May is our anniversary month! It's been one year since we've launched! Pupwash911 owner, Jessica, set out to make a mission to provide the best care and most thorough dog grooming services available in a fun, loving, and especially stress-free environment. She loves getting to know her clients on a more personal level and helps educate dog owners the importance of dog grooming. Let’s face it - most dogs get anxious and terrified at the groomers.
While the celebration is a little different this year, we still wanted to honor this milestone by sharing some fun facts of the owner and the behind-the-scenes from the company. From the messy beginnings to being your friendly, dog loving neighborhood mobile dog groomer, you're sure to learn something new about us!
1. While working at an Environmental Lab company as a administration assistant specialist, going to dog grooming school, and planning her future mobile dog grooming business, a mobile grooming truck listing off of Craigslist caught her eye. Turns out it is a refurbished ambulance conversion! She never thought she'll be driving a big truck, let alone an ambulance. Yet on the same day she looked at it in person, bought it, and drove the big red ambulance back home! Yes, people have mistaken her truck for an actual emergency unit.
2. One of her childhood friend is a graphic designer who helped brand and design Pupwash911 from scratch. She had 3 amazing logos to choose from but narrowed it down to her top 2 logos with some help of her friends and family. She decided to go with the logo that you see today on her grooming truck. She wanted a logo that is simple and minimal. This logo is the second runner up.
3. She learned the first year of business was truly the hardest. Even now, it’s still a challenge. Her truck failed left and right, but she managed to persevere. Without any knowledge or experience of truck repairs / DIY - a very good neighbor helped and guided her. She managed to learn and got her hands dirty.
4. Growing up, she always had a passion for all types of animals, especially dogs. In her youth, she has raised different types of pets such as hamsters, fishes, rabbits, turtles, but never a dog. Her childhood dream was to become a veterinarian and to one day own her own practice.
5. During post grad life, she worked in various industries unrelated to pets. She was a Montessori school teacher, academic coach and tutor for college students with disabilities, a direct interventionist for autistic children, and then an administrative assistant specialist for an environmental lab company. She always had a soft spot for animals, big or small. However, she felt like she was still missing a piece of her life and wanted to be involved with dogs. She decided to figure out how she can get back into the pet industry.
6. Jessica's dog, Bella is a rescued Formosan Mountain dog (Taiwan dog) from Taiwan, Taipei. Bella is a huge inspiration in her life and helped her during her toughest times. She believes everyone at one point in their lives should adopt and rescue a dog because they truly make a difference and always gives you unconditional love.
7. Jessica and Bella have done so much together. They have such a strong and inseparable bond. They've traveled, entered dog contests, became certified to be a therapy dog, volunteered at therapy events, reviewed dog products, interviewed for Jax & Bones and VoyaegLA, been a “celeb dog” for Pasadena’s dog event, been an extra for a dog movie called SuperPower Dogs, broke the largest Guinness Record of holding the largest dog photo shoot, and even landed on the OC Register newspaper! To follow more Bella adventures: @thedailyfmd
8. Even though she is only a year into her business and still building her clients. She continues to have big dreams and goals in the future. She hopes to expand and perhaps one day own her own brick and mortar or a in home grooming.
9. On her days off, you can catch her on a hike with Bella, watching a horror film, or being a taste tester for her boyfriend’s homemade food and desserts.
10. She continues to invest in her business and education by attending seminars, workshops with certifications, trade shows, webinars, participating in online forums, and reading grooming books. She has a passion for learning, polishing her skills, and is always looking for fresh and new techniques, tools, products, and ideas that will help take her grooming skills to the next level. She hopes that you will follow her journey as a first time entrepreneur and a dog groomer.
We hope some of these facts brought a smile to your face and shed light on what happens behind-the-scenes at Pupwash911. Thanks for being a part of our journey for the past year - we can’t wait to create even more memories with you!
