By day, Ran Mano runs Nuance Agency, a boutique marketing firm specializing in web, SEO, video and social media. But outside the office, he’s known to many Clayton dog owners as the face behind Clayton Dog Sitters, a passion project that grew from watching a friend’s dog. Mano says his approach is simple: treat every dog like it’s his own.
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Organization: Clayton Dog Sitters / Nuance Agency
Title: Owner
Age: 51
Education: Undergrad from WashU. MBA from SLU.
Interests / Hobbies: Live music, comedy, theatre, vintage cars, traveling.
What motivated you to get involved in this work/community/activity? My day job is running Nuance Agency, a boutique marketing shop focused on web, SEO, video, and social media. The pet sitting is something else entirely: it’s for love, not profit. It started when I kept watching a friend’s dog and realized how much I looked forward to it. One dog turned into another. All friends. I love all dogs, and, lucky for me, all dogs seem to love me. I do this sparingly.
What values or principles guide how you show up in this role/community? Treat every dog like my own. That means keeping their routine intact, being genuinely reliable, and bringing a calm, steady presence so they feel safe. Dogs can tell when someone actually wants to be there, and I always do. Lots of snuggles and walks down Wydown.
What’s the most enjoyable aspect? Duh! The dogs, of course!
Can you briefly share a few standout memories? Too many to count.
Can you share an insight about this role that most people don’t know? Good pet sitting is less about the dog and more about reading their energy and desires. If you’re calm and confident, the dog settles down. Most of the “difficult” dogs I meet just needed someone unhurried who wasn’t trying to force anything. Sometimes you just need to let them be instead of forcing the situation.
What’s one key piece of advice you’ve embraced? Follow the energy. Whether I’m sitting a dog or building a client’s website, it’s the same principle: read what’s actually in front of you, match it, and everything falls into place. Force it and you get resistance. Follow it and it works.
What’s the greatest challenge? Honestly, the goodbyes. You bond with these dogs fast, and handing them back at the end is sometimes hard. There are definitely a few that I wanted to keep.
Where do you find inspiration? The same places I find energy: live music at The Pageant, a sharp comedy set at Helium, traveling to a new national park. And, of course, the dogs. A great show and a great dog have the same thing going for them, and that’s the energy that pulls you to be fully present in the moment.
What are your future plans or ambitions? The pet sitting I want to keep exactly as it is: small, personal, and for the love of cute pooches. My real ambitions are with Nuance Agency. I’m focused on growing it into the go-to boutique marketing partner for St. Louis businesses that want impactful work on web, SEO, video, and social, without the bloat of a big agency. The goal is to grow the reach and the client roster while keeping the hands-on, personal quality that has driven growth so far.
