US Woman Quits Marketing Job To Walk Dogs, Says 4 Months Changed Her Life: "Most Valuable Professional Experience"

A woman in the US who quit her marketing job to become a professional dog walker for four months says the experience changed her understanding of success and helped her build a healthier relationship with work. Sally Simmons, a California-based marketing professional and holistic health coach, left her remote healthcare marketing job in 2022 after experiencing burnout while balancing work and an MBA. Living on the US West Coast but working according to East Coast hours, she spent most of her days indoors, staring at a computer screen.

After moving from Kentucky to California in October 2021, Simmons began questioning her career choices. While people around her enjoyed the sunshine and beaches, she found herself struggling to balance work, business school and her personal life.

The idea of becoming a dog walker emerged after she came across someone doing the job online. The lifestyle appealed to her because it offered fresh air, physical activity and flexibility, unlike the long hours she spent attending virtual meetings and responding to emails.

"Within the span of just a few weeks in the spring of 2022, I quit my job, graduated from business school, traveled to Europe for an old roommate's wedding and then flew to Texas to speak at the Latino Franchise Symposium. While I was there, I created my Rover profile. I highlighted my experience volunteering at animal shelters in college, pet sitting for friends and caring for animals throughout my life," she wrote in an essay for CNBC Make It. 

Drawing on her experience volunteering at animal shelters and looking after pets, she began offering dog-walking and pet-sitting services. Before returning to California, she had already scheduled her first meeting with a potential client and soon secured her first booking. Simmons initially charged around $15 for a drop-in visit and $17 for a 30-minute walk to attract clients and build reviews. With savings and her husband's steady income providing financial support, she was able to start small while treating the work like a business.

"I accepted nearly every opportunity that came my way, taking dogs on midday walks, housesitting on weekends and boarding dogs in my apartment," she added. She also made a point of sending owners regular updates, photographs and detailed notes about their pets.

Her approach soon paid off. As positive reviews accumulated, she gradually increased her rates, eventually charging $23 for a drop-in visit and $84 for an overnight stay. By the time she left the platform four months later, she had earned 30 reviews with a five-star rating and built a steady base of returning clients.

"One of my favourite memories came when a family asked me to care for their dogs during their wedding weekend. I spent two and a half days at a beautiful resort and dressed the dogs in tiny tuxedos before they walked down the aisle," she recounted. The experience helped her realise that her work was not just about caring for animals but also about giving families peace of mind during important occasions.

The job also changed her daily routine. Some days, Simmons walked more than eight miles and recorded over 18,000 steps. Spending hours outdoors gave her time to reflect on her priorities and reconsider what she wanted from her career.

"Those walks gave me space to think. I reflected on what success actually meant, what I wanted my career to look like and, perhaps more importantly, how I wanted my days to feel. Before Rover, success meant getting promotions, landing bigger clients and climbing the corporate ladder. Walking dogs challenged that definition. I realized I didn't want to chase an impressive title as much as I wanted to chase a lifestyle that gave me energy," Simmons said. 

Ironically, she received an offer for the marketing job she still holds today while out walking a dog. She eventually returned to the corporate world, particularly as she was expecting her first daughter and needed the financial stability and benefits of full-time employment. 

However, Simmons does not consider the experience a career detour. Instead, she believes it taught her lessons about trust, commitment, empathy and consistency that apply to any profession. "Still, I think about those four months often. People sometimes assume dog walking was a gap or detour in my career. I see it as one of the most valuable professional experiences I've ever had. It reminded me that passion is visible, no matter what kind of work you're doing. It reinforced that the skills that matter most — showing up, listening, caring deeply, building trust and making small, consistent changes — translate to every career," she added.