How Do You Know When to Quit Your Job: The Breakdown to Full Time Entrepreneurship You Need
June 22, 2021
For those of you who work with me, you know personal development is a big focus in my dog training program.
Because of this, it should come as no surprise to hear I not only have a dog business but also a personal development blog. This blog is called “Handful of Heather.” The goal? To help others work towards the best versions of themselves by being vulnerable about my own path.
I had written a lengthy post outlining the hardest & scariest decision of my life. The decision to quit my job and become a full time entrepreneur at the age of 26.
Within this post, I share:
- My motivators to quit my job managing a doggie daycare
- What was holding my back
- How I overcame my doubts
- My advice to any other dog sitters, trainers, or aspiring full time entrepreneurs in different fields.
If you are interested in reading about how I got to where I am today, feel free to read:
“How Do You Know When to Quit Your Job: The Breakdown to Full Time Entrepreneurship You Need”
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About Heather
My Favorites
Breed: Aussie Shepherds, Blue Heelers, Long-Haired Dachshunds
Owner: Open-Minded, Fun-Loving, & Involved
Treat: Macaroons & Pumpkin Pie
Trick: Finding gems at the thrift store, the Rubix Cube, & making friends anywhere
Michele Cleary
15:41 10 Sep 23
Heather is truly amazing! She is remarkably upbeat and has a very natural rapport with dogs. Our pup was completely at ease with her as she guided all of us through learning new commands and how to experience awesome loose leash walks. She was also extremely flexible working with us to accommodate our hectic schedules. We highly recommend Heather as your trainer of choice!
Rosanne Keep
13:49 27 Aug 23
We worked with Heather for a 10-week period, on basic obedience training for our puppy and then loose leash walking. Heather is a warm, insightful, intelligent teacher, who is skilled in connecting with both dogs and people. She understands and explains the motivations behind dogs' behaviors in a way that serves to strengthen the bond we have with our pups. The knowledge Heather shared about interacting with dogs was broadly relatable to engaging with other humans in the world and I so appreciated those parallels. Heather is more than a dog trainer, she's also like an undercover therapist. :) I highly recommend her and wouldn't hesitate to bring her back in the future for further training.
Lizzy Carr
19:59 25 Jul 23
Update!! May 2023:We purchased another package from Heather to work with Rex on some new issues. Her new packages are now 5 lessons instead of 4. By the 5th lesson we had nothing to work on because Rex was already ecollar trained and doing great. Rex is still the best listening dog we have (out of all 4). He knows his basic manners (from our first package) but since having a baby in February, he became very over protective. He came close to nipping one of our friends and that is when we decided we really needed to do something about it. Heather came over the following week and started training Rex. She taught my husband and I how to use the ecollar and within 2 weeks, he was a completely different dog. He no longer charges at people barking. When I call him, I no longer need to push his ecollar button, he automatically comes running to my side and sits. We really appreciate everything Heather has taught us. If it wasn't for her, something serious could have happened and we might not have been able to keep Rex. She is very knowledgeable, passionate and amazing at what she does. We will be moving soon and if any issues arise getting our 4 dogs adjusted to their new home, we will definitely call Heather again.September 2022: I can't recommend Heather enough! We have 4 dogs, our newest one being a 1 year old German Shepherd rescue. We wanted to train him on basic manners, especially having a baby on the way. We purchased a pack of 4 training lessons and the difference from the first lesson to the last was HUGE. He learned basic commands like come, sit, stay, place, heel, etc. She taught us how to work with him on his barking, cage manners and jumping. It has only been about 2 months and he is by far the best listener out of all 4 of our dogs. The skills and knowledge Heather taught us is something we will continue to work on and start training our other dogs on as well. SHE IS THE BEST!!!!
Sarah Tantum
01:43 21 Jun 23
So glad we made the decision to contact Heather to help us with training our puppy Murphy. Heather gave us the tools necessary to help meet our goals with recall, loose leash walking and place. Don’t wait any longer call Heather today….you won’t regret it!We’ve also used Heather for boarding services while on vacation. Murphy loved every minute!!
jen collopy
10:10 19 May 23
We hired Heather to train us on loose leash walking for my two dogs, Lola and Ravi, who were very leash reactive. Within only a few sessions we had all of the tools we needed to reinforce the right behavior and now walk with ease! Not to mention my dogs loved her! Money well spent.
