Meet Teressa Doaty-Johnson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Teressa Doaty-Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Teressa , 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?
From the outside looking in, I believe many would say that I have always been confident with a high self-esteem. It was not something that I focused on. I was comfortable with being uncomfortable and trying new things, In that space is where I found my confidence and self-esteem- by doing hard things.

As I navigated life after high school, I did not always have the beginning and the end of ventures/decisions figured out. I attending college to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Business with hopes of obtaining a stable job to retire from. That job turned out to be pivotal in my professional development and leadership. I was able to promote through the ranks and finish as department head of all of Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s physical assets. I joined the Air National Guard with the goal of tuition payment. That was a decision that gave me a trade (who knew I could be an electrician?), so much confidence and self-esteem. Lastly, launching downtown Cleveland’s first doggie daycare, boarding and grooming facility. I was very nervous and doubtful but I knew my regrets of never trying would far outweigh any failure. I prove daily to myself that I am powerful, intelligent and very capable of making things happen.

The key take away from the experiences of my life is that I did not have to have it all figured out at the onset, I did not have to know all of the answers or even be sure to learn, grow and succeed. Doing hard things is how I found myself and realized my potential.

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 full-time entrepreneur and owner of Paws Play. Simply put we offer daycare, boarding and grooming services for dogs but we truly provide a robust experience that caters to the overall well being of the paws. I gain so much fulfillment knowing the programs we offer make so many Paws smile daily. We operate in an intimate way that allows us to get to know them individually and cater tot heir needs. The objective has always been to pour as much as we can into them and their families.

To better serve them, we are currently focused on expansion of our space and our services. We will be offering event space, a dog park and more retail. Training will be huge as it is in high demand and we do not currently have the space to accommodate. We are focused on how we serve the community around us and look forward to become a true one stop shop for them.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities or skills that have impacted my journey the most are attention to detail, compassion, and perseverance. Taking the time in the beginning to outline our programs and the experience it would give has had a major impact on our clients. In business, the goal is to be profitable but that alone will not get an entrepreneur through the tough times. You have to be passionate about what you are working towards. I have always loved dogs but working with them and caring for them brings a new level of commitment. On this journey, I have received a few nos and that can not be the be all end all. You have to be willing to go beyond the no and find a way to get what you need done.

I recommend any business owner early in their journey to sweat the small stuff, remember your why and stand on a mountain of nos for your yes.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my mother did for me was let me dream. No matter how big or small, she allowed me to believe it was possible. This gave me a tremendous amount of courage and the gull to open Paws Play. As simple as this may seem, not being met with negativity or being told what I could not do really gave me permission to go bigger and believe in myself.

The most impactful thing my father did was challenge me. He made things intentionally difficult or made me figure it out on my own. I did not appreciate it at the time, of course, but now I see that those challenges allowed me to prove to myself that I could figure out challenging things and how to think. I am a thinker and I have to attribute that to my father.

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