Meet Sammara Perez | Graphic Designer & Pet Business Owner

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

Hi Sammara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

Chidow Pets began with me barely touching a sewing machine for the first time and attempting to make cozy pajamas for my 3-year-old dog, Shadow because she’s very sensitive to cold.

After buying many dog pajamas from different brands I always had to alter them so I decided I wanted to make some with a better fit. After a couple of cute and not-so-cute PJs later, I moved to an easier project which was to make bandanas for her and my other dog, Chibi. And as any pet parent, I would buy bandanas from Petco and other small businesses but I was never satisfied with the quality, fit, or style patterns so I figured I could make them. Long story short, sewing these bandanas piqued my interest in owning my business. I’ve always wanted to own a business and make big decisions that reflected my world view but nothing seemed more tangible and exciting than a dog business. And although there are plenty of pet bandana stores out there, this fact didn’t kill the dream. And Chidow Pets was born, combining both of my pet’s names (Chibi + Shadow = Chidow.) to represent my two biggest inspirations and their bigger personalities. As of now, I’m having fun sewing, curating prints, planning themed collections, and making unique bandanas. However, I do plan to expand to more products other than bandanas and bows so stay tuned for more exciting products.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Besides Chidow Pets, I do have a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from San Diego State University. Go Aztecs! And I think this sets me apart from others because I bring my creative expertise to this other passion of mine which are my pets. It also helps reduce the amount of money for marketing my business since I do everything. I like to spend a good amount of effort on product photography and social media posts due to the nature of my online business and I would suggest anyone invest a little effort into this! You don’t have to get a nice camera either. I take all my images with my phone since they will mostly be viewed this way. I think the most challenging part is the accounting, marketing strategies, and ordering enough materials that won’t affect my production time frame. I would love to share more advice on owning a business but I’m still navigating the journey and learning as I go. I would simply say do your research and take some risks!

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?
I would take my best friend to my local go-to places in Imperial Beach: Mike Hess Brewing and Luigi’s Pizza! Get a Trident cold brew coffee, then have breakfast at no other than Breakfast republic, and explore the neighborhood. We must go for a hike at Torrey Pines and enjoy the view. Go for a sea cave kayak tour. Head over to Balboa Park and enjoy all the museums and botanical gardens! Most likely I would search for pet-friendly places to include my dogs in our activities.

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?
Big shout out to Puppy Picnic Co for bringing such an original experience for pet owners and their pets to enjoy together. Also for collaborating with many local businesses and creatives, and sharing their retail store with many small businesses like myself. Thank you, Ciara and Kenzie for the beautiful community you have grown!

Website: https://www.chidowpets.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammarasly/

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

Other: https://linktr.ee/chidowpets