Jim McCarthy is one of those guys that just keeps popping up in your life; for the good… The first time I met him, I was recording my very first radio commercial and I had prepared a script that I was given by the brand that I was working with. And I practiced, and practiced,..
I've once again been featured as special guest on The Ring The Bling And All The Things Podcast. This time with Amanda Dary, GSD Creative leader; to share all about social media content. It is hosted by my fellow wedding planner and friend, Kristina Stubblefield. The Ring The Bling And All The Things Podcast is full of interviews with wedding & other professionals sharing marketing and business tips to ensure your planning process is both informative and fun.
In this episode, listen in as we discuss capturing content whether you’re in it or not, taking the hesitancy out of it by understanding the ins and outs of your phone and what it can do, being top-of-mind and visible since consumers are making buying decisions based on what they see on social media and batching your content for consistency. There are some great revelations and impactful tips shared! Make sure to tune in!
Timestamps:
• [5:43] Angela “when people say I just don't have the money to hire someone else. I'm like you are I can't afford it. Like you can't afford not to you can't grow, even if you want to remain a small operation.”
• [6:04] Angela “you got to have somebody grow in the company and working on the company and educating if that's what your business model is, and then having someone that's really dedicated to the communication and the client, so nothing falls through the cracks.”
• [32:36] Amanda “if I go to someone's website, I don't stay on it. I scroll to the bottom and click their Instagram, I see how active they are. And like what kind of audience they have. It's that's kind of the new future of, of advertising yourself, I guess or having your content online.”
• [35:12] Kristina talks about the Content Creation Workshop at Hubers Orchard and Winery.
Check out the full episode in this ONE amazing place! Click HERE!
I've once again been featured as special guest on The Ring The Bling And All The Things Podcast. This time with Amanda Dary, GSD Creative leader; to share all about social media content. It is hosted by my fellow wedding planner and friend, Kristina Stubblefield. The Ring The Bling And All The Things Podcast is full of interviews with wedding & other professionals sharing marketing and business tips to ensure your planning process is both informative and fun.
In this episode, listen in as we discuss capturing content whether you’re in it or not, taking the hesitancy out of it by understanding the ins and outs of your phone and what it can do, being top-of-mind and visible since consumers are making buying decisions based on what they see on social media and batching your content for consistency. There are some great revelations and impactful tips shared! Make sure to tune in!
Timestamps:
• [5:43] Angela “when people say I just don't have the money to hire someone else. I'm like you are I can't afford it. Like you can't afford not to you can't grow, even if you want to remain a small operation.”
• [6:04] Angela “you got to have somebody grow in the company and working on the company and educating if that's what your business model is, and then having someone that's really dedicated to the communication and the client, so nothing falls through the cracks.”
• [32:36] Amanda “if I go to someone's website, I don't stay on it. I scroll to the bottom and click their Instagram, I see how active they are. And like what kind of audience they have. It's that's kind of the new future of, of advertising yourself, I guess or having your content online.”
• [35:12] Kristina talks about the Content Creation Workshop at Hubers Orchard and Winery.
Check out the full episode in this ONE amazing place! Click HERE!
I am excited to share that I have been a guest on Move To Millions Business Podcast with Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon! She is an award-winning business growth strategist, millionaire business mentor, disruptor, multi-million dollar CEO, international speaker, best selling author, and podcast host.
From day one, Dr. Darnyelle has been a Belief Barrier Breaker – defying the odds and breaking the chains of her ancestors.
Episode Summary:
Let’s keep it real: productivity increases profit, period. As an aspiring million-dollar CEO, the sooner you realize this, the better. And to get to the million-dollar mark, you’re going to need the 4P’s – People, Processes, Productivity, and Profitability. This episode is practical and filled with tangible nuggets to align your productivity to your profit. If you have been trying to understand this powerful correlation, you'll discover here how to get more done with the right people so that you make more and do more. This episode will be a blueprint and a game changer for your first million-dollar year.
Listen in to discover:
The 4 types of people you must have on your team
How to become 100% paperless in your business and how every sheet of paper is causing you productivity
What color-coding your calendar adds times to your day
4 must-haves to increase your productivity starting today
Here are tweet-able takeaways to make sharing seamless:
“Give your reminders a deadline.”
