We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Parayno recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think in order to be successful, you have to first know what your version of “success” looks like. What does that success feel like? Without knowing how you define success, it’s hard to measure whether you’ve reached it or not.

The way success looks and feels to me isn’t the same way it looks and feels to many of the people around me, and because of that, the steps needed to become successful is really dependent on what success looks like to YOU.

I think to be successful, you have to first uncover what you want to do and what your end goal looks like. You then look at that goal and figure out what steps you need to take to get there, and then break THOSE steps into even smaller, bite-size steps. All the small things that you do and even don’t do, contribute to the bigger picture. You have to be patient, focused, and committed to your goal. You have to be willing to swap 9-5 for 24/7 or work on building your business while still working for someone else. You might even pass on vacations or trips, or postpone starting a family or getting married because it’s not financially feasible yet.

To be successful in the way that I want, it’s also about hearing the people who love you tell you to get a “job job” for security, benefits, and stability, knowing where they’re coming from, while still reminding yourself that no one else is on the same path that you are on.

There will be moments of weakness, of insecurity, anxiety, self-doubt, and even imposter syndrome.

But if you want to be successful, I think that when you’re pursuing your passions, the most important thing is to remember WHAT you want and WHY you want it, and to never let that go.

Nicole, 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?

I think in order to be successful, you have to first know what your version of “success” looks like. What does that success feel like? Without knowing how you define success, it’s hard to measure whether you’ve reached it or not.

The way success looks and feels to me isn’t the same way it looks and feels to many of the people around me, and because of that, the steps needed to become successful is really dependent on what success looks like to YOU.

I think to be successful, you have to first uncover what you want to do and what your end goal looks like. You then look at that goal and figure out what steps you need to take to get there, and then break THOSE steps into even smaller, bite-size steps. All the small things that you do and even don’t do, contribute to the bigger picture. You have to be patient, focused, and committed to your goal. You have to be willing to swap 9-5 for 24/7 or work on building your business while still working for someone else. You might even pass on vacations or trips, or postpone starting a family or getting married because it’s not financially feasible yet.

To be successful in the way that I want, it’s also about hearing the people who love you tell you to get a “job job” for security, benefits, and stability, knowing where they’re coming from, while still reminding yourself that no one else is on the same path that you are on.

There will be moments of weakness, of insecurity, anxiety, self-doubt, and even imposter syndrome.

But if you want to be successful, I think that when you’re pursuing your passions, the most important thing is to remember WHAT you want and WHY you want it, and to never let that go.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One big lesson I had to learn was that while I may not be the right trainer for every person, it’s also true that not every person is the right client for me.

I used to say “yes” to everyone.

I’ve worked with many clients that I knew were not the right fit for me. Our expectations differed, they wouldn’t uphold their end of the training, some were even disrespectful while training. I would smile and do my best to provide clarity, break down demonstrations, and try to figure out ways to get them on the right track. I thought, ‘I just need them to SEE. To understand.” But the problem was, some clients didn’t want answers, they wanted results without doing the work (in themselves or with their dog).

And at the end of the sessions, when I returned to my car or when the call ended, sometimes I would cry.

I would feel frustrated with their lack of commitment, hurt by their words, angry at their stinging comments toward their dogs, and stuck with clients who refused to step up and be what their dog needs to succeed. I could see the potential in all of these dogs and yet their owners could not. It was THERE but only I could see it.

And at the end of the day, we just didn’t see eye to eye.

I had to learn to let clients go. I learned that as much as I wanted to help, as much as I knew I could help the dog, I couldn’t help the owner if the owner wasn’t on the same page.

I’ve since learned to lay down the non-negotiables and let future clients know what to expect from me and what I expect from them.

I’ve learned to say “no” when I knew this wouldn’t work, and I’ve learned to let go of those who aren’t doing their part or taking lessons seriously.

When working with clients and their dogs, I’m building a relationship with them. And just like friendships and romantic relationships don’t always work out, the same goes in business.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The most recent business pivot I went through was at the start of Covid. I know I’m not the only one who had to change the way I managed my business, but it was just me and my business. I went to people’s homes to train them and their dogs! What was I supposed to do now that I we all needed to quarantine?

I had done phone consultations and virtual training sessions prior to Covid, but it wasn’t something I regularly offered –it was just something I would set up for those that really wanted to learn but they were living in a different state.

I wasn’t sure if this would work. I didn’t think that people would want to book a session through Zoom, but I received plenty of encouragement from loved ones, so I decided to test the waters and give it a shot.

Once I announced that I was offering virtual sessions/consultations and not only did some of my current in-person clients book these sessions but it allowed me to really expand my reach and help people outside of my immediate area.

To this day I still offer these options to clients, whether they’re in the area or not and I don’t plan on stopping!

Contact Info:

• Website: pupscoutsdogtraining.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pupscoutsdogtraining
• Facebook: facebook.com/pupscoutsdogtraining
• Linkedin: Nicole Parayno
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pupscoutsdogtraining
• Yelp: PupScoutsDo
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pupscoutsdogtraining?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc