Today we’d like to introduce you to Priscilla Saravia.
Hi Priscilla, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started grooming part-time before the pandemic (about a year prior). My mom is the one who taught and introduced me to the grooming world. When I would go visit my mom on the weekends, she would have these dogs being groomed in her garage and being curious of what she was doing, I would watch and then help her. She gave me the opportunity to learn a new skill and payed for my classes (LOVE YOU MOM!).
As the pandemic progressed, I was layed off, just like many people and thought to myself that I could not go back to an office setting, I needed a career change. I saw it as a blessing in disguise. I would go to my mom’s house and we would groom. We essentially started in her garage or we would groom in my patio. After neighbors started complaining about dogs barking during the day, we went halves on a starter bus and Leo’s Mobile Pet Grooming was born in June 2020.
We would groom all types of dogs because we wanted the experience and to build clientele. We would groom dogs with fleas, severely matted, full of ticks, you name it!
After a couple of months, my mom gave me the news that she was moving to Bakersfield and offered to buy me out. Therefore, my husband and I dipped into our savings and bought my current van.
Fresh Paws Mobile Spa was officially born in October 2021 but wasn’t officially announced until April 2022. The reason behind the name is because I cater to dogs and cats. After they are freshly groomed/bathed, I feel as if they are refreshed, hence the title ‘Fresh Paws’.
The logo represents my beautiful dogs, Cash the Doberman (Left), Nike the Cane Corso (middle and may she rest in Heavenly Dog Paradise), and lastly, Frieda the Rottweiler (right). I have/had dogs who are portrayed differently in the eyes of many people; however, my goal is to educate humans on why these breeds are actually one of the best/smartest breeds to have…
We see growth in the near future and I can’t wait for people to be a part of our journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can say at first, I was worried and scared. I’ve worked for corporations and always have a secured job with benefits, paid vacation/sick time, etc. Being a new business owner and sometimes not having that security can be worrisome. It was rough in the beginning of my grooming career because it was something new to learn and worried about the stability of an income. There were weeks where my mom and I were slow and sometimes wouldn’t have work. Or the bus started experiencing mechanical problems and would we would have to do in-home grooming or cancel on new clients if they weren’t comfortable with us grooming in-house. Another obstacle we would encounter was clients not paying. As a new business, your likelihood depends on the payment of clients. Needless to say, we learned from a handful of clients and the red flags that arouse.
I can say my current struggle now is juggling multiple hats. There are days where you feel defeated because a dog was being uncooperative or you haven’t had the chance to eat/take a proper break because you want to go home on time.
As a business owner, you wear many hats. I believe with every struggle, comes strength.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a licensed pet groomer. I specialize in dog and cat grooming. I’m not sure if I’m known for anything, but a lot of my clients/referrals know me as someone who loves their pets dearly and treats them like the mini royalty they are. As a pet groomer, I try and educate my pet parents on the importance of grooming and keeping their pets healthy. There are certain breeds like doodles that require more maintenance during and between grooming sessions whereas a shorter fur dog is lower maintenance.
What makes me most proud as a pet groomer is educating. I believe educating pet parents on grooming, health, foods, stimulation, etc. can lead your pets to a happier/longer life.
After Nike passed away from cancer, I made it a point to educate pet parents on the importance of upkeeping vet visits, having those annual checkups, and getting pet insurance (yes, it’s an actual thing).
Sadly, larger breeds don’t have a long life expectancy compared to smaller breeds. And as sad as I get about the passing of Nike, it is an opportunity to educate.
I work closely with one of my favorite rescues, Bella’s Animal Rescue. Being a part of their journey & sharing the stories of each furry soul that is given a second chance at life makes me proud to do what I do. From learning their stories and being patient and giving them time to adjust, makes me extremely happy in what I do. Being a pet groomer is rewarding and can be heartbreaking at times.
I give my honest feedback to my clients about their pets. I get many clients from huge pet grooming corporations that come to me saying their pet has been traumatized or hurt. For example, I have this client who went in for a nail trim and her pup came back traumatized because they went past the quick(vein). When I groom her now, I see the damage that had been done to this pup. My job is to make them feel confident and to trust grooming, again.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Yes! Ask other pet groomers for advice. Some may not reply, others may. It doesn’t hurt to reach out. The pet owner community is huge. There is someone always happy to give advice, I’m not an expert, but I do love giving advice to people starting off.
I remember when I first created the page on IG for Leo’s Mobile Pet Grooming, there was a pet groomer in the DTLA area and they had reposted a picture of a job we were doing in San Bernardino. The dog had on a muzzle because he had never interacted nor been groomed prior to us, and his owner advised we muzzle him just in case. They had posted saying we were unprofessional for muzzling the dog and that it was unsafe. At that time, I doubted myself and thought what was wrong with muzzling the dog and we were instructed by the owner to do so. Looking back now, we were in the right. Muzzling a dog correctly and for example, is there for the safety of our staff and the pet.
What I wish I knew when I was starting out is that work/life balance is real. You need to put yourself and health first. As much as I love what I do, there are times where I feel completely burnt out, mentally and physically. Pet grooming has its ups, but sometimes has its downs.
Some people think grooming a pet is easy, some days it can be easy, but other days, it’s not all puppies and kittens.
I can honestly say in all the years I have been working (I started working around 11-12), this is the first time that I feel like I love what I do. Yes, it does have its obstacles, but it is also rewarding.
Contact Info:
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Email: [email protected]
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Phone Number: (657) 246-3532
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/freshpawsmobilespa
- Other: Contact Information: 562-964-8937 (text only)
Image Credits
The holiday pictures were taken by our friend, Marlena @backinaflash_photography