“You only know what you know.”
“It takes money to make money.”
“Potty train your brain.”
“Schedule Everything.”
“If it’s really hard, no one can determine if it’s profitable.”
You can also listen to this episode here.
I am ecstatic to share that I have been a guest on Law Chat With Girija Podcast! GBP Law is your legal BFF that gives you the autonomy of easy legal solutions you can understand and explain to your own clients. She empowers, educates, and equips you to get a stronger grip on the legal side of your business.
Law Chat with Girija Podcast is a platform where she shares, highlights, and celebrate diverse narratives and perspectives of entrepreneurship which inevitably provides motivation, encouragement, and inspiration to our community. Through the amazing stories of the guests, we can learn and find inspiration in every season of the entrepreneurial journey!
You have big goals and dreams, but it's time to make sure you purposely have secure footing to move onto your next business steps.
In this episode, I am sharing the Journey of Prioritizing Efficiency & Continuously Evolving as a Business Owner.
Episode Summary:
I will walk you through my time as a trauma therapist, where I spent time understanding human psychology deeply and shares how I now use my past experience to run an eight-figure business. Join us on Law Chat with Girija to steal some of my favorite productivity tips, strategies, and hacks on how to grow a successful business while living your best life.
Main Takeaways:
It’s important for you to alter your business and client experience as per the evolution of your audience.
The analytics of your business tell a story about it.
Putting your to-do list on a calendar and time-blocking is a great way to stay productive.
Some challenges to look out for as a business owner:
Boundary setting can be hard, especially when you are getting started. Remember to prioritize your wellness.
Be mindful about getting into business with friends and family.
Make responsible hires and build a team that can grow with your business.
The 4Ps of a company culture’s foundation are:
People
Processes
Productivity
Profitability
Get the visual experience, watch the videocast for the episode here!
I am so happy to share that I have been a guest on The Business Storytelling Podcast with Christoph Trappe! Christoph interview experts from around the globe who share content of interest to marketers, business leaders, and change agents. He was also a guest on Business Unveiled Podcast: to listen to the episode click HERE.
Even though COVID-19 happened I've had the opportunity to meet so many people virtually through Podfest and online conferences that I've spoken at. And I can say that Christoph is one of those people I've met that is really forward thinking in technology. I was honored when he reached out as he was celebrating his 400th episode and asked for tips for business owners and entrepreneurs. Congratulations Christoph!!
Here are a few of the features!
How Making Time For Writing Can Actually Be Accomplished
Making it a priority
It comes down to making the time, making sure others understand that we are writing and then sticking to the plan. I realize that’s easier said than done, so let’s dive into some tips.
But, do keep in mind: You have to decide that writing is a priority or even these steps won’t work.
Blocking time
I’m a big fan of blocking time to make time for writing or really any task. So my calendar looks like this:
Sometimes, things move ahead or I skip ahead to a task. For example, if I need a break from writing, I might fiddle with a podcast for a bit next. But in general, blocking off time is helpful.
I also try to batch things as much as possible:
Writing in one big chunk or maybe even a whole day
Meetings on another day
Batching by day isn’t always possible for some teams, but the more I can batch related tasks, the more productive I seem to be.
Plan realistically
While you are planning ahead, be realistic on what can actually get done in a given amount of time. For example, I know roughly how long it will take me to write a decent blog post if I have the source material ready.
Give yourself some cushion. Also, don’t let the calendar put unnecessary pressure on you. For example, I’ve seen people say things like this before:
Let’s work as hard and fast as we can for 90 minutes and then we are done.
That might work if you are creating widgets, but it doesn’t necessarily work in the creative world of writing. Yes, deadlines can be helpful, but only if they are reasonable.
Prioritize what works
Some content will perform better than others. And while it can be a guessing game at times, do try to create more of what has been working and less of what isn’t.
For example, on the video content side of things I’ve had a ton of success with Amazon product review videos. My default often is to follow the Create Once, Publish Everywhere (COPE) model, which could mean that I also put these videos on YouTube, Facebook and maybe even my website. In this case that’s a total waste of time when compared to Amazon, however, so I just stick with Amazon.
Now, that doesn’t mean that I don’t always look for COPE opportunities. I do. But sometimes, the effort isn’t worth it. Or I have to prioritize.
