Are you curious about the ins and outs of running a successful grooming business? Eddie Quinonez, CEO of Paws at Main, joins us for a thought-provoking dialogue. He unveils the story behind launching his exquisite salon 'Paws at Main' with his wife, and how his leadership style has transformed an industry that was lacking in business acumen. We discuss the unique challenges Eddie faced during the pandemic, the importance of social media for business growth, and the key role of leadership in overcoming obstacles.
In our second segment, we delve deeper into the secret recipe of business expansion. Eddie shares how he turned his single salon into a flourishing enterprise with multiple mobile units. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right team and creating an environment that promotes growth and independence. Eddie's distinct approach toward team building, management, and delegation provides valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders.
The final segment of our conversation revolves around the intricate dynamics of leadership, particularly the challenge of letting go of control and delegating tasks. Eddie discusses how he fosters a culture where employees are not only encouraged to make mistakes but also learn from them. He shares the innovative ways he identifies potential within his team, shapes them into leaders, and empowers them to take risks. This episode is a testament to Eddie's firm belief that the key to a successful business lies in the empowerment of its workforce. Tune in for an enlightening discussion filled with lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and business expansion.
Collections – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com)
Discount Code: HandlingIt
Dog Supplements | PawMega | We Make Dog Food Better – PawMega - Make Dog Food Better
Dog Grooming Solutions – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com) Discount Code: HandlingIt
Are you curious about the ins and outs of running a successful grooming business? Eddie Quinonez, CEO of Paws at Main, joins us for a thought-provoking dialogue. He unveils the story behind launching his exquisite salon 'Paws at Main' with his wife, and how his leadership style has transformed an industry that was lacking in business acumen. We discuss the unique challenges Eddie faced during the pandemic, the importance of social media for business growth, and the key role of leadership in overcoming obstacles.
In our second segment, we delve deeper into the secret recipe of business expansion. Eddie shares how he turned his single salon into a flourishing enterprise with multiple mobile units. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right team and creating an environment that promotes growth and independence. Eddie's distinct approach toward team building, management, and delegation provides valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders.
The final segment of our conversation revolves around the intricate dynamics of leadership, particularly the challenge of letting go of control and delegating tasks. Eddie discusses how he fosters a culture where employees are not only encouraged to make mistakes but also learn from them. He shares the innovative ways he identifies potential within his team, shapes them into leaders, and empowers them to take risks. This episode is a testament to Eddie's firm belief that the key to a successful business lies in the empowerment of its workforce. Tune in for an enlightening discussion filled with lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and business expansion.
Collections – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com)
Discount Code: HandlingIt
Dog Supplements | PawMega | We Make Dog Food Better – PawMega - Make Dog Food Better
Dog Grooming Solutions – Botaniqa Global, Inc. (botaniqa-usa.com) Discount Code: HandlingIt
Hey guys, welcome back to Handling it. Today we have Eddie Quinones, also known as the CEO Grooms Hi how are you?
Speaker 2:I'm doing good. Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 1:Of course we're so excited. We've had a lot of competitive groomers on here, but we haven't really had the chance to sit down and chat with somebody who knows business, I think as well as you do. So I'm excited to learn more about that, because I am not a business savvy person at all. I think Sierra is a little bit more.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was doing the show notes to prep for this and I always feel like I don't know I was super excited about. I'm always excited about like episodes we record with, but I've been like I love business stuff. If I could choose my conferences to go to, I think I'd rather go to like a business leadership conference right now. It's just something like I'm super passionate about, like it's on my heart. So I don't know I'm super excited about today, Even in the expos.
Speaker 2:it would be nice to have more business leadership topics on there.
Speaker 3:That's how I saw one of your recent posts you posted was like you saw that there was a window of there was not a lot of business leadership in our industry. And that's when I like stopped and I'm like, all right, re-scroll what did he say. And I'm like, yeah, he's completely right, there isn't an Eddie here. So I love that and you know, and I love that you just umbrellaed this. So can you tell us a little bit about how you came apart? Well, really, I think for our listeners, even for me, I don't know a ton about you, eddie, but could you?
Speaker 3:like start from the beginning, almost a little bit like a good, like five, seven minutes of how you got here, and then we'll touch on those subjects a little bit.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah. So I think you know, growing up I've always been like more entrepreneurial spirit. I remember, even being younger, when it wasn't a cool word because I know there was a time where it wasn't a cool word, not as much as it is now. Before, I don't know, I think I was. I was like in like elementary or junior house. I'm going to be an entrepreneur, but again, before it wasn't as cool as it is now.
Speaker 2:So I've always been working, kind of doing my own things. I always thought everybody, I started working with my uncles when I was like 14, 15, doing electrical work. Then by the time I was like 16, 17, I was kind of branching out on my own, like lying to people, and like, hey, I'm 18 years old, you know, and I'll put some lights up for you. You know, some people knew, some people didn't really care. So I kind of always been doing things on my own and we me and my wife have three kids and we had them young.
Speaker 2:So I was, you know, working for the majority of the beginning of our relationship. And then she was like, all right, I'm ready to jump out and do something. So she ended up on grooming, she went to school and then, you know, I noticed that she was really good at it. She just she came home, her checks were getting bigger and bigger. I was like, oh wait, like you're making this in the commission, so that means that your boss is making the other half. So I found a location, you know we I was like, all right, I think you're ready. I think she had already been doing it for like a year, year and a half. I was like, okay, you know I was in between businesses so I was like, all right, I'm going to use my last you know amount of money that I have and let's just open up the shop. That's kind of where it started, just, you know, with her, me having the business side and her knowing the grooming side.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. So you do groom some though, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So after so things like, I feel like I was watching them everybody for like a good like two, three years and then, once COVID happened, I realized that I mean I couldn't push everybody to, you know, stay open during COVID, because we didn't know like we didn't know.
Speaker 3:I was like all right, guys.
