Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abigail Walters. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Abigail thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

I have been running FurEver Friends for 10 years and an important part of my business is giving back. I am very passionate about helping those in need and believe that the little I can give, can go a long way. I rescued both of my dogs, so when I decided I wanted to donate to rescues, I started by donating a portion of my proceeds to the ones where I adopted from. Throughout these past 10 years, I have donated to over 20 rescues and local organizations and will continue to do so. Rescues and foster based programs are constantly saving pups and they are in constant need of help to cover vet bills and supplies.

In 2018, I teamed up with a local popular dive bar, Dino’s. We photographed dogs in Dino’s wearing my pet products and made an adorable calendar from these photos. We gave back all the money made to local rescues and organizations we believe in. To date, we have raised over $11,000 from this calendar alone.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I launched FurEver Friends over 10 years ago. What started as a brainstorm session of what was missing in our town in the pet scene, transformed into what FurEver Friends is today. The first product I ever made was a t-shirt dog leash. I used old college t-shirts as the base and spent 2 years perfecting the leash. I would give friends the leash to use and ask for feedback and they LOVED it. Since it was made from shirts, it was soft and had a little “give” to it. Realizing I was on to something, this soon became the focus of the business; up-cycle t-shirts that you would normally throw away, and turn them into something useful. Local schools and rescues started hosting t-shirt drives for us and soon people from all over were donating their shirts. The next product I launched was the t-shirt toy. I would give friends what I was working on, and they all came back with the same feedback; the toy was more durable than most on the market. My goal with these two products was to use every part of the shirt so that there is zero waste.

Next came the bandanas. My mom sews curtains as a side passion project, so she started making FurEver Friends’ dog bandanas from leftover fabric she had. As I started doing pop up events around Nashville, the demand for more products was apparent. My mom bought me a sewing machine, taught me how to sew, and off I went. Together we created the double sided bandana and the rest is history. No one at the time was doing this. I was so proud of the product and kept searching for new and unique fabrics.

I’ve had a lot of special moments that stick out in these past 10 years. This business is more than sewing and making products, popping up a tent at craft shows and festivals with the hope of making a dollar. It’s about human & animal connection. I have met thousands of people through what I do. I have become their family just as much as they have become mine. I have been there as they adopted their dog or cat. I have watched their pet grow up and have gotten to know it as well. I have been there as they have had to say goodbye to their pet as they cross over the rainbow bridge. It has been a truly rewarding 10 years.

I have two stories that have touched me to my core. The first one is about a girl, Jayme and her dog, Boden. I met them a few years back. Jayme would come to all my pop up events with Boden and would buy a bandana every time. Jayme and Boden were more than customers, they became my support system, my family. Last year Boden’s cancer had returned and sadly he passed away. Jayme gave me all his bandanas (over 60) and asked if I could make something for her so that Boden’s memory could live on. I sewed all the bandanas together into a quilt so now so now she can wrap herself up with Boden all around her.

Another story that I’d love to share is about a friend whose son unexpectedly passed away. His son’s best friend was his dog and their favorite thing to do together was take walks around the neighborhood. I took his son’s old high school shirts and made a leash with them, so now whenever he’s on a walk, his son is with them.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I have been doing pop-up events for over 10 years but I also work in the restaurant business. Pop-up events are gold because I get the opportunity to meet so many new people who stop by my booth and working in restaurants gives me the chance to meet hundreds of people a week and tell them about my business. Being constantly in the community gives me so many chance at meeting new clients.

Another way I was able to build new clients was durning covid. I started making masks for my community. I launched the masks on my website and matched every purchase with a donated mask to an essential worker. Since I was making masks just as they became a necessity, the word spread about my business and reached so many new clients. Over night, I got over 400 new clients.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I recently got a wholesale account with a store in the airport. This has been a huge opportunity for me to get my products in front of a whole new set of eyes. In a town where so many businesses like mine have launched in the past 3 years, I often feel the stress of how do I set myself apart and remain relevant. This was validation that I have a great product that can shine next to other successful local companies in Nashville.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: fureverfriendsnashville

Image Credits
a.study.of (Kayleigh Walder) Karah Manwaring Angelina Castillo