Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Hayes.
Hi Suzanne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Suzie and I’m the owner of Puptown Mobile Grooming. I relocated to the Tampa Bay area with my fiancé back in 2019. I have two dogs of my own and we have been loving the Florida life we’ve built here. I feel really blessed to have found my passion in life. Working with dogs has been one of my greatest blessings. Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a passion and love of animals. If you were to go back and watch my family videos, you’d see me opening a present, it was a small white furry dog with a comb. I was so excited about my little toy dog and carried it around with the brush proudly! It was heart warming to see the child version of myself loving animals like that.
After college, I spent my 20’s as a flight attendant. And while I enjoyed the job, I knew deep down that it was not my true calling. Back in 2014, I finally pursued my dream of working with animals and found my niche in the mobile grooming world. Grooming became something that motivated me, excited me and allowed me to find the creative side of myself that I had not really explored. I knew right away that I wanted to open my own business and create the environment that was best suited me and the dogs that I groom. I recently added a second grooming van to my business. When I’m not grooming I enjoy being at home with my own animals and going to the beach.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I didn’t always have a newer grooming van. I started out of a yellow school bus when i first went mobile back in Ohio. I eventually worked my way up to the two units I have now. It’s always about moving onward and upward for me. Any mobile groomer could tell you, that you’re only as good as your equipment and vehicle. When a mechanical or maintenance issue strikes, it can be challenging to say the least
Relocating and starting my business over definitely had it’s share of setbacks and challenges. I don’t know if I’d say it was always smooth sailing but I would say it was worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Puptown Mobile Grooming?
Puptown Mobile Grooming is a woman owned mobile dog grooming business that operates in South Tampa & St. Petersburg, Florida. All of my clients receive one on one grooming with the industries best products tailored to each pets individual skin and coat needs. In addition to being a groomer, I’m also a certified canine esthetician which really helps me choose my products wisely and provide the extra level of care that every dog deserves during their spa days. My fiancé, Shaun works for Puptown now, so you may see him out providing bath appointments around town in the new van. We are accepting clients again now since we have two vans on the road and we look forward to what the future holds for Puptown!
What are your plans for the future?
My future plans are to continue to challenge myself and improve in all areas of life, especially when it comes to business and my skill set. I’m always looking into continuing education for myself. I would like to find more time to go to grooming expos and trade shows. Additionally, I’d love to expand more into the St. Petersburg area and reach more clients that I wasn’t able to previously by having the second unit.
Contact Info:
- Website: puptownmobile.com
- Instagram: puptown_mobile_grooming
Image Credits
All photos I took personally
