Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Wade

Hi Katie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I moved to Philadelphia from the Pocono Mountains after highschool in 2010. I always assumed I would work with animals or the environment in one capacity or the other. During college I worked three jobs to support myself and ended up being a nanny for about six and a half years! During this time I became motivated and determined to create a occupation for myself that would set me up for the life I’ve always wanted to live. I went on to create BarkPark Philly LLC, where we offer urban dogs a true canine experience through dog daycare, boarding, training, and grooming. Just two years ago I became certified in Dog Training and have since expanded my knowledge of dogs! We are now working on a physical expansion, hoping to offer a gym like space for our members to bring their dogs that is shielded by bad weather and irresponsible dog owners. I am quite excited!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

As they say, “difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations” my path was not a walk in the park. Working through the beginning steps of opening our business was a challenge. Many people did not believe in our vision, as if being a startup wasn’t hard enough; finding financing and pitching our product to potential investors was daunting. Being that our company is minority run, it was difficult accepting that the very people I was depending on to buy into our vision, wouldn’t even look at me when I spoke. Being a woman in any space can have it’s challenges, but starting a business took the cake for me!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

While I consider myself a true entrepreneur, I have learned to think of myself as an artist too. As I have aged into my thirties I’ve re-discovered where my passion really lies. I love dog training, and advocating for dogs through my social media pages but I also love to dance. Recently, I’ve started to mold my passions together and started training my own dog to participate in my dance routines. I am just so excited about the progress we’ve made and how far my little Chihuahua, Roo has made. While many dog trainers train for tricks, I pride myself of finding moves and cues the dog thoroughly enjoys which makes training so much more fun!

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?

A strong work ethic has always been the backbone to my success. I have never been satisfied with “just enough” and always find myself striving for something to truly feel proud about. While I am so proud of the progress we have made in my business, I am not done yet! I am so excited for the future and look forward to offering so many fun services to my clients (and their dogs!)

Pricing:

• Virtual Dog Training- $40/hour
• In person Dog Training- $50/hour
• Dog Daycare Training Add on- $35

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.BarkParkPhilly.com
• Instagram: @Ms.KatieTrains_Dogs
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/barkparkphilly
• Other: @BarkParkPhilly – Company Handle