Speaker 2:I think it's been like about a month. We don't, I don't know, Nobody knows what do we do and everybody's like, okay, we voted, we just took a vote. I was like, all right, we'll close down. But like about a month later I was getting pre-80 board. So luckily we had the van still and I just started as a guy. Well, it's hard because we don't know what's going to happen. So if my business needs to stay afloat, I'm going to start grooming. Yeah, so I started grooming during COVID and then I just made a video where I said like I really didn't know what I was doing. I kind of knew and it's a more complaint, they can go ahead and complain to me and you know what could I do?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it's kind of picked it up. That's great, that's impressive, and I love that you supported your wife and that's how you guys built everything you have, and your salon is called Paws at Maine, correct, correct.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:Yours and your wife's. And you're not just one salon. I saw it's multiple luxury salons and you said it will be in it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so now we have. We have two salons, right?
Speaker 1:now and then we have two mobile vans. Nice, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Where are you guys?
Speaker 1:located.
Speaker 2:We're here in Southern California. It's a Riverside area close to like Orange County, San Diego, in between there.
Speaker 1:Nice, that's amazing.
Speaker 3:That's exciting. So one of your recent posts was about I think it was just yesterday or the day before, but someone commented that they didn't feel like they were making enough money, and your comment back was that they were not making enough money for their lifestyle and that they wanted. When you started making posts like that, just kind of calling it out and saying just facts, I noticed you. No offense, but you grew super fast, like for someone that, like your social media, is not even a year old, is it?
Speaker 2:No, I started in December, like the end of the month, because I told all my group I was the whole last year. I think I was really pushing my rumors to create content because I've always had my camera guy. He's always been here.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:So if we mainly stuck to creating content for the shop. So I'm going to say I'm kind of new to like, say, the grooming scene, but we've been open for about five years and the last four and a half years I was making content, but only specific for the shop and for the shop brand. But when I was pushing my groomers to create their own brand, even my wife to have their own grooming pages, that's when I was like, okay, I'm telling you guys to do it, so I'm going to do it too.
Speaker 1:You need it yeah.
Speaker 2:It's amazing. Yeah, and your personal brand.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I was going to say, my favorite thing about your content is like the quality of it, like it's unmatched, like these reels are just like as groomers like struggling with like a dirty lens to like record grooming, and you have like 4k, like H2 videos. It's amazing, can you tell?
Speaker 1:us like a lot of people wouldn't be willing to invest in their groomers in that way, to bring on somebody to make high quality content like that. How did you get to that point where you knew that was something that could help like everyone grow have?
Speaker 2:a nice time. I feel like it was something that like grew our business from day one. So from day one I kind of do like my research, you know, when we open the shop, it kind of goes back to me. Same thing, kind of being like a young entrepreneur and all the people that I listen to, because, same thing, I feel like I've listened to the podcast. You know, I would read the books, the audio books. You know, did all my homework, you know, on that end and it seemed like everybody was on social media except groomers. So I felt, like one of the things that I kind of noticed, that I think sometimes it feels like it's difficult for people to start a business because they feel like everybody's been there, like okay, there's a groomer here, there's a groomer there, they've been here for 20 years. What?
Speaker 3:are we going to?
Speaker 2:do different. So I feel for me was part was social media and putting ourselves out there so much that it would separate us from a competition which it did.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure, and you did. You have a. You mentioned a cameraman, like already there. So and that's his job is to record.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So it's funny because he had when we first started he had he sent me a DM is okay, I do camera work, kind of like. Brush them off, because I was already doing it. I was still recording videos. I was doing them myself, like if you go back through the pause at main page, you'll see some like cheesy videos, that same thing. He just kind of directed ourselves. I used to hold the clipboard and had my wife record. I was like all right, this is the idea we have recorded. And then he finally came into the shop. He brought his dog in and he's like hey, I was the one who DMed you about videos. So I was like all right, you supported me, like let me give you a try. And we just pretty much started from there. He also gave him a shot and he's kind of been with us since.
Speaker 3:That's amazing, yeah, that is out of all the people we've had on our podcast, like I will tell you one. Eddie, nobody has that. So, like you do, you found your own tunnel, your own path. You're like making your original Oregon Trail over here we're all like what is this guy?
Speaker 2:doing.
Speaker 3:We have to have him on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even even now. I think it was this year when I decided to do like my own, like personal content. Same thing At first I was just doing it by myself, I was just. If you go back, same thing. You'll see a lot of videos of me in my truck because I didn't have nowhere to quiet to record, because I couldn't do it at the shop because everybody was there. And same thing. I'm still kind of embarrassed. So I'm going to.
Speaker 2:I was recording on my kids soccer games, most of my videos in my truck or in my car. It sounds bad, but I was on my Tesla, just you know, putting it on pilot and recording videos. And then I finally told my camera guy I was like all right, let's just go ahead and put you on a retainer and I just want you to hear pretty much full time. So it's been a couple of months like this, now that we've just been busting videos out of. He comes like once, once or twice a week and we just record. Even when I don't feel like it, he's like hey, it's your day to record. Like I'll come in slug-ish. I'm like all right, let me drink a red bull, let me think of some topics, because I have no idea what to talk about. And then sometimes, and then we'll just we'll bust them out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Man, you're raking a full time gig out of this and I love it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Can we talk about like how your business grew? Because I did own a salon at one point, and to grow a salon to the point where you can open a second location and then have mobile units is just something that, like my brain, cannot comprehend. How you even got there. So can you tell us a little bit about like how your business grew and how you got it to be where it is today?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so even I'm stuck. In the beginning I was still fortunate enough where I still had some of that business, where I was still having electrical work, I still had some of my construction work, while I was able to help me fund my grooming salon Realistically. Then the grooming salon started taking off and on its own. But since I still had my extra income I was able to really just keep investing my money from the salon. So I just kind of kept putting it back, putting it back, and then I feel like one big. You know, chico, that I have is like using square, because square gives you loans. Depending on how much money you're processing, they give you loans and I was able to pretty much buy out my second van just from those square loans because they saw so much money come in and they're like, all right, we'll give you this much. And I was like, all right, I'm taking it and I'll buy you another van.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's just a continuum building. And then one thing that I would like to do is like if someone asked me for work, I'll always like interview them. You know, I'll see what they're about. And I try to have, you know, at least the groomers or like a network of rumors that I know kind of want to work for me. So I'll try to bring in as much work as possible and then kind of expand as I go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you guys started with mobile.
