Today we’d like to introduce you to Sahar Tofighi.
Hi Sahar, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story with Havanese dogs and Instagram started nearly 15 years ago, when I met my first Havanese, Honey, through my now-husband, Sam. Honey won me over instantly with her social, playful, and loving nature, and before I knew it, I was hooked on this breed’s charm.
This passion for Havanese dogs inspired me to start an Instagram account called HavaneseOfTheWorld. I wanted to build a community around this fantastic breed, where owners could share their own wonderful experiences and where the uninitiated could see what made Havanese dogs so special. The account was a success; people began using the hashtag #HavaneseOfTheWorld, and we now have over 44,000 followers and the hashtag itself boasts more than 638,000 posts.
However, my journey didn’t end there. As a dog owner, I noticed a lack of high-quality bandanas and bowties for dogs like Honey. This realization led me to start LuxxPooch, an Etsy store offering luxury dog bandanas and accessories, in 2020. I marketed LuxxPooch via HavaneseOfTheWorld, utilizing my previous experience with Instagram to effectively engage with my potential customers.
My journey with both HavaneseOfTheWorld and LuxxPooch has been filled with joy, passion, and a profound love for the community we’ve built. I’m thrilled to be able to share my love for Havanese dogs and to provide dog owners with the quality products they’ve been searching for. It’s been an incredible ride and I can’t wait to see where this road takes me next.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting and running LuxxPooch and HavaneseOfTheWorld has certainly not been a smooth road, but the challenges I’ve faced have only made the journey more fulfilling.
When I first started LuxxPooch, sales were slow. It was a crowded market, and standing out was tough. However, I knew that my commitment to quality and my love for the community I was serving would eventually shine through. Each bandana and accessory I make is individually handcrafted with love from quality materials and creatively designed. My commitment to exceptional service, including my responsiveness to customers and beautifully packaged products, eventually got noticed by my initial customers, many of whom have since become regulars. Today, hundreds of five-star reviews later, my small business is steadily growing, attracting new customers, and receiving more and more visibility from the pictures that my customers share of their dogs wearing my products.
One significant challenge that looms ahead is the need to scale my business as the demand for my products grows. Managing my time to continue handcrafting each item is becoming increasingly difficult, but I look forward to the process of learning how to scale while maintaining the quality that defines LuxxPooch.
As for HavaneseOfTheWorld, the main hurdle I’ve faced is dealing with copycat accounts. It’s not unexpected when running a successful niche account, but it can be frustrating. Thankfully, my community recognizes that HavaneseOfTheWorld is the original and continues to engage enthusiastically with my content.
Every challenge I’ve encountered has been an opportunity to learn and grow. The journey, though not always easy, has been truly rewarding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In my career, spanning over two and a half decades in the luxury beauty industry, I’ve had the opportunity to work with high-end cosmetic and fragrance lines at renowned retail locations, including Neiman Marcus, Barneys, and Saks Fifth in Beverly Hills. This journey has helped me develop an appreciation for quality and a keen understanding of customer service.
When I ventured into creating LuxxPooch, I aspired to bring the same level of commitment to quality to my products. Each piece at LuxxPooch is handcrafted, where the focus lies on the finer details. This hands-on approach ensures that every bandana or accessory meets the quality standards I set for myself. The positive feedback I’ve received from my customers, many of whom are repeat buyers, has been very encouraging.
What differentiates me from others in this space is perhaps my commitment to maintaining this high standard of quality. Whether I’m working on a new piece for LuxxPooch, answering a customer query, or managing the HavaneseOfTheWorld Instagram community, the goal is always to do the best work I can.
HavaneseOfTheWorld has been a passion project where I could combine my love for Havanese dogs and build a community around it. With a growing follower count and an active hashtag, this space has evolved into a lively hub for other Havanese enthusiasts to connect and share.
Of everything I do, I take great pride in the consistent quality of my work, my creative approach, and the relationships I’ve been able to cultivate with my customers and community members. Seeing customers happy with my products and engaging in our shared love for Havanese dogs is indeed rewarding.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Starting LuxxPooch during COVID-19 really opened my eyes to a couple of things. First, people absolutely adore their pets – it’s like the love went to a whole new level during the lockdown. It was great to see that even in tough times, folks didn’t shy away from treating their four-legged pals with some high-quality goodies.
Second, I learned that kindness and staying connected are more important than ever. We were all physically apart, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t be there for each other. Running LuxxPooch and the HavaneseOfTheWorld community, I found that a kind word or a friendly check-in could really brighten someone’s day.
So yes, the whole COVID-19 crisis was tough, but it was also a learning curve. It’s made me appreciate the small things more and taught me a lot about running a business and a community during a crisis.
Pricing:
- I sell gorgeous couture dog bandanas starting at $40 each.
- I do custom orders starting at $60.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuxxPooch
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/luxxpooch and https://instagram.com/havaneseoftheworld
