Feitosa, a native of São Paulo, Brazil, opened Gabriel Feitosa Grooming Salon in 2018, capitalizing on the $1.3 billion global pet grooming market.
Feitosa and his 10 employees groom about 20 dogs a day, and at least 500 a month, the 31-year-old told CNBC Make It. But many of the animals she works with don’t just get haircuts — they get a complete makeover.
As a dog grooming artist, Feitosa combines traditional grooming techniques with unique designs, and uses vegan, pet-friendly dyes.. His larger-than-life creations have garnered a cult following on social media, with more than 2 million followers on TikTok and 400,000 on Instagram.
The intricate design can take between 3 and 5 hours to complete, including food and toilet breaks for the puppy, and costs anywhere from $500 to $1,200. In a typical week, Feitosa works between 40 and 50 hours.
The salon brought in about $1.2 million last year, according to tax documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Feitosa earned another $125,500 in 2022 for brand and sponsorship deals.
“This salon is a dream come true for me,” Feitosa said. “I came to the US with two scissors and a clipper, and now I have a place where I feel like an artist and show the world that this career is possible.”
Feitosa’s dog grooming career began when he was 12 years old.
Feitosa takes her sister’s dog, Icaro, to the local groomer in São Paulo whenever she needs a bath and haircut.
Little did he know that these trips to the groomer would start his own career. Feitosa was fascinated watching the groomer bathe, trim and groom the dogs.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this girl can play with dogs all day and make money?'” he said. “I just became obsessed.”
Feitosa was eager to learn more, so she asked the groomer to teach her how to wash dogs. Soon, he started working at the store after school.
He dropped out of high school before graduating to pursue dog grooming as his full-time career, working in a salon and teaching dog grooming at a vocational school based on what he learned in the real world. Pet grooming does not require special education or certification, and Feitosa said she has not completed a formal education program.
Shortly after he turned 23, Feitosa was offered a grooming internship with a dog breeder in Sacramento, Calif. and moved to the US
She spent the next three years working at groomers and dog shows across the US as part of an internship before settling in San Diego with her then-husband in 2017.
In San Diego, Feitosa got a part-time job as a dog groomer for a small salon with a pet boutique and bakery out front. He took it in a second part-time gig helping a poodle breeder for a living.
A few months later, Feitosa’s boss approached him with a deal: He would sell him his repair business, which included all the shop equipment, as well as his client list, for $40,000. He also has to pay the $1,100 monthly rent for the space.
Feitosa took the offer and grew her grooming business in the back of the building while her former employer ran the pet boutique and bakery out front.
Feitosa said it’s difficult to balance her artistic pursuits with the responsibilities of being a business owner.
But having the freedom to experiment with designs outweighed the headaches of running the shop, such as organizing the space and managing employees.
“Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith not knowing if it’s going to work,” he said. “But I’m excited to create a safe space where people — and their dogs — can be good, and I can do what I want.”
The salon closed for two months at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but was deemed an essential business and allowed to reopen in May 2020.
That same month, Feitosa’s former employer retired, and he took over the lease for the entire ground floor of the building.
He received a small business loan of about $60,000 from the government, which helped cover the costs of renovating the space and hiring additional help.
In 2021, Feitosa was cast in “Pooch Perfect,” a competition TV show for dog grooming artists on ABC, where she was a finalist.
That opportunity helped him grow his social media following and business. Feitosa said people fly in from other states just to bring their dogs to her salon.
She has transformed shelter pets waiting to be adopted, family pets and therapy dogs working in hospitals.
“The designs may seem fancy and unnecessary, but the amount of smiles you put on people’s faces by walking a dog in one of these designs is an unforgettable experience,” he said. . “It brings so much joy to people.”
In the future, Feitosa hopes to open a second grooming salon in Los Angeles and host her own dog grooming TV show. He thinks his 12-year-old self would be proud of where he ended up.
“I learned that success is the result of following your passion and purpose,” Feitosa said. “If grooming dogs is the most random thing, but that’s what you love to do and you do it as whole and as hard as you can … why can’t you achieve wealth and success?”
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