Maureen Frederique
Written by: Candice Roberts
Petmo, a VIP chauffeur service for pets and their owners, founded by Maureen Frederique, transports “pets and their people” in style throughout the tri-state area while providing superior customer service and a high-quality luxury experience to clients. Some services include safe and convenient local drop offs, airport trips, as-directed (hourly) rides, and unaccompanied pet transport.
How did the idea for Petmo come about?
“The idea behind Petmo came from my experiences in the transportation industry. I chauffeured and dispatched and wanted to create a transportation company, and while learning about the transportation industry I saw there was a need for pet-friendly transportation. Pet parents would find themselves either not being able to secure transportation for their pets, being charged an unnecessary cleaning fee, or being unable to transport their furry pet alone. In an effort to solve these problems, Petmo was created.
After conducting primary and secondary research, I realized Petmo will be able to help pet parents during a pandemic and post-pandemic. Customers can book a reservation by phone, app, or through our website.”
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Petmo is actually my third entity as an entrepreneur. I worked in the music industry for over 15 years promoting artists for J Records and Russell Simmons Music Group in addition to other companies. I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur while I was in college. I have a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Management. I knew I wanted to continue to help people, but I didn’t know exactly how I wanted to do so. Working in different industries such as music, nonprofits, and advertising helped me gain a variety of skills to make me a SMART entrepreneur.
With such a diverse career background, do you feel that shaped your journey to becoming an entrepreneur?
“From working at Russell Simmons music group, I was inspired by Russell Simmons who encouraged us to help others succeed and if you enjoy helping people then the entrepreneur path is a good way to do so. With my desire to help others, my first entity was created in 2008 and I assisted artists to secure licensing, synchronization deals, and more. Helping people was always something I enjoyed and bringing Petmo to life was something that I was looking forward to after my experiences in my previous businesses.”
What would you say some challenges are with being an entrepreneur and starting a business? Has there been any additional challenges during the global pandemic?
“Finding the right team is always a challenge because when you have a business you want to structure it in a certain manner and professionalism is key but not everyone that you employ will have that same respect for your business. In regards to challenges during the global pandemic we are currently in, I would say things have gotten a bit easier for our business because we are not required to drop off our pets indoors and we now service our clients via curbside pickup.”
What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
“Don’t give up and execution is key. A lot of people have challenges along the way but if you have a vision you just have to keep at it and go for it!”
Connect with Maureen