The Wag Pod

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Carter Easler, Director of Education at MycoDog and its sister company, CBD Dog Health, two leaders in natural wellness for pets. With professionalism, passion, and deep knowledge of the products, Carter explains how MycoDog crafts mushroom tinctures that are locally sourced, dual-extracted, and uncompromising in quality—providing dogs with powerful support...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Mollie Doll, co-founder of Freedom Ride Rescue, a foster-based nonprofit that has saved over 3,600 dogs in just six years. Based in the Raleigh/Clayton area, Freedom Ride Rescue has built a tight-knit network of fosters, volunteers, and donors who work around the clock to provide medical care, training, and—most importantly—love. Their mission is especially...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Kate Runy, co-founder of Canine Community Outreach of North Carolina, about her mission to make spay and neuter more accessible for dog owners who might not be able to afford it otherwise. After the loss of the traveling SNAP van, demand for affordable surgeries in the Raleigh-Durham area skyrocketed. Kate and her team stepped up — fundraising, educating, an...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works sits down with Curtis Hacon, co-founder of Give A Sh!t, a mission-driven pet brand focused on reducing environmental waste through TÜV Austria HOME Compost Certified poop bags and high-quality plant-based dog wipes. Curtis shares how he and his wife Katie built the company from the ground up, why their products remain a better alternative even when sent to landfill, an...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Mike Calinoff, founder of Doglogics, and two-time Normy Award winner, whose transition from championship NASCAR spotter to elite dog trainer has earned him a reputation as one of the most trusted names in dog behavior work. As the longtime spotter for Matt Kenseth, Mike helped guide the Hall of Fame driver to a 2003 NASCAR championship, two Daytona 500 wins,...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Chanel Flannagan, founder of Pup Pastry, a Raleigh-based pet wellness company rooted in a personal journey to heal her dog Suki’s chronic skin and coat issues. After vet-prescribed treatments failed to offer lasting relief, Chanel uncovered that Suki had a sensitivity to molasses — a surprisingly common ingredient in many dog treats. Determined to find a bet...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Terry Chastain, a third-generation dog trainer and land manager in southern Georgia, about the art and tradition of bird-dogging. Raised around hunting dogs, Terry followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather—though not before training and flying as a commercial pilot. He eventually returned home to manage a private recreational estate, where he o...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Yesica Leon, a passionate groomer based in Long Island, about her journey in the dog grooming world. After starting as a bather and spending several years grooming at PetSmart, Yesica recently made the switch to a local salon, Posh Paws LI. Her bubbly personality, dedication to client relationships, and commitment to making dogs feel safe and comfortable shi...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Rick Gardner, co-founder of Binky and Bell, a North Carolina-based art brand with a mission to help homeless dogs through creativity and community. About 11 years ago, during a period of unemployment, Rick began doodling as a creative outlet. That spark grew into a full-fledged passion when he partnered with Mark Bell, combining Rick’s playful illustrations...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Austin Castorena, founder of Lasso, about his recent pivot into entrepreneurship in the pet industry while continuing to apply his electrical engineering background. Austin shares the story behind developing Lasso’s first product, Link — a voice-recognizing, vibration-based dog collar designed for training. While the initial feedback wasn’t what he had hoped...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Ian Klingshirn of CPR Canine Training to discuss his journey handling/training dogs in the military police and building his private training business. Ian shares his experience with highly specialized canine work and how he now helps everyday dog owners create better structure, communication, and behavior with their pets. Throughout the episode, Ian breaks d...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Jill Hanson, founder of Rides 4 Paws Transport & Rescue, about her incredible work rescuing dogs from Los Angeles and utilizing her growing network to successfully relocate these animals. As of last summer, her passion for rescuing dogs has turned into a full time pursuit. Residing in Indiana, Jill drives all the way to LA, working with rescuers and shel...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works talks to Drew Tilk and Brian Bauman, founders of Good Boy Social Club, about their community focused startup in California. Through meetups, merchandise, and a social media presence, these two are providing pet owners with activities where bringing your dog is not only allowed, but highly encouraged. The ultimate goal is for Good Boys Social Club to be a long term, via...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Ashton Edens, the co-founder of Hause of Dogs, in the Raleigh studio. Best known for their pup ice cream, this dog boutique opened in 2023, and is a popular spot for pet owners in Smoky Hollow. Ashton shares the path to starting her own business with her mom (and business partner), Amanda Moody, as well as future aspirations. While being a hub for tasty dog...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works talks to Lori Smith about how starting a raw feeding diet for her dog Tanner when dealing with health issues led to opening the first IB Pet store in Imperial Beach. Her friends and co-workers, Ashley Smith and Victorio Osorio, also joined the episode to share their experiences, day-to-day roles, and what they have learned at IB Pet. Focused on providing natural pet fo...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Kimberly Gauthier, founder of Keep The Tail Wagging, about how she began feeding her dogs a raw food diet and sharing this journey on social media. What started as a blog page has turned into a path of education, and also led to her starting her own podcast “The Alternative Dog Moms” with her friend Erin Scott. Kimberly’s passion for learning, meeting new pe...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Amanda Tallerday and Paige Gagner of The Downtown Hound, located in Oregon. Starting off in mobile grooming, they share the stories of owning their own business and the journey to making the switch to a brick and mortar location.

Richmond Griner of Wag Works chats with Anna Coleman and Maria Wooldridge of Blue Ridge Bernedoodles based in South Carolina about their journey through breeding dogs. Maria taught Anna’s son in kindergarten, and soon they started working together. Lots of learning and lots of laughs happened during this episode, and we greatly appreciate the awesome conversation!

Richmond Griner of Wag Works hops on a Zoom call with Mary Fortney of Fortney Farms in Ohio where they breed American Bullies! After getting their first Bully, Odin, this family fell in love and decided to take the leap to start their own business. Mary was an absolute pleasure to have on, and her passion for highly diligent care resonates throughout the episode.

Richmond Griner of Wag Works hops on a zoom call with Michael Lobato of Lobato Dog Training who has been serving the Utah area since 2006. In addition to staying busy with board training, private sessions, and group sessions, Michael’s Instagram account has taken off as he spends free time making relatable dog memes. We appreciate Michael being our first “Zoomcast” participant, as he was such a kn...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works sits down with longtime friend and business generalist for Wag Works, Nathan Gross, to chat about several ongoing projects within the company. Nathan will be serving as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Wag Works Cares, our innovative solutions fund. A wide range of topics are discussed including the early stages of this start up, a deep dive into Wag Works...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works sits down with Park Pup Shuttle founder and UNC Basketball Alumnus Baden Jaxen (formerly Dexter Strickland) to discuss the lessons learned throughout his basketball career and highlighting his recent shift from playing overseas to creating his own business in the Raleigh area. Baden Jaxen’s love for animals shines through in this episode, as well as his passion for cre...

Richmond Griner of Wag Works sits down with Donny Wilson of Pawtism to discuss the process of building a pet oriented business and non-profit. Donny Wilson provides experienced insight regarding the creation and sustainability of such a business by highlighting his experience heading the non-profit Pawtism.