Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Nia Williams of West LA

Nia Williams shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Nia, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I typically wake up around 7:30AM. I start with washing my face, doing my skin care routine, brushing my teeth. I get dressed and ready to take my dog for a 15-20 minute walk around the neighborhood. Once we come back in, we play a game of fetch with his toys. I take some time to get ready checking my work phone and computer, answering any quick texts or emails, and figuring out what I want to tackle first for the day. I feed my dog around 9AM and head out to start the day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi everyone!

My name is Nia Williams and I’m the owner and trainer of Capp’s K9 Connections, a dog training and nutrition company based in Los Angeles. I’ve been dog training for 4 years and have been running my business for a little over 1 year. My passion for dog training was inspired by my dog Cappuccino, who I rescued from South LA Animal Shelter in 2018. It was our personal training journey that influenced and encouraged me to help others learn how to build a better relationship with their own dogs. Becoming a business owner has been one of the hardest, yet most rewarding things I’ve done in my life so far. In my first year, I now have over 30 clients from all over LA with many of them coming from rescues or shelters.

Capp’s K9 Connections is is dog training and nutrition service that believes a relationship based off respect, trust, and love is the best way to create an ever-lasting bond with your pet. I use my knowledge of dog behavior and nutrition to meet your dog’s needs, with the end goal being a fulfilled and confident dog. My dual approach with training and nutrition allows for me to see the whole picture and ensure that all dogs feel their best physically, mentally, and emotionally. Encouraging a happy, confident dog requires for us to see each dog as an individual, so I create training and nutritional plans specific to your dog’s needs. I currently offer private training sessions in home or at a local park, group classes in Santa Monica, and nutrition counseling.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Growing up, my mom taught me a lot about work. My mom has always been hard-working, passionate, and dedicated to her work. She encouraged me to find a career that doesn’t always feel like work; it should be something you feel passionate about and fulfilled by. At the same time though, she helped me understand that it will never be perfect and things may not always go your way. But no matter what, you will push through and keep going because the work matters to someone.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
During my undergrad at USC, I remember I had the goal of going to veterinary school. I ended up having to take a Physics course and it was the hardest class I’ve ever taken (still is to this day). While I ended up barely passing the class, I would have had to take another course in order to go to veterinary school, so I decided to change my mind about pursing that degree.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Not the complete version, no. Everyone has multiple versions of themselves which surface depending on who they’re talking to and the relationship they have with that person. And that’s not a bad thing! As a business owner, you need to present as professional, welcoming, and prepared – while that may not be you every single minute of the day, it is still part who you are or are working to be.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people will say that I lived my life to the fullest and did everything I intended to do. I hope they share my dedication to helping people and animals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ck9connections.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ck9connections/
• Youtube: https://www.yelp.com/biz/capps-k9-connections-los-angeles