Meet Leena Chitnis

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leena Chitnis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Leena, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Honestly, life hasn’t been that easy for me. I was blessed with a wonderful family and we never lacked anything, but being a minority several ways over (female, gay, religious minority, daughter of immigrants/2nd generation, etc.) made me “lean in” in every space before that even became a thing. I had to. When you’re coming from a place of being so different, people tend not to hear you. You have to work twice as hard to get half as much. A lifetime of this will hone you into a razor-sharp observer, resource finder, and business person.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I got my first dog so late in life, after a lifetime of yearning for one. She’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, and I immediately became passionate about all things dog, because I wanted to be the very best dog mom I could be to her. Because she was a pound puppy, all she had known was being cooped up. So, I wanted to take her everywhere with me, from business trips to road trips.

I eventually found that she – and dogs in general – just didn’t have good travel gear. I got tired of schlepping around her giant, unwieldy dog bed and other items piecemeal. I looked for a dog bed that also doubled as a carrier for her items. I couldn’t find anything remotely comparable, so I built it myself, and named my company Timberdog (www.timberdog.com), after my wolflike puppy, Kashi.

Five years later, the RuffRest Ultimate Dog Bed became a reality, after hundreds of iterations. It was an individually hand-stitched complete sleep system, with a built-in blanket that doubled as a 3-season sleeping bag. Best of all, you could open it up like a clamshell and organize your dog’s things into a detachable, at-a-glance organizer.

I’m not just passionate about making unique and practical dog products for enthusiastic pet parents, but I’m also extremely passionate about being the best in the business. That means having a sustainable and ethical company that produces the highest quality items for the most discerning of dog moms and dads.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Persevere – strap in, because the entrepreneurial journey is LONG, no matter what you’re creating. If you’re not ready to put in 5-7 years to just get to the starting line (that’s when companies break even IF they succeed), you’re not ready to launch your company.

2. Pace – slow down, because your business may be a success, but if you lose your health in the process, you’ve lost it all. Working slow and methodical is the fastest way to get anywhere in life.

3. Pivot – don’t be attached to your idea to your detriment. If enough people give you the same advice about how your product could be different, it may be time to listen to them. They’re your potential customers, after all.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’d love to partner with anyone who can guide me on creating my product sustainably (both from business financial and environmental impact standpoints) in the US

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.timberdog.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timberdogbeds/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timberdogpetbeds
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/timberdog%C2%AE/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@timberdogbeds

Image Credits

Marc Prefontaine