When Your Dog Becomes Everyone's Dog: Navigating Pet Influencer Life

Ever wondered how those seemingly perfect pet influencers balance it all? Maddie from @myboyrudder pulls back the curtain on her journey from creating a "digital baby book" for her dog to becoming an educational content creator with a passionate following—all while maintaining a corporate career.

When her dog Rudder underwent TPLO surgery during a snowy Chicago winter, Fresh Patch became an unexpected solution that would later prove invaluable during a move to apartment living in Brooklyn. Maddie thoughtfully addresses the misconceptions about using potty solutions for dogs, explaining how her educational approach naturally led to a community that understands and supports her philosophy.

The conversation takes an inspiring turn as Maddie reveals how social connections made through Instagram DMs have blossomed into meaningful real-world friendships. "As an adult, it's always more difficult to make friends," she shares, "but especially when you have a more niche interest." Her authenticity has created a network of people who not only follow her content but feel genuinely connected to Rudder—often approaching them on the street with the warmth of meeting an old friend.

Balancing content creation with a full-time job isn't without challenges. With refreshing honesty, Maddie discusses the emotional ups and downs of managing expectations, creating valuable content, and maintaining partnerships while protecting her mental health. Her advice for aspiring influencers emphasizes passion and authenticity over trends or forced personas, offering wisdom gained through years of navigating this complex landscape.

The episode culminates with the heartwarming story of an impromptu cross-country road trip with Rudder following an unexpected layoff—a reminder that sometimes our pets inspire us to embrace adventures we might otherwise miss. Tune in to discover how one pet parent transformed her genuine love for dogs into educational content, meaningful community, and even her own supplement brand, all while navigating the realities of modern life.

Follow Maddie and Rudder on Instagram and TikTok @myboyrudder and discover Fresh Patch's real grass solutions at freshpatch.com.

Thanks for listening to the Fresh Patch podcast brought to you by Fresh Patch. We hope you enjoyed the show. Give us a like or a follow, or shop all of our real grass supplies at freshpatch.com. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Youtube, Reddit

Transcript

Meet Maddie from My Boy Rudder

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to the Fresh Patch Podcast, where we talk about everything from dog training to potty talk. It's time to save your rugs and get real. This episode is brought to you by Fresh Patch, featured on Shark Tank, Oprah and the Today Show, and here are your hosts, Drew and Gabe.

Speaker 2 0:19

Welcome everybody to the Potty Talk Podcast. If you're new here, my name is Drew, the marketing director for Fresh Patch, here with my awesome co-host.

Speaker 3 0:29

My name is Gabe. I am the partnerships coordinator and we have a very amazing guest today.

Speaker 4 0:34

If you wouldn't mind introducing yourself, hey everyone, it's Maddie from my Boy Brother.

Speaker 2 0:38

Sweet. So, yeah, thanks for joining. Check her out on social media. We'll have her handles, uh, on the screen for you guys, for all the viewers, all the listeners. Um, we'll give her a chance to shout out her socials, but for us as well. Uh, smash that subscribe button wherever you're listening to this podcast, if you're watching on youtube, and then go ahead and follow at fresh patch on all socials. Check out freshpatchcom as well. We really appreciate it. So if you want to plug in your handle as well, go for it. The floor is yours.

Speaker 2 1:07

Yes, my boy rudder on instagram and tiktok haven't made it over to youtube yet cool, so we'll just dive in, um, you know, start asking some questions, get to know you and rudder, and let the viewers and listeners, you know, get to know you a little bit more too. So, gabe, you want to start us.

Speaker 3 1:25

Tell us a little bit about yourself and Rudder and what caused you to start the Instagram page. My Boy, rudder.

Speaker 4 1:33

I'm Maddie. I'm 35. I live in Brooklyn, recently moved here from Chicago. Unlike different types of content creators and influencers, I'm like, I live a very normal life. I still have a nine to five job. I travel a lot with friends, a lot of this stuff that I don't show my platforms are doing in the background, so I like to keep it more centered around my life with dogs.

