Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Liana Burgoyne. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Liana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
My dog training business, while often sought out for obedience and behavior modification in Washington, DC, also specializes in canine fitness. We use bodyweight exercises and balance equipment to strengthen muscles, prevent injury, prevent chronic disease, reduce anxiety, and increase quality of life for dogs all over the world. We offer virtual private lessons so your dog can get fit from the convenience of your own home with little to no equipment. My own dog, Puff, has transformed as a result of canine fitness. She developed severe thunderstorm anxiety later in life, while she was dealing with weight gain and other health problems. After we committed to canine fitness, she is a new dog physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a kid, we had a family dog that I trained for fun, just a few tricks here and there. In college, I got my first pet of my own, a cat. I was determined to make this cat like me because, historically, they didn’t. I researched and found some training ideas to build rapport, started training my cat like you might a dog, and from there decided that training animals was fun. Curious to see if this was a career option for me, I researched how to become an animal trainer, which led me to a dog training apprenticeship in my area at the time. After working with my mentor, I became certified as a professional dog trainer. My business focuses on positive reinforcement, evidence-based practices, and building trust between dog and human handler. I’m most proud of our brand authenticity, being unapologetically our silly selves while staying up-to-date on the latest field research. We never pretend to know everything, but we know a lot. In my almost 10 years of professional experience, I’ve never met a dog I couldn’t help. Specializing in canine fitness has helped many of these dogs while merging my two biggest passions, dogs and fitness.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
I had been training dogs on the side for a long time. My previous career was in insurance. As I continued to serve dog training clients with success and a more lucrative hourly wage, I felt that my fulltime job was a waste of time. My fulltime job had a salary, work from home benefits, security, and health insurance. I couldn’t shake the idea that 40-50 hours a week could have been spent making more money per hour while being my own boss. I talked about making the switch for a long time, boring and bothering my friends during our nights out. They kept saying, “Are you looking for someone to tell you to do it? Because it’s obvious you want to do it.” It became clear that I was scared, but I’ve betted on myself my whole life, and it always worked out. Knowing that the worst that could happen was I might fail and need to get another job, it seemed safe enough to take the risk. Once I quit my fulltime job, I spent a few weeks deep cleaning my apartment and freaking out. My good friend, Bianca Russo, gave me an unforgettable pep talk that changed everything. She helped me enable my website to accept appointments for virtual consultations, and my confidence was back. It was a milestone that I’ll never forget. I owe her so much, and it made me realize that mindset really is everything.
n/a
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lianafit.com
- Instagram: @lianafit
Image Credits
gtharper photos, carlettathegreat