Full Time RV'ers Build Pet-Friendly Business
Kayla & Eric Kemp Formed Winks and Whiskers, A Mobile Business Run From Their RV That Creates Graphic Tees For "Pet Parents"
Some people gather inspiration from their surroundings, others by a work of art or perhaps music. For Ohio natives Kayla and Eric Kemp of Winks and Whiskers, their muse came in the form of a one-eyed rottie/chow mix named Sadie.
Kayla and Eric adopted Sadie from a shelter in Ohio shortly after they were married. They had their heart set on a younger dog, but once they laid eyes on Sadie they were in love. “She was in this corner spot where they have the dogs that have been there for a long time and I just fell in love,” Kayla reminisces. Sadie’s one eye met Kayla’s eyes and it was a done deal.
“She changed our world because she became our child and we centered everything we do around her,” explains Kayla. They started to do different activities that involved dogs like dog 5K races, pooch parades for Halloween and dress up Sadie. “We just kind of got in the pet parent world and loved it. We have a huge passion for helping dogs,” says Kayla.
What the Kemps didn’t love was the lack of fashion in pet parent gear. “We would attend all these dog events and saw cheesy things on different shirts like clip art,” describes Kayla, “we wondered where were the trendy pet-like, parent kind of shirts that you can wear every day and that aren't cheesy.” The desire for trendy pet parent tees led the Kemps to start their own pet-centric business, Winks and Whiskers. Eric, having a background in graphic design, started to sketch out t-shirt designs—designs that they would wear themselves. “Eric loves graphic design, well graphic tees really, he always goes for the cool, trendy design on a tee,” says Kayla, “he's always wanted to do some sort of t-shirt business.”
Eric and Kayla gather inspiration for other pet parents and their lifestyle with their dog. Before they commit any design to print, they answer the question “would we wear this ourselves?” The best part of their business is that it’s mobile. The Kemps work out of their 28-foot 2007 Class C Four Wind. “We call her Old Long Bottom,” giggles Kayla, “because she's got this long like back part of her that doesn't have wheels on it and looks like it's gonna fall off. The Kemps are inspired by travel and life with their dog, Sadie.
Traveling with Sadie has changed the Kemp’s view on travel. With Sadie as their constant companion, they head for places that are pet friendly. Some of their favorite places so far are Acadia in Maine, Bend in Oregon, Sedona, Arizona and Lake Tahoe, California. All these places meet their criteria: pet friendly, good hiking and excellent breweries.
In addition to traveling and running their business from an RV, the Kemps use their t-shirt business to help shelter pets find forever homes. They attend pet parent events when they can. “It's a great opportunity for us to not only give back to the attending cause, but we get to meet like-minded people who all care about the same thing—giving pets the best home possible,” says Kayla. Due to their love of helping pets they have pledged a portion of their proceeds to shelters and dog rescues.
The Kemps plan to run their mobile business for a while. They love travel life. “Just the freedom to be able to go to a different place every day or pack up and go and see whatever you haven't seen before,” says Kayla, “it's really cool to be able to just kind of have a blank canvas and go explore.” Sadie is enjoying her life on the road as well. She has her own little space set up in the RV. “When we travel we have this designated pillow for Sadie. Whoever in the passenger seat will put the pillow on their lap and then she'll jump up and then she's the lap dog for basically for the whole ride,” says Kayla.
As the Kemps explore the country, they do have plans to expand their business. They are looking to do wholesale in more stores and travel to different events and meeting all new pet parents. All their travel experiences and the people and dogs they meet inspire a new pet-proud apparel. They are always game to try our new trails and back roads to secluded spots, and of course, a local pub that will allow Sadie to hang out on the patio.
Debbie Wolfe
A graduate of Northland College with degrees in Creative Writing and Earth Sciences, Debbie has written for HGTV, DIYNetwork, Sheknows and more. She enjoys gardening, reading and fostering dogs.
Make Sure To Check Out:
Winks & Whiskers, selling on-trend pet parent apparel that gives back. 10% of profits go to animal charities. They are a "pet family" owned company, and are all about lifestyle driven tees and tanks.