Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who
see dogs not as toys or tools, but wise souls worth our respect and care.
I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host.
I talk to poor some humans, people who do great work for dogs and their people.
So come and join us for today's conversation.
Anke: Hello, and welcome.
Uh, now that's a good 1.
Should I say iris like good Germans, or should I say Iris
so that English speakers get it?
I I respond to both.
Okay.
I think so.
Uh, let's just start out where, you know, where you're from.
I've already given a little bit of that away.
And, um, where you're based and brought to your business?
Iris: Yeah.
So, um, thank you, Anke.
So I am from, uh, Germany just like you, and I'm also just
like you from East Germany.
However, I grew up in a little village in the mountains, in the Thuringian woods for
the first 19, almost 20 years of my life.
However, for the last 28 years, I have been living here
in the metro Atlanta area.
So right now I'm outside of, Um, Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.
And again, I've been here now for 28 years.
Um, I've had my own business for the last 23 years and my main business
is really leadership development.
That includes, Uh, 1 on 1 leadership coaching for entrepreneurs,
executives, uh, uh, business owners.
But I also have a program called Doggone Leadership, Which is really a a training
program, a facilitation program, um, for leadership development, Where I
invite, um, the participants to create a fresh perspective around leadership
by having conversations about dogs, About their own dogs, maybe dogs, um,
or family members or dogs or friends.
It's really about looking at leadership In the workplace from a new perspective,
looking at the relationship with dogs and see what else they can create
for themselves and the leadership.
Anke: I love that so much.
I mean, I mean, uh, I mean, I'm obviously curious.
Like, when how did you discover your love for dogs?
And how or what point was there a specific insight where you go, oh,
I could take this in into the work?
Like, dogs I mean, I always say my dogs are my wisest teachers.
Right?
And you can really if you look at them As, you know, wise beings who are kind
of way ahead of us in a lot of things.
Right?
So if you look at it like that, you can see lessons It's everywhere.
So I would love to hear a little bit about what was that moment for you where you go,
oh, there's really I can really showcase or, like, show leadership specifically
through the eyes of or through the lens of
of
Iris: dogs?
Yeah.
So that was really something that grew for me over the years.
It started out for me Where I had my first dog, Sito, um, in 2001.
Uh, and we did short term training with him, um, or Personal protection training.
Now the name has changed to IPO, but I, um, I have done this competitively with
him because he loved the work so much.
And you know, at the same time when he then retired and got older,
I, I said to myself, wow, I have now so much knowledge about dogs.
I don't want this to fall asleep.
And I also don't want to have a younger dog just so that I can keep on competing.
Now What can I do with this knowledge?
And so at that time, the idea came up for me to do workshops for rescue
groups, to raise money for rescue groups.
And so when people came to these workshops and the dogs stayed at home, I just asked
them, you know, what are your questions?
What are some of the issues that you are dealing with with your dogs?
I explained it with my own dogs or I explained it to them how I would handle
the situation and how I would Could help them improve this by sharing ideas.
And so out of that, then people came to me and said, would you come to
me to my home and help me with that?
And so really it was over the years that I, um, developed this,
this, These workshops for dog owners to learn more about dogs.
And since I had been leadership coaching already at that Time.
Oftentimes, I brought in examples from the leadership coaching to
explain A scenario around the dogs.
And then when I had these, these conversations with dog
owners, but then I was coaching people in the leadership Space.
I brought examples from me training dogs to share with them something that
they experienced in the workplace.
And so really for me, having These 2 businesses with the running side by side,
eventually, I was able to merge them into 1, which is now the Doggone Leadership.
I love it.
I
Anke: love it.
I mean, I must say, I actually use a lot of doggy stories.
You know, when when I kind of the stuff I write on LinkedIn or whatever, It's
it's quite often an observation or something that happened with the dogs.
And I'm like, yeah.
Isn't that interesting how it's exactly the same way you're building a business?
Right?
So there's really no difference.
Yeah.
Iris: And there are many parallels with the dogs, right?
And then there are many things that are the opposite, But even when you
have an opposite, you still can turn it around and then say, all right,
but this is now how it works with the, With the humans here, this is how
you can apply this in the workplace.
