Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle Negen.
Hi Janelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up and went to high school in Alexandria. During my younger years I was a dedicated and passionate 4-Her. I lived for the fair each year and took pride in getting my animals and projects ready each summer. I met my husband—Cory in 10th grade. We got married in 2015. We currently live in Miltona with our 8-year-old daughter—Jordie, 6-year-old son—Casen, 4 dogs—Brutus, Ranger, Retta and Oakley, some chickens, 1 horse and 1 pony. My husband and I run Rolling Acres Retrievers and Pet Boarding. The kennel was my dream, but he supports it fully and is the “hands-on” worker behind our success—making my Pinterest pins come to life. From a young age, my dream job was to be a “Stay-at-Home Dog Mom.” Our dogs have a special place in our family, and we love welcoming in new guests each weekend. Another one of my passions is therapy dog work. I am a Hospice Therapy Dog Volunteer for Hospice of Douglas County and have taken two dogs through training to be certified therapy dogs. Currently, my British Lab, Brutus and I make visits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and schools.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This business came to fruition from a childhood dream. Building a business from the ground up—we have learned—requires passion, dedication, sleepless nights, tough decisions, risks, open lines of communication, the ability to compromise and grit. I didn’t know anything about starting a business when I dove into this dream. It was a learning process, and it was a long road. Building the kennel on a timeline, raising my kids, and working full time at my current job at the time, starting a business in my spare time required me to shift my priorities and give up a few things that would allow me more time to focus on my goals. We had to be all in to make it work, and somedays I definitely had to remind myself why I was doing this.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I grew up with a passion for the outdoors, and strong desire to maintain an active lifestyle with many adventures. In 7th grade I started cleaning kennels for a professional trainer/breeder in our area. He raised British Labs, and that’s where my passion started. I spent hours at his place playing with puppies, and watching him train.
When I was in college, I got my first dog to train and finish myself. My mom had a female British Lab at the time; we spent time researching and found the perfect dog to sire our family’s first litter of puppies. I wanted a yellow male, and there was only one in the litter. Skeeter. He was the beginning of it all for me.
After getting Skeeter, I joined a UKC Hunting Retriever Club & an AKC Retriever Club. This allowed me to learn from other trainers of all levels, both pros and those who just wanted an obedient hunting dog. I started going to hunt tests, and spent all my spare time watching videos and reading books on retriever training. Currently, I am the Secretary/Treasurer of Prairie Lakes HRC, and am a licensed AA Hunt Test judge with the HRC.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science and Equine Science, and am a Canine Good Citizen Program Evaluator with AKC.
Dogs and training have become more than just a passion or hobby; it is now a life-style. I have been boarding and training dogs for friends and family for the past couple of years, and it’s always been a goal to turn it into something bigger.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
For me, keeping an open mind and not being afraid to ask questions, no matter what the question is has led me to making connections and finding both mentors and industry professionals I can lean on for advice. Everyone has different experiences and so there is much to learn from others. I reached out to a couple of other dog boarding facilities in our area before starting our kennel to find out what was and wasn’t working for them, get advice on how to structure my business, and learn about all the pros and cons of doing this type of work before getting started and that really helped me shape the business we have today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rollingacrespets.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollingacrespets
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1XFv5wDCB5/