Speaker 2:No, we started with the salon.
Speaker 1:You started with the salon and then you got your first mobile unit.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And then, after you did that, then you got your second salon location.
Speaker 2:Yes. And then I tell everybody I feel like the secret is to opening up your second salon is having your first salon being able to work without you. So we got to the point where we had a manager, we had enough rumors, there wasn't nothing for us to do. We couldn't work because we would take away the work from our groomers.
Speaker 2:So that's the point where I was like all right, I actually came home one day. I was okay, I found a spot, I found a lease, you know. So we're opening up another shop. And my wife, of course she was like what did you do? We're like we don't have anybody for us. Okay, fine, we'll work for it. We'll work at it until we build it up like the first one.
Speaker 3:You do it again.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And they always say there's a difference between being a company owner and a self-employed person and in what you just said, like if you're self-employed, it means you're working for yourself, Like you have to be there. You know, you guys are company owners, ceos of your own business, because you don't have to be there. It's still operating and it's still going without you being present. So that's super cool.
Speaker 1:Do you have any advice for somebody who wants to like get to that point Because I feel like most people struggle to get to that point where they have a team that is like self-functioning, that is, they're maintaining themselves. Do you have any advice? Is it like just hiring good people? Is it like what advice would you give somebody?
Speaker 2:Yes, I feel like it's hiring good people and it's also sometimes not being scared that things aren't going to go like the right way. I feel like that's what stops everybody. You're like, okay, if I hire someone, they're going to do it wrong. And this is kind of something where me and my wife we're always struggling with like all right, what if they mess up? Because we'd go on vacation. Like what if they mess up? I was like, well, as long as they don't burn it down, like we're okay.
Speaker 2:But I thought that's what stops everybody not being okay with it not going how you want it. You know I might do something some way, but then I, you know, delegate that process to someone else and they're going to mess up and you're going to have to be okay with that, because I feel like that's what stops everybody. You groom, you might groom one way, and then you get scared because your groomers are not going to do the same. But you just have to let them mess up. You have to be okay with that, and then you kind of teach them as you go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel like messing up. That's the best way for someone to learn. I know, that's how I learned is I make that one mistake and I'm like, well, learn from that. I'll never do that one again. Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's just yeah, just not being scared, and then you have to kind of reinvest back into it. There is a time where you're going to probably struggle and put your money back into the business, hire someone else, which means you're going to make less, you know, for a certain for a period of time, while your business grows, and then you kind of bounce back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's. I think it's hard to when you hire someone to kind of take control, to kind of, you know, let them take the reins, Like I can't. I can't imagine what that must be like. They're like your whole operation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think honestly, I think that's the hardest part. I feel like that's what stops the most people not being comfortable with it not going how they want it. I mean, I feel like we have pretty good control. We kind of set up everything how we like it and how we do it, and we just kind of let them run with it. And then occasionally we do have to come in still and be like okay, you guys are doing everything wrong, let's like refresh and let's start over again. This happened a few times and then we just kind of, you know, get past it and keep going and they get better at their responsibilities, you know, as they go.
Speaker 3:Do you have, like you said you have like a store manager at the other site as?
Speaker 2:well.
Speaker 3:So, okay, do you had do anything like leadership, like workshops, for them? I know Rachel Colant was on a recent podcast and she runs Jess Rona Salon. She's her salon manager. I just I'm just tying in all the episodes here. But do you do anything like that? Because I'm just listening from her and her passion to run that salon, as you know, with her, with her personal brand as well, but for her bosses, is that like something you guys also do for your staff and whatnot, just to keep that coming in and everyone's happy and everything like that.
Speaker 2:I think we might do it unintentionally, just by, let's say, being the people that we are.
Speaker 2:So I am a certain way and my employees know that I'm that way. And let's say, for my manager is like, let's say, corey her name is Corey, who does the Corona Salon. You know we joke, she's like, you know, the mini Eddie. When she, when she started becoming the manager, I mean I like to work 24 seven. So little by little she kind of adopted that, that, that mentality. So she has a work phone everywhere she goes. She can show your detection me this morning. You know, hey, what are we gonna do this? What about that? So she kind of just, you know, I feel like it depends on the leadership they're gonna just, you know, like kids, they're gonna learn from you. So my managers learn things from me and then they also learn things from my wife, because you know, we both have a little bit of different style, but I feel like they just ended up, they just ended up picking it up from us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was going to say that when Gavin was asking about like it's just scary to let the reins go, and I'm also a parent of two. But I feel like I'm that parent, I'm I'm the risk taker, I'm like, well, it feels good to be scared, let's go, let's jump off the cliff. But I'm also the parent where I'm not, at the park, like hovering my children, they you know it's good to be scared like carefully.
Speaker 3:And so like I feel like that's kind of how I run my stuff to the older. Now they're in soccer and they're doing things and it's easier. And now you're like, okay, I don't have to. Like you're still the parent of your business and you're still guiding and loving and nurturing, but you, they don't need every waking bit of you. And now you're growing and you're doing the things. So and then I push them, so I feel like I do better that way than my. We're in a small town so I can't do everything.
Speaker 3:But I feel like it's that parenting skill of like well, I trust you and you're going to have to learn carefully and you're going to do great If you just kind of trust in them. So I think that's cool.
