Meet Pricky Pair Consulting, LLC
When Katie McDaniel and Melissa Checkovage walk into a room, their energy, charisma, and enthusiasm is undoubtedly the first thing you notice about this dynamic duo. However, it doesn’t take long to also realize that along with their vibrant personalities comes a great deal of knowledge and expertise. Having worked in tax appraisal district offices for a combined total of over 20 years, these two have seen it all, and they are determined to change the way people in the Texas Hill Country experience property tax assistance. In early 2024, Katie and Melissa came together to co-found Prickly Pair Consulting, LLC; their goal being simple; to offer honest assistance with property taxation, with a focus on education and helping clients navigate what they feel is often an intentionally confusing and misleading system.
THE JOURNEY TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Melissa’s work experience began by serving in the US army, an experience which she says shaped much of who she is today. After leaving the service in 2012, she found herself unemployed and needing income to support her husband who was struggling with health issues. Her daughter came across a newspaper advertisement, which is where Melissa first learned the Bandera Appraisal District was hiring. With the encouragement of her daughter, Melissa applied, and got the job. She spent the next 12 years working in two different appraisal district offices, gaining experience that would prove invaluable to eventually starting her own business.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though; in fact it was the struggles, challenges, and often even misconduct that eventually fueled her desire to leave and create a better alternative for people. Melissa remembers one of the toughest lessons she learned as a district employee, “I blew the whistle on corruption. But justice was never served. I had no choice but to leave. And to this day, justice still hasn’t been served.”
Katie’s first professional experience was working with a car dealership. Given her natural ability to connect with people, it is not surprising that she found herself in the service industry more than once throughout her professional past. When Katie eventually transitioned to the Kendall County Appraisal District she had no real experience in property taxation, but an undeniable hunger to learn. She remembers gaining so much knowledge in those first few years. “It was all on the job training. They poured into me. I had a great team and the city really invested in my education. Licensing alone would have cost $20,000. But the appraisal district took care of that too.” The turning point for Katie was around the time of a leadership change, where she remembers things starting to fall apart. There was a culture shift and employees lost interest and motivation due to a lack of structure, direction, and poor treatment. When Katie finally left her position, similar to Melissa, she was eager to embrace change and a different way of doing things; she wanted to find a better way to serve the community and a better environment to work in.
The idea behind Prickly Pair Consulting had been years in the making. It was something Katie and Melissa had talked about endlessly during breaks at work, over lunches, and even late into the evening during their time off. When Katie lost her job in early 2024, that was the catalyst that turned what was once just a dream into a reality. They both agree though, it was all passion that fueled their desire to go into business together. “Sure, we were friends. But we were also both incredibly passionate about it because the way things are done right now, is NOT right. They don’t want you to understand the system, because if you did, you might be able to do something about it.” Katie and Melissa agree that one of the greatest benefits of going into business on their own is that it will allow them to be advocates for property owners, as opposed to defending the appraisal district at all costs.
PRICKY PAIR CONSULTING, LLC
The mission of Prickly Pair Consulting is to advocate for taxpayers and provide education to all property owners in the Texas Hill Country. Prickly Pair was founded on the core principles of honesty, education, and of course, fun. These feisty founders proclaim themselves as “true advocates for the underdog.” It is all about the “missed opportunities” according to Katie and Melissa. “People don’t have their homestead, or they don’t know they can get exemptions for being over 65. People don’t know you have to apply for these things, and they also don’t know what it will take to actually lower what they pay in taxes. It is all very confusing if you don’t have someone with the right experience and the right intentions in your corner.” Simply put, Katie and Melissa felt they could do much more good from outside the system than they could from within.
When asked what services they are currently providing Katie and Melissa outline their offerings from breaking down appraisal district records, making recommendations for adjustments and/or potential benefits, providing education on appraisal district procedures and property tax laws, and offering agriculture and wildlife review and consultation, including consultation with developing Agrihoods. As they got into the specifics around each service, it became very apparent why expert consultation is both important and necessary. “The general public does not know this stuff, and unfortunately there are too many people that want to keep it that way.”
FINDING SUPPORT LOCALLY
When asked what challenges they faced when first setting out on their own, the answer was a resounding “fear.” Starting your own business is a huge risk for any founder; you forego benefits, pay, retirement, and stability. All things that many find not only important, but essential. Katie and Melissa explained for them, it was a “fear of the unknown.” Fear of not only how they would pay their bills and make ends meet, but also fear of not knowing how to start a business. “You’ve got a great idea. You know it can work. You know people are passionate about it and you know it is needed. You are the expert in your business- but you don’t know how to form a business. And that is scary.”
Luckily for Katie and Melissa, they were able to find support locally, from Das Greenhaus, a business incubator that Melissa just happened to hear an ad for on the local radio. Katie and Melissa explained how they had wasted countless hours searching Youtube, trying to understand the SBA, veterans programs, and going down all sorts of “rabbit holes.” Das Greenhaus serves any founder within Kendall County and the surrounding communities looking to start or grow a business. Das Greenhaus provides an entrepreneurial curriculum, tools and resources, education, networking, and most importantly for Katie and Melissa, mentorship.
“We signed up, joined the Idea to Market program and haven’t looked back!” says Melissa of their membership. “It has been so good for us. We found value in being pushed, honing in on what we do, rewording things, understanding how all the components interlock, writing our business plan…”. Melissa explains how she felt a little resistance at the start, “it was hard work so I resisted” but in the end, the only thing I would have done differently is connected with Das Greenhaus sooner!” She explains had they only had a little direction, she knows they could already be much further along.
LOOKING AHEAD
While Prickly Pair Consulting has only been in existence for a few months, the duo is already off to a great start. They are currently working with several new clients and are serving individuals within multiple different appraisal systems. They have a functional website and are even pursuing several pro bono clients. They look forward to expanding their reach and helping more property owners, developers, or anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of the local property tax system. While they miss the former coworkers they left behind (and the paychecks), they say their ultimate goal is to grow Prickly Pair enough that they can build a team around them and serve an even larger audience. We look forward to seeing where the future takes these two, and are honored to be along for the ride.
Article written by, Samantha Morganroth, Das Greenhaus Program Coordinator
