We were lucky to catch up with Bobbi Jo Domitrovich recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Bobbi Jo with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Where did you get your work ethic from?
My strong work ethic came from my parents and was instilled in me at a young age. My parents married young with only a $75.00 wedding gift from my grandfather and an iron from my grandmother to their name. They came from nothing, married with nothing, and built a life raising two children with no help but their own. When I look back on my childhood, I wanted for nothing. In my opinion, we had everything. We lived in a beautiful, old farmhouse that my parents bought and renovated themselves.
When I was thirteen, my father asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said…a horse! My father fenced in 3 acres, built a barn with his own two hands, and my parents bought me a 13-hands high golden gelding with a white blaze named Sparky. A month later, they bought my sister an Arabian Mare named Rocksham but we called her Shamrock. Both horses were wild, unkept, and depressed.
One would think we were two very spoiled children but not so much. Yes, we got two very expensive Christmas presents but my parents said…you want a horse? Then you will work to learn how to care for it, feed it, train it, and love it. It was then that I realized what hard work really meant. It was then that I realized how hard my parents both worked to give us a good life. My parents showed and instilled in us compassion for animals. We learned how to rehabilitate an abused animal. We were responsible for maintaining the health of another being. Doing that meant working weekends on a 500-acre neighboring farm bailing hay, cleaning barns, shoveling manure, and fixing fences. The four of us would work together from sun up to sun down and the farmer would give us hay as payment so we could feed Sparky and Shamrock. My mother worked evenings so that they could pay for riding lessons and, of course, a vet to come to the house when needed. My father worked weekdays to give us a good life.
It was at that age that I realized I had found a purpose. Little did I know that I would need more confidence in life to succeed but I knew one thing…I loved animals and my life would be dedicated to giving them good homes.
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?
The next part of the interview is where we’d love to learn more about you, your story and what you are focused on professionally – whether it’s a business, nonprofit, artistic career etc.
Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it, as well as anything else you’d like folks to know about your brand/art/etc. If relevant, please also tell our readers about anything new (events, product/service launches, expansion, etc)
I spent over 20 years in the corporate world and honestly, it was suffocating. I worked, collected my paycheck, bought myself some pretty things, and lived an average, normal life. But I always knew I was meant to do something else. I just wasn’t sure what it was and it drove me crazy. Nothing clicked until we brought Jake and Maggie home. My husband and I had just lost our three rescue dogs at 13, 14, and 15 years old and I was heartbroken. I had finally got up the nerve to quit my job to focus on simply being a housewife and to take the time to figure out what the next step was for me. I was liking this new life very much and wanted to do more of it. We got a call about two Labrador puppies that needed a home. We took one look at the photo and could see they were living in unfavorable conditions. We decided immediately we were going to take them and committed on the spot.
Adoption Day came and I was so excited when I woke up but I also knew in my gut we were getting two sick puppies. We brought Jake and Maggie home full of fleas and sick with something the vet was unsure about. I knew then I would start a blog talking about animal health and well-being. I wanted others to know what it takes to adopt and financially support a pet (especially a sick one) and the level of love, commitment, and compassion it takes to do so.
Without any knowledge of blogging, I created a website and started a blog called Two Adorable Labs. When I look back, I cringe over the quality of posts I put out but that was 2017 and since then I’ve worked to become a better, more knowledgeable blogger. It has grown into something that I’m proud of and allows me to let my creativity flow. Two Adorable Labs was created over my love for my two Labradors (who are now 6 years old) but is also an outlet for all that I love; food, interior design, animals, and DIY projects.
My goals were put to paper and I never looked back. I took free courses on blogging, photography, and creative writing. I developed and nurtured friendships with people in the pet industry and blogging world. I spent time volunteering for charities and animal shelters. I eventually hired a design and technical team to re-vamp my website and branding and added an on-line store. I have a love for cooking and baking and combined that love by writing three cookbooks to help raise money for a charity called Joey’s P.A.W. Joey’s P.A.W. is a non-profit that raises money for animals in need of wheelchairs and prosthetics. The books called “Sit, Stay, Eat” include recipes for humans and our furry friends. I started a hand poured, soy based, candle line called Two Adorable Labs Candles. My goal in 2024 will be to upgrade my wholescale candle business by adding more clients. My goal is to donate to a different shelter each month and give a portion of my proceeds from my candle sales to helping the animals. My online store will be re-vamped with new products, as well as, starting a new YouTube channel and online Amazon storefront.
I am in the process of putting out a beginner’s guide on blogging and combining all of my knowledge and experience to help others who think they might be interested in this line of work. It will include tips on photography and social media and will be free to everyone.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would have to answer this by first saying you have to have a passion for whatever it is you are committing to. Otherwise, your level of commitment will fizzle out. Passion is the key to success. Also…hard work! Find something you are excited about! Take a good look at yourself. Do you have the fire inside of you for the good and bad days ahead? Are you financially prepared for the good and the bad days?
When I started blogging, I was somewhat technical but knew I needed help in that area. I started off by using a free website builder using one of their templates. When I wanted a more professional, cohesive look, I hired a company that could technically and creatively design a website and branding I was proud of. You won’t believe how important your brand’s font, logo, and color scheme is to your business. My advice is to hire a reputable company to do this for you.
Use social media to your advantage. This was a slow process for me and it takes commitment. If you don’t have the time, hire someone who can help you with this. Check into platforms that can upload to several medias at one time using just one post. Set a budget each month for advertising.
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?
Are you looking for folks to partner or collaborate with? If so, describe the sorts of folks you are looking to collaborate with and how they can connect with you if they are reading this and want to collaborate.
I’m looking for charities, shelters, or businesses who would like to develop a signature candle and scent to represent them and who they are via wholesale through Two Adorable Labs. For example, I’ve recently worked with Ava’s Pet Palace to develop three scents, a signature tin, and label to represent her brand and to give out to her loyal customers. In 2024, I’ll be working with a beer distributor who is opening up their new tap room and wants a candle for their new launch. I would love to know if there are charities and animal shelters out there who would like to talk with me about possibly purchasing candles for their events and new adopters all at a discounted price. I’m also interested in selling to boutique stores.
I can be reached via my website at www.twoadorablelabs.com, my e-mail address at [email protected], my Instagram @twoadorablelabs, or my Pinterest page at www.pinterest.com/twoadorablelabs
Contact Info:
- Website: www.twoadorablelabs.com
- Instagram: @twoadorablelabs
- Other: Pinterest – www.twoadorablelabs.com/twoadorablelabs
Image Credits
Selene Mazur-Kramaer Photography