Speaker 2:And even then it's just, it's anything for us Like. Anytime something happens that goes wrong, we just let them know like hey, like we're not. We're not mad or upset when things go wrong. We just kind of come in and correct things or show them a better way to do something, but it's never like, oh, we're upset, you messed up. That's one of the parts that you have to accept. You can't get mad when they mess up, or you can't get mad when they don't do it just like you, because you know it's not. It's not you, it's them and you're just trying to mold them how you want. But you know it takes time.
Speaker 2:Yeah what are?
Speaker 1:those first. I'm curious what? What are those first couple of like weeks look like for somebody new that you hire on as a manager? Like, what kind of responsibilities do you like slowly give them until you kind of build to the point where you know they can kind of control everything?
Speaker 2:So I feel like we ended up. We ended up building like a different structure and I feel like the structure works just as in. So we have a store manager who helps control like the scheduling they control dealing with clients, booking appointments, answering the phone calls, things like that and then we also created another position, which would be the, the head groomer, who the other groomers answer to in the bidder.
Speaker 2:So that's so. I felt like we tried to put the responsibility on one person. Let's say, managing the groomer is managing the front, and it was too much. Just like me and my wife, like I'm the business person and she's a groomer, so I'll handle some of the business you know topics and she will handle some of the grooming stuff. So I felt like that was the best way to slip, split up the responsibilities. In our shop Our shop manager handles again one section of it and then our Our head groomer handles the other section of it. I mean, I think I think like the first couple of weeks is just kind of getting used to scheduling appointments. I don't think it's anything crazy. I feel like at first we just let them do the regular work responsibilities. But as time goes by, it's when we start giving them more of the leadership part. That's like the harder part. At first they'll be fine, they'll book appointments, they'll do what they have to. Once we start doing like the leadership part of how to deal with their co-workers, that's what takes time to build.
Speaker 2:I don't really feel like there's a lot of mistakes. I feel like it's it's pretty easy going. They might just mess up the schedule. Here and there they might make the wrong decision, like maybe sending the wrong dog home or little things like that, but it's nothing crazy, it's a leadership part of doing, of managing other people. That's the hardest.
Speaker 1:For sure. What are some like good leadership traits that you feel like somebody like. What are some good leadership traits you would look for in a potential manager?
Speaker 2:I would say it's someone that's not scared, was a little bit, has a little bit more self confidence in themselves. I got, I want them to not be scared, I want them to be able to you know, take directions and also take criticism. We are managers, have come from places that wouldn't necessarily you would think it's a manager, like our manager in one shop. She's a be there. So she was a be there but she kept getting bit. But we didn't want to let her go. So like, all right, you can't be. So let me show you how to book appointments, let me show you how to schedule everybody.
Speaker 2:A little by little, we let her grow into that leadership position, managing over people. Our other manager same thing. He came in as a be there for a second store and we needed someone to be the manager. So I was like, all right, you know you're going to be the manager For this place and just kind of built them up little by little. So there's not necessarily things that will qualify. Disqualify is just being seen that progress like progress in them, that they're willing to grow in the direction that you want them to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really cool that you're able to see that in somebody, though, because I think a lot of people, like you said your baby was getting bit a lot. I think a lot of people would have maybe done some type of action plan where it's like, if this happens again, you know we're gonna have to let you go, instead of just like that being the end of it. You found like a creative solution for that. I think that's really cool. I think that's one of the things that like sets you apart, because just from like talking to you for as long as we have like, I can just tell like you're a good leader, and so it's just interesting to hear like these things and these ways that you think.
Speaker 1:But I don't just want to talk about your business. I also want to talk about like Some business, and I want to say skills. But like, what business Aspects you think you have about yourself that like have helped you grow your salon? Because, like I can't fathom just having one like self functioning salon the way that you have. So, like, what are some things you've done specifically that you think helped your business get to where it is now?
Speaker 2:Okay, I feel like there's definitely like two parts of it. One of the part is like my wife. Also, I feel like I am good at the business and scaly, where she helps me build groomers. I realistically she has taught the majority of our staff because I feel like that's on the hard part for so long and there's this finding groomers, so she is really good at teaching. So we I feel like I use my skills to grow the business and she uses her skills to grow the team. So at some point I feel like you need help or you need a partnership and someone's going to be the better business and someone would be the better at grooming. And I feel like it's two part and I feel like that's really key. Even with our managers, they're technically none of them are groomers and I feel like that helps also because it brings a different perspective to the managing and leading, versus if it's a groomer who thinks like a groomer and my act like a groomer. So we need both, yeah.
Speaker 3:I do. I do think I saw one of your posts. Your wife was training your dog groomers, and is that something you guys just realized? There isn't a lot of qualified groomers that you had to pretty much train your own to get them hired, or what made you guys have that like, well, guess we're training our staff now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think at first it was hard. I feel like everybody deals with finding groomers. I think it's one of the hardest things about growing that gets people scared. Like, okay, like I have one shop and I could really find groomers for this one, let alone a second shop, and finding more groomers there. So we ran into an issue for a while, and even just some of the staff that we had that we turned into groomers like, okay, we could redo, we could just, you know, follow this process and do it again. I feel like there is a lot of qualified groomers out there. Some of them are just doing their own thing, or yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna say that sometimes some groomers are stuck in their ways, so we might do something a little bit different. And it gets hard when we hire an experienced groomer and you know, sometimes we they might bump heads with someone else, yeah, so that's another difficult part. You know about finding groomers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can I ask? And if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But a lot of I think the main downfall of business people in the grooming industry is like figuring out the pay structure for groomers because I know you're in California so you guys can't do commission. But like for most people or business owners that do like 50% commission and then realize, like this is not, this is not long term something that's reliable, and then they're kind of stuck there. Because how do you tell your employee, hey, we're gonna lower your commission like 15%, like it's hard because you can't lower their commission.
Speaker 2:You can't ever get someone less. It's gonna be very hard to do that to someone. Yeah, so even for us, even up and over in California and I don't we have I'm gonna say it's a commission equivalent. You know it's a equivalent to, let's say, 40%. You know is what I pay my groomers. Again, you know, whichever way we want to word it to them, you know it's equivalent of 40%. So I feel like, even then, I think that it's still a little bit tight.
Speaker 2:Again, it just goes to volume. The more groomers we have, the more volume that we have, the more dogs we have, and then it makes it easier. But when you are at a higher percentage and I feel like you're not making enough, I feel like that's when you raise your prices and lower your commission. So let's say they're at 50% and they raise, you know, their, their prices by some. They just bring their commission lower and, okay, you're still making the same amount per dog. It's just that we need more money for the business and as long as they're not making any less, you'll be fine. So it'd be raise your prices and then lower the commission, so it's still stays exactly the same.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Do you think you're gonna do any speaking at shows?
Speaker 2:If they ask me yeah. I think they'd ask you if they knew you were interested. I think, little by little, I feel like I'm getting like more and more attraction, where more people are, you know, asking me things, yeah well, you answer so fast and you're right on and.
Speaker 1:It's just when you see somebody that's like accomplish other things that, like you and your wife has accomplished, you want to know how, because it is rare, like I know there's people that have done it but like it's not easy, it's not easy at all.
Speaker 1:so it's just interesting to hear like how you got there and just like the little things that helped you get there, because I know so many business people who are groomers and they have these dreams of doing something like that and they have the grooming talent. They just don't have all of the business knowledge that they need. So I just feel like that's a big hole in our industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sometimes, even then, it's just like. I feel like for us it is, we really put in like a lot of work. And Though, even though we don't see it now, because again I'm just making you know videos and doing other things, in the beginning it wasn't like this. It's funny because in the beginning I was a front desk and my wife just told me I just knew she was a fast groomer, but I had no idea. And then I was just booking appointments left and right and then it was just me and her with twenty twenty five dogs and she, like, why did you book me so many dogs? I don't know, I didn't have no idea how long dogs took. So we'd end up with days by ourselves 20 dogs, 20 dogs, 20 dogs. It was just me and her and I just made them prep them for her, and there's a guy here I think I didn't know any better.
Speaker 2:So there was a lot of work and I feel like even sometimes when I make comments or videos about work, I feel like people still Don't grasp it, that it just takes a little bit more work than you're doing now to get where you want to go. It's the same for me, even if I'm a business owner. It just means that I still have to work more. Even when I was building out the salon, I was working in the morning and then building my salon at night. Just save some money. But it just requires a little bit more work than what we think we're doing now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I completely agree. I was going to say something. What you just kind of explained is like that newborn stage. It's so much work in the beginning where you couldn't take the videos. You couldn't do the content because you were literally building it and helping them learn their common core knowledge how to eat, sleep and not yell at people at stores like that newborn stage.
Speaker 1:Sorry.
Speaker 3:I'm like I'm over here.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But you know, and now your kids are like doing things. And your kids are probably older now they're in soccer and they're doing things and it's easier. And now you're like, okay, I don't have to, like you're still the parent of your business and you're still guiding and loving and nurturing, but you, they don't need every waking bit of you. And now you're growing and you're doing the things.
Speaker 1:So, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I think it's just. It's just a lot of, just a lot more work than people might think that it takes, but it's definitely doable. I mean, if someone were to ask me, I'd tell them all right, well, it works seven days a week, you know. So you have enough money to open up the other salon, do as much as you can, whatever it takes, but not everyone is willing to do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's good.
Speaker 2:Even during the holidays, the first couple of years, we're like okay, I told them I was like Thanksgiving and Christmas I'm going to work. We're all going to work seven days a week, seven days a whole month. Whoever wants to work with us can work with us. You're going to make more money, it's up to you, but we're going to be here and that's kind of now our Christmas and Thanksgiving rule. They all know that we're going to cash in and make our money for these next two months, because after Thanksgiving then we just take a good week and a half off till New Year's. So the ones who want to do it can do it and the ones that don't have to but will usually be here.
Speaker 3:That's really. That's super cool, because those months are the tighter months, especially Christmas. So, having the opportunity of being able to go into work, you're not just like, well, those are your four or five days you were on contract for and now you can come in for more. That's really neat. Actually I like that.
Speaker 2:I like that. You're like. You guys want to work more like you guys definitely can you know. If you guys want to work six days a week, go for it. I was working seven days a week. I'm not stopping you. I mean, you're going to get paid for it no matter what. So that's on you guys. I like to say like when there is work, let's work, because then there's going to be the time that it's low, and then we better hope that we have enough saved for those slow days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that you're able to share a lot of this, because I think people, especially newer groomers who want to get to that point, they probably get on social media and like see it and they see like very surface level of the things that we choose to share, whether that be like the level of talent you have as a groomer or like how much you've grown your business but you don't really see like the hours you put behind it. So it's just it's good to hear that all of that own work that happened first.
Speaker 2:And I even had a comment recently where someone kind of was kind of fighting with me about. You know, it's not about working a lot, you know and it's about you know the economy and the government that's not helping us. You know grow, but that's just not true. I mean, I feel like our business took off after COVID and we never had an issue. So it's there's. There's nothing stopping you, it's just. It just takes a little bit more work than you might think and that's kind of like the hard part for some.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like the power of one more. Yeah, it's like a mindset thing too. Whatever?
Speaker 1:mindset you're in. Do you have any like? Is there something that you do to like maintain that mindset, that like growth business mindset? Are you just like naturally always like more, ready for more?
Speaker 2:I feel like I've always been like ready for more. I feel like it's just I feel like it started at a young age is kind of having that work ethic. I feel like it definitely can be taught or you can, you know, help people develop it, like, say, like my managers again, my managers don't necessarily have the same mindset that I do, but little by little, you know they, they get it instilled in them. You know, like like one of my managers.
