Meet Sandi Flores | Artist & Event Coordinator

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

Hi Sandi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up, my mom was always really creative and used to have her own booth at craft shows until she passed in 2007. I believe it was attending these shows that inspired me with the idea of owning my own little shop, and would randomly daydream about it when I would see vacant stores but always thought of it as “just a fun idea”. I entered the corporate world instead and after 11 years I had worked my way up to becoming an Online Store Manager for a Video Game Company. I had loved my time there but during the last 2 years I had hit my proverbial ceiling and was fighting burnout. I started applying for other jobs and with the rough market in 2023 I was having an extremely hard time working full time and applying for jobs. Then I thought, what if I hired myself? It was in September 2023, I turned to my husband and I asked, “If I started my own business… Do you think I can do it?” and he scoffed, then smiled at me and without hesitation said, “Duh, Of course you can do it!”. It was that night I sat down and really started thinking about what I could do that would be fulfilling, manageable (if there was physical inventory), fun, and most importantly -help solve a problem for others.
I know that businesses succeed when there is a problem to be solved with their product, but I was just a silly lady who planned video game merchandise for a living what problems could I solve? Then I reflected upon the problems I had as a first time cat paw-rent when I discovered my two boys had Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and how helpless I felt. I wanted to fix that. I knew I wouldn’t be the one to cure FeLV itself, but wanted to generate excitement about finding a cure and create an opportunity to do so. I decided to take my skills and dedicate it to helping celebrate the cats around us, commemorate the ones who may no longer be with us, and help educate people about FeLV. Cats lives are so short compared to an average person’s life, and it is my hope that this small business can help bring more opportunities for our cat family to be honored and celebrated.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Originally I wanted to work within the video game industry and went to school for video game art and design. Truthfully, out of my friends around me I was not the most skilled artist, but I practiced all the time. Shortly after graduation, I just wanted to get my “foot in the door” at a video game company and was lucky to get a Game Testing job at a company I liked. It wasn’t art, but it was a step in the right direction! I ended up working my way from Game Testing to eventually their Online Store Manager between the years of 2012-2023. During that time, I got to plan the budget and lead the execution for Limited Edition Video Game collections and Merchandise. I also took on the unofficial -then later official- role of planning events for the company as well. Since this was a smaller company, I had the opportunity to take on many responsibilities and learn from my peers around me. This experience made the approach to my business more intentional. When pandemic hit in 2020, and I was tasked to work from home. Covid restrictions were carefully reduced later into 2020, and I visited a friend of mine who owned a cat named Namoo. I always loved cats since I was young, and when I discovered I had cat allergies in my teens I avoided direct contact with cats and loved them from afar. However it was then my friend put her cat Namoo into my arms, and I cried in joy to be holding a kitty. It was then my friends encouraged my husband and I to try adopting or fostering a cat!
In late 2020, I adopted Bandit and Ghost, two 2-month old kitten brothers, and brought them home! It was such a pleasure watching my husband discover what it meant to be a cat dad, and to watch Bandit and Ghost grow! I couldn’t stop talking about them, napped with Bandit and Ghost all the time, and to be frank it was a dream come true. Mid December 2020 when I found out that Bandit and Ghost had Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and was at a complete loss on what that meant for them or how to navigate this information. We did our best.
Unfortunately we lost Bandit at 10 months old, it devastated us. Our Vets donated from their own money to a local Animal Health Foundation in Bandit’s honor and it meant so SO much. Knowing that Bandit’s existence caused help for others was healing. I focused all my attention on loving and fighting for Ghost, and unfortunately he had to pass the rainbow bridge at just 1 year and 3 months.
then in late 2021 my full time role also had a change in leadership and their goals in how to approach business no longer matched my values. It was a challenging time, and we adopted our two current cats, Rock and Roll, who helped our family feel a little more whole. I hit burnout at my work in late 2022, and I eventually decided to bullishly “hire myself” with my husbands support, and started Whisker Dreams!
It is my hope that my story, and brand can help us celebrate and commemorate our cats/pets around us, and hopefully raise awareness /find a cure for FeLV.
I am now using my art to try to capture the cute, silly, and pawsitive impact that cats bring to our lives, and now look forward to releasing a cat coloring book later in 2026!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If visiting the area, I would recommend them to check out the following spots: 1) Requiem Cafe in Anaheim! This is a video game themed cafe that has a gift shop on the side. When you enter into the doors of this place, your suddenly in a fun, safe, and creative space! Have your cameras ready, and I would recommend a Mana potion while you’re at it!
2) Honey & Butter in Irvine Spectrum! This shop has always been such a treat and the people here are so so kind. The staff is friendly and excited, and they are always looking into ways to support local artists and the community! Their Macarons are SO tasty and cute!
3)Geeky Teas & Games in Burbank! If you like tabletop games, creative minds, and cats- then you’re at the right place! This has been a fast growing passionate business that is a hub for creativity, storytelling, and a cat rescue all loaded into one place!
4) Frank and Sons in the City of Industry! This is a collection of vendors who specialize in pop culture collectibles and is open 4 days a week! It always feel like walking a convention hall. My favorite vendor in the building belongs to a kind soul named Genta, who has such a passion for Tokutsatsu merchandise and memorabilia! His tiny space is packed with so much awesome stuff!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husbie, Aldo, who has been tirelessly supporting me and the reason I can do what I am doing here as Whisker Dreams. He is fiercely supportive and saves me from my work-a-holic mindset! He helps me set my goals realistically when I get too excited and plan too much for a one-woman business to accomplish and encourages me to improve every day. He also was my rock while I was dealing with the passing of our two FeLV boys, Bandit and Ghost. My Bestie, Meghan, who literally has been making crafts and pushing my creativity for over 30 years! She cheers me on and literally inspires me everyday. I am so blessed to have her in my life! She is the one who helped me figure out our laser cutting machine that has become deeply important to my business!
My two perfect boys, Bandit & Ghost, who I would never have expected to have impacted my life in how they have.
Rock & Roll, my two current cats who help me remember that taking time away from work to just play is important.
My old friend from kindergarten Sarah and her fiancé Dom, who just recently moved back into town and has been selflessly donating their time to help at markets, prep inventory, and just bring thoughtful joy to each event they’re included in!
and my older sister, Kristi, who is basically my unofficial marketing lady with how much she relentlessly supports me, and shouts out about my business!

Website: whisker-dreams.com

Instagram: whisker_dreams

Facebook: whiskerdreamsstore

Other: https://sandi-l-flores-work-catalog.webador.com/