Meet Melanie Rigden | Digital Marketer, Creator of Hello Ruby Doodle

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

Hi Melanie, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Hello Ruby Doodle first started out as a way for me to share all the photos I take of Ruby with friends, family, and other dog lovers.

After a couple of years, I became more serious about photography and was further into my marketing career. I decided to be more strategic with Hello Ruby Doodle and create more of a purpose with the content I was sharing. I consider Ruby my child and she does just about everything with me because I truly enjoy sharing all of life with her. This led me to want to inspire others to do more with their dog(s) and became the new purpose behind Hello Ruby Doodle.

Whether it’s sharing our dog friendly lifestyle, travel tips, or just daily moments, I hope to spark an interest in others to try something new with their furry companion and continue to strengthen their bond, while also brightening the days of all who follow our adventures.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve worked in the digital marketing space for nearly eight years now. Full-time I’m a digital marketer for B2B tech and manage Hello Ruby Doodle on the side as a passion project. In the past two years, Hello Ruby Doodle has definitely become more of a part-time job that I work on in the evenings and weekends.

It’s becoming harder and harder to maintain the level of engagement I’d like with Hello Ruby Doodle as my career continues to grow and becomes busier and more exhausting. I’ve learned in this time to give myself a break and focus more on what’s achievable and doing that really well, prioritizing my ideas and setting realistic deadlines and expectations to not pile on any existing stress.

At the end of the day, I will always prioritize Ruby first and ensure that everything we are doing continues to stay fun instead of feeling like work. Hello Ruby Doodle isn’t something I have to do. It’s something I want to do, and I want it to continue to be my creative outlet because as soon as I lose my inspiration I’ll no longer be serving my brand purpose in inspiring others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Funny you should ask this question because we actually have a blog post on how to spend a dog friendly weekend in San Francisco: https://www.hellorubydoodle.com/blog/how-to-plan-a-dog-friendly-weekend-in-san-francisco. For us, visiting San Francisco with your dog is all about the amazing outdoor space and trails you can pick up in the city, the unique landmarks, and yummy eats on a patio. And, no visit is complete without a trip to the beach!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to say thank you to Ruby. Thank you for being the inspiration of Hello Ruby Doodle, for letting me dress you up in crazy costumes, for always being up for an adventure with me, and for being my little shadow.

I’d also like to thank my partner Mike. Thank you for supporting this little side project of mine and always being willing to help out with whatever I may need, whether it’s taking photos, wearing a crazy costume, or only doing things that are dog friendly. I couldn’t have grown Hello Ruby Doodle to what it is today without your understanding and support.

Website: https://www.hellorubydoodle.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellorubydoodle/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-rigden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellorubydoodle

Image Credits
Hello Ruby Doodle and Veils & Tails Photography.