And not only that, it's like, you know, with with dogs, Because of their
cuteness, because of the place that they have in our lives, they also
have a special place in our hearts.
And I always say, you know, when it comes to humans and their dogs,
oftentimes, you know, you, they, they turn off their, their brains and
they are leading with their heart.
And then when people go to work, what they often do is they,
they function from the neck up.
They leave their heart at home.
They are Putting their guards on their shields on and, and they
walk into the workplace thinking they have to protect themselves and
function from, From the, the neck up.
The dog on leadership is really about merging the 2 with the dogs where
we really also use more of Our head, because there are a lot of mistakes
that dog owners make where dogs are also silently suffering because humans are
Functioning too much from their heart.
And then at the same time, again, bringing more heart into the workplace.
Oh,
Anke: now let's unpack that a little bit, you know, because the bring
your heart into the workplace, Yeah.
That's kind of like but so in what what have you seen where dog
owners lead, like, kinda too much with the heart, like, Bringing a
little bit more head in that space.
Like, what are some examples that would illustrate
Iris: that?
Oh, there are plenty of examples, But you know, the best example is when
people, um, adopt a dog And let's say they know the story of the dog.
Maybe the story was chained up in the backyard somewhere or the dog was
found on the And so oftentimes when people get the story of the dog and
the dog's story, the past has not been as As positive, there are a lot
of people who feel sorry for the dog.
And then what happens is with that Sorry energy with that weak energy, they want
to to bring comfort to the dog, But they don't necessarily lead the dog.
When you have a dog like that, especially that has been abused or maybe is fearful
or shy, The last thing that this dog needs is is comforting calm or comforting and
sorry feeling energy, But it's really more what they need is confident, calm
leadership energy that pulls them out of that fear and shyness And really helps
them to, um, um, let go of some of the things that they experienced in the past.
Anke: That's that's fascinating.
I was just thinking, oh, that's a topic that's a topic for,
you know, panic panic to peace.
That's a whole different Different different conversation, but
it does make a lot of sense.
Right?
And and, I mean, especially when you look at dogs, like, You know, when you
see them running around in the little wheelchairs, you know, they don't
seem to feel sorry for themselves.
Right?
They're, like I think They're such masters of you know, of of just, like, getting
on with things or accepting what is.
And then, You know?
And they'll run around happily in with however many legs they have or
whatever, you know, the equipment is.
Yeah.
Iris: Yeah.
I had an interesting interesting you mentioned wheelchair dogs.
Because I had a foster dog a couple of years ago who had, um, He probably
had already back leg issues from while he when he was born, or maybe
his mother stepped on his legs.
And And so he had really bad, um, hind legs.
And but, you know, I always said everything From the waist up
was functioning well and what he did not have in his hind
legs he had in his personality.
He just was 1 of these kind of dogs.
He you know, looking back at him now, I mean, we just have to smile
about all of the things Auggie had when it came to Personality.
And nothing stopped this little guy.
Nothing.
Anke: Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean and I think that is that is something that that
I'm Quite passionate about it.
Because so often people are like, oh, you know, the rescue dogs and
all the trauma they've been through.
And, You know?
And I think the last thing we want is make it worse, you know?
Iris: Right.
Right.
And not only that, you know, oftentimes I say, Um, especially for people who say,
well, you know, I want to go to a breeder, um, because I don't want to have a rescue
dog that was thrown away by somebody else.
I don't wanna adopt somebody else's issues.
Right?
And From the 1 on on 1 hand, I can get that.
Right?
But when I look at it from the dog on leadership perspective, Um, you know,
you don't find many people who come to the workplace without any issues.
Right.
It just doesn't it just does not work like that.
And so as a leader in the workplace, you gotta be flexible.
You you gotta be able to pull the people forward that you may have had
maybe have been traumatized by another manager or leader in the past Where
they had a bad experience as well as the young, um, students that come out of
college, maybe don't have any experience.
So as a leader, as an effective leader, 1 has to be flexible to
meet the people where they are and then take them to the next level.
Same as with the dog.
