Fur Babies, Real Babies, and Running a Business—Welcome to Mom Life

Welcome to the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. We're your hosts, Erika Radis and Marie Lifschultz, a realtor and lender here in San Antonio. But most importantly, we're working moms just like you.

This podcast is all about creating a space where we can come together, share stories, and learn from each other. We love connecting with local moms in business Hearing about their journeys and how they're balancing it all, because let's be honest, it's not always easy, but it's so worth it.

Before we dive in today's episode, we're excited to share some big news with you all.

Our business community and coworking memberships are officially open. Whether you're looking for a supportive community of moms in business or need a beautiful space to work and grow, we've got just what you need here at Working Moms of San Antonio. You can visit the link in our show notes. Or workingmomsofsanantonio.com/membership for more info.

Now onto today's episode. Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let's get started.

Welcome to this week's episode of the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast, We have with us a guest and friend.

Friends.

Yes, Sarah Deringer. And she is here to talk about, well, herself and her business, all things dog grooming.

Yeah, the Canine Co. Owner of Canine Co. Yes.

Dog grooming.

That's it. Dog grooming, big thing.

So we'll turn it over to her and let her just share a little bit about herself.

Perfect. So straight out of high school, I thought I was going to be a vet.

Yeah.

Right? And so when you look up the requirements in order to get into vet school, one of which is you should have at least a year's worth of experience handling dogs. Had a whole list. Work on a farm?

No.

You know, work for a vet? A lot of them only wanted like licensed vet techs. And then the other one was pet grooming. So I started literally straight out of high school, apprenticed with the lady, saw, you know what, I don't have to spend $250 plus I can still have a pet industry job. Yeah. I started with that, the, you know, it was here in San Antonio and I just kind of grew through that. Like what my experiences are, what, you know, where I wanted to work. Married military and was able to take that career anywhere.

Yeah.

I even, you know, groomed in Montreal, you know what I mean? Like anywhere and everywhere. The next day I would have a job. I like the fact that it's a trade, right?

Sure.

So you can grow in it, you can get better, you can specialize in certain niches. And it's kind of sad that it isn't regulated.

Yeah.

Oh, I didn't know that. Oh yeah. It can get scary, you know, when people just pick up shears and they're like, I'm a dog groomer. Well, no, not necessarily.

Yeah.

There are dog grooming schools, There's different ways that you can go about it. I was super old school because I've been grooming now 30 years, which— don't do the math, please. I was a toddler. Um, so we— yeah. Um, so with that amount of experience with so many different places, you know, I have seen the good, bad, the ugly. Um, there are certain places where it is a little more regulated, but still not— you don't have to have a license. You can be certified, but it's kind of like, you know, as old school groomers are like, yeah, okay, you're certified, but that doesn't mean that you're a good groomer, right? So, um, when we— when I, you know, divorced from the military and I came back here, you know, I was working for other shops, um, I thought, you know, I'm tired, you know, 28, 29 years of grooming. I'm my body's hurting. Sure. You know, carpal tunnel, you've got arthritis, whatever, right? The whole laundry list. So then I was like, okay, I'm gonna hang up my shears. Went to esthetician school. You know, I was like, I'm gonna deal with beauty with people. People suck, but I don't like people. Exactly.

Like, compared to animals.

Well, I mean, I like people, don't get me wrong, but like, I don't want pimples and you know what I mean?

Well, that does seem like a main part of it.

Yeah, right?

Yeah. I just wanted to do the lashes.

Eyebrows.

Like, that's all I wanted to do, right? And, you know, then I was just like, I don't want to wax any part of you, you know? Yeah, this is part of being an esthetician. And I was just like, no. Okay, so, but the whole time I was in esthetician school, the whole time I tried to open the esthetician shop, the people who came to me, the— you know, I got clients that were groomer grooming clients. They would come to my house and groom their dogs. The whole time I'm doing facials, we're talking dogs.

Yeah.

And I'm like, at one point, do I just admit that's me? I'm, that's my life.

Why try to fight it, right?

But you did enjoy it. It just, your body was taking a toll.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, and I mean, it's hard work.

Well, and I just, you know, you get in your mind, you're like, okay, I've dedicated this much to this. Maybe I should do something different.

Yeah.

Yeah. I've done that throughout my career a couple times and I always go back. You know, I worked as a paralegal for like a minute and a half. Hated that because the lawyer I worked for, the first thing they said was like, you know, you need to keep in your mind that all clients are liars. And I was like, wow, okay, I don't necessarily wanna be in this industry, you know?

Yeah.

Telling you, it felt kind of icky. And so I was like, eh, it was personal injury, you know, big, huge, um, firm. And so then I was like, okay, well I love baking. Let's go to Le Cordon Bleu, right? I'm gonna be a chocolatier. That's what I wanted to do. I was told, oh, well, you're too old and you're the wrong sex.

Oh, oh no.

That's fun to hear.

And I kind of like brushed it off and been like, I am woman, hear me roar. But I was just like deflated.

Yeah.

You know, I was like, well, I can make X amount of money grooming. I'm good at it. I love it still. So I just kept going back to it. But that's kind of like where, like where this big epiphany came. It was like, okay, like should I stay or should I go? Like, do I stay in something that I have so many years experience in? I've already feel like I haven't mastered it.

Yeah.

I don't think anyone will because things evolve. You know, the industry's totally different than it was 30 years ago. Um, but Do I do something different? Do I take that chance? Do I take that gamble? Like, will I love something else the same as I love this? Or do I just kind of not settle? That's not the right word.

Yeah.

Just be, you know, safe. But then I was like, I'm, I can't work for other people.

Yeah. Yeah. That's tough.

Um, especially in this city, there are some highly toxic shops and there are just practices I don't believe in. I just, there's some really scary groomers out there.

Yeah.

And I feel badly for clients who, they take their babies to these people and they put total trust in these people and then they get their dog back and they're like, what happened?

Yeah.

Of course accidents happen. You're dealing with razor sharp instruments around like moving live animals. Yeah. You know, it's like, Target practice, right? Especially when they're really old or really young. Just have, you know, some of them have neurological issues. I mean, there's a whole list of that, but there's no excuse for a groomer, you know, purposely hurting a dog. There's no excuse for some of the things that you hear. Yeah. Yeah. So I was like, okay, you want it done right, you do it yourself.

Totally.

That's why I opened the K9 Co. Yeah, yeah. So, and in pet grooming, like, some people do cats. Yeah, yeah, never, not anymore. Yeah, I've, I had some pretty good injuries to myself.

Oh, I'm sure.

Yeah, like thinking about, like, you've been in the industry for so long, the, the relationship that people had with their pets have changed. Like, I mean, if you think in the last 10, 15 years I mean, the millennials really brought, you know, where maybe children were not ideal fit for their, you know, lifestyle, pets were.

Right.

And they've become more prominent and they become truly a part of the, I mean, our society. We bring them into our family.

Well, I think celebrities like, you know, like Paris Hilton having her little purse dog and like some of these, even the bigger ones like Henry Cavill with his like Akita and this side, sort of thing, you see them making their animals an important part of their life. Um, also COVID changed that a lot, um, because people were locked in their house, they wanted a companion, they wanted something.

Oh yeah, if they're single or not, no family, that, yeah.

Even with families, because you're locked in here, you've got kids, you only have a certain amount of doot, you know what I mean? Like, so it kind of gave a distraction to the fact that we were on lockdown. So there were a lot of COVID puppies, like a lot of COVID dogs. We still kind of see the repercussions of that because those dogs weren't socialized properly.

Yeah.

So, you know, they were locked down for 6 months to a year plus, you know, and then all of a sudden here's a groomer.

Yeah.

Have fun.

Yeah.

Yeah. So, yeah, you know, 30 years ago also, this was before doodles.

Oh yeah, that's a whole new breed. All the doodles.

Totally different way of grooming. You had poodles where we were painting nails on them, you know, with these big bows and all this, you know, foo-foo poo-poo stuff, you know? And now it's don't poodle my doodle.

Yeah. Yeah.

That sort of thing. So it's interesting.

That is interesting. Well, I feel like your story is relatable though. I mean, how often I know I have experienced this as well. I've been in real estate for 12 years. Um, and there was a period of time where I thought I was done. Like I was like, you know what? I just don't wanna do this anymore. People are mean.

Mm-hmm.

You know, I'm having a hard time. Surely I can do something else with myself. You know what I mean? And that kind of thing. But I'm good at real estate, you know? Yeah. And I'm, you know, trying to get, per our previous podcast yesterday, I'm trying to get a little bit better about saying the things that I'm good at. Yeah. Cause it's hard for women to do that.

Yeah.

Um, but I know I'm good at my job. I can talk to a wall and that helps. So, you know, yes. So there's that. But for me, and this may have been your case as well, and maybe some of our listeners as well, when they've been doing something for a long time, for me it was situational and it was locational. And so where I was at was starting to feel like it was— maybe it was wonderful for who it was wonderful for, but after a good long while, it was— I could tell it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Right.

And I was starting to feel a little bit beaten down. Um, and all of a sudden I made a change and I love real estate again.

Yeah.

I mean, isn't that interesting?

Makes a huge difference.

Yeah. And so it may not be that in your case you didn't like what you were doing, although I mean what you're doing, it takes a physical toll. I mean, for sure.

Yeah.

Um, I always think about people that do hair or even like dentists and like hygienists.

Mm-hmm.

Like they're like always, you know, working with their hands and it, it is physical. And so that obviously, but maybe too it was like, hey, I just maybe don't like doing this here. And so that's why it's great that you started your own place where you do get to kind of make the rules and set a standard of care for these dogs.

And not everybody is a business owner, like of a business owner.

Totally.

Oh yes. That's definitely true.

Just because you have experience doesn't mean that you would be great in running your own business or having your own business. So sometimes, like you said, you just need to pick up and maybe try a new salon. Yeah, you know.

Yeah. Well, I think I've been in my industry 23— I'm in my 24th year right now, and it is— I love what I do. I love the craft of it. But the industry has made it hard. Yeah, it's made it difficult. So I had to step back and say, okay, how do I make— how do I continue to enjoy what I do And it wasn't— I thought at first it was, you know, situational, like the place I was at or the people that I was with. Nope, it's the industry. It's truly the industry. And I have to reset my expectations of what I can and cannot do in, in, within my industry. So it's like, do— because I, I think I talked with you about this, and I've talked on another podcast. I was thinking, okay, do I switch careers? Do I try something different, something in line with what I do? And when I did, I'm like, that's not fulfilling my my passion. And I too have a hard time— I'm really good at what I do and I want to build that. And maybe I just need to evolve more in what I do and learn more, do something different within what I'm doing.

Yeah, it's like, why can't we just say, I am amazing at what I do? Like, why can't we just—

I don't know, why can't we do that as women?

Start doing it.

Like, toot toot, here's my horn. Yeah, we, we should.

Not to pat myself on the back, but I would love to pat myself on the back.

Absolutely. It's like, you You know, I mean, you don't have many opportunities where people do that for you. Totally. Which is kind of sad. You know, if you just, sometimes when you see somebody, you're just like, oh, that outfit's so great. Or, oh, you did this right. And like with my employees, you know, I'll tell 'em that looks really good. And like they stop and they're like, what?

What? Someone told me something nice.

Yeah. Right. Like you're not—

People are so mean these days.

And they're waiting for the but.

Yeah.

And I'm like, no, no, it really does look good. Thank you for your hard work.

Yeah.

And it's just kind of sad that we as women are just like, we're waiting for the but.

Yeah. Yeah.

That makes me sad. I, I think it's hard for sometimes women to compliment and because you think there's always, like you said, there's always a but or, or what about this? Are they real? Are they being truthful? Yeah.

Or, you know, or do they want something?

Yeah. What do you want? Why are you being nice?

I know. Yeah. Isn't that the worst that our brains go there? My mind goes there all the time. I'm like, okay, but what's really going on?

Yeah, I have kids though, and so I've tried— I've been trained by the kids because James will come up like, Mom, I love you so much. I'm like, what do you want?

Yeah, you know, I love you as well, but get on with it.

I think it's just society, like, we have to really— and if we can, maybe if we start doing that, complimenting, you know, other women, truly complimenting with the, with the, you know, and then ourselves being able to accept a compliment, right? Maybe it'll rub off. Yeah, a little bit.

What are some of your favorite things that you do now in your shop? Like now you mentioned like trends change and different things, but like what are some of your fave things right now?

So I like trying the new products, the new things, right? So when you work for somebody else, you're locked into the shampoos that they've chosen. Yeah, the products that they want, like the the way that they want to brand, if they even brand, you know what I mean? Like, all of those things. So the background of it is really fun. Yeah, let me choose my colors, let me choose our uniforms, let me choose like what I want the aesthetic to look like. I want to choose the shampoos that we use. I want to kind of like— and maybe that's OCD of me, or like over controlling or something.

You are, you are right in the right room, man.

Right? I, I want to see decor, right?

I want it, I want it packaged a certain way, and that part I've really latched on to.

Yeah.

So now that we're—

we've—

so the first 10 months, we, we were open a year on the 6th. Yay! I know, it's exciting. Um, so the first like 10 months, it was my now husband and I just working 6 days a week.

Totally, I hear you.

You know, we did all of our marketing, we did all of our stuff. We now have you know, 2 employees, about to bring on 2 more. And I can kind of like breathe. I can step back and I can be like, okay, this is why I built the business, why it's not Sarah's Pet Grooming, because now I can kind of mentor and like grow them in their careers. I can also groom when I want to, if I need to, but I can step back and do all the things that are really enjoyable right now. Um, but still be in the industry.

What a great— what a great opportunity to share.

Sarah, can you coach me on how to do that?

No, I mean, I'm glad— I love to teach, but it's hard for me to step out of it and like, hey, let me show you how to do it. Like, I have— I can't— I have a hard time with that.

Yeah.

And finding the right people to work with is also a good thing. So, I mean, you get to choose, you know, like—

yes. And so I don't— I have worked at some pretty toxic places where you just like sit in the parking lot and you're like, I don't wanna go in.

Yeah.

I don't wanna go in. I don't wanna do this. I know my family needs it. I just like, ugh. Right. Okay. Pull up your big girl panties. Let's go. Yeah. Um, but I, you know, I'm, I'm working hard to get a, a team where I'm like, no drama. Like, yeah.

I'm, you know, and you've had some other experiences along the way, some bumps on the road. What, right. What do you feel like you've learned? Because a lot of our listeners might be going through those same growing pains, right?

Mm-hmm.

Where you bring someone on and maybe maybe it's not the fit that you thought and that kind of stuff.

Yeah.

Do you want to touch on that a little bit?

So sure. So I have no problem talking. Yeah, me neither.

That's why we're friends.

So I have very clear contracts, right? I have very clear contracts I have put out there, um, also an agreement for all my clients. It is very clear what I expect of you, what you expect of me. And when I see it veering off First, it's a gentle nudge back. You know, it's telling them, hey, you know, this is our policy, X, Y, Z. And then if it gets toxic, I have no problem giving you a warning or letting you go.

Right.

I have to. I have to preserve my business because I don't want that. And I've been involved in this where I've been in a shop and like 3 of the groomers will just storm out.. And I'm like, what? That's not professional. You now have clients that are left in the lurch. You're like scrambling, you're, you're freaking out, you know? Um, I wasn't the owner, so I'm sitting there like, what are you gonna do about that? Yeah. Yeah. Excuse me.

That seems like a, that seems like a problem for you.

Not doing 14 dogs today. You know what I mean? Like, so, um, yeah, I have no problem seeing that. But I also, I feel like I'm tapped into those feelings as well. I'm not, I'm not going into my business with blinders. Yeah. I, I can—

You have the experience too. Right.

And I've seen where that can progress.

Yeah.

I've seen some totally toxic behaviors from people and there are people that are like that. You know, they will be like that their entire life.

Sure.

But, and that's all industries, right?

Exactly. That's just people. Yeah. And then, and especially when you get a room full of like 4 or 5 women and we're all synced up.

Yeah.

Fun times.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, so it's like, oh yeah, this is fun times. Um, but I think that just having very clear expectations, um, just being upfront with people, you know, like I will not tolerate this. Like, I think it's almost like I treat them not like children, but like they are my children.

Like, there's boundaries, but your business is your baby too. Like, it's something you've— you're growing and you're developing, and it's your— yet, yes, it's not Sarah's Grooming, but it is your name right out there.

But I also— I like this. So this was— I, I had read an article years and years ago, and this was back like, um, like Sam Walton when he first started and how he treated his employees and all this. And it just clicked on me. I was like, they're working their hardest for me, for my family, for this business. Why shouldn't I take care of them? Why shouldn't I go above and beyond and, okay, take maybe 5, 10% off of my cut to like make sure that they're protected, they're taken care of? Because why would they work that hard for anybody if they weren't getting compensated? So You know, and I like to be respected like that too, especially for a man of, you know, experience I had. So when we went into this business, it was like, I'm going to take care of my people. I need to make sure to do it. They have either bonuses or they have like a sharpening stipend. They have, um, you know, just if we have seminars, they have free tickets to it. You know, if there's groom expos, I'm going to take them to it. Let's continue our education. Let's get you in— there's a Texas Groomers Association, let's get you in that. Let's make sure that we do all the things, you know, so that they, they have some sort of loyalty. They feel like I'm respected. I'm—

that's a great point. I think, I mean, I know in my industry, like, um, the way I, I get interest rates, right, it depends on the branch, depends on the company. Like, hey, stop taking off the top and push that back into your place. If you develop your employees they'll take care of you. And I see that, like, hey, I'm gonna take care of the people to help feed my kids. That, right? If you have someone who's doing well and they have repeat clients, that's money for the business. That means your kid gets to eat.

Exactly.

Next month. That's how I mean I look at— I mean, I live month to month, so I'm a commission only. The better I do, the better the company does. The more money I make, the more money you make. We're all happy. Yeah. So don't, don't be selfish when it comes to taking care of the people who take care of you.

Well, and we're commission-based. Yeah, it's still W-2, but it's commission-based. And so if we don't have dogs coming in, you don't have a paycheck. So what I've done is like, okay, let's do a minimum. You are scheduled for these hours. If you do not surpass it in your commissions, you at least have a fail-safe. You have a guaranteed amount. You have to work those hours, right? But you will be paid something.

Yeah, that's helpful, at least for budgeting and that kind of stuff.

That, you know, and then, you know, with, with my groomers, I, I try to make it so that they understand their schedule. If you want days off, tell me way in advance. I have no problem with it. We're commission-based, you know, but this is something telling the husband who is not groomer, has never been in the grooming industry. I, I kind of had to tell him, I was like, I cannot physically do more than this amount of dogs. We can make it with this, but we're not going to grow. So if I add in other employees, you know, getting 40, 45% of what they're doing is a lot better than 100% of zero. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, right. So even if I— because if they bring in their own clients, they get an even bigger cut because that's their client. Yeah, it'll be under our name and they'll have to sign the agreement, but you brought them in, so I should honor that, you know. So, um, like I said, it's 45% of what they can do. And now that we have two groomers, that's two full schedules.

Yeah. You know? Well, and those groomers have their own business in a sense, but maybe they're not great at running the business part of it. Right. But they're great at getting clients. They have loyalty clients that follow them and in, in, so therefore it, it benefits everybody.

They do the TikToks and they do the YouTube. Yeah.

That's for them.

Got blessed. All the, the TikToks and Instagrams.

Is, is David the one that does the book? Like, does he do the schedules and like the bookings?

So no, what he helped me out with immensely, so I trained him to do the bathing. And oh, with, you know, people think, oh, dog bathing, it's pretty easy.

No, it is not. It is not.

Have you ever tried to get a basset in a bathtub?

Actually, yeah. What about, what about a 100-pound yellow lab?

Oh, you have a big one.

Oh, Willie. Oh no.

God bless him.

But just when they don't wanna do it, like how do you, I'm like, uh, we're not having a bath today cuz he doesn't feel like it.

Yeah. Oh no, no. I mean, so of course we have elevated tubs. You just pick 'em up and put 'em in.

Yeah.

We have the stairs that go in. We, you know, it's like kids at kindergarten when you drop 'em off, like you think that they're just gonna be like how they are with you.

Yeah.

No, totally different. As soon as mom and dad leave, and I tell dog owners, leave, they're different. As soon as you walk out that door or around the corner, they're totally different. Yeah.

How do they know?

They're smart.

Oh, they smell it.

Yeah.

When you walk in, even if you don't say anything, they're like, That's a familiar smell.

Yeah, I know that stink.

Exactly.

I know that stink.

But like with David, I showed him, you know, skin issues. And so what shampoos to use when. I do help if the owner asks for certain things. You know, I've shown him directional, like drying, because if you dry it a certain way, you're going to mat the coat. You know, even with washing them. Yeah.

I didn't know that. I was like, wait a minute.

If you have a dog that has longer hair and you're drying in a certain way, you can absolutely mat up that coat. So showing him how to cut nails, how to Dremel nails, how to clean ears.

Brush teeth. Brushing those teeth.

Yes. Especially like the black nails where, you know, he, I had to show him about the curve and like, you know, just he had to learn. And he picked it up beautifully. And if he hadn't have been bathing, I couldn't have groomed as many dogs as I could have. Yeah. To keep us afloat. Um, now he's kind of stepping back cuz Linda was with my 2-year-old. Mm-hmm.

That was gonna be my next point.

Now, how did she help?

Yeah, because she built her, and we did here too, she built her business with her young child.

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

At her place of work, which is what Working Moms is all about.

Yeah.

But still, it is difficult. So Linda, bless her heart, like I was, working out of my house.

Oh, sweet girl.

I sometimes, she is totally diva, but you know, she grew up, I have my own dogs, I show and breed my dogs, you know, so she has her own little dog. She has, she's grown up with clients that come into the house. She has like this really weird sense about dogs, like which ones she can go up to, which ones she can't. And we of course are like on her, right? Yeah. And, Thankfully, the shop that we have, there is an office that we just took her toys and we just set her up and let her do her thing. It has now gotten so busy where it's like, mm-mm.

Yeah, she can't be there.

She cannot be there. It's too dangerous for her, for the dogs. She let, we had a dog that was barking and she was like, "No bark." And she let him outta the cage and I'm like, "Oh, that's nice." Yeah. You see a dog run by, I'm like, "Wow, who let?" them out, you know.

Yeah.

And so, you know, it's now David has stepped back from bathing because we do work. We do have employees. We're getting a bather hopefully here soon. And he gets to stay home.

Nice.

Yes. It's so important for daddies to be like with their daughters. And so it's like he's offered this opportunity through the business. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where before he was, you know, I think they call them roughnecks. Oil field work. Yeah. And he'd be gone for like 3 weeks.

Yeah.

And he missed his older kids kind of being grown. And I'm like, I don't want that for you and for our family. This is important.

Yeah. I think that's common in our, in our networking group here. Cause I know that's something you and, uh, Frank do, Erika, right? And Roger and I do. We try to figure out ways to be there. I, I always said that, you know, we had kids not for someone else to raise them. Yeah. One of us have to be there. It doesn't matter who it is. One of us has to be there.

Right.

Pickup, drop-off, school activities, field, whatever. Yeah, so I love that. I love that you guys can do that.

Well, and she still comes. So Saturdays are our deep cleaning days, right? 'Cause, or Saturday, Sundays. So we work Monday through Saturday currently. We'll be extending those hours, extending days. But on Sundays we go and we do a deep clean or like I try to do painting, which when she's there it's harder. But we do all the things, sanitize cages, do all the stuff. And she's over there and she's got her little push broom and she's—

Oh yeah.

I work. Popping out.

I work. Yeah. Yes. And so I'm like, you better have a good work ethic. Yeah. Like, this is what I would like for you to do. You don't have to work, honey. I work. So she has kind of a sense that this is what mom and dad, you know, do. The older ones, They just like spending the money though.

Yeah.

And they don't, well, that's very typical of that age.

Oh yeah.

At least in my experience.

But that's okay. I, I still, I think it's great. I think it's great that, that children get to see how mom and dad do it.

Totally.

And because you homeschool, the girls get to see you and Frank do stuff and do stuff together. Yeah. I mean, you guys, I, you had a post not too long ago with, uh, my buddy's here and you had an open house and Frank was in the back.

Yeah.

Like he's there with her and I think that's incredible. To do things together as a couple, as a family. And then you, and, and you're building something that you could possibly pass down to Linda.

Yeah. I mean, I will say, and I've said this before, it takes like a special kind of couple to do this.

It does. It's hard.

Um, you know, and so, and that doesn't mean that you're getting along all the time cuz we certainly aren't. Mm-hmm. But it is like a, I mean, it's just a, I think it's a common bond where you both just so badly want the same things for the family that you just, do whatever it takes.

Right.

We were just actually talking about it this morning, um, about like real estate and stuff. Like last night I spent, cuz I had let stuff pile up and I've thankfully got a few closings now coming up. I had let like the paperwork side of things like pile up.

Oh yeah.

And I've gotta upload all this dumb stuff into this like system for somebody to check it or like a robot checks it. I don't even know. Um, and so Frank was like, well, I can help you do that. Like, you know, just send it to me and I'll like upload it into the thing, which he could very easily do. Um, and I was like, okay, no, that sounds great. But then I was like, but wait a second, like you already do this for me and you already do this and you already do this. Like we already work together so much. Like, is it gonna be problematic to like add one more thing? Like the real estate side? He's like, no, I've got it. And I was like, okay, so we're gonna try that out and see how that goes.

No, I think that's great. Cause that's something like he might have the patience and the, you know, yeah. To take care of where you can continue it on the creative part of things.

Yeah.

And take care of that.

Yeah. So, so we'll see. But yes, I mean, it's definitely, it's always like sort of a, in my experience, like a case by case, day by day basis to see, to see how it's it's gonna go, but usually it goes quite well.

So, well, but I don't know about y'all, but sometimes I have this immense guilt though, right? Because he's at home and he's doing the laundry and he's doing the cooking and that's like lady guilt. But it, yes, because then I, I get, I don't have guilt.

I get resentful. Sorry, Roger. I do. I get mad. I'm like, why do you get to do that? I wanna do that now. You come. Oh wait, he can't do what I do. He does something different. He does this and this and this. Okay, hold on. I have the, check myself.

And I have no desire to do any of that. Not even a little bit.

I miss it. So when, especially when I go home and it's so sad cuz I think she got it from her little llama llama book. It was like, it was llama llama goes to school.

Yeah.

And it was like a big deal that mama comes back. So now every day I get home, she comes running to me, you came back.

And I'm like, oh my God, I would cry.

I know. I'm like, Am I doing the right thing?

You know what I mean?

You are.

You are. Oh, but it's like, I hear that.

Yeah.

And so, and then, you know, I'll go to give David a hug and we do the family hug thing. Right. And so, you know, James is over here and he's holding Linda and she'll push and she's like, no mama, not for you. And I'm like, oh, well I see what y'all have going on. Yeah. You know, I'm like, I'm just, I'm not important sometimes. And it feels like, well, because I'm away. For so long. You know, I don't know. Like I said, I just feel a little guilt.

Yeah.

Well, and she's still little, so maybe as she gets older, it's that, I think it's that phase, like that little phase that they go through. Yeah. They get kind of mean. No. And I mean, all of my girls have gone through a phase where they want dad and they don't want me.

Oh, yes.

You know what I mean? In fact, I feel like my 13-year-old is doing it now. Like sometimes her and Frank will like have an inside thing. Yeah. Like she's very, well, she's very much, sarcastic and I don't know at all where she gets that.

I wonder where she gets that from.

But she's very sarcastic. And so they too will like team up on me and like tease me.

Mm-hmm.

And I'm like, I'm gonna kick your ass.

Like, whatever. Also, the boys I have, you know, I have all boys. None of them, none of them wanted me when they were little.

None of them. Really?

They liked to, yeah. They wanted to be held. Dad could hold both of them at the same time up in there. I'm 4'11". So if I was down, they couldn't see anything. So he always held them and they, I, they were bigger than me and I couldn't hold 'em very well. So he could carry them all the time and like, oh, They don't want me. You know what, it's fine, it's fine. And it would hurt my feelings. And his schedule at the time when they were little, he could do the field trips, he could— his job was more flexible. Well, now that they're teenagers, they don't want nothing to do that. Yeah, they hang out. So we have great conversation. There's just seasons. Yeah, there's seasons. So maybe Linda will be hanging out at the shop when she's 4. Yeah, not 2.

That's right.

Yeah, yeah, well, we'll see because, uh, the child, she has, um David was watching something and we thought she was asleep and she woke up and apparently had heard certain language. Oh. So yeah, she, so her brother, we call him Bobo, right?

Yeah.

He's sitting there and he goes, ouch. And he hurt himself or something. And she was like, Bobo's a B. Oh. I'm not gonna say that. And I was like, my 2-year-old just said that. And she, I was kind of proud cuz she used it properly.

Oh my gosh. Isn't that so funny? I was always like that too. I was like, don't say that, but proper usage.

And he looked at me like, what? You couldn't get her? And I'm like, she's 2.

What do I do?

No, no, no. That's a no-no word. And so she's like, bebebebebe. Yeah. Right. Nice.

That's a reel for you. You should have recorded that one.

Oh no. David actually has it. But she said the F and S. Yes.

I have heard that video.

Yes. So she, that he recorded.

Oh my goodness.

And I'm like, okay, this is my child with the potty mouth. Yeah. She screamed it out.

It shows intelligence.

Yeah. Was she being a B?

She was.

Well then, no, not the old lady.

Linda was, oh, Linda was like, she looked at me and she looked at this old lady who was like, oh, what a cute little girl. And she was like, effing ass. And the lady looks at me and I was like, yeah, you heard correctly. I'm so sorry.

So sorry.

And so I was like, no, no, we don't say that. And she said it like octaves louder.

Yeah.

Like she was just like screaming it. And like, I'm sure aisles down there, girl, I know. I'm telling you. Oh my God.

You know, there's That's why you haven't brought her to the networking event.

No.

We haven't seen Linda in a while.

I know, little Linda. Her first time here, she was in her little helmet.

She was. She had that little helmet.

I loved her.

She was the best.

She was like 6 months.

I know.

Bless her.

Little Linda.

So cute. Sometimes. Yeah. Now she's something else. But that's also, I think, because I had her so late in life. So like my older kids and even David's too, like, like their boundaries are totally different with her. I'm like, just let her have it. Do you wanna hear her? Cuz I don't wanna hear her.

We all, we all do that with the youngest one.

I think. Yeah.

Like my little one can get away with murder.

Mm-hmm.

And it's just like, and, but she is literally the most feral. Why? I have no idea. The youngest.

Yes.

But I like, she does stuff and I'm just like, cool. Like you do you, babe.

But that's as a parent, you learn as a parent.

Life will teach you.

Yeah.

But as a parent, you, you learn as as you go, right? I mean, like, with, with my, my first son and my stepson, he came into my life when he was 6 months old. I didn't know what to do. Yeah, you know, Dad was at work when we would have him, and I'm like, uh, don't play with knives. Like, I, I didn't know what to do. I had to figure it out. Well, then Tyler came. I kind of knew a little bit. Still, you know, didn't know what to do. Well, Aaron's around and he gets to do whatever.

Yeah, I don't know what to do. And they're like 11, 12, and 14, and then the 2-year-old, and I'm just But see, I was a boy mom for forever because David's two girls, they're bonus kids, right? They're—

yeah, they're my—

I'm their stepmom. So I didn't grow up— they didn't grow up with me, I didn't grow up with them, whatever. Um, so I was a boy mom. Boy mom, totally different than girls, totally different. They— so all of a sudden these two girls came into my life, then I had Linda, and I'm surrounded by estrogen and It's like, what?

What?

I'm gonna go to work.

Yeah. No, believe me, I hear you on that. Yeah. I always like David, like it seems to me that like boys like will physically hurt, you know, each other and like whatever.

And their mom.

Yeah. But, but girls, well, and I don't know, I don't have any boys, but girls like cut to the core of you, like with their words. They can be mean.

Oh yeah. They can be real mean. Boys, no, I get tackled, I get sat on, I get burped at. I, all the things.

All the things.

Burped at. Oh yeah.

Burped at.

Like, oh yeah. And then they can talk and burp.

They can't. And then they like slam me into a wall. I'm like, I'm not a toy. That's why we have a pool. I will not get in the pool with them because I'm a toy. I just get tossed around. Yeah, I'm not doing this.

And James does like crop dusting, so he comes in there.

Yeah, boys are gross.

Boys are gross.

Boys are— they walk in, I'm like, why does it smell like ass? It smells like ass in here. Nothing's clean. They don't— yeah, they don't care.

And like, as soon as— and Linda tells Bobo, she goes, go wash your feet, Bobo, because those feet are deadly. Yes.

Oh no, they stink. But you know, I have to say the difference. So I, I called, um, Tyler. He was there, there at practice last night, and I was working late and Roger was working. And so I'm like, oh, I hadn't fixed dinner. I said, hey, I called him out on your— I, we have some steaks out, do you mind putting on the grill? I haven't had a start, you know, time to start dinner. He's like, sure. I'm like, great. He gets— I said, I'm— Pop, I'm really sorry I didn't start dinner. He's like, Mom, you do enough. I got it. Yeah. I was like, oh yes. Nice. So boys can be really sweet but really nasty. Yeah.

They're so interesting.

But so can the adult men. Yeah. Yeah. No, they can.

Well, I don't know how this conversation swayed off.

I don't know either.

We're talking about grooming and now we're talking about kids. That's what moms do.

That's right.

Family.

That's what moms do. Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, this is usually the part of the podcast where I would ask you to share All about your business and where people can find you for your grooming and maybe parenting tips.

Got you. Got you.

They can come see Linda every morning, right? Yes. Um, so we are in the Brookhollow Shopping Center here in San Antonio, right? So it's, um, Brookhollow 281. We're in the same little parking lot as the H-E-B. Um, our address is, you know, 15124 San Pedro Avenue, but that's the feeder road, right? So we are in the Brookhollow Shopping Center. We're on the Insta.

Yeah.

Don't judge me on my postings because I'm old. I haven't figured out all the things. Like, I just recently did a reel and I was like, yes, you got it. And it probably is horrible, but like, I did it right. And then we're on Facebook. Oh, so on Insta, it's @thek9co.sa. On Facebook, it's just The K9 Co. And then, yeah, I mean, we do, we're online, www.thek9code.net. And then you can book online, you can call us, you can do all the things. And yeah.

Well, and all the working moms love you. Yeah. And all the fur babies go to you.

Yes, they do.

I do have a lot of clients and I have so many referrals. Like working moms has been like key.

That's where we shine. I have to say we shine when it comes to like referring each other and knowing each other and value. And telling everybody about you.

So yeah, but I almost didn't because I was like, I'm just a doctor, right?

Which is so crazy, right?

I know. Well, now because I've seen like what every industry, but I was like, I'm not like— and in my mind, and I guess that's a woman thing, I'm not professional. Oh, you know, I'm like, yeah, it's like, I don't know.

Don't worry, I'm not professional either.

I'm like, I go into like the, the brewing business or whatever, and I'm like, excuse my mouth.

Yeah.

Just like no filter. Sorry.

Yeah. No, you're fine.

We love you, Sarah. Yeah, we love it. And thank you so much for being on.

This was so fun.

I love this one.

First podcast for her.

Maybe she'll come back and talk. Yes. That would be fun.

We'll talk more Linda.

Of course.

Yeah.

We need some Linda updates.

I need to bring her in.

Yeah, you should.

She likes to talk now.

Yeah.

Oh, good. Cool.

We'll have to bleep her out on the podcast if we do.

Yeah.

For real. She'll tell you all about Paw Patrol. There you go.

Yeah.

Um, and then really quickly, I'll just thank our listeners for tuning into this week's episode, and we will catch you guys next time.

See you guys next time. Yeah.

Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. We hope you love today's chat. And found a little inspiration to take with you into your week. If you have a podcast topic suggestion or a question you'd love for us to cover, definitely send us an email at hello@workingmomsofsanantonio.com. We'd love to hear from you. And until next time, see you in the community.