Speaker 4 1:56

But everything for me really happened by mistake. I made an Instagram for runner when he was a puppy and the intention was to make it his baby book so I would log all these memories and have something to look back on. But as the following grew and people saw how I was dealing with him and feeding him and training him, I just started to get more and more questions about it. So during COVID I made a conscious decision to start posting more educational information, not so much just me and my life with my dog. And that's when it really really took off and I had a service dog puppy I was raising at the time and I was training dogs professionally, so I had access to a lot of dogs to make a lot of content and that's really when it started to accelerate.

Speaker 2 2:41

It actually came across your page because you wanted to try Fresh Patch for the first time, and that was because, Rudder had the TPLO surgery, so tell us a little bit about that. How was the recovery process and how did Fresh Patch help you out during that time?

Speaker 4 3:01

So Rudder had TPLO surgery the first week of january and in chicago it was very icy, snowy, slippery outside, so I had a patio out my back door. Recovery is they're supposed to be walking very limited amounts and especially in the early weeks you have to be very mindful that they don't slip or splay or end up in a situation where they end up like overcompensating. So I thought of fresh patch as something that I could put right out my back door would give him sturdy footing and allow him to go very minimal distances to relieve himself. Um, so that was my impetus for it and then, like I said, I ended up moving to Brooklyn and I don't have a little backyard anymore, I just had my balcony. So it was actually the perfect like a way to transition him to our move, which worked out perfectly. But it was super, super helpful in those early stages of his recovery, which ended up lasting about four months. It's pretty long.

Speaker 3 4:01

Yeah, yeah, no, my, I think I had told you previously, but my dog actually had that surgery a couple of years ago and it was before I was working here. So I didn't even know fresh patch was a thing and man, that, like you were saying, that recovery process, it's like you got to be. So, on top of it, you got to watch them all the time, make sure they're not jumping on stuff. So really wish I had known about it back then, because that would have saved me a lot of time and pain dealing with that.

Speaker 4 4:26

Yes, and just the mental, emotional stress of not messing anything up. Oh, my gosh it made it so much easier.

Speaker 3 4:33

Yeah, I don't know if you're back because I know it can get messed up so easily, but ours talking to us about it was so serious. My dog loves jumping on beds and couches and he's like he cannot do any of that for three months and it was like we were so stressed out about it. But honestly, it was so worth it because he's so. He's doing so well now he's so mobile and like all of that.

Speaker 4 4:54

So yes, I'm glad you also had a good experience with it. I don't regret it at all, but it is a. I should make a video about this now that I'm talking about it. It was a lot more stressful than I expected.

Speaker 2 5:08

Totally. Yeah, I mean, that's a big, that's a big thing for sure, but glad we could. God, we found each other, you know, so you could have some type of potty service for for a runner, that.

Speaker 2 5:19

But yeah, that transition process like seemed to just work out great. That that's really cool. You know going from and that's a lot of customers and you know people listening that they do transfer from. You know a situation. That's actually how this you know company was founded. Founder moved from a house to a condo, um, so it didn't have you know where a dog was used to. I don't know if you, if you know the the background story a little bit, but no, I didn't know that.

Speaker 2 5:43

Okay, yeah, I saw your eyes light up a little bit. But yeah pretty much same situation Moved from LA to Florida, I think Miami, and they had a little yard here in LA and then when they got to Miami it was high rise, living and dog was not cooperating. So that's how Fresh Patch was born, I love it. Yeah, really cool.

Speaker 3 6:04

Yeah. So moving on here, um, something that we deal with a lot is just because of the type of product. That fresh patch is. Um, you know, people see like the patch of grass and they're like, oh, you're not walking your dog, you're not doing this. They don't really like understand like how it's supposed to be used. Um, so we, we know that. Um, you know you've been hit with some of those comments in the past and you're definitely not the type of person to shy away from people having an opinion. Um, but how do you handle those kinds of comments?

Speaker 4 6:34

it's funny because typically by the time I see them, other people who follow me have kind of like swooped in and already like taking care of it for me, so I don't have to do too much like defense mechanisms myself or like rationalizing. But the way I've taken it is, like you guys have seen, just replying to those comments with videos explaining how I use it, which has changed, you know, like from a TPLO to moving and using it as a way to advocate for like actually walking and exercising your dog. So it kind of ends up working in the reverse of people's intention of criticizing me for not doing so, when I show that he does have such a fulfilled life that going out to potty isn't a big, important, exciting part of his day. It's probably one of the most boring parts of his day actually. So it's, it's a good. I try to use the criticisms as a way to create like a platform for greater education and understanding and there's a way to kind of like further my message.

