Episode 56 - Wichita Chamber Business Accelerator - The Hairy Sofa

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Julie Breault has always been focused on helping furry friends, but now with The Hairy Sofa she has created a business that gives dogs the VIP treatment. She shares with Don and Ebony how she has dealt with growth and struggles since opening in 2013.

Julie Breault has preferred the company of pets since she was a child. She went to Iowa State pre-veterinary program, but before applying for veterinary school, she decided being a doctor was not in the cards for her. She started in veterinary medicine as a veterinary technician 30 years ago. She married a veterinarian, Dr Gary Breault in March of 2000 and they bought Heartland Animal Hospital in April of the same year. 

In 2012, she started noticing that the animal hospital was getting calls for a recommendation for a groomer. There were no groomers that stood out on the NE side of Wichita at that time. She had never groomed and never will, but she knows how important it is to your pet’s health. Heartland has always considered grooming an essential part of healthcare and the groomer as a part of the healthcare team! 

She started looking for a partner to jump on board with her new adventure as a grooming salon owner!! She found Sara when she took her pets to PetSmart for grooming. She was amazing, so she made it her goal to convince her that they could do something great together!! They started The Hairy Sofa Pet Grooming Boutique in January of 2013 at 37th and Rock. They both knew exactly how it should be run - her as a master groomer and Julie as a business manager! She is so proud of the space we have created. So... we decided to do it again. 

In March 2020, we opened our doors in Naftzger Park just as the City of Wichita shut things down because of the pandemic. They are hanging in there and getting busier every week.

The Hairy Sofa

Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

On this episode we discuss: 

• Always wanting to work with animals, first as a vet tech
• Creating a one-stop-shop to support dogs
• Poaching a fantastic groomer from PetSmart to be a partner
• Race cars and speed bumps
• Creating a culture of gratitude
• Focusing on the dog’s experience to create a low stress environment ● Giving groomers time to provide a high-quality experience
• Pandemic puppies
• Getting the cuteness on TikTok
• The human-animal bond

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Wichita Chamber Business Accelerator is a weekly podcast devoted to supporting and learning from area business owners. Released every Wednesday, it's produced by Forge Podcast Co, managed by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Evergy. 

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