We recently connected with Adriana Grassi-mosley and have shared our conversation below.

Adriana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

The concept for our business arose organically from our current jobs and volunteer work up to this point.

I am a professional dog trainer with a deep passion for dogs. I have worked with several shelters and non-profit organizations to improve the lives of these animals. It’s through this work that I met my partner, Sandice Thrasher.

Sandice has consistently done amazing things in the community, helping dogs get adopted and raising funds for those in need. We quickly became friends, bonding over our shared passion for canine welfare.

As a dog trainer, I encountered many behavioral issues among dogs, most of which stemmed from their owners not having enough time to dedicate to the enrichment that dogs require. This made me think about how I could address this problem.

I’ve always believed that taking dogs on trails—their most natural environment—greatly benefits them by aiding in socialization, mental stimulation, exercise, and, of course, providing tons of fun! I presented the idea to Sandice: we could get a bus to pick up dogs from their homes, take them on trails for a good 45-minute hike, and then drop them back off afterward.

In her brilliant manner, Sandice came up with a name for our venture in no time, and thus our business vision was born.

Our first step was to purchase a school bus, and the next was to create a safe way to transport the dogs. While having dogs sit in seats is incredibly cute, we prioritized safety first, while also wanting to reflect our fun personalities. We purchased Dakota crates in a variety of colors to ensure a joyful experience for both the dogs and their owners.

We developed a logo (which we absolutely LOVE), created a website, obtained CPR certification, secured insurance, and officially started our business in April 2024.

Since we didn’t have much money to invest upfront, we decided to turn our bus into a traveling billboard instead of spending on advertisements. This strategy worked! People began noticing our bus. Fortunately, with my background as a dog trainer and Sandice’s extensive involvement in the dog community, we had a solid way to spread the word about our collaboration.

The response was incredible—people loved it! We started with 10-12 dogs a week, and we are now averaging 40 dogs weekly. Our growth has been organic, and our handlers love being part of the team. We foster a culture of kindness and compassion.

We genuinely LOVE what we do—immersed in nature, surrounded by incredible dogs and wonderful people.

Furthermore, we believe in giving back, which has always been an essential part of who we are. We donate our bus and time to take dogs out of the shelter environment on trails, providing them with a much-needed break from their daily lives.

Adriana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My journey with dogs began in Florida, where I worked as a fitness trainer. In my free time, I volunteered at local shelters and realized that working with dogs brought me more joy than training people.

This revelation led me to pursue a career as a professional dog trainer. In 2017, I moved to Georgia. Since I was new to the area and didn’t know anyone, I decided to continue volunteering my time to train shelter dogs. That’s when I met Sandice. She was deeply involved in the dog community, and we connected right from the start.

Sandice is highly respected and has a strong understanding of dog behavior. I believe this is what sets our company apart. With my experience as a dog trainer and Sandice’s extensive background with dogs, we have a unique advantage in handling them effectively.

We prioritize training our handlers to ensure that both the dogs and we have safe and enjoyable experiences. Our background gives clients the confidence to entrust us with their dogs, which is a significant benefit.

Our service is simple yet creative: we visit our clients’ homes, pick up their dogs—even when the owners are not at home—and take them on hikes in the beautiful parks in our area. After a 45-minute trail walk, we return the dogs to their homes. We always finish our hikes with a delightful pup cup and provide water to the dogs throughout the hike.

We offer an excellent alternative for those who are uncomfortable leaving their dogs in a traditional daycare setting. Additionally, we provide more value than the typical mundane walk that a regular dog walker might offer in the neighborhood.

We also cater to clients who may not have the time to give their dogs this kind of experience due to work obligations. We’ve witnessed many dogs overcoming behavioral issues towards other dogs through our training.

Did I mention that we LOVE our job? Yes, we take what we do to heart!

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

We started with very little money and used some of our savings. We really had to count every penny, ensuring that every dollar spent was allocated properly.

Due to the lack of funds, we had to be very creative with our marketing. We decided to turn our bus into a rolling billboard. We had it wrapped with a beautiful scene of the woods, along with our logo, name, and contact information.

We also utilized Instagram and Facebook to gain more exposure, encouraging people to share our new business. We didn’t spend any money on ads.

Additionally, we attended events where we gave out pup cups to dogs walking by.

How did you build your audience on social media?

We regularly post on social media, and Sandice excels at it. We showcase what the dogs do each day and the various parks we visit. We’ve found that our audience enjoys seeing the dogs happily getting on the bus, which generates the most engagement. They also love watching the dogs enjoy their pup cups.

These types of posts greatly help us spread the word about our services. Therefore, we pay close attention to which posts receive the most engagement and tailor our content accordingly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tailsandtrailsga.com
• Instagram: tailsandtrails.ga
• Facebook: Tails and Trails