We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kaitlan Blacksher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaitlan, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

It was 2014, I was 20 years old still going to college and working 3 part time jobs. My fiance and I just bought a house and I was searching a local page for a better job. I saw an opening for a dog washer at a groomer 20 minutes from our house. That position paid twice as much as any of my 3 minimum wage jobs. I have always loved animals and have had a passion for dogs. I soon became an apprentice groomer only a few months after starting as a bather. I was making decent money and enjoyed the work. Our 1940 fixer upper home and an old garage attached to the house was perfect for a grooming shop. I advertised on local pages for discounted grooming and stated that I was a novice. Later in 2014 I obtained my business license and officially started Dog Days Pet Pampering. The name Dog Days came from that old saying, the dog days of summer. I really was at my lowest time financially and mentally. I am lucky to have grown up in a small town with people who support me. The town quickly rallied together and I was grooming everyone’s dogs. I had a lot of screw ups, I cut dogs so badly they needed stitches, and I gave some pretty horrendous haircuts. My customers were always very understanding and I was surprised when they returned to give me another chance. By 2016 I quit my apprentice job and started running Dog Days full time. I attended seminars, classes, and learned as much as I could. I became popular in surrounding areas pretty quickly and was recognized for my talent and patience with the animals. I became one of the few cat groomers in the area and even snagged some celebrity clients. In 2018 my operation was really growing and I hired my own apprentice. We created the Loyal Dog Program and serviced close to 200 dogs on an 8 week rotating schedule. I had to make many improvements to my shop over the years, at one point the wooden floor was so water logged my apprentice fell through. We painted and tiled the floors, as well as put up easy to wash material on the walls. I worked long hours and had a lot of help from my family and husband. My clients became like family and I loved their dogs like my own. I got into creative grooming and turned dogs into fun creatures like Zebras and unicorns. By 2020 I was swamped and surprisingly increased my clientele despite the pandemic. I have had 8 employees in total to find the match that best suited my grooming style and expectations for the animal’s treatment. Starting 2021 we serviced 500 dogs on an 8 week rotating schedule. I felt that my business and skill set was at an all time high. Now it was time for my next adventure, Dog Days Home Away From Home. Clients already trusted us with their dogs so we opened up a boarding kennel and got a kennel license. I enjoyed caring for the dogs and started fostering for local non-profits. I enjoyed the fostering so much I applied for my own 501C3 and started Dog Days Helping Paws. We have rescued over 250 dogs in 3 years. Our rescue became known for taking the dogs most at risk of euthanasia, with either medical or severe behavioral problems. The rescue has been by far my hardest endevour. We have had to euthanize dogs not fit for the general public. I have been attacked multiple times, received stitches, broken up dog fights, watched helplessly as dogs passed away from parvo. The dogs that stick with me the most are the ones that I couldn’t save. I think of them every day and their paw prints hang on my wall. I have been blessed with the opportunity and courage to help so many innocent lives. Our motto is A Voice For Those Who Cannot Speak.

Kaitlan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Dog Days is a voice for those who cannot speak. Dogs cannot tell us what has happened to them or how they are treated. I pride myself in taking the best care of the animals during their grooming service and going above and beyond to make it comfortable for them. Grooming can be a really scary thing for a lot of dogs, especially if they have been to multiple salons. Most of my dogs have been coming to me their entire lives, I know what they like and what they don’t like. I am able to take my time and go at the pets pace. I never want an animal to fear me. The love I receive from the pets and the owners let me know I have done a good job. Sometimes the haircut inst important if it is going to upset the animal. I will never brush out a matted dog and cause it pain. I prefer to not use a muzzle and let the dog know I trust them. I don’t think any animal can feel safe with its mouth clamped shut. Dogs cannot talk and defend themselves the only way they know how. If a dog wants to scratch or bite me I have to reassess the situation and say to myself what can I do to make this better for them. State of mind is really important when working with animals, you have to clear your head. If I am upset about a conversion I had with someone or something that happened the animal will know I am upset. They won’t know why I am upset and dogs especially take things really personal, for example if an owner tells me their dog has anxiety, the owner is likely the one with the anxiety. Our emotions transfer to our pets.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best way to obtain new clients is my word of mouth. I gained more followers from other clients raving about me than I have on any social media platform or advertising. Building a strong relationship with the people who support you is so important. Listening to your clients and having good communication with them will get you more clients. I became so busy we had to officially not accept any more clients. Having great clients that respect you and your time is a wonderful relationship. I have had to set strong boundaries with what i expect as far as being late to drop off or pick up, no shows, and cancellation policy. Once I respected myself the clients respected me more also. Know you worth and the clientele will follow.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I have always been one hundred percent transparent. I let my clients know if I am struggling with something or if their pet is struggling. I provide videos and show that I am constantly continuing my education to get the best and safest end result. I study products and also ask for client input. I don’t treat dogs as one size fits all and make adjustments to suit the animals needs as far as comfort and hair style.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.facebook.com/DogDaysHelpingPaws
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogdayspetpampering/