Tell us a bit about your current job:

I’m Jodie, Co-Owner of Paws & Pause, a Doggy Day Care Social Enterprise based in South London. We’re a day care centre providing a fun-filled day for pups, and also supporting people in recovery through training placements to learn skills to get back into work. 

We opened in August 2019, after nearly 18 months of planning and finding the right building and it’s been an amazing journey, with highs, lows and literal blood sweat and tears! 

What and where did you study after school:

After school I went to college to do my A-levels in  English Literature, Environmental Sciences and Biology and then after a couple of years of working in hospitality jobs and a bit of travelling I decided to go to university. I had no idea what I wanted to do at first so I took some time to figure it out; I loved those years working and moving out of the family home and everything that comes with ‘doing it for yourself’. I then studied International Development and Politics at uni in London as I had decided I wanted to work with people. 

How did you get from answer 2 to answer 1?

Via another stint in hospitality post-uni, and 6 years working for a charity, St Mungo’s, where I worked on different projects in employability and business start-ups. Lastly I coordinated a project with Grace, my now business partner, working with people in recovery from substance use in South London. We realised that there was a huge gap in support for people in recovery who wanted to develop skills to go back to work, so after many discussions over hot chocolate with our fave office dog Bruce, and with a desire to work for ourselves, Paws and Pause was born. 

How does your formal education feed into your present career (if at all)?

I feel that the experience I had at university ignited my desire to want to work with people, empower people and develop projects, but probably more importantly encouraged me to take up placements at organisations where I really got to see what I actually enjoyed doing and put me on the right path into my next job. I loved my time at uni and the people I met, but I also think if it's not for you, you can get amazing experiences volunteering and doing smaller courses to get where you want to be!

What things have you learnt outside of formal education that have been helpful to your career?

When we first thought about starting our own business we joined lots of business networks, went to events, connected with people on Instagram etc. This has provided a huge source of support for us and continues to be so. As a business owner you become a jack of all trades and we’ve been so lucky to have lots of professionals help us from finance, marketing, social impact and more! We have also had mentors from UnLtd and Social Starters which have allowed us to have a sounding board and someone else to talk through ideas with and also keep us accountable to our own goals. I would suggest anyone starting up reach out for the right mentors! 

My previous roles working in the charity sector and hospitality have definitely given me the skills to be able to organise and keep records which has been so useful in maintaining the paperwork we need to be licensed to work with animals. Another skill from my old job is being able to work with people from different backgrounds and sectors.

What are the really useful skills for someone in your job to possess?

Aside from the practical skills and knowledge to work with dogs, running a social enterprise means you need to be able to do a bit of everything, and being able to ask for some help when you need it really pays off. 

Patience and a passion for what you’re doing – it's hard work running your own business but if you really care about what you’re doing then this helps!  

Empathy and the ability to listen, this is needed to be able to work with dog owners and our trainees. You need to be able to listen and understand the needs of the dog and their owner, as well as the trainees we’re supporting. 

What does an average day at work look like for you?

Once all our dogs and trainees (2 a day) have arrived, we always start with a walk and playtime outside; I love this part, being outside and watching the dogs just be dogs and play together! (Even in rain and cold!) 

During the middle of the day I will either be supervising playtime and lunch for the dogs, or sitting with one of the trainees doing supervision/training or some admin-like accounts, social media etc. Grace and I try to rotate this so we’re having a mix of work throughout the week. It’s then time for some outside play before all the dogs go home and the cleaning begins! 

Working with dogs means A LOT of cleaning every day … but it’s a small price to pay to do a job where you get to snuggle puppies for most of the day!

During the week we fit in visits from prospective clients, meet new trainees, liaise with local community organisations and often spend time at home doing admin when it's been particularly busy!

What's the best thing about your job?

Being your own boss and cuddling dogs of course! I love the freedom of being my own boss and knowing that all the hard work put in is for yourself. I get really excited thinking about what we can grow the business to be and how we can make those decisions for ourselves. 

What's your least favourite aspect of your job? 

Making all the decisions! It’s the best and worst part! Sometimes it can feel like a huge responsibility and it can take us forever to make decisions on something silly like what colour to paint a chair!

When you’re the boss it can also be hard to switch off; you’ll live, breathe and sleep your business as there is always something to be done. Learning how to rest from this and create boundaries without feeling guilty has been a challenge.

What advice would you give someone seeking a job like yours?

For me, starting this venture with someone else has been integral to our success. Having a business partner has made the whole process so much easier and enjoyable than if I had done it alone. We worked together for about four years so we knew we could spend large amounts of time together and have very similar work ethics and interests, which is crucial, so pick a business partner wisely! 

Owning a business can be quite lonely, even when there's two of you if you’re used to working in a large team, so connecting with people doing similar things, and other start-ups has been an amazing help. Find out about all the help that is out there and then pick the resources most useful to you!

Surround yourself with people who are supportive. The first year has been incredible and I am so proud of what we have achieved, and that we were brave enough to take the leap, but it has also been very hard work, long days, financial sacrifice and a distinct lack of holidays... Having people who are rooting for you along the way really helps.

Don’t worry if you make mistakes along the way, we made lots, but it’s all part of the journey when you’re the boss and you’ll only learn from them.