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

Laura, appreciate you joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

It was 2016. I was working at a grooming shop in the heart of Hollywood in Los Angeles and I really wanted to start a business of my own. I wasn’t happy where I was working anymore and felt as if I outgrew it. I was struggling with the idea of how to make it happen since I know I needed a nice chunk of money to rent a commercial space in LA and that I would most likely be tied down to a 3-5 year lease (which I did not want). I would come home after work everyday to my 1 bedroom guest house bungalow in Van Nuys, CA and work on my business plan. Along the process, the idea of mobile grooming occurred to me. This would allow me not to be tied down and the overhead / start up cost would be much lower. I wrote down everything that I had imagined in my head about my dream business everyday until I completed the business plan. I also started to pick up an extra dog/cat at every shift at work to be able to save more money and in turn make the transition feasible.

At the end of the year I attended a self development seminar for a weekend. This seminar is called Landmark Forum. It helped me develop perspective and my mindset. I was also surrounded by big time entrepreneurs and I studied their thought process. I also was able to get advice from them.

This all put me on the fast track of making my vision reality.

In January 2017 I registered Pawz & All with the county of Los Angeles and started to look for my first van. The day I registered my business a grey cat followed me all the way back to my car just confirming to me that I was on the right track.

In February 2017 I was double guessing myself so I started taking makeup classes to switch over careers as a makeup artist.

I still kept looking for vans and found one that caught my interest. I put in the application for the loan with my bank because why not?

During this time, I accepted my part time job as a make up artist while fighting with the banks and underwriters to push my loan through. The makeup artist career started to look promising but the first week of working as a makeup artist, the heavens intervened, and I got the call that my loan got approved. I found myself at crossroads but I knew that I had to stay true to the vision and what I had already started.

So by June 2017- I hit the mean streets of Los Angeles as a brand new mobile groomer entrepreneur in my 2006 Ford E-350.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Since I was born I have been an animal lover and have felt a strong connection towards them. When I was old enough to work I applied at PetCo and went in everyday to ask for a job until they finally hired me as a cashier. At the time, I was 17 and did not know what a grooming salon was or that animals got groomed. I would see dogs and cats go into a separate section at Petco and was very curious about it. On my second week of work I mustered up the courage to go inside the grooming salon and right there and then I knew that is where I wanted to be.

I called the store manager immediately and asked him if I could please be switched over to a bather position. In a blink of an eye, my title changed from a cashier to a grooming salon assistant/ bather. At the time, I was going to college to get a Bachelors in Marketing and Advertising. I would go to college 9-1 am and then go to work at PetCo from 2-9pm. After a year as a bather, I was accepted into the grooming apprenticeship program. I trained for 5 months and was certified as a professional groomer.

In the mist of training and being a groomer, I would always talk about having my own grooming business one day. My manager and trainer would always tell me that I would make it happen because she saw that I had an entrepreneurial spirit.
After 3 years of working at PetCo and going to college, I finally graduated. Upon graduation, I wanted to chase the corporate life. I was tired of being in a smock, covered in animal fur, and smelling like dogs. I wanted the glitz and the glamour of sitting in a cozy cubicle and dressing up for work everyday (or so I thought).

Upon my farewell, my manager and trainer asked if I wanted to take a position as a store manager of another PetCo in to which I declined for the offer I received at a new corporate job in a magazine publishing company. I remember her specifically looking at me and saying ” You’ll be back” in which I giggled and replied- I don’t think so & boy was she right.

I worked Corporate America for 5 years and I have never felt the most lost and empty in my life. During this time, I started acting classes to alleviate some of these feelings and be able to get a creative outlet. I even moved cross country from Florida to California in hopes of finding myself and taking a chance in the entertainment industry. I still felt lost and empty. Then, I stopped and asked myself- when was the last time I was the happiest? It hit me. The last time I was the happiest was when I was working with animals.

Thats the moment I dropped everything. I put my degree aside and decided to go back to PetCo. It was a huge hit to my ego. It felt like I took 3 steps backwards but in reality I was stepping back to take a huge leap forward. Soon there after I landed job as a groomer in a prestigious salon in Hollywood California where I was able to work among side very talented groomers and groom celebrity pets.

I then thought to myself, why don’t I put my marketing degree to use and create a business for myself? So that is exactly what I did. I planned it out for about 6 months and launched it. It was a huge success but don’t get me wrong, it came with a lot of struggle, learning curves, and headaches. The first year was the hardest but I pulled through and was able to create a strong base of clientele in the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley. I also started a Youtube channel and showcased my work on Instagram and Facebook. This gave me a platform on which I was able to express my creativity and put my acting skills to use.

Fast forward to today, I train people from the ground up to become groomers. I currently have two amazing employees, a strong and thriving clientele all throughout the greater Orlando area, a growing Youtube channel, and I also have an online course to help anyone seeking to launch a mobile grooming business of their own.

I was able to merge my 3 passions together- pet grooming, marketing, and acting. I have created a business that allows clients to book an appointment to have their pets groomed at their doorstep. It is a luxury all inclusive grooming service. Our unique services include: massages for canine and felines, toothbrushing, blueberry facials, and even paw pad treatments. We use top of the line products from shampoos to leave in conditioners. We work one on one with each and every pet, keeping profiles on each unique cut, and grooming them in a way that is flattering to their body type and best for their type of lifestyle. This career is not just a job but a passion. Our furry clients are not just dogs and cats but our friends that we see on a regular basis and ones that we get to know individually. We put so much detail, time, and energy to make them feel comfortable and make them look and feel their best.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Gary Vee said it best.

“Document. Don’t create.”

Some people are so caught up on creating a perfect piece of content and put so much pressure on themselves to put together a very creative video/ picture etc but there is so much power in just simply documenting your journey, sharing your story, forgetting about perfectionism (at the end of the day people appreciate the raw and real), and simply showing up as your true authentic self.

Consistency is key. I would go home everyday after work and sit on my couch and post! You can be a genius at what you do but if you keep it hidden and do not share it with the world -no one will know.

Stop with the self criticism, the double guessing, and the not good enough mentality. You have no idea who is watching and who you are inspiring. If you share knowledge and give value to your viewers you will create a community of die hard fans and will be paid back ten times fold.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Self expression.

As humans, I feel that we crave two things:

Self expression and acceptance.

I have been able to achieve both in this creative journey.

The pet owner’s faces when I give their pets a huge transformation and give them a stylish cut makes my whole day.

I have seen happy tears, jaw drops, and even have been given hugs because of the work my team and I put in and to get that reaction from the creative work we do- is priceless.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pawzandall,.com
• Instagram: pawzandall
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PawzAll
• Other: Tiktok: Pawzandall