When a Dream Becomes Reality!

Ever since I was a veterinary technician student at Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC), I have had this dream of building my own small business based around my love for dogs. Having been in the company of canine spirit guides since my earliest childhood memory, I already had a great deal of experience bonding with dogs through the power of human touch. As I immersed myself in veterinary technology studies at LAPC, I learned about the anatomy and physiology of the dog, and became fascinated with the similarities of human and canine musculature. I soon discovered that there was also a veterinary specialty focusing on animal massage therapy. Horses were at the forefront of this field at that time, but canine massage was also becoming accepted as a legitimate adjunct therapy that provides myriad health benefits for dogs.

Even though I graduated from the LAPC Veterinary Technology Program in 2000 with honors, and then became a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in the state of California that same year, my dream of building a canine massage therapy business didn't become a reality until 2015. I had reached a point in my life when it finally felt like it was time to take that plunge and realize the vision I have had since those days as a vet tech student. Although I already had a deep understanding of canine behavior, body language, anatomy and physiology as an RVT, I became a student all over again in order to earn the title of Certified Canine Massage Therapist (CCMT).

But how does one take a vision in their mind and begin to make it a reality? Knowing how good I felt whenever I received a therapeutic massage, I wanted a business name and tag line that would reflect how I wanted dogs to feel after their massage therapy session. I envisioned an older dog suddenly feeling like a puppy again, dancing around the room with a smile on its face. That is when "Dancing Dog Massage" and "Your dog will feel like a puppy again!" was born. I was relieved to discover that this business name was available, so the next step was to build the visual branding. I knew it had to be centered around the "Dancing Dog" itself, but how could I make that image a reality? I didn't simply want a stock illustration or generic clipart that anyone could easily obtain for their business. I wanted something truly special and unique, something that brought my vision of the Dancing Dog to life!

Then, one day, I came across the following image:

I was awe-struck by how the artist was able to capture the essence of animals, and I wondered if the artist had ever done any illustrations with dogs. So I began looking through the portfolio on Marie's website and discovered the following image:

I was blown away, and in that instant I just knew that Marie would be the perfect artist to bring my vision of the Dancing Dog to life. I reached out to Marie via email, not knowing if she would even give me the time of day as a budding small business owner. Would my project be too small for her? Would I even be able to afford her services? Well, I was pleasantly suprised by not only her response, but the wonderfully positive creative energy she brought to the table. Marie is based in Germany and Sweden, so it took hours of Skype chats with her to convey my vision of the Dancing Dog and how I wanted it to be the centerpiece of my brand. Once a price point for the project was agreed upon, Marie's creation of the Dancing Dog Massage logo began. I will never forget the first time I saw her illustration of the Dancing Dog. It was perfect on the first pass! The only thing we had to mess with was the font and placement for the text portion of the logo.

My dream had finally become a reality and all things Dancing Dog Massage took off from there!