Barbara Rogers
21:02 23 Apr 23
We truly lucked out when looking for a dog trainer! Heather came into our life the week we rescued our 13 month old golden lab retriever. She is the biggest dog we ever had & we were very apprehensive to say the least. Thanks to Heather, we can walk her without being pulled over. She is much calmer, listens, and stays on her mat (place) for longer periods of time. Aside from in-home training, Heather also dog sits at her home. Heather is a breath of fresh air, caring, knowledgeable, understanding, & totally dedicated! Our dog, Sammie, just loves her! We look forward to being able to go on vacation knowing Sammie is in good hands!
Bianca Reist Steadman
00:11 22 Mar 23
Heather is the absolute BEST--knowledgable, patient, understanding, reliable, flexible, and so obviously LOVES what she does (and our pup adores her). After deciding to get a puppy our first call was Heather! Having witnessed her train my parents dog (the older sister of our puppy) to perfection, the decision was an easy one. Initially our plan was to work with Heather over Zoom before getting our puppy, train with her in person when we were back east, and find someone else to train her in person in LA. We quickly realized it wasn't necessary to work with someone in person in LA as our Zoom sessions with Heather were truly JUST as effective as in person sessions. I was skeptical about this initially but after experiencing both over the past 6 months I can say she gets the job done extremely effectively in BOTH mediums.Heather helped us to not only devise a training plan for our pup beginning the first hour we brought her home but also prepare her to fly across the country 2.5 weeks after getting her. Heather gave us the tools to make it a successful reality. Indie crushed her first two flights in a carry bag thanks to the training (crate training, bag training, socialization, alone time, potty training, and boundaries etc.) Heather had us strictly implement from day 1.Next, Heather began working on obedience, distractions, behavior, impulse control, resource guarding, and more boundaries over Zoom and in person. Her training was so successful we were able to fly back and forth with Indie on leash (4-6 months old) before she even began leash training because her foundation was SO strong thanks to Heather.When Indie hit 6 months she did a lodge and learn with Heather where she began leash training. We assumed she would learn the basics since she was only with her for 10 days. However, Indie was a different dog on leash when we picked her up. It was unbelievable. Prior to this, Indie would pull and walk all over the place, tripping us constantly. In the airport on the way back to LA, I didn't have to even use her e-collar once--just light prong collar pressure to lead her in the right direction. I was actually able to have her leash loose on my arm while holding a coffee...that would have been IMPOSSIBLE 10 days prior to her stay with Heather. The airport is a crazy place with many distractions (kids, food, crowds, etc) and she didn't break a heel ONCE. I was speechless and couldn't believe the progress she made in only 10 days.When we started working with Heather our main goal was to have a dog that we could both take anywhere but also leave home whenever we chose to...In essence, we wanted her to be trained to behave perfectly in every environment and happy to be in her crate at home, as well. Heather made that dream a reality. Indie flies across the country twice a month, comes on every vacation with us, sits through long dinners, goes grocery shopping with me, and is now playing in the park off leash at only 8 months. She holds an hour long place and walks into her crate every night when she's ready for bed.NONE of this would be possible without Heather's training of both Indie and us! It is a lot of work outside of training sessions but it is also incredibly rewarding and has bonded us deeply. Heather's expertise has enabled us to live our lives on our schedules with Indie by our side and we couldn't be more grateful for her. If you are considering hiring Heather to train your pup, I promise it is worth every penny.
Kayla DeWitt
15:14 19 Oct 22
100% would recommend Heather and Handful of Leashes! Our 3 year old Chocolate Lab was a terrible walker, jumped on everyone who entered our house and was just an all around crazy dog. After a few sessions she has become a great walker, has calmed down when people enter our home, and has become great at “place” command which has calmed her down significantly. I love how Heather comes to your home for the training so she can see how they are in their environment and the common behaviors. She is worth every penny!
Miriam Lerner
18:35 01 Oct 22
Heather is the dog whisperer! She is professional and knowledgeableShe had our puppy literally eating out of her hand! She had practical and effective strategies for us to employ to encourage desirable behaviors while discouraging those issues that we were trying to eliminate. Highly recommend having a training session with her to address your concerns!
