Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercedes Felix, Owner of Coastal Paws San Diego.
Mercedes, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Since I was a child growing up in Puerto Rico, I found dogs to be fascinating creatures. I would read every book on every breed I could find. Puerto Rico has a very bad stray dog problem and I would rescue random stray dogs from the streets and bring them home to keep. This drove my mom crazy, but I was responsible and very good with them. I simply understood their dynamic and found the bond and relationship created with these animals a lot more rewarding than other things teenagers seek. I earned a college degree in Business and Finance but have always voiced and known that my dream was to work with dogs. I was unsure of whether I wanted to focus in rescue, training, or rehabilitation, but somehow/someway, the stars aligned and I get to do it all!
To make a long story short, I was working from home and had quite a bit of free time on my hands, so I decided to look for a side hustle to keep me busy and make a little extra cash. I started working for a dog walking service who was trying to build a client base in UTC. One client turned into two, three, and from there, word of mouth happened and it just started snowballing into a solid and consistent clientele hub. Next thing I know, I’m basically doing this full time. Although I was very happy With the job itself, I didn’t see eye to eye with the person I was working for. His purpose and mine were completely different, but I loved the clients and was establishing a strong relationship with them. Then out of the blue, clients were complaining about my boss and expressing how unhappy they were with the “administrative “ part of things and basically said that they were gonna stop doing business with him and would like to continue to do business with me. A kind of we are leaving regardless, but we still want you sorda thing. To sum things up, 13 clients basically urged me to start my own thing, saying that I had something special to offer. I listened and took a leap of faith. Almost 4.5 years later, we have a client base of over 400 dogs and very happy pet parents. I take a lot of pride in what we do and before the money and popularity, our main thing is to make Every day a good dog day.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Other than the hustle and chasing around 30-40 dogs every day, it has been pretty smooth sailing. Our clients have been amazing. I have done virtually zero advertising or marketing and it is them who have helped with our growth. The word of mouth and referral program has been key to our success.
Please tell us about Coastal Paws San Diego.
Coastal Paws provides Dog owners with a one-stop-shop for pet care needs. We provide walks, Daycare, boarding, and training. Our focus is to run a program where the mutts (as I call them) have a balanced amount of socialization, exercise, and structure. We provide a home away from home environment and subject our mutts to different scenarios. They love their field trips in our Mutt Mobile aka Drool Bud. Pack walks on the Beach, trails, neighborhoods, stores, etc… This way, the mutts get to enjoy the outdoors while understanding that I am their leader and all They need to do is to just follow my lead and simply worry about having a good time.
I guess my forte is behavioral modification. My expertise is to build a timid or known aggressive dog into a confident, social butterfly. I am known for taking in other Doggy Daycare rejects, turning them around while giving them an honest opportunity and having them succeed in our program. I am not afraid of a good challenge. I understand these animals and have the ability to bond with them fairly quick. These dogs trust me and they allow me to earn their trust. I get the “Getting kicked out of such and such was a blessing in disguise” a lot.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t think there is such a thing as luck… unless you win the lottery. I believe there is an opportunity and you do with it what you may. I like to work. I like the grind. I do believe that loving what you do has a huge part in how things turn out in the end. How much you are willing to commit yourself and sacrifice will determine how things go.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coastalpawssd.com
- Phone: 6192275966
- Email: mercedes@coastalpawssd.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/CoastalPawsSAnDiego
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/LP8WuQTFY6
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