You have worked for some of the largest, well-known companies (Verizon, Brooks Brothers, Barnes and Noble etc.) in high-level marketing positions across multiple business sectors. Tell us what drew you to such different industries?
When I graduated from business school instead of going into finance or consulting I gravitated to advertising, an unlikely choice for an MBA. Since then I’ve always been drawn to interesting “puzzles” versus lofty job descriptions. Throughout my corporate (first-half) career I used my marketing toolbox across many industries to address lots of paradigm changing strategic challenges…always from the consumer’s perspective:
Brooks Brothers: How can a 175 year old iconic American clothing retailer reposition its brand for relevance to a new generation?
Verizon: How does a giant utility migrate from one-size-fits- all anonymous telephone number customers, to strategic targeting of different consumer segments with tailored bundles of telecommunications services to match their needs?
Barnes & Noble: How can a beloved retail bookseller expand their high touch brand experience to selling books online and compete with agile start-ups like Amazon?
I never planned to have a “portfolio career” but I’m so glad I did. Clearly, an important part of planning your next chapter is to recognize what you’re good at and what gets your juices flowing. I’ve concluded that I’m a born marketer. So, in my second half I’m still a marketer…. who is always looking for the next puzzle to solve.
What was the impetus to launch “How I Met My Dog.com”, a unique service for dog/owner successful match making?
Honestly, if anyone had told me that I’d become the CEO of an online dog adoption business I wouldn’t have believed them. We don’t even have a dog! When I was consulting with a talented group of C-level “guns-for- hire” our creative director invited me to lunch and shared a pretty ingenious new business idea: If technology makes it possible to find our soul mates, friends, and plumbers…why not create an online marketplace to custom match adopters and dogs…so shelters and rehomers can more efficiently match dogs with forever families. I immediately recognized the white space for a pet adoption breakthrough …but could we deliver? Could humans and rescue dogs really be matched for compatibility based on personality, expectations and training style instead of breed?
Turns out the answer is YES!
In my bones, I always thought I could be an entrepreneur but I had never committed.
This time my gut told me to go for it. For the next two years I contributed “sweat equity” to How I Met My Dog, as a side-hustle to my consulting business, while we developed the algorithm and
go-to-market plan. Once I was convinced that this business was the real deal, I didn’t look back. We were featured on the cover of USA Today soon after launch. “Online love matchmaking has gone to the dogs”7.24.19
By 2020 we had 140,000 adopters complete our 56 question survey and had built a network of 435 shelters in 39 states. When COVID shut down all transport and shelters we launched a new product, ComPETibility, using our proprietary algorithm for all pet parents. Think “marriage counseling for dogs and their humans!”
What advice would you give others that are thinking about starting their own thing after a first half career?
Looking for purposeful work after a long professional career can be scary and depressing. I’ve read tons of books that tell you to find your bliss or volunteer at the library, which can be worthwhile but is not for everybody. The best advice I was ever given is “take time to try on a lot of dresses”. Translation: make sure to explore a variety of different things that interest you to see what feels right. When you go shopping you have to try on a lot of outfits before you pick the one that fits. The same is true for your second-half journey. I’m still trying on dresses…In addition to my start-up job, I continue to serve on non-profit boards, do pro-bono consulting through University of Pennsylvania, and attend countless lectures on a crazy range of topics. I even discovered ROAR on the Internet and volunteered my services. Say “yes” to everything that gets you excited- stay open to chance meetings and short-term gigs– and keep trying on those dresses.
