Running a growing pet waste removal franchise with Kurt Van Arsdale

In this episode, host Kohl Merling sits down with entrepreneur Kurt Van Dale, founder of Red Rock Poop Scoop and co-founder of Scoop Hero, a fast-growing franchise with over 2,700 clients across seven locations. Kurt shares his journey from launching a solo scooping business during COVID to scaling into a national franchise model. They dive into the logistics of running remote locations, hiring and training challenges, burnout and delegation, and the importance of putting effort into marketing. Whether you're an aspiring scooper or a seasoned service provider, this episode is packed with lessons on growth, grit, and building systems that scale.

Topics Covered:

• How Kurt turned rejection into motivation

• What it takes to run a franchise remotely

• Hiring and managing scoopers in new cities

• The power of mentorship and business partnerships

• Software tools that make multi-location operations possible

• How to grow a local service business past burnout

• The real secret to creating ads that actually convert

• Advice for new scoopers who feel stuck or discouraged

Tune in if you want to learn:

• How to start and scale a poop scoop business

• What goes into running a franchise

• How to build a local brand that stands out

• Why most scoopers fail—and how to avoid it