I think at some point we all wonder how famous entrepreneurs got to where they are. Society sees how they have to play a variety of roles such as boss, manager, budgeter, mediator, coordinator, and more. So how do they do it? This question also draws up the common “mystery” that arises when people think about entrepreneurship. I too, had this mindset whenever I heard the word entrepreneur. People assume that entrepreneurs have an abundance of time, when in reality they don’t. My uninformed perspective was changed when I interviewed entrepreneur Yessy Feliz, the owner of Tails, a doggie daycare and boarding center. Yessy cracks down on this misconception while also creating solutions to these problems in describing her career, the establishment of Tails, and the sacrifices that have come along with being an entrepreneur. Yessy made me realize that entrepreneurship is not only about knowledge, skills, and talent, but the attitude you have as you go along and take on the overwhelming amount of tasks ahead. Entrepreneurship is a major test on an individual in which the attitude they have will either make or break their experience.
Yessy has lived in Boston for twenty-five years. She came to the United States with her sister, Yocasta, to join their mom when she was twelve years old. She was born in the Dominican Republic and is the youngest of six children in a very close-knit family. After her father’s passing, Yessy’s mother decided to immigrate to America and settled in Jamaica Plain in Boston. Coming to the United States was a bit of a culture shock for Yessy. She describes the experience as exciting but frustrating: “It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t like I could go in the neighbor’s house like I used to do. I didn’t understand the language, so that barrier alone was tremendous for me. I only spoke Spanish… and I had to work really hard in order to keep up and understand what most of the kids were saying.”
She describes her experience as trying, but having her mother and sister for support helped make the situation easier. With time and practice, Yessy was able to overcome the language barrier but says that even now in dealings with customers or others, her accent can get in the way.
Yessy majored in Business Administration at Roxbury Community College taking classes at night after she had her first child. Later, she received her Bachelor’s in Management at Northeastern University. She worked in the banking and hospitality industries for fifteen years. She also worked at the Hyatt Regency Boston hotel as the assistant manager for one year. While working two jobs, Yessy found it difficult to take care of her Maltese. She would have to travel to Jamaica Plain’s MSPCA to get her dog’s special food. This prompted her husband to encourage her to quit her two jobs and do something she loved; taking care of dogs. After that, Tails was founded in 2012. Tails caters to dogs as a doggie daycare, boarding facility, private walks, but also offers feline services and pet supplies. Tails employs more than twenty-two people from Jamaica Plain, most of whom also speak a second language like Yessy. This year Tails will be celebrating its fifth year of being opened and Yessy is excited for the business’s future and legacy to grow.
Becoming an entrepreneur has many benefits. Yet, to attain these benefits, sometimes sacrifices must be made, and for women entrepreneurs especially; family is a part of those sacrifices. Yessy is affected by having to choose between work and spending time with her family. “I love my business, I love what I do, but my priority is also my family.” In an article, “Should Career-Driven Women Make More Sacrifices?” Sasha King states that “43% of high qualified women with children are leaving [their] careers.” Yessy continues to discuss how keeping her family a main concern in her life allows her to prioritize Tails as well because she knows she has the full support of those she loves through the ups and downs. Yessy also mentions the sacrifice she has had to make with her children, she is clear however in wanting her children to understand that her “growth is their growth.” Although Tails takes up most of her time, Yessy still puts forth every effort she can in for her children and considers them her proudest accomplishment. By preserving this mindset, Yessy can find a middle ground between the two main focuses of her life.
