When Preparation Meets Opportunity with Angela Medlin

Angela Medlin is a design expert who designed products and directed creatives at brands like Nike, Adidas, Levi Strauss, and the North Face. But this self-described closet-entrepreneur always had side hustles … and in 2017 her dog, Wubbi, inspired her to start House Dogge, a collection of thoughtfully designed, sustainable, safe products for dogs AND their people.

There are literally thousands – tens of thousands – of steps every designer takes on the road from idea to product creation to market, and Medlin has thirty years of experience to light her way. She also has something else: fifty years of closely observing her own dogs, and her own self in relation to them.

Today Medlin joins us for a deep dive into the mindset behind her “overnight success” in her new business. She shares how taking Oprah’s advice to be authentic to herself and use intuition to guide her steps helped her at every step of her career … and to eventually draw the attention of Oprah’s Favorite Things. She also discusses the lonely experience of being a person of color in a field with fewer than 1% POC … and the way things have changed in recent years, as more Americans have come to appreciate the achievements of her and other BIPOC talents.

Medlin also reveals how her English Bulldog, Wubbi, taught her not only to care about carcinogen-free dog toys, but also how to greet new friends and how to choose the best spot in the room.

This thoughtful, absorbing, and clear conversation is, like Medlin’s toys and clothing, well-crafted, carefully considered, and refreshingly uncomplicated.

About Angela Medlin

Angela Medlin’s career experience as a professional product Designer and Director at brands that include Nike/ Jordan Brand, Adidas, Levi Strauss, The North Face, and other global companies lead her to this moment. She spent the majority of her career leading design teams in creating products that solve problems for the human consumer. Now, Medlin is using this same passion and extensive career experience to do the same for the canine consumers in House Dogge. The well being of dogs (and the people who love them) is prioritized in these nontoxic, sustainable, and beautiful products that address both consumers holistically. The brand has been featured in Oprah’s O magazine, Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens, Design Milk, and others. Consumers can purchase product on HouseDogge.com, dog boutiques, select home interior stores, and design specialty shops. Creating products that support dogs and their people is priority for the House Dogge Brand. The small batch collections continue to evolve prioritizing comfort, sustainability, and modern simplicity. In addition, Medlin is a creative mentor, serves as a design leader on multiple advisory boards, and is the Founder of the FAAS DESIGN COLLAB (www.faasdesigncollab.com) which provides creative and professional development to underrepresented creatives desiring to enter the product creation industry.

House Dogge website: https://www.housedogge.com/

House Dogge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/housedogge/

House Dogge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/housedogge/

FAAS Design Collab: www.faasdesigncollab.com

About The Long Leash

Thank you for joining us. If you have enjoyed listening, please SUBSCRIBE so you’ll never miss out!

Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows.