Today we’d like to introduce you to Genera Nelson.
Hi Genera, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I’m Genera — Genny to many of my clients at my pet grooming business One Pup Two Pup.
What’s so crazy is didn’t I even know pet grooming was a big thing. I had a dog of my own named Lucky and I would take him to get groomed by the students at a local dog academy. While he was there, I would catch a movie and when it was time to pick him up, he would be shaved but left with a Mohawk. I thought it was hilarious but creative. Never in a million years I would have thought I’ll be the one doing Mohawks on Malteses. I actually went to Brooklyn College for broadcast journalism. While there I picked up a cashier job at Petsmart, (or so I thought), my first day at work they placed me in their pet salon. Being that I always kept a dog I wasn’t afraid of handling them. So learning to wash and give quality breed haircuts came as a breeze to me.
Over time, I went from salon to salon learning new skills and meeting people from different cultural backgrounds. One particular skill I enjoy is Asian fusion grooming. This style of grooming is so popular and I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s honestly one skill that keeps me interested in the pet industry. After a while, I formed a solid clientele base and decided to work for myself. It’s not easy working for other businesses and being their main groomer. The demand is high but the reward can be low. So by believing in myself, plus the quality years of experience I developed, I decided to become an entrepreneur. One Pup Two Pup dog grooming was started and it’s been up and running ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly, a major challenge would be maintaining a good diet and mindset while being a one woman show. Some mornings I’ll skip breakfast and only have a coffee, just to start a color on a dog’s hair. Not because I’m running late, just to start work! So taking time for myself can definitely be hard because I love what I do and my mind is on work mode 24/7. Besides balancing work and personal time, some days I think about what more can I be doing. Avoiding misinformation (because it’s definitely out there) and overthinking is one obstacle I had to overcome, especially in the pet industry. You will drive yourself crazy trying to find the best grooming techniques, when it can all be so simple. Every day is a challenge but I think I’m becoming a better problem-solver. So the right resources and learning tools I had to acquire for better results.
We’ve been impressed with One Pup Two Pup, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Some things that sets One Pup Two Pup apart from others is, for one, we’re one of the few black female owned pet grooming business in our area of Brooklyn, NY. One Pup Two Pup gives quality products and provides cosmetic services for pets, typically cats and dogs along with delivering excellent customer service to pet parents. Clients can add-on pet friendly hair dye, nail polish, bows and bandanas. We mainly use hypo-allergenic products and veterinarian recommended treatments. Finishing all services with our signature One Pup Two Pup floral body mist .
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
FYI. There aren’t many 100% black owned pet shops and I’m proud to not only be great at what I do but also still thrive in the industry. I’m looking forward to meeting other women in the field just as enthusiastic and professional.
Contact Info:
- Email: Onepuptwopupnyc@gmail.com
- Website: https://onepuptwopup.as.me/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onepuptwopupnyc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onepuptwopupnyc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/onepuptwopup-dog-grooming-brooklyn
Image Credits
@rjbundles
@iamthedayexperience
@kapture_this_
