We were lucky to catch up with Barron Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Barron, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
The biggest change in my business has been bringing on a partner to help scale and grow. Not everyone feels good about sharing the equity in their business, but when done correctly it has its advantages.
I met my partner Erick Oyemaja at a workshop, and we started hanging out. I told him I was ready to turn my hustle into a business. I told him what I needed to make it happen and the potential. I asked him if he would be interested, given his background in Accounting and business analytics. I knew if I wanted a partner he would be the person that would help grow this business to where it needed to go. He has been a partner for less than 9 months and has already doubled what I would normally do in a year just hustling.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Barron Russell. I am a New Orleans native who was displaced during Hurricane Katrina. This landed my family and I in Nashville. I have always been fascinated with anything animal related, particularly reptiles and dogs. This fascination steered into the path of Animal Science as a major. I have been in the pet industry since 2008. In 2015 I started training dogs privately to make some extra money. I used to go to peoples homes or meet them at parks and conduct lessons. After a while, a client asked me if I would take his shepherd in for boarding and training. I originally him no because I wasn’t sure what to charge, and I was afraid to take a risk. We eventually settled on a price and I got the job done. Shortly after I had 2 more clients ask me if I would do the same thing. Before long I had a dog to board and train every other month. I eventually purchased another home for the purpose of boarding and training and building a home based business. We offer customized dog training services that fits your family needs. Outside our standard services, I can proudly say that because of my partner, Middle TN K9 has landed contracts to provide therapy dogs to schools in Wilkinson County. We are in the process of building a very unique program that will benefit young children who struggle with anxiety, stress, and trauma. I want our readers to know that if you have a dog or plan on getting a dog, you should seek professional advice to create the best family companion for your home. Many dog owners fail to do their due diligence in selection the right breed. That is one reason why our shelters are over populated. Take time and do research regarding the selection of a dog breed.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
We have had good success forming partnerships with breeders. Also using google ads. I’d say we are about 60/40 for leads being generated.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In order for me to create the lifestyle I wanted, a 9 to 5 job by itself is not the answer. What changed my mindset was seeing close relatives struggle to take care of sickly lovers ones who required around the clock care. These family members had worked all of their lives and saved up and had 401ks and all of what comes with being employed, but it still wasn’t enough. You cant work yourself to wealth. You have to invest into something. You have to learn how to maximize your opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.middletnk9.com
- Instagram: Middletnk9
- Facebook: Middletnk9
- Linkedin: Middletnk9
- Twitter: Middletnk9
Image Credits
Abigail Hernandez