You may find similar higher-value content pieces in your writing or even the type of writing. For example, once I see a trend of something that is working in an email campaign I try to follow that style. I’m not investing more time into email now, but I’m going about what I’m creating differently.
So at times, it’s not even about not doing one thing or another, but it’s about trying to make the content you have, fit into the container and style that you has worked so far.
Turn notifications off
I’m a fan of Slack and even social media notifications to stay in the loop and be reachable – especially in a world where remote teams are more acceptable than a few years ago.
But they can also stop the flow of our writing. Content creators getting into the flow of creating is a thing. It happens and usually that’s a good thing. Notifications and unnecessary interruptions can hurt that flow. Every time it’s interrupted, it’ll take a bit to get back into it.
The time block being long enough is also important. For example, let’s say you have a meeting from 9-10 and then again 10:30-11. While that’s technically 30 minutes in-between meetings, it’s likely not enough to get into deep content creation. Sure, you can probably do a few things, but the flow of content creation will likely not happen then.
Making use of technology
Technology can help us with making time for writing. Our options certainly have exploded over recent years.
We can:
write on a keyboard
use voice dictation on our computers
write on our phones – I used to do this all the time and this picture has me filing a blog post while holding my young daughter.
voice dictate on our phones
Using technology that is easy to use is also a game changer. For example, I’ve long been a fan and advocate of teams to write directly in their content management system. That way the content creator can see how everything works together, add the correct anchor text and links and we can avoid copying and pasting unnecessary formatting from Word or Google Docs.
What about smaller teams?
I’m not really a fan of companies building their content on just one network. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., might work today but if those are the only places you share content, the results can be disastrous when something changes on that one network.
But, we also have to face the realities of time – especially on smaller teams.
At the end of the day and it doesn’t matter if the team is big or small, making time for writing is a priority question. If it’s not a priority, it won’t get done.
See Christoph Trappe's full article here.
I am so excited to have been a guest on The Ring. The Bling. And All The Things Podcast with Kristina Stubblefield! Kristina provides bite sized, digestible marketing solutions and information that can be immediately implemented to make an impact on your business.
In this episode, I share my thoughts with Kristina on social media marketing, knowing your numbers to know your worth, and capturing content-- putting in the work and showing up consistently will yield your business a return on the time invested.
Are you giving your business maximum exposure in the digital marketing space? If you’re not consistently in front of your audience, you’re going to be forgotten. You have to stay relevant for the younger generation of clients.
Do you know your numbers? As in, do you know what it costs to run your business hour by hour? Know your worth, raise your rates, and make the work you’re already doing count - because nothing is free!
Capturing behind the scenes content of your service based business is what your potential clients want to see. Beyond it being GOLD for your business, it is truly evergreen - meaning it doesn’t expire anytime soon.
By the time you finish listening to this episode, you'll understand that knowing your business numbers will help you know your worth and that treating your business like a client will take it to new heights.
Check out the full episode in this ONE amazing place! Click HERE!
Each Monday Libsyn features a podcaster on their Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts series. Featured podcasters range in topics from A to Z, but have one thing in common in all cases: an intense love for what they do and a belief in their podcast. Offering a wealth of inspiration, ideas, direction, marketing tips, behind-the-scenes insights and more.
Podcasting has always been the place where expertise, passion and personality meet to share, reflect, laugh, instruct, encourage, question and provoke— sometimes all at the same time! 2021 was no different, except it was.
Every day at Libsyn, they welcomed new podcasters to this fold inviting them into the dynamic community we have all created—together.
This year podcasters, such as Business Unveiled Podcast kept pace with a varying pandemic and its whims, exuding determination, commitment and a touch of obsession to keep podcasting not only alive and well, but thriving.
We are so honored that Business Unveiled has been recognized by Libsyn, our podcast provider since 2017! The most trusted resource to host your Podcast; home of over 75k podcasts as of 2021!
To view all of the Rockin' Libsyn Podcast of 2021, click HERE.
Are you a wedding planner looking to absorb all the free content that’s out there? I feel you, and so I just had to share this post from The Planner's Vault, a resource for wedding planners who covered the 9 Must-Listen-To Wedding Planner Podcasts! I'm so honored that Business Unveiled is on the list, so if you haven't subscribed yet, click HERE! If you don't have iTunes, click HERE.
Business Unveiled is a podcast helping people in the creative industry refine their skills and grow their businesses. There's nothing me and her team haven't seen before, and you'll get to listen to what I experienced, how I got through it, and what I learned along the way. Business Unveiled is the go to podcast for anyone who wants to develop a productive and profitable business in the creative industry.
Evolve Your Wedding Business Podcast is a podcast for you if you are looking to grow your wedding business without going crazy during the process.
She Creates Business is a wedding business podcast for pros who want to grow profitable, sustainable, and fulfilling businesses in our industry.
She Who Dares podcast, host Brandee Gaar talks to successful entrepreneurs to learn how they got to where they are today.
Talk with Renée Dalo is a podcast brings you the real talk, straight from the mouth of business owners who have been there.
The Confetti Hour wedding planner and entrepreneur Renée Sabo offers a light-hearted space for wedding creatives to enjoy candid conversations, give unfiltered advice, and talk about all things weddings.
Weddings For Real is The Planner's Vault's very own podcast for wedding pros. It is filled with helpful tips, actionable steps, sincere stories, and guaranteed relatability.
These podcasts are amazing resources for wedding planners and event coordinators at all stages of their businesses. The hosts are some of the most giving and experienced professionals in the industry that we love to support!
The list is curated by The Planner's Vault. For the full list and more in-depth details about this, click HERE.
I did everything on my calendar today that I “had” to do. Worked out with my trainer, took my niece home, got my hair done (holiday priorities, right girls!?) with Kyle and Andrew, who even commented that he didn’t know Pepe was in heaven. I haven’t told anyone or really talked about it and I see and talk to Andrew ALL the time. Drove to BFE to pick up the BEST food ever that my family begs for every Christmas Eve (and see Emily whom I love), had a few zoom meetings, and it’s 6pm. And it’s time. 6 hours till it’s not Pepe’s birthday anymore.
I have put this off since late March. Not that I didn’t try. I did. But every time I would sit down to put together a blog post on “How do you know it’s the right time to put your dog down” to simply help others, which I love to do. I would uncontrollably lose it sobbing. And if you know me well, you know I would 100% just make a video.
But ummm, I couldn’t get the first sentence out. Like at all!
Because I didn’t know. And I googled this for days and days in different ways, but didn’t find anything helpful other than “you will just know.” I will say that simple statement is true. I just knew. March 26th was the day.
Oh, and YES, it was time blocked on my calendar since April 1st but I kept moving it and moving it, and moving it and moving it. The only way I can accomplish something is to give myself a deadline and a goal on my calendar. I time block everything. Otherwise, it just won’t happen.
Today is the day. I set a goal. Mainly for mental closure, which is that even a thing? I’m not a writer or typer, so sorry to you grammar peeps up front. Actually dictating this was like super duper hard…sobbing. So I decided to go backwards and had to type it! UGH!
No matter how hard it is, blaring my 90s hip hop music from high school or walk as fast as I can on my treadmill desk while typing, the tears just don’t stop. I am STILL completely crushed.
If you know me at all, you know that I say: everything happens for a reason and I always look for the good in everything. But today and since March 26th, I can’t seem to find a good reason nor can I find the good in this situation. Now, I know that all good things must come to an end. I worked at a morgue for shit sakes! I don’t yet understand why in the world Pepe would have to go to heaven in 2021. I mean could it get any worse?
I am not a crier at all and I have been through losing my dad-- whom I was very close to, several years ago to cancer (everyone that knew him said I was a spittin’ image of him. Whatever the hell that means, must be a southern thang!)
Anyway, Back to Pepe. Today is his birthday. He would have been 13. So my goal was to make myself post a blog; it’s therapeutic I hear. Since he was 5 weeks old, we did everything together.
Spa Days; yes, I have a bougie puppy who never aged. Laundry; he loved laying right on top of a stack of clean clothes. Baths; I mean, not together. But after a long wedding at 30k+ steps I would soak for hours in the tub and he would lay right at the rug waiting for me. Bake; ok who am I kidding, I don’t bake or cook. Those cookies in that picture were from Crumbl (like the BEST cookie place in the world). Shopped; yes, I’m the blond that takes my dog into every store, etc. Travel; if he wasn’t going with me, he knew. Because I have this navy neck pillow he loves and when I take it away to wash it, he knows. Videos; we made so many fun coaching videos together. And did fun Tiktoks together. And must I mention "work", oh the late nights. He never left my side.
