We were lucky to catch up with Lea Hajjar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lea, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

For The Love of Dogs came to life during COVID. We opened in September of 2021 during the midst of it all and truly what we do and who we are is for the love of dogs. We wanted something that was easy to remember but also had meaning behind it. Everyday truly is for the love of dogs when your energy and mindset matter most.

Lea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For The Love of Dogs is a pet boutique and full service grooming salon in San Antonio, Texas. We offer creative grooming concepts with animal safe hair coloring as well as your pet’s everyday haircuts. Our storefront offers bandanas, dog treats, toys, human clothing, accessories, and much more! We’d love for you and your fur family members to be a part of our pack!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I started Woof Wardrobe Designs, LLC because of my obvious love for animals and I wanted to be able to do more for the dogs of South Texas. When I had originally founded WWD, I had learned that there were a lot of dogs, from South Texas especially, that were being moved out of state because we had too many strays and unwanted dogs in the area. If I hadn’t had seven dogs, two bunnies, a bird, and some fish in my home at the time, I know I would have taken in as many of those sweet fur babies as I could.

It was then and there that I decided to take the opportunity and channel my love of animals from a passion project into a side hustle—although not in the way that most people would think. The entire goal of starting my new business was to allow me to help the shelters near my home. As said before, I know that if I had the space for about 40 more dogs that the shelter couldn’t handle, I would have taken them in a heartbeat. Whether that was to take them on as my own personal pets and provide them a great life in my home or help the shelters find the best homes possible for them, it didn’t matter. I just wanted to do something. But I didn’t have that space. But let’s be honest, I’m not sure anyone truly does, aside from the shelters. So instead of breaking into my full-time job’s income to support the local shelters more, I decided to open a dog-based business so that I could donate the profits directly to the shelters, local rescues, and foster families—a move that would allow me to help more than I would have been able to otherwise.

While starting this business, I worked for a corporate wine and spirits distribution company. Though I loved what I did and made a decent income in this full-time position, the COVID-19 pandemic definitely took its toll. The year 2020 undoubtedly made a really big impact in everyone’s lives. My liquor sales job took a hit and I thought, maybe, this is the out of Corporate America I never realized I needed.. Maybe now was the time that I went from being a part-time business owner to a full-time one, and maybe this was my cue to do what I truly love.

With all that being said, I became somewhat of a liquor enthusiast, and it has since become a secondary defining feature of my personality! Now, one of my favorite personal quotes is “I’m saving the world one animal and one cocktail at a time.”

After all of the major changes thrown my way, I decided to take the leap, and because I love to support other local businesses when I can, I reached out to a local groomer I met and asked if she wanted to partner with me. She’d agreed, and within months we started working together to open a storefront here in San Antonio Texas.

And so For the Love of Dogs was born.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

A team is as strong as its leader. When managing anything in life, it is easy to get lost in feelings and emotions but being there to guide and support your team is fundamental to success. In the business world it is vital to remember every team member brings a special piece of the puzzle. Maintaining high morale is so important especially when you want to keep the atmosphere positive and filled with good vibes. Share your passions, motivate your staff, stay true and honest and encourage growth.  I truly believe happy people equal a happy workplace and vice versa.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fortheloveofdogstx.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofdogstx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForTheLoveOfDogsTX/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ForTheLoveOfDogsTx

Image Credits
Credit to Lea Hajjar no other credits gabby ohler bailey paz