We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cheryl-Ann Andrews. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cheryl-Ann below.

Cheryl-Ann, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

The key to success is hard-work and commitment. It is not about the money. When you put your heart and soul into what you are doing and doing what you love to do, you will always prosper. You have to dedicate yourself and find the motivation to get to work early and leave work late. When you work for yourself, it is tempting to just come in late and leave early or take excessive amounts of time off, however, that is not going to work in the long run. You have to come in early to prepare for the day ahead, check emails, answer messages left on the phone from clientele, and make the place look presentable and friendly. You have to stay late to clean thoroughly, respond to every review and comment (thanking your clients for doing something they did not even have to do), check emails again, and update social media; nurturing the relationship you have with your clients and help them feel included. Working hard is important, but when you have a business like mine, having empathy and being open is just as essential. You have to be committed to your clients. I go above and beyond for my clients. I remember when something happens and I make sure to call and check in on some of them to make sure if everything is alright. People remember that and it goes a long way. Working yourself to the bone will yield results only for a little while. You can only keep going solo for so long. You might even burn out before you hit success. Having an amazing team behind you will make you successful because you cannot do everything alone. They will lift you up and help you achieve the best results. Having a team you can lean on eliminates weaknesses and when you falter, they will set you back on course. What is important to remember is, there is no “I” in “team”.

Cheryl-Ann, 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?

In 1999, I moved to Texas, the Sugarland area, from New York. I started at a well known pet service chain as a cashier. Three months in, a bather got bit on one of the busiest days of the week, so I was called in to assist in bathing the dogs as the bather was rushed to the hospital. Soon after that incident, they were promoting within the store and I had done such an amazing job that the salon manager requested me to be assigned to the grooming salon as a bather. Two months afterwards, there was a new program where the pet service chain that I worked for partnered with Nash Academy, so I was sent to Kentucky for one month to learn how to shave down dogs. I came back to my mentor’s store in Katy, Texas for four weeks to perfect what I had learned. I went back for another month to learn breed specific patterns, followed by four weeks of perfecting those patterns with my mentor. For another month, I learned how to hand scissor and proceeded to perfect that with my mentor. After mastering the different techniques and passing my mentor’s test Nash Academy sent me a document declaring that I am a certified pet stylist.

We offer different services, some of which are packaged together to make them more affordable. Such services include: Bathing, brushing, de-matting, nail buffing, nail trimming, dental, ear cleaning/plucking, gland expression, breed specific haircuts, hand scissoring, hair coloring, nail polish, trimming, special request cuts, complimentary bow or bandana and cologne/perfume, shed-less treatments, flea treatments, puppy services,
Products includes: Cologne/perfume, CBD, leashes, collars, bows, bandanas, harnesses, brushes, combs, and t-shirts.

For clients, we treat hotspots, skin conditions, and minor wounds. We have brought growths, cysts and developing cataracts to the attention of our clients. We have also done research for treatment for cataracts for a couple of our clients. We always carry Vetericyn in order to treat hotspots, skin irritation, wounds, etc. For those that have lost a fur baby, we have searched for the same breed and color in order to heal the whole those missing pawprints have left in their heart. We also carry business cards of trainers to assist the clients with dog behavioral needs.

I am most proud of my achievements of being honored as the 2019 Woman of Empowerment, being accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and building a business that I am proud of.

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

Word of mouth has been the number one source of new clients. As someone is satisfied with their service, they recommend us to their friends. One of our clients actually put us on the Nextdoor app, helping us gain more clients. Instagram, Facebook, and Google have also been good sources for clients in finding us.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The main thing is treating everyone how you want to be treated. We respect everyone here and are open with each other. I lead by example as it all starts at the top.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pomchipawsgrooming.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/pomchipawsgrooming
• Facebook: facebook.com/pomchipawsgrooming