Meet Brooke LeCount | Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner

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

Hi Brooke, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started The Dogwood Pup towards the end of 2018. After graduating high school in 2018, I was headed off to Longwood University. I was there at the end of summer to start my freshman year and by mid September I found myself very homesick and knew Longwood wasn’t the place for me so I came home. When I came home I knew I had to make a new plan of what I was going to do since I couldn’t start community college until the Spring. I am a very spur of the moment type of person so when I think of something I make it my priority to accomplish that. Being a dog lover all my life and having a Instagram account for my dog’s Rex and Lulu already, I knew this would be the perfect time to start my own dog business. So that same night of coming up with this crazy idea I had, I created an Instagram for The Dogwood Pup. The funny part about this is I had no idea how to sew, how to run a Etsy shop, or anything. Once I set my mind to something, I tell myself I will figure it out as I go. By the next few days after creating the IG account, I went to Joann’s fabric and headed off to my grandma’s house so she could teach me how to sew. I told and showed her what I wanted to make and we went from there. Fast forward a month later and many trials and errors, The Dogwood Pup had officially opened on Etsy on October 22nd, 2018. Now almost 4 years later, I have graduated Christopher Newport University with a Marketing degree and run my business full-time on my own website. I am forever grateful for taking that leap of faith.


Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run The Dogwood Pup full time by myself. I just graduated from Christopher Newport University with a degree in Marketing. Running my business and going to school full time was a challenge to say the least but I will never regret that stressful time because it taught me a hard work ethic and anything is possible if you want it. The Dogwood Pup has really grown so much from where I started to where I am now, especially since I am the only one who sews, does everything behind the scenes, and funds it all. The bread and butter of my business are our Over the Collar bandanas. That is the first style of bandana I created and sold on Etsy. These bandanas slip through the collar. Now I have expanded our bandana style into Over the Collar and Tie on. Also, I sell seasonal bowties that I create from scrap pieces of fabric that cannot be sewn into bandanas. After being on Etsy for three years, I transferred over to my own website, which I designed and created myself. Now, I have expanded my business into more dog products and items for dog moms/dads. My bandanas are currently sold in Norfolk, Virginia at Pawsnickety Pets and at Belly Rubs Biscuit Bar and Spa in Northern Virginia.

My business really started to pick up in 2020/2021 when the pandemic hit. To keep that momentum, I have heavily invested my time, in marketing and connecting with my audience/community through Instagram. The dog industry is huge and always growing so to separate The Dogwood Pup from others is to always put the customer first and have a great connection with them, truly get to know them. You can’t have any business without people so always remember that. Moreover, I emphasize that we have a product for all pups and will customize mostly anything to your liking. Also, I always try to give back as much as I can: old bandana mockups that I can’t sell I have donated to my local animal shelter. One year we had a koala bear bandana that a percentage of proceeds was donated to Wildlife Warriors Worldwide.

Through Instagram, I have reached out to celebrities/influencers who have posted about my business: Nastia Liukin, Meghan Dressel, Tanya Rad, and more!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
After coming home from being away at college in fall of 2018, I am super grateful for my parents, Brian and Jennifer, and my sister, Haley for giving me that support and allowing me to explore my entrepreneur side and allowing me to start my business. If it wasn’t for their encouragement and grace during those transformative months to figure out what was next, i wouldn’t be where I am today without them. They have always been my number one cheerleaders in life. Also, a huge shoutout goes to my grandma (Gma) for taking time out of her days and teaching me how to sew. Moreover, my grandparents allowed me for the first year or so to use their house for my office and sewing space so that was very beneficial in giving me a boost on my business. Just in general, I am so grateful for all the support friends, family, and the community gives my business daily.

Website: www.thedogwoodpup.com

Instagram: @thedogwoodpup

Facebook: The Dogwood Pup

Other: email: thedogwoodpup@gmail.com