Back to “how do you know it’s time?” Not to mention questioning every decision I had made with his care on the day he went to heaven. Like I can’t even say out loud “the day I put him down” or “the day I put him to sleep.” It all happened so fuckin' fast.
It was day 16 and I finally was able to get out of bed from having COVID. Which is crazy! I got it from a friend locally while I traveled during the height of the pandemic, maybe that’s what I get. JK! I don’t have that mindset at all.
I was in bed for 15 days straight thinking I was going to die. It was horrible. Awful. Lonely. I even made good bye videos and put them in iCloud for my family. It was that bad. I had on The Greatest Showman on repeat and think it played 9 times or something a day. I was scared to go to sleep. Scared I wouldn’t wake up.
On day 16 I had to take Pepe and his sister Lily to get a bath and groom. They have been going to the same girl for over 10 years. Her and her mom are like family, like my dogs sleeping with them when I am traveling. The poor pups used puppy pads for almost 2 weeks because I was too weak to take them outside. I know, gross!! But you gotta do what you gotta do. My mom wanted to come get them, but I refused because what if I got her sick? No way.
When I went to pick them up, Laura Lea said with a scary and firm tone: "Pepe has a pretty large lump Angela, you need to take him to the vet ASAP." So the very next morning, I shifted my schedule to take him right in, which is also in BFE. Yes, I drive to my home town to see our family vet who I totally trust. He said: "Oh this isn’t good. Let’s biopsy it and asked do you want me to take it out?" Meaning surgery. Without any thought AT ALL, hesitation, questions or anything, I stood up with Pepe laying in my arms, and said: "Well HELL YES take it out." Which now looking back, I don’t know if I made the best or right decision. My mom is the sweetest human ever but sometimes she says the wrong thing at the wrong time. And when I went to her cabin to work while he was in surgery, she said: “Well your grandmother used to say, once air hits it, that means death.”
I think it was a week for the biopsy to come back. It was the longest week of my life. Now luckily, travel had stopped and all meetings and work was from home, THANK GOD. I was able to really spend time with him and care for him after his surgery. He couldn’t be alone. I for sure didn’t realize the MAJOR surgery, shaving, and pain I put Pepe through by jumping up saying “take it out.” I should have stopped and resourced or called one of my best friends and asked her to help me. She’s the research queen and actually loves it– I would just rather not!
One thing I love about my vet is he knows not to bullshit me. No matter how hurtful it is to hear the honest to God truth, he shoots it to me straight. He said: “He doesn’t have long.” I said: “Like WTF do you mean, like 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months? Cause I have to put this on my calendar.”
A calendar entry that has so many emotions around it, I flat out deleted it. And just told myself: “Ok, Ang, on Pepe’s birthday you gotta finish it girl.” So here I am. I hope half way through, I mean shit, I have type 3 full pages! Like who am I!!!??
So this is documentation for my family of neat things I noticed while putting together this video, and I need to break this mini book up with some bullet points. It’s my ADHD.
Pepe’s first day with my family, my oldest niece who was 6 at the time went with me to pick up Pepe and Lily. I was married at the time and my then husband had been deployed to Iraq. So Hannah and my parents went up to BFE to get them with me. Pepe wasn’t planned as much as Lily, more on that below. Hannah is now 19.
Pepe’s last day with my family, my youngest niece who is now 2.5 years old, was with me. Our vet came to my mom's house and she had my niece. So ironic how that worked out. I find little hidden messages in times like this.
In the video, notice how Pepe never left my side while I thought I was dying from COVID. Meanwhile this HUGE ball like tumor was under his chin and how the FUCK did I not notice or feel it? Oh yes, that’s right! I thought I was dying from COVID. I had over 104 temperatures for 8 days straight. It was bad. Watching the season finale of The Morning Show the other night gave me flashbacks watching Jennifer Aniston crawling on her floors. That shit was real. Awful.
