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Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who’ve made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, cofounder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.
The industry standards for dog beautycare have officially been raised by Jess Rona. As the founder of Jess Rona Grooming Salon and the up-and-coming dog brand Shmoop, Rona has breathed fresh life into a mundane task.
Yet Rona never planned to build a dog-grooming empire. As a teenager, she set her sights on acting, and at 18, while chasing that dream, she took a job as a dog bather at PetSmart. There, she gradually learned the craft of grooming itself. She later stepped away from the work, waiting tables so her schedule could stay open for auditions. The pursuit eventually carried her to New York City, where she discovered a new creative outlet: improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
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She eventually returned to Los Angeles and recommitted to grooming, continuing to refine her technique and even entering grooming competitions. Rona then took a massive career leap and opened her own operation out of her garage, moving from employee to boss. Naturally funny and creative, she began filming the dogs she groomed and posting the clips online. The videos were hilarious, and they quickly went viral, and their unexpected popularity put her business on the map.
She moved the salon out of the garage and into a proper brick-and-mortar location in Larchmont Village. Today, Rona is at the helm of both her established grooming salon and an ambitious new venture as she prepares to launch Shmoop, a beauty brand for every dog (a brand we truly cannot wait to see).
Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to discover how Rona was able to transform a temporary job to support an acting career into a full-fledged professional identity rooted in skill, humor, and an unmistakable affection for dogs.
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