Nonahood News: What is your job? 

Amanda Burke: I am the owner of Mandi Poppins Pet Care. We are a local pet sitting and dog walking company here in Lake Nona. We also offer what’s called “house sitting services.” We are really just that extra piece of mind for people.

NHN: What does your day-to-day schedule look like? 

AB: I am usually on call 24/7. My day consists of having my own visits, being a support to the other sitters, and working on scheduling. And my main job is meetings with new clients. I am a heavily involved sitter, so I do a lot of visits. I immerse myself that way, so I always know we are doing our best. We have a variety of animals from dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas and lizards. We have taken care of herds of chickens. We have done anything from a teeny tiny turtle to a huge tortoise that lives in the backyard. And we take care of lots of birds, too. Even those that don’t have animals but are traveling for the summer can hire us to stop by, check on the home, and take care of lights.

NHN: What is the most challenging aspect of your job? 

AB: Well, I am a perfectionist. I am always making sure everything is running to my standard. I hold myself higher than anyone probably should. What is never fun is accidents. And with what we do it is not something we can really control. Let us say, for example, one of their dogs has had a sick stomach for a week. It is those little things that come out of nowhere. In the mornings, we will show up and there’s a mess all over the place.

NHN: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? 

AB: It is putting peace of mind into our clients’ heads, knowing their babies are being loved and cared for like they are our own. Because they really truly are. I will never forget when I first started this business. I was struggling so much to find somebody I could trust to take care of my cats. And I just thought, “People must have a hard time with this.”

NHN: What got you interested in working in Lake Nona? 

AB: I wanted to be closer to some friends in the area. My significant other at the time had lived here previously and said, “It’s a cool area.” We figured out our niche, and it has been amazing to see this place grow. But the Lake Nona area has just been exploding, it is absolutely insane.

NHN: Do you have any hobbies or interests? 

AB: I am a huge foodie. I love watching all the food shows. I am a huge fan of Gordon Ramsey. I always say I am “Gordon taught.” Cooking is definitely one of my passions. I am also a huge fan of knitting. Something to keep my brain busy. But more than anything I am such a homebody, I just love being with my babies. Listening to music and cooking is literally the best thing I could do.

NHN: Where do you see yourself in the next five years? 

AB: Doing the same thing, except thriving and being better. It is really cool to see where we are now and where we can be. We have done Pet Palooza in Laureate Park for the past four years, and we have been growing. In the next five years, we will probably have double the staff and even more homes that we service in the Nona area. 

NHN: Where are you originally from? What brought you to Lake Nona? 

AB: I am from a little town called Oxford, Michigan. I got a new job working in market research, and I was bored. I saddled up and moved down to Florida. I have been in Lake Nona since 2019. Lake Nona has been the place I have landed, and I am so thankful. And you cannot do this business everywhere. Safety is big, and I make sure my sitters are always safe, have an awareness of their surroundings, and have protection on them. Because a lot of us are young girls, and we have to be careful about that. And I am so thankful we have a safe place like Lake Nona to do our business.

NHN: What would you say to anyone moving to Lake Nona?

AB: I would say you are moving to one of the best up-and-coming places that is going to provide you with so much value. In such a thriving place, there are so many good options. And we are getting a Target, it is getting better and better.