In honor of #NationalPetMonth, we’re featuring some of our regional, animal or pet-focused businesses in the Greater Manhattan area. Get to know these local businesses that bring humans and animals together for a variety of unique purposes. In this interview, Spark’s team talked with Emily Oravetz, K-State student entrepreneur and co-owner of mobile pet grooming business, Bravepawzzz, to tell us more about her business.
Bravepawzzz co-owners, Emily Oravetz and Nick Braido
What is your name and business name?
My name is Emily (or Emiline) Oravetz, and my partner and business partner’s name is Nick Braido. Our [mobile pet grooming] business name is Bravepawzzz. I am a K-State student majoring in Marketing, and Nick is also a K-State student, who is majoring in finance. He is also an Army Veteran.
Tell us a little about your back story and how you both got interested in opening a mobile grooming service.
I have a large amount of experience with animals since my mother is a vet tech. Ever since I was little, I always had some type of foster [animal] and was constantly going to Bring Your Kid to Work Day with my mom, getting to help her with several of the animals. She taught me many things, and most importantly, she taught me to have compassion, patience and a true love for animals of all types.
When starting Bravepawzzz, I wanted to create a business that would be helpful and impactful for both the pet owner and their pets. Nick and I have been running our small business as a team of two starting out from scratch. It’s definitely been a learning journey that both Nick and I are so grateful for.
How we came up with our business name is kinda funny. When we’re working with an animal, I always talk to them and tell them they’re so brave, and that we’re so proud of them. I have always spoken to animals like they’re no different than a regular person. We also found the name Bravepawzzz to be a little bit more unique then other names we were considering, and it had a really cute ring to it so it stuck.
Co-owner, Nick Braido. Photos courtesy of Bravepawzzz.
What is unique about you and your business?
The unique aspect about our business is that we really like to maintain a quality relationship with both the pet and their owner. Most animals have a very negative reaction when getting their nails done, so we really wanted to create a space where an animal would feel safe and not feel so stressed when getting their nails trimmed. Building a level of trust and creating a safe space for the pet is huge for us. Our business allows you to be able to be right there with your pet to comfort them and also allows them to be in a familiar space.
What are some of your first year goals and/or future opportunities you are aiming for as you grow your business?
Some of our goals for Bravepawzzz is definitely expand our services and to grow so we can help as many pets as possible overcome their fear of getting their nails trimmed.
Pet owners interested in creating a safe and comfortable environment for their pet grooming can contact Emily and Nick at Bravepawzzz by phone or text at 775-300-1614 to learn more and schedule an appointment.
