Charge Forward Podcast

Humanity Over Vanity: How Holly Hartley Built Groom Garage with Heart & Grit

• Jim Cripps • Season 2 • Episode 19

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What happens when passion, purpose, and a pandemic pivot collide? 
You get your pups favorite place - Groom Garage.

In this inspiring episode of the Charge Forward Podcast, host Jim Cripps sits down with Holly Hartley, founder of Groom Garage in Ashland City, TN. From her early days grooming at PetSmart to launching a grooming salon in her garage during the COVID shutdowns, Holly shares how she built a thriving business rooted in one core value: humanity over vanity.

Discover how Holly:

  • Transformed a simple idea into a dual-purpose grooming and training business
  • Has trained over 20 groomers—many who now run their own successful shops
  • Built a community of trust by prioritizing canine wellness and transparent client conversations
  • Infuses her passion for CrossFit, nutrition, and family into her business model
  • Manages life, health, and entrepreneurship while raising five kids and planning her wedding

Whether you're a dog lover, an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone navigating the chaos of starting something new—you’ll walk away from this episode inspired, encouraged, and ready to charge forward.

🐾 Want to connect with Groom Garage or book an appointment?
🌐 Website: www.thegroomgarage.com
📘Facebook Groom Garage
📸 Instagram: @groomgarage
📍 Address: 1998 TN-49, Ashland City, TN 37015


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Holly Hartley:

You know, we are not vets by any means, but we can identify an ear infection or a yeast infection, or hey, this is a growth that wasn't there the last time, because we're inspecting the whole dog. You know, something that's important to me is humanity over vanity, right? So we need to do what's best for the dogs period, Right? So we need to do what's best for the dogs period.

Jim Cripps:

Hey, team Jim Cripps here with the Charge Forward podcast and I have a special treat for you today. If you live anywhere in Middle Tennessee, you're going to want to know her name, especially if you have those furry friends that you call family. I'm talking about dogs. We love dogs in our household, so shout out to Sadie and Sarge, because they absolutely light up our lives. But joining me today in the studio is the founder, owner and head educator of Groom Garage, ms Holly Hartley.

Holly Hartley:

Welcome Hi Hi, thanks for having me.

Jim Cripps:

Absolutely so. You were not native to Middle Tennessee. No no. How did you get here?

Holly Hartley:

Well, it's kind of a long story but I'll try to keep it short. I've been here seven years. I'm from Ohio, just outside of Cleveland Ohio. So I'm from Ohio, just outside of Cleveland Ohio. I started my first business there when I was 23. And it was called Salon de Pooch. So shout out to Salon de Pooch. They are still operating successfully.

Jim Cripps:

Fantastic, and so how many years have they been in business?

Holly Hartley:

So I sold the company 10 years in and they're coming up on 17 years Wow, yeah.

Jim Cripps:

That's awesome, that's fantastic yeah.

Holly Hartley:

That's very proud of that, and I sold it to a groomer that worked for me. Oh wow Now.

Jim Cripps:

Groom Garage is not just grooming. It's also an education experience for people who might want to be groomers or who are preparing themselves to open their own business or to be in the grooming industry right.

Holly Hartley:

Yep, yeah, I started that there also and then it kind of followed me here.

Jim Cripps:

How did that start? Because it's not like I think of grooming education services as being a I don't know. I never thought about it before.

Holly Hartley:

Same, honestly, I um. So I started my grooming career at PetSmart. Okay, Uh.

Holly Hartley:

I was in college for fashion and PetSmart has a grooming school and I got hired in as just a cashier trying to make money through college and they needed bathers. I was like I can bathe a dog, that's easy Love dogs. Grew up with dogs. Great Um started their bathing program. Within a month they sent me to grooming school. Uh, I just I really fell in love with it, pat, like I was very passionate about it, um, and that's all I knew. Like PetSmart was like the only grooming school, like that's all. I didn't really realize there were other options out there and there's a few, but most are online. Um, so, anyways, I I worked at PetSmart for two years and I would say about a year, year and a half in I realized I can do this, I can do this and make it less corporate, make it more personal, make it where dogs are comfortable coming in, because it's a lot.

Holly Hartley:

It was a very demanding job working under corporate and especially with with pets. Like you can't, you can't do that. It's so, um, I remember, I mean I call. I remember calling my mom and my stepdad saying I'm going to open a business, I am leaving PetSmart when I, when my contract is up because I had to be there for two years because they paid for school. Got it.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, be there for two years because they paid for school, got it? Yeah, um, and I did.

:

I quit right at my two year, and then I had a six month non-compete, right.

Holly Hartley:

So now that those don't apply, there are no non-compete. So, um, I took that six months and I I found the building, I started doing like the business plan, all of it, and opened six months later. Wow. Yeah, and then you know, from there I took, I took a team with me at. Some of the girls that I was, that I worked with, were ready to jump ship Like let's, let's do this, we support you. So I had that foundation. I had four groomers already. Oh, wow.

Holly Hartley:

And um. So we had. We did that for a while, for a couple of years I think. Um and I had a couple other groomers jump on board that were already experienced, which was great, and then, you know more, started filtering in wanting jobs. We had a really good reputation, um, and then I realized, okay, some of these women have been trained, but not completely.

Jim Cripps:

Not to your standard.

Holly Hartley:

Exactly, and they had the foundations now, but they needed some tweaking. So I started doing that and then it just kind of turned into wow, maybe I can teach people. And people came to inquire about learning. Hey, have you ever thought about teaching? I would love to learn. And that's where it started.

Jim Cripps:

I love it. And so how many years was it? Did you start that in the first year that you were open in Ohio, or how did how did that kind of come to play from a chronological standpoint?

Holly Hartley:

Uh, I think the teaching aspect came probably like four years in. I would say, okay, it wasn't right away, cause right in the beginning, we're just trying to build our clientele, and I was, it was those four that I knew could groom and you know, um, you know a lot of people are too afraid of opening their own business, of leaving a job or any, to even start the six months of non-compete.

Jim Cripps:

So was your family in businesses, or? I guess, how were you able to, at such a young age, at 23 years old, to be that confident to to jump out there?

Holly Hartley:

I. It sounds maybe cliche or weird, but I just felt it like there was no other option, like that's what I was doing Period. No one was stopping me and they tried. Petsmart was not happy.

Jim Cripps:

Like oh sure.

Holly Hartley:

They were, you know, but um, yeah, that that was my plan, that was my path and I was going to get there no matter what, like and my and my yes, my family does have a background in business Um, and when I told them they, they were a hundred percent on board. So, you know, and and also my dad was very um into business also, um, and that was his kind of his dream Um, and so I felt like, okay, in honor of him, he passed away when I was 18. So I'm like I really want to, I want to do this you know be the family member that does that.

Holly Hartley:

You know, like make him proud.

Jim Cripps:

So I gotcha Well and you're not um adverse to significant change and the reason I say that is so you move here in 2020 I moved here in 2018, okay 2018. Yes and um. So you've sold your business in ohio, you come down here and you're looking for a little bit of change of pace yeah and then end up back in in in this space.

Jim Cripps:

So, um, I guess, how, how does one make that decision? How you know? Obviously I'm sure COVID paid up, played a part in that and those types of things. But uh, somebody out there has just moved to a new area and they're petrified of what is next. And they are petrified of what is next, so maybe share a little bit of how you transitioned into becoming a part of the community, those types of things. I see you as really kind of being ingrained For somebody who's only been here for what?

