We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aryanna Vigier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aryanna , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Developing my confidence was a journey, and it definitely wasn’t easy. I faced a lot of self doubt while building up this business, but that also pushed me to keep going. As a dog trainer, I have to adapt to each clients needs and their dogs. I may have two dogs facing fear reactivity but their triggers and responses are both different. With that in mind, I struggled to believe that I had the capability of coming up with a new plan that will help each client and fit their lifestyles. It took a long time before I allowed myself to believe in my abilities even though I was successful. After that I began pushing myself out of my comfort zone. The more I did and realized I could, the more my self esteem grew. Each small step I took helped me build myself up step by step.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
In simple terms I am a dog trainer, but I feel like that description doesn’t hit exactly what I do. Yes the bulk of what I do is train dogs, but that is the gateway to so much more. People think ‘You’re just training dogs it’s not that serious”, but it is. I help give people their independence back with the use of service dogs. I help dogs stay in their homes. I help families feel safe with their dogs. I help dogs feel safe with their families. I help owners grow the confidence they need in order to continue their own journey with their dogs. I help bring like minded people together in my group classes. I absolutely love the relationships I build with this job and can’t see myself doing anything else. I love seeing my clients let go of their stress because their dog is finally becoming a civilized member of society. Connecting with each dog and getting to figure out what makes each dog learn is an added benefit. It’s so fun getting to interact with each new dog and be there the moment a new skill clicks in their head. Peace and Calm started as a way for me to help out friends and neighbors and it’s grown into something much greater. I am absolutely honored that I am able to help more people create a peace and calm household with their dogs. My mission is to help as many people and their dogs as possible no matter their income bracket. My programs are one of the most affordable in my area and I offer customized payment plans to everyone. In addition to training dogs, I have released a training apparel line with hoodies, sweatshirts, and stickers for now. I plan to add to this clothing line in order to help keep costs of my training programs low.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three biggest qualities that helped me in my journey are being able to teach, having a background knowledge on dog psychology, and being organized. As a kid I loved animals. I had birds growing up and loved playing and training them. Once I entered volunteering age and started volunteering with dogs, I started learning more about dogs and how they learn. I read countless articles and books and watched countless videos. I then entered the working stage of my life where I was a tutor and substitute teacher for many years. Through this work I learned how to talk to a wide variety of people of all different ages and learned how to teach students with different abilities and of different ages. Having a strong background knowledge of dog psychology and already being comfortable being the person in command, helped me be able to comfortably lead others in their journey with training their dog. Due to my background I only had to focus on applying the techniques and explaining it to the clients instead of trying to figure out why the techniques work. Having strong organizational skills helped with each aspect of the business. Without strong organizational skills I wouldn’t be able to create individualized training plans or payment plans, keep up with business expenses, or allow myself to have a good work life balance. I am a strong believer in the only way to improve on a skill is to practice it. Pick a skill and sit down with a friend to teach it to them. Next go ask a stranger with a dog if they have 5 minutes to hear about this cool dog fact and why it’s relevant to them. Start using a planner and track your daily activities and expenses to start learning how to organize your events and expenses. It’s never too late to start learning a new skill, but you’re only going to learn it by actually doing it.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
The ideal client is someone who understands that every dog is different. Someone who wants to learn alongside their dog and puts in the time to excel. If you want better for your dog and have an open mind about adding/changing things in your dogs life then you are my ideal client. I love those who love their dogs and don’t shy away from a challenge even if it seems strange. At the end of the day, you get what you put into it when it comes to dog training. The ones who understand that get the best results.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peaceandcalmk9training.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaceandcalmk9training/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063891737434
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
