We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marissa LeJune a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?
Dog socialization is the number one thing I believe mainstream doggie daycares get wrong in the petcare industry. Please hear me out because I know if you’re used to taking your dog to a typically daycare facility that lets them free roam for 8 hours out the day, what I’m saying might seem new to you. Over the years I have done a lot of studying on dogs, working & training dogs and the number one thing I learned is how much a dog’s environment matters. What you reinforce on a daily basis, is the type of behaviors you will create for them. The reason I created my structured daycare was to give dog owners and their dogs a healthy alternative to what mainstream daycares provide. I wanted dogs to live their best lives in a way that will help them grow into the best version of themselves. Dog’s need daily naps, & mental stimulation just as much as physical stimulation. Even more important is them learning the importance of neutrality. Over the years I have noticed & I was also once a dog owner that believed that the “only” way to tire your dog out was to run them till they passed out. That’s not true and it’s not sustainable. When you do that you create the habit of raising an overstimulated, excited, & anxious dog. Out of control starts to become their “daulft mode.” What I do with Tail Swaggers is provide them with an environment that helps them learn basic commands and healthy mindset skills. We structure their day at daycare so they can learn & practice good behaviors that will transition when they go home with their owners and eventually into the real world. Most dog’s were bred to have a job to do. We have so many working dog breeds (german Shepards, huskies, corgis, Aussies etc.) that are going crazy because they aren’t being fulfill mentally & aren’t being shown how to relax in the overstimulated world we live in today. We also have a lot of owners who are frustrated with their dogs because no matter what they do they can’t get their dog to listen or behave. Most dogs want to learn and even more, almost every dog wants to please its owner. What better way to please you then by having them actually listen when you ask them to do something?
Even more so, if you didn’t know, the reason I want to educate more owners about the side effects that can come from sending your dog to a mainstream daycare is because some dogs actually don’t care to make other dog friends or be bombarded daily by a bunch of dogs in their face. It can make some dogs frustrated not knowing how to advocate for themselves. Instead of a all day free for all, I believe that there is a healthy alternative. A way to allow your dogs to have fun but also teach them how to respect other dogs space. A place to teach your dog that they can still be around other dogs without feeling like they “have to” physically interact face to face. A place that has people advocate for them and help them see the power and beauty of tapping into their calm mindset on the place bed.
I believe mainstream doggie daycares go wrong when they aren’t taking time to practice good behaviors and they aren’t able to properly advocate for each dog. Instead they should have similar structures as a school has. It’s amazing to watch your dogs run and have fun, and please know I’m not saying take away play time. I just think that we should also add in structure and learning. Training is a huge key to developing the type of relationship you want with you dog. It also helps improve your communication between each other. So instead of 8 hours of chaos, we should teach our dogs, challenge them, help them gain confidence and overcome fears they have. As a dog owner myself I had to reflect and ask myself “am I doing this because it’s truly best for my dog? or am I doing this because it’s what I want & what I think would be good versus actually seeing what is best for dog?” Start by taking a hard look at the dog in front of you and considering what type of behaviors you want from your dog. For example, if you want a calm dog that listens, what type of environment would be best for them to sustain and help re-enforce that good behavior? If you reward excitement, a excited dog is what you will get. If you reward calmness, a calm dog is what you will get. :)
Again, some dogs do well in mainstream doggie daycares and if you have a dog that does then I’m happy for you. I just love talking about this because I want to break the bubble that the corporate pet care industry franchises have some dog owners believing. I hope to help owners know there is another option for your dog to still enjoy going to doggie daycare while also providing them with a healthy learning environment. I truly believe the true definition of “spoiling your dog” is investing in their overall health: mentally, physical & emotionally. Never be afraid to invest in your dog.
Marissa, 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?
I am happy to introduce my self. My name is Marissa LeJune and I am the owner of Tail Swaggers. We are a structured doggie daycare & luxury in home boarding business that provides a healthy way for your dog to live while you are traveling or at work during the week. What sets us apart is the quality of time & care we put into your dog. We only allow 10 total dogs into our daycare at a time. This way we make sure your dog is our main priority and that they don’t feel overwhelmed with too many dogs. Our goal is to help them grow into the best version of themselves. We do this by creating a daily routine & structured day that helps them learn basic commands and mindset skills that will help them when they transition into the real world or at home with you. We also help give you training tips to do at home so you can stay consistent with them. The key to your dog’s growth is consistency.