Speaker 2:Again I'm answering phone. I'm answering like text messages or things that all are is the night. Sometimes they'll get DMs. You know 12 o'clock and if I'm up I'm gonna reply. And I feel like people get surprised too and I feel like that one of my managers both of them they're starting. They do that now. They have the work phones with them 24, seven, like today I saw appointments being booked. Sunday I'll see appointments being booked. They have it in them now that you know they love the business just as much as we do and they want it to grow. And when they feel that responsibility for their groomers like okay, my girls depend on me for appointments, I need to find them work. So now they're always on it. It doesn't mean that you know they have their fun. Everybody has their fun, but you know when the message comes in and they got time, they'll answer, doesn't matter when or where it's easier.
Speaker 3:That way, yeah, I feel like, yeah, it's easier. You see it, you're, you have that second to do it, versus waiting till Monday and you have 25 and then you're overwhelmed.
Speaker 3:You still have Monday duties, so I'm I'm just like that as well. I love that. Um, I feel like you're the kind of person that I would sit at a table with like every day of the week. When you, I just have a question when you walk into a building or show or anything, are you the person that think like it's overwhelmed and thinks everything is great? Are you the person that sees everything that could be different and maybe could be changed?
Speaker 2:Um yeah, I see it Like I appreciate what's there and then I notice a thing that could be different, you know, but I thought that I, uh, I still appreciate what's there. I try to be like, um, what kind of really switched my mind of the whole, you know going full time grooming and you know being more into the business. Cause my wife would let you know that you know I didn't believe in her at first and maybe I did, I just I didn't know. You know what was there until.
Speaker 2:I went to an expo and then I saw all the poodles, I saw all the groomers. I was like, wow, there's a whole little community here that no one knows about and I was like there's definitely potential here. And that's where I kind of saw everything. So everything, everything looks a little bit outdated. Someone can come in here and really do something different. So there was a lot of potential there. Yeah, it's fun. Those are my favorite people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I was like, was that a? I think yesterday I went to? There was a tattoo invitation on Austin and so it was like a trade show for like tattoo artists and people who like are print makers. And I went and I walked in and the first thing I thought was like like this is it? Cause I feel like it could have been like 10 times bigger, like there was some people had merged, but there was not that much merge and there's all these people walking around Some of them are there to get tattoos, but so many of them just showed up to see what was there and I think we could have been selling like merch t-shirts, like there could have been so much. So I was just crazy to see, like even between industries, how different like a trade show can be.
Speaker 2:So I think we, I think what um, I don't know if you've been to like a any like business expos and see how, like if you go to one of those like business expos or one of their mentoring expos is just there's not really selling anything there, but just the stage and the speakers. Everything is different and I feel like that's what we need for grooming. I know that I know like a hydra and some of those people they do it in other countries. You know where they're having the bigger stage and they have the cameras and you can see. It doesn't matter if you're all the way in the back, like you're going to see right now, if you go to the expo and if you're not front row and the dots black, you can't see anything. Like you just missed your class. But it's not that we don't have any business. Like I said, yeah, it's like business leadership. One needs to like fire people up a little bit more.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I think that's definitely one of the things that I would love to see more of that business leadership, maybe a panel structure on stage, something, something that is more hype. I think that's a little bit of what we're missing. I know, when I go to conferences either a leadership conference or a college conference there's always like, and I think we have those in our rooms, in the conference speaking rooms, but we don't have that like on this stage.
Speaker 2:I was going to say it might even just be getting some of the groomers that we have now to just speak instead of even doing the classes. You know, hey, maybe like let us hear their story and we'll got them there, instead of, you know, having them teach a Pugle class, like, maybe we just need to hear from them also.
Speaker 3:Yeah, gavin and I actually we're working on possibly doing a handling a podcast tour at the shows, so kind of what exactly what you're talking about, but like it's us. Hey, speaking of changes, though, if I had a question down here, if you could go to a conference tomorrow about leadership, what speaker would you choose, like who's someone you follow in this? And it doesn't have to be in our industry, it could be any industry, whether it's like Edmai Led or Dave Ramsey, or is there anyone that you kind of like listen to their podcast to inspire you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think there's quite a few. I do listen to a lot of like Andy Frisella I don't know right now he I feel like he was one of the big ones that I used to listen to. A lot Like 2015, he started hit his podcast and again had nothing but business advice. But there's one that's a little bit more hard to pour for some people is even West Watson.
Speaker 2:He's like a fitness guy but again he's very hard core for some. But I really like to just have a different mentality on certain things to just push me past those little obstacles that might stumble someone.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:I think you and Sierra are like in the same boat of being like business savvy and like being leaders and like having all this drive and I'm just like I love grooming dogs and making them beautiful and I just feel like having that trade about you, where you're like business minded and entrepreneurial, is like it's a gift and not everybody has it. So I think it's good that other people can see it in you and they want to follow you, because I just couldn't be a business owner. I couldn't do it and I thought I had that entrepreneurial spirit. I don't. I don't have it the way you guys have it.
Speaker 2:Even for someone who is more entrepreneurial or you know bosses, I feel like what they're missing out there is understanding that let's say, like you, gavin, let's say, if you were my area and I know you're a great groomer is like having good opportunities for you also. I feel like that's what sometimes you know employers miss out on, like, yes, they only think about themselves, but they forget about their employees. I feel like that's something that we really try to do is give groomers a good opportunity to have a place where they're happy or where they're thriving or where they're growing, and not just feeling like they're stuck somewhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 3:You do kind of talk about that personal brand and I feel like, gavin, really you've done a really great job at building your personal current brand outside of the salon you work for because you are hired to speak. I think you had a class today You're speaking at Hershey. You have pop up workshops all over pretty much for the most part. So you did a really good job at your personal brand being just Gavin Freeman and self and you have, you know, your sponsorships and stuff.
Speaker 1:Is there any?
