We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Fohr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?When I started my company SweaterHound.com this was pre-pandemic, and like many people I was working and my kids were going to school. However, over the last year and a half both my work-life balance and my company has changed. My kids began homeschooling, I started working from home and sharing an office with my husband. I needed to adjust my work schedule to have more flexibility to be available during the day and shift many of my working hours. As I think about how I plan to adjust my work schedule going forward, I plan to continue to work from home and to carve out more time during the day to be with my kids and allow myself the grace to create a more fluid work/life balance.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Sweater Hound was created out of the love for my own dog Harley. When working at Stitch Fix, we focused a lot on personalization and how to ensure customers got items that they loved. While working at Stitch Fix, I realized that cute french bulldogs on sweaters were trendy, and that while I loved French Bulldogs my Harley was a mutt and I would prefer to wear him on a sweater. This is how Sweater Hound was born, it was taking the personalization element of shopping one step further into customization. Like any good business idea, there are hiccups along the way but keep pushing forward your vision and your dream will slowly become a reality.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We recently moved from San Francisco, CA to Tampa, FL, so we are still learning a lot about our new city. However, Tampa is growing and has the most amazing waterfront locations surrounded by the best sports teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. We love to ride our bikes along the water and stop and get coffee and smoothies with our kids. Lastly, a day in Tampa wouldn’t be a day without an evening on the water watching the sunset. The Gulf of Mexico has picture perfect sunsets.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve spent the last twenty years working in retail at large companies like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and most recently Stitch Fix. Like many people, my jobs and the companies I worked for shaped my career path and inspired me to start my company SweaterHound.com. Sweater Hound creates custom one of a kind items such as sweater, blankets, pillows, hats and more that feature your own furry friend. Three years ago, I came up with the idea of Sweater Hound but was unsure of how to build it and more importantly figure out if it would be successful. At that time, I was working for Stitch Fix with a 9 to 5 job and juggling life as a working mom. I wanted to launch Sweater Hound, but was worried about walking away from a steady job. My husband, who is my number 1 supporter and best free intern, told me to make the leap and to invest in myself and my dream. With his support, I left my stable job at Stitch Fix and launched Sweater Hound two months later. If he hadn’t pushed me, I’m not sure I would have made the jump and Sweater Hound might still only be a dream.

Website: www.sweaterhoud.com

Instagram: @sweaterhound

Twitter: @sweater_hound

Facebook: @sweaterhound

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