When Rob and Kelley Gludt decided it was time for “one more chapter,” they realized it didn’t mean they had to start from scratch. Instead, they could return to something that had always been part of their story: entrepreneurship.
Before joining Woofie’s, Rob and Kelley built diverse and complementary careers across multiple industries. Kelley worked as an editor before spending 20 years as a rabbi. Rob’s career spanned a wide range of hands-on and operational roles, including fire prevention, meat cutting, tour guiding, delivery driving, and product specialization. Together, they also had prior experience as small-business owners and franchisees early in their marriage.
“Rob and I owned a franchise when we first married back in the early 1990s. We had already been small business owners,” Kelley said. “Then our careers went in very different directions. One day we looked at each other and said: ‘It’s time for something new.’”
That decision led them to launch their Woofie’s franchise in North Baltimore in the summer of 2024, and less than a year later, they earned the brand’s Rookie of the Year award.
For the Gludts, the decision to return to business ownership was about intention. “When we decided we wanted to get back into business together, we had some experience in franchising,” Kelley said. “Since this is going to be the last hurrah for us, we knew we didn’t have two to five years to figure it out ourselves. We wanted the turnkey business, the support, and someone who would get us up and running as fast as possible.”
Their search was deliberate. “We did a lot of research. What we were looking for was something that wasn’t brick and mortar and was somewhat recession-proof,” Kelley said. “It had to be something we enjoyed doing and something we could do as a family.”
That search ultimately led them to Woofie’s — a modern pet care brand whose values aligned closely with their own.
“From the first time we reached out to Woofie’s, they had a relationship-focused vibe, which is what we wanted coming from the nonprofit world,” Kelley said. “They were relationship-focused toward clients and franchisees.”
That connection was also personal. “We are urban farmers, we have a flock of chickens, a border collie, and we’ve always had dogs,” she said. The Gludts were already living the lifestyle that Woofie’s serves, making the transition into pet care both natural and meaningful.
Since launching, the North Baltimore territory has seen impressive traction. “So far, the business has been great,” Kelley said. “We have a lot of pet sitting on the books. We are busy, and it’s a lot, but it’s been great.”
But for the Gludts, success is less measured by numbers and more by the ability to build something together. “Our son is incredibly involved in the business, and we are hoping he takes over the business one day,” Kelley said. “He is very involved, walks a lot of dogs, and does a lot of the back-end paperwork.”
Another major factor in their success has been the support from the Woofie’s team and network.
“The support has been great from the Woofie’s team. They have been incredibly helpful,” Kelley said. “Big or small things, they are always there. We had the company's founder visit to ensure we had the support we needed.”
That level of accessibility has made a difference. “We’ve never felt like we were on our own… Our fellow owners have also been so supportive,” she said. “It’s a culture that they are very intentional in creating.”
Despite their rapid growth, the Rookie of the Year award wasn’t something the Gludts were chasing.
“I was at the convention in Nashville, and I was shocked,” Kelley said. “It was very unexpected. You put your head down and get through it all, so it was really nice to have the hard work appreciated.”
While their early success is significant, the Gludts are already thinking about what comes next. “Big picture, the goal for the business is to potentially fill out the territory and move into the city of Baltimore and crack the urban model,” Kelley said. “We have a lot of ideas on how to make an urban Woofie’s work.”
Reflecting on their journey, Kelley said the biggest lessons go beyond the numbers.
“If I could talk to myself from two years ago, I would say trust your gut, and it would be OK,” she said. “Of course, I probably wouldn’t have believed myself! Finding a good match is really important as well. You have to look past the number to both the product and the team.”
In the end, success in franchising is about more than the investment. “You are going to be spending a lot of time with the product and with the team,” Kelley said. “Don’t just look at the bottom line number. You need all of it to work.”
For more information on buying a Woofie’s franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/woofies.
Woofie's
SPONSORED
After wide-ranging careers, Rob and Kelley Gludt launched their Woofie's pet care franchise in North Baltimore in 2024, earning Rookie of the Year recognition in their first year.
