We recently connected with Mikey Boss Dog and have shared our conversation below.

Mikey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

I think managing the dichotomy our society has between artist and “business owner” I’m a full time artist. I run my design and apparel company full time. I have two full time employees and two part time employees who work at our brick and mortar. But I am an artist. No different from the artist who produces posters and sells them on Etsy to an extent. I identify as a business owner because I don’t know many artists personally who aren’t business people. Being taken seriously, successfully making a living, having the savvy to make the right calls — those are all attributes of a successful artist in 2023. The problem I encountered was realizing the world doesn’t like to work like that. From Instagram to life itself, people don’t see artists as having agency typically. They’re seen as people in need of jobs or work to make a living. The reality is every good artist is hustling to their next gig, marketing themselves, and presenting their work to sell every day. I do the same thing. My business has scaled to include employees. Which is difficult for me because I hate bosses and I hate being one lol.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Boss Dog is an apparel company that is artist owned and operated. We have a direct to consumer business online, are a licensed Zumiez brand, and we have a brick and mortary shop called Boss Dog and Friends in Palm Springs, CA as well as one in a collective in Santa Ana, CA.

Boss Dog now features two designers — myself and Lindsay Shutt, as well as a full time Street Team / Events person who initiates events and wholesale accounts as well named Doug Vesely (we call him our Roadie for short).

The brand has evolved somewhat and still continues to grow from our humble beginnings. Our focus has shifted to be more sarcastic and encompass many aspects of life but our commitment to inclusivity and staying humble and accessible remains. We like to say that we focus on pop culture, sports, peace, love, dystopian apocalypse and everything else in between.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I own and operate a clothing brand in 2023. You have to be nothing but resilient to do it at this point! It’s hard. I wouldn’t recommend it to the faint of heart. You have to really know you want to do this. Otherwise you will quit or not be successful financially.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I think getting in front of people is the best route now. Social media has flooded the market with so many brands it’s important to get your name and product out there and in front of people. Expecting to just make it on social media is becoming antiquated I think. Twitter, Instagram are both dying. Facebook is already dead. I think you have to be creative about how to get your product out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: bossdogart.com
• Instagram: @bosssdog (3 S’s) and @bossdogandfriends

Image Credits
Lyndsay Shutt is featured in the Brand photo