Poop Bandit (noun - /po͞op ˈbandit/): An unknown dog who poops mysteriously in odd places and never takes credit for it. The Poop Bandit may strike at any time in any place. “All dogs are Poop Bandits, “ says Michael Wright, Owner of PoopBandit.
Tell us a little about you and your family?
I was born in Detroit, raised in Southeast Michigan, and from an automotive family; my Dad retired from General Motors along with other extended family members. We relocated from Michigan to the Horizon West area in 2012 and currently live in Waterleigh, although we’ve lived in the Summerlake and Independence communities. Mandi and I have been married for 23 years and have 3 kids; Lucas, Phoenix, and Stella.
We also have 4 dogs; 3 were added to our family during the Pandemic. My oldest is Wicket, a 7-year old Shorkie); Lenny, a 1-year old Chorkie; Bougie, a 1-year old female Chihuahua; and the latest addition (and PoopBandit Mascot), Wallace, the French Bulldog puppy! Wallace came to our family from one of our clients and local breeder Billy Davis of Foreal Frenchies (928-848-6294, @ForealFrenchies).
What did you do before starting PoopBandit?
For the last 15 years, my career was dedicated to the private service industry; I spent 10 years as Executive Director of an industry trade association for butlers, private chefs, personal assistants, basically anyone that works in private estates for Ultra High Net Worth Families & Individuals (UHNW). The trade association had over 5,000 members, with chapters in 22 states and overseas chapters based in London & Monaco. For the last 5 years, just before founding PoopBandit, I was a consultant and partner in multiple recruitment firms specializing in working for top 400 Forbes list clientele. I’ll share that working for the Forbes 400 list is to work for the most demanding people in the world; every skill I honed for years in that industry is woven into every business that I've run.
How did PoopBandit come about?
My oldest son was having a hard time finding a job when he turned 16. So, I said, “why don’t we just start a company and create a job for you.” He said, “we can do that?” So, over a taco dinner one night, Mandi and I came up with the idea for PoopBandit.
To herd our 3 kids when they were little and as my 30th birthday present, we adopted the perfect Border Collie, Bandit. Unfortunately, as time went on, Bandit started to suffer from anxiety and confusion like most Border Collies do as they age. Our veterinarian recommended that Bandit would do better if he lived out his remaining days on a farm and do what Border Collies do best: herding animals. Luckily, we found a great place for him to roam! Brandi came up with the name, and our company is named in his honor, RIP Bandit.
Lucas ran PoopBandit for the first few years, and when the pandemic started, he pursued his dream of becoming a Marine. At the same time, my prior businesses basically dried up, and I was ready for a change and decided to take over the business.
What are the best parts about running PoopBandit?
We are passionate about helping people and their 4-legged family members by providing a luxury service and taking care of a task that no one in the house really wants to do. Many of our clients would not use parts of their yard, or worse, argue with each other and the kids about whose turn it is to “pick up the poop.” So basically, we’re helping our clients reclaim their yards. Also, we love dogs! Whenever our furry friends are out, we’ll throw the ball around, give them some of our treats, have a little ‘playtime.’ The dogs are excited to see us each week!
Advice on starting or running a service business?
First and foremost, Do It! Most people have great ideas but never get the courage up to act on them. To run a service business, you must be passionate about the service you deliver and really care; care about the quality of service you provide and care about the client you work for to bring your best to work each day. Lastly, don’t be afraid to fail. Everyone has setbacks or fails in some way when starting a business - “fail forward” and learn the lessons and know mistakes will happen. I’ve always made a habit of going over the top, trying to make a mistake right. When a mistake happens, you really get to see if a company is GREAT. A great company will own the mistake, sincerely apologize for it, make amends and do whatever possible to make the situation right.
Why do I need PoopBandit, and why you and not your competition?
Anyone who is too busy or doesn’t want to pick up dog poop in their yard needs our service. Pet waste buildup makes backyards unusable. Using PoopBandit allows you to reclaim your yard AND we stop the family argument of “who’s turn is it to pick up the poop?”
Also, about half of our business is residential, and the other half is commercial; HOA community services that include installation, maintenance, and service of pet waste stations; community dog park cleanup; and trash can emptying services where we properly dispose of the waste according to EPA standards and ensure it properly makes it to the landfill.
We are a local family-owned business, and our reputation is everything! We are meticulous with our services, take our time and do as thorough of a job as possible with the hope that our clients will tell their friends and neighbors. Our business relies on our clients becoming Cheerleaders for our company, so we must offer the best service possible. (PoopBandit – PoopBandit.com – 407-604-1008).
