We were lucky to catch up with Teresa Graves recently and have shared our conversation below.

Teresa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’m definitely happier as a business owner. I don’t believe that entrepreneurship is for everyone but those individuals it is for could never be wholeheartedly happy working for someone else. I value my freedom more than I value knowing I have a “guaranteed paycheck.” I’ve thought about going back to working a regular job many times but every time I did it was because I was in some sort of financial jam. Last year was the last time I thought about working a regular job and even went as far as applying for jobs. Business was really slow and it seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong for about 3 months. My car took a poop and I had to find a new place to live. I’m a mobile dog trainer so my car is how I make money, so even if I did get a client I couldn’t get to them. I figured if I could make more money that would solve my problems without really giving much thought as to why I was in the situation in the first place. I got hired as a security guard and I was about to go to orientation when I heard a voice loud and clear in my head telling me that I was the employer not the employee. So instead of going to that orientation I went back to the drawing board and disected my business and looked at all the ways I could improve it. I needed money so I looked for investors. The lesson I learned in all of that was to bet on myself at all times, and when there’s a problem before even trying to solve it; figure out why the problem exists in the first place…there might be a lesson there.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I come from a long line of dog handlers and to be honest I didn’t even really realize it. My granny, my uncles, my aunts, some of my cousins, myself; we all have a way with dogs. My granny always had a large dog and it always listened to her, never tore up her garden; she was this tiny little lady with this extra large dog right by her side that never walked in front of her and tripped her. I believe I’m in the industry that I’m in because of her because without even realizing it I learned so much from her. Not even just the behavior and communication aspect of what I do but the wellness aspect as well. She was all about the balance of holistic medicine and western medicine. She grew her own herbs and vegetables and ate collard greens with literally every single meal. She never verbally taught me why she did the things that she did so I had to go on my own journey to figure it out but she knew the importance of what you eat and how it’s grown. Although she did feed her dogs kibble sometimes she fed her dogs what she fed herself. I took everything I learned from her and added my own twist and created Legacy K9 Training. I bridge the gap of communication between owner and dog, I teach owners how to care for their dogs with herbs and oils, I teach owners how to heal their dogs with food because most diseases stem from bad bacteria in the gut. When I’m not training I’m learning because I love dogs and I love what I do, and that’s what I’m most proud of. I teach my clients how to solve practical everyday problems, behavior and health, and that’s what sets me apart from other trainers; and I do it at an affordable price. I don’t believe it should cost people a house note to learn how to care for their dogs. I over serve and that’s why Legacy K9 Training will always be successful.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to not necessarily unlearn a lesson about money, but adjust the relationship I had with money as well as the beliefs I had in regards to how to attain money. I used to believe that the harder you worked the more money you would have. I used to just about kill myself for a paycheck to end up broke as soon as I got paid. I was unhappy with what I was doing for work and even more unhappy with my financial status, it was clear that something had to change within me to break that cycle I was in. I stopped working a regular job and started doing what brought me the most joy for a living, and because that thing benefited more than just myself I started to attract more of that. My focus was no longer on chasing money but on chasing my joy; I was no longer desperate for money and that all changed my perspective and energetic frequency when it came to money exchange. I learned money is an energy which means it has a vibration and that vibration has a frequency. I learned that the more you focus on money or think you need money the harder it becomes for you to attain, and that applies to any energy. I had to start not caring about money and focusing on what makes me happy and being of service to others, and the things I want and need will come to me without force.

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

I believe what helped me build my reputation within the dog industry is the love I have for dogs and the work I do. That’s something that all of my clients notice right away and it makes them feel safe leaving their dogs in my care. It’s also one of the many reasons all of my clients and people around me recommend me to other dog owners/parents looking for dog training services.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.legacyk9training.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacyk9training/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LK9Training/?ref=bookmarks
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@legacyk9training843
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/legacy-k9-training-san-diego-5

Image Credits
Michael Graves