Aces of Trades: Julie McNamara's 'Off Doody' job give new meaning to poop scooper
She’s a teacher − with a not-so-ordinary second job.
“As a child, I was obsessed with animals, particularly dogs,” noted Julie McNamara. “I didn’t think I had the science chops to become a vet, so I didn’t pursue a career with animals, but it was still a dream of mine to someday own a business working with pets.”
Today, McNamara is owner and president of Off Doody Pet Waste Solutions for pet owners in Marion County, Edison and Mt. Gilead.
“I handle our marketing, onboarding, litter box prep, and bookkeeping,” she explained. “I’m also our chief meme-maker − the jokes practically write themselves.”
McNamara grew up in Wyandot and Crawford counties, graduated from Bucyrus High School in 1998, earned a degree in psychology at OSUM in 1999, then went on to obtain a master’s in education from the University of Dayton.
“I love helping people,” she said, “so I spent 17 years as a social worker in Marion. While I enjoyed that field, I had the opportunity to transition to teaching in 2020. I had always thought about teaching but never thought the timing was right for a career change.”
McNamara now teaches middle and high school special education at TRECA Digital Academy while also running Off Doody Pet Waste Solutions.
“I feel incredibly fortunate with my husband Ian’s help,” she said. “I’m able to teach my amazing students while still fulfilling my love for pets and passion for entrepreneurship.
“Having owned pets for nearly all our lives, Ian and I are well versed in the care and feeding of cats and dogs," McNamara continued. "And we also know the one chore that everyone dreads − the poop. We’ve tried bribing our kids to scoop the poop, we’ve jokingly considered training our pets to use the toilet, you name it. When it comes to pet poop, we’ve dealt with it.
Glance out the door on a spring day, and Off Doody was born
“As a busy family,” she added, “we struggle with keeping up with the kids, jobs, chores, etc., just like everyone else. So we knew other pet owners likely felt the same way and would welcome a service that would take care of the poop so they wouldn’t have to. One day in early spring 2022, I glanced out the back door at the melting snow and sighed as I noticed the dog poop slowly emerging. I wondered if this was a service people would be willing to pay for, and Off Doody was born within just a few days.
"I lucked out that Ian was immediately on board, and we officially launched on March 3, 2022," McNamara said. "Business has taken off, and Ian is now our primary poop tech in the field, while I handle our marketing, onboarding, litter box prep and bookkeeping.”
Toni Cornwell-Fisher is a longtime friend.
“I believe Julie provides a valuable service,” assessed Cornwell-Fisher. “I truly believe the services could be extremely helpful for seniors, pregnant women, families and individuals with busy lives, really for any pet owner. Not only do they provide service for dog waste, but they also do litter boxes for cats. Not only are they helping individuals clean up their yards, then they leave a little treat for the pups and cats as just another thoughtful gesture.”
“I love providing a service to pet owners in our community,” McNamara said. “I enjoy hearing from happy customers who appreciate getting some time back in their day and having a yard they can enjoy − and squeaky clean litter boxes.”
For more information about Off Doody Pet Waste Solutions, visit offdoodypetwaste.com.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs — whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at news@marionstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Entrepreneur Julie McNamara finds success with pet waste pick-up