Jim Cripps:

seven years everybody knows who you are and you have a great following in your business, all those things. But that's not really what you came here to do right.

Holly Hartley:

No, I mean I, I moved here, my son was six weeks old, and so that was my focus and that was my goal too with with Salon de Pooch. Like I wanted to get to a point where I I wasn't as hands-on with the business to be able to save enough to, to make enough to be able to when I did, when I had kids, I would be able to take some time off and step away and it kind of that kind of happened, but in a roundabout way, and ended up selling the company and then I was able to kind of take my time after moving and and be with him for a couple of years. And then COVID hit. And you know, I guess I should backtrack a minute.

Holly Hartley:

Before COVID hit, I was looking at going back to school for psychology, very intrigued by the mind Um, I love helping people. I thought about getting into real estate, um, like that's. I mean, I was researching, I was that's the path I was going to go. I thought about mentoring, I thought about being a life coach, um, and then, you know, 2020 hit. At this point, I had had my daughter also, so she was six months old at the time, and I wanted to help the community because all these pet store, pet salons were were closed. And what are these dogs going to do? Like they cannot get matted, like this is part of their health? This is something I can do safely in my garage and just kind of get back into the work field a little bit, and it's what I know. Sure.

Holly Hartley:

So that's what I did. I put we have a community I'm part of like a great subdivision in Pleasant View and I put something on the Facebook page, just an ad on the Facebook page, and it just kind of took off Like when can you get? Like when, when can I get my dog in? This is my dog. Like sending me pictures. Yeah. Okay, all right, yes, and so that's how it just kind of started. That's awesome.

Jim Cripps:

Now um, because we have French bulldogs so obviously they don't come see a groomer very often. My first even knowing that Groom Garage existed was when you bought the building or you rented the building. Okay.

Jim Cripps:

And so it went from this dilapidated storefront that should have been gone a long time ago to, all of a sudden, somebody's working on it. And now we're changing the color. Now we're putting up a cool sign. I love the logo. Thank you. And now it's just a fixture, Like it would be. It would be wrong for you not to be there. Yeah. So I guess, how did you decide to jump in and get a? Do a storefront again, what? What did that look like?

Holly Hartley:

Yeah. So yeah, I, I didn't expect it to happen that soon. So, 2020, I'm grooming out of the garage. And then, you know, I had a small network of people I met in Nashville and I met a guy who owns a pet store in the Gulch and he said, hey, I know your story. Like, I know you have a lot of lot of grooming experience. Would you train? I have a girl here that would love to learn how to groom.

Holly Hartley:

Sure, send her my way yeah so now I'm about a year in in the garage and then I have this great girl come out and start training her. Um was with her for about three months. I get a dm from another girl hey, do you teach? I would love to learn grooming. I've always been interested in it and at this point I had the social media. I did have groom garage, as you know, but it was from the garage. Sure, um, and I was like sure, I'm almost finished training, finished up training this other girl. I can have you, you can overlap a little bit. And then you know, and the and the thing about the first groomer she wanted to just learn and then she lives in Mount Juliet, so she was planning to open her own and do her own thing. Sure, great. The second girl I taught, she was like I want to stay on board, like I want to work with you. Yeah.

Holly Hartley:

I was like, okay, we can figure something out. I got another table in the garage and now I'm like it's a little hard to park in here. We're getting a little tight. I have to get kennels, like all right. So now I have this mini salon forming in my garage and now we have more dogs coming. So then, you know, friends are asking when are you going to have a brick and mortar? Like is it time yet? And so at that point I was like, yeah, you know, we're growing. It's not, I need to get out of the garage. We're growing, even if it is just the two of us. I need to find somewhere that makes financial sense to have my garage back and also, like, give us the space to do accommodate the community more. So start looking.

Holly Hartley:

That building is so close to my house and I met with the, the property manager, and she's the sweetest person and I felt like I just felt right and it definitely didn't look right it needed some tlc but it was an oh, it was a blank slate and, um, and the landlord's great like he worked on repairing what I needed and we signed a lease that's great will.

Jim Cripps:

Will you give everybody the address?

Holly Hartley:

It's 1998 Highway 49. It's technically Ashland City mailing. We're right on the border of Pleasant View, Ashland City 30 feet and you would be in Pleasant.

Jim Cripps:

View, absolutely so. It is at the corner, it is at a red light, fantastic location. I think, probably one of the best uses that could have possibly come into the space. Um, just because it is, it is an awkward space with. As a gas station it was so dangerously close with pumps and that kind of stuff for people to get in and out. Uh, but with this use it's, I mean, pretty well dialed in.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, it's great, and you know people. People are coming, they drop their dog off and they leave and then they come back and pick up their dog, so it's not like we needed a huge parking lot, Like it's a. It's perfect for what we need.

Jim Cripps:

Sure, Uh, and so currently you've got is it four tables.

Holly Hartley:

So I have four tables and I'm training my fifth groomer right now.

Jim Cripps:

Okay, All right. So, and are all of all all four of them in training, or do some of them work for you now in more of an official capacity, or what does that look like?

Holly Hartley:

So all of them have been trained under me and now are grooming on their own. Okay. The one that I'm working with now is still in training.

Jim Cripps:

Okay, great.

Holly Hartley:

Probably a couple more months, she'll be on her own.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah Well, you've built an incredible reputation. Um, I don't think there's a single non five-star review out there, and that's difficult to do, especially with people's dogs, because I mean, don't get me wrong, I get it. I take I mean you want to, you want to get me fired up real quick. It I take I mean you want to. You want to get me fired up real quick?

Holly Hartley:

look sideways at my kid or or my dogs. I agree a hundred percent. Yes.

Jim Cripps:

So I guess, how have you, how have, how did you come by that? And then, at the same time, how have you fostered that with your proteges?

Holly Hartley:

The, the, the standard. Like you know, something that's important to me is humanity over vanity, right. So we need to do what's best for the dogs period.

Jim Cripps:

Oh, please say that again.

Holly Hartley:

Humanity over vanity.

Jim Cripps:

That's fantastic, yeah, okay.

Holly Hartley:

So if a dog like and there's situations where we'll get a dog in and you know it's matted, it hasn't been groomed in a long time and they show you a picture they want it fluffy and you know, Well, we need to do a fresh start.

Holly Hartley:

This dog is not, you know, it's a past due and let's do what we need to do for the dog, the dog's health and the dog's safety. And you know, we're using sharp objects on dogs and I'm not going to sit there and pull and yank on a matted dog and that's something that you know. I kind of teach them Like, yeah, it might not look what the owner wants, and I'm also very transparent with the owner. You know that's great, that's a goal we can get to, but today that's not happening, Sorry, you know.

Jim Cripps:

Well, I love that and you know, we talked to before the show started. We talked a little bit about that, how people are too nice these days and don't? They don't take the hard path and tell the truth, and so I think that it adds to your reputation the fact that you are willing to say we can't achieve that. I'm not placing blame on you but the dog is past due.

Jim Cripps:

We can't make them look like that, but we can get back to a solid foundation and in three months, six months, whatever that looks like, we can work our way toward your end goal, yep, yep, yeah.

