We had the good fortune of connecting with Tartanger Stephens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tartanger, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started Kookie Kennels right after the March 2020 COVID-19 shutdown. I’ve been a government employee since November 2002 and never thought about starting my own business. Like the rest of the world, the shutdown isolated me from my friends and family and forced me to stay home in attempt to slow the spread of the virus. My French Bulldogs brought so much joy and happiness into my life and helped ease the stress of the economic collapse that we all faced. They reduced the stress and anxiety of not knowing how and when the world might open again. They eased the loneliness of being isolated from the rest of the world and kept me active. So, I decided to start Kookie Kennels to share with the love of the breed with the world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe my love for the French Bulldog breed sets me apart from other breeders. My kennel is family owned and operated, meaning we do everything in-house from the progesterone testing to the whelping. My family is 100% committed to the health and well-being of our dogs. We share glimpses from our daily interactions on social media to bring awareness to benefits of loving something outside yourself. I won’t pretend that being in a male-dominated field is easy and at times it difficult to maneuver, but my integrity and honestly is why I contribute to my success. I’m honest with myself and my clients when it comes to these dogs, if a dog doesn’t meet breeding standards, I won’t sell it as such.

Some, most dogs should not be breed and should be sold as pet-home only with no breeding rights. While admitting this reduces the sale price, it allows me to be honest with the potential clients before the sale. My humility helped me overcome the challenges of being a French Bulldog Breeder. I am authentic and realize when my marketing strategies aren’t working and must come up new creative ideas to push my brand. This business has thought me to have tough skin and understand that people will say and do just about anything to hurdle your progress, but you must keep striving to do more. I won’t stop until Kookie Kennels is a household name for French Bulldogs. I want to world to know that we aren’t breeding for fame or financial gain, we love these dogs and witnessed firsthand the benefits of owning a French Bulldog.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, I’ll take them to my place to meet my dogs. Then I take them to lunch Steven’s Fine Food and Seafood Market. I’m from Texas and we love Louisiana Crawfish, Steven’s is the best I’ve had since I moved to Georgia. Next, we’ll go on the 3-Hour Atlanta Beltline Food, Street Art, and History Tour. This tour always excites visitors, it’s private and allows you to sample the best comforting food the South has to offer with a cocktail. Lastly, we’ll have dinner at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q. Again, I’m from Texas and this is the place reminds me of home. The food is outstanding and reasonably priced.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Corey Simon 646-418-3646 corey@rapidhvacnow.com

Instagram: kookiekennels

Facebook: Kookie Kennels

Other: Tiktok @kookiekennels

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