Meet Dana Pettaway Wayne Pettaway

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dana Pettaway Wayne Pettaway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana Pettaway, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
TowLynk™ wasn’t born from a random idea. It came from lived experience, legacy, and recognizing a clear gap in the market.

Entrepreneurship has always been part of our foundation. Dana grew up watching her late father build his own path. He believed in ownership, initiative, and creating opportunity instead of waiting for it. That mindset shaped how we approach challenges today. If we see a need and believe we can solve it, we step forward.

As a couple, we are deeply connected to the hauling community. Wayne grew up around it. His parents run a small ranch, so hauling equipment, animals, and supplies has always been part of his life. Together, we own and operate our own trailer and are active car enthusiasts, which keeps us close to the realities of towing, maintenance, and travel. From horse owners and RV travelers to food truck operators, equipment haulers, and small business owners, we understand what it means to load up with purpose. Trailers represent more than equipment. They carry livelihoods, investments, and family experiences.

We also understand what happens when something goes wrong. A tire blowout. A bearing failure. Brake issues miles from home. In those moments, there is no centralized platform built specifically for trailer and RV owners. People are left searching and hoping they find someone they can trust.

That realization stayed with us.

We kept asking the same questions: Who would we call if we needed trailer assistance while on the road? Why isn’t there intentional infrastructure for the hauling community?

There are solutions for cars. There are platforms for ridesharing. But nothing built specifically for the diverse world of trailers. We didn’t start TowLynk™ simply to start a business. We started it because this industry deserves better coordination, stronger support systems, and a safer, more connected future.

What should our readers know about your business?
TowLynk™ is a real-time, technology-driven platform built specifically to connect trailer owners with trusted roadside service providers. While many solutions exist for passenger vehicles, the trailer and hauling community has historically been underserved. We are building infrastructure for an ecosystem that supports industries, hobbies, and small businesses across the country.

What sets TowLynk™ apart is intentional design combined with real functionality.

We are not creating a static directory. The platform allows trailer owners to connect directly with vetted roadside professionals in real time. Users can request assistance and follow the process with transparency during what is often a stressful situation. At the same time, service providers gain direct access to customers who actively need help.

Our approach is shaped by safety thinking, structured project management, and firsthand exposure to the hauling lifestyle. That combination influences everything from provider vetting to operational workflows to user experience.

We understand the emotional weight of a breakdown. When you are hauling horses, transporting a vehicle, or moving equipment tied to your livelihood, it is not just an inconvenience. It can disrupt plans, income, and safety. TowLynk™ is built with that awareness at its core.

Getting here has not been easy. Launching a real-time technology platform involves compliance, liability considerations, development cycles, and trust-building within a specialized community. There have been learning curves and moments that required recalibration.

What helped us navigate those challenges was perspective. We approached the build the way we would in an agile project environment. Break the vision into phases. Prioritize what matters most. Build, test, learn, and refine. Rather than reacting emotionally, we treated obstacles as part of the iteration cycle. That steady cadence kept us disciplined.

One of the biggest lessons we have learned is that vision must be paired with discipline. Excitement can start something, but structure sustains it. We have also learned that community matters more than competition. Listening is our greatest advantage.

TowLynk™ was built with intention. We are not chasing disruption for attention. We are focused on strengthening an ecosystem with smarter tools, safer systems, and reliable access to help when it matters most.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If our best friend were visiting for a week, we would keep it intentional and balanced between activity and ease.

Monday and Tuesday would be spent at Wayne’s parents’ ranch, Dancing Goats of Social Circle. Mornings would begin with coffee at sunrise, feeding the goats and walking the property. During the day, we would fish and pull out the four-wheelers. Evenings would end around the outdoor fireplace with simple food and long conversation. Being on land that has been cared for over time resets you.

Wednesday would be a lake day. A slow boat ride, music playing softly, maybe floating for a while and grilling afterward. No rush. Just sunlight, water, and real conversation.

Thursday and Friday would center around our home. Slow mornings on the screened-in patio. In the evenings, Wayne would fire up the pizza oven, and we would build our own pizzas, laughing over toppings while the wind chimes move in the breeze. One night we would invite close friends over for a cookout or game night. Nothing elaborate. Just good food and a house full of laughter.

One evening we would head into downtown Covington for dinner at Bar Oscar. Afterward, we would walk the square and enjoy the charm of the town at night.

Breakfast during the week would either be a full spread at home or a stop at Uncle Butch’s Chicken & Waffles for something comforting and familiar.

Saturday would be spent at an event at the Georgia International Horse Park. Walking the grounds while trailers line the lots always feels full circle for us. We would point out our TowLynk™ signs in the trailer and RV areas and share how this is where our pilot program began. It is meaningful to stand in a place that gave us the opportunity to serve the community in a tangible way.

Sunday would wind down at a vineyard, either at Arabia Mountain Vineyard or with a short trip north toward the Blue Ridge area. Sitting outside with a glass of wine and taking in the landscape would close the week gently.

By the end of those seven days, we would want our best friend to leave feeling grounded, connected, and refreshed. For us, the best time ever is not about a packed schedule. It is about land, water, home, community, and meaningful time together.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, we would shout out each other.

Building a startup as a family requires alignment, resilience, and shared vision. We lean on one another constantly. Wayne’s steady leadership and safety-driven mindset keep our ideas grounded. Dana’s strategic discipline and long-term thinking keep us focused and moving forward. TowLynk™ exists because of that partnership.

We also want to recognize the broader hauling community. Horse owners, RV travelers, car enthusiasts, food truck operators, equipment haulers, and small business owners who depend on trailers every day. This is a community built on trust and shared knowledge. That spirit is exactly what TowLynk™ is designed to strengthen.

We are deeply grateful for our parents. They instilled in us the work ethic, discipline, and sense of responsibility that continue to guide how we lead and build.

Our children are our long-term “why.” They are watching how we approach risk, solve problems, and treat people. Entrepreneurship requires sacrifice, and they share in that sacrifice with us. We hope they grow up seeing that building something meaningful is possible when you lead with character.

We are also incredibly thankful for our extended family. Their encouragement and support create the stability that allows us to pursue something this ambitious. No one builds something meaningful alone.

TowLynk™ reflects the values we inherited and the legacy we hope to pass forward.

Website: https://www.usetowlynk.com

Instagram: usetowlynk

Facebook: TowLynk

Image Credits
Latasha Hendrix
Dana Pettaway