Austin and Kat

JULY

Four months. That's how long it's been since I have sent you a proper monthly update. If you've been wondering what happened—honestly, so have I until recently. So here’s the simple explanation:

I got completely burned out.

Living in 300 square feet with four large dogs and Tim, running a growing company from a converted school bus—something had to give. And what gave was me. I became so caught up in the daily grind of managing everything (where are we staying tonight, do we have enough solar, can I get raw food for the dogs, will we make it to SC for my daughter’s wedding and an important trade show) that I lost sight of why I was doing any of it in the first place.

But as it turns out, the universe had other plans... Tim and I had planned a month-long trip to the UK for family time and going with our Aussie friends again to Glastonbury (a huge music and arts festival), while our four dogs went into training at The Guiding Leash in NY. Living on a bus…we’re mobile but move slow, so lining everything up required some serious logistics. And then, just as we were driving north from SC to NY, our travel operator went bankrupt overnight, and our carefully planned escape dissolved.

So there we were, parked in a Poughkeepsie co-op parking lot, dog-free for the first time in years, with nowhere to be and frankly no idea where to go or what to do. Instead of scrambling to fill the void with activity, we just... stopped. For three weeks, we stayed put in our weird little bus house and finally had space to breathe.

I realized how much of my energy a nomadic lifestyle takes. Sure, it gives back, but the ambiguity and freedom had weighed me down. And the dogs…I had no idea that their needs were above mine and I felt completely squished. We focused on our health, we rode bikes in Vermont, I took stock of things, and I gave myself time to breathe and reset.

During those quiet days, I did one thing religiously: I read your messages. Every review, every email, every story you've shared about your pets. William writing about his dog Baloo, who was tired and uncomfortable until our hip & joint chews gave him his spark back. Emma, the rescue who'd been shot, finally finding peace during thunderstorms because of our CBD/CBDa treats (some of their photos are below!).

These weren't just product reviews—they were reminders of exactly why I took that terrifying leap into this industry 11 years ago, knowing absolutely nothing about pet wellness. It was never just about creating products. It was about helping you give your furry family members their best possible lives.

Harper + Blanca napping
William's dog Baloo
Shelley's dog Emma
Tara's senior dog

Our dogs came back 3 weeks ago and entered a new world where we’ve been mindful to not let bad habits creep back. Since then we’ve driven 3,000 miles from NY to Whitefish Montana, and we built in fun training stops. I’ve practiced being away from the dogs and enjoyed just taking one of them for a solo walk. I’m pleased to say that I’m starting to feel like myself again. My energy, clarity, and drive are all returning. And most importantly, my excitement about what we're building together at Austin and Kat is back.

Thank you for your patience during my unintentional sabbatical, and thank you for taking the time to write in with your stories. They literally brought me back to center when I needed it most.

Here's to many more months ahead.

- Kat

P.S. If you're interested in the full story of our unexpected hiatus and what we discovered during our time visiting stores and state parks in FL,GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, NH, ME, VT, and during those quiet weeks in Poughkeepsie, you can read more in our previous posts. And who knows—maybe we'll cross paths on the road!

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