We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Illg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always loved animals – especially dogs. I have six chihuahuas (all girls!) – and they are very much my fur babies! So for me, opening my own pet-related store was a natural step. I opened Puff & Fluff Pet Grooming in Phoenix in March 2013. When opening the business, I had one goal: to provide amazing grooming services to the pets in my community!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started Puff and Fluff as a pet-grooming shop in Phoenix, Arizona. If I am totally honest – I was a COMPLETE beginner when I first opened up, but I worked hard, showed up every day, and learned along the way! As the business grew, I realized that there was SO much potential for more! I am so proud to say that we have since opened another four stores (so five total). On top of grooming services, we now also offer a bunch of fun products and services to our customers, like pet-sitting and ‘pampership’ specials! From my work at Puff and Fluff, I realized I was really good at streamlining business operations! The way Puff & Fluff was organized and implemented definitely lead to the creation of my second business – Liz Illg Consulting! Now I get to combine my love of pets, with my love of helping others every day. The two businesses are my pride and joy – I love what my team and I have created, and I am so excited for what the future holds!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely start by taking them for coffee! There are so many amazing cafes around Phoenix, like Lola Coffee or Songbird Coffee and Tea House! In my free time, I LOVE to go hiking, so I would definitely show my best friend the trails around Phoenix! A gorgeous trail near me is in Papago Park – it’s absolutely breathtaking! Other amazing ones are in South Mountain and Camelback Mountain. Honestly, I love the area I live in and it’s so incredible to be surrounded by so many amazing trails! I would definitely include a trip to the spa. It is one of my favorite ways to relax! I normally go into Phoenix City for spa trips – so my favorite choices would be Alvadora Spa and Tocaloma Spa! Other than that, I would definitely include a lot of chill time at my home – I am really proud of the home I have created – with my gardening patch and plenty of outdoor space. I hope that my best friend would leave Arizona feeling fulfilled and totally relaxed!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have SO many people that I would love to give a shout out too! Firstly, my husband Michael – he is so supportive of me and my business dreams! I would also LOVE to shout out to the team at both Puff & Fluff and Liz Illg Consulting! I am so lucky to have an incredible team of staff that are so hard-working, creative, and passionate about what they do! It makes going to work every day SO much fun!

Website: https://puffandfluffspa.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puffandfluffspa/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/puff-and-fluff-grooming-and-pet-sitting/?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puffandfluff/

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