Paws-down DBA Davis College grad prefers pet belly rubs to boardroom

Justin Riddell's career goals were always to be a professor and to run his own business. After earning his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in the Davis College of Business & Technology at Jacksonville University, he realized that his dream didn't have to wait.

Riddell, who spent nearly a decade in the energy industry, embarked on an entrepreneurial path of owning and operating two pet grooming and boarding facilities in Jacksonville-Luba's Pet Grooming & Studio on Park Street in Riverside and The Garden Dog Spa in the Avondale/Ortega area off Roosevelt Boulevard.

"One of the greatest feelings in life is when you open your front door and your dog is there to greet you with excitement and pure joy," he shared. "In the pet industry, I get to experience that multiple times a day. It's so rewarding when the dog is happy to see you and comes rushing in for pets and belly rubs."

Some important classroom lessons Riddell learned while in the DBA program that he has been able to apply to his businesses is that people manage systems and processes but lead people.

"A manager's job, regardless of capacity, is to be a leader in aiming towards the goal," he explained. Another incredibly important lesson he says he learned was the answer to 'Who is your customer?' "Everyone you come in contact with is your customer," said Riddell. "Internal and external interactions are customer relationships."

In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Riddell currently teaches economics, business analytics/statistics and entrepreneurship online as an adjunct professor at Spartanburg Methodist College. This fall, he will also be teaching Business Analytics as a professor for Florida State College at Jacksonville.

As someone who earned a Master of International Management and Intercultural Communication from the Cologne University of Applied Science in Germany and the University of Warsaw in Poland, Riddell selected the DBA program in the Davis College because it was a "perfect fit" for him as someone who is both a practitioner and educator.

"The DBA schedule is designed for those that are leading in their fields and seeking the terminal degree to further achieve their personal goals," Riddell noted. "As an AACSB-accredited program, graduating from JU's DBA program makes you a standout and sought-after candidate for higher education."

He says the collegiate aspect of studying with a cohort was his favorite part of the DBA program. "Your colleagues become lifelong friends and companions. They are an expansion of your network and you're a part of their network."

One of the faculty members from the program that helped shape Riddell was Dr. Douglas Johansen, an associate professor of Marketing, International Business, and Sport Business as well as department chair.

"He was fundamental in my understanding of leadership and my role as the manager of my companies. As an entrepreneur himself, I learned a lot about setting boundaries, both for myself and those I employ, which includes when to empower people and what can and can't be controlled. Life lessons were taught in every discussion," he said.

Riddell hasn't totally forsaken his business suits, jokingly saying that the hardest part is "keeping the dog hair off your suit." However, he doesn't see himself returning anytime soon to the boardroom. "Right now, my focus is on building and expanding the businesses, while keeping involved in academia," he said. "I don't see myself returning to a full corporate position, with the exception of an advisory or consulting role."

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