We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tosha Long a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tosha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
Creating an inclusive workplace is essential to our companies success. When each person feels comfortable being their true self and enables them to focus fully on their work, bringing a sense of purpose and authenticity that uplifts team morale and enhances the quality of what we do together.
In our field, where we devote ourselves to advocating for animals,- who lack their own voice- it feels only right to also uplift the voices of those who dedicate themselves to this cause. Everyone who chooses to work in this industry, brings unique value and deserves to feel respected and supported.
However, it’s common in trade industries for experienced professionals to hesitate at sharing their expertise, viewing newcomers as potential competition. This can be especially true when someone’s lifestyle, beliefs or behaviors are very different from our own. This outlook can unintentionally limit the growth and innovation of our workforce discouraging those just beginning their journey. By choosing instead to mentor and share knowledge, compassion and understanding openly we build a stronger more resilient community, inspiring everyone to rise to new challenges and excel in ways that benefit all. Let’s continue to foster an environment where experience meets curiosity, creating pathways for growth, achievement, and the thriving future of our industry .
Tosha, 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?
My name is Tosha Long. I live in Grand Junction Colorado. I have been in Colorado for about 20 years. I came from the four corners area in New Mexico. I am the mom of a 21 year old son, and a 6 year old Standard Poodle
In 2010 I began bathing dogs for my pet groomer. I did that for about two years and when I decided I was ready to learn how to advance at grooming I couldn’t find anyone to teach me. My boss was happy to keep me as her helper but refused to share her skills so that I could complete the task independently. I decided to move on.
In 2012 I interned at a local grooming school to help pay for my tuition. When it was time to start training to be a groomer, the business shut down, I left grooming school without knowing how to groom. What I did know was that I could do the same job better than anyone I had previously worked for, and this gave me the drive to do it for myself.
I started my first dog grooming salon in 2014 where I employed experienced professionals and learned the trade from watching them. I opened my second dog grooming salon in 2015 about 15 miles away from my first salon. We offered dog grooming Tuesday through Saturday and groomed cats on Mondays. When my cat grooming started to grow rapidly I decided to open my third location in 2017, a feline only boarding and grooming facility. With the ever growing need for expanded services, and no good options to refer my clients to, in 2018 I decided to expand my services and opened my forth location offering canine and feline grooming, training, doggy daycare and boarding facility.
My dedication and passion for providing exceptional care for pets continues daily with my commitment to bring quality training and resources to new professionals with an interest for working in the animal care industry.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
#funnynotfunny
I wasn’t exactly born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I didn’t grow up with family money, and, trust me, there’s no trust fund lurking around here. I’m a one person, financial powerhouse no wealthy partner footing the bills or bailing me out of bad business decisions!
I started my first business with just a $3000 tax return and a $5000 personal loan. Business number two? Funded entirely by maxed-out credit cards and bank loans. And when it came time to open other locations, I went to our local business incubator where they decide who gets funded based on your work ethic, hustle, and industry time- not the size of your wallet.
At one point my credit card payments were higher than the income I was taking home. In 2020 I decided it was time to tackle that mountain of debt once and for all. My commitment to staying the course, reinvesting profits, and aiming for growth has been what has allowed me to live a debt-free life .
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Over the last decade, I’ve racked up a pair of lifetime achievement awards in “Biggest Mistakes Ever.” These awards even come with names—but let’s just say they’re both best left unmentioned (they know who they are). Imagine failed business partners, each proudly waving enough red flags to stage their own disastrous circus parade. Word of advice? Vet your partners like you’re on a dating show where the winner has to stick around longer than most people’s “forever.”
Honestly, if I could issue a “please submit psychiatric evaluation” requirement for any potential partner, I would. Pro tip: running a business involves a *lot* of work—who knew, right? Finding someone competent, let alone motivated enough to show up every day, is like winning the lottery without buying a ticket. My first bad partnership involved someone I’ll generously call a “professional” who seemed allergic to the idea of actual work. She quit the job six times in eight months, a level of consistency I can only describe as groundbreaking. After a marathon of legal bills and stress that could fuel a reality show, I finally emerged with my business—oh, and those shiny lawyer fees.
The second epic misstep? Starting a business with my then-boyfriend, who, spoiler alert, was more “then” than “boyfriend” by the end of it. He was a professional student in business school, which, fun fact, is nothing like actually *running* a business. Turns out, our relationship didn’t survive the “real-world application” phase, and I was left yet again, holding the buyout bill.
So, while I dodged the college-debt bullet, my degree from the School of Hard Knocks has come with a pretty pricey tuition of its own.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dogdynastygj.com
- Instagram: dogdynastythedowntowncat
- Facebook: Dog Dynasty
