Meet Shawna Gibson | Gym Owner/Pet Sitting/Doggie Daycare/Boarding Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawna Gibson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I feel like a business can be made from anything you’re passionate about. If I was doing something well for someone else, it only seemed natural to do it for myself.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am where I am today because I work hard. I’m willing to do absolutely anything I ask my employees to do. I don’t have quit in me. Did things happen as I planned, nice and neat? Was/is it easy? No. Nothing worth having is ever easy. It’s worth it. You have to be able to let go of how you think things should be, pivot on a dime, move forward and figure it out. Everything is “figureoutable” 🙂

Both businesses The Brick Gym and SHAW’S Paws started in my home. The gym began with a bench I bought at a garage sale, and a dirt floor garage. SHAW’S Paws pet sitting, a small backyard and me going to clients homes.

I feel like what sets me apart is my passion. I eat, breath, sleep both businesses. This is both my strength and weakness. It’s very challenging for me to turn work off. I am in love with my clients (human and animal)

What I’ve learned is that everything comes and goes in business and life. You must constantly be willing to be open to change, not be attached to just your ideas, don’t take things personally, always be someone’s cheerleader, and champion. The more I can help someone else succeed in their own goals, fitness, business, animals whatever it is, the more I receive. You must give more than you take, period. With all my heart I believe when you give all you have you will never want for anything.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh goodness this is hard…I’m so boring when it comes to this stuff. I’m painfully simple. My favorite place to be is with my son, my close friends and family. Give me a night/day/time around the table, back porch, laughing, grazing on snacks, cooking out, a cold beer, glass of wine, cup of coffee, a great sunset or sunrise, great music, kids running around, throwing the ball around, with my dogs, cats, horses, running around, it doesn’t get much better. I just want uninterrupted time with those I love over anything no matter where it is.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In regards to The Brick Gym my fitness business, the YMCA was a big influence. In the beginning I had some amazing mentors, people who really believed in me. Towards the end of my 15 years I had a very challenging supervisor that if I had the opportunity I would thank. While I always ran my own successful coaching/fitness business outside the Y, that supervisor solidified my desire to branch out permanently, Through my experience at the YMCA I learned what I did well, what I needed to improve on, etc.

For SHAW’S Paws pet sitting business:
Again, my customer service and marketing training at the YMCA had and still has a very heavy influence on how I run both businesses. Both businesses are service focused but the core, what’s the most important and valuable to me are the relationships inside the two careers.

With The Brick Gym, I get to help them discover that they are capable of so much more physically than they ever imagined (at any age) through that I see their self image, confidence, their overall love for themselves grow. I get to help improve and increase their quality of life.

With SHAW’S Paws pet sitting services my team and I get to love on every type of critter you could possibly imagine. That in of itself is beyond therapeutic. No matter what kind of day I am having, no matter what, a dog is always happy and grateful to see me. Who wouldn’t love that. Dog spelled backwards is God that’s no coincidence. It’s the most unconditional love and joy you can experience and I get it every day.

Website: https://www.shawspawspetcare.com/

Instagram: Shawspawspetcare

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fetchpetsit?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
I took them all