Meet Jake Schillings | Entrepreneur & Dog Lover

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

Hi Jake, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It started with my dog, Camper.

I spent years traveling and exploring the outdoors with Camper, but I couldn’t find gear that could hold up on our adventures.

Obsessed with perfecting my personal outdoor gear, and a compulsion to create in my garage, I asked myself, “why doesn’t my dog’s gear get the same attention?”.

Over the next four years I continued obsessing over creating the perfect gear; stitching bike bags for friends, finding the latest fabrics, and above all, sweating the details. After enough scrapped collars, worn out leashes, and junky poo-bag dispensers, I decided enough was enough.

The goal from the start was to create Damn Good Gear for my own dog. Nothing leaves the shop unless it is the best that I can make it. Now that I’ve made it, I want to share it with the world.

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.
I’ve spent my life working nine-to-five jobs with an entrepreneur’s spirit. The majority of my career has been spent working for brands in the action sports industries, while also trying to find ways to build something of my own in my spare time. After many failed attempts, late nights, and money spent, I’ve finally found a way to be a master of my own destiny while also improving the lives of dogs and their owners around the country.

We are very early into our Howl House journey, but the feedback from our customers and community have been extremely encouraging. Earlier this year Howl House was selected by the Denver Street Partnership to participate in their “eBikes for Delivery Program” and graciously donated a cargo eBike to our business. With this bike we are able to provide free deliveries for local customers, drop off shipments at USPS facilitates, and pick up supplies from our local partners. We also track all of the CO2 emissions saved from our cycling efforts.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First on our list is always Red Rocks Amphitheater. Even if just for a walk, the cleanliness and views from this venue are unmatched. On the way home, a stop at Corvus Coffee for a cortado would be mandatory. Later in the day we would suggest a relaxing bike ride on Denver’s numerous cycling paths and head towards downtown. Meow Wolf’s art experience is always a must do for our first-time guests and an easy stop on our bike ride. Finally we would end the day at Hapa Sushi for some of the best seafood in Denver.

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?
Most importantly, I want to highlight the hard work and dedication my wife, Ashley has brought to Howl House. On top of being my business partner she is also a full time nurse and mother to our four month old son, Wilder. Without her support, Howl House wouldn’t exist.

Website: https://www.howlhouseco.com

Instagram: @HowlHouseCo

Image Credits
All self-shot.