Meet Tracey Grier | AKC Safe Certified Pet Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracey Grier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracey, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Looking around at how other businesses operated, I realized that quantity was more important than quality and pet owners could tell. When I started first started my business in 2014, I wanted to create a stress free environment for pets so they could have a positive grooming experience. So initially, I performed private grooming inside of the owners home so the pet was less stressed since they were in their own environment. This was very intimate and most of my clients became like my family. I enjoyed this aspect of the business, that personal touch. So when I decided to open a storefront, I wanted the same experience and decided to keep a limited amount of pets at one time to reduce noise and chaos that would keep them calm.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
TreChien Dog Spa is an upscale dog grooming facility and spa in Jonesboro, Georgia that offers unique services such as CBD baths, creative coloring, and one on one grooming sessions. I am an AKC Safe Certified Groomer, as well as First Aid/CPR certified and Semi Permanent Color Certified. I focus on one pet at a time during their services to make sure each dog recieved the needed attention and can learn to trust me as their groomer.

Grooming was not my first career choice and I actually was afraid of dogs so pursued a degree in Computer Information Technology. My love for dogs came during my time working at a pet store where I learned so much about nutrition, the many breeds and their temperaments, and there learned to groom.

As with any new business, it takes time to grow it and have a consistent flow of income. I don’t talk about this often, but when I first started my housecall business in 2014, I had just went through a divorce so now I was the sole provider for myself. I had no loans or investors so had to learn to do things on my own and at a low cost. Many days there were no grooms, no phone calls, nothing! Some days I wanted to give up on my business and work for someone else. But I’ve lived simple and sacrificed some material things I wanted to be sure my business flourished. Running a business alone means you juggle many roles and have to learn to manage your time, money, and resources but still provide quality service. So I’ve developed many personal skills such as patience, compassion, how to budget, and time management, just to name a few. Although I had my own housecall business for many years, I decided to open a storefront during COVID last year. There was a lot I was unaware was needed to operate a physical location legally so learned along the way. (I’m still learning everyday!) But then with COVID, how do I remain safe, keep pets in my care safe and their owners safe during an uncertain time?? Any classes or courses offered, I took full advantage to be sure I was prepared for the task of opening a storefront. Salon Sanitation was one that helped me learn proper methods of cleaning to reduce diseases spread from pet to pet, pet to human, or human to human.

I had to get out of my comfort zone many times and talk to others or even ask for help. I started telling others my plan and goals then reach out to those who were genuinely happy for me and wanted to see my business grow. This has helped me tremendously!!

Opening a storefront was like starting another version of my business and meant some clients weren’t able to continue using my services. I had to start over basically and advertise myself to get new clients. Im pleased to say I’ve been booked weeks and at times months in advance since I opened my storefront in 2020. Im glad I set goals and didn’t give up but worked hard and accepted any advice or help offered. Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us. Be your true authentic self, do good work and others will be naturally be attracted to you and your brand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you come to Atlanta, you know you’re going to eat good!! There’s so many cultures and good food here and I love that about living in Georgia. I’m pescatarian so I have a limited diet but Asian cuisine is one of my favorite types of food. I love all kind of seafood also so one of my favorite seafood places is C&S Oyster bar. Ruth Chris is also A nice seafood and steak option. Live music is something I enjoy also and there’s always something going on here in the city! Piedmont Park has concerts there, food truck events, or good exercising routes if you are into that type of thing which I am! So a concert, sporting event or show is bound to be occurring. Krog Street and Ponce City Market are also cool places to visit and eat or shop or just enjoy pretty views of the Atlanta skyline! The Botanical Garden, Aquarium, and High Museum are fun also and places I usually visit with friends in town. Edgewood has many nightlife places and there are always some kind of brunch or day parties going on every weekend . You may be tired but never bored!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been so many who have helped me in my entrepreneur journey!! But I’d first like to thank my sister, Merlita, for giving me the push to explore the idea of working for myself. I remember it like it was yesterday the convo we had as I stood in her bedroom doorway about a business name and colors. We brainstormed and then TreChien was invented.

Dawn, my trainer when I first went to grooming school, saw something in me that I didn’t and took the time to teach me what was needed about grooming but also how to manage and run a grooming salon.

There are so many talented groomers in the industry!! Many have taken time to share their experiences, tips and tricks to help me be successful at running my business. Some give private lessons, share grant opportunities, and check in on me to see my progress. This is hard to find in a competitive type industry but for the ladies who have been there for me, I’m grateful!!

And I can’t forget my clients! I’ve met some cool people over the years who are also business owners or have jobs that help me with my business. Many have followed me from salon to salon, drive miles away for me to groom their dogs, and give their time and resources when I may be in need. One even let me use her car for an entire month after I got into a car accident and totaled mine out! Without them, I would not be where I am today. I love you guys!

Website: www.spadaywithtre.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/TreChienDogSpa