Holly Hartley:

And I think people appreciate that, they appreciate the honesty, because the last thing you want is to check a dog in, start working on it, realizing you have to shave it down, and not communicating with the owner. So so, if that happens, we will reach out and say, hey, we don't want you to be surprised when you come and pick up your dog, but this is what we had to do. Okay, we totally understand, rather than blindsiding them. Them show up and they're like what did you do to my dog? So I think that's important. So communication is is very important with the, with what I teach to like make sure you really understand what the owner wants, what the dog needs. How do we make that work? And also, like I don't train or hire anyone that isn't going to treat a client's dog like their own. You know, like, and I want, if I'm not comfortable with any of them grooming my dogs, they're not grooming the community's dogs, you know like it's just not happening. Like they have to treat them the way that I would treat them.

Jim Cripps:

Well, and I will say this, and I don't know all of them, but the ones I do know, they are fantastic, just like yourself, like they're just great human beings, and you can see them light up, because it's not that uncommon for us to be at the gym and somebody to bring in a dog and one. I think just about everybody that is in CrossFit loves animals, but you guys especially like y'all light up. It's like ooh, I either have met them or I haven't met them, and I'm ready to meet them.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, yes, you should see us at different adoption events. I mean we're ridiculous, like we can't get enough of dogs, so yeah. And I mean we're ridiculous, like we can't get enough of dogs, so yeah. And I mean that oozes through like the passion. People see the passion. I think that's why they come, they trust us, they come back, they see it. There's no, there's no. I mean, customer service is outstanding. That's important.

Jim Cripps:

You know, they see that I think the entirety of the last like two minutes of conversation, uh, I don't even get to ask the next question, because it's how do you build trust and keep people coming back? And you really. It's at your core, it's the foundation of how you've built your business.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, it's also. You know, we are not vets by any means, but we can identify an ear infection or a yeast infection, or hey, this is a growth that wasn't there the last time, because we're, we're, we're inspecting the whole dog, you know, from toenails to anal gland. I mean it's, it's, it's a lot. So, you know, if we can spot something that's unusual, hey, this needs attention. This could be an infection, or this could be a ruptured anal gland or this, whatever it is. And I can't tell you the amount of times people have come back and said thank you, I had no idea my dog needed treatment or this needed removed. This could have been cancer, like, and that builds trust too, like the and I teach the girls that like, hey, like anything, you see, that's unusual. They need to know. Yeah.

Jim Cripps:

That's huge. Well, it goes that step further. I mean I'm sure Does that happen at PetSmart.

Holly Hartley:

I think possibly, and it's been so long I mean, it's been 20 years since I've been at PetSmart. I just sometimes quantity over quality becomes a thing in corporate, whereas we're more like quality.

Jim Cripps:

Absolutely Well, and it's. It's one of those things. So if if somebody is out there shopping for the cheapest groomer around, it's not going to be you, no. And that's okay. Because you guys take a a level of care of the animals and a level of communication with the owner or the patron. However, we want to state that that is not run of the mill. Yeah for sure.

Jim Cripps:

And so you've got five in there now. Are we adding a table? Are we adding on to the building? What are we doing here? Are we adding a table? Are we adding on?

Holly Hartley:

to the building. What are we doing here? So I think I don't know that I'll add a table, possibly but I think I'll have to start lessening my load of dogs and handing them over and really manage and continue teaching, because there's always more to learn and I want to teach them even more than what I've taught them, like critique things not even me, just critiquing and like finessing the art even more, um yeah, and just be able to manage, manage it for now, um yeah.

Jim Cripps:

Well, and we haven't had in-depth business conversations before really.

Jim Cripps:

Um, but I will say this One of the first things that you said in our conversation was that you wanted to be able to have a grow your team and be able to step back and manage the business. And I get that there was a reason for that it was for family purposes. But kudos to you because there are so many entrepreneurs that get stuck right before that step because they want to grow it and they think the way that they grow it is they spend more time and more effort. And more time and more effort. And don't get me wrong, to get something off the ground, you absolutely do. But you hit a wall and you know, one of the things that I do periodically is I coach business owners and specifically doctors.

Jim Cripps:

Doctors, uh, they're great to work with, but they get stuck at this spot and it's because they they kind of own the practice by default, kind of like you, you didn't want to work at PetSmart anymore, so you decided to own your own shop. Doctors do that, dentists do that, a lot of people do that and then they end up just owning their job. They never grow to the point where they're focused on growing the business through their team and managing the business. You called it finessing, but really dialing in, optimizing each process that's in place and a doctor will wake up and you know they're ready to retire and they have a client list and they think that client list is worth a lot of money and it's not because nobody wants to just get handed off. So you know, for doctors and dentists and that kind of thing, they really need a good three to five years to systematically bring in doctors and kind of hand off the workload.

Jim Cripps:

You're already doing that and so you're. You're ahead of ahead of the game in that regard. So I have no doubt that you're going to dial in and optimize what it is to be a groom garage. And I mean, do you think it will result in multiple locations? Do you? What do you? What is next? What are you excited about?

Holly Hartley:

I think I think to continue training and teaching. Maybe I just let my girls groom and then I'm there to teach any student that wants to learn grooming and send them on their way. You know if, if we get to a point where more want to stay, then maybe a bigger space. Um, in my first salon there were 12 of us. Wow, wow, yeah.

Jim Cripps:

Okay.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, so talk about a lot of personalities. We were all female, I mean, we just never had a male groomer. But yeah, there was a lot of us, that's cool, that's cool.

Jim Cripps:

So along the way, I mean, in fact, the name of the podcast is the Charge Forward podcast the name of the podcast is the charge forward podcast.

Jim Cripps:

It's geared toward people that, um, by default, they charge forward when other people would give up. I'm sure that along this process it's just been clear sailing You've never had anything come up that made you think that this was the wrong decision, or that you want to quit, or today's just too tough. Um, obviously those things have happened. What's what's one of those experiences where you you really questioned whether, whether you continue or not.

Holly Hartley:

I think the initial jumping from the garage to the brick and mortar was like, oh wait, this wasn't what I was like, this isn't what I thought I was going to be doing. I'm like, do I really want to do this again? Because I was exhausted from, you know, the previous salon, like I was ready to for a change of a change of scenery, um, change of career, and so it took me a little, a little while to to just lean into it. Really, I felt like this is where life is taking me, this is the direction I feel like I'm supposed to go, so I'm just going to go for it. Um, and and it was a different dynamic, because I only had one groomer, you know, I didn't have four that I could take with me from somewhere else.

Holly Hartley:

I didn't know anyone you know I was starting to know people, but yeah, so I think that would have been the. You know how am I going to build up the clientele to pay for everything? But it just snowballed.

Jim Cripps:

That's cool. Now, when you exited your business in Ohio, did someone approach you about buying it? Did you sell it to somebody that worked for you, I guess. How did that come to play?

Holly Hartley:

Yes, I did have a couple people approach me, but I ended up selling it to one of my groomers who actually was there from the beginning. I worked with her at PetSmart and she jumped ship with me when I opened and I knew, when it was getting close to making that decision, that she was the one I was going to approach and I know you've talked about this on your podcast before, and I know you've talked about this on your podcast before A large reason yes, she cares, she's passionate about dogs, but she had an amazing husband who I knew would support her through it and he's a smart man.

Holly Hartley:

So I was like this is a good fit, and I knew that they could tackle the challenges and they were financially sound to be able to do it, and I approached them and it was absolutely so. That's great.

