Meet Suzanne Shenton | Owner, 4 Paws Studio LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Suzanne Shenton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Suzanne, what role has risk played in your life or career?
On all levels, risk taking is a mental, physical, and financial challenge. My educational degrees are in museum studies, and for 23 years, I worked for the largest museum in the western hemisphere, The Metropolitan Musuem of Art. Considering leaving my professional career and risking my life’s stability didn’t occur until the last year when I realized I didn’t have much change on the horizon for my personal and work life. This is when I finished my NYC chapter and decided to move to Arizona for the next chapter. This is also when I decided to follow my creative side and started a small business designing pet gear and accessories. I moved without a job and a place to live which was incredibly daunting, but I wanted to find out what I could do if given the chance to take a risk.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2016, I picked up a German Shepherd puppy from the Monks of New Skete in New York state. She added much happiness into my life, and I wanted to make sure she had the best gear to keep her safe and happy. Not particularly fond of the Big Box store choice of collars and leashes, I set out to make my own for my pup. I taught myself to sew, and that’s when my creative side took over and I wanted to make not one collar, but several more. From there 4 Paws Studio started.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to teach myself is to not overthink things and take everything one day at a time. Every aspect of the business will not happen at once, nor will it be easy to figure out. However, giving yourself encouragement and freedom to think things through is a must. When I work on a new design, I realize this is an accomplishment. When I identify a problem in a product or decision making, I tell myself, “Lesson learned.” I believe being aware and kind to yourself is critical when running your own creative business.

4 Paws Studio is all about unleashing your pet’s style. Every pet is special to the pet owner, and I enjoy providing quality handmade products for the special pet. People smile when they talk about their pet, and my goal is to add more smiles to the pet ownership world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Most of my friends are from back east and have never experience the wide-open land of Arizona. I would take them to the essential hot spots for Northern Arizona: Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater, Wupatki National Monument, and Walnut Canyon. After some outdoor adventures, we would go to the Museum of Northern Arizona, downtown Flagstaff, and the train depot on Route 66. If the weather is good, we’d spend an evening at Lowell Observatory. The food would be all about the southwest, and this includes food trucks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my family and closest friends for letting me go on a new adventure without holding me back. I’d also like to give credit to Harold Holzer, my former boss, who provided me with the confidence to “make things happen” and to Julia Jin, who passed way too young, but gave me long lasting memories of friendship.

Website: https://only4paws.com

Instagram: 4paws_studio

Image Credits
Photos by S. Shenton