Speaker 3:any advice you have, eddie, on someone? That's just like just learning about a personal brand and the meaning behind it. Is there any tips or tricks or advice you would give to somebody?
Speaker 2:I've been telling a lot of people that you should have it, no matter what, just like you mentioned about Gavin maybe Gavin saying that he's not a good you know, he's not an entrepreneur as he thinks but even just having his personal brand still gives you those types of entrepreneurial opportunities, not necessarily with owning your own business, but having opportunities, you know, because of the name and your brand. So I feel that, no matter what, is very important to have, and I think a lot of people are starting it or doing it. Everybody who asked me, you know, hey, like I started my page, what do I do?
Speaker 2:I feel like what I see in most people's pages right now is just pictures of dogs. So I tell them your personal brand has to be about you. You have to be in these videos. You have to, you know, at least do a voiceover or something. The personal brand means that it's about you also, not just your dogs. So I feel like that's one thing that people still might be missing is really including themselves. They might start to pay the price. All right, cool, I'm going to start a personal brand, but it's still only the dogs that groom Like. We still need to see the person behind those dogs.
Speaker 3:Right and then like the person that they're talking to. I feel like a lot of people miss that step of like who they're If there was a fake avatar that they were trying to present their material to online. Like who is their fake avatar? Like? Is she 26? Does she have a dog? Is she you know? Is she that Instagram doodle? She wants this really cute thing. Are you talking to? Like the older generation because you live in a retirement community? Like, who are you talking to? I feel like a lot of people miss that avatar creating that person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I always tell people to also. It just really depends, like if you're a groomer working at another salon, yes, are you, do you want to be, I guess you know, an influencer, popular amongst other groomers, that also to you know, kind of shows where your content is going to go. Or if you're just a business trying to build a brand, then the brand has to be for your customers. You can't have you know on your page. You know I hate my owner, I hate dog owners. You don't brush on your business page versus, let's say, a page.
Speaker 2:That's only dedicated to groomers and I feel like sometimes that's where people make that mistake.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's a great point.
Speaker 3:They do their business page and their personal page all in one, when really it should be two separate ones. Exactly, gavin, you've never heard the term avatar before.
Speaker 1:No, what you described, the like the way it works of like thinking about who you're, like directing your like content, for example, like who you're making it for, like who's consuming it. Like I've never, like I learned that from you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I actually took a. Have you ever heard of the influential personal brand podcast by Royer and AJ Beta? They're actually in your area, eddie.
Speaker 2:They're the founders of brand builders.
Speaker 3:I took their course.
Speaker 2:Awesome, I have to look into.
Speaker 3:Oh man, they are like my other podcast. Yeah, they're called the brand builders and I took their course. Actually, I took it for my business because we are target audiences for colleges and I was having such a hard time trying to target the person in the college, so I took their course and I. It's changed in my entire way of how I deliver a message to anybody for the rest of my life. So that's where I learned that avatar situation.
Speaker 1:It makes sense. I mean, even for someone who wasn't. I have one more question.
Speaker 2:I know you go ahead and say that, even for a person who feels like you know they don't know anything about it, like you can study it and then you can get better at it, because there's so much stuff out there that will help you be a better marketer or teach you all these things that you think you don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure. And I have one last question. Is like for this time that you've been on social media like basically building your personal brand more and just being like more involved in the industry, what are like maybe three things that you would change about the industry from what you've seen so far?
Speaker 2:I feel like just updating our shows and our expos would be good for the groomers to have something better. I feel like I know what I feel like. Also, there's another thing that a lot of groomers are working on brand deals and trying to do things like that, but I don't think that our industry is there yet. I feel like we're confusing it with like maybe like the makeup industry or monster who have, which has tons of money that they can just throw $10,000 at you a month, just because I don't feel like this industry is there yet, and then just having more people just really work on their businesses before trying, like the social media, I would tell everybody like yes, I can see me here now, but this was after four years of building a brand for my business before I decided to even do mine. So just updates, maybe some more realistic expectations for groomers and then just everybody working more on their businesses.
Speaker 3:Right, it's funny that you said that about the sponsorships because it wasn't until recently. I've worked pretty close with a couple of people lately and you're right, like they are just as almost like the same smallness as we are as a dog grooming salon trying to like sell our product and trying to get it out there for people. It's not like they're monster or red bull. They're doing exactly what we're doing per dog but per product. And like people just emailing them and like hey, could you sponsor me? They're like dude, I'm actually I have to sell this many to get you this. And like it is harder than what a lot of people sometimes as contest groomers like we're very, very, very, very grateful that if anyone chooses to and that's in their budget and their plan, we're super grateful for that. But like it does take that second to realize like just because they have a really well-known brand of something like it doesn't mean they're boo-boo billionaires you know they're really doing it because they believe in you as a person.
Speaker 3:They want to help you grow. And if you know, and if they sell product because you're pushing it, that's great, but really they're just family people behind the business as well. So I like that you touched on that. And then, well, the third topic that you said gosh, I just lost it. What did you say?
Speaker 2:again, updating, the industry shows, yeah, the influencer stuff and then just just just having more people focus on their business, you know, pushing them more on their business. I feel like with social media, it might have a try to push us to be I say sometimes all of us more influencers than in our actual business. There's a lot of stuff that I see sometimes people online worrying about other things that they should probably be worrying more about their business first.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I completely agree. Do you think you're going to put on any like summit, any conference? Because if you're not thinking about it, I think you need to think about it.
Speaker 2:I've been talking with some people, I think it will go over very well. Yeah, we have a local company here too that you know. They've been wanting to do stuff and I feel like, since there hasn't really been too many people that would say I'm not going to say like me, but maybe with like, the same mindset you know, proactively out there, like now, more people with the same mindset are starting to reach out to me. Hey man, I don't want to do this to you. I like how you think. So I feel like there would definitely be more people, you know, joining together soon.
