Meet Maddie Guy | Technology Account Manager & Dog Trainer

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

Hi Maddie, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Working with dogs has taught me to keep an open mind. Sentient beings are not black and white. Just like humans, dogs are unique individuals with their their own personality, motivators, experiences, and disposition. To take a close minded, blanket approach is to disregard them as individuals and dampen results.

Part of having an open mind is also having a humble mindset. Much like doctors who practice their craft of medicine, I consider working with animals on ongoing practice. Being open to feedback, having a willingness to try new approaches, implementing creativity, and adapting to new industry findings is crucial.

These learnings from my work with dogs have improved me personally and professionally outside of dog training. I’ve learned how to better receive feedback, present new ideas, and practice patience.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
From the outside, my presence on social media happened quickly. And yes, while the numbers on my platform accumulated greatly over the span of a year or so, the knowledge behind the content I make took decades to accumulate.

Working with dogs has been my “thing” since I was a very young child. However, I’ve never been able to find a good way to organize and share what I’ve learned in a meaningful way until I joined TikTok with the intent to do so. It’s given me a wonderful outlet to share what I know and help others. That is what makes me most proud… having found a way to others in a venue where no return is expected.

The people I want to reach with my content are the curious dog owners who want to try their best. I aim for my videos to deliver practical advice that is easy to comprehend and implement. My goal is to make people feel less alone in their journey with their dogs and learn how to excel past status quo dog ownership.

I’ve come to love presenting information in a two way forum such as TikTok because it presents many opportunities to receive feedback and learn from others in a way that publishing a blog article or book do not. It can be both enlightening and humbling.

However, the opportunity for discourse can also bring bring times of sadness and frustration. It’s not always pleasant to be the topic of conversation… the internet can be a cruel place. I’m still learning to adapt to this part of it all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hopefully my visitor would be up for an early morning adventure with my dog, Rudder. My favorite activity is to wake up early and take him to the beach for a walk and swim before the crowds come.

After a good walk, we’d need to indulge in my favorite meal of the day… brunch. There are many great places for this in my home of Chicago. An outdoor patio would be a must, and preferably a spot with a build your own bloody mary bar!

The after-brunch-nap is a requirement, so that’d be next on the to do list before heading out to a summertime street festival to enjoy some live music, street food, artists, and friends.

After that, I’d vote to return home for a dinner with friends on my patio and end the night with drinks and a bonfire.

Knowing me, I’ll be asleep by 10pm so I can be ready for the next morning’s adventure with Rudder.

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?
Somebody who stands out for me in my story is my high school physics teacher, Mrs. Brandt. She taught me how to think critically, question the norm, and have confidence to voice opinions. She did this practically through formal education, but also through how she presented herself to students.

Mrs. Brandt was a young woman who spoke with confidence, even when her beliefs were not mainstream. She dressed how she preferred, even if it wasn’t what was in style. She listened to the music she liked, even if her favorite artists weren’t what were expected of her. She was a vegan far before alternative diets were widely accepted. She knew her values and stuck to them,

I see her now as a role model of a confident woman who isn’t afraid of the status quo.

Instagram: @MyBoyRudder

Other: TikTok @MyBoyRudder