Jim Cripps:

Well, since we're on the topic a little bit, uh, you've got some exciting things going on in your world.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, so congratulations to you and Will.

Jim Cripps:

Thank you, Now is there a date set yet.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, october 11th. Okay, that's Will.

Jim Cripps:

Thank you Now. Is there a date set yet? Yes, October 11th.

Holly Hartley:

Okay, that's fantastic Six months.

Jim Cripps:

Now. So I met you because we both go to CrossFit. Now that's how y'all met, right? It is Okay, all right, yep. That's pretty cool. Now y'all are going to have a good-sized family too. Yes, yes, family too yes, yes, I have two kids and he has three kids, so we are a blended, blended family. That's awesome. That's awesome. Well, we're excited for both of you. I mean, uh, I don't think there's anybody that goes to crossfit wild thing that doesn't just love the fact that you guys are fantastic together as well as fantastic individuals.

Jim Cripps:

But, um, you know, great, great to see you guys get engaged and, uh, not too long from now for the for the wedding, what Like five months?

Holly Hartley:

Like six months, a little under six. That's awesome. Well, good, good.

Jim Cripps:

Now kind of like business or life. I mean, your path to where you're at in business, your path to where you are in life is not a straight line. No. Not that anybody's is. To. Where you are in life is not a straight line. No, not that anybody's is Um. What is a? I guess, what is one of the hurdles or detours, good or bad, or just indifferent that that you went through that surprised you.

Holly Hartley:

Well, I guess, if we can, if we relate it to business, something that surprised me. Um, I wasn't aware I would be wearing so many hats, yeah, uh. Yes, you're running a business, yes, you're grooming dogs, oh, but you're also a therapist, like I really found myself almost in. Like you build these friendships with the groomers and and it's just you're talking, you're helping someone through a tough situation, and it's the same thing with the clients. It's almost like when you sit like a hairstylist you sit in their chair and it's like a therapy session. It's similar. I will have clients stand there and talk to me for 10 plus minutes about their personal life and just I'm listening, I'm listening and I think it stems. I think it stems from just they trust me with their dog, they trust they can trust me with their dog, they're going to trust me with, with what's going on in their life, and that really surprised me. I don't know if that's a hurdle, but it's just kind of a shocking thing that I like wow, maybe I really should be a therapist. I don't know.

Jim Cripps:

Well, I think you almost have to have that interest in order to foster that type of environment. And you know, what would you say is the average age of the young ladies that that are training with you or or have now graduated and work with you?

Holly Hartley:

Collectively.

Jim Cripps:

Just in general.

Holly Hartley:

I would say twenties to thirties, um, but I've trained a woman in her 50s. Okay. Another woman in her 40s, but mostly I would say 20 to 30s, like late 20s, early 30s.

Jim Cripps:

Well, I think with that, especially with that group, is you almost have to parent them in that, to some degree, they're still trying to figure out who they are. In that there's, to some degree, they're still trying to figure out who they are, and there are a lot of times and especially in that age group, because that's where a lot of my employees fell over the years is they're trying to shake off that adolescent, whatever they went through, whatever they did or whatever, whatever they didn't do, and they're trying to become what they're supposed to be. And so you end up as their mentor or their guide, by by default, because you spend so much time with them, but also, if you didn't have a good grasp on who you are and what you're about, they wouldn't trust you with that. So how? Who's been a mentor in your life? And then what do you see as as a mentor to these, these young ladies?

Holly Hartley:

Um, I would say my, my mom and stepdad, for sure. Um, I mean, you know my stepdad was in business for a long time also, so you know he would ingrain things into me and like what it takes to to be a business owner. And I've you know he would ingrain things into me and like what it takes to be a business owner, and you know you have to learn things the hard way sometimes. Oh, yeah.

Holly Hartley:

But you know he would give they both would give me great advice. And there's one one in particular that comes to mind. He's like never forget, you have to. You have two clients. You have the pet parent and you have the dog. You know, and that's something that you know, I am still even like it's the same thing with, like I mentioned earlier, like what the pet wants, what the pet needs, and what the owner wants, like how do we marry the two and making them both happy? Um, so that was that's something that's always, always stuck with me. Um, and also working backwards, like what are your goals? Where do you want to be in five, 10 years? Like work backwards, like how do you get there? Um, and I think you know that does trickle over to to the, to the girls you know, in in leading by example, really, yeah, you have to.

Jim Cripps:

Um, you know, for years I would not drive a nice car to work, uh, because I had team members that made, you know, $9 an hour or, or you know, up through a hundred thousand a year. And it wasn't until we really started growing. We had, uh, 30, 40 locations that, uh, I bought. So my coach at the time, so big shout out to Chris Weinberg. So I bought his Lincoln pickup truck and most of the employees at my company drove nicer cars than I did. So I drove a $3,000 Scion with 200,000 miles on it, and it was about maybe six or eight weeks after I had bought his truck and it was a fantastic, was garage kept. It was a Lincoln Mark LT, beautiful pickup truck.

Jim Cripps:

And he stopped by the office one day and he goes where's the truck? And I said, oh, I don't, I don't drive it to the office because, jim, at some point you have to understand that if you don't live a life worth aspiring to, then why would they ever listen to you? And that shook me, because I had always tried to be humble. And he said you know, that's just, that's not going to work anymore. Where you're headed, you're going to have to take real players with you and they don't want to follow somebody that's this drive in a $3,000 car.

Jim Cripps:

And so then I started, I started teaching my team about financials and it was real simple, because they'd seen me drive this $3,000 vehicle and I said, okay, but my house is paid for, oh, and I paid for that truck in cash, oh, you know. And so you change the conversation, but it takes a level of. You got around that corner. You got to be willing to inspire them by what's possible. You know, most people don't even think they can ever own a home, like they'll never get it paid off. I mean my grandmother, for instance. You know, she took out a 30 year mortgage at like 82 years old, um, and that's just how a lot of people are, um. But I love that you were mentoring these young ladies kind of through the later adolescence, into who they're supposed to become and and really setting a great example. Uh, in the shop and outside of the shop, just as you know, this is what it means to be a grownup and to be responsible.

Holly Hartley:

Yep, yeah, and they, I mean they see me at you know doing the gym, you know being active, being a mom, being a business owner, you know being a partner. They see that.

Jim Cripps:

That's right. Um so, on the health side of things now, has health always been a big factor in your life? Or was that just once you got here, or what did that look like?

Holly Hartley:

um, I don't think it really became a thing for and I can speak on behalf of Will also- on this. Both of us lost our fathers at a young age. Oh, wow.

Holly Hartley:

So it really puts life in perspective of how important health is and I think once I got after when I was 18, so I started running Running is kind of where I started and it was in my 20s when I started doing that and I know he joined CrossFit after his dad I was like, ok, we got to change. Things like nutrition is important, being active is very important, being stagnant is not acceptable and eating junk is not acceptable.

Holly Hartley:

Moderation we always say, moderation in our, in our house, so, and now it's just, it's a way of life, like it's just our lifestyle, yeah, so well, and even Reese is in the youth program with, with, with castle. Yes, she loves it when she, when she is able to go and my two. They were in a summer CrossFit program last year and they loved it. Oh cool.

Holly Hartley:

And the boys they'll make up their own little wads at home, and they love coming to the gym after we're done with our workouts and everyone's just stretched, lying on the floor.

Jim Cripps:

Oh yeah.

Holly Hartley:

They like to jump on the machines and do things. Yeah, so great.

