Meet Asia Quentin | Entrepreneur | Model | Dancer

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

Hi Asia, how do you think about risk?
I consider myself as someone who takes calculated risks. However, starting my business was probably the least calculated risk I’ve ever taken as I felt it was something I NEEDED to do. My business was born out of personal necessity. I say necessity because prior to starting it, I worked in multiple aspects of the grooming industry—always for someone else. I eventually became terribly unhappy everywhere I went, largely due to rampant labor exploitation. Because I had these awful experiences no matter where I was, I just decided that if I was going to get back to enjoying what I do as a groomer, it would have to be under my own terms. So, after reaching my wit’s end in the last grooming position I had, I abruptly left and birthed my housecall grooming service.

I have never regretted any of the “risks” I’ve taken. Pretty much all of them were taken in an effort to stay true to myself, honor my needs and boundaries, and listen to my intuition. Because how can you know if you don’t try? Knowing, learning, and growing have always made risk-taking worth it. And my journey wouldn’t be what it is without taking a few leaps of faith.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run a housecall pet grooming service. Something I learned through my experiences working in other parts of the grooming industry was that, more often than not, pets are uncomfortable when they’re getting groomed. Think about it—a stranger of a different species, someone you can’t fully communicate with, comes up to you and starts touching you, feeling you up, and then bathes, dries, and uses a number of terrifying sharp objects to cut your hair. On top of all this, if you’re in a salon, you’re surrounded by a bunch of other strange pets who are nervous, yelling, and have potentially been there for hours on end. There are loud noises and smells and you’re expected to handle all of this stimuli by being still so a groomer can safely cut your hair. Needless to say, it’s a scary experience and I can understand why pets wouldn’t enjoy it. My housecall service cuts out a lot of these issues. Because I come to you, it’s just me and your pet in the comfort of their own home. It’s much more quiet and I only work on one pet from start to finish. Then immediately when they’re done, your pet can go back to their favorite comfort—you!

I’ve found that not only is this a more enjoyable experience for many pets, but I enjoy it more too. I work on my own time and at my own pace—there’s no pressure to rush, which means I can focus more on my top priority: the health and comfort of the pets I help. And usually, this allows for a better quality of groom too, which is the cherry on top.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First and foremost, I love Houston food (and really just food in general 🙂 ). We have so much variety here, no matter what you’re craving, you’re likely to find a place that absolutely slaps. Some of my favorite vegetarian-friendly spots are:

Nara Thai
The Monk’s
ZOA Moroccan Kitchen
Local Foods
Korny Vibes
Blue Nile
Soju Bar
Seoul Garden
Pink’s Pizza
Moonbowls
Houstonatlantavegan (check their IG to find out when they’re in town!)
Polanquito
Brasil
Cascabel

As far as activities go, I love our museums. The contemporary arts museum is spectacular, particularly the Dirty South exhibit that’s currently on display. The fine arts museum is massive, with the sculpture section being my favorite part. I love the Cockrell Butterfly Center in the Museum of Natural Science. Having a butterfly land on you is honestly such a pure joy moment.

I also enjoy the many trails around Houston. While our terrain is pretty flat, I really enjoy seeing all the various flora in the city. The trails around Buffalo Bayou Park are loaded with all sorts of flowers and plant life. And if you take the trail to the Waugh bridge around sunset, you can watch the bats! Their movements are mesmerizing! Plus, that trail leads to Eleanor Tinsley Park, which usually has all sorts of activities go on. People often play sports like soccer, frisbee, and flag football in the fields. You’ll also probably find someone celebrating a special occasion like an engagement, birthday party, or even just having a picnic brunch there too. It’s got a pretty awesome view of the city as well.

Speaking of faun and flora, the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is another great spot to view all kinds of plant and wildlife. It’s dazzling when the flowers are in bloom.

Of course, every Houstonian has likely been to Galveston beach at some point or another. While it’s not the most incredibly pristine beach there ever was, it’s still lovely to lay out on a hot summer day, walk and ride the roller coasters at Pleasure Pier, and peruse the shops in the Strand Historic District.

One spot that’s still on my Houston area bucket list is the George Observatory. It’s a bit of a drive to get to, but a romantic evening looking at the stars sounds like my kind of adventure 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d especially like to thank my friend, Annie Liu, who taught me how to use Google Forms for my intake form, helped me navigate the ins and outs of Excel for my bookkeeping, and came with me on my marketing missions around the neighborhood. She’s a real one! In addition, I’d like to thank anyone who has ever supported my business in any way. Particularly as a small business, every post like, comment, share, and follow helps spread the word.
Of course, I would not have been able to get back to enjoying what I do without my awesome customers. I know there are many options in the grooming world, and I am honored they have picked me.

Website: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YkORhWdJEk6Mdg8D7WmPlQj1Axuhu-EKI6SUiV8EbRw/

Instagram: @asiasinhomegrooming

Facebook: Asia’s In-Home Grooming

Image Credits
Black and white personal photo by Louie Galvez (@xpertwizard on Instagram)