Check Out Meliss Jakubovic’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meliss Jakubovic.

Hi Meliss, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My entrepreneurial journey has been a little unconventional. For almost two decades, I’ve been an online marketing strategist, helping coaches, healers, and small business owners grow their businesses through marketing, lead generation, and systems. At the same time, I’ve always had a passion for building businesses and finding opportunities where I can genuinely help people.

The idea for Clean Paws Scooping actually came from a very personal experience. After a car accident, I spent about a year and a half in a wheelchair. I had a dog, and something as simple as cleaning up the yard became incredibly difficult. I remember tying multiple leashes together so my dog could get farther from the house because I couldn’t get out there to scoop. That experience opened my eyes to a problem that many people face, whether they’re busy professionals, seniors, injured, disabled, or simply overwhelmed with life.

I started researching the pet waste removal industry and realized there was a real need for a professional, reliable service in North Metro Atlanta. What began as an idea quickly became Clean Paws Scooping. Today, we’re a locally owned, woman-owned company serving homeowners, HOAs, apartment communities, dog parks, and commercial properties throughout the area. Our mission is simple: retire pet owners from poop scooping and give them back their time while helping create cleaner, healthier outdoor spaces.

What makes me especially proud is that we built this business from the ground up. We’re not a franchise. Every process, every service standard, and every customer experience has been intentionally designed around safety, reliability, and customer care. We triple-check gates, sanitize our equipment between properties, and genuinely treat every yard as if it were our own.

Along the way, Clean Paws Scooping was honored as a Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce 2025 Business to Watch, which was an incredible milestone for us. But honestly, what means the most is hearing from customers who tell us we’ve given them their weekends back, helped them stay in their homes with their dogs as they age, or simply removed one more thing from their already busy lives.

Today, I still own and operate multiple businesses, but Clean Paws Scooping has become a mission-driven company for me. Our slogan is, ‘Our business is picking up their business,’ and that’s exactly what we do every day.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road, but that’s part of being a business owner.

One of the biggest challenges in the beginning was building route density. Unlike many businesses where you can serve customers from anywhere, a service business like ours has to be strategic about where clients are located. In the early days, I was spending a lot of time figuring out how to grow efficiently while keeping routes profitable and convenient for both our customers and our team.

Another challenge was simply finding my place in the local business community. When you start a business, you don’t automatically have a network of people who understand what you’re going through. I had to intentionally get involved, attend events, join organizations, and build relationships with other business owners. Looking back, that was one of the best investments I made because those relationships have led to friendships, partnerships, referrals, and opportunities I never would have found on my own.

Additionally, building awareness and trust around a service that many people didn’t even realize existed was a hurdle to overcome. I wanted Clean Paws Scooping to be more than just a company that cleans up dog waste. I wanted it to become a trusted resource for pet owners and the community. I intentionally chose bright, memorable colors and built a brand that feels professional, approachable, and fun. I mean, we talk about poop all day long – so we’ve got to bring some humor into it.

We also publish a weekly blog, support local charities and community organizations, and have built relationships with trusted local businesses that I confidently recommend to my customers. Anyone can scoop a yard, but building a brand that people know, trust, and refer to their friends and neighbors takes time.

Like most entrepreneurs, I’ve also had to wear a lot of hats. One day I’m focused on marketing, the next day I’m building partnerships, reviewing routes, meeting with property managers, or working on systems to improve the customer experience.

The good news is that every challenge has helped us grow. Today, we have a much stronger foundation, a great network of fellow business owners and community partners, a whole community backing us up, recognition from the Chamber of Commerce, and a much clearer vision of where we’re headed than when we first started. I think that’s what entrepreneurship is really about: continually learning, adapting, and getting a little better every day.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At its core, Clean Paws Scooping is a pet waste removal company, but I like to think of us as a quality-of-life company. We help busy families, seniors, veterans, injured or disabled individuals, and pet lovers take one more chore off their plate so they can spend more time doing the things they actually enjoy with their families and pets. While many people know us for our residential yard cleaning services, we also work with HOAs, apartment communities, dog parks, and other commercial properties by installing and servicing pet waste stations, replenishing bags, removing waste, and helping keep common areas clean and welcoming.

What I’m most proud of is the reputation we’ve built. As a newer company, we’ve worked hard to earn the trust of our customers and our community. What means the most to me is when customers continue to renew their service, refer their friends and neighbors, and tell us how much easier we’ve made their lives. Knowing we’ve created a service people genuinely value is incredibly rewarding.

I think what sets us apart is the experience we create. We’re a locally owned, woman-owned business, and we’re completely judgment-free. Whether someone is behind on scooping because they’re busy, injured, overwhelmed, or simply doesn’t want to do it, we’re here to help, not judge. We send notifications when we’re on the way, provide photos showing gates were securely closed after service, and give customers access to an online portal where they can manage their account and leave notes for our team about their dogs, yard, or service preferences. We also sanitize our tools and footwear between properties to help protect the health and safety of the pets we serve.

At the end of the day, our business is picking up their business, but what we’re really providing is convenience, peace of mind, and one less thing for our customers to worry about.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as setting small goals, achieving them, and then setting new goals that challenge you to keep growing. Success isn’t one big destination. It’s a series of milestones that push you to learn, improve, and become a better version of yourself along the way.

To me, success is also taking an idea that starts as nothing more than a thought in your mind and turning it into something real through consistent action. There’s something incredibly rewarding about building something from the ground up and watching it grow into something that serves others and has the potential to create a lasting legacy.

I also believe success is being willing to fail. Every entrepreneur experiences setbacks, mistakes, and disappointments. The difference is what happens next. Success isn’t avoiding failure; it’s learning from it, getting back up, and continuing to move forward. In many ways, success is the result of compounded failures, lessons learned, and the determination to keep going when things don’t go as planned.

Pricing:

• We offer weekly, twice-weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly service options.
• We also offer disinfectant and deodorizer treatments to help keep yards clean, safe, and fresh.
• As a special offer for readers, we’ll waive our initial clean fee with recurring service, a $150+ value.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cleanpawsscooping.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanpawsscooping/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/cleanpawsscooping
• Other: Free instant quote: https://cleanpawsscooping.com/sng/clean-paws-scooping-ocpaj-client-onboarding