Hi! My name is Taylor, I am a "normal" 31 year old, young woman from Doncaster (yes, I am admitting it haha), in South Yorkshire, and I am the owner of Funky Paws Co. This was always a little side hustle for me to do alongside my full time job in the very rewarding health care sector, however, last year (2024), I took the plunge and decided to make Funky Paws Co my one and only priority, and wow, I am loving every single living minute of it. NO REGRETS!
A little backstory in how I made the biggest decision I have ever had to make:
The pivotal moment that made me change my career path from healthcare to my brand was that there has been such a HUGE shift in healthcare this past few years. I was a quality support manager, so had the pleasure of visiting and supporting many many many care homes, but I watched the change happen where healthcare stopped being focussed on people to then becoming about paperwork. There was always a strong term in healthcare that was used “if it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen” and I agree however, now, even if it is written down, it didn’t happen. I lost my passion and drive because that is not who I am as a person, I am a caring, compassionate and passionate person about peoples care, rights, wishes etc but that was overshadowed by paperwork and politics and I don’t think it is going to change any time soon unfortunately. So with a heavy heart I decided that I needed to change my path. I couldn’t continue to do both my full time job and Funky Paws due to the growth in the business and the more time demands my job in health care required, it was time to make the decision. Firstly, I chose the easy and sensible decision, which was carry on in healthcare, it was a guaranteed income and it was all I have ever known. But my heart broke in to two at the thought of closing my business, my dream and my passion. After long thoughts and discussions with Joe, I flipped it on its head and decided to leave healthcare behind and just jump into my own business that I am passionate about.
My values and missions:
All my life I have been such a big animal lover, most of all dogs. My parents always took me to farms for days out when I was younger because of loving animals so much. Fun fact: mine and Joe’s first date was to a farm near us, called White Post Farm, I can’t tell you how many times we have visited since. Anyway, I digress, my parents will always remind me of stories of me being young and in farms, once I decided to go in to a chicken coop and they just remember looking and seeing chickens flying out of the coop, I was probably trying to pick them up and cuddle them but they wouldn’t let me. I once also became a sheep apparently, as they took me under their wing and wouldn’t allow my then pregnant mum near me to get me out of their herd 😂
You may now be thinking, Taylor, if you love animals so much then why are you selling natural treats, and this is simply because of the benefits the treats have on our dogs or cats and the benefits that they have on their health. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, unfortunately I did try once to be a vegetarian but I couldn’t give up bacon and I could never be vegan due to my love of cheese! I am simply selling the parts of the animals that us humans cannot consume and the parts that our beloved dogs and cats love! Wow this is a long introduction, it’s like I have verbal diarrhoea. Anyway, in short, the reason I started Funky Paws Co is because of my love for dogs and the passion I have for them. I wanted a funky theme to match our dogs’ quirky personalities as opposed to basic plain harnesses and other accessories. I then knew I wanted to focus on safety and health! So, then supplements were introduced and then natural treats. I want our beloved pets to live long, happy and healthy lives and won’t stop at anything to ensure mine, and your dogs are able to do that! I also wanted a brand that was affordable for people to be able to treat their little furry family members so I make sure I can offer you the best deals and prices so that you can do this! We are living in a very uneasy financial market at the moment and we need to save those £££’s as much as possible, so my brand will always be as affordable as possible whilst still maintaining the quality of higher end brands enabling you to still be able to make those purchases for your pooches!
Basically my core values are safety, health, and affordability. I am dedicated to providing natural treats and supplements that promote the well-being of pets, ensuring they lead long, happy, and healthy lives. My commitment to safety means every accessory, from harnesses to collars, is designed with both your pooch's security and comfort in mind. Aesthetic appeal is also a priority, as I believe that style should never be sacrificed for functionality. By maintaining these standards, I ensure that customers receive products that are not only high in quality but also resonate with the love and care we have for our furry family members.
Challenges and Triumphs:
When I first started on my business full time, I genuinely didn’t know if I was going to take to it, I was always used to be around a lot of people, day in and day out, I didn’t know if I would miss the face to face interaction with people and those people who I deeply cared for, the residents living within the care homes, but one thing I know that I wouldn’t miss was the politics. So I feel at first, I did have some wonders, “have I done the right thing” I was always thinking “Do I regret this” but if I could jump back in time and speak to myself 6 months ago, I would tell myself “Taylor, give your head a good wobble, in 6 months time you won’t look back, you won’t have any regrets, you get to speak to people just like you every single day and make dogs and humans lives better still day in and day out, get out of your head you silly cow”. Honestly, I lost sleep, I lost myself. I was always a very put together person at work, I would dress smartly, always did my hair and make up and just feel lovely, but when I first started working just by myself, I would wear comfy clothes, shove my hair up and wear no make up, so I was looking at myself in the mirror and not seeing myself at all. I lost me. Once I realised this, I changed it quickly, I now get up in the morning, have a shower, do my skincare regime, do my make up and my hair (to a fashion) and put my bloody perfume on! I still spend my days in comfortable trousers, my branded tops and hoodies but I feel good whilst I am wearing them because I have made the effort with my make up and my hair! So I now have myself back! Challenge overcome. You may think this isn’t a challenge for you, but this was for me. We all have different challenges in life, but it’s how we overcome them and how we succeed at overcoming them! My journey of personal growth has not only transformed my daily life but has also positively influenced Funky Paws Co. By overcoming my own challenges, I've gained a renewed sense of confidence and clarity that has allowed me to connect more deeply with my customers and community. This has then enabled me to bring fresh ideas and energy into the business, ensuring that every product and interaction reflects the care and passion that I stand for and want for my customers. As I continue to grow personally, I am committed to fostering an environment where both pets and their owners feel valued and understood, which is at the heart of everything we do.
If I could give one piece of advice to anybody who is facing a challenge right now, it’s not about focussing on the actual challenge, its about what you can do about it to overcome it and making steps on how you will overcome it! I mean, this isn’t the only challenge that I have faced but we will discuss that at some other time 😂This is more of a personal challenge I faced, not a business challenge. The top and bottom line of this is, don’t loose yourself, always find and make time to focus on yourself to enable you to feel good, you will achieve more, you will focus more and you will feel invincible, trust me! Never loose yourself for anything or anyone!
Community and Connection:
I briefly touched on how I was worried that I would loose that personal interaction with people when moving into the ecommerce space but I don’t know what I was thinking when I thought this. I literally get to speak to people who are just like me, dog and animal lovers every single day! I have customers who have been with me since day 1, they are not customers to me anymore, they are friends. We literally talk about anything and everything, you guys know who you are, if you are reading this. I am surrounded by so many amazing people who I wouldn’t even know if I didn’t start this business, it’s just the best feeling in the world to know that you make people smile or that you are just there for a random chat, its just simply the best! So again, if I could give one piece of advice to anyone who is thinking the same as me, just do it! Just take the plunge and do it! The outcome is much more different that you think!
Future Aspirations:
I have always said to myself that I will never ever ever not be the face of Funky Paws Co, I will always be the one to communicate with my community, I will always be the one behind social media messages and posts, I will always be the one involved in product development, I will always be the one who is involved in making sure your order is packed with love and I will always be the one who is there for you, your family and your furry family. That will never ever change. This is my business, this is my pride and joy, this is my community and this is my passion, so loosing any of that is non-negotiable. Those of you who has ordered from me before or who I have spoken to before will know that I want the best for my customers and will settle for nothing less. I don’t want to become a brand too big that I lose all of this, I won’t allow it. I will always be visible, I will always care and I will always love every single one of you and your pooches. I promise you that & I do not break promises!
In conclusion, my journey from healthcare to Funky Paws Co has been one of immense personal growth, driven by a deep love for animals and a commitment to providing quality products and services. I invite you to join our vibrant community of animal lovers by following Funky Paws Co on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, where you can stay updated on my latest antics, new products or just some light hearted content! Don’t forget to drop me a message and say Hi! Thank you for being a part of my journey.
On that note, its time for me to wrap this up and conclude this very very long blog post. I want to continue doing these blog posts because I think its important that you can get to know me as much as possible and build trust in me that I have nothing but yours and your furry besties best interests at heart. Safety and health is my priority and it always will be.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and if you like it stay tuned for more! 💓
Sending you all my love and warm hugs,
Taylor xxx