Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Wyrick

Hi Sophia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

Alex And Andy was originally started as a fundraiser for my Uncle Andy after he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in June of 2020. After speaking with his sister about potentially having to sell some of his belongings to pay for his therapy needs after his stroke, I started to come up with ideas on how I could keep that from happening. This is how Alex And Andy started! Alex was wearing a cheap bandana and I thought to myself “I wonder if I could sew bandanas and raise money for Andy’s care”. After the funds were donated to Andy, we decided to take the fundraising idea and turn it into a business that could keep him busy and give him a purpose again!

Here we are almost four years later! In 25 countries and every state in the US!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Starting a business has been one of the hardest things I have ever done yet one of the most rewarding! This wasn’t planned and the idea went viral over night!

Some of the struggles we’ve had are: keeping up with the demand and figuring out how to scale our operations, dealing with unexpected problems as they come up, learning to grow a business from the ground up without any experience, and all of the many other things that come along with owning your own business.

Although it’s been hard, I wouldn’t change it for a minute!

We’ve been impressed with Alex And Andy , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Alex And Andy was originally started as a fundraiser for my Uncle Andy, named after Andy and his dog Alex, who I fostered when Andy was recovering from his stroke. After raising money for Andy’s care, we turned the idea into a business and never in a million years thought it would be where it is today!

We specialize in reversible, slide on the collar and tie on pet bandanas, shirts drawn left handed by Andy (after suffering right sided paralysis), leggings and shorts, pet bow ties and charms, and more! Alex And Andy is different than other pet businesses. We’re a small business with a BIG mission – to inspire those going through difficult times no matter the circumstances.

We are so proud our brand has grown to be a globally recognized business. Alex And Andy is currently in 25 countries and every state in the United States. We’ve been featured all over national and local news stations, magazines, documentary series, and more!

Our brand and story is proof that anything is PAWsible if you put your mind to it! Uncle Andy has inspired many people around the world to never give up.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?

I think one of the most important qualities we both have that can be attributed to our success in our business is having grit. Uncle Andy has a shirt he created that states “Put The It In Grit”, which is a motto we use for Alex And Andy.

When times have gotten tough, Andy and I have both persevered in our own ways to make things happen. We are go-getters and certainly do not give up when times get tough. Having grit and determination to push through has been one of the key factors in our success.

We’re both so passionate about the business we’ve built, as well as inspiring others to chase their dreams and push through personal things they may be going through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexandandypetbandanas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandandypetbandanas
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandandypetbandanas
• Other: TikTok (our most popular form of social media): @sophiarae98