It was an absolute joy working with Sue from Miss Teddy, she’s an astute businesswoman, has had an interesting life and is totally nuts about her dog Teddy.
It really is true that you can build a business out of your passions!
Sue puts the hours into her business, she’s not afraid to try things out and has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever met. She spends hours replying to comments on social media and knows that her customers are her biggest priority, after Miss Teddy of course! In our time working together not only was she building the Miss Teddy brand, but we also worked on the launch of her brand new business Young Woofians.
Here’s what Sue said about our time working together: “Working with Debbie was great, she really helped me to understand what I needed to do and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her”
Here’s more about Sue and Miss Teddy!
1. What is it that you do?
I own a company called Miss teddy and we design and make dog clothes and accessories and sell all over the world via our website and through social media platforms
We also design capsule ranges of dog clothes for other brands.
I have just launched a company called Young Woofians and we sell a Tear Stain Treatment for dogs: Happy Tears. Its actually selling off the shelves at the moment! There is a cat version too called Flawless Feline and that website will be launched shortly.
2. What inspired you to do what you do?
When I first had my dog Miss Teddy I bought everything to dress her in and I wanted a glitter bow but could not find one anywhere so I bought the glitter fabric and called a local company and I asked them if they could make one for me. I was happy to pay anything. Their response was shocking so I placed an ad in the local paper for a designer and Rachel applied for the job and we hit it off straight away. We started to come up with clothing ideas for glamorous dogs. We followed the fashion trends and used Miss Teddy as our inspiration and created a huge range of clothing for different types of dogs: Glamour, City, Dog Eared. Country and LGBT.
3. What is your morning routine?
On a typical morning I get up around 5 – 6 am and make myself a cup of Susie (Tea) Teddy will follow me around the house until I actually sit down and then she will have her 2-hour obligatory cuddle. She’s such a routine dog and loves her cuddles. If I am too busy to spend the two hours with her she will just follow me and sit next to me until I get her ready for work. I always comb her and put one of her Harness on. We travel to work in our Tedster car and Teddy will have a small amount of breakfast and say hello to the staff and she will settle in one of her 4 beds dotted around the chapel but she usually settles next to me.
I will answer all my emails and print off all the orders and have a staff meeting and prioritise the day with each staff member.
Can be anything from researching the next design or ordering the fabric and accessories for the next lot of production. Signing off deliveries, meetings with the out workers. General office work that has to be done!
I must admit I love researching the photo shoots and organising the props for that!
4. Where is your happy place?
My absolute Happy place is in my beautiful snug in my home. It’s my sanctuary and I love to just sit and BE. Obviously Teddy is never too far away. Actually the snug is her Happy place too! She plays with her toys in the snug.
5. What one book do you recommend most to others?
My favourite book that I have read several times is ‘The Colour Purple’ by Alice Walker. The book is not just about the struggle of a woman who is desperately trying to have her own identity in an extremely cruel world, it’s about winning that struggle and I’m sure many people not just women will resonate with the internal and external battles that we face each day. It’s a Must Read!
6. What couldn’t you live without?
I’m ashamed to say I could not live without my mobile phone! It has my life inside it! Its where I ‘speak’ to customers who contact me 24/7. My husband hates it and even though I am working when using it he wants to throw it down our whirlygig ( kitchen incinerator)
7. Which lesson has been the hardest to learn?
The hardest lesson I have ever had to learn is that time is a healer. Time heals everything. I never liked that terminology or understood it until I lost my first husband and later my mother and sister. The pain I had to go through to get out of the tunnel of heartbreak was well heart-breaking but time really does help and the pain lessons. Nothing stays the same. Ever!
8. What moto do you live by?
My mother always said. If you can afford it and you want it buy it! I have never had a credit card and I save for everything I want and I think that has held me in good stead all my life. I am petrified of getting into debt and its something that has never happened to me but I have seen people who get into debt easily and have sleepless nights over it. No thank you x
Don’t forget to check out Miss Teddy and go and give her a follow Miss Teddy a follow instagram - it’s a fantastic account, and will definitely make you smile!
And here’s the link to sue’s latest business Young Woofians, her ethically sourcedm all-natural grooming treatment for dogs!
Loved reading this? Check out other inspirational stories from my other clients!