Customer service. I will forever be loyal to my vet. Coming to my moms meant the world to me. He gave me medicine to help Pepe but it was real. No matter how much money I would spend, it was NOT curable. It just all happened SO damn fast. It went on for a month or so, I think.
I think my family thinks I don’t ever question decisions or choices, and they are right. I often don’t. Like hardly at all. If I make the wrong decision, it’s always a learning lesson to help growth personally and professionally. But with Pepe, I am at a loss. If I allow myself to think about it, I question myself over and over: did I do the right thing? How will I know if I made the right decision? Should I have Googled more or spent more money on products? I tell myself this to bear the feeling. I did know. Just like the articles on Google said: it’s like connection or real love. Until you experience it, you just can’t explain it with someone else who hasn’t had the same experience.
On March 26th, Pepe could hardly breathe; he was wheezing and gasping for air. He would not eat or drink anything. I even ran swiftly to Target (don’t judge, that is not the norm, it was just the closest thing opened at 7am. And Andrew, GSD house not makeup Andrew. If you ever read this, YES, that was the ass crack of dawn, but I would do anything for Pepe) and bought all this shit. Wet food, chicken, liver, salmon. And I HATE seafood only because I am allergic to it, like highly allergic. And the shit stunk. I was trying everything. He wouldn’t eat. He wouldn’t drink water or anything. He couldn’t get up to use the bathroom. It was time. I had to do it.
I called my mom and then the vet-- we scheduled a time that afternoon. I told one of my best friends who wanted to be there. And I laid in bed for a few hours holding him and sobbing. I got it together, and packed my car with a few things to go to my mom’s for the weekend (thank God it was Friday). Before going to my moms, I drove by my dad’s grave. We got out and put a blanket down– a cute one that looked like I was going to have a picnic with my dog that can’t breathe, but I had no food and it was not a pretty sight. I sat there and talked to my dad for a while. Pepe was about to join him in heaven. I loved the thought.
Got to my mom's and there was 2 hours to go. The minute I walked through her front door, she was like OMG ANGELA, HE IS IN MISERY, CALL THE VET NOW AND ASK HIM TO COME NOW! Remember from earlier where I said she says the wrong things at the wrong times? Well this was one of those moments.
I sunk straight into her bed with Pepe and cried harder. So she called the vet herself. Then I had to remember to text my best friend coming. It was awful. I think I stayed at my mom’s the entire week and cried and cried and cried (when I wasn’t working or on zoom with clients).
Thank God for Amanda and our team. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for this at ALL.
If you are a business owner reading this, PLEASE build a team with the right people.
Ok, back on track…
This is the side you don’t see of me. It takes a lot for me to really get upset or show a lot of emotion. I am a very guarded person from past experiences. Life is way too short. My heart still breaks everyday when his sister Lily looks for him. Every time I take her out to the potty, she looks around the front door. She turns around looking for him everyday. He’s not coming back.
Cancer took my two guys: my dad and my dog. And I know that shit happens, but this is not a teaching moment. It’s a time for me to say to myself, there will be times when you don’t know what you don’t know and you have to trust the process. There’s a higher power in charge :)
For shits and giggles, below is the blog that I started on April 26th, just 1 month after all this happened. Here we are NINE months later. Gosh SO much has changed. So many things. I just read it and today's story vs. NINE months ago is similar, I guess. It’s a bit more of the stories I loved. But WOW! WOW! Different with time, but there’s sooooo many stories!
Pepe’s story (my story 1 month after he joined my dad in heaven)
One month ago today I had to make that call that I’m sure every dog mom hopes and prays never comes.
I hear so many people say how 2020 was horrible. I know it’s been challenging but when we are comfortable we don’t learn and grow as humans. So I disagree. 2020 brought new opportunities I didn’t even know existed when I did my professional goals in 2019. On December 31st at midnight so many of us thought, okay January 1, 2021. A new year. It has to be better than last year. How can it get any worse?
13 years ago when I decided to commit to a dog, Lily was planned. I put a deposit down before she was even born. Pepe wasn’t planned. They were born in the same litter, he was the runt. The breeder offered him to me and in my heart I couldn’t say no. Even though I didn’t plan for 2 dogs!
Just weeks later I realized I couldn’t imagine my life without both of them. They were so different. They each had their own little personalities.
