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Dog Lover Fetches $250,000 in Canine Clothing
Gina Davis has always had an eye for fashion. As a design student in college, she sold vintage clothes for quick cash, and tried her hand at creating jewelry and clothing. Her favorite model was her very patient pomeranian poodle mix, Thomas. Crafting custom outfits for her furry family member seemed to be just a quirky hobby, especially in Long Lake, Minnesota, where Thomas's trendy wardrobe stood out as an oddity.
While stitching together a new outfit for Thomas behind the counter at her women's clothing pop-up shop, a stranger with a connection happened to stop by. This woman instantly recognized the true potential for coordinated attire and accessories for pups and their humans. She had a valuable connection—she introduced Gina to the curators of the popular Dogs of Instagram (4.3M followers), who also retail pooch apparel at their online store. Their quick request for inventory was the final nudge that Gina needed to jump all in.
With just $1,000 to invest, Gina and her husband Scott quickly hired a few local seamstresses and stocked the first few hundred Dog Threads shirts, ranging from extra smalls for Yorkies all the way up to extra large for bigger hounds.
Gina quickly put up a rough website and her own Instagram account (@shopdogthreads, with more than 50k followers) to show off new designs and bark up demand.
More than a year into it, sales were enough that Gina took the risk and quit her day job to focus entirely on building the business. When she turned in her notice, Gina's boss put her nerves into words: "Do you have any idea how many dog shirts you'd have to sell a day to pay your salary?"
That question sparked a stubborn determination. She did contract work designing websites for others but it was only a few months before she was able to quit that work as well.
Luckily, Gina had three other businesses in previous years, so she didn't make many major mistakes with this one. She knew not to over produce, just tipping the waters with her first retailer at Lucy and Co. She and her husband tested the product on numerous dogs to get a good prototype that would get them positive reviews.
Although it is difficult to not have set hours of work and not have much private or family time, Gina wouldn't trade it for anything. She loves that she works for herself and not for someone else, and especially that now she can work alongside her dog.
Another aspect of the hustle she loves is the portion of profit they make in donations to Secondhand Hounds, a Minnesota-based nonprofit animal rescue.
Quote: "I think so many people have great ideas and they just can't wrap their brain around the fact that it doesn't have to be perfect. Like, you gotta start somewhere, and starting is the hardest part."
