NOVEMBER 2025

Well, I’m overdue for an update again…

We got back to Seattle in August which, while awesome in so many ways, was full of surprises. In short order: no sooner had we got back and said hi to the team and started work on some exciting new projects then I got some worrying medical news, and we’ve discovered our lovely calm GSD is an anxious reactive mess.

But back to the start… Aug and Sep for me is travel and trade show time. I was bouncing between trade shows—Vegas, Atlanta, New England—living on coffee, adrenaline, and airport snacks.

It was exhausting and energizing all at once. Vegas is always a great show, with thousands of attendees, but it’s the small shows held by our distributors where the team and I can really shine and engage with store owners.

And then came October in Arizona, catching up with our friends at Fetching Dog, Noble Beast, and Bark If You’re Dirty (yes, that’s really their name), plus the crew at Sunburst Pet Distribution our newest partner serving AZ and Vegas.

  • the team getting their trade show game on at superzoo25!

  • back in Seattle a chance to see Bailey!

  • me - telling staff about our awesome products!

  • hustling and meeting people at the pet food experts show

Tim and the dogs

Tim spent a lot of the time parked behind the Makery which was cool and made for some fun “dog walking in a factory/business park” pics, but it was also pretty stressful as he worked with the team while juggling the four dogs. Our gorgeous white German Shepherd Kingsley started life with us back in April 24 when he followed us on a walk one day. He was so gentle, got along with everyone so loaded him up on the bus and adopted him. But… over time his anxiety has gone off the charts.

We think it’s a combo of his fear of losing/needing to protect the pack he’s now got, and constantly changing locations has him on edge. He’s also a GSD guard dog and turns out our shepherd takes his job very seriously. Walking 4 dogs at once is always a challenge but the moment Blanca sees a squirrel then all 4 react, especially Kingsley. I’ve been dragged over a few times which rattled my confidence and from there it’s a gradual decline…

  • tim’s parallel parking has certainly improved!

  • dog walking past taylor farms at the austin and kat industrial complex

  • two dogs posing, one looking for squirrels

  • home at the back of the austin and kat makery!

We started one-on-one sessions with Tom and Heather from TM Dog Training in Renton to help us understand Kingsley’s reactivity. Those sessions taught us a ton about reading his signals and helping him navigate big feelings—and honestly, how much we still have to learn from our dogs. It’s going to be a work in progress for the near future, and to say it’s exhausting is an understatement. I’m not complaining but obviously 4 dogs living on a bus is hard: Austin needs his water or ball time but otherwise is easy. Blanca and Harper miss me (who wouldn’t!) when I’m traveling and they both become very needy, and barky when Tim tries to spend one on one time with Kingsley, which he desperately needs. Needless to say it’s been a lot but we are persevering!

The lump...

In Seattle I learned I had a “big lump” - nothing serious they said but how is a big lump not worrying! And anyway, last time they found a lump they said “I’m sure it’s not cancer” and of course it was so yeah, I was on edge.

Fast forward to tests, more tests, and operations booked. Being on the road has some advantages and I was able to get scheduled at the City of Hope for a 4 hour surgery involving robots… the modern way apparently. Tim stayed with the pups while I crashed at a friend’s for a week (and I mean CRASHED), and I’m now in recovering for another 5 weeks. So, we’re in California, still in the skoolie, still chasing good weather and good people.

We’ve spent 2 weeks in the beautiful San Fran Bay (huge thanks to Angela and Jeff at Ben’s Barketplace for the hospitality and an overnight parking spot 🚌💜), we visited Death Valley, where the night skies here were unreal—stars so bright they almost hum. I’d never been and the temps swung from evening chilly to blazing in a single day, and that was end October. I can’t even fathom anyone running the Badwater 135 ultramarathon here in July. Those people are built different.

We’re now closer to the coast in Simi Valley while I take it slow… Before I sign off, I wanted to share this note we got from Randi, a longtime dog lover and new adopter—it stopped me in my tracks:

“I’ve been a dog owner most of my life, and I’m 70—so we’re talking about some amount of experience here! You are a fabulous company with superior customer service. You ship fast, you’re super responsive—a gem in a field of companies who crowd my social feeds. You don’t do that either. I just want you to know that I greatly appreciate you.”

That’s the kind of thing that keeps me going.

Eleven years in to this, we’re still rolling. Still learning. Still building something we believe in. And I’m endlessly grateful you’re along for the ride. Got to run… we have a “new products” meeting that I’m really excited for.

  • me looking as funky as can be just before the op

  • spent half my day walking or feeding the dogs!!

  • meeting cute pups all the time

  • exploring the sights around Death Valley
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