Today we’d like to introduce you to Katia Varela.
Katia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, a little about myself and where my dream of working with dogs came from is simply from my love for dogs! Ever since I was a little girl, for as long as I can remember I have always been obsessed with dogs! Stray dogs, friend’s dogs, my family’s dogs, the one thing I remember my family telling me growing up was ‘stay away from that dog!’ “don’t touch that dog!” “leave those dogs alone!” with a look of terror in their face! As a teenager I dreamed about moving into my own place so I could have my own dog, a dream my husband would make come true when he gifted me my very first puppy for our first Christmas together!
It only made sense to me that I work with dogs around me all day, so one day I literally got up from my desk, Monday thru Friday 9-5 job and went looking for my dream job with dogs, it was either going to be a vet or a groomer and a grooming salon (big pet retailer) hired me first so I stuck with grooming! I loved it! I stayed at that company for about 8 years and when it felt like I was taking care of that salon as if it was my own, I decided to open my own and here we are! It was just me, myself and I in the beginning, in a tiny storefront at a small shopping center, fast forward 5 + years to know and there is 3 of us groomers now, we have two assistants (one who is going to begin training soon) a part time receptionist and we keep growing! We have moved in to our own freestanding building 7 months ago where we started a mini boutique and are in the process of starting a doggie daycare, all in the same building! We are BUSY!! And I wouldn’t have it any other way! There are many plans still for the future and they all involve dogs of course but I don’t want to spoil it!
Has it been a smooth road?
It was a smooth road in the beginning, my husband had the great idea of putting us on a groupon deal and it blew up from there and that’s when it got real, but still very enjoyable. It wasn’t until we moved into the building that it got a little stressful and exhausting and it started feeling more like a job! It was just sooo much stuff to deal with, we incorporated so the process and permits that come with that plus trying to remodel and stock up the boutique all while still grooming and seeing clients everyday did get overwhelming, honestly, but like I said, I wouldn’t have it any other way, we have rearranged the way we do business a little bit, we hired more help and we should be good, I’m ready for the next challenge! I know how to handle the stress now and if there is one thing all the challenges we faced has taught me. is PATIENCE! If my biggest problem is how busy we are and all the space we have to work with now, then life is good!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Jossi Lu House of Grooming – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We do all breed, all sizes dog grooming, I mentioned the boutique and daycare we are starting but that’s just add ons, what we do every day, all day is grooming! Making doggies beautiful all while keeping them safe and healthy is all we care about.
I am most proud of how we take care of our doggie clients but their owners as well! We love our customers and realize we wouldn’t be able to provide for our families if it wasn’t for them, dogs can’t drive themselves so we take care of our human clients also, we appreciate them and the only way we can show it is by providing excellent customer service along with quality work and make sure they are happy! And our clients know it! They love that we always have a smile on our face and are polite and take the time to listen to them and that our salon is so clean, but the one compliment I love hearing the most is when customers tell us how happy their doggies are when they leave our salon, how they don’t act that way at other salons, how they got turned away from other salons because their dogs were “vicious” and we got them groomed without any problems at all, that tells me their dogs are comfortable with us and THAT’S what I love to hear the most, when the dogs are the ones that choose us! And that is what sets us apart from other salons.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I LOOOVE our people, I love all the different cultures, and I love that we are always here for each other!
You know, I live in my little bubble in Farmers Branch, I really need to get out more and explore beautiful Dallas because I can’t think of a thing that I don’t like about it! I love being able to live the big city life as well as a country more relaxed life if I wanted to and still stay close to everything!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2525 Valley View Lane
Farmers Branch, TX 75234 - Website: www.jossilu.com
- Phone: 972-241-1106
- Email: katia_rtz@yahoo.com
- Facebook: jossiluhouseofgrooming
Image Credit:
Arely Ortiz
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