In 1994, Heidi and Bion were like a million other newlyweds—working, saving, planning and, of course, dreaming. They had this crazy notion of opening a day care for dogs—Camp Bow Wow it would be called—where people could drop their pets for the day or an extended stay. Since the dogs would interact and play in an open area, there would be none of the guilt and sad eyes associated with caging in kennels. They knew it would work. In fact, they wrote a business plan and were scouting locations.
But then the unthinkable happened. Bion was killed in a plane crash, and Heidi’s life for the next 6 years became part of the wreckage. Although she received a million dollars in legal settlements, the 28-year-old widow squandered most of it. A rebound marriage ended in divorce and she was unhappy with her career in pharmaceutical sales. Then her brother suggested they dig up that old bone of a dream.
“I was still very passionate about it,” says Heidi, “so I took the $80,000 that I had left and said c’est la vie.”
A decade later, Heidi Ganahl is the Top Dog or CEO of one of the 500 fastest-growing businesses in America, according to Inc. magazine. There are 107 Camp Bow Wows, 44 Home Buddies franchises (her new in-home, pet-care business), and a Bow Wow Buddy Foundation that’s working to cure animal cancer.
Looking back, Heidi credits her dogs, her daughter, and Bion’s memory for helping her survive. “I made bad decisions and went through emotional turmoil, but I knew Bion wouldn’t have wanted me to give up. Plus, I wanted to build a great life for my daughter and show her I was still ambitious and innovative.”
When Heidi, now 43 and living in Boulder, CO, addresses women’s groups, she talks about passion. Find what you’re passionate about, she advises, and then build a business around it. Or, if you’re just out for personal peace, simply find a way to make it a bigger part of your life.
Sure, sure, you’re probably thinking; I have lots of ideas and interests but no time for any of them. Wrong, says Heidi: “There aren’t any shortcuts, but there are baby steps. Every day you choose how to live. You can choose to do the same old thing or to find one hour to make it happen. You just need discipline.”
And if you fail, it’s no big deal. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my dogs,” she says, “is to live in the moment and forget about yesterday. It’s all a journey, a process, a big learning experience…so accept it for that and be kind to yourself.”
HOW SWEET!
The 6 Things Men Are Most Sensitive About
