Advice on Career Transitions from Two TRU Alumni Who Followed Their Passion

James and Emily Price didn’t start their careers with the goal of eventually running a doggy day care. In fact, they started far from it. Emily holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree, and James has his Red Seal in Welding. However in 2015 the husband and wife partnership melded into a business partnership when the two decided to follow their passion for dogs and open We Love Dogs – Doggy Daycare and Training Centre in Kamloops BC. The business is already boasting 619 followers on Facebook, no small feat considering they just opened in January 2016. We wanted to talk about what led the duo to follow their passion and what advice they have for others considering thinking outside of the “kennel”.

There were several factors that lead to her and James opening We Love Dogs. Economic downturns in James’ field of work in Kamloops and Emily’s desire to transition to part-time work in hospice care led to the duo “coming up and talking about ideas for the future and what we wanted to do with our lives. We just wanted to do something we loved doing every day” says Emily. Seeking something they both loved doing that there was a need for in Kamloops eventually brought them to open an affordable doggy daycare with longer hours, optional pickup service, twice daily long walks and a beautiful facility completely of their own design. Running the daycare has been a rewarding experience for the couple so far, “It’s like that cliché saying about spending your days doing something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” says Emily.

Co-Owner Emily with just a few of her furry colleagues at We Love Dogs

Of course, with any success story comes the hard truth. Job security is not necessarily attached to an organization, but to the individual and their skills, abilities, drive, goals and values. James and Emily are no exception to this rule, the partners recognize that their education at TRU was helpful when transitioning careers. James used his own entrepreneurial spirit to start a welding truck following graduation from TRU in 2013. He also utilized the connections he made during his time at TRU to help with outfitting the daycare facility. For Emily, her experience in nursing has fostered her ability to connect and empathize with others. Emily also cites her growth in the areas of leadership, communication skills, and professionalism as being helpful in this endeavor. And as any budding entrepreneur and former (or current) student will know, long hours and lots of hard work are all part of the job!

Most of us can identify with the desire to abandon our careers to do something we find fulfilling, valuable and yet challenging at the same time. We were curious what advice James and Emily have for others who are looking to switch career paths and follow their passion. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Surround yourself with people who believe in you

   When we first had this idea we got a lot of quizzical looks and concerned comments from some of our friends, family and acquaintances who thought we were crazy for leaving our “normal” jobs to do something different. We really just tried to ignore that and keep on track with our goal.

2. Only seek advice from people who are where you want to be someday

   This is the only advice that really matters. Never take advice from people who aren’t doing something, in some way, you admire or strive for.

3. Follow your gut and be brave.

   Don’t be afraid to fail at something new. Every tiny success usually begins with (at least) a hundred fails. So take those failures and learn from them and try again!

4. Life is too precious to waste

   If there’s anything Emily has learnt from nearly 3 years in hospice care, it’s this. We really believe that you can make a living doing pretty much anything that interests you. It’s all about making/offering/doing something that is relevant to the public. If it’s not relevant, work hard to make it relevant.

5. Work, work, work, and sacrifice.

   Work in terms of sweat equity, work in terms of late nights reading and taking courses in whatever you need to learn, work in terms of doing as much as you can whenever you can to improve yourself and what you do. Be willing to make sacrifices to make things happen – in sleep, saving money, whatever! You can’t skip this part – there is no magical thing that sits between you and success or change – it’s just a decision you make and continue to make in every aspect of your life. If you want something bad enough, you have to put in the work to get there. It’s that simple.

For more information on We Love Dogs including rates, operating hours, and features of what makes their daycare great, visit their webpage welovedogs.ca.