Every dog has its day

Inspired by her love of dogs, Ciara Lira grabbed the opportunity to buy a pet shop on Estrella St. near the Power Plant Mall of Rockwell. It was a wild chase for her to invest her time and fortune in this business. From the time she earned her financial management degree from St. Scholastica’s College, Ciara had been employed by a consulting firm after which she joined Citibank. There the environment was comfortable with a salary she could depend on and colleagues she could share information with. But the itch to set her own boundaries grew so Ciara convinced three other investors to share her dream to open Clean Paws.

Soon after she opened in 2010, the realities of being an entrepreneur discouraged her. It was very difficult because she did not have rich parents to fund her business needs.  Inventory has to be bought, employees have to be paid. A small allowance replaced the wages she was used to but our 5’3” bachelorette struggled on. She psyched herself up knowing that having your own business is about being ready for surprises. She conditioned herself to know that her daily routine of arriving at 9 a.m., cleaning her shop and checking on her stock is flexible. The moment came when she had the chance to buy a mobile van and Ciara, 27, pounced on it. Although she is not a professional groomer herself, she took on the challenge. Her main role these days is assigning who on her staff will do the grooming; she is the navigator, showing her driver how to reach the clients’ addresses. Since March 2011, Ciara has been busy offering her home grooming service from her barking new mobile to clients around Makati. 

Here, Ciara reflects on her crossbody bag, working best when not under pressure and beauty products in her fridge. 

My personal style signifier. I rarely use a ladylike handbag because I’m always on the go and need to keep my hands free from anything so I always carry a big crossbody bag. A good bag should fit my pocket office, which I bring most of the time.

What makes me happy are good food, road trips, loyal clients, new and happy clients.

I get inspired to work hard when I see my clients satisfied, especially when they refer us to their friends.

For grooming and style I rely on  myself for makeup because I’m also a makeup artist.

I work best  when I’m not pressured.

The last meal that truly impressed me was the Dusit Hotel Crossover Buffet . My favorites were all there.

One fear of mine is to become a failure at this point though I know failure can be inevitable due to different circumstances but conquering the fear of failing is something I can and I should be able to manage.

What helped me to conquer fear is acceptance of the circumstances. Doing business is a risk. Either you challenge yourself to take the plunge or just be on the side and watch other people swim their way to prosperity. It may or may not turn out good but how can you know if you haven’t tried?

 My best moment was  when I decided to quit office work to be my own boss. Also, just recently, we got our fully equipped mobile pet grooming truck. Our first client was my dog and I groomed her feeling like a pro. I must say, it’s one pimped ride!

Have dog, will travel: Ciara Lira hugs her American cocker spaniel, Sam, who gave her the desire to set up the Clean Paws mobile home grooming service.

My worst moment was during the first year of engaging in business. I had to sacrifice a lot.

Best quality about me. I’m a cowgirl. Right now, I appreciate simple things more than anything else. I can control my desire for wants and just fulfill my needs.  

A quality that I have been working to address is my indecisiveness.

A recent ‘find’ is a unique and cheap arm chair from the thrift store that I had restored and reupholstered-vintage style

The last thing I bought and loved is a makeup brush

The thing I’m hoping to buy next is a nice leather messenger bag — Cambridge satchel bag with my name embossed on it.

If I had to limit my travels to one city, I’d go to Tokyo because I’ve always wanted to resto-hop authentic Japanese ramen houses and stuff myself with mochi.

Memorable places I have traveled to in the past year are Singapore and Malaysia.

The place that inspires me is any place that’s new and unique. Like it makes me think people do really spend a lot of time conceptualizing and coming up with something I can’t even think of! That inspires me to get my mind to work.

The best gift I have given recently are nice shoes.

And the best one I’ve received recently is a cell phone.

In my fridge you’ll always find water, soda, chocolates and beauty products.

My favorite websites are nothing in particular because lately I don’t have any spare time. So, I just check my Facebook and Clean Paws’ Facebook accounts, and e-mail for inquiries and appointments.

I am proud of myself being busy.

Beside my bed are my four cell phones and two remote controls.

The grooming basics I am never without are tissue paper and alcohol.

In school, I learned that learning doesn’t end when you graduate. In reality, life is not about the battle of the most intelligent person. It’s the battle of the most hardworking person.

After being in business, I realized that it’s not just about money money, money. You may have a lot but if you do not put your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears in it, money will not always work for you.

A recent setback I had was dealing with dishonest employees.

My talents include cooking, sewing, multitasking and a bit of dog grooming.

The book I am reading now is Go Negosyo: 100 Inspiring Stories of small and medium businesses.

The way I plan my day is spending quiet time with my planner the night before.

The last time I cried was when I felt I was about to give up because things weren’t working out the way they were supposed to.

Good advice I have given is “Nobody does it better than karma.” You do good, pleasant things come your way. You do bad, yes, you may sometimes feel good for a while but definitely it won’t last long.

Good advice I have received is from a colleague: Rise early, work hard and find oil. Work really hard but don’t forget to enjoy life.

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E-mail aurorawilson@gmail.com.