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

Hi Valerie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting a “business” happened quite by accident. Our corgi, Zero, went viral with a video of her swimming back in the early days of Instagram when one viral video was enough to catapult you into internet fame. At the time, posting photos and videos of Zero was mostly a hobby, but as her “influence” grew, we started to do little things like sell socks with her face, or stickers… When I quit my job teaching middle school in 2020, I leaned into the marketing of her profile, and it was the best decision I ever made.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For me, it was about never closing doors. I always thought posting photos and videos of my dog online was just for fun. But when opportunity came knocking to monetize it, I kept that door open. When the time came to quit my “real job” and walk through that door, the groundwork was already laid.

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.
We are a huge fan of all things dog-friendly! Dog friendly breweries for a drink, dog friendly beaches for a romp, and lots and lots of parks for walks and photos with flowers. Since we live a little north of LA, some of our favorite spots are in Ventura County – like Enegren Brewery (in Moorpark), Staircase Beach (in Malibu) and Conejo Botanic Garden (in Thousand Oaks)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to the corgi community online – all the corgi lovers and fellow dog moms!

Instagram: @corgi_zero

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/zeroonthego

Image Credits
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Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.