Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lee.
Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started when I met my husband Isak at our local rock-climbing gym back in 2014. We’re both avid climbers and naturally a total gear-head. Our love for the outdoors really pushed us to adopt our first dog together. Ekko came into our lives in the Winter of 2016. We then adopted our second dog Meka, because when is it ever enough right? Well, we were wrong. Meka was different than Ekko was. While Ekko was a wild child, Meka was super skittish and afraid of everything. Though we were doing the best we can to expose her to as many different environments, her genetics were too strong. Now, this is where Litto Howler’s story really starts. We went through various types of leashes that were out there trying to make it convenient to walk both our wild and crazy dog Ekko and skittish dog Meka in Downtown Los Angeles where there are many cars and people to maneuver through. We tried retractable leashes, bungee leashes, and other rope leashes; yet nothing felt like it was secure and durable enough for both the city walks and the outdoors adventures that were a huge part of our life. It wasn’t until Meka had gotten spooked from a skateboarder rushing by that our leash failed and unclipped, resulting in Meka running out onto a big 6-way street. We needed to keep our dogs safe, and we were over the countless other leashes that we’ve tried and failed us. So what did we do? We whipped out our climbing gear and decided to make our own leash since we had all the materials we needed – a strong and durable rock-climbing rope and a carabiner. We simply tied the two ends of the rope to make a handle and the part where the carabiner would hook on. Now, the rest is history.
From then on, our community of dog friends were constantly asking us to make them leashes from our climbing gear. We started looking into even better gear to provide our friends the safest dog leash on the planet. For an entire year, we perfected the design, sourcing, and durability of our leashes by testing them along with our adventure-driven friends. This was a side hobby for us until we realized we can help a bigger range of people with the same problems we were having with the leashes that were on the market. We ended up creating products that aren’t even available in the world and offered our customers a peace of mind while walking their dogs. You see, our leashes are made of the strongest material you can have for a leash. These ropes save people’s lives on the rocks every single day. Combined with the amazing climbing ropes, we offer an auto-locking carabiner that’s lightweight and safe. There is no way your dog will ever shake off their leash and it randomly comes off. Our leashes are all handcrafted with much love and care here in our Los Angeles studio. We’re now almost four years into running our small business and our #LittoFam is growing day by day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This journey of running a small business has been everything but a smooth road. We’ve been through much trials and tribulations with sourcing, wearing various hats we’ve never worn before, and just continuously learning day by day. One of the biggest challenges that we had was deciding when it was time for us to quit our 9-6 and dive into Litto Howler full-time. It was a tough decision, but definitely the right one. It’s helped us keep our heads in the game and grow our business more than ever before.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We’re a micro-small business of handmade dog leashes and adventure gear for both you and your pups. All of our leashes are handcrafted here in our Los Angeles studio. They’re carefully made with rock-climbing gear and rope, making it the safest dog leash on the planet. All of our leashes feature an auto-locking carabiner made of aviation aluminum, which results in a super lightweight carabiner compared to others out there. The roots of our business is our community of #LittoFam. I would love to say that we’re self-made entrepreneurs, but in reality we’re community made, family made, and made up of the endless amount of support our community has for one another including us. We’re made up of everything and everyone that made us exist outside of ourselves. We are #LittoFam made.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memories were spent on my grandfather’s lap as he told me life lessons that I cherish until today. These were rooted in me and my brother’s veins as we stand by these morals in our daily lives. He’s told us that honesty is the most important thing above all, he’s told us to work hard for our goals no matter what, even if it means taking the longer route, he’s told us that family is everything and to cherish them and be there for them no matter what. These words are everything to my brothers and I, and I would do anything to go back in time to sit on my grandfather’s lap to hear them over again.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.littohowler.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/littohowler
- Facebook: facebook.com/shoplittohowler
Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/daxthedapperdog/
https://www.instagram.com/bluberryandtheweimador/ https://www.instagram.com/ohrocketdog/ https://www.instagram.com/sadieandthepointer/ https://www.instagram.com/finn.thejindo/
