We recently connected with Sherisse Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sherisse , thanks for joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

When I started out I started selling at my local farmer’s market. They had vendors with handmade products and I really just wanted to test out the interest in my community. I had already done my market and research and had been in my industry for years but not as a maker of products.
I sold my first collar to someone at my local market. I was pretty excited that someone thought my product was as good as I knew it was. And the continued interest, whether someone purchased or just admired helped me see that interest.
Soon I branched to another farmer’s market on a nearby community and sold there as well.
Afterwards, I launched my online shop and started doing smaller craft shows and markets in other neighbouring communities, I didn’t have much luck with this though, so I stuck with the first two farmer’s markets I started with until I built up enough online customers where I could sustain myself there.
It’s important to remember that the first dollar made isn’t always a dollar on your pocket, especially if you invested capital towards the product. Many of those first dollars end of going back into the business and making an actual profit doesn’t necessarily happen right away. I can’t remember when I started making a profit but it definitely wasn’t on the first year and a half.

Sherisse , 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 Sherisse Smith, and I’ve lived in Atlantic Canada my entire life and love it. I have always been an animal lover and always knew that I would work with animals in some way since I was young. I live with my husband who I’ve know for over 20 years and we have two dogs Riley, a 14 year old terrier mix, and Milo an 11 year old Shepherd mix.

I originally started my career by attending post secondary school for a diploma in Recreation Leadership; I used this for a number of years running and instructing a kids martial program, and instructing adult martial arts. Eventually I wanted some kind of work that had to do with animals, especially dogs so I enrolled in Dalhousie University and studied business. During my studies I started studying under a dog trainer and behavior consultant in dog training on the side. This eventually moved into service dog training for people suffering with PTSD. While training I started volunteering at a dog daycare and training facility which eventually turned into a job. After awhile I was helping to run the facility, teach obedience classes, trained dogs and did behavior consulting. There was a gap though, in feeling fulfilled because I really missed a creative outlet that I had my entire life; I felt as if I had no outlet for it anymore.

While browsing Instagram one day I came across a business that made beautiful dog collars and it sparked my interest to the point where I kept going back and simply looking in amazement, and eventually started studying how collars were made. After a lot of research I ordered some raw materials and started practicing. I already knew how to sew on a sewing machine since I had learned at an early age from my mother, so it was an easy task for me to pick up and try.
Working with dogs, especially in a dog daycare I had the opportunity to see what did and didn’t work in the terms of dog gear so I knew what to avoid when purchasing raw materials. Of course with raw materials you get in deeper with different metals and webbing options even though they look the same, so it was a matter of trial and error at that point. I started testing materials and the collars out on dogs whose owners were willing to try and made a lot of adjustment as I went.
Finally I was ready to start selling.
After selling in markets and testing the waters, I made additional adjustments and opened my store on Etsy. Here I started making customer connections and had the opportunity to sell to a worldwide market. It was slow at first as I built up my customer base but I was quite aware that would likely happen.
Overtime, I left my dog training job and started working Ruff Custom Collars full time. It was at this point that I dove into a more ‘geared for the adventure dog’ product with materials that are water and stain resistant and resisted abrasion, and buckles meant for use in the mud and snow. I built a product that made people come back because of the quality, durability and convenience they received.
My next step after a few years was to open my own website on Shopify along with my store on Etsy. This meant I two places to shop for my customers and I could expand.

The main product I make is a water and stain resistant dog collar which features an attached ID tag, however the tag is optional. The ID tag is hand stamped in leather and sewn onto the collar so owners don’t have to worry about loosing tags or the dangers of tags getting caught on objects. The water and stain resistant properties come from the materials used which make an extremely easy to take care of collar with a variety of prints to choose from.
I also sell leashes made from material that doesn’t hold onto a ton of water, is mold, mildew and UV resistant (this same material is on the back of the collars)..
I plan on branching into a few more products but you’ll have to stay tuned for that.

A big problem that I solve is the prevention of owners loosing identification tags. Hang tags can be dangerous and I’ve had multiple customers tell me horror stories about tags getting stuck and strangulation from dog panic occurring. I’ve also polled thousands of customers numerous times on Instagram if they have ever lost a hang tag, my most recent poll says 58% of my customers have had their dog loose a hang tag. Tag loss presents a major problem because if a dog goes missing it may be their only safety net to get home, because accidents happen.
Another issue I solve is an easy cleaning collar that’s durable and well made. Although there are other makers who accomplish this as well, I do it with the added option of an attached tag.

With this business, I’m most proud of the customer base I’ve grown and knowing that they trust in my product to not only be convenient and hold up to their dogs adventures, but to also help with safety and to keep their dog’s safety information where it belongs, on the collar. It’s a great feeling to know I can help dog owners have peace of mind.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

A huge pivot in my career was during the time I switched from my dog training career to my own business. Other than wanting to fulfill my creative side, there were a few other factors that helped push me along. I worked in a very toxic environment and it wasn’t healthy. There were numerous people that affected the ability for me to do my job properly, the kind of people who would step on others to get ahead. I wasn’t raised to treat people without kindness so it didn’t sit well with me. Once this behavior started it quickly became the norm, a norm which wasn’t going to change no matter what I did. So I was out. My decision was to open my own dog training facility because I have the education and experience to do so, but that’s when I really started growing my creative passion with collar making. That’s when I pivoted. One thing to keep in mind is that pivoting in business even after years of education is nothing to be ashamed of. I think a lot of people look down on this and think it’s a shame. I think that thought is silly. I had others look down on me and try to belittle me because I pivoted my career direction, they thought they were making me feel bad and I guess wanted me to feel smaller than them. This sort of thing keeps people from leaving toxic environments and careers. Honestly though, others opinions don’t matter and that shouldn’t hold anyone back.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

My business was 100% self funded. Because I had another career, I slowly purchased raw materials as I made prototype after prototype. I didn’t want to rely on any type of loan so as I slowly built up product I built up my brand. This was part of the reason I started off slow. I easily could have applied for loans but I didn’t want that sitting over my head.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ruffcustomcollars.etsy.com and www.ruffcustomcollars.com
• Instagram: @ruffcustomcollars
• Facebook: Ruff Custom Collars
• Other: TikTok @ruffcustomcollars

Image Credits
Image credit of dog my itself (2 pictures) @charlie.thedog._ on Instagram. Owner Alyssa Babin. Collar tag image – me Person and dog – me and my dog Milo