We had the good fortune of connecting with Don DeBeaux and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Don, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had an idea for a product that did not exist & thought other dog owners might enjoy it as well.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I joined the Air Force at 17 years old. My career field was Medical Logistics & after 8 years of active duty, I transferred to the Air Force Reserves where I completed a total of 21 years. During the time I was in the Reserves, I completed my BA by taking college night classes, I was a UPS driver for 7 years, then I worked at Oracle for 27 years where I moved from engineer through levels of management to I.T. director. Two years before retiring from my day job, Doggytogo, LLC was launched in February 2020…..right before Covid was taking the world by storm.
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?
Every day would start with cop of coffee on my balcony that overlooks lake Eola. It’s a peaceful, appreciative start to the day. We’d do something active everyday (swim, cycling, running, or gym).
Explore outdoor or unique brunch/lunch places.
Go to the beach at least 2 or 3 times, same with theme parks.
Sushi happy hour, Thai, Greek restaurants with outside seating for dinner,
Wine tasting, quaint bars with live music, comedy show, & dinner show.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom. Her sewing skills transformed my idea to a tangible product. Though she had early dementia, her answer to a simple question one day resulted in our logo. I asked her what were some of the names of dogs she had growing up & she eagerly replied, “Doggy of course!” & that’s how “Doggytogo” was born.
Website: DoggyToGoshop.com
Instagram: Doggytogo
Twitter: Doggytogo
Facebook: Doggytogo
Other: doggytogollc@yahoo.com