Venture

T’Other Tethers — an online affiliate pet supply store built to generate income and expand design/technical skills during a period of unemployment.

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Role

Founder, Designer, Brand Strategist, and Digital Store Manager — responsible for concept, branding, e-commerce build, content, and ongoing operations.

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Challenge

During a period of unemployment, I needed a way to both generate income and deepen my skills in digital commerce, branding, and customer experience. The challenge was to research sustainable online business models, select a focused niche, and build a complete customer-facing brand and store ecosystem from the ground up.

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Approach

Research & Business Model Setup
Explored affiliate marketing models and selected pet supplies as the core focus, driven by personal connection and market demand. Partnered with a New Jersey distributor providing a monthly inventory feed and set up backend systems for sales tracking, reporting, and income management.

Brand Identity & Voice
Created the T’Other Tethers brand with a playful, Southern-inspired voice and the tagline “Together Forever.” Designed the logo, visual identity, and mascot illustrations based on my two rescue dogs, Odie and Zoey, giving the brand an immediate emotional anchor.

Story-Driven Content
Produced animations and YouTube videos telling Odie and Zoey’s rescue story, using narrative to build trust and emotional resonance with pet owners and animal lovers.

Website Build & SEO
Developed a full e-commerce site with responsive mobile design, customer accounts, legal terms, and feedback mechanisms. Structured and optimized each page for SEO to improve discoverability and support organic growth.

Marketing & Social Channels
Designed and wrote content for Facebook and Instagram, creating a cohesive storytelling thread across platforms that linked back to the storefront and reinforced the brand’s personality.

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Outcome

Expanded my design toolkit with illustration, animation, and narrative-driven brand storytelling.

Gained hands-on entrepreneurial experience balancing branding, business operations, and technical execution.

Successfully launched a fully operational e-commerce site that generated sales and engaged a niche pet-loving audience.

Built practical skills in SEO, digital commerce platforms, social media branding, and customer engagement strategy.

Logo and Tagline

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Animation

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E-Commerce Website

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Mobile Design

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YouTube Video