We recently connected with Justeen Yang and have shared our conversation below.

Justeen, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Love Light & Paws all started with my love for animals, especially dogs since I was a little girl.

I wanted to create something motivated by authenticity, love, and passion; something that could make the world a better place by having a positive impact on people’s lives.

Because of the happiness animals bring into my life combined with years of experience in the print, fashion, and e-commerce industry, it was a no-brainer to start my own brand combining all the above.

I’ve been creating custom pet apparel & accessories in Los Angeles, California since 2017. Each handmade item from my shop is packaged with the intent to spread more love and light into the world, through the help of paws! Not only do I enjoy creating our own designs, but I’m also passionate about creating ones for my customers as well! I’ve done designs for rescue organizations, sports fans, cancer survivors, Realtors, the list goes on.

I also care about the footprint we leave behind. Each order is printed on demand meaning it’s not made until it’s ordered. Everything we carry is locally sourced and made in the USA, thanks to the help of my partners.

If people smile when they see a pet in our merch, our mission has been fulfilled!

It’s also such a great feeling to be part of the small biz community. Not only do we support one another, collaborate, and relate to the hardships, we’re able to focus on going above & beyond for our customers. Quality, customer satisfaction, and customer experience are our top priorities.

We’re grateful for each and every one of you who are on this journey with us: the Love Light & Paws movement.

Justeen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Justeen, I’m 31 years old, and I’ve worked for many different employers before stepping into my role as an entrepreneur. Forever 21 HQ was my first step into the fashion industry. I gained invaluable experience working with their wholesale vendors and manufacturers. I learned everything from production to purchasing to merchandising to sourcing. Shortly after, I worked for an apparel print shop where I was able to witness the different methods of printing on garments (DTG, screenprinting, DTF, etc). My curiosity soon led me to work with multiple e-commerce companies where I witnessed the power of online retail. One day while sitting in my college course, I drafted up a few designs for pet apparel I had in mind. I got together with a previous co-worker of mine who specialized in design and brought my idea for a logo to life. Shortly after launching my brand and designs online, I saw that someone on eBay was getting rid of a bunch of dog jerseys. I bought them out, listed the jerseys online, offered custom print on them, and contacted my neighbor who had a vinyl cutter and heat press. He was going through a divorce and wanted to get rid of it all, so he gave me a quick crash course on how everything worked. It’s been history since. What sets me apart from all the other crafters is my knowledge and experience. I’m really picky about the quality of not only our garments but our prints and designs as well. I’m also huge on customer experience. Business is mostly relationship-based. I want to connect with my customers because creating each piece is personal for them and their pets. I’m most proud of our 5-star reviews on Etsy. I will do everything in my power to ensure my customers are happy!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I was raised by a single mom. Seeing her work day in and day out, sometimes multiple jobs at a time to make ends meet, instilled a resilient and disciplined work ethic in me. After working numerous jobs for countless employers, I found myself back at square one, unhappier than ever in the job I was in. I came home, launched my business, and would work on it before, during, and after my actual 9 to 5 job. At first, it was a side hustle until I realized I was making more from my business than I was from my employer. That’s when I decided to quit my day job and invest/commit fully to myself and Love Light & Paws. It took years of hard work, sacrifice, and consistency, but my business continued to grow. I hired a few employees and was able to fit into my role as a “CEO.” At one point I was wearing all the hats, from customer service to social media manager to designer to printer, packer, shipper, inventory manager, etc. Now I’m able to manage my employees, focus on the growth of the business, and continue to oversee the operations while dreaming up bigger and better things! It isn’t easy and I’m still learning so much along the way, but I’m thankful for both my customers and my team.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I’ve had many different jobs and worn many different hats. I’ve learned a lot from the companies I’ve worked with and worked for. I’ve seen poor management skills. I’ve adjusted to different roles, environments, and work cultures. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to treat your team like family. They’re human. They have off days, kids who keep them up all night, and stress from a sudden change in their life (i.e. break-ups, financial issues). You just never know what someone is going through. Be kind. Make reviews a regular thing. Check-in on your team. Encourage them, lead them, motivate them, and praise them. Once in a while, things such as company outings, bonuses, and raises always help maintain morale. Call out good or bad performances in a professional manner. If you don’t know how to manage, read a book on it or attend a workshop. If I didn’t get along with my co-workers, felt my manager was lacking, and did not respect the CEO, work would slowly but surely drain me. We spend a lot of time at our workplace and we’re surrounded by our co-workers a majority of the time. There should be a cohesive team effort toward a similar goal. We should all be aware of our responsibilities, and ensure our talents and skills are being utilized. If you’re unhappy and you hate your job or you’re not getting along with your co-workers, it’s going to show and affect everyone else in the office. I care for my employees but also set expectations and make sure any room for criticism is constructive. I also remind them that I never want this job to only be for the money. You invest so much into your employees, you want them to stay. But they’ll only remain if they enjoy the work they do, and who they do it for.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lovelightpaws.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovelightpaws
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovelightpaws/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/love-light-paws/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/lovelightpaws
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/love-light-and-paws-los-angeles