Jim Cripps:

So this one actually came up recently in my family, so I would love to know your take on this. Okay, so my mother-in-law is late 70s and she's not I would not say she is thin, but she's not heavy at all. Um, her mother lived well into her eighties and I'd had a conversation not too long ago with with my wife and said hey, what if you recommended CrossFit to your mom? And she hesitated and I said here's why. You know, we all know, miss Pam kind of started things.

Jim Cripps:

So so, for anybody out there, we both go to CrossFit Wild Things in Pleasant View, tennessee, and Miss Pam is an absolute rock star. She's in her early 70s, she has Parkinson's and her doctor told her that if she wanted to stay mobile to pretty much the end of her life, that she needed to go to CrossFit. And she was petrified but she did it. And now Ms Pam is just the rock star and has recruited like 10 other ladies, including your mom, which I know your mom is younger than than that, but, um, there's this following.

Holly Hartley:

We've got like 10 or 12 ladies, and I'll I'll let you explain because, since your mom is part of that group, you know the golden girls, yeah, Um, so I, you know, I have been doing CrossFit, I think for two years and they do that. Um, what is it that like on black Friday, they do that special 40 membership for new men, for new members, or?

Holly Hartley:

something like you can buy one for somebody else yes, so that's what I did for my mom for christmas and she, you know, the first day she was like I don't even what am I doing? You know, she was hesitant about it, but she did it and um, and now I mean I'm like so proud of her because she and and she'll tell me she's like that was the best thing I could have ever done, like thank you so much. And now she has, like she's met amazing women, she feels better, she's, you know, gotten stronger and she's made a best friend. She's she's in Las Vegas with her best friend that she met from CrossFit right now.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, it's great, Like that's friend.

Holly Hartley:

She's in Las Vegas with her best friend that she met from CrossFit right now.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, it's great, like that's amazing, it's fantastic.

Holly Hartley:

So, yeah, I'm so grateful that she stuck through it and yeah, yeah, I love it.

Jim Cripps:

So this thing that came up in our end, so my wife brings it up to her mom and somebody came out of left field and said you can't do that, it's a cult. So in your world. So if somebody was to say that, just in into the ether, what would you respond to that?

Holly Hartley:

It's not the first time I've heard that. Um I I don't view it as a cult. Um, it's a community, it's a family. It is.

Holly Hartley:

And it's almost like you're bonded, going through the pain together, you know, and it doesn't matter, like if you're scaling, if you're RX, it doesn't matter, we're all doing our own modification, we're all doing it together. Yeah, and we all support each other Absolutely. And I don't know, like I don't want to go back to just an ordinary gym and do my own thing, Like that doesn't sound fun to me, like I like like being around people and and also networking and knowing what's going on in people's lives, like I think that's. I think it's great, it's a family.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, um, and I do tell people this, um, and I don't know what your thoughts are on it, but when you first show up to CrossFit it is a little cold and I feel like there's a certain amount of sweat that has to leave your body before everybody's like, oh, you're supposed to be here, but once you do and it's not like there's, it's not like there's somebody's measuring it or whatever but like there's a day when, all of a sudden, this is where you're supposed to be, these are your people.

Jim Cripps:

You cheer them on, they cheer you on. You may have your best day ever, and somebody's there like, oh my God, like that's like I remember. So a text came out this morning about was it formal or whatever? Yes, coming up.

Jim Cripps:

And last year, out of left field, I had no anticipation of this. But Will came over and he was like Austin and I talked about it and we felt like you should have gotten rookie of the year or whatever because you have improved so much. And like there was nothing that like, that wasn't prompted by anything. Literally, I was like, oh my God, I was shook to my core and they they gave specific examples of you. You weren't able to do this and now you're able to do this and I was like, oh my God, like these are my people.

Jim Cripps:

Um and so somebody out there. If somebody thinks it's a cult, it is. It is absolutely not. It's not like um, you are compelled to do anything you don't want to do because like the workouts and I get how it can be seen as extreme. But if you come in specifically, like in the nine o'clock, you're going to see miss Pam, at 72 years old, doing the same workout but with a much lower weight and obviously with lower intensity. You're going to see somebody like yourself, a very fit female, just maybe having a PR that day. You should accept the compliment.

Holly Hartley:

I'm telling you.

Jim Cripps:

And then somebody like Will or Zach or Austin or Murphy I mean I know I'm leaving out others, so, ryan, I mean there's there's I could. I mean I know I'm leaving out others, so, ryan, I mean there's plenty of them. And then somebody like me that you know, I was 305 for the bulk of my adult life and in 2018, I had just a what should have been a fantastic day, and everything in that day pointed to the fact that I was going to die young and that I was leading my family wrong, and so I got on this path. I lost the weight, but I looked like a melted candle because I did it just all in diet and then went to the gym did okay there, but it wasn't until I found CrossFit and Miles, I think you have the best saying.

Jim Cripps:

I don't know if you stole it from somebody or what, I don't even care. You say it's the heaviest door in Pleasant View is the door to CrossFit, and I think that's true for about the first 10 days and then after that, like you, want to be there like this is my busy time, and so you've probably noticed I've been absent and it stresses me out, yeah, but it's fantastic it is.

Jim Cripps:

And you learn to do things not that you ever, I'm not saying you know some of the exercises I don't like doing. That's with anything. But I'm more capable as a dad, as just a human, all those things because of what we do there, Absolutely. And I would say to those people that think it's a cult um, all those things because of what we do.

Holly Hartley:

Absolutely. And I would say to those people that think it's a cult, I challenge you to come, come for like a week. Yeah, Just show up show up and then let me know if you still think it's a cult you know like give it a chance.

Jim Cripps:

You know, the other thing that I find interesting is the there's a different feel at different times of the day. You know, I'm usually either in the nine o'clock or the 4 30 same. Occasionally it'll be the six o'clock, but that's, that's if, like I, just there's no other way.

Jim Cripps:

I'm never at the 5 am or the 6 am nope I don't function at that time and I do get that that because a couple people have been to multiple and they're like it's really kind of like almost systematic at 5 and 6 am and my response was who's up for being lively in the life of the party at 5 and 6 am? Almost nobody. So if that's when you got to get your workout in, it's not going to be as lively as the 9 am or the 4.30 or even the 6 o'clock. Right.

Jim Cripps:

But raising kids, how important is it? What are you teaching your kids and collectively, you and Will teaching your kids about health and what it means to be healthy.

Holly Hartley:

Again, I think it's leading by example. They see, you know, they see us, so they're going to mimic what we do. They are intrigued by you know what foods are protein that make us stronger, you know, and I think that's awesome. Um, we, we approach it in just like a healthy way, like, hey, we're going to eat wholesome foods. Yes, occasionally we'll go get ice cream. You know, we're not gonna deprive them of sugar, but sugar in moderation.

Holly Hartley:

And, um, you know, in the way we cook dinner, like the way we cook meals, the way we, we, we go the extra mile to make sure they have a nutritious breakfast. It's not pop tarts and chocolate milk, it's eggs and bacon or sausage or protein pancakes, like, um, and, and they know, they know the difference and they'll ask, and I think that's great because they want to learn, they want to know and they and they see that go hand in hand with us in the gym and how it all works together. Um, but yeah, will and I are very much so on the same page with that and just kind of we lead by example.

