As a part of the Morning Lazziness series about strong women leaders who attained success with their incredible ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Linda.
“Take any opportunity as a creative opportunity.”- Alexandra Watkins
Linda is a highly experienced sales and operations executive with success in both Fortune 500 and startup environments, besides being a leading female contributor in the win of ‘Bow Wow Labs, Inc.(BWL), creators and providers of innovative products to help dogs healthy, happy and safe.
Before her COO position at Bow WoW Labs Linda was one of the first women in Sales and Management at IBM, one of the Founders and Vice President of Sales at’ Initials+,’ a principal in a very successful real estate development partnership, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Junior League of San Francisco and Edgewood Children’s Center.
For approximately 25 years of involvement in various charities and serving the disabled, she still finds great joy in managing all day-to-day activities at Bow Wow Labs, including financial, marketing, website development, product design/manufacturing, sales, and customer service.
Many thanks for doing this for us; please let our users know about yourself and about your company- Bow Wow Labs?
“It’s a great time to be a woman in business, especially in the pet industry,” expresses Linda London, Founder and VP of Special Projects of Bow Wow Labs, “It is my passion and mission to not only create a brand that will grow and flourish but also to value each and every employee and ensure a positive and strong work environment is provided.”
Since launching in 2018, Bow Wow Labs, Inc. (BWL), creators of innovative products to help keep dogs healthy, happy and safe, has experienced explosive growth, hitting a $1.8M run rate at the end of its first year with expectations of tripling in sales by this time next year. Both Linda and Johnna are two leading females contributing to much of the company’s success.
What thoughts inspired you the most to start a Bow Wow Labs? And, are you also a dog-lover?
Yes, of course, we have had dogs for years. When we saw the product and our friend had the experience of a dog choking on a bully stick, there was no doubt in my mind that we should invest in this product, and since then, it became a company. I was so impressed with the Bully Buddy’s ability to keep dog’s safe.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was retired and looking for something to do part-time, and then I became involved full time about three years ago. It was a start-up, and I was excited about starting up this company.
How are Bow Wow Labs changing the lives of the dog’s parents?
It’s mainly keeping the dogs healthy and safe.
Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Know your facts and realize that you are not going to get it right the first time, and it may take weeks, not days.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Coming from the corporate world, I never had to do the nitty-gritty; it’s so different being an entrepreneur. When you are the founder of the company, you do everything. I used to spend four to five hours a day packing and shipping out boxes.
What’s the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?
There is such history here. It was Michael and me and Ryan making flow charts and planning charts and Charlie in the background from NY. Over and over, we made mistakes, and we had to start over and redo the financials.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path?
You know there is always a chance for failure, but you are just as likely to succeed. You won’t know until you try it. If you give it your all, you will probably succeed. If you fail, you probably learn something.
How do you keep yourself productive throughout the day?
We have had such an amazing customer response to this product; it motivates me every day. I love hearing from customers that they didn’t know how they lived before this product. Yes, I practice yoga, not meditation and I walk first thing in the morning; it gets me going.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Organization for sure! You are in charge of so many areas.
- Energy level – you must be willing to put in many hours a day.
- Be willing to roll your sleeves up and be willing to do whatever needs to be done, no matter how minor the task when you are the founder and entrepreneur and don’t have a lot of help.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
We personally have gotten involved in shelters now, donating things to shelters and visiting shelters, and I found that very rewarding. Dogs deserve this product. We are finally in a place where we can donate and do things.
What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to grow this company?
New products to keep dogs healthy, well, and safe! With an outstanding team. Bringing in pet industry specialists to raise the bar of expertise.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Work hard. Really that’s it.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
