2018 marks the first full calendar year of Posey’s Pups. It has been something of a roller coaster ride. There have been triumphs and failures, famine and feasts, and no shortage of licks, woofs, snoot boops and…well, anal glands.

I celebrated my 100th client with top-shelf tequila, attended the 2018 Pet Pro Classic, and listened to a heroic number of podcasts.

There are occasional moments, usually in the wee hours of the morning, where the fact that I am self-employed hits me right in the brain and I spend the next few minutes, or hours, in an anxious stupor. Being your own boss is romantic in theory, but terrifying in practice. Here’s my advice to anybody contemplating going into business for themselves; prepare for uncertainty and stress.

Perhaps that sounds a bit cynical, and it is. But the problems that come with being your own boss are mirrored by fantastic rewards, many of which have taken me by surprise.

I wept when a client texted me to let me know that their dog, a lovely little fellow named Bingo, had died. It was especially heartbreaking because on several occasions, the owner’s children had sat quietly and watched me groom Bingo. This, again, may sound dark, but it exemplifies the connection I’ve felt with my clients. A connection I never felt when working for somebody else. I was the last person to groom that beautiful and sweet dog.

I’ve met some of the nicest and most interesting people I’ve ever come across in my life. People who I would never have met if they hadn’t contacted me to groom their dogs. And one of the things that has profoundly surprised me is just how nice everybody is. I’ve developed a whole new social circle. There are friends, family, and now clients. A type of relationship that is wholly new to me.

I have many clients whom I visit every month. If I’m not booked to the gills, it’s not uncommon for me to stay and chat for 15 or 20 minutes after the pups are groomed. I don’t do this because I feel obligated to. I do it because so many of my clients are genuinely interesting and welcoming people, and at this point they’ve been a regular part of my life for a year. It has literally changed the way I view humanity, and our ancient and bizarre relationship to dogs.

The greatest pleasure of the last year is interacting with all the pups. Many of them don’t particularly want a bath or a groom, but without exception they are always happier when they’re clean and their nails are trimmed. It’s a joy to set a finished pup on the ground and watch them run around in a panting frenzy, feeling fresh. It is a small thing, sure. But it makes it worthwhile.

It’s been an interesting ride, to say the least. When I opened the LLC for Posey’s Pups, I intentionally avoided doing any in-depth research into what it was like to operate a sole-proprietorship. I knew that if I started digging around, I’d scare myself away and never make the leap. It was the right choice, and my ignorance payed off. That’s my second bit of advice for anybody thinking of jumping into the world of self-employment. Just hold your breath and jump.

Endless thanks to all my clients and their wonderful, beautiful, strange, hilarious pups! Keep on waggin’!

~Connor Posey, CEO, President, Owner, Driver, Receptionist, Groomer, Accountant, and Podcast Devourer