When Julie Dickens began her career in the neonatal intensive care unit, she never imagined her path would one day lead to running a pet waste removal business. But for Dickens, the skills she developed in health care — patience, communication and time management — proved to be just as vital in entrepreneurship as they were in the hospital.

“In the NICU, the customer was really the mom,” she said. “Being able to hear what their concerns are and understand where they are in their journey was a big part of the job.” That same ability to listen and empathize now helps her connect with clients who trust her team to handle a chore they’d rather avoid.

Her nursing background also taught her to juggle competing priorities. Caring for multiple infants meant managing complex schedules of assessments, feedings and medications. “You relate that into your business life and being able to understand, okay, what are my most important tasks that I have to do today as a CEO? What things can I delegate?” she said.

From Necessity to Opportunity

Dickens didn’t set out to become a business owner. In fact, she loved her nursing career. But when she learned she was expecting her first child, the realities of a demanding 12-hour-shift schedule — and a husband whose job as a pilot kept him away from home — forced a hard decision.

“It was too difficult,” she said. “I realized really quickly that nothing — my job — was not as important as being a mom. And that was what I wanted.”

Dickens and her husband began looking for a way to earn income that wouldn’t pull her away from their new baby. When they discovered DoodyCalls, the idea stood out. It was accessible to launch, didn’t require her to leave home and offered the chance to grow a business while still being present for her family. “It made sense that I would be able to stay home to be a mom, but also to try to get this up and going at the same time,” she said.

Building Balance

Starting a business was not exactly the recipe for instant work-life balance. Dickens remembers the early years as an all-in effort to establish her franchise in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. But she always kept her long-term goal in sight: creating a business that provided both income and flexibility.

“I didn't get into business to be in it 24/7 and miss being at my daughter’s school to volunteer or pick her up after school,” she said. Over time, she built a team she could rely on and shifted into more of a CEO role, focusing on growth while her staff handled day-to-day operations. “It took us a long time to get there,” she said. “However, it definitely was doable.”

Making a Difference for Families

When Dickens opened DoodyCalls Dallas-Fort Worth in 2007, the concept of paying someone to scoop pet waste was still unfamiliar to many. At local events, she often fielded skeptical questions. But as with house cleaning or lawn care, families soon saw the value in reclaiming their time.

“Even if it's 15 or 20 minutes, that's still 15 or 20 minutes you get to spend doing something that is more of a priority,” Dickens said.

For many customers, her service became more than just a convenience. Families with frequent travelers, people recovering from surgery or grandparents hosting young children in their backyards all relied on the peace of mind her team provided. “That really warms my heart — that it's more than just picking up dog poop. It is helping people,” she said.

Her nursing instincts also shape the way she sees the business. “With me being a nurse, I've always been health-conscious and loved health and wellness,” she said. “There's the health aspect of it — that we know we are providing a service in our communities that is going to keep our communities safe and healthy.”

Support and Growth

Like many franchisees, Dickens didn’t have a background in business. Early training directly from DoodyCalls founder Jacob D’Aniello helped her learn the ropes, while Authority Brands’ later acquisition of the company brought additional resources and national recognition. “The biggest plus with that would be just mainly the brand awareness in the franchise space and the opportunities that would bring for our own business here,” she said.

Looking ahead, Dickens sees an opportunity to expand the commercial side of her business by partnering with new housing developments and selling pet waste stations to communities. “Everywhere you look there's housing developments going up, there's apartments,” she said. “I look at that as an opportunity for us to educate, to help keep our communities clean, and at the same time give families back their time.”

A New Chapter

Now, after nearly two decades in business, Dickens is entering a new stage of life. Her daughter graduated from high school this spring and is playing golf at the collegiate level. For Dickens, the success of her business means the freedom to travel to tournaments and continue showing up as a supportive mom.

“All the hard work has allowed me to be in the position now to where I can go and watch her play golf and be present still,” she said. “That was my number one goal in doing this — to have a business but also be present for my daughter.”

She recently traveled to Miami for a tournament at Trump Doral. “It was a really cool experience,” she said. “I was just so grateful that I was able to be there and be present and know that my team is still operating even though I wasn't there. I don't have to be there, which was the ultimate goal.”

From the NICU to the neighborhoods of Dallas-Fort Worth, Dickens’ journey reflects a through line of care: for patients, for family and for her community. And in finding balance between her career and her personal life, she has built more than a business — she has built the life she wanted.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://doodycallsfranchising.com/.