Everyone dreams of taking their passion and making it happen (yes, thats a line from Flashdance). What was the key moment for you in kicking off the process?
Not to date myself, but I love the Flashdance quote. What a feeling!
I let this idea fester for a long time. My dog has since passed, but when she was with us, I was always forgetting what I needed for her on walks, trips and hikes.
What gave me the courage to kick off the process was motherhood to human babies. I can’t really explain it, but I got braver; more willing to invest in myself and my ideas. About two years ago, I applied for my first patent, spoke to a product engineer and the ball got rolling.
What is your favorite feature of the Sit, Stay, Go?
My favorite feature is the water/bowl combo at the pawparent’s fingertips. The fact that no packing and clipping are required is a huge plus; no remembering either, since it’s a complete unit and attached to the leash. Finally, this product doesn’t dangle like other water bottle pet products, because all the features are neatly built in, making it great for walks, hikes, travelers, therapy pets and road trippers.
What are some words of wisdom for anyone considering taking on a life passion project?
Might sound cliche, but don’t give up. As you probably know, it’s really easy to get discouraged, and I’ve had my moments during this entrepreneurial journey. At those times, I had to dig deep, and take everything in bite sized chunks, task by task, without thinking too far ahead.
We're huge fans of dogs as our Instagram clearly demonstrates. What is it about these special beasts for you that narrowed your focus in this space?
I love dogs too. I’m highly allergic, but I love ‘em. Despite my bubble girl status, I got a Yorkie after 9-11 and loved her with all my heart. Ten years later, after having my first colicky kid, I craved simplicity. All the baby products and dog products seemed so complicated to me. Then I started to look at ways in which items could be improved, simplified or just plain hacked. With many ideas in the queue, the PET DINETTE is the first patent pending product to hit the market.
The pet space, in particular, was attractive because it seemed like there is a tad less innovation vs the baby — home markets, plus much inspiration could be drawn from baby (and for baby from pets). Moreover, the pet market is HUGE, with over half of the households in the United States owning a pet (almost 80 million homes!). Finally, dogs are my thing. Despite all the physical obstacles I was born with, I just love dogs and fiercely believe in supporting the rescue of pets. Since SitStayGo gives a portion of each sale to Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, I could do my little part to help animals.
Do you have a special pet in your family? Breed? Photo?
Here’s my furbaby Yorkie, Margot, the thirsty, high maintenance muse behind the PET DINETTE. After one square block, her tongue would be to the pavement, requiring me to buy water and serve her from a makeshift bowl made with my hand. She passed a few years ago, and now I’m taking allergy shots in preparation for the next furbaby.
The SitStayGo is fantastic for long hikes with a pooch. Are there any hiking routes around Essex County that you recommend?
I’m partial to the trails at the Eagle Rock Reservation. It’s a quiet oasis right here in Montclair’s backyard.
Tell us one thing about dogs that no one or just very few people know.
When training your pooch, first identify whether the breed and your dog specifically is prey or food driven - once you have that critical piece of information, you can leverage it as a training reward.
What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?
Ice green tea. So refreshing!
