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

Hi Sharon, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Simply Sharon And Teddy is a dog friendly lifestyle business that started as a creative outlet to share the love and relationship I have with my dog, Teddy. As a first-time dog mom, I made a lot of mistakes with my dog in the beginning. From purchasing my dog from a backyard breeder to difficulties with potty training and crate training, I sure learned a lot in the first year as a dog mom. By sharing those mistakes along with dog friendly recipes, travel guides, lifestyle tips and much more, I hoped other first-time dog parents could learn from me and strengthen the bond they have with their dog.

My dog friendly lifestyle business evolved with time and as I grew as a person and dog mom to include e-products that help fellow dog parents to create their own business in influencer marketing. When I first started my business, I would have never imagined the amount of support I would get from an amazing community of dog parents! They truly are the best.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I first started my side business, my intentions were simply to fulfill my creative side by taking photos. Not necessarily make money. My regular 9-5 job is very practical doesn’t allow for any creativity. Starting my business helped me stay balanced between my practical and creative life. What started as something fun quickly evolved to me taking photography classes, which sparked me to build a profitable website and eventually get paid for my photography and videography through influencer marketing. It amazes me to this day that I can get paid for doing exactly what I love to do!

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?
The best part about Atlanta is that there is always a new place to discover and the city is becoming more dog friendly!

Most people that visit Atlanta want to go to the Coke museum and see the Georgia Aquarium. Both are great and I recommend checking out Centennial park to get a dose of Olympic history. But there is so much more to explore in the city!

Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market are both great places to explore and you’ll definitely find something delicious to eat because there are so many choices. At PCM, the roof has great views and is a fun place to hang out!

If you are bringing your dog along, I recommend walking around Piedmont Park with it’s Midtown city views and then grabbing lunch in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood. The Family Dog is a great casual dog friendly restaurant that even has a menu for your dog! After that you can check out a local dog-friendly brewery such as Monday Night, Urban Tree Cidery, Elsewhere Brewing and Dr. Scofflaw’s..

Over the weekend, I recommend exploring a farmer’s market such as the Peachtree or Piedmont Park Framer’s Market. You’ll find lots of local produce and small businesses. The brunch scene is a must do over the weekend. I recommend Joy Cafe with their boozy drinks and you can even bring your dog on the patio.

Lastly, I recommend hiking up Stone Mountain to get a different perspective of the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My dog Teddy is the inspiration and reason behind Simply Sharon And Teddy. A big thank you to him for loving me unconditionally and allowing me to share him with the world. Without him, I wouldn’t be the dog mom I am today.

I’d also like to thank my sister Sara who has always supported me through all my crazy ideas and is Teddy’s best aunt!

Website: https://simplysharonandteddy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonandteddytakethecity/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonandteddytakethecity

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