Meet Julie-Rae Steinmeyer | Owner / Camp Bow Wow Dobson Ranch

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie-Rae Steinmeyer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie-Rae, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
While life presents us with opportunities everyday, I have seen people shy away from making health & happiness a priority in their life. I have dedicated myself to educate individuals and communities in an effort to promote, maintain and improve healthy lifestyles. My efforts in opening this franchise contribute to my skills as an innovative executive in an expanding organization that is dedicated to helping dogs by providing a safe environment for them while the owners are away and given the opportunity to educate the owners as well. Obviously my love for dogs is a huge ….. My Husband and I had 6 sweet pitties of our own when we open the business in 2019 and currently have 4, all rescued off the streets and still help those in need. Back in 2016 I decided I needed a change in my career path, so I took a class at a local college in business strategic management to see if I wanted to go back to school for my Executive-MBA. Along the journey of this class I had to write my last paper on a franchise. That franchise they picked for me was Camp Bow Wow. I fell in love while writing this paper and thought maybe this is for me… Why else would this be put in front of me right now? So I looked into it a bit more and after about 8 months of thinking about it, here I am 4 years open!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Camp Bow Wow® Dobson Ranch in Mesa, the Premier Doggy Day and Overnight Camp®, has been open four years on August 3rd, 2023 and the barks just keep getting bigger. Since its opening 4 years ago, Camp Bow Wow has provided the people and pups of Dobson Ranch with top quality pet care and the opportunity to participate in a variety of local events and adoption programs. Was it easy, NO.. It is not easy, it is hard work, that is incredibly rewarding. During our first year open we ran face first into COVID. We stayed strong, stayed open with limited hours, kept 95% of our staff and are stronger then ever now. What sets us apart? We’re happy to say — there’s no one thing that sets us apart. We became the number one name in pet care by completely revolutionizing the way dogs are cared for and boarded. Safety is our number one priority at Camp Bow Wow. How do we keep romping pups safe at all times, you asked? It’s simple! We:

* Require all Camp Counselors to be trained in dog behavior, pet first aid, and CPR
* Give each potential Camper a socialization interview
* Require all incoming Campers are up-to-date on their vaccines and are spayed and neutered
* Separate dogs by size and temperament
* Give pet parents the opportunity to check in on their furry friends via the live webcams we have in all of our facilities
*We are conveniently located on Baseline & 101 in the Dobson Ranch community in Mesa, AZ.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Well fist I would tour them through Camp Bow Wow to show off some of our pups.. If it is a nice day in the valley, then I would cook a breakfast and go for a hike around South Mountain or the superstition mountains with a few pups. I would then take the pups to a local dog friendly lunch spot. I love to visit Flagstaff and Sedona, up north..  Rent a bike and do some off roading, or just hike along the rim of the canyon. Back in town, If the wether holds on cool night, we would be sitting outside by our fireplace and tell stories or take drive to our favorite go to; Postino’s for late bite and glass of wine.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
OMG, yes…. My Family and Friends.. My Family and friends are so giving and encouraging.. My husband goes without saying the most positive and supportive. I mean for us to just jump 100% into a new profession, while he was just a few years into his career, is dedication. Our passion for animals drives us everyday. My husband is s such a great listener, because anyone who knows me, knows I can talk. At the end of each day he gives me the encouragement to make each day a little better than the one before. My business sense comes from my Dad and a very good friend Dr. J. I use to work for my Dad in his own business growing up. I started off filing and learning the importance of being organized, and then quickly helped him with his bookkeeping and then marketing. He had his business for over 10 years before he sold it to retire. My good friend, Dr. J is a very a successful business man that started off working for a large company and then quickly ventured off to run his own business and became very successful.. I use to work with him and help him manage his trading accounts and daily tasks. Surrounded by entrepreneurs..  So you see it is difficult to say just one person here. The positive and always looking for the good in all comes from Mom.  She is always so positive and never stops moving, and neither do I..

Website: https://www.campbowwow.com/dobson-ranch-mesa/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-rae-steinmeyer-a4a52011/

Facebook: https://twitter.com/cbwdobsonranch

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/camp-bow-wow-dobson-ranch-mesa-mesa-4

Image Credits
Julie Steinmeyer