Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Tan
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my career as a television news reporter. I love telling stories and always thought it was one of my talents. After thirteen years in the news business, telling stories of death and destruction, I needed a change. As a news reporter I always worked with public relations professionals, so I decided to go join the ranks of the public relations profession. I ended up going into government communications, where I handled the communications and marketing for a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was there that I realized my passion was helping homeless animals. I began Whisker Media as a side hustle while working my government gig. Soon, the public relations job at my local animal shelter opened up and I ended up getting that job. It was there that my knowledge of animal welfare blossomed. After several years, I realized exactly what I wanted to do: become an entrepreneur to help homeless animals through pet public relations. Whisker Media is now my thriving business with a clear mission.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like any business, it’s been a bumpy road. I have faced many of the struggles small business owners face. Starting a business is not easy, but there’s so much you learn just by doing it. I would say dealing with taxes, business requirements, and especially knowing what to charge and what your services are worth, is always something that is challenging. I have learned you can second guess yourself, but you just have to take risks and do it. For me it’s all about trials and errors. You have to fail to succeed.
We’ve been impressed with Whisker Media , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Whisker Media is a public relations firm that solely focuses on the pet industry. We represent both animal welfare nonprofits and for profit pet companies. We are very niched, as pets are what drive our business. It’s what we’re passionate about. We don’t believe we can represent a client well unless we have a deep interest in their product, so we don’t take clients outside of the industry.
The Whisker Media team also has deep knowledge of animal husbandry and welfare, and we are rescuers ourselves, so we vet every product and nonprofit that we represent. To us, the safety of an animal is more important than making a profit.
How do you think about happiness?
Whisker Media is the result of years of me trying to find a career that involved my passion. Helping cats is what makes me the happiest, and I figured out a way to turn my love of cats and public relations into my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whiskermedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskermedia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whiskermedia/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-tan-2032358/
- Twitter: https://x.com/WhiskerMedia
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcNmXZGGnLo1hLa4cdb76
