Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with James Cocallas, founder of The Crafty Pup, located in Glenview, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Based out of Chicago, IL, The Crafty Pup is an online dog training business that offers online video courses that you can access anywhere, anytime, from any device! I also offer in-person training, but the focus is to educate people all over the world on how to train their dogs properly through my online courses and daily content on social media! A well-trained dog starts with a well-trained owner, and my goal is to turn YOU into that WELL TRAINED OWNER I speak of!
Tell us about yourself
My family owns a dog kennel in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, that was started in 1961, but my grandparents. My family's facility boards dogs/cats has an indoor swimming pool for dogs, offers grooming & bathing, and up until I broke off on my own, I ran the dog training & social media presence!
A car accident that almost took my life my senior year of college is what propelled me to chase my dreams and officially start my own business, where my goal is to educate people all over the world!
The accident lit a spark of motivation inside of me that I didn't even know was possible! Ever since I have not looked back, and I continue to press forward; I firmly believe I can achieve whatever I set my sights on as long as I stay consistent and constantly keep stepping forward, and most importantly, put in the work!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I mean, this is a good question. I think taking an idea and turning it into a product, especially when the majority of my family & friends thought it was a "dumb idea" and "wouldn't work." Personally, I think that Entrepreneurship requires a level of stubbornness and self believe that many people do not have & a good chunk of people are afraid of "failing."
I look at the most successful people in the world, and not one of them has not been called "crazy" at some point in their journey! It is only crazy until it works... and bringing my knowledge & experience training dogs to people's fingertips through a smart device is pretty damn cool to me! After all, I just want to help people and change the world of dog training!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
In a world full of distractions at our fingertips, Learning to stay focused and not get distracted is easily one of the hardest things in the world of Entrepreneurship!
Also, many people only see your "successes" and not the endless hours where you are not getting paid, yet working endlessly to bring your vision to life! It was a few years of me working whenever I had free time after my (then) full-time job!
For myself, I also had to learn a ton of different programs/wares and video production, etc.! It is a never-ending process but one I would not trade for anything!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
You only live once, man! When you are on your death bed, do you want to say you wish you did X, Y, or Z? Or do you want to say, I did all I could, and I lived a hell of a life? The choice is yours!
Some Tips-- surround yourself with positive people, people who are farther along than you are, and the best way to do this is to offer your services for free or find mentors (I paid a mentor 8k to learn from him, and it changed my life forever!), I also now have a mentor who does it for free, and that is such a blessing! Believe in yourself! Don't listen to the haters, as they simply are just projecting their own life problems on you! You will never see someone more successful than you bash you for going after your dreams! That is where I will leave this!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
If you or anyone you know needs help training your puppy dog, follow me on any and all social channels! My goal is to help as many people as I can by educating them on how to properly train their dogs!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thecraftypup.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCraftyPup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecraftypup/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecraftypup
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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