18 Years, One Exit, and a New Kind of Pet Platform
Kevin didn’t grow up dreaming of building startups. But looking back, he realizes the signs were there. His mother taught piano lessons out of their home—a creative business in its own right. He now sees that kind of artistic hustle as the foundation for everything that came later.
After college, Kevin jumped between a few jobs—hotels, sales, eventually finance. But none of it clicked.
"I gave being a financier my best efforts, but I always kind of doubted it," he says.
Everything changed in 1995. A friend let him borrow a computer and dial-up modem while subletting his apartment. Kevin stumbled across an online music video, and something clicked. "I couldn’t believe I was watching this video from across the country. I just knew I had to be a part of this."
He had no tech background—but he got to work (we know this story well!).
Building GigMasters Before Marketplaces Were a Thing
Inspired by his musician parents, Kevin launched GigMasters: a scrappy online directory where people could hire bands for events. The name "marketplace" didn’t exist yet—but that’s exactly what they were building.
He and his co-founder Mike built websites for local bands, then grouped them by genre and region. Eventually, Kevin spent a weekend holed up at Kinko's drawing out the logic of a full booking system by hand. It worked.
"I remember our first online booking—a band hired for an event in Arkansas. I was shocked. Someone actually paid through our site."
Within five years, GigMasters was bringing in over $1M annually with zero outside funding. They grew to a 35-person team, scaled to $5M in revenue, and held on for nearly 20 years before finally exiting to XO Group, the parent company of The Knot.
Kevin admits they had no roadmap. They were just figuring it out as they went. "I didn’t know anything about product-market fit or CAC or LTV," he says. "We just made something people needed, and we kept making it better."
The Stay-at-Home Founder
After the acquisition, Kevin didn’t jump right into a new venture. He took a break.
"I became a stay-at-home dad," he says. "It was the best gift of my life."
But after a couple of years, the itch returned (founders tell us this basically every week, so we get it).
His co-founder Mike had started tinkering with a new idea: a platform for modern pet parents. And just like that, the band got back together.
Why Petworks Exists
Today, Petworks is a lean two-person team with a big mission: helping pet parents find care they can’t get anywhere else.
Think beyond grooming and walking. Petworks features:
Certified pet nutritionists
End-of-life support
Animal communicators (yes, pet psychics)
Transportation services
Holistic and alternative medicine
Kevin and Mike are betting that the future of pet care will look more like wellness care—and they’re designing the platform accordingly.
"We want to be where the demand is headed—not where it’s already crowded."
Doing More With Less
Petworks is currently on track for $600K in revenue this year. It’s still just Kevin and Mike, with a few freelancers and advisors. But they’re growing fast.
"AI has helped us a lot," Kevin says. "It lets us respond to customers instantly, keep service quality high, and still stay small."
They tried to raise venture capital back in 2022 but walked away disillusioned.
"They didn’t get it. We’re not a spreadsheet story. We love pets. This isn’t just about scale."
That process taught them something else, too. "We had built GigMasters slowly and profitably. So we decided to bet on ourselves again—and build Petworks the same way."
Riding the Next Wave in Pet Care
The pet industry is booming—projected to hit $300B by 2030. But most of that growth isn’t coming from basic pet sitting. It’s coming from wellness, nutrition, and alternative care.
Petworks is already ahead of the curve.
"We're focused on where the industry is going, not where it’s been. And that’s a huge advantage," Kevin says.
One vertical they’re excited about? Pet transportation. "It’s totally underserved, but it’s such a real need. A lot of pet parents can’t get their animals across state lines for treatment. We’re solving for that."
Another? Grief support.
"End-of-life care for pets is something no one talks about—but people need it. And we’re seeing that demand grow."
Petworks isn't trying to compete with the Rovers and Wag!s of the world. They’re trying to build the next category of care altogether.
The Artist's Advantage
More than anything, Kevin sees his entrepreneurial journey as creative work. Building marketplaces. Designing systems. Telling stories.
"There’s a kind of artistry to this. It’s not unlike writing a song. You start with nothing and then you create something that connects with people."
And even if the road is long, Kevin doesn’t mind. "We’re not chasing unicorn status. We’re building something that matters—and that’s always been the point."
With Petworks, he's not just creating a business. He’s creating the future of pet care.
Founders who aren’t afraid to take the long road are the kind that typically make Thrive’s culture stronger. If that’s you, let us know.