Jim Cripps:

You know I love that. Well, I think you, it's one of those things that I don't think is talked about enough, and I think sometimes parents are ashamed because they haven't done which I absolutely could be, but I also look at it like I'm willing to share, that I'm willing to go. You know, bud, I didn't know this when I was your age.

Holly Hartley:

And I should have.

Jim Cripps:

I should have said what makes me different and why am I not like others and those types of things. But I said you know I'm, I'm teaching you to take care of your body forever.

Jim Cripps:

And that's real important that right now, while you're building the foundation for your body for the rest of your life, that it is solid. So, and to some degree I've created a little bit of a monster in that you know, we'll go to the grocery store and he's like can we, can we stop by pop tarts? And I'm like, yes, we can go buy pop tarts. And he's like the new flavor has 76 carbs. And I'm like, I know, buddy. He's like that's all sugar. I know, buddy, it only had three grams of protein.

Holly Hartley:

I know but that's good you know, he's learning that's that's so valuable for for life. You know that's a lifestyle thing that will be ingrained in him forever.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, well, I think CrossFit is too.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah. You know um yeah it's part of the day, it's there's. No, I mean, I'm there every day. I have to be like that's my time for my, for me.

Jim Cripps:

It's like your sanity. Yes, I need that.

Holly Hartley:

yeah, and some of the some of the young ladies that you're mentoring are at crossfit because yes, and and that's, I guess, again leading by example, they, they see me going and committed to it and hey, I want to try that, or yeah and even some of their family members have joined. Yes, yes yes that's cool so awesome, so rewarding oh it is, it's fantastic.

Jim Cripps:

Um, now this one's not on our sheet. We haven't talked about this, but how? In your family, because you guys talked about business. Did your family talk about money? Did your parents teach you about money, how it it worked, how to use it, how to? Um, to get ready for that?

Holly Hartley:

Oh gosh, money was always a sensitive subject growing up.

Holly Hartley:

Um, my dad worked so much, um, and my mom was able to, you know, raise us. So, yes, us, so yes, and in some negative ways, yes. And I think when I decided to do the business, I think that played a role when I, when I started thinking, hey, when I'm in my thirties, I know I'm going to, I know I'm going to want a family, I know I'm going to want to have kids and I don't want to have to be so stressed about it and I don't want um to not be present with them. Like, how can I, how can I work backwards and set myself up so I don't have those same stresses and I know that I can take care of my family? Um, so I think I learned in a different way, like my own way around, what I saw in a negative manner and how it affected you know, my parents ended up divorcing before he passed and so and I'm not saying it's all money related, but it ends up being a catalyst for a lot of a lot of arguments, because it is a big stressor.

Holly Hartley:

It is, it is, um, and I've had to learn tough lessons. I mean I think tough lessons. I mean I think gosh, maybe at the end of the first year of um, my first business, I think maybe the second year. I had to move back home for a short time because you know it takes a while for money to come in. Everything's going back into the business and I learned some valuable lessons then.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah Well, it probably sets you up for future success, having had to go through that tough moment of you almost you're almost admitting defeat but you're saying I'm willing to lose on this front in order to stay committed to this one. Yes. You know um, especially owning a business, having to move back home is a tough pill to swallow at 2024?

Holly Hartley:

at that time, yeah, I can see that.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, Um, what about? What about with your kids? Are y'all having money conversations? What, what, what's your goal for? Uh, how, that, how that comes to play.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, I mean teaching them the value of a dollar, like we have different tasks, like feeding the dogs. Um, they come to work with me sometimes and see I mean they don't they in in passing, you know, and they see what I do, and um, yeah, I think, I think we're very conscious of communicating about how money works and why we have the things we have, like why you have the toys you have, or why you can't have the toy you want, you know, like doesn't just, you know mommy works hard for this. So this is what, this is what we're getting today, or whatever. Whatever the scenario is, so yeah, it's. I think it's very important and I think it's important to talk about it in a positive way, like not make it such a stressful thing.

Jim Cripps:

Sure, absolutely. Well. Uh, again, I may be creating monster with castle, but, um, if you ever want him to teach them how to use a financial calculator, he can. He can handle it. Last week he came home and said uh, dad, is it okay that I taught miss and he I forget which teacher it was uh, what a Roth IRA is and how she should start investing. And I was like good on you, buddy. I started taking him to the bank before he could walk, and good, bad or ugly. The rule was if we were putting money in the bank, he got a sucker. If we were taking money out of the bank, no sucker. So he wanted to make sure that we were putting money in the bank.

Holly Hartley:

So every time we go to the bank my kids get suckers, but I'm usually only going there to deposit money. So, I need to maybe verbalize that that's a great idea, yeah.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, I mean, if you need them, for them to remember, it'd be like this is pretty sweet, it's just like that sucker. Okay, yeah.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, um, but no it. I think it's one of those topics that a lot of people avoid with kids. And I mean, I bought Castle of Mower, I think, five or six years ago, and every year the goal is for him to earn enough money to spend some money, save some money, invest some money and upgrade in mower. And this year we can't upgrade him in mower because, as of last year, he's in a commercial rig. So there's not a lot of 11 year olds who have a commercial mower, that's impressive.

Jim Cripps:

Well, he got it and, to brag on him a little bit, he, he wanted to mow a couple yards. And a friend of mine posted and in fact it's a mutual acquaintance, melissa Davis OK, so her, her mom and dad couldn't mow their yard anymore. Their guy, um, moved off or something, and she posted that the yard was overgrown, yada, yada, yada. And I sent her a message and said hey Castle wants to mow a yard. I said so, you know, if, if your dad's up for it, I've got a 10 year old at the time that would would like to mow a yard. And, um, I told him I said this is not my customer.

Jim Cripps:

When we get there, you introduce yourself, you walk the yard, you find out what he wants, what he doesn't want, and when we get done, you walk the yard and that's. And then you collect the money, you negotiate the price, all the, all the things. And so he had two yards last year and I knew I might have created a monster when we went to the bank and I said, okay, well, how much are you depositing? And he was like I'm not depositing any. And I'm like, oh, and he goes, I'm investing it all. Wow, like, well, you are going to have to pay for gas for next week and weed eater cord and on those types of things.

Jim Cripps:

So you know, I do think it is uh important especially if you uh, if you want your child to have a shot at being an entrepreneur, those types of things, obviously your transition was better because you had entrepreneurs in your family that you could lean on and then had probably had some similar conversations.

Holly Hartley:

Absolutely yeah.

Jim Cripps:

That's cool. How has CrossFit?

Holly Hartley:

changed your perspective on health or how you structure your life. It's a good question, I think. Consistency, just holding myself accountable to make sure I'm there every day, I mean I just feel like that's so important. And now it's just a habit, like I feel almost lost if I'm not there, and maybe that's not healthy either, but like I need that time, but like I need that that time, that time and and I like feeling, feeling healthy, feeling stronger, especially, you know, with my job.

Holly Hartley:

It's a very physical job and you know you're lifting up dogs on a table if they can't, you know, or helping them up, or getting them in a bathtub if they don't want to go up the ramp. Or a dog just wants to sit the whole time, well, I have to use my left arm to hold it up so I can scissor its back end, you know, or its tail. So CrossFit has helped in gaining that muscle that I need to sustain my job. Yeah, so I think, and I dabbled in CrossFit too, back in like 2012,. You know, I I kind of got into it and then out of it I went back to running, went back to the gym and go back to that. Um, and this has been the longest time I've stayed at one CrossFit gym and I think it's honestly like Sylvia and Miles do a fantastic job.

