Meet Mikey Boss Dog | Co-Owner of Boss Dog Art Dept.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikey Boss Dog and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikey, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Dedication and daily routine: I think because of social media you see people who want exposure rush to create a brand or get their art out there before it’s actually all that good. I don’t want to sound like I”m judging that because f*ck it who cares if you don’t care I certainly am not your keeper! But that being said I hate to see it when it happens because I think you should be passionate about your craft. For me it’s always been really important to honor your craft. Get good at that stuff. Practice. Sacrifice your ego and play the long game. Think about what makes your brand and art unique. Try and get better before you try and just get attention. My “habits” range from drawing every day, to not posting every little thing I do on social media, to reaching out to designers and artists I like to just talk shop with. You have to operate like Instagram could be gone in 3 years. And if it is, do you even want to be doing this sh*t? For me I do.  I try not to rush my graphics, or do stuff for likes, and I stay committed to my core identity of the brand. And this is a self taught artist talking so I don’t give a sh*t if people go to art school or not — I didn’t — I just love art, and illustration and branding not just instagram lol. So, I operate like I am doing everything I do for my business, my brand, my livelihood and I’m trying to make those things better. Some of my favorite brands and artists don’t have Instagram big time numbers and that literally does not matter. They are successful, killing it irl. I think people attach too much value to perceived social media success. I know brands with like 4,000 followers who CRUSH it in the apparel world. It literally does not matter. They are actually just REALLY GOOD and at the end of the day IMO being dedicated enough to get really good at something is what brings you success — not instagram!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the co owner of Boss Dog or Boss Dog Art Dept. We are an apparel / streetwear brand. We do direct to consumer sales from our site, wholesale thru small boutique shops like skate and bmx shops, record stores and vintage/ streetwear stores. And we are a licensed Zumiez brand.

We are artist owned and operated which means that we don’t outsource our creativity and design. I am an illustrator and designer and Sam and I are both creatives. Boss Dog is a product of our labor — both mental, creative and physical. We are open about our politics sometimes to the detriment of sales. We have allied ourselves to causes which we raise money for. Most recently we did a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood and in the past we have raised money for Skate for Change, Trans rights groups, Black Lives Matter groups, and dog rescue organizations to name a few.

Getting here is not easy. Staying here is harder. Moving forward is always the hardest. We are in year 4 and maintaining growth is the biggest challenge. But our sales go up 20% each year and our visibility seems to improve as well so I think we are doing ok. The biggest lesson I have to share is to stay patient and committed to your vision. I want to be doing this in 20 years, and I know where I want Boss Dog to be. It won’t happen overnight. Especially because we don’t chase trends. We aren’t going to be doing anime one year then car graphics the next because that’s what sells lol.

What I want people to know about Boss Dog is what I think everyone should know: you have the power to choose where your money goes and to know the people behind the companies who you support. That even goes with small clothing companies. You should know what the companies you give your money to stand for.

You should know if your favorite restaurant is owned by someone who has ever washed a dish or cooked a burger before or it’s just owned by venture capitalists. You should know if the clothing company you like is owned by a creative / artist group or just a marketing guy/team. You should know if say, Urban Outfitters and Shein have a long history of allegedly stealing designs form smaller artists and designers. You should know where your food comes from and how they treat their workers. And so on . . . and so on . . . and so on . . . And you have the power to decide whether or not you want to give those places money depending on if they meet your standards. It’s really all up to you. But don’t just spend your money on whatever. You have power.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Palm Springs. We were living in the high desert in 29 Palms and just recently moved to the low desert in nearby Palm Springs. So, first off we are opening our own brick and mortar store called Boss Dog and Friends in Palm Springs this fall. So, def come see us! It’s at 465 N. Palm Canyon Drive. So please come visit us!!

Sam is vegan and I am 90% vegan or just a “lazy vegan” so it’s all about Chef Tanya’s — most legit vegan food in So. CA. If you visit PS you have to go there for food. It’s amaze.

We like all the tourism in PS. We like to go to the Ace sometimes to eat and hang by the pool, we ride our bikes a lot (when it’s not 120 degrees lol) — it’s beautiful here year round so it’s just a great place to be outside.

Go to Super Number One for shopping — they are our friends and have a rad little shop in downtown Palm Springs. The owners are humble and rad.

In the high dez obviously go check out Joshua Tree Park. Also go to White Label Vinyl. Best record store . . . maybe ever? For it’s size it’s seriously brings the ruckus. They are the best.

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?
My partner Sam is also Boss Dog. It doesn’t feel right to say she gets a “shoutout” because we are equals at everything. But it should be noted that Boss Dog the apparel company is two people. We are married and run this business out of our house. The amount of commitment we have to each other is ridiculous. We have to wear so many different hats around each other. One day we may be at odds with each other as business partners, then have to take our dogs to the vet and run errands and pack orders for the biz then have a date night that evening. It’s a lot. You have to try and learn how to let sh*t go, not hold on to resentments, and also just have a really heavy amount of respect for your partner. Some days I have dark days and some days she does. Some days I want to quit Boss Dog and some days she does. You end up being each others’ cheerleader and therapist and best friend like, twice. Once in marriage and once as business partners. Like I said, it’s a lot! Sam is tougher than me and can also put up with a lot more bullsh*t — I am most definitely the more melodramatic one lol. So, I appreciate her stability. She’s the best. Also I have to give a shout to Jibril Baaith who have believe in Boss Dog since day one and now works for us. As well as to Doug Vesely whom we just brought on too. People that believe in your company and want to contribute to it as amazing. Some days they are the main reason why I keep doing this!

Website: bossdogart.com

Instagram: @bosssdog (is me — 3 S’s) also Sam is @bossdogartdept

Twitter: @Bosssdogartdept

Other: Go to Zumiez.com and in the search bar type Boss Dog to see our goodies at Zumiez

Image Credits
Sam McKennedy and Jibril Baaith are pictured two of the photographs are taken by Brandon Harmon