My side hustle started with two scissors & a clipper…now I make £1MILLION a year with my whacky dog designs
A MAN revealed how he began his successful side hustle with a pair of scissors and a clipper – and now he rakes in £1million a year with his whacky dog designs.
Gabriel Feitosa, 31, turns pooches into works of art at his grooming salon in San Diego.
But the São Paulo, Brazil, native started off by working in a local groomer aged 12 before he found success.
Gabriel was so fascinated by the work of the groomers that he decided this is what he wanted to take on full-time.
When he turned 23, he was offered a grooming internship in Sacramento, California, and began his journey in the U.S.
He dedicated his life to the art of dog grooming for three years, while working two grooming and breeding jobs to make ends meet.
After several months, Gabriel’s boss offered him a deal that would change his life.
According to CNBC, she said she would sell the budding groomer her business which included all of the equipment in the shop, as well as her client list for around £31,000.
But along with this payment, Gabriel would also have to fork out £860 per month for renting the space.
This didn’t deter the young entrepreneur as he boldly took the offer and grew his grooming business from the back of the shop while a pet boutique and bakery ran in the front.
Gabriel began experimenting with designs as he was finally met with the freedom of having his own business.
Soon after, his former boss retired and Gabriel took over the lease for the entire ground floor of the building.
He now has 10 employees under his wing, and grooms around 20 dogs a day and at least 500 per month.
But thanks to Gabriel’s knack for inventive grooming, the dogs don’t just come in for a haircut – but an entire makeover.
He combines the art of typical dog grooming techniques with unique designs and even uses vegan and pet friendly dyes to create bizarre looks for his customers pets.
His intricate designs can take anywhere between three to five hours to complete and cost anywhere from £390 to £940.
“The designs might seem fancy and unnecessary, but the amount of smiles you put on people’s faces by walking by with a dog in one of these designs is an unforgettable experience,” he told CNBC.
Some of his most popular designs have seen pups transformed into giraffes, zebras, foxes and a pink marshmallow-cloud.
Gabriel’s flourishing business called Gabriel Feitosa Grooming Salon, brought in around £1million last year while the entrepreneur has amassed a cult social media following with over 2 million followers on TikTok and 400,000 on Instagram.
He has worked his magic on shelter pets waiting to be adopted, family pets and therapy dogs that work in hospitals.
In 2021, Feitosa was cast on “Pooch Perfect,” a competition TV show for dog grooming artists on ABC, where he was a finalist.
After gaining a wave of recognition following his success on the show, Feitosa says people have now flown in from other states just to bring their dogs into his salon.
This comes after a dog dad started his side hustle when he was bored of being furloughed in lockdown, now he makes thousands by making pet posters.