Say yes to new places, new possibilities, new people — in short, life opens up when you do. It’s a mantra that Noblesville-based business owner Christy Smith has lived personally, and one that has led to the creation and sustainability of her now notably successful dog grooming business, Puptown Girl.
“I went to grooming school while I was in college at Ball State,” she said. “I was not pursuing that in my college classes — I have a major in insurance. But I saw a sign up to attend dog grooming school. I loved dogs, and we had dogs as a family growing up, so I thought, OK yes, now that sounds like fun. And I went. It really was a fun thing to try out, and I was able to do it in the summer between my college semesters. So it was a win-win for me. Honestly, back then grooming was not such a big thing — basically, not as many people did it. So I finished, loved it and went back to Ball State after that summer.”
She did, however, work grooming jobs in the interim.
She moved to Lawrence but decided to join a gym in Fishers. It was there, she said, that she met an entire community of people who made her feel welcome.
“I basically just quit my job and opened up our Riverview storefront,” she said.
“It was just me and my sister, and my mom helped me a few days. That was 2018. I honestly figured it would be just years and years before I’d have to hire someone.”
But it didn’t take long for Puptown Girl to outgrow its workforce — it soon outgrew its physical location.
On Halloween 2022, the business officially opened in its current location. To date, they have 12 to 13 full-time employees ready to attend to your pet’s grooming needs.
“We truly are a full-service grooming,” Smith said. “We can do walk-in nail trims, we do bath and blowouts, haircuts — the whole nine.”
Now 15 years in the business, Smith said that two things stand out as most memorable.
“My little dog is the logo of Puptown Girl. She’s my first dog — I was in grooming school when I got her. She is 14 years old now; she’s a Boston terrier.
“The logo idea … it was just kind of like I wanted something to always have her around. I still love it. And even though she prefers to nap at home, I do bring her to work with me sometimes. She’s just an old girl.”
Smith attributes much of Puptown Girl’s success to its community.
“We have Noblesville Chatter on Facebook,” she said. “We have tons of clients there saying our names — sharing our business and contact info. So that has been so supportive to our business. We really do have the best pet parents.”
Interested in Puptown Girl’s services for your pooch? You can make an appointment by calling 317-674-8338 during normal business hours or messaging through their Puptown Girl Facebook page.
Smith can also be reached at puptowngirlLLC@gmail.com. Puptown Girl is located at 1155 S. 10th St., Noblesville.
