com/en/us/b/young-k9/8V9R1/