Speaker 3 7:40

Yeah, no, that's so awesome and you mentioned, like you know you have so many supporters and you you know they see your content. That's one that I see a lot is like you don't watch her content if you think that she is abusing rudder in any way like so yeah it's really cool to see yeah, they go to battle for you, which is nice, you know.

Speaker 2 7:58

It's like you know that helps out, helps out the the stress from people bombarding your comments and stuff. So really.

Speaker 4 8:05

Yes, I'm very grateful for that. I have a lot of good people in my community, that's awesome and they're dog lovers, which is which is great oh yeah well we got my dog trying to try to come in.

Speaker 2 8:19

This is usually his spot when we're not on zoom because we're in the chairs off to the side and now he's digging the rug, making a spot and everything. So good, you could come right here and frame no cool. So, um, uh, moving on getting down the list. Um, so, kind of playing off down the contrary, you may. You have many supporters right. So, um, what has been the best part about the community you have built online through social media? All those people go into battle for you. What's the what's the best part about? You know, building a community?

Speaker 4 8:57

As an adult, it's always more difficult to make friends period. But especially when you have a more niche interest, such as dogs but not just dogs like a particular way of living and interacting and belief, you know methodology or philosophies around dogs. It's like hard to find people as adults that you can connect with, that share that same niche. You know passion and so being able to connect with people like me is just so much fun. I see in my comments every day, I see in my dms.

Speaker 4 9:29

It really makes me feel like I mean it sounds so dramatic, but like that I'm just like not alone. You know, because I have so many wonderful, amazing friends and I love them dearly and deeply, but very few of them are like me and like these types of things that I'd like to do with my life. Um, and a lot of those relationships that have started out as silly DMS have grown into real, full fledged in person friendships, like two of my closest friends in Brooklyn are gals that I met through Instagram DMS. So those are like true, amazing friendships that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life and it's just so fun and you know we hang out and we don't just talk about our dogs and what we post on the internet, like we're like real life friends who have found this bonding point and that's just amazing to me. I like, I, just I love that genuinely so so much that's so cool.

Speaker 3 10:27

Yeah, that's such like a storybook kind of thing, you know, like the type of thing that you wouldn't never expect to like happen to yourself. You know, um, and that's awesome too. I feel like totally. I feel like rudder has you know so many owners. You know people on the internet that like watch them and care for them and all that that's the best way.

Creating Genuine Pet Content

Speaker 4 10:42

That's yes, that's one of the best ways I phrase phrased it, because we run into people on the street pretty frequently and they're like I feel like I know him, like I feel like he's also my, like, they're like I love him and I'm like you do and they're like, yes, I'm like that's so crazy. Like they're like it's like meeting my dog for the first time and I'm like what? But he's my, you know, and I'm always happy to share him. I love that. But it is so funny because, you know, I post these videos online and I kind of go about my life and, like I said, I have a normal nine to five job, all of these things.

Speaker 4 11:12

So I don't really think about people thinking about me, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 11:17

Yeah, yeah. So when?

Speaker 4 11:18

it happens and I hear it, I'm like, oh wow, that's wild.

Speaker 2 11:25

I'm like a part of your life. Yeah, it's so interesting, the power of social media. It is crazy. It reminds me of like the see videos all the time. You should honestly make if they're willing to be in a video like this, but make a video. I feel like I see like little kids all the time when they they've been playing video games with someone for like years and years and years and then they finally get to meet them in person, you know, and it's just like there's no hesitation with like the like, it's just the same. They just continue the same thing. I feel like that'd be a cool piece of content.

Speaker 2 11:50

You know, it's like something like I met him on you know now it's second second owner of rudder, yeah type of thing.

Speaker 4 11:58

So yeah, like I'm going to these girls weddings yeah, exactly there you go. You know it's like, yeah, it's, it's cool I love it.

Speaker 3 12:10

It's crazy. That's so cool to hear that like rudder is like a little little celebrity.

Speaker 4 12:16

He's got a yeah he, he like literally prances down the street and everyone's like, oh, that's such a handsome dog and I'm like, yeah, he knows he loves the hype. He loves the hype uh-huh, he's got an ego about him for sure, that's so great awesome.

