Sabrina Freed

I have always carried an entrepreneurial spirit within me, and I believe that has been the foundation of everything I have built. I did not complete a four-year college degree, and early in my career, people often told me I would only get so far without one. Rather than letting that discourage me, it fueled me. I was determined to prove that a successful, meaningful career was entirely possible without a traditional academic path — and I believe I have done exactly that. Beyond that drive, I attribute my success to grit. Anyone can call themselves an entrepreneur, but sustaining a business requires persistence, a willingness to learn whatever you do not yet know, and the understanding that success does not happen overnight. No one hands it to you — you have to earn it every step of the way.

My advice is to stop chasing the idea of passion and start pursuing joy. We hear it constantly — "follow your passion and the money will come" — but the truth is, especially in the middle of a demanding career, many of us struggle to identify what we are even passionate about. I spent a year working with a life coach trying to uncover mine, and it was genuinely difficult. What I have found to be more practical and more sustainable is simply asking yourself: what brings me joy? What kind of work energizes me rather than drains me? That is where your hidden strength lies. The happier we are in what we do, the more we excel. I also want young women to know that grit is non-negotiable. Entrepreneurship, in particular, will require you to wear many hats, learn things you never expected to learn, and keep going when results are slow. Success rarely falls into your lap — it is built through consistent, determined effort.

The greatest opportunity I see right now is the growing corporate appetite for wellness programming that is meaningful and memorable. Pet-assisted experiences are still a relatively untapped space in both corporate events and trade show activations, and we are uniquely positioned to fill that gap. On the trade show floor especially, standing out is harder than ever — and what we offer creates genuine human connection that no branded giveaway can replicate. The challenge, however, lies in scaling responsibly. Our licensed model only works in cities with sufficient corporate demand, which means finding the right markets and, more importantly, the right operators to carry the brand forward. I have also observed a broader shift in workforce culture — a certain lack of stick-to-itiveness among some younger workers — and that makes finding and retaining committed partners and team members an ongoing focus.

Joy is at the center of everything for me — both in how I run my business and how I live my life. I genuinely believe that when people find joy in their work, everything else follows. Giving back is equally important to me, which is why 20% of every dollar we earn goes directly to our rescue partners. They make what we do possible, and supporting them is not just a business policy — it is a core value. I also believe deeply in human connection, in the power of women supporting other women, and in the kind of grit and resilience that allows you to build something real from the ground up. Those values do not stay at the office — they carry into every part of my life.