When Rob and Kelley Gludt decided it was time for “one more chapter,” they realized it didn’t mean they had to start from scratch. Instead, they could return to something that had always been part of their story: entrepreneurship.
Before joining Woofie’s, Rob and Kelley built diverse and complementary careers across multiple industries. Kelley worked as an editor before spending 20 years as a rabbi. Rob’s career spanned a wide range of hands-on and operational roles, including fire prevention, meat cutting, tour guiding, delivery driving, and product specialization. Together, they also had prior experience as small-business owners and franchisees early in their marriage.
“Rob and I owned a franchise when we first married back in the early 1990s. We had already been small business owners,” Kelley said. “Then our careers went in very different directions. One day we looked at each other and said: ‘It’s time for something new.’”
That decision led them to launch their Woofie’s franchise in North Baltimore in the summer of 2024, and less than a year later, they earned the brand’s Rookie of the Year award.
For the Gludts, the decision to return to business ownership was about intention. “When we decided we wanted to get back into business together, we had some experience in franchising,” Kelley said. “Since this is going to be the last hurrah for us, we knew we didn’t have two to five years to figure it out ourselves. We wanted the turnkey business, the support, and someone who would get us up and running as fast as possible.”
Their search was deliberate. “We did a lot of research. What we were looking for was something that wasn’t brick and mortar and was somewhat recession-proof,” Kelley said. “It had to be something we enjoyed doing and something we could do as a family.”
That search ultimately led them to Woofie’s — a modern pet care brand whose values aligned closely with their own.
“From the first time we reached out to Woofie’s, they had a relationship-focused vibe, which is what we wanted coming from the nonprofit world,” Kelley said. “They were relationship-focused toward clients and franchisees.”
That connection was also personal. “We are urban farmers, we have a flock of chickens, a border collie, and we’ve always had dogs,” she said. The Gludts were already living the lifestyle that Woofie’s serves, making the transition into pet care both natural and meaningful.
Since launching, the North Baltimore territory has seen impressive traction. “So far, the business has been great,” Kelley said. “We have a lot of pet sitting on the books. We are busy, and it’s a lot, but it’s been great.”
But for the Gludts, success is less measured by numbers and more by the ability to build something together. “Our son is incredibly involved in the business, and we are hoping he takes over the business one day,” Kelley said. “He is very involved, walks a lot of dogs, and does a lot of the back-end paperwork.”
Another major factor in their success has been the support from the Woofie’s team and network.
“The support has been great from the Woofie’s team. They have been incredibly helpful,” Kelley said. “Big or small things, they are always there. We had the company's founder visit to ensure we had the support we needed.”
That level of accessibility has made a difference. “We’ve never felt like we were on our own… Our fellow owners have also been so supportive,” she said. “It’s a culture that they are very intentional in creating.”
Despite their rapid growth, the Rookie of the Year award wasn’t something the Gludts were chasing.
“I was at the convention in Nashville, and I was shocked,” Kelley said. “It was very unexpected. You put your head down and get through it all, so it was really nice to have the hard work appreciated.”
While their early success is significant, the Gludts are already thinking about what comes next. “Big picture, the goal for the business is to potentially fill out the territory and move into the city of Baltimore and crack the urban model,” Kelley said. “We have a lot of ideas on how to make an urban Woofie’s work.”
Reflecting on their journey, Kelley said the biggest lessons go beyond the numbers.
“If I could talk to myself from two years ago, I would say trust your gut, and it would be OK,” she said. “Of course, I probably wouldn’t have believed myself! Finding a good match is really important as well. You have to look past the number to both the product and the team.”
In the end, success in franchising is about more than the investment. “You are going to be spending a lot of time with the product and with the team,” Kelley said. “Don’t just look at the bottom line number. You need all of it to work.”
For more information on buying a Woofie’s franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/woofies.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
No related articles found
