Today we’d like to introduce you to David Patterson.
Hi David, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I spent 12 years building my career at Dell Technologies, pouring myself into tech sales and leadership. Then COVID hit. Like so many others, I was part of a workforce reduction.
What I thought would be a temporary setback turned into a year of closed doors. I chased every opportunity I could find in tech sales, but nothing materialized. It was humbling. Frustrating. Disorienting. For the first time in over a decade, I wasn’t sure what came next.
Then life intervened.
One of my closest college friends passed away unexpectedly in Fort Worth. I drove up in my RV for the funeral. In the middle of grief and reflection, something shifted. Being there felt different — like a reset. What started as a visit became clarity: this was where I was meant to start over.
I moved to Fort Worth with no guarantees and no corporate safety net.
After months of pursuing traditional sales roles again, I realized something important: I didn’t want my livelihood dependent on someone else’s decision. If I was going to bet on anything, it needed to be myself.
So I began exploring businesses for sale. I toured a small grooming shop in Haslet. Honestly? I saw more problems than potential. But instead of walking away, I walked out thinking, I could build this better.
That moment changed everything.
I dove headfirst into the pet industry and discovered Well Groomed Pets out of Las Vegas. Their “wellness-first” approach to dog grooming immediately stood out. It wasn’t just about haircuts — it was about health, experience, and elevating the entire standard of care.
I flew out to visit the corporate store. At the time, there were no franchisees. It was early. Unproven. A risk.
But the vision was clear. The values aligned. The conversation with the CEO felt less like a pitch and more like a partnership.
It felt right.
In 2021, I became the very first franchisee of Well Groomed Pets and opened my first location in Fort Worth. In 2022, I opened my second location in Burleson.
What began as a layoff became a reinvention.
What felt like loss became direction.
And what started in an RV became a growing business built on ownership, resilience, and belief.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggles began immediately. Taking on a retail space that required a complete gut renovation was a crash course in entrepreneurship. What I thought would be a straightforward build-out quickly became a year-long journey filled with unexpected obstacles.
From permitting delays and rising construction costs to the complexities of managing contractors and timelines, every phase tested my patience and resilience. I learned quickly that opening a business isn’t just about vision — it’s about problem-solving under pressure.
To stay within budget, I took matters into my own hands. I laid the flooring myself. I painted the walls. I installed the equipment. Every task I could physically do, I did. In the end, that hands-on determination saved nearly $20,000 — but more importantly, it gave me a deeper connection to the space I was building from the ground up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Well Groomed Pets?
Well Groomed Pets is a thoughtfully designed, data-driven approach to grooming and wellness care created to support healthier, happier dogs at every stage of life. Rather than offering grooming as a simple cosmetic service, we combine professional styling with proactive health monitoring to ensure that each visit contributes meaningfully to your dog’s overall well-being.
At the heart of our process is our exclusive 50+ point wellness check, a comprehensive assessment conducted during every appointment. This detailed evaluation goes far beyond appearance. We carefully monitor skin and coat health, ear condition, nail integrity, dental visibility, mobility, weight distribution, and even subtle behavioral cues. By tracking these indicators consistently over time, we build a personalized wellness profile for each dog, allowing us to identify patterns, notice small changes, and flag potential concerns early.
Our expert groomers are trained not only in breed-specific styling and coat care techniques but also in recognizing early signs of common health issues. Using advanced tools, structured documentation, and systematic reporting, we provide pet parents with clear insights after each visit. From changes in skin sensitivity to shifts in mood or posture, our observations help families stay informed and proactive.
This combination of attentive care and measurable tracking empowers pet parents to make informed decisions. Instead of discovering issues after they escalate, you gain the advantage of early awareness. Over time, these detailed records create a meaningful wellness history that can even be shared with veterinarians for a more complete picture of your dog’s health.
At Well Groomed Pets, grooming is not just about how your dog looks — it’s about how they feel, move, and thrive. By blending compassionate handling, professional expertise, and data-backed insights, we help ensure every dog leaves not only looking their best, but living their best life.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I was lucky. Growing up in Temple, Texas, we had a famous mayor, named John Sammons. I met John purely by chance when he walked into my shop one day. At the time, he had on a Sammons golf hat, which was the name of the course in Temple that I grew up playing. As we started talking I realized who he was, and that turned into a great relationship.
Over the years, John became a trusted sounding board in both business and life. He had a steady, thoughtful way of giving advice — honest, practical, and always focused on solutions rather than just pointing out problems.
Finding a mentor like that isn’t easy. You want someone who offers sound guidance and feedback you can actually act on — someone who challenges you while helping you move forward. I was fortunate to find that in John.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Wellgroomedpets.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/well.groomed.fort.worth
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdpa/
