Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Fort Collins. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Nick George helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around Fort Collins, Colorado.
Is your business serving the residents of Fort Collins? Then, we need to talk! Visit gnpFortCollins.com to schedule your free interview.
Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins
E32: The Master Groomer: Where Your Pet's Health is Number One
Ever wondered what happens when veterinary expertise meets professional pet grooming? Eika Haas, owner of Purrrfect Paws, brings this rare combination to her appointment-only salon specialized in cats and small dogs. As a certified registered veterinary technician who later became a nationally certified master groomer, Eika offers something truly unique – a health-first approach to pet grooming that goes far beyond aesthetics.
The Good Neighbor Podcast sits down with this talented entrepreneur to uncover the philosophy behind her business motto: "where your pet's health is number one." Eika debunks common misconceptions about pet grooming, including the belief that cats don't need professional care and that brushing only involves the top coat. She offers expert insights about doodles, explaining why these popular breeds aren't as low-maintenance as many owners believe.
What makes Eika's story particularly compelling is her journey from veterinary clinics to business ownership, combining her medical knowledge with artistic talents. When not transforming pets at her salon, she creates stunning pet portraits and escapes to the mountains to disconnect from technology. Her business success stems primarily from veterinarian referrals and, surprisingly, her vehicle signage – reflecting the authentic, word-of-mouth growth of her specialized services. Discover how Eika's commitment to individualized, low-stress grooming experiences has created a loyal client base that books appointments a year in advance, and learn why prioritizing your pet's health during grooming might be the most important decision you make for their wellbeing. Visit https://purrrfectpaws.com/ to learn more about this distinctive approach to pet care.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Nick George.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a perfect pet grooming company? One might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, ika Haas, with Perfect Paws. Ika, how's it going?
Speaker 3:good neighbor Ika Haas, with Perfect.
Speaker 2:Paws, ika, how's it going? Good, and yourself Excellent.
Speaker 3:We're excited to learn all about you and your business. Tell us about Perfect Paws. Well, Perfect Paws is an appointment-only salon, full service for cats and small dogs, and I emphasize a individualized, low-stress grooming experience. My motto, or Perfect Paws' motto, is where your pet's health is number one. As I provide my clients with more than a professional grooming, I also look at them from an educated veterinary technology perspective, something that's rare in the grooming industry.
Speaker 2:How did you get into this business?
Speaker 3:Well, I started working in a veterinary clinic earning a degree in veterinary technology, and I became a certified registered veterinary technician. I eventually earned my bachelor's in business and decided to utilize that veterinary experience and expertise to branch out on my own. And then I went into grooming school and later earned the title of a nationally certified master groomer.
Speaker 2:What are some myths and misconceptions in your industry?
Speaker 3:Cats don't need to be groomed. Grooming is easy and brushing isn't just doing the top coat. It's a little bit more involved in that, and doodles are not as easy as people think they are who are your target customers and how are you attracting them now?
Speaker 3:um, my target customers are people that really are interested in their pets health first, not so much the aesthetics. I mean, obviously I'm in the grooming industry, so aesthetics does matter, but it's really the pet's health that matters more to me. So that, and then people who are willing to book an appointment a year in advance. And then, as far as how do I track them, most of my are through referrals, like veterinarians, current clients, and then, believe it or not, my vehicle signage is the biggest.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Outside of work. What do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:well, um, I do create with the fur and that kind of thing, but I'm also, um, an artist and so I do pet portraits and people portraits and landscapes and botanicals and that kind of thing, and watercolor and gouache and pastels and colored pencils. And then I spent a lot of time up in the mountains enjoying the wildlife and the peace and quiet of no electricity, no internet, no cell phone.
Speaker 2:Let's switch gears. Can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you overcame and how it made you stronger? What comes to mind?
Speaker 3:Well, I've been really fortunate not to have a lot of those kind of things, but I'd say the biggest, most difficult time in my life was when I had to file for divorce and I was a non-traditional student. I went back to school I went for veterinary technology which really started this whole life of veterinary that working very, very hard and just really throwing myself into that education and experience.
Speaker 2:Aika. Please tell our listeners one thing that they should remember about Perfect Paws.
Speaker 3:That it's where your pet's health is number one.
Speaker 2:And how can our listeners learn more about Perfect Paws? That it's where your pet's health is number one. And how can our listeners learn more about Perfect Paws?
Speaker 3:So I'm not on social media. I kind of got off of that due to the political and social climate that we have now. But we do have a website called perfectpawscom, and that's P-U-3-R-S-F-e-c-t-p-a-w-scom.
Speaker 2:Well, Ica, I really appreciate you being on our show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Thank you Appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpfortcollinscom. That's gnpfortcollinscom, or call 970-438-0825.