Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Wiggins.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
In 2016, Mike and I (Steph) packed up our small NYC apartment, put everything in storage, and flew to the Pacific Northwest with two suitcases and our adorable long-haired dachshund, Django. Over the next several months, we worked from a rental apartment in downtown Portland and took every opportunity on weekday evenings and weekends to hike, camp, and adventure with Django throughout Oregon. We camped under the stars, hiked up the most beautiful (and freezing cold!) waterfalls, and ran with Django on the beaches of coastal Oregon.
With all our adventures, we quickly realized that our city pup Django was an adventure dog! He loved wading and playing in sparkling mountain streams, swimming in the ocean, and getting muddy with us on trails.
After looking for high quality and stylish adventure gear for Django, we noticed that there weren’t any local brands that tailored their adventure gear for smaller pups. With Django as our inspiration, I launched DJANGO (djangobrand.com), a USA small business offering modern and durable adventure and travel gear for dogs.
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?
Prior to launching DJANGO, a pet products e-commerce business, I had no experience in online or even brick-and-mortar retail. I also had no product design or marketing experience. For this reason, the very early months of djangobrand.com were challenging, and progress was slow to come by during this time. It took me a while to figure out how to design unique and beautiful pet products that not only met my incredibly high standards for performance and durability but also complimented the ‘travel and adventure dog’ lifestyle brand I envisioned. Another early challenge was understanding how to grow brand awareness and build a loyal fan base of customers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
DJANGO engineers’ high-quality, modern, and stylish travel and adventure gear for dogs and dog owners. Our mission is to help you and your dog get outside, travel, and adventure more often. Visit us at djangobrand.com.
DJANGO was launched by Steph and Mike, a couple madly in love with their adventure dog Django. In the past few years, the family has lived in New York City, the Pacific Northwest, Southern California, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. They’ve adventured throughout the US and Canada and traveled to Europe with Django. A lifestyle of travel and adventure has inspired a beautiful, original, and weather-resistant line of dog gear. The current collection includes DJANGO’s best-selling dog harnesses and walk sets, DJANGO’s widely acclaimed waxed canvas and leather dog carrier bags, all-weather dog jackets, insulated winter dog coats, soft and stretchy dog hoodies, and more.
DJANGO has been featured across the media spectrum with notable highlights seen in Business Insider, Forbes, MSN, and Reader’s Digest. DJANGO’s waxed canvas and leather dog carrier bag was rated the best hands-free dog carrier bag by the American Kennel Club and best dog carrier for small dogs by BarkBox.
DJANGO is a USA family-owned business with a focus on environmental preservation and sustainability. A portion of every DJANGO wholesale order is donated to U.S. non-profit organizations that support clean ocean initiatives, thriving coastal communities, and forest conservation.
What makes you happy?
My husband Mike, our two adorable boys, and my long-haired dachshund Django. Nothing makes me happier than traveling the world as a family and with Django by my side!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://djangobrand.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djangobrand/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djangothegent/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHOKTVffTVj46N0pj2GIlXQ
- Other: https://amazon.com/django