Jim Cripps:

Uh, they're fantastic.

Holly Hartley:

I mean, and it just I want to be there. I want to be there, I want to keep learning from them and and I want to get stronger.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, Selfishly, selfishly, you want to be there and then, selfishly or unselfishly, you want to cheer the next person on.

Holly Hartley:

Absolutely, and, and I want my kids to see, this is, this is a lifestyle, and this is how we grow and we take care of our body.

Jim Cripps:

Take care of our body.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah.

Jim Cripps:

That's huge.

Holly Hartley:

It's also changed with diet, because you're putting you're putting all of this energy and hard work into this. So, yeah, I'm going to be way more conscious about what I'm putting into my body.

Jim Cripps:

Oh yeah, absolutely. Um. Well, now we have a little bit of a fun section. Uh, not that it hasn't been fun, but we're going to mix it up a little bit. Okay, so, because I'm a bowler which I thought it was hilarious last year when lance apparently looked me up online- yes, I remember, and he was like you've been holding out on us. What are you talking about? You've got a guinness world record, okay, okay, I had no idea which way he was going with that yeah, but shout out to lance, we miss him we, we absolutely do.

Jim Cripps:

He and Jayden, both are just fantastic. So, if you are watching hello, but if you were putting on a celebrity bowling event? Okay. It can be anybody who has ever lived, whether you know them or don't know them. Okay. The whole point of this is to raise money. Okay, who are your four team members?

Holly Hartley:

I would Okay. So here's the thing my brother is very good at bowling. Okay. So I would probably have to to get him on board. Um, kevin Hart, maybe I think he would be entertaining. Okay, will Ferrell with with Kevin Hart, maybe I think he would be entertaining. Okay, will Ferrell with Kevin Hart. Great, wasn't like Vince Vaughn in a bowling movie or something? Is he like a bowler? I don't know, I feel like Vince Vaughn would be a good one too.

Jim Cripps:

He wears a lot of bowling shirts. Yeah, maybe that's what it is, so I think that would be a good team and if you had to pick an announcer or a commentator to really hold this thing together.

Holly Hartley:

Okay, well, I would possibly bump Kevin Hart to that. Okay. Or maybe leave him, or maybe put Patrick from the gym as the commentator.

Jim Cripps:

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay.

Holly Hartley:

So go either way.

Jim Cripps:

I love that. That's awesome. We've gotten all kinds. So will ferrell has been on a couple peoples, um, and kevin hart has been on one or two. Okay, we've had a couple that uh, I won't repeat because they got a bit um, I think, yeah, we colored outside the lines with some, um, let's just say current affairs, gotcha, um. All right, two truths and a lie.

Holly Hartley:

Okay, um, I've been skydiving. Okay, I've been kissed on the cheek by a celebrity. Okay. And.

Jim Cripps:

I've had two natural home births. I'm gonna go with skydiving. Is the lie correct? Okay, all right. Well, and the reason, the reason I say that is uh, because of your health journey and because of how you've planned out your family, I could absolutely see the two natural births happening.

Holly Hartley:

First one was unexpected. It wasn't planned, but yeah, Like as far as like birthing at home, oh really, yeah, that wasn't planned. Wow, Okay, All right.

Jim Cripps:

But yeah, and then I don't know the back story, but I do see you occasionally and your mom in celebrity events and those types of things.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, my brother has lived in Nashville, I want to say, for 15 years. Okay, so he's, he's in the music industry. Okay, cool, um, and we were at a, an event after the CMA awards and Steven Tyler was there and he lured me over and kissed me on the cheek.

Jim Cripps:

Okay Well of all the things Steven Tyler is probably known for, that you got off easy maybe yeah, right, Right Never. All right, Somebody out there right now not necessarily in grooming, but somebody out there right now is struggling with making the leap, starting their own business or something along those lines. What is a piece of advice you would give them?

Holly Hartley:

Go for it, take the risk, I think. I think we get in our heads and hold ourselves back so much. And life is short. And do your research um, be confident and you know, know, your, know, your um, your purpose, and go for it.

Jim Cripps:

That's great. That's great. Well, and I love that you really felt called like once you made the decision, or how, how, how, before you actually decided to put in your notice and leave PetSmart, how long had you been thinking about it? And I know yours is just a little bit different because you had it. You had two years. You had to be there. Right. When did it really creep in for you to go? You know what? As soon as I hit my two years, I'm out of here.

Holly Hartley:

I would say probably like a year in or so OK.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, gotcha.

Holly Hartley:

And how much planning did you do in that year? I mean a lot like from the name to the logo, to like the mission statement.

Jim Cripps:

I mean.

Holly Hartley:

I had it like I had. I had a vision, yeah, Um, yeah. So that when we got that space, I mean, and what was great about it, it was in a very high traffic area, but it was in the back of like a strip mall and it was kind of wasted space and so it was still a storefront and it just like so my vision, I could just plug and play Like I knew what I wanted and it was go time.

Jim Cripps:

That's great.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, I really lucked out. Great landlord, I mean it was good.

Jim Cripps:

That's awesome. That is awesome. Um, all right, this one gets a little bit more serious. Okay. Have you given any thought to how you want to be remembered?

Holly Hartley:

Um, I mean, I want to be remembered as a kind person, compassionate, empathetic person, a good listener and a good groomer, a good mentor, Like just you know I'm. I like to be everyone's cheerleader, Like I want everyone to succeed, I want, I want the best for everyone. So, yeah, I would say yeah, I want to be remembered in a positive way, for sure.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, no, that's great, that's great. Uh, well, you know and I think that is a a a theme of people that come on the podcast. Is you know on the podcast? Is you know, before you start having some thoughts like that?

Jim Cripps:

you have to have gone through some stuff and kind of the theme of the Charge Forward podcast is people who've been through it and come out the other side, and their default is yes, their default is I can make it through, the default is I'm going to charge into the storm as opposed to cowering, and so usually through that, not only do you figure out who you are, but you also figure out how you want to be remembered, how you want other people to see you, and then at the same time, you also get a little bit of a detachment from you. Don't really care whether they get that or not.

Holly Hartley:

Absolutely. You know, Like I know in my heart who I am and I don't. I'm unapologetically myself, and that's just that yeah, I don't need. Don't need somebody else's validation no, and I think that, yeah, it comes with age and experience it does, it does.

Jim Cripps:

Um. Well, we got some fun, fun things to wrap up with, so I'm sure somebody out there is dying to know what your favorite type of dog is.

Holly Hartley:

So my favorite breed would be just a well-behaved dog for grooming honestly, if they're well-behaved, great. But to be specific, if I had to pick a breed, I'm a big fan of French Bulldogs.

Jim Cripps:

Yeah, we can tell that when Georgia stopped by, you know, everybody lights up as far as what kind of dog is the most fun to groom. What would you say? Your favorite is there.

Holly Hartley:

I would say the poodle, because there are so many options, so many different styles of cuts. They have great hair texture to work with. I have one that I groomed that they love a goatee on it and like pom-poms on the legs, like above the paws, yeah.