Lily was so bad (never really caught on to potty training and barked so much) and Pepe was a dream dog. He was so good and so loyal. He loved to lay in my arms on his back and just watch me work.
I once took them to an institute trying to figure out why Lily was so bad. I think I had been through 15 sheet sets at this point. She would nip at the seams and ruin all my sheets. And I have a king bed so it started to add up. He told me such an off the wall story about Lily and gave her suggestions on how to talk to her. That dog never nipped my sheets again. He told me that Pepe was all dog. He wanted to be on the same level as me. Meaning put him in my lap or a chair next to me. But never on a dog bed on the floor. He was my shadow. Everywhere I went he had to be there.
Every time I would travel, which used to be a lot, I would remind my mom that Lily and Pepe can’t be separated if something happened to me. It’s written into my Will.
Here’s where the worse part comes in. In January I got COVID. And I know exactly where I got it from. And my therapist felt awful. She didn’t know that she had it yet.
I was trying to think on the bright side that at least I was getting it so I should be in the clear for several months before a vaccine came out. For 15 solid days I laid in bed and there were some points where I closed my eyes, I didn't know if I was gonna wake up. I was deathly sick. I’m still not completely back to normal with my energy levels.
The first day I could drive, all I wanted to do was take Lily & Pepe to the groomer so they could get a bath and groom. They have been laying in bed with me solid for 15 days using puppy pads. It took all the energy I had just to change them out every few days.
I picked them up from the groomers and something was wrong. I could hear the concern in her voice. She said: "Pepe has a knot, please take him to the vet ASAP." There I was the next morning at 7am waiting to see the vet. I didn’t sleep that night. How did I not feel this knot on his neck? He laid with me, by my side for 15 days straight.
Things went downhill from there. It all happened so fast.
Although the pandemic has been rough and tough on so many of us I’m very thankful for the pandemic. I got to be home for an entire year. Home everyday, with Pepe.
Did I do the right thing taking the first tumor out? I don’t know. My mom says that once air hits cancer it’s an old wise tale that it spreads all over. That’s it, it’s over. I will never know if I made the right decision.
My vet, who my whole family goes to for over 30 years, told me he would biopsy it. It was the longest week ever waiting for the results. I was at the gym when he called and told me: Angela, it’s bad. The tumors will start to spread all over. You aren’t going to win this battle. But of course I tried. I bought all kinds of stuff online.
It was the most aggressive type of tumor. Chemo would not stop the spreading. He started steroids every other day to keep him comfortable. He seemed so good. But the meds gave me false hope. Every week it was something. I’ve spent more time at the vet in the past 8 weeks than I’d like to admit.
March 20th he seemed happy and had life to him. He was eating, drinking and eating treats. 3 days later he would not eat. I had to hold him up to drink water or potty. He started wheezing so badly. I knew it was time. He could hardly breathe.
It was the hardest call I’ve ever made in my life. The vet offered to come to our home which was so meaningful.
It was horrible holding him and feeling his little heart that had been beating so hard for weeks slow down and then stop. I was crushed.
It is a pain and emptiness I can’t explain.
Lily was right by our side the whole time. Each day she looks for him. Every time we go outside. Every time we get in the car, I snap her into the car seat.
6 days later…
Cancer has taken my most 2 favorite boys: my dad and my dog. I just don’t understand. What did I do wrong? Could I have avoided it?
We went through LOTS of laughs. Cries. Long nights. Long trips. And bad haircuts.
He was always there. Not in my shadow but right there by me. He had to be on my level. If it wasn’t on my lap it was on a chair the same height as mine. And he never gave up. So loyal. Through the highs and lows of life. Divorce. Break ups. Betrayal. The roller coaster of entrepreneurship. I can only pray he comes back in spirit through someone or something one day soon.
For all dog moms hold your pup tight. Close. Give them the extra treat.
BOOM. OMG. OK. it’s time to end this! It took me from March 26th to December 23, 2021 to GSD. Wow. That’s a long time, but it was important to me. And I got it done. It’s only 10:45pm. I am sharing this as it was therapeutic to just document this. My fingers and wrists hurt from typing now.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far! Set goals and deadlines and GSD! Hug your pup!
And thank you Emem for letting me be last minute and do exactly the opposite of what we don’t allow our clients to do!
