In the spotlight with Karen Rhodes from Luxury Dog Hampers

Have you ever had a lightbulb moment and followed it through?This week on the podcast I'm speaking to Karen Rhodes from Luxury Dog Hampers and Suffolk Pet Services.Karen was watching a TV show about Fortnum and Mason three years ago and had a thought, 'I wonder if I could make this for dogs?'Rather than forgetting about it, she made it happen, and now runs the HUGELY successful Luxury Dog Hampers.She's been featured in GQ, the Times, Dogs Monthly, Your Dog, worked with influencers and sold so many hampers in lockdown she ran out of actual hampers.In this In the Spotlight episode she shares so much helpful information for any product business owner on building a brand from scratch and getting press coverage.Key topics and timings in this episode:0.18 - Introduction to the episode2.37 - Karen’s background, starting as a dog walker when she stopped working as a foster parent.4.37 - Taking a leap of faith to set up Luxury Dog Hampers after watching a show about Fortnum and Mason.5.48 - How Karen got started with her pet business and how her senior dog Bailey helped her get the word out there.9.32 - How Karen started out with approaching the press.11.28 - Where Karen has been featured.13.16 - The impact of getting in the press on her business.15.26 - Keeping things simple in your marketing.17.14 - Karen shares some of the angles she’s used for coverage.20.55 - How Karen coped as a new business during the lockdown losing her dog Bailey but also seeing her business thrive.25.05 - Refining and polishing her brand.29.29 - Karen’s advice for new businesses.32.43 - Why getting media coverage is worth the time and effort and the impact it’s had on Karen.36.24 - Where to find out more about Luxury Dog Hampers.Links mentioned in this episode:Visit Karen's website: https://luxurydoghampers.co.uk/Read about her in GQ: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/gallery/best-gifts-for-dog-loversFollow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxurydoghampers/And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luxurydoghamper