Speaker 3 12:36

So, um, you mentioned earlier how, like, you're becoming a social media like influencer. It kind of happened by accident. It sounds like it was very much out of like passion and just kind of sharing you know things that you were interested in, like cared about a lot. What advice would you give someone who's like looking to enter, become an influencer whether it's like a pet influencer or whatever, what what advice would would you give to them?

Speaker 4 13:04

I would tell them to one be genuine, because that people can read. You know disingenuous personas in person, online. So if you're really serious about growing a following, you need to be yourself, you need to be genuine and couple that with taking an angle of content that you're passionate about and you genuinely like making, because otherwise there's not going to be much longevity there. So, like you know, my platform is definitely more of an educational platform, because that's the type of content that I like to make, like I've I've been working with dogs since I was such a young child and it's kind of like cathartic and helpful for me to like get it all out of my head and put it somewhere. I'm not the type of content creator that makes the humorous or the cutesy or the inspirational content Like. That's just not my vibe, and if I tried to do that or mimic it, it just would be so far from who I am as a person and I don't think it would have landed as organically as what I make has for me.

Speaker 3 14:12

Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense and I think too, like like you were saying, it's so organic and people can really feel the passion, like they can feel how much like you care for Rudder and like how you're trying to like give him the best life, and so, yeah, that's, that's great advice.

Speaker 2 14:28

Yeah, I look at it too is like, yeah, you're not like every other influencer, like you said, the very you know cutesy videos or trends or whatever, it's just like you're here for what you believe in and care about and like you're just straight to the point. You know honest and yeah, people resonate to that like really well, compared to you know, like you said, you can, people can read it a mile away when you're fake or, you know, just doing it to try to make money or views or whatever. You know what I mean Versus like no, I'm trying to educate people. And or like that baby diary, like you said for for rudder, you know like just show, show him off.

Speaker 2 15:06

And there he is again.

Speaker 4 15:07

Welcome back, rudder like just show him off and there he is again. Welcome back. What's interesting about is because when I started posting the more educational content, I was like, oh, this is like when people had asked me why do you like doing that? Back then five years ago my answer was I really enjoy being an advocate for dogs and sharing the knowledge that I have that newer dog owners because this was COVID time, so so many people had new dogs and they were struggling.

Speaker 4 15:34

But it's it's pivoted kind of 180 that because now I get so many comments and DMs and run into people on the street and they say thank you for your content. Like it's helped my dog and it's helped me. Like it's made being a dog owner so much less stressful. Like I have answers, my dog had behavior issues. I'm finding solutions and resources for that and so now when people ask me that questions, I say I do it for the people because I know the stress of living with an animal that I don't understand. I don't know how to fulfill, I don't understand why our relationship isn't working and that is an exhausting way to live.

Speaker 2 16:08

so if I can help people live better with their dogs, that's my goal that's awesome that's so reassuring too, to other people that are, you know, watching it makes them I don't know. It would make me feel like comfortable that you know there is an outlet that you can always refer to, like you. You know what I mean, so that's really cool.

Speaker 3 16:26

Yeah, it's really cool like working here, um, and just seeing like not just you, but like kind of the pet space as a whole on social media, like there's such a big community and everyone's trying to help each other out, and like it's really cool to see that yeah, I love it the the dog owner community on social media.

Speaker 2 16:45

It has its toxic side, yes I was gonna say we can't forget, so say we can't forget about the positives yeah. Can't forget about the crazies in the comments, you know, but also, yeah, or the people. Yeah, there's just some some crazies out there, but yeah, there's always something.

Speaker 2 17:01

Yeah, exactly. But yeah, this community is awesome. It's fun to work with people like you too. You know it's just like. I mean, working with dogs is fun. Like I said, my dog, we get to bring our dogs to the office and stuff, so it's always just a good time, you know, and educating people on what you know better things for their pets. Oh yeah, Cool. So we know you recently launched a dog supplement brand called Buddy and congratulations, by the way. Yes, what inspired you to start that?

Speaker 4 17:35

Literally what I just said.

