We were lucky to catch up with SaMira Le’Noir recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi SaMira, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
How i persist in life despite what the nay-sayers have to say is simply by not paying attention to them. It’s by knowing that at times people will project their own fears or past failures on you due to their lack of personal success. I am a firm believer that everyone in life is meant to have their own path and how they reach their goals is truly unique. With that being said, how could I let someone else views affect my dreams and aspirations. I cannot tell you how many people in my family both openly and behind closed doors questioned my business. How many did not understand the purpose or drive that I have behind Shaggy and Scrub LLC but none of that mattered to me. The lack of support I received from friends, acquaintances, and relatives was a hard pill to swallow at first but then I had to realize something. How can they understand when the things they have tried to start on their own whether it was a degree, their dream job or a entrepreneurial venture failed? Once you come to this realization you no longer feel sad or disappointed. That inner drive to persist and be your own cheerleader begins to develop and you become fearless, driven, and determined to succeed. This is the moment where you begin to block out the noise from the nay-sayers.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a pet loving enthusiast to my core!!! I’ve had animals all of my life, ever since I can remember. There was never a time my mom told me no when I would ask her for any animal I desired. If anything she would make me wait, of course to make sure I was responsible. When I was five years old, my very first pet was a guinea pig named Ralphie. Ever since my family and I have owned fish, turtles, cats, frogs, and we currently have two parakeets, and a small dog. I also foster kittens from the Dekalb County Animal Shelter when I have extra time and space to help with the overflow. The love I have for animals; dogs in particular is what lead to to start Shaggy and Scrub LLC. My dream career was to be a veterinarian for domestic animals but after further research I changed my mind and chose nursing instead. Even with my new career aspirations I knew there was a way I could still do both things I love, which is to help service my community through medicine and interact with dogs. Throughout my life people would pay me to watch their dogs whether it was for one day or multiple days at a time. When I first started college I continued to house sit but I noticed I would have repeat clients who liked my services and the round the clock care I gave to their pets. This is when I knew that I could still experience part of what a veterinarian does, which is to have interaction with dogs outside of their own. At first I was scared to start my business but with my dad being a successful business owner himself, he gave me the confidence I needed to push and believe in myself. What I love most about my business is that I get to give dog owners a piece of mind so they can travel/work without the stress of making dog arrangements. To know that their fur babies are in a safe space and are still getting that needed human interaction, social and mental stimulation. I love taking the dogs on long walks and to the dog park during the warmer seasons. The dog parks are so much fun and I love watching my clients run around, be dogs, and to have pure fun. When dog owners book with me for any of the services that I offer which include dog walking, sitting, grooming, and over-night boarding I want them to experience a seamless process. To know that my core values are communication, respect, integrity, promptness, and most importantly the safety of the animals. Right now I am currently working on launching my own dog grooming products soon that my clients can buy. These products can be used during the grooming process and in-between grooming services to help upkeep their dogs latest groom.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three areas of knowledge that have been the most impactful in my journey have been knowing animal behavioral patterns, studying dog breeds, and effective dog training techniques. When you are agreeing to take care of animals, what ever type that may be, it is very import to study their behavior for safety purposes. When you are conducting meet-and-greets knowing both normal and abnormal signs of dog behavior ensures the potential new client displays positive social behavioral patterns, that will mix well when other dogs are around. For anyone thinking about joining the pet sector always go with the first impression the dog(s) and their owner(s) make. If you see that the dog(s) are displaying some behaviors that you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with it is okay to take a step back and to think about it. Make sure you are comfortable and are fully capable to take care of the animal(s) while the owner(s) are away. Never take on more than you can bear. Another area of knowledge that cannot be over looked is the studying of dog breeds. To fully understand that dogs are not monoliths. When taking on a breed you have to know if they are good around other breeds, are they natural born hunters, are they family dogs, can they adjust well to new environments, and the potential to be trained. The answers to these questions will determine how your experience will go while the animal is in your care. This is also important because you need to understand what breeds go well with your personality. You may find that you only want to specialize in working with a certain breed because this breed you work with the best compared to others. Over time you will notice knowing effective dog training techniques not only helps you during the stay but it also helps the owner(s) as well. You will be surprised at how many people ask me if dog training services are offered as apart of the doggie day care or overnight- boarding booking. While a lot of people love their dogs, some haven’t fully mastered the art of dog training. I actually enjoy dog training because I love to see how dogs process certain commands. I love watching them make connections to the words we say with tone, facial expressions, and gestures. It is truly amazing and rewarding in the end. I love finding ways to make the dog owner(s) experience easier once their dog returns to them. For them to see an improvement in behavior and the laughter when I can show them the new tricks I taught.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed I find what helps is to write down all of my thoughts and ideas. In this way I am clearing out all the mental clutter I have in my head. For any inspiring or new business owners I highly recommend this technique. When you are fresh and new in your journey you are going to have many ideas that you want to implement into your company. If you do not have a organized visual of these things you will become overwhelmed by thinking your ideas are too much to handle or it will be impossible to execute. By practicing this strategy you can create a realistic idea of when things need to be completed and how you wants things to be done. Once you do this, the satisfying sense of relief you feel when you start crossing things off the list one-by-one. To know you organized yourself and accomplished what you wanted is truly rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shaggyandscrubllc.com/
- Instagram: shaggyandscrub_llc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaggyandScrubLLC/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/shaggy-and-scrub-doraville
