Although we have no pictures to show for it, Lyselle remembers having a passion for dogs as a baby in pampers!
When I first met Lyselle, she was jobless and in need of some direction. Her mom had cut out one of my Business Newsday columns and given it to her. Lyselle gave me a call and we agreed to meet at Movie Towne.
Sitting on a bench, she described for me her situation. She didn’t know what she should do. With a failed marriage and a daughter to take care of she was in that “close to desperate place.”
I gave her all I could give her on that day: hope and encouragement to follow her love for dogs and dog grooming. I asked her to not focus on her current situation but on “what could be.” I told her that I would provide her with support and that I believed in her.
Fast forward 8 years later to the Dog Groomer who sometimes has to say “no” to work because she’s totally booked!
While her failed marriage was devastating, she is certain that she has become more resilient as a result. In fact she would prefer to climb Mt Everest naked versus going back to work for anyone ever again!
This doesn’t mean that there are no down days. On those days that she feels overwhelmed she cries and reminds herself that “times will be better…just trust and believe.” Of course the occasional Creme Caramel doesn’t hurt and does an excellent job to lift her out of her temporary doldrums!
To those wanting to follow in her footsteps and for anyone interested in venturing out on their own, Lyselle suggests – always be learning – be humble and be focused and regardless of what you choose to do, be proud of your work. She has encountered the occasional person who looks down on her profession but that doesn’t phase her in the least. She knows what she’s about with a Degree and a Diploma in Dog Grooming and her penchant for kissing and talking to dogs as she grooms them!
As a recovering people-pleaser Lyselle has learned to be assertive and speak up when clients try to beat her down on her fees or give her advice that’s well meaning but erroneous. “Use a plastic comb versus a metal comb or you will hurt the dog”…”bathe my dog in blue soap to get rid of fleas”…”don’t cut my dog’s nails”. She is by no means offended in fact she’s been considering developing a workshop to provide dog owners with simple tips to successfully groom their dogs and squelch the myths.
When Lyselle and I met in the West Mall atrium she was smack bang in the middle of developing her own line of dog food. This idea came about initially as “an observation of growing flesh on all of my dogs”. Suspecting it had to be caused by food, further research revealed questionable practices in large commercial food companies. [Lyselle urges all dog lovers to look at Pet Fooled on Netflix.] With a growing demand for transparency and simplicity in dog food she decided to explore creating her own signature line.
Additionally she anticipated growing challenges with Forex, and a subsequent interest in ” going local” as a result.
The time had also come for her to look at other income streams that didn’t need her that is generating passive income. She sees her own line giving her the peace of mind where she can sleep, relax, go on vacation and finally retire and still earn income.
The Pawfect Chien Pawtisserie offers cooked food all with natural ingredients and no added preservatives. Cariri tested you must refrigerate and you can definitely freeze for future use. It’s an on the go meal that can be fed as is or mixed with chow.
Back when I first met Lyselle, she reminded me that I had recommended a book by Tom Rath – Strengths Finder 2.0. After taking the assessment, she discovered that she was at her best working on projects that had a definite start and finish which makes dog grooming in perfect alignment with who she is.
I asked Lyselle – if she could have a billboard with any message what would it say:
FIND YOUR PASSION, BUILD YOUR BIZ!
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