Jim Cripps:

So I would say poodle, okay cool Now because you own Groom Garage and it's not just a salon, it is also a training ground for people that are becoming want to really hone their craft to be great groomers. How many groomers have you taught over the past? We'll just we'll say 15 plus years.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, I think I saw and I and I thought, I thought about this like how many? Cause it's hard to remember everyone that you know you've trained, but I think I'm on number 20 right now, Wow.

Jim Cripps:

And by your best recollection or the what you know of currently, are they all still grooming or what? What would you say is the percentage there?

Holly Hartley:

So out of the 20 and a couple of them were bathers, you know like just, and they were going through college. You know kind of passing, sylvia's daughters, I worked for me for a short time, Um, and then I had, I had two women that just realized that halfway through training this wasn't for them, Um, which is totally normal. It's not for everyone, it's a it's it's a demanding job.

Jim Cripps:

It's an important thing to go through.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, I mean it's. You're on your feet all day. You're lucky if you get a lunch because your time crunch, trying to get dogs out, you know, in a timely manner. So yeah, manor. So yeah, two didn't complete um, but I would say I know of three that have opened their own salons now, which I think is cool. Yeah, um yeah, and most are still grooming from what I from what I know.

Holly Hartley:

I mean I still keep tabs on salandi pooch, like I still. We follow each other on social media and touch in or touch base every once in a while and, yeah, some of the girls I trained are still there which is great.

Jim Cripps:

And then, uh, so of those, those three that have started their own business, um, do you walk through any of how to run a business with them? Is that part of what they learn with you, or how's that look?

Holly Hartley:

I think they learn by watching, you know, because I am teaching but I'm also running, I'm also putting out fires where I need to or answering questions or whatever. So they see the dynamic and I think that's it's motivating to to see like, ok, well, I've learned these ways, I think I can do this myself, kind of how I felt through PetSmart yeah, yeah.

Holly Hartley:

And yeah, I know one that do this myself, kind of how I felt through PetSmart, yeah, yeah. And yeah, I know one that's just thriving and she's continued education, which I think is great because I can, I can teach the basics and a little more, but then it's, you know, branch off and take classes and keep learning. And she has done that and I mean she's phenomenal.

Jim Cripps:

That's awesome, so yeah, and then, how many dogs do you have?

Holly Hartley:

I have a zoo. We have four dogs, a cat and then five kids. So you know it's a lot, but the last one, will's dog actually accidentally had a litter of puppies and we're like we're not keeping one. And of course we couldn't not keep one. So that's how the fourth came, came into the picture.

Jim Cripps:

Okay, all right. Um, and then I love what you've done with the marketing, the green couch for any of you that if you're not following groom garage on social media, what is the handle for?

Holly Hartley:

It's just at groom garage, at groom garage.

Jim Cripps:

It's fantastic. If you love dogs, it's just a great chance, even if you don't have a dog right now, or you're wanting to get a dog, or I don't really care. Just follow groom garage on Instagram. It's fantastic, but the couch.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, I don't think it could be any more perfect. I know I stumbled. I was looking and looking for the perfect color couch right Cause I needed it to match the logo and I stumbled across it. I'm like this, is it Like? This is our photo, this is where our after photos are going to be taken, and it's been awesome. People love it. Um, yeah, our social media has definitely taken off since since then and um, one of my friends that actually joined the team, um, she's really big into like marketing and like social social media, so she helps me a ton on that.

Jim Cripps:

I love it so well. Your reviews have shot up since, since the pictures too, yes. Yes.

Holly Hartley:

And we've done some fun contests and stuff, which is great to get people involved, and you know people look forward to that, like, oh, is my dog going to be on the couch? Oh yeah, you know we try to send people the photos so they have them, because you know people don't, you know they don't always get good shots of the dogs, you know didn't always get good shots of the dogs. And and let me tell you, we we go you should see it behind the scenes of us taking these pictures.

Jim Cripps:

I think that would be great. I think if you did that, it would be fantastic. Yes, we thought about doing a little little video of what we do to get them to sit still. This is another just random idea, and feel free to take it or don't take it. Um, what if you did a time-lapse video of actually grooming the dog? I think that'd be fantastic.

Holly Hartley:

So we actually have started. We we did a, um, like a play by play of a dog's day at the salon, right, like how they walk in and where we put them in the bathing process and then the nail trim and the brushing and just step by step. So we are working on something like that.

Jim Cripps:

Okay, all right Now. I didn't know, you guys did nail trimming. Obviously that makes sense. Um, is that something that you do Like? Could I bring Sergeant Sadie by?

Holly Hartley:

just for nail clippings, just for nail trim, yep.

Jim Cripps:

Okay, all right, we need to get them scheduled.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, and we also clean their ears with that too. Oh fantastic Package. There you go.

Jim Cripps:

All right, well, good deal. Um, and how long would you say it takes to get a photo that actually ends up on Instagram?

Holly Hartley:

Gosh it just depends on the dog. Sometimes we get really lucky and it's a few seconds like they're just they, they just know to pose. I don't know. We have some dogs that even will like to lounge on the couch, you know, after they're done, um, I would say I, I would say it's more on our end when we call it a day, like we give it like three to five minutes and if we can't get it, we're done.

Jim Cripps:

Okay, good deal.

Holly Hartley:

We might put them on the table and get a shot on the table, where they can't really move as much, and yeah, I love it.

Jim Cripps:

Well, Holly, thank you so much for joining me in the studio today.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, Thanks for having me.

Jim Cripps:

It is. It's always fun not only to work with people that that you know and have a great reputation, but I mean the service that you're providing there. I mean people drive a long way.

Holly Hartley:

Yes, I have quite a few uh clientele from Nashville Franklin. Yeah, we just got a celeb like, I guess, a celebrity dog um which is pretty cool Someone who's well-known um in Nashville. Yeah. And um, I have a uh, a well-known realtor. I groom his dogs also, so yeah.

Jim Cripps:

We've had that conversation.

Holly Hartley:

Yeah, yeah, yes, so really cool.

Jim Cripps:

That's cool. Well again, how can they find you on social media? How can they get in touch with you to get? Are you accepting new dogs currently?

Holly Hartley:

We are. We are accepting new clients, and just at Groom Garage, um, or on Facebook, and then um we are. We have a website, just the groom garagecom, and it's very simple. We have a link for new clients and a link for returning clients and it walks you through the steps to schedule an appointment Wonderful.

Jim Cripps:

So well, good deal Well thank you for coming in.

Jim Cripps:

Thank you Well, team. You heard it here on the Charge Forward podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode hanging out with Ms Holly Hartley soon to be Ms Holly Davis of Groom Garage and the amazing work that she's doing there taking care of our four-legged loved ones, and the great work that she's doing mentoring these young ladies to become professional groomers themselves, either with her or to go out and start their own businesses. As always, we shoot here at HitLab Studios in Nashville, tennessee. So thank you to the team, as well as our sponsors, sense Custom Development, sense Leads and Charge Forward Solutions. Until next time, we'll see you later.

Jim Cripps:

Team, is Jim Cripps here with the Charge Forward Podcast. I just want to tell you I love you. I appreciate you listening, I appreciate you for subscribing and sharing the Charge Forward Podcast with people you know and you love, because that's what we're here for. We are here to share the amazing stories, the things that people have been through, the ways that they were able to improve their life, so that you can take little nuggets from theirs and help improve your story and be better tomorrow than you were today. I hope that this is the tool you needed at the right time and that you find value in the amazing guests that we bring each and every week. Thanks so much and don't forget new episodes drop every Thursday.