Speaker 4 17:37

Really because it's literally like it combines when it comes to dogs. It combines like both of my passions of wanting to better the health and wellness of dogs, being a more proactive dog owner. But it's really difficult to do. I've been very lucky that, because I grew up in the dog space, I always had a lot of guidance and people that I can look to and that med professionals that I deeply trust and know and have relationships with. But for somebody just starting out at age 27 with their first dog, it's so complicated and I work in marketing professionally so I firsthand know like how marketing can really muddle that space and it's it's.

Speaker 4 18:22

I really empathize with people. There's a lot of like manipulation in a way that can happen and I hate to see people wasting their hard-earned money on marketing gimmicks. So buddy, to me is like that perfect combination of I created a product that I'm so proud of how it's sourced, how it's made, the ingredients, everything about it. But it's so easy and it helps dog owners make one decision that they can be proactive about their dog's health. There's no gimmicks, easy to use, easy to understand. So it's like the perfect blend of everything I've been trying to do with my platforms, which is why I'm very proud of it, but I also have so much deep passion for it yeah, that's awesome, I mean it.

Speaker 3 19:06

It's important to be like passionate about about those kinds of things and, like you know, like care about putting out something that you know like you would seeking to buy and for I guess I should have given some context for people listening.

Speaker 4 19:32

Buddy is a 10 in one functional meal topper. It's made with 23 active ingredients, no fillers, so it's a powder, so we and it's never treated with heat, so it the efficacy is amazing, the palatability is amazing and there's no fillers like in soft shoes that you get, so it's a really innovative product that works and it solves my own issues of somebody who is on the go. I travel a lot. Rudder goes to dog sitters a lot. I don't like packing five different jars, having to label. Give this one with this. No blah blah, it's just one packet once a day. It's so easy, it's so straightforward. It's decluttered so much of my life in owning a dog, so it's really really cool and I also hope it makes dog health more accessible. No matter what you feed your dog, whether you feed your dog pedigree kibble or the most expensive raw food, it's an easy way to boost your dog's bowl and it makes it accessible to everybody. So I'm very proud of that.

Speaker 3 20:35

Yeah, absolutely. That's awesome. All you dog owners out there who are looking to help your dogs be a little bit healthier, check it out. It's a really cool product, and man dog food is such a controversial issue these days. It's nice to have a brand like that that's trusted. It's something that you created from the ground up. That's awesome. Yes, I love it.

Speaker 2 20:57

You're so passionate about it, like everything you just said. You can see the smile on your face. You can feel the energy. That's definitely something that you back and stuff Really cool. Again, congratulations. That's really cool. And again congratulations.

Road Trip Adventures with Rudder

Speaker 2 21:09

That's, that's, that's really really cool we really envy how you are able to maintain nine to five to content a rudder, start, a business we were talking about, and it's like all the time like, oh my gosh, like we, we I mean, we were a lot of hats here, so our days are very full every day. You know so, but I'm sure I'm not saying yours aren't, but but it's just like that's my struggle, like I want to create content of my dog and stuff and I have all these ideas and then I just get home and I'm just like nap time yeah, pretty much, and I'm just like like headache from staring at a computer all day, other responsibilities, you know, and stuff, and I'm just like all you know and stuff, and I'm just like all of a sudden it's like nine, ten o'clock and I'm like, well, gotta get some decent sleep.

Speaker 2 21:55

you know to do this again tomorrow and everything. So you know, shout out to you for being able to manage it and I this is an off topic question, off the list question but is it difficult to manage sometimes, or is it just, yes, you create a schedule and you kind of just flow?

Speaker 4 22:07

no, no, I've tried every which way. It's hard. I've tried doing the calendar blocking. Day blocking it's just like it's one of those things. So it's like I always have my nine to five and that's priority for me.

Speaker 4 22:21

So that's that chunk and so, like what you were saying is, depending how that day goes, you have good days, you have bad days, and when I have good days and I'm feeling good, I'm having good hair day, the lighting's just right. I'm like, okay, let's like rip off and like just make like five videos while I'm feeling good, because inevitably and more often than not, if I'm being honest, there are the days where I'm just too tired, I am stressed about something else in my life or I'm sad about something else in my life and like it's just hard. I mean, my parents were visiting a couple weeks ago and I'll be honest, like I like broke down in the kitchen crying because I was feeling very overwhelmed and stressed, with a lot of expectations I've been putting on me from all of my jobs and I was like, but the hardest one to show up for is just social media. Because it's even harder to show up and put a smile on your face and pretend that everything's great when, like, you were just crying for two hours about how much stress it brings you. So, like, and you know, and I, other content creators, you know, I, I this is the other reason why I've loved meeting people in this space is because they can provide support about this stuff that, like, other people can't, who just don't understand it.