I got into the training industry many years ago because I was struggling with my own dog. As I started to learn about what dogs actually need & the type of daily structure my dog needed I realized that so many other dogs could benefit from what I was doing with her on a daily basis. Slowly I started sharing my knowledge with my Tail Swagger clients and overtime I created & transitioned my business from a dog walking business into what is now Tail Swaggers structured daycare. A place that is designed to give your dog a daily routine with a balance of fun and learning!
I’d love for you to know that I really do care about your dogs well being. I am aware that every dog is different and I do my best to be open mined about what your dog needs. I am a huge believer in personal development and that’s where my mission of helping your dog become the best version of themselves comes from. I believe they deserve to tap into their potential of the dog they can be just as much as I believe as person deserve to be the best version of themselves if they desire too. I believe there is depth and detail that goes into caring and building trust with you and your dogs. This is why my daycare focuses on fulfilling both your dog’s physical and mental needs while challenging them to learn skills that will benefit them in real world scenarios. I also believe dog’s are similar to humans in that they are a product of their daily habits. With this knowledge I makes sure that each dog a part of Tail Swaggers daycare is being properly loved, educated & empowered to become the best version of themselves!
The problem I serve for my clients is providing quality care that they can rely on for when they are away for their dogs. The training I provide is an added bonus they get when their dog is with me. Being that extra help they need to jump start building a foundation for their dog. A lot of people feel overwhelmed when they get a dog. They don’t know how to get their dog to listen and my daycare helps them get started on their basic training so that way when they go home they have something to work from. As for my boarding, I help owners feel relaxed about traveling without their dogs. Since I board our my Swagger dogs in my own home, they get to be apart of my daily routine. I also provide daily pupdates so you know what your dog is up to while your away. Your dog ends up being on vacation just like you are. :)
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
My advice to anyone building a social media presence is to take time getting to know what audience you are wanting to target. Then show up authentically. When I first switch form dog walking to structure doggie daycare I was so new to the dog training industry. However, I got a lot of compliments for being truthful about my journey and what I knew. I never pretended to know everything and I still don’t. I was also up front that if I didn’t know how to help you or the answer to your question I would refer you to someone that did or find out the information and get back with you.
It can be easy to compare yourself to others on social media but you have to learn to shut out the noise and execute your own plan. Your target audience will be drawn to your authenticity. I started off with less then 100 followers and now I’m over 1000!
Lastly, think hard about what your niche is, what you bring to the table and then OWN IT. The saying that “there’s no one else like you” is true. Own who you are, what you do, and serve the heck out of your clients, customers, and audience.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Yes, my business did start out as a side hustle back when I was a full time college athlete. Being an athlete didn’t leave much time to have a typical job so I had to get creative and find something that allowed me to set my own hours. That’s when I started offering pet care services and I absolutely loved every moment of it. At the time I walked dogs in-between classes and practice and boarded dogs on weekends when we had home games. I still have a full album saved of all the dogs I cared for while I was in college. Though I can’t remember all of their names anymore of the top of my head, each dog holds a special place in my heart.
The number one milestone that helped me transition Tail Swaggers from a college side hustle to a full time business was meeting the father of my daughter, Joe Winters Jr. We met my senior year in college as we both were recovering from knee surgery. He saw first hand the care I was providing my dogs and the passion I had every time I did. After graduation, I struggled to discover what I wanted to do next with my career. I tried out different jobs but nothing captured my heart like working with dogs had done. Joe saw that I was struggling and he was the one who encouraged me to take my pet care business full time. I was hesitant at first. Terrified of “what people might think of me.” I had just graduated with my masters and I thought people would think I was a joke. He continued to encourage me, challenged me to overcome those fears, and discover what was the underlying issue. After many tough conversations and lots of tears I finally worked up the courage to give it a try. He continued to coach me through each pivotal moment in my business and almost 5 years later, here we are! I can say I am forever grateful for having him in my corner as a business mentor, a friend and the father to our beautiful Daughter. I believe God puts people in your life for a reason and he is one of those individuals for me in my life. I am so grateful for taking that leap of faith and for all of our dog owners and dogs who I have had the pleasure to serve over these years. I am beyond grateful to have yall apart of my Swaggers community and look forward to meeting & building a relationship with our future Swaggers. :)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tailswaggers.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tail.swaggers
- Facebook: Tail Swaggers LLC
- Linkedin: Tail Swaggers