Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Noelle Saladin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Noelle, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

As of 2021 I had been running my part-time training business for about 5 years, but was operating as an independent contractor working for another training facility. I had realized that this was not only the career I wanted to pursue but also my passion, so I started making plans for the future. In early 2022 I transitioned my DBA to an LLC, started drafting a business plan, ramped up marketing, and began taking a look at the commercial real estate market. It was a great year; I increased brand recognition, brought in new clients, started renting a second space for additional classes, added new services, and started forming a team. Even with all of the progress made, I was in no hurry to make a change and figured I would spend another one and a half to two years preparing to venture out on my own. Only 2 months from year end I received news that the current owner of the training facility was cancelling her lease early and I would be without a training space as of January 1st, I had a big decision to make; abandon everything I had started building, try to negotiate an agreement with another facility, or set out on my own. Any doubt or fear that was holding me back was gone, I knew in that moment that I was not willing to lose everything and I didn’t want to limit myself or my business under the umbrella of what someone else had built, it was time to take the leap. I started reaching out about available spaces but nothing was a great fit; luckily the landlords for the space I had been using were happy to negotiate a lease that provided me with a lot of flexibility as a small business. With only two months until my lease started, I rushed to order flooring and new equipment, with lead times of 8 weeks it was going to be tight. Since I had not completed my business plan and secured financing, we had to personally finance the expansion. So even though my husband was not legally involved in the business, the financial risk was shared. We took over the space on January 2nd and immediately began the arduous task of renovating the 10,000 square foot space. Three weeks of power washing, construction, painting, and laying almost 23,000 pounds of rubber floor, we opened January 23rd of 2023. I went from being a sole owner/operator with 50 students to a team of 7 with over 150 registrations by the end of our first month of business. We are now in month 5 and business is going strong with consistently positive feedback from clients about our facility, staff, and service. My days are often long and busy, but while I occasionally miss a more predictable schedule, consistent paychecks, and pretending to work while still getting paid; I don’t miss sitting at a desk, working on a computer all day, or working to meet someone else’s goals. Being a business owner sometimes feels like one of the worst things I’ve decided to do while simultaneously being one of the best. Making the decision to venture out of my own and expand my business was scary and I still have a lot to learn, but I am excited for what the future holds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I never set out to become a dog trainer but I like to think that a series of fortunate events have led me down this path. Like many of the dog trainers I now know, my journey began after rescuing a dog with behavioral issues. Having very little experience in how to help her, I signed up for training classes and the rest is history, mostly. The agility trainer I was working with mentioned an opportunity to teach classes as she was looking for trainers to work with new students. I had 10 years of experience coaching figure skaters so transitioning my people skills to working with dog owners was a natural fit. What started off as a side job, to earn a little extra money, evolved into a passion and then a career when I decided to leave my full-time desk job after 10 years. While I initially worked primarily with Agility students early on, building my business foundation on sports training, I have since expanded my education and my team to begin providing additional training services. We now offer training for puppies, obedience skills, behavior, and other sports. This variety of services allows us to provide clients with training solutions for every stage of their dog’s life, no matter their age, breed, or individual training challenges. Unlike many of the competitors in our market, we approach training not only a practical standpoint but also ethically, employing the use of science-informed, positive reinforcement training techniques which are not only effective but kind. Our business is more than just dog training services though, the mission now goes beyond dog owners simply attending classes; we aim to foster camaraderie and support, which I believe enhances the experience our clients have with us. Our ultimate goal is to build an inclusive community of dog owners and the dogs that enrich their lives. The dog that started it all, my reactive rescue, continues to provide inspiration to the business, our students, and to myself.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the most important factor that has helped us build a good reputation in our market is the experience we provide to our clients. Dog owners come to us for a variety of reasons, but no matter what that reason is, we aim to provide the best possible overall experience to every single person from the moment they contact us. That includes a high level of responsiveness, personal attention, positive interactions with our team members, effective and fun training classes, and a sense of community. We love what we do, we love the dogs we work with, and we take pride in the services we provide. We place great importance on maintaining our facility and the equipment that we utilize, which may seem basic, but a clean space and quality equipment make a positive impression on people, adding to their overall experience. We value each and every one of our clients as their support is what makes us successful, so whether they join us for a single session or they train with us for years, we want to make sure every one of our clients feels important. People talk about experiences, good and bad, so we aim to be exceptional which means going above and beyond.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Building a presence on social media has been the most effective strategy for growing our clientele so far. While client referrals also play a large role in our business growth, we are limited by the number of clients we have, while in comparison, the internet is vast. Producing creative and engaging content can be challenging, especially on a regular basis, but not every post has to be a winner. While we are still learning to play the game of algorithms, sharing a variety of content helps us learn what our followers find interesting or valuable. Collaborating with other accounts, tagging personal or business accounts, or highlighting other businesses to encourage sharing, has been a great way to increase our reach. Being a newer business in terms of social media marketing, we sometimes just throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, which is far from the most efficient use of time, but there is plenty of growth potential as we fine tune our skills and learn how to more effectively tap into the potential of social media. While we are light years away from influencer status, utilizing social media consistently connects us with new clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.supernovadogs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supernovadogs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SUPERNOVADOGS
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGUF8fEDh5S5fGMw1zUvd1w

Image Credits
Unleashed in the Studio, Alyssa Cirocco