Speaker 4 23:38

But you know, um, like my friend, isabel Simon sits she's a lot more open with her personal life on her platform and so you know, like their advice is like well, like, how about you make a video about, like okay, sad girl dog ownership, or here's how my dog helps me stay on track on these days that I'm feeling sad, and like, for me personally, I just I don't want that aspect of my life. I don't want to pretend like everything is funky, dory, my life is perfect, but I really want to keep it more about dogs than me in my personal life. Like I don't really post. My friends, even when I was posting with my parents, were here. I wasn't showing their faces, I'm just more private.

Speaker 4 24:14

Yeah, so it's it. It's a struggle, but it also helps you, helps pull you out of those moments because it gives you more perspective, like how lucky I am to have this type of stress in my life and then you can kind of flip it on yourself. But it's, yeah, it's hard, and on the good days I can laugh at bad comments. On the bad days, the bad comments will make me cry. So you just like never know what you're gonna get.

Speaker 3 24:41

It's just, yeah, it's a little bit of everything yeah, we've had those days here just looking at the comments and we're like, oh my god, how are we gonna attack the?

Speaker 2 24:50

emails, emails just pinging in while comments are coming in, and it's just like oh, no, yeah, and then I get home and it's like man I really wanted to do this, but okay. So advice sounds like ride the energy wave, like if I, if I'm motivated, just do it. If I'm not motivated, don't knock yourself.

Speaker 3 25:09

You know, if you, you know, can't get it done, that day yeah absolutely and yeah and I'm mentioning about like expectations and stuff is huge too, because I fall victim to that all the time of putting these insane expectations on myself and you get all stressed out and then you realize, oh wait, I'm the one putting these on myself.

Speaker 4 25:26

So yeah, it's a tough thing to do, it's weird, like I was trying to explain this to somebody because you know they're like like, well, your doesn't your job stress you out, and I'm like, yes, but it's. It's a different type of stress. When it's like stress from a corporate environment and you're like, okay, I just need to get this deliverable out the door and that'll be good. Or you're like stressing about you know, this huge company that I work for, like their bottom line, like it's kind of separated stress. But it's a different type of stress when it's stress put on you, like you for yourself, like it's my reputation online.

Speaker 4 26:00

It's the type of content that I want to make, that I want to feel good about, partnerships that I feel proud, businesses that I feel proud to you know, collaborate with and represent it's. It's a completely different type of stress and that is something I'm still navigating. But I'm really proud of myself because this summer I've been telling any new brand that approaches me that I'm not taking new partnerships until the fall and I feel like I have some control back. I have time back. But, most importantly, I just don't have that type of stress right now of trying to like show up and be my best, like I don't want partnerships to flop. I don't want to be embarrassed about the content that I make and all of that kind of like trigger stacks over time, you know definitely, absolutely.

Speaker 3 26:47

Yeah, I can say you know you're doing an incredible job, so um you know, don't be too hard on yourself yeah, I appreciate that game, of course of course, of course, cool. So for our last question here, we ask this to all of our guests what is your favorite slash? Most memorable moment with Rudder?

Speaker 4 27:09

We did a two-week solo road trip. Whoa, early spring of March or March or no, yeah, march 2023 I had been. I got laid off from Google, which was like, uh, my dream job, a job I worked extremely hard to get. I was part of their first big, massive lay layoff that they did. And I remember I called my parents and I was like crying you know cause? I was like I don't even care about the job, it's just that I worked so hard to get here and it got taken away from me and I was just mad. I was so, so mad. And my mom was like, well, all you've been doing is like bitching and moaning about how you've been wanting to go on a road trip with rudder. So like, do it, like do it, yeah, and so I did it.

Speaker 4 27:59

And I didn't. I planned no logistics. I would book hotels the same day, like based on where we were, and I said I was gonna drive west until I didn't want to drive anymore. So we got out to montana. I met a friend out there, turned around and it was the best. Like it was great bonding time with rudder, but, most importantly, like why. That's my favorite memory is because if I didn't have him. I don't think I would have ever done that because I did it for myself, but I also did it because I was like this it will be so fun to take him to the badlands and hiking into Wyoming like he's just gonna love it. So that was so much motivation. It was just the freaking best. It was the best.

