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

Noelle , appreciate you joining us today. The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

The best boss I ever had was a bit unorthodox in his approach. Truthfully, he wasn’t all that great at the people management part, but I loved working for him. In my opinion, he was a great business owner. He was a hard worker and his dedication to working in and on his business resulted in the development of a deep respect for him. I have always worked for small businesses, this just being the first of many, but I have never worked for another business owner who was so dedicated not only to the success of the business, but also the success of those working for him. I will never forget the time he bestowed upon me the largest project I had ever worked on up to that point, followed by a “is this going to be a problem” comment. I will never forget that, because in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to succeed to prove to him that I in fact could handle anything he gave me. While his management style could be described as tough love and was a bit questionable at times, for me, it was very effective. There was pressure to perform at a high standard but there was also reward in doing so, monetarily, but also in knowing that I was contributing to the success of what he was building. I was sometimes included in parts of the business that weren’t in my job description but that inclusion made me feel as though my opinion was valued and respected and that went a very long way in feeling like I was more than just an employee. Employees do the job you pay them to do, but when someone feels appreciated, valued, and important, I think they are more likely to achieve much more.

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

I am a dog mom turned dog trainer and now small business owner. What started off as a part time hobby developed into a career, and in January 2023, I made the leap from part time contractor to opening a 10,000 square foot training center. We offer dog sport and behavior training for all stages of dog’s lives, from puppyhood to senior and everything in between. Our training approach is science based and our emphasis on positive reinforcement provides practical solutions while also focusing on enhancing the relationships we have with our dogs. Our mission is to provide more than just training; We are building an inclusive community of dog parents and trainers, looking to enrich the lives of our dogs.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I would love to be able to say that I finished my business plan and secured a business loan through the bank, which was the original plan, but with a tight timeframe of two months to open, I had to find an alternate solution for financing. Luckily my husband and I had previously secured a personal line of credit which had enough funds available to cover the start-up costs. This ended up saving us a lot of time since our ability to immediately access the funds meant we did not have any delays in regards to financially securing our leased space or ordering the equipment and flooring needed to hit our opening deadline. I have also been very fortunate that my husband was able and willing to financially support our household while I opened the business. With interest rates creeping up I decided that paying off the loan was a priority in year one and as we head into the start of our eighteenth month since opening day, I am pleased to say that the loan is paid in full and we are now focused on funding improvements.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Owning a dog training business was never the plan, but to be honest, I didn’t really have a plan. I was introduced to dog training in 2014 when I rescued a fear reactive Pitbull and went looking for help in addressing her behavior challenges. It would end up taking years to modify her world view to something positive, and ironically, training wasn’t the secret to success for her, however we did find a love for the sport of dog Agility. A year into training, our trainer at the time offered me an opportunity to start working with students, and my background as a Figure Skating coach made the jump to working with dog owners feel like a mere step in a different direction. Loving the idea of getting more involved and working with dogs, I took her up on the offer and started teaching classes part time. By the end of 2015 I was feeling restless and burned out in my day job, so after spending 10 years working full time as an Interior Designer and Project Manager, I quit. A friend convinced me to pick up some part time work at a dog daycare which provided me with valuable experience and an understanding of dog behavior, body language, and social interactions. I started picking up additional classes at the training center, teaching not only Agility but Puppy, Obedience, and Tricks classes as well, I was headed down a road that would ultimately lead to my future. By 2020, following closures from COVID, I started to realize that dog training was something I was passionate about and wanted to pursue more intentionally. Over the next couple of years, I focused more on marketing and building a brand, booking any available class spots I could. During that time the business I was working for was also undergoing some changes, which by 2022 ultimately resulted in the decision to open a training center and work full time as a dog trainer and business owner. Looking back, I feel as though all the small things have led me to this point but almost as if by pure happenstance. I would love to say that this was always the dream and every decision was intended to get me closer to achieving this ultimate goal but that would only be partly true. The reality is that I found something I am passionate about and with opportunity, hard work, and probably a bit of luck, I was able to take something that started off as a fun side job and build something that I am truly proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://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