Barista | Pet Groomer

GLORIA DANIELS PET GROOMER

FOURWAYS VETERINARY CLINIC/PARLOUR

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO FOLLOW THIS PATH? I chose pet grooming as a career because I am passionate about working with people and animals. I’ve loved animals since I was a child.

IF YOU HAVE A MORE UNUSUAL CAREER, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS THAT YOU DO I not only groom cats and dogs in our parlour, but also rabbits and occasionally guinea pigs!

PURRFECT PET PARLOUR

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU UNDERGO, AND WHERE? I trained with Alison at The Dog’s Whiskers, based in Valyland Centre. It’s the most popular dog parlour in Fish Hoek, so the training was top notch.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY Hectic! The first animal comes in at 8:30am. I wash or brush them and then they go into a cage to dry, while I get started with the next one. After an hour, depending on the size of the pet, I would finish off the first one and let the customer know their fur baby (or some people bring in more than one at a time) is ready for collection. I get an average of six pets coming in per day. The day ends with cleaning up the “office” and equipment, ready for the next day.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A PET GROOMER? I love what I do! It brings me so much pleasure when the fur babies walk out of the parlour looking all clean and polished, and their parents are happy with the new look. I find my work therapeutic, if you can call it that.

YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE PART? When people see a photo on the internet of a pet grooming style and ask if I can replicate it with a different breed. Most people don’t understand that dogs don’t all have the same hair texture. A Poodle’s hairstyle will not look the same on their Yorkie, for example. I have to explain to them that it’s not possible, and some people get disappointed.

WHAT HURDLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Not all customers will be happy with the outcome, even though I have delivered my best. Some pets need short cuts due to their fur being heavily matted or due to skin disease. Styling can only occur after treatment and regrowth of a healthy coat.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT? I was recommended by a customer to new clients that were from England. I felt privileged to apply my skills on a foreign breed, and they were satisfied with the result. I delivered on the challenge with flying colours.

DO YOU HAVE ANY GOALS FOR THE FUTURE? I would love to own and run my own parlour one day.

IS EXPERIENCE AS IMPORTANT AS FORMAL TRAINING? Experience is actually even more important than formal training. I’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and still get dogs that test my experience and skills.

IS THERE A TYPE OF PERSONALITY BEST SUITED TO THIS WORK? It requires a lot of care and patience. You must be an animal lover and a cheerful person. Dogs are very sensitive and can respond to how you are feeling, and sometimes, they will act on it.

YOUR JOB IN THREE WORDS Fun, challenging and good-business.

DANIEL MUDYIWA BARISTA

DOLCE BAKERY

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A BARISTA? I wouldn’t say I chose to be a Barista; it came about because of limited opportunities after I finished my studies. But I grew to love it and I have zero regrets about what I do.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU UNDERGO? I did a short barista training course at Origin Coffee in Cape Town.

HOME BREWED VIBE

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY The day usually starts with a morning rush, as customers stop by to quickly pick up our breakfast and bagel special before they head off to work. We also get orders from Uber Eats and OrderIn throughout the day. In the afternoon, we mostly get orders for our main menu meals, but as they say, coffee knows no weather, so it is a favourite in the afternoon too.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST? Making good coffee, pushing sales and offering the best service every day. Seeing customers happy is what brings joy to me. Being a barista has given me lots of friends – my motto is: “Beyond coffee towards making everyone family at the bakery”.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE? Working under pressure gives me a whole lot of stress and I make more mistakes. So, I’ve trained myself to multitask and work fast and smart. When I’m working under pressure, sometimes my temper gets tested, but I always manage my anger – thankfully, a skill I acquired back in Varsity.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER? Being mentioned by various clients and them making referrals to their families and relatives to come to Dolce and request their coffees to be specifically made by me.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS? I’d like to start a business that involves working with people and growing to be a giant in the service industry through providing high quality products and services.

IS THERE A TYPE OF PERSONALITY BEST SUITED TO BEING A BARISTA? Yes, you need to be punctual, patient, calm and more of an extrovert than an introvert – you’ll be dealing with people and you have to entertain them while they’re waiting for their coffee. My goal is for people to come to the bakery because they enjoy talking to me, not just to get good coffee. I see that as an important factor; there are plenty of places that sell good coffee, but who’s making the coffee? It’s important to be unique in terms of how you treat your clients and interact with them.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT? Being a barista is something that people take lightly, but it’s one of the best and most interesting jobs for learning about people and the world. To those starting this journey, you have to stay focused and never be afraid of failing, because making mistakes and finding solutions to correct them is what makes people successful.

YOUR JOB IN FOUR WORDS Making coffee brings family!