Summary: How many of us dream about having a dog-friendly workplace where every day is bring-your-dog-to-work day? Social media and the rise of niche pet businesses is making that dream a reality for many. Pet Influencers Your dog might have what it takes to be a social media star. The real question is, do you? Creating and running a pet influencer account is a time-consuming endeavor but the payout and chance to work with your dog may be worth it. And like many human celebrities, having a talent agent might help. For this segment we travel to Australia to meet some Insta-famous Brussels Griffon pooches. Petpreneurs If you’re ready to embark on a new business venture, why not match your love of dogs with that great skill or that great idea? Do you bake? Maybe you could try making gourmet dog treats. Perhaps you can sew. Canine couture might be for you. Pet photographers, dog walkers, dog sitters, or being a social media pet influencer. There's no end to ideas for pet businesses, especially since the boom in pandemic puppy adoptions. Our guests today share the joys of owning and operating a pet business. But this is also a cautionary tale – being a petpreneur is harder than it seems. The Hydrant Jim, Pam, and Caroline stop by the hydrant to sniff out the latest dog gossip, innuendo, @jokes, and notes. Susanne Nicholls Being Insta-famous was not on Susanne Nicholls radar when she posted that first snap of a frowning Squid, her Brussels Griffon, when he was just a few months old. The Adelaide ‘dog mum’ started the Instagram page to share photos with family in the UK, but fast-forward four years and ‘Squid the Griff’ is one of the hottest things on four legs. Together with younger brother Pretzel (also a Brussels Griffon) the pair have almost 400,000 followers, their own calendar, a range of merchandise, brand deals and are sought after for cameo photos. Susanne says while being a pet influencer does earn her some extra money, which goes towards good food and treats for the boys, it isn’t enough for her to give her up full time job. But she says, the page is definitely less about influence and more about making people and her pooches happy. https://www.instagram.com/squidthegriff/?hl=en Loni Edwards After graduating from Harvard Law School and a brief passage in the legal world, Loni Edwards moved to NYC and got an adorable French Bulldog named Chloe, who’s smile and photogenic personality quickly drew a large following from around the world and she became one of the first pet influencers. What started as a bit of fun for Chloe in 2013, turned into a whole new business for Loni two years later when she created The Dog Agency: a talent management and marketing agency for celebrity pets. The Dog Agency now works with pet influences across the world. https://www.instagram.com/thedogagency/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lonidee/ Kristin Morrison Kristin Morrison has been featured on Yahoo Finance, ABC, NBC, CBS, Good Morning Arizona, and in Marketwatch, New York Post, Yahoo, Dogster Magazine, etc. Kristin is the founder of Six-Figure Pet Business Academy™ where she offers business coaching, online courses and webinars. She is the host of the "Prosperous Pet Business" podcast and the author of six books. https://www.sixfigurepetbusinessacademy.com/ Tori Mistick Tori Mistick is an influencer, educator, podcaster and founder of the award-winning dog mom lifestyle brand Wear Wag Repeat. Her mission is to help women live their best life with dogs - as pet parents and petpreneurs! Her dog mom advice has been featured in BuzzFeed, Good Morning America and The Wall Street Journal. https://wearwagrepeat.com Shop: shop.wearwagrepeat.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/tmistick Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/wwrlabs Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tmistick LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/torimistick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