Speaker 3 28:38

Yeah, that's so cool. Yeah, that's what dogs?

Speaker 2 28:40

are so great. You know it does bring you that extra motivation. You know it's like man, like I've always wanted to do this, can't find the time or whatever the factors are. And then you know, unfortunately stuff does happen. You know you get laid off or whatever. But, like your mom said, you know, take advantage of those bad situations, go do what you've been wanting to do. And then, yeah, it's just like your dog is right there by your side. It's like, wow, he's gonna be even more stoked than me. Uh, my girlfriend and I did the same thing. It's like, oh, let's go here just for him. You know what I mean. Like we got him and he's he's a swiss white shepherd, so he we're like he's gotta love the snow. So we were like so stoked to like take him on a snow trip and stuff. And it just yeah, it just brings that extra. You know, not necessarily motivation, but excitement. You know, to get out and see, see the country, see the world, if you want to. I don't know if you'll ever take right, yeah, country but that's like you're, you're giving

Speaker 3 29:31

you can go to canada hey, yeah, there you go.

Speaker 4 29:33

That that's right. Not too far, yeah. But that's also when I started making like the more humorous content, like those voiceovers of him narrating, and it was because I had the mental space of not having a corporate job Like that, like I just had so much more space for creativity in my brain. But I get those comments every day of like well, when are we going to hear from Rudder again? And I'm like, oh, like it was different now.

Speaker 2 29:58

Yeah, you just make, make him the excuse, like he just doesn't, you know, say something funny, like, no, like you got to talk to his agent, or like he's.

Speaker 4 30:12

He's pricey now. So you know that that's I like that.

Speaker 3 30:13

Yeah.

Speaker 2 30:13

He's more private now. Yeah, exactly Got to save brother for a special he knows his worth now, so it's a little harder to get him out and get an interview with runner.

Speaker 4 30:23

Perfect.

Speaker 2 30:24

Cool. Well, that about wraps it up for our questions. We really appreciate you and all the insight you've given us. Hopefully the viewers and the listeners take a lot of information from this and do as they please and, you know, continue to follow all of us and stuff and rudder's journeys and everything. So, uh, really appreciate you and, like we said already, you know, congratulations on everything you're doing and you're killing it. We envy you, like I was saying, like I wish I could, you know, do run a business and and the social media and my nine to five, you know. So that's yeah, like round of applause to you. You definitely, you're awesome.

Speaker 2 31:05

So you're turning into motivation for me too to like be like well, you know what Like she's she's got. You know, I'm stressed too. She's stressed too, like yeah it's not an excuse, like come on, yeah, like I got this.

Speaker 4 31:16

If I can do it, you can do it. Yeah, exactly, but yeah, thank you guys. Like the product is frigging awesome. I'll never, as long as I live in an apartment, the balcony I will have a fresh patch. So thank you for being great partners. You are great people to work with that deeply, and the product is freaking amazing. So if someone's listening and they've been debating it and you have a need for it, like pull the trigger.

Speaker 2 31:39

no regrets, it's awesome, there we go. You heard it here first, so you know. Check it out freshpatchcom. All you listeners really appreciate the kind words. Thank you, and it is a pleasure working with you as well, so one of our favorites, for sure.

Speaker 3 31:50

Yeah definitely, yeah definitely, oh my gosh.

Speaker 4 31:53

So I going to ride that high for a month.

Speaker 2 31:57

All listeners and viewers. Like we said at the beginning, smash that subscribe button on YouTube wherever you listen to your podcast. Apple, spotify, buzzsprout wherever you listen. Follow us on social media at Fresh Patch. Keep up to date with all the fun and exciting things we are posting. Go ahead and follow Maddie and Rudder as well, and we'll link all the handles at the bottom of the screen. Thanks everybody for joining. We really appreciate you and we will catch you on the next episode.

Speaker 1 32:25

Thanks for listening to the Potty Time Podcast brought to you by Fresh Patch. We hope you enjoyed the show. Give us a like or a follow, or shop all of our real grass supplies at freshpatchcom.