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

Hi Liz, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I got my first Pitbull in 2018 and my first female dog. It had been quite sometime since I had a dog let alone a puppy after the loss of my dog Zeus who passed away at 13 in 2015. It was definitely a challenge but I instantly fell in love with her. When Izzy was 6 months old a stray showed up that looked like she had puppies. It turned out she belonged to a neighbor who kept her on a chain and he bought her from a previous owner that used her for breeding. They didn’t want her so we took her in and gave her a real home. Zoey we named her got along with Izzy right from the start and quickly become inseparable. Right before Christmas we found two young sibling pups a boy and girl that were clearly malnourished and in desperate need of a home. So the duo at home grew to four. Seems like strays had a way of finding me so to speak. I had never heard that there was discrimination against bully breeds until I actually owned one. The squad got their own Instagram account and it was clear we were in the right place as we met so many other crazy dog people. It was on social media seeing so many dogs dressed up in clothes, bandannas and beads. It was clear how wearing beads seemed to make them look less intimidating. I was already into beads since 2014 making beaded keychains so I thought why not start making beaded collars. I used Izzy’s outline as the logo and kept my initial biz name dizzylizzydesignsco. Its been such a fun experience and I love doing this.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s definitely been a learning experience doing this and it’s amazing how much I’ve improved in my craft. What sets me apart is the different variety of beads and the bead inventory I’ve accumulated over the past 4 years…(thousands) I strive on trying to find very unique or interesting beads to use for my designs. Then there is the ability to put my creativity to work and make designs that truly are special. Sometimes I don’t know how my creativity works or how I come up with ideas but I definitely enjoy the process.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in a very rural small town so there isn’t much to do or places to hangout. So obviously to keep you entertained we would be at my shop playing in the beads as with so many it would definitely keep you busy!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All the dog mom friends that gave me a chance to make something special for their pups. For the extra encouragement I got from so many to venture out and make these beaded collars. The continued support of the ones that have been with me from the beginning and are still by my side supporting and encouraging me to keep doing what I love.

Website: https://dizzylizzydesignsco.com

Instagram: dizzylizzydesignsco

Image Credits
All images by me

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