About Us

 

About Fuzzbutt Boutique 

Hello and Welcome! I'm Kylie Shank founder, designer, and occasionally frazzled brain behind Fuzzbutt Boutique, turning pet accessories into personality statements one stitch at a time.

It all began with my dog Chloe (the original Fuzzbutt herself) and one handmade bandana that caught someone's eye. My friend wanted to buy one, my brain sparked with that dangerous thought: "Hey, I could sell these." Spoiler alert: my fabric stash was calling, and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in thrifted fabric cat toys, dollar store materials made muddy puppy mittens, and repurposed planters sprouting cat grass. Just like that, a business materialized from my sewing skills and whatever treasures I could get my hands on.

We're part princess for your fur family, part sugar-high gremlin powered by sour gummy worms and a sewing machine, and 100% fueled by fandom obsessions, spite, and the kind of impulsive decisions that somehow turn into businesses.

Think Studio Ghibli meets pastel goth in a craft room at 3am, and somehow it makes business sense. Every bandana, pet toy, and snarky human tee we make is handcrafted with the kind of chaotic good energy that only comes from being deeply, feral-ly in love with what you do.

How This Beautiful Disaster Started

The Origin Story (AKA: How I Accidentally Made a Business)

• 2017: Made Chloe a bandana. Someone said it was cute and wanted one. Light bulb moment: "Wait, people will actually buy my stuff I make?" The entrepreneurial gears started turning.
• February 2018: Launched on Etsy after my partner finally said, "It will never be perfect, you just need to start" and I realized sitting on ideas makes me itchy (seriously, if I get an idea in my head, I just fucking do it). Sometimes you need someone to lovingly tell you to stop overthinking and just do the thing.
• 2019: My first paid worker was my friend, helping with products and events. That same year, we took our first big leap into TC Pride and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival - both absolutely magical. I launched our Shopify site and unveiled our Mommy & Me scarf collection.
• 2020: Pandemic hit. Faster than you can say "Oh shit, a recession," we pivoted to masks. Got asked to make them for my full-time job, posted plant designs on plant Facebook pages, and suddenly we were making 2,000 masks in two and a half months. I'd finish my day job, then work on masks until 2-3am, get up and do it all again.
• 2021: The expansion year! Introduced vinyl bandanas, screen printed apparel, car decals, and brought Jen's Treats on board for pet treats. Acquired my first Cricut, unlocking my felt toy creations. Stepped up to premier events like the Minneapolis Holiday Boutique 2021 - a $1,500 investment that delivered more wisdom than profit when we barely broke even. Had a few (okay, several) breakdowns along the way but kept pushing forward anyway.
• 2022: Leveled up with our first significant wholesale partnership - Cat aMEWsement and added adorable plush cats and dogs to the product offerings. My first truly massive business purchase: a Promaster van. It was a huge step up from a heat press and felt like a real turning point.  
• 2023: Anime conventions became my everything. Had my biggest event to date at Anime Detour (an anime con in MN and realized this aligned perfectly with my personal interests making Calcifer cat toys and llama "Kuzco's poison" bottles, galaxy bandanas, all the fandom stuff I was already drawn to but hadn't intentionally planned as business strategy.
• 2023-2025: The transition to full-time happened. Got myself a whole commercial space, which still feels surreal sometimes. Like, holy shit, I made this. I have 2,600 square feet in my name to run my business out of. After months of having 10+ people in and out of my house in a week and a half, it was definitely time to move.

The Community That Built This Chaos

I didn't do this all alone. Family, friends, and fellow makers have been the backbone of every milestone. The first year was pretty much beg, borrow, and steal people's time - whoever was willing to volunteer (thank you all again 🥰).

From one-person hustle to a squad of creatives, it's now a whole ecosystem of support, weird ideas, and mutual hype. This boutique thrives because of every person who saw potential in my half-formed concepts even when the final destination was a mystery to us all. It was just me with a sewing machine and a patchwork dream because let's be real, there wasn't exactly a business plan (that still hasn't been written, if we're being honest).

The relationships we've built span from local markets to national conventions, and honestly? That's the real magic. It's seeing the joy on a customer's face when they feel seen. Whether that's finding the perfect fandom thing for their pet, or discovering we carry something for everyone. When someone spots a Calcifer in my booth across a busy convention hall, yells out "CALCIFER!" and runs over to buy the toy... squeeee that's what drives me.

Watching someone light up when they find that perfect thing for their fuzzbutt, that's the good stuff right there.

