08/11/2026
These past few days have been incredibly hard for so many people, myself included.
On Friday morning, I found out that a good friend of mine, former teammate, and business mentor, Austin Baker, had been involved in a serious motorcycle accident. When I first heard, I was in shock and didn’t fully realize the severity of the situation. I was able to go down to Saginaw on Sunday and see Austin before he passed, and I’m very grateful that I had that opportunity.
The reason I’m writing this post is, first and foremost, to honor Austin, but also to give him the credit he deserves for the success I’ve had with both Tawas Pooper Scoopers and Iosco Home Services.
Business has always been one of my biggest passions, and I think it’s safe to say the same was true for Austin. When I was first starting my business, I had no idea what I was doing or where to begin. Austin was there throughout the process, answering my questions, giving me advice, and most importantly, pushing me to take the risk and get started.
Austin did incredible work and built a great name for himself and his business. Whenever things were slow and I questioned why I wasn’t getting new customers or whether what I was doing would actually work, Austin reminded me not to quit. He told me that real success takes years of grinding and sticking with it.
That advice is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I plan to keep working, keep building, and hopefully make Austin proud along the way. Whatever success I have with these businesses, Austin will always deserve some of the credit for helping me get started and believing in me.
Austin was an incredible friend, teammate, mentor, and person. I’m extremely grateful for the impact he had on my life, and my deepest thoughts and prayers are with his family, close friends, and everyone who loved him.
Rest easy, Austin. ❤️
