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Give a warm welcome to Laurren Darr, the wearer of many hats. In addition to being the owner of Left Paw Press and author of 70+ books ranging from children’s literature about pugs and auto racing to medical books detailing hypermobility, she’s also the mom of up-and-coming ARCA Menards Series racer Zachary Tinkle, who is on Wayne Peterson Motorsports’ team. Laurren also received training in pet product marketing and design from the Fashion Institute of Technology out of New York City.
Darr dishes on what it’s like working in pet fashion, how she’s supporting her son as he starts his racing career, and the self-care habit that keeps her calm. Take it away, Laurren!
My Maven Superpower is … being able to juggle a lot of different things at the same time.
Pet fashion to me is … creating a closer human connection and bond with your pet.
Favorite dog breed is … pugs. Easily.
Self-care habit I swear by is … hot baths. I soak in the tub and let anything from the day wash away that just needs to be let go so I can move on to the next day.
Charity I love to give back to is … Kentuckiana Pug Rescue. That’s where we’ve gotten our last two rescue pugs.
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Best career advice I’ve ever received is … from a really good boss I had one time: “I know that we always have problems as an organization. No matter what, you’ll have issues that come up, and I want you to develop into the type of person that doesn’t come to me with problems. Come to me with solutions.”
The No. 1 rule of pet fashion is … if your pet is not into pet fashion, don’t force a pet to do that.
Favorite purchase lately is … a custom dress that has a cat embroidered on it.
Restaurant I can’t get enough of is … Charlie Brown’s Pancake & Steak House in downtown Speedway. My son and I really like to go there to think through ideas or issues. We’ve literally come away with writing out ideas like a design for his race suit.
Last TV show I binged was … Law and Order.
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Samantha Kupiainen is a regular contributor to Indy Maven.
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