My Interview with Unique!

Since I have become the CEO of Merlin's Bark Products I've had to pleasure of meeting a lot of other corporate types. Through my work with Etsy for Animals and AWBAR, I've gotten to know other CEO animals and the people who love them. I thought it would be a great idea if I started showcasing some of these other entrepreneurial CEOs and help spread the word about their products and what they do.

For my second interview, I decided to go with an animal lover who has three Etsy stores: Unique Treat Dog Bones, Unique Garden, and Unique Xpression. Unique's Etsy shops offer a large variety of items from everything from doggie treats, jewelery, decorations, body and bath products and more! Unique is also a fellow member of EFA. Here's her interview:


So Unique, tell me a little bit about yourself and and your three Etsy stores and what exactly it is about them that makes them so darn unique?

I am a RN and Mother of five boys. Two are two-legged and three are four-legged. I have been crafting and gardening all of my life, and selling some of those crafts for about 35 years. I truly enjoy experimenting with natures ingredients, brewing recipes that benefits us while preserving the earth, as well as finding new ways to use found things.

I have been making my own bath and body products, with help from my garden for about 11 years now, under the label Unique Garden Essences. All of my ingredients, even the rarely used fragrance oils, are entirely natural, botanical or vegetable, and from renewable sources. I don't use chemicals, artificial preservatives, petroleum or oil refinery products. I grow all the herbs & flowers used in my recipes, unless I snag them from my friends' gardens. I really enjoy taking my finished products and creating an unique gift presentation with them. I often hand-paint my own gift-boxes, as well as design baskets and other unique containers. I am proud that my products are as good for you as they are for the environment, and that they are as useful as they are beautiful!

Recently I started a blog to share information about aromatherapy, essential oils, and herbal treatments. I have listed many recipes for skin care that you can whip up in your own kitchen! Check it out at http://uniquegardenessences.blogspot.com/. Hopefully it will provide a foundation with which you can build a love affair of your own with natural, holistic, health and skin care.

In my Unique Xpression shop, I offer one of a kind sterling silver, gemstone and Zwarovski crystal pieces, as well as costume jewelry, ornaments, wreaths, scrap book pages, bird houses, and various other crafts. Very few artists can offer such an eclectic assortment of crafts and jewelry, but this is just the me that I have always been! I did not set out to open an on-line shop, rather, I found a place that I could offer what I have designing and crafting for so many years now.

Last year I began making all natural dog treats for my three dogs, my Mother's three dogs, and my Grams dog. They were such a hit that I made some extra to take to a show and yet another "thing that I do" was added to my list. Of course it was not that easily done. I have spent many hours reading, researching and speaking with my veterinarian about dog health and nutrition requirements. I have always loved my dogs, but I definitely learned things that I never knew. So this enterprise has been good for all of us and most of all, it is fun to do! At Unique Treat Dog Bones, I never use any sugar or artificial preservatives. All my ingredients are human grade, fresh when available, and organic. But MOST importantly, to my boys anyway, all my recipes are taste tested and certified paw-licking good by Dallas, Lucky & Gizmo.


As you know, I am a HUGE fan of your dog treats. They are addictive and remind me of that old advertisement campaign about potato chips and not being able to eat just one. How do you come up with all your recipes?

Experimentation. When I first began making them for our dogs I used some recipes I found in books for organic/natural and people food cooking for dogs. But then I began using my imagination and adapting the recipes to other tid bits of information that I had, or ingredients that were in season, or just something that inspired me. It is fun to experiment and the dogs are ALWAYS up to taste testing! With seven dogs at my beck-and-call, I know I have a hit when I can please them all at once!


I hear that you have a couple of puppy assistants that help you out in your test kitchen. Even though I am the CEO of my very own company I wish I could get a job as one of your pup assistants. Your pups must have the best job in the world. Tell me a little bit about your little helpers and how they came into their jobs.

Let's just say that they landed in the right spot at the right time. Dallas is the head honcho of our little group. He is about ten-years old, and is a chow, shepherd, lab mix, that was once loved very much, but then lost his owner. After he was placed in a group home (of sorts) for a while, he was found by someone who could not keep him either, so he made his way to my family and quickly became a part of us. His spotted tongue is very unique, and is always eager to test any homemade creation.

Then we have Lucky who is about 8-years old. Lucky is a Corgi that was hit by a car while running the neighborhood. My Mother took care of him and hunted for his owner to no avail. Then she brought him to Thanksgiving dinner at my home, where he met my Son, Jared, and that as they say was that. I have temporary custody of Lucky while Jared is in college now, but Lucky is Jared's guy, and never leaves his side when Jared is home.

Which leaves Gizmo, my 3.3lb., 5 yr old Yorkie, who THINKS he is the head honcho. Gizmo is the sire of one of my Mom's pups and is the offspring of another of her's. He rules the roost (when Dallas allows him too) and is the pickiest of my eaters. If Gizmo eats it, I know it is good!

While these three are my full time and official taste testers, many times we will also have my Mothers' and Grandmothers' dogs, Misty, Fiesty, Twinkles and JoJo try out new recipes too. (The first 3 are Yorkies and JoJo is a Shitzpoo) I would only have Twinkles and JoJo try them, as they are VERY finicky eaters, but Dallas says that that is not nice or fair, so he insists that they all get to try everything that any one of them gets!


You are a member of Team Esty for Animals with me. Which is an awesome group that raises more for different animal charities. Are you a member of any other Esty teams or organizations? How had joining an Etsy Team helped you grow as a business owner?

Yes, besides EFA, I also belong to the BBEST, Organic and Great Circle street teams. Since I am fairly new to Etsy and the teams, I am not really sure that I can answer how I have grown as business owner, but I have most certainly met some wonderful people by joining these groups. Etsy is a huge market place, and these groups make the Etsy experience more personal while allowing for some moral support and social networking with people that you something in common with. Then of course with EFA, there is the added benefit of knowing that you are helping to make a difference.


Thanks for being my second interview Unique. I really enjoyed talking to you. Is there anything else you would like to add?

As a matter of fact, yes there is. I would like to tell everyone that the month of September is the one year anniversary of the EFA street team, and as such, many, many shops will be offering a 20% off sales coupons in honor of the celebration. So visit the EFA Web site to read all about it and to download your coupon, then have fun shopping!