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

Hi Kayleen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I never set out to start my own business. At the time I was a full-time barista working in a coffee shop. I knew I had a plethora of skills including writing and design that I wanted to share with my community. It started off as a side hustle learning how to help people build, update, and optimize WordPress websites. Less than a year later I would leave the coffee shop and go full time for my business, Mtn. Dog Media.

What should our readers know about your business?
With no formal educational background in business, every single lesson I’ve learned has been trial by fire. I constantly learn from my mistakes (especially the expensive ones) and have made many shifts and pivots to the company’s offerings over the years. For example, when we originally launched in 2013 we were primarily a web design firm. That has shifted over the years and we are exclusively a marketing agency now.

This year we’re allocating the majority of our bandwidth to the planning of the fourth annual West Slope Startup Week event. This is a wonderful way for us to give back to the Colorado startup ecosystem and expand the reach of resources across the Western Slope.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in a world-class destination like Steamboat Springs we regularly have visitors that want to come stay and explore the area. Of course, we will go to Strawberry Park Hot Springs for a relaxing soak and get lunch afterward at Backdoor Grill. Some of my favorite hikes include Devil’s Causeway in the Flattops Wilderness and Gilpin Lake in the Zirkel Wilderness. If it’s summertime, you can’t beat tubing (respectfully) down the Yampa River through town. In winter we’ll go hit the Stagecoach Nordic Trails for some cross-country ski action.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been supported by so many individuals and support organizations along the way! I learned how to form an LLC and do my tax filings through the Colorado SBDC, I participated in dozens of networking events in Boulder, Colorado during my formative years, and now I’m supported by Startup Colorado and the Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center.

Website: https://mtndogmedia.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleen-cohen-02402924/

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