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Name: Kayla Seely
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Company: Red Barn Dog Holdings
No. of units: 36 Dogtopia
Age: 40
Family: Husband, Chip, and 2 children, Emmie, 8, and Mason, 6
Years in franchising: 18
Years in current position: 7
With nearly 20 years of operational experience on both the franchisor and franchisee sides, Kayla Seely blends corporate insight with hands-on ownership to build a thriving pet care business. She’s applied her skills to grow Red Barn Holdings into the largest franchisee group in the Dogtopia system with 36 locations across 10 East Coast states.
Seely got her professional start working in operations roles with a pair of wellness franchises. When she was director of operations for a Massage Envy franchisee, Mike D’Amara, the owner, taught her the level of detail it takes to support employees and create memorable experiences for customers. Seely then moved on to the franchisor side as a regional business manager for Miracle-Ear, where she learned the importance of consistency, brand integrity, and operating standards.
After three and a half years with Miracle-Ear, Seely missed the entrepreneurial side of franchise ownership and the ability to affect customers. In 2019, she formed Red Barn Holdings and became a Dogtopia franchisee, applying her health and wellness experience to canine care. In addition to daycare, boarding, and grooming, Dogtopia provides socialization and exercise to help dogs maintain a healthy weight and live longer.
“My dog goes to daycare, and I can tell that it has significantly changed her fitness level,” Seely says. “She lost about 15 pounds by going to daycare two to three times per week. There are days when we can track her activity level to about 17 miles, and I try to think what my day would look like if I had to walk her myself for that long.”
Seely charted an aggressive path for growth fueled by acquisitions of existing Dogtopia units and conversions of independent locations. That plan allowed for existing, stable locations to support overall growth while new stores were built. Although construction slowed during Covid, Seely reached 20 locations by the end of 2021. She has acquired 21 stores and built 15 more.
The pandemic helped pet care businesses like Dogtopia. Seely says her stores remained open, albeit on a modified schedule, to serve essential workers and their pets. A growth in pet ownership during Covid led to an increased demand for pet care in the years that followed as people returned to the office and resumed traveling.
As the business grew, Seely prioritized developing talent on her internal team to manage franchise operations. She has promoted from within almost exclusively and allows managers to lead multiple locations. Team members have grown from general manager to area manager and then district manager. Developing a deep and talented bench remains important as Seely plans to add three to five locations per year for the foreseeable future.
“We always intended to have multiple locations and build an extensive portfolio,” Seely says. “It was fast and furious during those first few years, and at times, I was a bit frustrated that it was slowed by Covid or other growing pains. Considering each of those challenges, I’m very pleased with where we ended up.”
First job: I started working at an Italian bakery when I was 14. To this day, I can still smell the bread, and I learned early the value of hard work and pride in craftsmanship.
Formative influences/events: As a child, I frequently tagged along to my dad’s job sites, piecing together scraps of wood from his cabinetry projects. What stuck with me most wasn’t the building; it was that he genuinely loved his work. Serving his companies and clients wasn’t a chore; it was something he looked forward to. That work ethic shaped who I am today.
Key accomplishments: My two amazing kids will always top the list. Professionally, I’m incredibly proud of our team for earning multiple awards across our portfolio, including top sales in the Dogtopia network for the past three years.
Biggest current challenge: Taking the organization from good to great by refining systems, elevating leaders, and ensuring scalability without losing culture.
Next big goal: Achieving $1 million in sales in year one for a new location.
First turning point in your career: Realizing that leadership isn’t about being the best operator in the room. It’s about building people who can outperform you.
Best business decision: Relentlessly investing in internal talent development even when external hiring would have been faster.
Hardest lesson learned: Not every high performer is meant to move into leadership, and forcing that transition can hurt both the individual and the organization.
Work week: Our business operates 24/7/365. I usually work Monday through Friday with a half day on Saturday to catch up on work. I intentionally carve out at least one day a week for family time, but when the business needs me, I’m here.
Exercise/workout: Hiking to a new or favorite fishing spot.
Best advice you ever got: “Yes” is easy. “No” takes discipline. Learning to say no when the timing isn’t right, the idea isn’t fully formed, or the risk is too high creates clarity, slows the spin, and protects focus.
What’s your passion in business? Building and developing a team that learns from me and ultimately teaches me. As they grow stronger and challenge the status quo, that’s where the real magic happens.
How do you balance life and work? I laugh at this question because there is no true balance; there’s work-life integration. Some seasons are 80% business and 20% family; others are closer to 50/50. Like everything else, it comes in waves.
Guilty pleasure: Nintendo video games. Retro or new—an hour with a controller can be almost as rejuvenating as eight hours of sleep.
Favorite book: For business, it is Traction by Gino Wickman. On the personal side, it is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.
Favorite movie: “The Godfather” or any great sports movie. Al Pacino’s “game of inches” speech from “Any Given Sunday” is a frequent reference, especially when it’s time to rally.
What do most people not know about you? I am an introvert.
Pet peeve: Excuses.
What did you want to be when you grew up? A lawyer. While that didn’t pan out, I served as foreperson on a murder trial last year, so I feel like I got the best of both worlds.
Last vacation: A few days in the British Virgin Islands in April 2025 to detach from the constant go-go-go.
Person you’d most like to have lunch with: A former U.S. president for insights on leadership, negotiation, and decision-making at scale.
Business philosophy: Failure is not an option, but learning from mistakes is mandatory.
Management method or style: Fanatical attention to detail until mastery is proven and then full autonomy to do what you were hired to do.
Greatest challenge: Maintaining bench strength in a constant growth mode. We prioritize internal promotion, which has resulted in incredible success stories, but growth can sometimes outpace readiness. Ongoing development is critical.
How do others describe you? Tough but fair. My standards are high, but I’m approachable and always willing to listen.
Have you ever been in a mentor-mentee relationship? What did you learn? I worked for five years for a franchisee in another industry. He taught me operational excellence, customer experience, and disciplined hiring and training. He passed away just over a year ago, and I still keep a running “When I talk to Mike” list.
One thing you’re looking to do better: Not sweat the small stuff.
How you give your team room to innovate and experiment: If an idea doesn’t violate brand standards or safety and is well thought out, I’ll usually greenlight it. We try it once, and if it works, we keep it. If not, we move on.
How close are you to operations? Very. I still oversee the district managers, interact with them daily, and have a pulse on every daycare. I aim to visit each location at least once per year.
What are the two most important things you rely on from your franchisor? The backing of an industry leader and an open, accessible partnership.
What you need from vendors: True partnership: mutual benefit, transparency, and alignment.
Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the economy? How? We’ve leaned more heavily into value-driven messaging, retention, and local relationship marketing rather than broad awareness tactics. Building strong, visible relationships within our communities is a key priority. Trust and familiarity matter more than ever in uncertain economic environments.
How is social media affecting your business? Social media plays a critical role in building community trust and reinforcing brand credibility. It’s often where prospective team members and pet parents validate who we are. It also gives each location a voice to celebrate its personality, culture, and creativity. Pet parents truly enjoy seeing their dogs, the unique activities, and the people who care for them every day.
In what ways are you using technology (like AI) to manage your business? Technology is integral to both the pet parent experience and operational execution. We use Dash, our activity tracking collar, to monitor the dogs’ engagement throughout the day. Digital whiteboards in every playroom display photos of each pup along with key notes for our teams. Our mobile app allows pet parents to alert us when they’re on the way, enabling fast, convenient curbside drop-off and pickup. Each tool is designed to enhance communication, safety, and efficiency.
How do you hire and fire? We use the Predictive Index to ensure behavioral alignment. At the multi-unit level, I’m very selective. When someone isn’t the right fit, we make changes quickly and respectfully.
How do you train and retain? A blend of online modules, hands-on learning, and structured one-on-one meetings across departments. New leaders spend four to six weeks in daycare operations learning canine behavior and daily execution.
How do you deal with problem employees? Most issues stem from misaligned expectations. I first clarify understanding and then reset expectations or retrain. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, it may be time to make a change.
Fastest way into your doghouse: Trying to hide something. Bad news needs to travel fast.
Annual revenue: $35 million.
Goals over the next year: Continue strengthening systems while responsibly growing the portfolio.
Growth meter: How do you measure your growth? Year-over-year comps, unit count, and employee development.
Vision meter: Where do you want to be in five years? 10 years? Ideally, sitting on a dock, fishing quietly with four dogs. More realistically, continuing to develop leaders and building a portfolio that thrives without daily dependence on me.
Do you have brands in different segments? Why/why not? Not currently. All our energy is focused on serving the pups and the people who care for them exceptionally well.
How is the economy in your region(s) affecting you, your employees, your customers? We consistently keep a pulse on national and local trends, recognizing that conditions vary by market. That said, headwinds have existed since day one, and it’s simply part of doing business. Overall, we’ve found the pet services sector to be both stable and resilient even during periods of broader economic uncertainty.
Are you experiencing economic growth in your market? Yes. Across the portfolio, we continue to see growth. Individual markets will always experience hills and valleys, but we take a long-term view, stay disciplined, and ride those cycles with optimism.
How do changes in the economy affect the way you do business? It always comes back to value. Our focus is on delivering a service that pet parents truly find worthwhile and making it as easy as possible to do business with us. That starts with convenience, transparency, and trust, and it ends with exceptional care for their dogs.
How do you forecast for your business? We forecast annually with monthly reviews to assess performance and adjust assumptions as needed. Staying nimble is critical.
What are the best sources for capital expansion? The best source is the one available and aligned with your goals. Every operator has a different relationship with their capital partners, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Experience with private equity, local banks, national banks, other institutions? Why/why not? Equity can be an excellent option when available and well aligned. We’ve worked with a regional bank for more than six years, and they’ve been incredible partners, especially during the inevitable bumps along the way. Having a lender that truly understands your business makes a significant difference.
What are you doing to take care of your employees? First and foremost, let them know you care. Appreciation matters. My team is my backbone, my ride-or-die group, and they know that no matter how tough things get, we face challenges together.
How are you handling rising employee costs (payroll, minimum wage, healthcare, etc.)? Hasn’t this been an ever-changing landscape? Because labor is the largest line item on our P&L, it must be managed thoughtfully and daily. We focus on responsible cost control by refining systems, leveraging technology to eliminate inefficiencies, and continuously reviewing vendor partnerships to ensure we’re receiving the best value without compromising quality or care.
What laws and regulations are affecting your business, and how are you dealing with them? Labor regulations, wage requirements, and safety standards are the most impactful. We stay proactive by partnering with strong legal and HR resources, continuously educating our leaders, and ensuring our policies evolve alongside regulatory changes.
How do you reward/recognize top-performing employees? Recognition takes many forms, from internal advancement and expanded responsibilities to public acknowledgment and meaningful one-on-one feedback. Growth, trust, and visibility are powerful motivators when paired with appreciation. For our managers, performance-based bonus plans are especially impactful, ensuring alignment with company goals while rewarding results.
What kind of exit strategy do you have in place? Right now, it’s all systems go. Our exit strategy is building an operation so strong, structured, and values driven that it could be seamlessly handed off to the next steward when the time is right.