Entrepreneurs have to make sacrifices that help their business prosper. Yessy faces this in the hiring and firing process. “Everyone always says, ‘Oh yes, yes I love dogs, oh it’s amazing,’ but they don’t really know what it takes to really take care of a dog, especially when you’re trying to take care of ten, fifteen dogs at a time,” states Yessy. Then when she hires an employee and they are not doing their job correctly, a difficult decision has to be made. Yessy expresses that one of the most challenging decisions she has to take on is letting go of people she cares about. “You worry about how they’re going to pay their rent or how they’ll pay for their car or their bills, but there’s nothing you can do. You have to think of the business.” As an entrepreneur, there are times when you are tasked with things that may seem too hard to confront. Yet in the face of these trials, Yessy demonstrates that you have to do what’s best for your business and what is going to help make its legacy. Yessy displays an attitude of an realist, and acknowledges that there is a lot of “give and take” in entrepreneurship. Sometimes, the take will feel as though it’s swallowing up the benefits but in the end it is worth the wait.
Entrepreneurship “takes a lot out of you personally,” says Yessy. When Tails first was initially starting up, “I was a student, a wife, a mother, a boss, an entrepreneur and I was doing way too many things at the same time… so you forget to take care of yourself.” Many female entrepreneurs face this dilemma as they begin to stretch themselves too far by trying to juggle every role they may have in their lives. Yessy offers a solution to this by getting organized. “You have to have your priorities straight… and if you have ten projects and can only do five, then do five.” Sometimes the best way to solve something is by taking it on piece by piece instead of all at once. In her daily life, Yessy gets about four hours of sleep a night and is up and running for twenty hours a day, seven days a week. She says that it feels like, “you’ve already burned out and you’re still working.” She finds it is only possible to get through all of her daily tasks and trials by being strong spiritually, mentally, and physically. But sometimes, “you have to put yourself on the back burner” Yessy says. Even if you are putting yourself on the so called “back burner,” Yessy urges young entrepreneurs to take care of themselves and find outlets where they can take a step back from stress.
Yessy also acknowledges another major sacrifice that many individuals are afraid to make. This is recognizing how personal weaknesses affect not only the entrepreneurs personally, but her business as well. For Yessy, this weakness is how she gives or puts too much of herself into a task. “I give myself in to a lot of people; employees, family members, etcetera, I’ll give you everything I have and everything I can.” She also came to the realization of other weaknesses that are common to new businesses such as human resources and management skills. She says, “Just because you are an entrepreneur, does not necessarily mean that you’re going to be a good manager… or have the skill and division to continue the growth of your business.” Even after majoring in college in management, Yessy says that no one is fully prepared. Especially in Boston, where there are no regulations for doggie daycares and no standards that individuals must follow. To take these challenges head on, Yessy is aware of workshops in the Boston area, and also finds herself trying to adapt with any new situation that might arise. Yessy is aware that she can learn from her mistakes and that without them she would never be able to grow.
Yessy Feliz epitomizes a successful female entrepreneur. Her goal in life is to create the first dog complex in Boston. “It’s going to be a hospital, a boarding facility, training, it’s going to be nutrition and a restaurant for dogs. It’s going to be an indoor park accessible to every single dog… we are going to be a shelter and truly cater to our animals.” Yessy has taken on every challenge that has come her way and faced them. She knows that mistakes have been made and more will occur but she does not let fear prevent her from aiding animals. Currently, Yessy is back in school and is studying to become a veterinarian so that Tails will be able to offer even more services. She is an inspiration to all and it is clear that she will make a legacy for Tails which she strives for on a daily basis. She is an advocate for animals and wants Tails to become a worldwide business that can come to their aid. Yessy continuously defies the odds of women entrepreneurs and owes it to the positive attitude she maintains. To all women entrepreneurs she says “work hard at what you do, be determined, don’t ever ever ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Stand up for what you believe and keep going… and be an example to other women at all times.” Yessy is successful because she stays true to herself, never gives up, and strives every day to turn her passion into a reality. Her most noticeable quality when you meet her however is the positive attitude she has. This attitude is what sets Yessy apart from all other entrepreneurs. It is what pushes her to succeed and to go above and beyond what any other doggie daycares offer. And although she will always have her weaknesses, she does not let them prevail makes it her mission to help dogs far and wide. Yessy Feliz is not a woman who sits around and waits for success to come to her. Instead, she takes it.