Today we’d like to introduce you to Annelise Brown.
Hi Annelise, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I went to college to become a music teacher and earned my BA in Music Education Vocal K-12. I was a teacher for close to 10 years. The only issue was that there weren’t enough dogs. When my brother Zach and his wife Kathleen adopted their first dog, Mina, I got to be the dog sitter. The biggest issue was, at that time, there was nowhere I could take his dog when the weather was bad. When Mina picked out our dog Ellie to adopt, the issue doubled. Five years ago, there just wasn’t an indoor spot for small dogs to play when it was snowy or rainy or muddy, or too warm.
As a teacher with a large classroom, that sometimes became an option until I started thinking, “Someone should create an indoor space for small dogs to play!” I guess that someone was me. It honestly took me five years to find a location because many cities didn’t have the zoning to allow me to open an indoor dog park, or owners of properties didn’t understand the idea. The wait was well worth it. I found a great location and when I first met my current landlord, he brought his dog to the space to meet me. And then the work really started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The main struggle was just trying to convince people of the idea. Many couldn’t understand that it wasn’t a daycare or boarding situation. At Indoor Zoomies, you stay with your dog just like you would an outdoor park. Another struggle was starting a business when I didn’t have a business background. Every day I’m learning and growing. But I found that if you listen to your customers, you can fill a lot of the gaps of what you may be missing.
And if you focus on building a community among your customers, many people are willing to help or give advice.
Another bump is how hard it is to start a business. Did you know that you don’t just have all the customers and make a profit right away? I still work a full-time job to support this dream and so my opening hours are limited and sometimes so is my energy. But it’s definitely worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Indoor Zoomies is special because it is exclusively for dogs 30 pounds and under. Small dogs are the focus. The ramps are smaller, the toys are smaller, and even the treats and occasional pup cups are smaller.
We make sure small dogs don’t get overrun and have a space all their own. I’m really proud that I’ve created a space where people feel safe bringing their dogs. That gives me a lot of pride.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My family and my partner deserve a huge thank you. My parents believed in me and made it known I had their support. My brother really pushed me to think outside of the box and really try to figure out the WHY of my park. WHY would people want to come to MY park over another? He also lets me bring his dog Ruth to the park to work as Head of Security and Temperament Control. My partner Robert has really lifted me up over and over again. For five years he watched me work on this dream and some days I was just so defeated.
But he kept asking me, “What did you do today to work towards your goal?” He pushed me, helped me work through ideas, and really just got me through the times when I thought I was supposed to give up. I’d also, like to shout out all the dogs in my family because how else are they ever going to see their names in a magazine? To Ellie, Ruthie, Mina, Garfunkel, and Miracle, Thank you for being still for the pictures, putting on the outfits, enjoying the dog park, and being the best dogs.
Pricing:
- $10 Day Pass
- $45.00 for a 5 pack
- $80 for a 10 pack
Contact Info:
- Website: www.indoorzoomiestonka.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/indoorzoomies