Speaker 3:Well, and that's the thing. When I just went to a trade show, I was helping my friend Aga in one of selling Botanica and it was crazy to me, being on that side of the world, seeing these dog grooming owners that they have multiple storefronts, they have 20 plus groomers and it wasn't a problem for them. They brought their husband's truck with the trailer. They're ready to go?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I see people just load up their truck full of products.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel like being on the other side because, you know, I'm the contest groomer, the dog groomer and a company owner. Like I haven't been on the other side of seeing people that have that many salons or dog groomers that they're in charge of, and it wasn't until then. My entrepreneur mind was like, oh my gosh, that's the audience. Those are the people we need to speak to, to have summits, because they want to run companies, businesses without having to be there, and they have no problem dropping on product that they believe in. And then Aga was. She's doing a whole training on how to use it. You know for her now. So you know. So it was kind of really cool for me and that's where I was. Like Edy, how do you feel about putting on?
Speaker 1:a summit, because if you're not, I feel like you should, because I have a whole bunch of people.
Speaker 3:I feel that would be perfect. You know, it's not the everyday dog grooming salon and I feel like that's what we're all competing against People that are looking for dog groomers is we're competing against the people that could put a garage grooming salon or one in their extra spare bedroom. Those are like that's what we're competing for, unless you create your, train your own or give groomers incentives to stay. But yeah, that's sorry, that was my tangent was there's a? Whole audience there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and there's a lot of people too, and I feel like one thing too that might be, let's say, let's say when someone says, oh, I came and dropped 10 grand, there's one thing, that's the other side of that. Also, as a business owner, you also might not know if that's their last 10 grand, but they believe in what they have going on. Also, because then I feel like some people are like oh, you have all the money, but no, that might just be their investment that they're willing to make and like this is my last 10 grand, I'm going to go buy all the shampoo and we're going to get to work as soon as we get home. So I feel like that's also the other side that sometimes people might miss. They might just see, like, the amount or the money, but they might not know that this is their last investment. They're willing to risk it all.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So we had to get Gavin telling multiple salons.
Speaker 3:But that's the entrepreneurship of scaling your businesses.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 3:I'm a really good employee.
Speaker 1:That's interesting because I'm kind of seeing this pattern of like. There's me as a groomer who I just want to be an employee at this point, but I'm very passionate about the art of grooming and the craft of it and being like a talented, like competitive groomer who can do all of these things. And then I see like the product side and people selling their products, and then it's like these salon owners, these like business owners. They're like the middle man of it all, Like they're bringing it all together. So it's just really important that I feel like we have content that's catered to them too. So, whether that be like leadership summits or business summits, just things like that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I really feel like there's a big hole that. Eddie's taught, and I'm not kidding, I was mid-scrolling. I'm like, wait what? Because my company, we write curriculum for anything dog grooming, we're brand new. But like that was like I don't have that in my umbrella. So that's what made me just stop. So yeah, there's a giant hole and Eddie just found it, claimed it and he's going to put on some leadership summits or just know it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I definitely will. Yeah, as soon as the opportunity presents itself, I will. But, like you said, I literally just from all the business people that I saw on the other side of business world and marketing, I was like, wait, no one's doing it here in grooming. So this is my niche. Because I started trying to post a little bit more about grooming, just so people know that I know how to groom. But other than that, there's maybe like not even 10 posts of me grooming actually. But again, it's what we need. We need the other side.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of us already posting the key pictures where we need to know, like the ins and outs, and like even me just uploading the tutorial for how to run ads. You know that's something that usually probably will be like well, come to my course and you know and I'll tell you how to do it. But honestly, for me, I am at the point where I don't mind. Just, you know, this is where it works for me. At the end of the day, if people use it or not use it, that's on them, but I mean it's there.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you do it so beautifully.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm excited we had you on. We're coming up on an hour. Is there any other topics you want to cover? That's true and near to your heart.
Speaker 2:That this platform. I mean I'm going to say just, you know, for everybody who listens, I mean, just put yourself out there. You know, don't worry about it If you feel like you're not good on camera. If you have something to say, just go ahead and say it, Just like finding your customers. Eventually finding the right customers will come to you. You don't have to change, just be you and find your people.
Speaker 1:Love it so true, we're working everybody.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just have to see your grooms on Instagram. Okay, I think, so far I'm just. I just been on there. We tried threads, but I think threads is dying now. It's hard to be on multiple platforms, so I tried TikTok, but I feel like my content is specifically it is specifically made for groomers, and I feel like sometimes TikTok is a little bit more diverse and it's all over the place. I just like to stick to Instagram for now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, sure, and then make, if you guys follow Eddie, make sure you follow Paws at Maine, right, thank, you Because that one is really fun to see how a business should post versus that personal brand that he was talking about, Because it is two very different platforms but two different audiences you're reaching as well. So he does this really great and that's why I told Gavin I'm like we're going to have Eddie on.
Speaker 1:Like I didn't even ask him and he's coming in, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was talking to everybody. Like some people like, oh, I was afraid to message you. Like I've like written out whole business plans for people Like, oh, here I have a question about this. I was like give me like 10 minutes because I got to process all this and then I write them. You know everything that they need. Or I always try to get back to everybody, like I'll see a message. I don't even like to open it, so I'm ready to answer. Or if I open it, I'm like hey, I'm driving, I'm busy right now. Just give me some time and I'm going to get back to you as soon as I can, but I like to reply to everybody.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, you did to me so, and I'm like the queen of cold calling or cold messaging. I feel like I have no fear in that part.
Speaker 1:I'm like hey.
Speaker 3:I'm happy that, oh, that's good. Well, thank you so much, Eddie, you're welcome. Thank you, can't wait till this comes out. I know this is going to help, yeah, our listeners and just a whole different area of listeners that we haven't catered to. So thank you for being our guest today.
Speaker 2:Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 3:Of course All right. Bye, Eddie.
Speaker 2:Bye, thank you.