Akira Bradley is the co-founder of Barking with the Bradleys, a dog care service she runs with her husband. With an MBA and engineering background, Akira brings analytical thinking and systematic approaches to pet care. After starting the business in 2019 while both she and her husband were working full-time, Akira transitioned to part-time employment in 2023 to focus more on growing their dog walking and pet care business. Based on the principle of recognizing and building on natural gifts, Barking with the Bradleys emphasizes creating trusted relationships with both pets and their owners.

Tell us about how Barking with the Bradleys got started.

It began in the summer of 2018. My husband and I had just moved in together after I finished grad school, and we got our first dog, King. We’d both had dogs our whole lives, but with King, we decided we wanted to be really intentional about it. We created this whole network of trusted people – vets, trainers, socializing buddies – and the more we did it, the more we realized it was actually fun and that we were having a great impact on these dogs. Then we discovered that people do this as a business! I have an MBA, so my husband and I started looking into what it would take. There was actually a church sermon I heard around that time about recognizing your gifts in life. What do people ask you to do for free? Figure out how to build off of that.

What did it take to actually launch the business?

It took some time and conscious effort, but I feel like Virginia made it fairly accessible for us to get started. It took licensing, insurance, branding, networking, and marketing. Certifications aren’t required in this business, but we wanted to explore those options as well to better prepare us for anything we’d face in the industry and give our clients even more peace of mind. We officially launched in January 2019. We were both working full-time, so we couldn’t do a lot of weekday dog walking ourselves at the beginning. A friend told us to bring on contractors so we could take on more clients while we were at our day jobs. We needed a way to keep up with invoicing and accounting, so that same friend recommended Wave. When we were first getting started, having a service like Wave, with its free tier, made a huge difference. Alton was blessed to have had his college paid for through a football scholarship, but I had student loans and we were preparing to buy our first home while trying to launch a business, so money was tight.

How has the business evolved since then?

We started with just invoices and then used Wave for tax help, which was super nerve-wracking at first. Who wants to make the IRS angry?! The business just kept growing as we brought on more contractors. In January 2023, I decided to go part-time at my day job. I’m an engineer, so I bring that analytical eye plus presentation skills to explain topics to new clients. My husband is in law enforcement, so he reads people really well and keeps a cool head in tough situations. It turns out, these skills translate perfectly to working with dogs and their owners.

What are your current goals for the business?

We’re focused on attracting more clients and more team members, but it can be really tough on both fronts. The second you start working on one, you fall behind on the other. We don’t expect this to be someone’s full career, so we’re trying to keep systems flowing to maintain both sides. I’m curious about using AI to make our jobs easier and taking advantage of our tech skills. To grow our customer base and team members, we use word-of-mouth, Indeed, Nextdoor, social media marketing, in-person marketing, and Google Business.

What do you love most about the work?

I love being able to give peace of mind to other dog owners. But the biggest thing for me is when I can convert a shy or fearful dog into trusting me. That moment when their ears soften, their body language changes, and they come up to you on their own – that’s huge for me. I have two or three dogs where I wasn’t sure about them as clients initially, but seeing that transformation is an incredible feeling.

How has entrepreneurship changed your personal life?

For my husband and I, it’s been about time freedom. I can decide how I expend my energy which empowers us to live a life that better aligns with our priorities. I love my day job, but I don’t have to be pigeonholed into the societal track of a W2 job until you retire. Maybe our life could be different. Maybe we could work from anywhere and still generate income. We’ve been reinvesting most of the money back into the business, but knowing we have options has been liberating.

You mentioned this has been a faith journey. Can you share more about that?

As a Christian, this has been a huge faith journey for me. Fear, doubt, and comparison really got into my brain along this journey, and that challenged my inspiration and calling to start this business. But I notice that during moments of challenge, things will just find a way of working out. It reinforces for me that I am on the right path, that this is what I was called to do. The key is being able to let go and remember the initial spark that pulled you into this work. I like to remind myself and others to tap back into that higher power, that higher purpose. This life is bigger than you.

Any advice for other entrepreneurs starting out?

Remember that initial calling that brought you to this work. When things get challenging – and they will – go back to that foundation. For us, it was recognizing that we had gifts with dogs and that we could build something meaningful around that. Trust the process, even when it feels uncertain. Lean into that feeling and recognize those times of discomfort as opportunities to grow!

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