I have learnt many things along my journey to this point, and I continue to learn all the time – not just new methods or other useful things that affect how we look after pets but life lessons. The things you cannot learn from a book or a course, but through life’s experiences and challenges (and a little bit of trial and error!) Here are my top five moments that have shaped my journey to where I am today.
1. Leaving my secure employment for the great unknown – making this decision was the single most difficult one I have had to make to date. I tried to juggle my employment with my new business for a while but that was never going to work, leaving meant I had nothing holding me back but a greater need to MAKE it work and prove to myself as well as others that I could. It was so scary, but I am so glad that I took the leap of faith and all the relentless working paid off. I have to mention that I would never have made this decision, or got back up after so many hurdles, without the support from my other half – he is my biggest cheerleader and always finds the positive to motivate and remind me why I do what I do.
2. Saying farewell to my first client – It is no exaggeration when I say that I was an emotional wreak when one of my first ever regular customers told me that they were relocating up North. Of course I was happy for them but it hit me hard, almost like grief. It was here that I realised that I really loved my job, and all the hard work was so worth it…it resonated with me that the pets we care for are more than just simply numbers or an income, they are an extension to our family and I hope that all of our clients past and present know this.
2. Completing my degree – This was important for two reasons, firstly whilst job hunting I found that I was either under-experienced for the jobs I aspired to do or over-qualified for so many of the available industry-related jobs. This was so frustrating and worrying for me but it is where I began to consider starting my own business! Secondly, it gave me the confidence and self-validation in an ever-growing and competitive industry to just go for it.
3. Finding the ‘right’ team members – When you start something from nothing, have fought so hard and put your all into it, it is then so difficult to trust someone to do the job to your standards and represent you. I am so fortunate to have found two people who love this work as much as I do and have the same ethos of going above and beyond for the benefit of our furry friends; I am so grateful for them everyday.
5. Letting a client go – We work with so many different types of people and pets and it is only natural that at some point or another you will find yourselves in a position where you know you’re no longer/or not the right fit for that person. This has only happened once, and it was certainly a tough a decision but I knew deep down it was the right one. This was a big lesson and one that I have definitely learnt and grown from.