This weeks Meet a Mom interview is with Kris Russell, mama of three and owner of Green Pest Guys! She and her husband, Dalin, work hard every day to keep our local families bug-free with their family friendly pest control service. We asked Kris to share a bit about herself, her business and how she does it all while navigating motherhood! We definitely agree with her least favorite mom job, and think you will too!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in the Katy/Houston area?
I’m originally from New Jersey, but we moved to Texas when I was 11. I grew up in the Spring
area, where my family started Green Pest Guys. When my husband and I decided it was time to
start our own branch of the family business we decided to move to Richmond and that was 4.5
years ago
How many kiddos do you have and how old are they?
We have 3 kiddos. Cesillie Dee who is 6, John Otto (we call him Otto) who just turned 5 and
Myla who is 2.
Least favorite mom job?
My least favorite mom job would be laundry for sure! I’m at that fun stage in life where my
daughter changes 10x a day, my son gets stuff all over him constantly and Myla is into
everything, especially my make-up if I don’t lock my bedroom door meaning it’s all over her
clothes and thus creates a lot of laundry throughout the day. It’s the one of the few things that I
can never truly complete and check off the list; which is hard for someone who loves the feeling
of completing a project and moving on. I can never move on because not a day even goes by
without a new pile so quickly piling up starting the process over!
Best mom hack that makes life easier?
Just let the littles eat in a diaper so you’re not constantly changing at every meal!
What are your favorite local things to do in Katy or in Houston? (with kiddos or just for mom!)
Katy has so many wonderful Ma & Pa food places that we LOVE jumping around to different
ones….sometimes 3 in one night for dinner! A common food hop includes going to The Original
Marini’s Empanada House for our main course, then driving over to CW Asian Dishes for a side
and boba drinks and then popping in next door to Crumble for dessert! It makes for a fun night!
We’re big on self-care for moms, as hard as it is to find the time, what’s something you do just
or yourself?
I Love to read but have found that I don’t have a lot of time to sit and read a physical book so I’ve
started listening to audiobooks I’ve found on Libby and Audible. It’s been so fun to listen while
doing the everyday chores and I’m amazed at how fast I can finish a book just listening during
those times. I recently finished the book One to Watch which was basically the Bachelorette in
book form. It was never something I would have normally picked up, but I was so pleasantly
surprised by how much I enjoyed reading it and all the fun connections it made to the actual
show…which is also what I do for me! Watch the bachelor/bachelorette with girlfriends or while
I’m taking a bath.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I sing! Growing up I trained in classical and broadway speech and singing is a huge passion of
mine. I have a very “full” voice and sing 1st soprano (meaning I can sing very high) and most
people come to me, after hearing me sing, saying they can’t believe that sound just came out
of such a small (5ft) person. I love classical opera and am working towards expanding my
talents.
Let’s talk about Green Pest Guys!! When did you open the business?
My family started Green Pest Guys when I was around 15. Growing up in a business minded
family I knew that I wanted to own my own business one day. At the time I wasn’t sure that
would mean owning a branch of the family business or something else. During college my
husband Dalin and I met and we talked about the possibilities but knew it would have to be on
God’s timing. Two years after Dalin and I married our precious Cesillie Dee came into our lives
and I knew I wanted more time to adjust to motherhood and all the joys and hardships it brings
before we jumped into ownership. Three months after Otto came into our lives God made it very
clear we were to start up Green Pest Guys South Houston and we were ready.
What was the inspiration behind opening a green pest control service?
It’s been apart of my family for so long and now being a mother it means so much more to me
being able to provide a better alternative and service to customers then what so many of these
big chain companies offer.
What did you do prior to Green Pest Guys?
Because my father and uncle started Green Pest Guys when I was a kid, I was blessed to grow
up working in many capacities in the business. Although I knew I had a place in the family
business as an owner if I wanted it, going to college was important to me and I took the
opportunity to get my bachelors degree. During my college years I continued to work with my
uncles at the different family locations building them up until I got into my Bachelors program
and then took some time off to focus on my studies.
What sets Green Pest Guys apart from other pest control service companies?
The first, and most important I believe, thing that makes Green Pest Guys unique is the fact that
because we are a smaller, family run business we really strive to create a relationship with our customers, be transparent, and have them always know that we care.
Second, because we are an Eco-friendly pest service we believe being green is more than just a product use, it’s the philosophy of being aware of where and how we are treating your property. There are many
things homeowners can do around the house to naturally help protect their family and we try to
go above and beyond to help advise you on those things.
What does it mean to be “green” and “eco-friendly”?
To me it’s a mindset of seeking to do better and be smarter in our choices. With pest control,
with our Eco-friendly pest service we believe being “green” is more than just a product use it’s
the philosophy of being aware of where and how we are treating your property with the
knowledge of the bugs eco-systems and best ways to combat them inside and around the
home. Beyond using the best products, There are also many things homeowners can do around
the house to naturally help protect their family and we try to go above and beyond to help advise
you on those things.
When parenting gets hard, what’s something you tell yourself that gets you through?
I have this little poster card I randomly got once in like a cereal package or something that
really stood out to me… it reads: The Days are long, but the Years are short.