I've always wanted to work with dogs growing up; was always told to be a vet, but that never appealed to me. Shelters and daycares was where you would find me.
I remember speaking to a dog groomer I worked with and she gave me info for a school. It was super expensive, so I figured I'd just stick to daycares since I didn't have the money to go for a dog grooming certificate.
Fast forward to me finally being able to complete training, it was an amazing feeling of achievement. Working for others was extremely hard, since they didn't understand the legwork it takes to do the job. That fueled my desire to start my own business.
The biggest challenge I faced when I first started was zoning. Zoning nearly killed me. There was a lot of little hoops the city had me jump through. The biggest punch in the gut was the wait time. I would complete a task and call the city to ask what was next and was told to wait, a lot. It was hard and super frustrating, I wanted to give up the entire time.
The biggest challenge I faced when I first started was zoning. Zoning nearly killed me.
There were many challenges in life I had to overcome in my journey to be a business owner with my own place. For example, the first time I moved to Missouri, I moved in with a friend and their child burnt the house down six months after I moved in! I asked a guy I kind of knew if I could keep (what was left of my stuff) at his unfinished duplex. He said he was going on tour with his employer and agreed but also asked if I could watch his new chihuahuas and train them in exchange for a place to sleep. I worked doubles for non-stop for eight months and got myself my own place and my own car. I was able to give my dog the life he wanted, a backyard with a view and lots of time with me.
I moved in with a friend and their child burnt the house down six months after I moved in!
When I moved back to Kansas City after being in another state, I brought my Pittsburgh partner with me after being gone for three years. I wanted to accomplish building a place of work where I felt comfortable being my truest self and not a sanitized version of me. I'm a military brat so moving was not an issue, but it was my partner's first time moving. It was hard to see him struggle with how different things are here while dealing with every possible thing that could go wrong in opening my new store front. Honestly, we're still in the thick of it, pushing through to the light at the end of the tunnel. What motivates me to succeed is being able to provide the stability for my partner that he's provided for me while making a major career shift.
#PhotosByJC (top one) @mias.cuts.n.cuddles
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