What’s Next (Because the Chaos Isn't Done Yet)

When I actually take the time to think about a plan (rare, but it happens), we're working on spreading our creative mischief to a mix of people - nerds, weebs, goths, and everyone in between and we love that. More online shenanigans, wholesale partnerships with other small businesses who get our niche market and building a community space where people can geek out about their pets AND our handmade uniqueness.

Basically: world domination, but make it wholesome and covered in ✨metaphorical glitter✨.

My Personal Journey (AKA: When Life Goes Off-Script)

Going from high-stress career to full-time... whatever this is... has been a lot. But the good kind of a lot, mostly. Even though I'm the one causing the chaos (I do this to myself), I only have a breakdown once a month now, versus once a week when I was working for somebody else.

The "Pivot" (AKA: I Had No Idea What I Was Doing)

Real talk: anything that makes it sound like I planned all this is a goddamn lie. I didn't "pivot strategically"—I stumbled face-first into entrepreneurship because I made a bandana, people said "hey, that's cute," and my brain went "What if I could turn this into a business?"

My whole personal aesthetic is built on the foundation of Studio Ghibli magic and Disney feelings - those stories that make you believe in wonder even when you're an adult paying taxes (thanks, taxes). Every design is a reflection of things I personally like and think are cute. Consider it my mission to sprinkle a little bit of that childhood wonder onto your pet's everyday life because who says magic has to stop when you grow up?

The Health Plot Twists

Life decided to get spicy with endometriosis, ADHD, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia. Not gonna sugarcoat it, some days are rough. But here's the thing about chronic illness: it teaches you that you're way stronger than you think, and also that asking for help isn't giving up.

In 2020, I underwent surgery for endometriosis and a hysterectomy that became an unexpected turning point. As my body healed, the persistent brain fog that I didn’t realize I had for years began to lift. I'd suspected ADHD for a while, but finally got confirmation that year - suddenly decades of "why can't I just focus like everyone else?" had a legitimate answer. My brain wasn't defective it was just running on its own unique operating system this whole time. I've experimented with various medications since then, though I haven't found my perfect match yet. Still, just having the diagnosis was like finally getting access to my own user manual after years of trying to troubleshoot without one.

The Support Squad

A special shout-out to my partner, who has been the real MVP through surgeries, flare-ups, and the regularly scheduled breakdowns that come with being exhausted, sore, and overwhelmed from the stress of it all. Having someone who believes in your chaos when you can't even remember why you started is everything.

Message for Fellow Chronic Illness Warriors

To those navigating health challenges while building something beautiful: let me be absolutely clear - you are not broken. You are not less deserving of success. Your path might look different, but that doesn't make it wrong. Some days you rest, some days you push through - both are valid. We're all just doing our best with the energy we have each day and that messy, authentic effort is exactly the kind of magic this world needs more of.

Our Mission (The Feelings Part)

We're here to make the world more magical, one ridiculously cute, handmade product at a time. This isn't just about selling things. It's about celebrating the passion you have for your interests and sharing that with your pet. It’s about finding your people - the ones who get that your pet isn't just a pet; they're family with four legs and an attitude. We're building a community where being obsessed with your fuzzbutt is encouraged, and everyone's welcome at the weird kid table.

Our Values (What We Actually Stand For)

·         Inclusivity: Every pet, every human, every family configuration is welcome here. Size, breed, species, gender identity, background - doesn't matter. If you love your animal companion, you're our people.

·         Creativity and Quality: We make things by hand because there's a story and a personal touch in every piece. It allows us to create small batches with more control and freedom. You’re supporting real people and small artists, not a faceless corporation.

·         Community: This is where the magic lives. Makers, artists, pet parents—we're all in this together, building something beautiful and wonderfully eclectic. Right now that community consists of myself, friends, family, my makers, suppliers, and vendor family, but I want to grow it into a space where creatives and pet parents can come together, share interests, and find their people

·         Passion for Pets: This whole thing exists because animals make life better. Full stop. Choosing to do something special for your pet whether it's a walk, a treat, or something special from Fuzzbutt means the world to them because you're their world.

Join the Chaos

If you've made it this far, you're definitely our kind of people.

You're here because your pets are your whole personality (and you're not sorry about it). You appreciate handmade uniqueness. You probably have strong opinions about fandoms. You understand that life's too short for boring pet accessories. You're unapologetically you.

Welcome to Fuzzbutt Boutique - where we're making the world more magical, one passionate pet parent at a time.

Because honestly? The world needs more joy, more creativity, and definitely more pets in themed bandanas. Let's gooooo! ✨

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