Going to the Dogs: Editorial Piece by Lisa Fields of Greenwich Magazine
The following is an excerpt from “Momtrepreneurs“, an editorial piece written by Lisa Fields of Greenwich Magazine
The grande dame of our momtreprenuers showed up for our photo shoot rocking a pair of five-inch heels. In thirty-five years of marriage, Elaine has owned no fewer than eight dogs: mutts, terriers, and huskies. But it was her cavalier King Charles spaniel that inspired Elaine to create her own business. It was 2004, and her last son had just moved out, so the empty nester had more time to focus on her pooches… and that’s when she had her eureka moment. “Watching my new puppy curling up inside a pillow whenever she was tired, it occurred to me that what was missing in the pet-products market was a bed that catered to the way they sleep,” Elaine says. “The Puppy Hugger bed suits a dog’s natural instinct to make a nest — it has overstuffed ‘arms’ to hug your dog and a central floor area. No more dogs turning in frantic circles while digging a hole, usually in your bed covers or sofa cushions.” With $5,000, she fashioned a dog-bed prototype, brought it to H.H. Backer’s March 2005 pet trade show in Atlantic City and received accolades. Today, product demand ebbs and flows weekly, which wards off complacency. “Sometimes I think, things are waning, should I keep going?” Elaine says. “Other times, I get lots of work and wonder, can I handle it?”
Elaine supervises seamstresses, provides customer service and tracks finances from home. Her kids aren’t impacted by her sixty-hour weeks and in-demand products, but husband Charles is. “The ground floor of our home is covered with fabric bolts and dog beds — there’s nowhere for him to sit anymore,” she says, laughing. “But he’s my biggest cheerleader. He answers the phone and checks my books every month.”
Charles wouldn’t have it any other way. “Elaine is so engaged, so excited by this enterprise she has started,” he says. “She’s enthusiastic and innovative, always thinking of new things for the business.”