Brett Herman
21:48 13 Sep 22
Heather, owner of handful of leashes provides absolutely impeccable service. Her ability to connect with her trainees and their humans is unmatched. Heather is an excellent listener and will ease your mind about the dog training process. Our dog Sadie came into our home in late January 2022. Heather was with us from the start, even before we brought Sadie into our home heather helped us to figure out how to make our resident dog comfortable during our transition from a one dog household to a two dog home.Heather was incredibly patient with me and thoughtfully and thoroughly answered all of my questions and eased my anxiety.Once Sadie came home we bought Heathers 4 session training package to help Sadie learn the basics of being a well kept house dog. That package led to 2 more 4 session training packages. Heather spent dozens of hours helping us to train Sadie. Without Heathers common sense approach to good dog behavior Sadie would not be the dog she is today.We have also utilized Heathers boarding offering at herFamily farm and we could not be happier with how well our Sadie is treated while at the farm. Heather is a wonderful dog trainer and even better person. I would highly recommend her services if you want your four legged family member to be well trained.
Ilana Brucker
18:12 13 Sep 22
We had a great experience with private dog training sessions with Heather. We have a newborn baby and needed to redefine our relationship with our dog Ruby so she would listen better around our baby. Heather was patient and listened to our needs. She also explained why she was teaching us and ruby certain skills and commands. Since completing training I have had many family members comment on how better behaved Ruby is! She has also been so much better behaved around the baby! I would definitely recommend Heather/handful of leashes for dog training!
Dodi Klimoff
00:13 24 Apr 22
We thought we were experienced dog owners until we brought home a puppy!! Heather took us through a step by step process over 5 lessons that helped us put systems in place that brought peace to our home and made walking enjoyable. With her gentle manner and cheerful warmth, Heather taught us how to use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. We love Heather!Feb 2023 Update!! We hired Heather a second time to train us in using an e-collar. Our whole experience with Little Dipper has shifted. With Heather’s guidance Dipper is free to be his Shepherd self. He can run free and has shown excellent re-call. We are thrilled!
Ira Saft
12:59 13 Jan 22
I was initially looking to have Maynard, my standard poodle not pull on walks, not rush to the door and have generally good house behavior. Maynard learned all of that and much more.Not only did Heather do a great job in training our puppy but also taught us how to think as the dog sees the world in order to understand why and how dogs learn and act.I would highly recommend Heather to anyone needing their dog trained. I will be using her in the future for additional training we may need.
Cecile Kandl
11:12 23 Oct 21
Heather is amazing. On her first visit she organized the family so we could do the work that we needed to do with our 9-week old puppy, Honey. Heather addressed all of our concerns and gave us actionable suggestions to help Honey move forward with her growth and development. Finally, it is clear that Heather has a special way with animals. She loves them and they love her. I highly recommend Handful Of Leashes.
Kevin Osborne
02:55 12 Oct 21
We adopted a rescued Rottweiler named Stella almost a year ago. She came with issues but was improving……...SLOWLY! Stella is intimidating, stubborn, and highly energetic. Since she is a Rottweiler she scares and intimidates most people. Her breed, vocalizations, alpha-like demeanor and energy level would make many shy away from her even though she is very sweet. She would try to intimidate (again, Alpha behavior) other dogs at the dog park and was “encouraged” to get training at the day care she goes to where she can release some energy. Heather was recommended to us and she very quickly helped us understand Stella and gave us strategies to use to help wrangle her feistiness into some structure and discipline. We learned that Stella is extremely bright and needs “work” to keep her engaged and productive. I mentioned to Heather on her first time here that she is more of a “dog owner trainer” than a dog trainer. In five weeks we have gotten Stella to the point that we think we can continue to help her progress without Heather’s assistance. I cannot recommend Heather highly enough. She is professional, friendly, and very conscientious with her work. I’d hire Heather in a second if we needed additional support going forward. Don’t hesitate to give Heather a call.
Morgan Fitzpatrick
01:33 08 Sep 21
Heather absolutely changed our lives for the better! Ted is learning every day to be the best version of himself all thanks to Heather! In four sessions we have seen a total transformation of his door manners and walking etiquette. I would highly recommend Heather if you are looking to better improve your dogs life and yours!
Roseanne Sullivan
13:08 07 Jun 21
Hi my name is Leo 🦮. I am writing to recommend my friend Heather. Heather is very patient with me even when I mess up. Sometimes I get a little rowdy but Heather always calms me down. I have learned how to be a good boy working with her. I think my mom and dad like her too because they always smile when she comes over.Biscuits and bully sticks ❤️Leo🐾
Hi Heather. It’s Janet Hutchinson (Maye). I had to put Maye to sleep a few months ago. My heart still hurts so much. I just put in an application for a dog. But I would need someone for the month of august to watch it. This is a big component. Would you be able to do that for me next summer? What are requirements. I wouldn’t trust anyone else but you. I’m very picky