We recently connected with Halle Roberts and have shared our conversation below.
Halle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I come from a family full of entrepreneurs, but I never thought I would be one myself. Growing up, my parents never allowed me to have a dog, so naturally the second I turned 18 I became obsessed with finding the perfect one. Knowing absolutely nothing about dogs, save for the fact that they have four legs and a snoot, I armed myself with a laptop and started researching rescue websites. Looking back on it now, I realize I didn’t have a good idea of what I was actually looking for; I just wanted a companion and friend.
Fast forward a few years, past finding the best dog ever (Oscar), going through five different trainers for his many behavioral issues, finding a natural drive for canine communication, and getting an education in the field, I found that Oscar had far more to offer than companionship. My learning through him would continue far past the initial years of training professionally, and finally, after working under many wonderful trainers, I found that my passion for helping people build proper relationships with their dogs needed a bigger outlet.
Like most things in my life, I never set out with a full plan in mind when starting Heel House. The only goal I had was to help others by showing them what amazing doors a reformed relationship with their dog could open. I’ve always been in the headspace of letting the world work out the next steps for me – help others first and expect nothing in return. The rest would follow. As long as I was honest, put in my best effort, and lived with integrity, I knew it was going to be a good thing. I had, and still have, so much more to offer the community, and I knew if I really wanted to serve the families that came my way, I had to do so with as few parameters as possible. Big training companies have the potential to get into the trap of having assembly line, “one size fits all” training, but I find it so important to recognize that each dog and family (and the relationship that’s already in existence) are completely unique, and something that works for one may be the exact wrong approach for another.
Adopting Oscar, and the relationship that unfolded after, changed my entire perception on communication and mindful living. I was excited, and still am, to show the world why dogs truly can be man’s best friend.
Halle, 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 grew up in a small town in Heyworth, Illinois. It’s the kind of small where you go to high school with the same people you went to preschool with. Heyworth didn’t offer much in things “to do” – we had one gas station, a single blinking stop light, and a convenience store. But what it lacked in entertainment, it made it up for in animals and nature. I remember running through the creek all summer, catching tadpoles, seeing snakes and baby foxes. We woke up to deer eating the lawn, and people would ride their horses down Main Street. My love for the outdoors, and all of the wonderful creatures that came with it, grew as I grew.
When I turned 13, I started volunteering at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center, a camp for special needs children and adults, as an Equestrian Assistant. By the time I was 15, I was old enough to work there full time, living on site, caring for the horses and their riders 24/7. At TPOC I learned so much about empathy, compassion, hard work, and how to truly serve others before myself. It was invaluable experience and paved the way for me to pursue a career heavily involved with animals and people. Three years later, I adopted my first dog, and the rest is history. Oscar led me to an even brighter future than I could have ever imagined, and inspired me to be the best version of myself, no matter the circumstance. What started as a knack quickly became a full blown passion for relationship and communication. Training, without love and empathy, is just discipline. I found that love and empathy should be at the forefront of any relationship if it’s going to succeed.
Heel House offers so much more than dog training. We offer, first and foremost, people training! I always tell people that my job, while most of it is spent around animals, is really centered around education. We offer education on: Puppy Raising, Shelter-to-Home Transitioning, Separation and General Anxiety, Confidence Building and Socialization, Basic Obedience taught through Mindfulness, Leash and Barrier Reactivity, House Manners and so much more! One of our favorite avenues to train is through Boarding, but programs can range from a stay over a few weeks to daily drop offs and hour long lessons. It’s important to understand that while a dog does need to be conditioned to learn, training is really centered around relationship. Because we are two different species, we have to learn to respect, not only our differences, but also how the other operates in order to coexist effectively. I love working with the dogs, and it’s mainly why I got into this industry in the first place, but without the people being a large part of our focus, there is no job.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I actually met my business partner on Hinge, the dating app. Before we started Heel House, I was working for a different facility, managing a team and setting up their training program. When I started dating Scotty, my now husband of almost four years, my confidence was low, and I had little direction on where to take my career, except that I wanted to offer more to the community. He really helped me realize my potential as a person first, and the rest came after.
Scotty is actually the one who came up with our name, and my Aunt helped with the logo (a silhouette of Oscar). We never intended for Heel House to be more than working with a few people at a time, but when the business started becoming too much for me to handle on my own, Scotty left his career and joined me full time. I am so grateful for him, the support he’s given me, and for the way he encouraged me to believe in myself through him believing in me. And guys, let me tell you: he can train a dog!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I have to say, I love my team. I think in our line of work, there’s a really high potential for people to love their job for all the perks it has: playing with puppies, engaging and building relationship with the bigger dogs, and getting to see the rewards a well trained dog can offer (and the growth each dog has while it’s here). There’s also a large potential for this job to be a total drag: it’s extremely physical, you have to clean (A LOT) of poop, and there’s times where working with animals can be devastating, especially when dealing with the tougher cases. We don’t always get to save them all.
I’ve learned a few things:
1) Working side-by-side with my team on a regular basis not only keeps our business and it’s functioning in focus and on track, but it also shows dedication and commitment. I would never ask my team to do something I would not do myself, and often times, if I can in the moment, I just jump in and take care of what’s needed.
2) Communication is KEY. It’s important to be crystal clear about expectation, but also take the time to set up a plan to help everyone succeed. One of my favorite things we do is communicate through group chat. The whole team can see what’s going on, and review when they get in for their shift. It’s also worked out well to improve communication between team members, and everyone has a voice when a new idea or question comes up.
3) Keeping our team small, and investing in each member as an individual is HUGE. Showing someone you value them (through offering ample pay and opportunities to grow) and are in their corner can help lighten the load on the tougher days. We touch base with how everyone is doing on a personal and professional level, and we love to take in new ideas to improve our daily practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: heelhousek9.com
- Instagram: @heelhousek9
Image Credits
Lauren Turner Javier Luna