T

hey say that pets have soothing qualities and that 
they can help heal the soul, mind, and sometimes 
even the body. For owner of Everything’s Irie 
Doggie Salon, Irie Vance, that statement holds truth 

in her own life beyond which she might ever have imagined.  

Her story—unlike that of so many entrepreneurs who 

venture out on their own to begin a business doing something 
they feel passionate about—follows quite a different track, as 
it was not until a point in her life that most people would have 
been looking ahead a few years toward retirement. Her children 
grown, she could have been turning her interests toward 
developing a new hobby or traveling. Instead, her family’s 
lives were turned upside down by her mother’s diagnosis with 
ovarian cancer in 2012—followed only a few month’s later by 
her sister’s devastating diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. 

The word 

cancer served as a catalyst, a motivation to get 

involved with organizations like the American Cancer Society, 
for which she and her husband served as co-chairs for the 
Cattle Baron’s Ball in both 2012 and 2013. It was in 2013 
that—just as planning for the ball was in process—Vance’s 
mother and sister both lost their battles, and Vance realized 
just how short life can truly be and that surrounding yourself 
with the things that you love most is vitally important to living 
life to the fullest.

It was with her sister’s words of encouragement echoing in 

her heart that Vance completed 600 hours at dog grooming 
school to earn her diploma as a Master Groomer. And while 
she might not currently use her own skills at the salon she 
opened in 2016, that proficiency provides the backbone of her 
business, as she has the knowledge in place to find groomers 
with excellent skills and ensure that nothing at Everything’s 
Irie is anything but the very best. “The business knowledge I 
gained was incredibly important to what I do now, but I also 
learned that there really is a lot you have to know about these 
animals,” says Vance, whose team of groomers possesses the 
level of knowledge and respect for the dogs in their care that is 
reflective of her own. “I’m very proud of my groomers. They 
have incredible talent and so much experience, and they really 
are like artists who take a great deal of pride in their work.”

story by

 

Liesel Schmidt

photos by

 

Kristina Wright

Business  Profile 

Finding

the Path

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28-29 profile Everything's Irie Doggie Salon.indd   1

4/26/18   8:12 AM