Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Swanson.
I’ve had pets, especially dogs, all my life. The unconditional love and acceptance that dogs give holds a special place in my heart. As a young 13 year old in the 80’s era, the passion and what came naturally blossomed within me while training our family dog and many others that I was honored to share my life with thereafter. Fast forward to 2007, while living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a friend of mine encouraged me to start my own training business to help her boss’ dogs, after they went through many other trainers unsuccessfully. The countless positive feedback from my neighbors, friends, and family members after helping them with positive reinforcement training techniques that “actually worked” and “was so easy to apply to their every day life” was enough to decide the time was right! So, I took the faithful leap of opening my training business while my son was only eight years old and my daughter was seven, married, and working a full-time office job, that I kept doing while building my training business on the side. After opening my dog training business, my neighbor’s boss was extremely happy with my approach and techniques, that her boss, my neighbors, and friends started to enthusiastically refer me and my business grew over the years that lead me to do my passion 12 years and counting!
I earned certification through a dog training program, was a frequent contributor on WZZM 13 Take Five & Company morning show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and wrote over 300 blogs on a professional networking site, providing invaluable information for pet owners. 12 years later, 99% referral base, and many clientele that turned into personal friends of mine, I decided to shut everything down in Michigan, move to Phoenix, and restart my dog training business here!
So, here I go again! The support, encouragement, and optimism of my clientele, friends, and family from back home is enough to believe that Phoenix’s pet-friendly community is going to be just as amazing as Grand Rapids was!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
While starting my business with two young children, a marriage, and working a full-time office job, the challenges were forefront, time was limited, and I was being stretched thin. I had to decide what was important, who came first, and how to balance my passion for doing what I loved, without compromising my families needs.
I worked long hours between my full-time office job, building my own business and brand, and being a mom. I had to accept that I may lose a client or two over putting the needs of my family first and not allow it to become a weakness in my thought process of how I was managing and growing my business.
My advice and successful “key” was to surround myself with supportive friends and family cheering me on, not judging my decisions. As well as being organized, managing my time effectively, and believing in myself with an “I got this” attitude while knowing that if I lose a client over my family’s needs, that it was not the end-all for my business.
My training techniques are simplified for time management, ease, and everyday living situations. My clients appreciate that they can benefit from one appointment from the majority of my packages offered and that multiple training sessions for six to eight weeks is not required to achieve successful results.
I am most proud that I have built a positive reinforcement training program that helps my clientele to focus on providing calmness, patience, and consistency which in turn will achieve a very stable, rewarding, and understanding relationship between pet-parent and their fur baby!
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Many!
There are so many inspiring women everywhere around me. My mom and sister, seeing their life-altering moments and the amazing woman they have become by not allowing certain events in their life define their path in a negative way, but instead, made them remarkable ladies that I look up to every day. My girlfriends, which many have incredible stories of starting up their own businesses, and defining the term Bossbabe in a positive light! I get to work with one such Bossbabe in the heart of Phoenix. She is the owner of PerPetual Love Pet Sitting which has given me an opportunity to spread my wings further in my passion of working with animals along with my dog training business. These women, that I share my life with, are my strongest mentors, my angels, and my daily inspiration! But, even complete strangers have influenced me in a way I would never have thought.
I just look around and see all of these wonderful women that are working hard to provide for themselves or their family, just like myself. Being surrounded by these kind, giving, positive, strong, encouraging, and inspiring females, that may have their own defining moment or life-altering story and I look at their beautiful face and that alone inspires me every day, just knowing, there is a story inside of them of triumph!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.goodlittledog.com
- Phone: 616-260-1686
- Email: woof@goodlittledog.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodlittledog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodlittledog/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/goodlittledog
Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
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