We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deanna Hanson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Deanna, thanks for joining us today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?

Well, for starters, Covid gave me the kick I needed to creating up my own business. So in a weird sense, Covid actually gave me my career.

But as far as my business goes, it’s created a more one on one dynamic between my clients and me. There’s more personal connections. More heart to hearts. More trust.

Most grooming salons are fast-paced, high-volume, and high-stress. And if you’ve ever brought your dog into one on a busy day, sometimes you don’t even get to see your groomer, assuming you even have the same one from last time.

That’s why taking one household in at a time, for grooming or boarding, is so important to me. It creates a stronger bond between the clients and me. It also grants me enough time to properly sanitize and disinfect the areas in between each groom, and guest.

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?

I started back when I was almost 18 at PetSmart as a bather. Then, I became a groomer about 2 years later. I went into this job thinking “oh, I get to hang with dogs all day and make a living? EASY”. No one told me what I was really in for.

Sure, you get to spend time with cute pups, but there’s a lot of variables that affect the course of the day. Constant phones ringing. Clients walking in and out, and triggering the bells on the door that made the dogs jump to attention. Other dogs barking and screaming the entire time, which distract the dogs on. Having to stop the dog you’re working on your table. Having to put away the dog you’re working on, to check in a new customer, or hand a dog out for pick-up. Kennel aggressive dogs that refused to come out if their cage without a fight. Etc.

These things not only caused so much stress, but also put everyone behind. And timing was always such an important factor. Dogs could not stay there longer then their 3/4 hour promise time. Realistically, you see that number, and think we have more then enough time to finish a dog. I AGREE! MORE then enough time, if we only focused on that dog, and that dog alone. Not stopping to answer phone calls, or put our dog away to help another person with a dog that keeps lunging at her hand while they’re grooming him. Or to rewash a dog that was all ready, with the owners in the lobby, because the dog decided to poop and dance in it, making a masterpiece all over the kennel and himself.

I KNEW I loved dogs and grooming. But I hated the environment I worked in. Everyday there, was another day gone from me starting my own business, like I had wanted to do since I became a groomer. I knew I could become a better groomer on my own, with giving myself full dedication to the dogs in my care, instead of the other distractions in the salon. Just like I knew, getting out of the salon would also be better for the dogs I’m working on. They would be cage-free, with no other aggressive dogs around, or having me stop to answer a phone call, or check in/give out a customers dog. When Covid hit, I didn’t know it yet, but that was a blessing in disguise.

Once I left PetSmart, I didn’t want to fall into a mobile grooming van, or another salon. I knew it works be the same sitter of situation. I knew it would be risky, but I wanted to start from my house. After working in a busy grooming salon, and helping out in mobile vans, I decided to step away from that grooming style. It enforces stress and anxiety with the dogs being groomed.

On one hand, they have a salon with multiple animals barking and yelling, phones ringing, people walking in and out, loud noises, etc. On the other hand, they have a small, enclosed space where everything echoes off the walls in the van, and makes the dog feel trapped, which promotes nervousness. Not to mention, it’s also super tight for the groomer and dog to move around.

That’s why I decided to start my own business in the comfort of my home. I groom on my patio that overlooks the lake. They have plenty of space to roam around, no extra noises, and they feel more comfortable here. It’s literally night and day with the behaviors! And since I also provide pet-care and boarding services, what better place to be then? It’s a home away from home for them.

I offer almost any service you can think of when it comes to grooming. Main packages are Baths, FURminator Baths, Full Service Grooms, Full Body Haircuts, FURminator Haircuts. I offer additional services that are added onto the main package you chose, like upgraded moisturizing shampoo/conditioner, nails filing, teeth brushing and breath spray,, ear plucking and cleaning, nail polish, chalking for hair dye, paw/nose lotion. Each main package comes with optional bandana/bow and cologne/perfume.

I do also provide stand alone services, which means you can book an appointment JUST for nails if you see their getting to long and don’t want to wait for their next grooming. You can come JUST for ears, for teeth, for brushing, so on and so forth!

I believe what sets me apart from the other groomers/pet-care facilities, is that I offer a one on one bonding experience. I never blend separate households, for safety and health concerns. And I also have a complete water filtration system for my entire home. So your pups are getting the absolute BEST quality water during their baths, and for drinking.

For more information about me, my work, my products, my services, or my water filtration system, go visit https://www.instagram.com/rufftofluff_llc

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Oh my….. I could share a few! But perhaps the most important one (that still happens to occur today) is my mom.

Unfortunately, my mother is not doing well at all, health wise. She’s fighting emphysema, clinical depression, anxiety, rapid dementia, and most recently, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has a nurse everyday, she’s stuck to a hospital bed with oxygen in her living room, and she’s on VITAS. For those who aren’t familiar with VITAS, they are a hospice care organization.

I lost my dad due to cancer when I was just 11. He was diagnosed when I was 8, with tongue cancer. Part of the surgery required to cut some of his tongue off, but during surgery they cut too much off and made his tongue paralyzed. He was unable to talk, to eat, or to drink anything for almost three years before he passed. I watched him wither away to nothing, and suffer everyday before he left this world. At that point, I was very young and didn’t know anything about what was going on because it was “grown up stuff” my family didn’t want to tell me, in order to spare my feelings. But the impact was still there. I still saw the transformation and pain he went through. It scarred me for life, and watching him deteriorate like that killed me everyday. So now, I have to relive all of that all over again with my mom.

It’s become a challenge in my business, because sometimes an emergency will occur, (her blood pressure is too high, her lips are turning blue, her oxygen is below 80, the nurses can’t be there or are late, etc) and I’m forced to cancel any appointments to run over there and be with her.

THANKFULLY, I have THE MOST amazing, supportive, and understanding clients out there. Some who have even, unfortunately, gone through this themselves. So they are entirely sympathetic to my situation, and give me nothing but their love and prayers.

It’s hard sometimes because I have to constantly switch and fight between being a responsible business owner that takes care of her clients and makes a living, or a concerned daughter who needs to make the most with the one parent she has left. It’s a very slippery slope, and it may seem obvious to some, but there are some clients who just don’t understand, and believe I’m being unprofessional, and that hurts my business. Of course, I agree with the last-minute cancellations as being unprofessional, but there’s only so much I can do in emergencies like those.

However, I always do everything in my power to make it up to any parties involved. My number one goal as a business owner is complete honesty, and transparency with my clients.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Honestly, marketing marketing marketing!

Not all marketing needs to be advertisements, flyers, business cards, and pamphlets. In this generation, as we all know, phones are the widest used and most effective tool in any situation!

I have multiple platforms to self promote myself, like Instagram (main platform) Facebook, and Nextdoor. The most effective strategy has been creating trending reels and interactive posts on Instagram. It helps with engagement, and it makes the viewer feel more apart of my business.

I give out my business cards to clients, housing offices, and certain local businesses.

But truly, I believe the MOST effective strategy, is connecting with your audience and clients on a deeper level. Allow them to see the real you, and be a friend to them. There’s no better way to establish a bond with something, then trust and honesty. Because from there, word of mouth is the GREATEST tool.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/rufftofluff_llc
• Instagram: @rufftofluff_llc
• Facebook: Ruff to Fluff
• Other: Email: [email protected]