You are taking in a rescue dog, whether he was traumatized or not, whether
he has been with somebody else for a long time or not, It does not matter.
You take you you take the dog where the dog is, and then you
take the dog to the next level.
Actually,
Anke: this just reminds me there's a there's a dog trainer who who has
actually written a book about, You know, what having dogs or training
dogs taught him about parenting?
Same thing.
It's not hard to see, right, how that would how that would be, you know, very
much the same where it's either the similarity or the contrast That really
helps that really helps us, um, you know, see see things in a in a different way.
Is there something that, Well, if there's something is is there
something where you think, oh, boy.
I wish people just knew This thing, is there something you wish that people
Iris: knew?
I wished people knew that When they are fully committed and consistent in their
relationship with their dog, It will not only strengthen the relationship
with their dog, but it really will strengthen Their outlook on life and
what they can accomplish in life.
Oh,
Anke: I love that.
I love that.
I mean, it's I mean, if I'm looking like, yeah, these 4 legged souls have
definitely made me better person.
That's for sure.
You know, I'm definitely not the person that I was when, you
know, when Leo first found me.
That's that's for sure.
Yeah.
So where can so is I mean, well, actually, I was just gonna round it
up, but then there's, like, oh, no.
That's 1 more thing.
Yeah.
I'm gonna ask.
So your clients don't have to have a dog.
Right?
Iris: No.
Anke: Yeah.
They don't.
The the the the examples or, like, you look at things to the lens?
So if you have somebody who goes, I think dogs are waste of space, you probably
that's probably not a good client for you.
Iris: Well, and, you know, again, if if somebody says I don't have that passion
for dogs, um, that's completely fine.
That doesn't mean that they can't See anything for themselves or that I
can't work with with people like that.
Um, again, there are many stories that I use from dogs.
And again, the more people in, for example, in a group have dogs, then
the more we can also use exercises that they They can do with the dogs at home.
And again, and here's the interesting piece about it.
When, when I do my, my training, that does not mean that people bring
their dogs Because we don't wanna have that kind of, um, turmoil.
Right.
In the boardroom, but we are using the stories.
We are using examples from the dogs and not only that, oftentimes I then share
with them exercises that they can do At home with their dog so that they can
practice whatever they learned during the training and the workshops So that they
can apply it at home with their dogs.
But then once they see how it has an impact on the relationship there, Then
it's much easier to translate it into the workplace and say, oh, you know what?
It really makes a difference.
So I feel now more comfortable to apply it in the workplace.
And you
Anke: can't trick a dog.
Right?
I mean, I think a dog is a great training place as well.
Right?
Because you you might be able to Pull wool over the eyes of your
colleagues, but you're not gonna drink
Iris: it all.
Right?
No.
Not at all.
Because they sense your energy.
They they are not looking at titles or how much money you make or what role you have.
No.
They just look at you for who you are And the energy that you are exuding.
And, you know, and based on that, you can read from their behavior.
You can have really Deep, um, and impactful conversations about leadership.
Love that.
Anke: So beautiful.
So where can people go find out more about you, about your work?
Where's the best place to connect?
Iris: I mean, the best place to connect is through my website iris
grim dot com, or I'm also on LinkedIn.
Again, my name is Iris Grimm with double M, just like the fairy tale brothers.
And when they go on my website, there are also a couple of, Um, giveaways and,
and, um, that they can, uh, subscribe to.
So, um, yeah.
And of course Then I have also, um, monthly programs, um, that are free
where people can sign up from Something called, uh, forever your dog, which is,
uh, what I call a dog owner support group.
That is more for the dog owners who really want to take, um, Who
have some questions about their dog behavior or health or training.
And then I also have a canine leadership circle, which is really about Taking
that conversation into the workplace and having deep and rich conversations
about, uh, leadership, Uh, improvement.
Lovely.
Anke: Well, thank you so much for coming.
I think I think you're gonna have to be back at some point because
I this sort of somehow feels that we're not I can't get here.
So okay.
So Anytime, Anke.
Thank you.
Thank you, and bye for now.
Iris: Okay.
Thank you, Anke.
Thanks so much for listening.
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That's A N k E at Soul touched by dogs.com.