What’s the One Thing That Made This Single Mom of 3 Want to Own A Dog Daycare Business?

Hounds Town USA has a brand-new Franchise Owner! Lisa Mansueto is the newest addition to the Hounds Town USA family and plans to set her unique location up in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Originally smitten with Hounds Town due to how fun the brand seemed, Lisa decided to work with the franchise for a number of reasons, one being our excellent branding and marketing strategies led by Brand Director Corey Packer.

‘I think it’s the branding,“ said Lisa in a recent interview with Hounds Town USA, “Also, the focus on the community development and some of the unique things like the Pet Taxi. I think that is brilliant!”

The Best of Both Worlds: Lisa’s Road to Franchise Ownership

Lisa originally began her career in insurance. Like many Hounds Town USA Franchise Owners, one might be concerned about giving up their day job to run a business. Lisa, on the other hand, decided to have the best of both worlds. Not only is Lisa a Franchise Owner, but she has chosen to stay in the insurance industry– and has also recently started an exciting new position. 

“[I’ve spent] twenty-five years in the Title Insurance industry, including sales, operations, management,” says Lisa, “I was Vice President and State Manager for one of the largest title insurance companies in the U.S. [I] built and leveraged an operation that was the second most profitable in revenue and margin. I recently started a job with a title insurance underwriter that has hired me to break into the Pennsylvania market. I am a proven sales person with experience building brands and managing operations. I always become emotionally invested in my work and the people that I work with which drives me to always perform at a high level.”

A Healthy Balance Between Work, Life, and Family

This is the beauty of Hounds Town USA. Anyone, like Lisa, can be a semi-absentee Franchise Owner. A number of Franchise Owners within Hounds Town USA run their business on a semi-absentee basis, meaning they put most of the responsibility into the hands of their capable General Manager and employees with a hands-off approach for day-to-day operations. This is perfect for people who want to stay within their careers but want to invest in something on the side. Our uniquely simple business model and amazing support crew make this a possibility.

“As a single mother of three boys, I want to be in a position where I am not beholden to corporate America and can eventually have a few locations being managed semi-absentee as I move to the latter part of my career,” explains Lisa. “Of course, it is my corporate success that has allowed me to invest in this opportunity so for that I am thankful.”

How Lisa Discovered Our Dog Daycare Business

Lisa first heard about Hounds Town USA after coming across the Galloway website while at her shore house in New Jersey. Lisa was simply looking for a place to take her two pups for the day.

“My initial reaction was how ‘fun’ the brand looked and so I started poking around the website and learning about the franchise opportunity,” Lisa told us.

Quickly, Lisa realized what an excellent opportunity was in front of her. Initially, Lisa enjoyed that the Hounds Town USA business model was proven and successful. She also enjoyed the level of personal assistance that took place every step of the way during her journey towards franchise ownership. From finding a site location to branding to building to training, Hounds Town USA takes a very hands-on approach to help our Franchise Owners become successful. When our Franchise Owners are successful, we’re successful!

“I love the brand,” Lisa continued, “I love to sell and grow business. I have been a consumer of boarding and daycare services and often thought about wanting to invest in something like it but the idea of starting from scratch seemed too overwhelming. With Hounds Town USA, there is already a proven model.”

Taking the Plunge: Lisa’s Franchise Journey

When Lisa finally decided to take the plunge, she noticed that the Hounds Town USA Founder, Mike Gould, and CEO Jackie Bondanza were particularly wonderful, as was her Discovery Day, which served as an introduction to the Hounds Town USA way of life. Discovery Day is where prospective Franchise Owners like Lisa can see how Hounds Town locations operate in person and meet with the teams that make successful locations a possibility.

“Mike and Jackie are very genuine and authentic people,” said Lisa, “You can tell that they really care about and enjoy what they are doing. The story of how it all started and how they met is very compelling. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet Mike and Jackie in person and the opportunity to visit some active sites. I am a firm believer in going with your gut and doing business with people you know, trust, and like. I had that feeling after meeting everyone and it was further confirmation that Hounds Town USA would be a good fit for me. The corporate team has been very responsive and helpful, and I appreciate that they understand the initial challenges and maintain a positive attitude.”

‘This looks so fun’…Finding a Perfect Franchise Fit

When asked what her “lightbulb” moment was when she decided to work with Hounds Town, Lisa noted that it was not one particular moment. Rather, it was a slow buildup towards the realization that working in the doggie daycare field was the right fit for her. She recalls, “When I first discovered the website, I had immediate feelings of ‘this looks so fun,’ and it made me feel happy at a time when I was searching for my next steps in life.”

Outside of enjoying her career and work with Hounds Town USA, Lisa is also an active person with a love for dogs, especially her two fur kids at home!

“I’m somewhat decent at golf. I enjoy all things on the beach and water, like kayaking, paddleboarding, and wave running,” she notes. “Of course, I also love playing with my two French bulldogs. They are a lot of work but, like most things, they are adorable and add a great deal of joy to my life. I also enjoy watching and attending all Philly sports with my three boys.”

Looking Forward to A Brand New Philadelphia Dog Daycare Business

So what are the next steps for Lisa? For her, the future is nothing but bright.

“I look forward to the challenge of doing something new and to offer what I believe is a true community service right now,” said Lisa, “So many people got dogs during the pandemic, many got multiple dogs, and now everywhere I go I hear people talking about what they are going to do with them now that they have to go back to work. The opportunity is huge.”

Welcome to Hounds Town USA, Lisa! We can’t wait to see your franchise location become successful!

Hounds Town USA is a dog daycare business that lets pet owners focus on the simple, basic services they need in pet care. No frills, no unnecessary extras, just top-notch doggie daycare service! If you’re considering a new career in the pet industry like Lisa, get in touch with our team via our franchise website today. We’re always looking for new Franchise Owners to add to the family!