Thema “Tay” Ladd is a company tax lawyer and content material creator well-known for being one of many first canine mother influencers, sharing her charmed life and travels together with her Goldendoodle, Gus. The lifelong vegetarian—not like Gus, she has by no means eaten meat!—is a first-time canine mother initially from the U.S. Virgin Islands, however at present resides in New York Metropolis. We spoke together with her about involving canines in weddings, balancing two full-time jobs, and why it’s higher over there on TikTok.
Did you develop up with canines?
No, I didn’t have any pets. To be truthful, we had two goldfish, however they solely lasted two days as a result of I overfed them. I truly had a worry of canines, and I don’t know the place that originated, however I had this worry main as much as legislation faculty and even once I moved to New York. I had by no means been attacked—I feel it was simply worry of the unknown.
I wished Gus to be concerned in our wedding ceremony as a lot as potential as a result of that’s how he’s in our on a regular basis life. Crucial day of our lives must be no totally different.
What led you to Gus then?
My now-husband and I had gone to Australia for our thirtieth birthdays. We’re three days aside, so we normally rejoice our birthdays collectively. We had gotten engaged in Sydney, so we have been coming off this excessive excessive. I like Sydney—aside from New York, it’s most likely the one different metropolis wherein I’d take into account dwelling. I used to be unhappy about coming again, so I joked that it could be higher if we have been coming house to a cute canine. I used to be already warming as much as a canine at this level as a result of we have been dwelling in Chelsea and it’s very dog-friendly. Our constructing had so many Goldendoodles, so I used to be always seeing these cute canines.
The second we obtained again from the airport and walked into our constructing foyer. There was this cute Goldendoodle being, properly, cute, so we talked to the homeowners for half-hour, obtained the breeder’s information, and reached out to the breeder ourselves. It simply so occurred that somebody fell by in Gus’ litter. They’d a gap, and we obtained Gus two-and-a-half weeks later, which is extraordinary. That’s the way it fell into place.
So, you bought Gus since you have been heartbroken over leaving Australia?
Yeah. I stored pondering, I want we have been coming house to one thing that made me comfortable. I related coming house to a canine that will be comfortable to us as an offset to the letdown of leaving such an awesome second in Sydney.
That’s lovely. Upon getting a canine in your life, house feels extra like house wherever you might be.
That’s one of many final instances I’ve ever traveled with out Gus! Since then, I’ve solely been on a airplane as soon as with out him. He’s with us wherever we go now.
What was it wish to deliver a canine house for the primary time?
I handled it just like having a new child child as a result of I didn’t need to mess up. At first, my husband needed to maintain him. I used to be so afraid as a result of Gus was so tiny. After all, I used to be obsessive about him. I took 1,000,000 footage. Earlier than we obtained a canine, I used to be like, the canine just isn’t sleeping on the mattress. Completely not. However the first evening we tried placing him within the crate, he cried a lot. Since then, he’s slept within the mattress with us. Proper now, he’s curled up beneath the chair. That is our relationship. He does no matter we do. Individuals say that Goldendoodles are so needy, however I’m so needy!
Love that he’s a mama’s boy. How did you determine on his title?
I give 100% credit score to my husband as a result of the names I had in thoughts have been so terrible. I received’t even let you know. It got here from two issues. There’s this track that my husband heard a couple of man named Gustavo, however I say it got here from a personality from our favourite TV present, Breaking Dangerous. He’s very devious and calculating, however nobody might inform simply by him.
How has elevating Gus as canine dad and mom affected your relationship along with your now-husband?
It’s helped us assume exterior of ourselves. I’ve been very inward trying. It’s not a lot being egocentric, however it’s simply how I stay my entire life—specializing in getting issues performed and attending to the following step. Identical with my husband. With Gus, we’ve got to assume exterior of ourselves. He wants us each single day and we’ve got to work collectively. We have now to collaborate and act as a crew. Once we’re combating, having Gus is the unifying issue to get by issues. Gus can diffuse any scenario as a result of we’ll do not forget that this silly argument doesn’t imply something. Gus is an important factor.
That’s so lovely. Inform us about the way you concerned Gus in your attractive wedding ceremony.
Gus has a barking problem and that’s one thing we’re nonetheless scuffling with. This was probably not remedied earlier than the marriage. However I knew there couldn’t be a marriage with out him. So, we enlisted the providers of the highest pet wedding ceremony attendant, Stephanie from Wags & Garland, to be there. She was wonderful. We wanted somebody who was vetted and who would deal with him like her personal canine. She was there for all of the actions all through wedding ceremony weekend.
If we wanted him for a photograph, we’d simply wave her over. She walked him down the aisle, he sat throughout the desk from us at dinner, she fed him, she groomed him. I couldn’t advocate her sufficient. I wished Gus to be concerned in our wedding ceremony as a lot as potential as a result of that’s how he’s in our on a regular basis life. Crucial day of our lives must be no totally different.
What did Gus put on to your wedding ceremony?
He wore a two-piece tuxedo. He wore a bandana with the buttons and bow tie. After which he had a tux that went over his again, too. I obtained it from Etsy.
Cute! You didn’t take Gus in your honeymoon, did you?
Oh sure, we did.
No manner. Inform us about that.
Particularly with my job, I knew this was my finest alternative to take a lot time without work. So, we stayed in wine nation—Sonoma—and we went to solely dog-friendly resorts, vineyards, and wineries. We enlisted Brooke from Wine Nation Doggy to care for Gus if we went out for dinner, simply the 2 of us, or wished to do a pair’s therapeutic massage. Brooke would come over to the lodge room and Gus beloved her.
Which dog-friendly wineries do you advocate?
Lambert Bridge Vineyard is our prime one. We’ve been there so many instances and we schedule our holidays to coincide with their member occasions. There’s McIlroy Cellars. There’s additionally Bricoleur Vineyards and Matanzas Creek Vineyard. All dog-friendly, all Instagrammable, with wonderful wine. Bricoleur’s chef even makes canine treats in-house. I feel most of them have resident canines.
These canines are undoubtedly dwelling their finest life! You’re an extremely prolific content material creator and, as you talked about, you’ve got a full-time job as a company lawyer. How precisely do you do it?
Each of them are full-time jobs. I don’t assume I essentially take one of the best care of myself, however I’m engaged on it. It’s useful to set boundaries in each areas of my life. Now, I deal with social media as a enterprise, which is one of the simplest ways for me to do it. My job as a lawyer is my precedence, as a result of that’s what enabled me to stay this way of life. I by no means lose sight of that. I shoot plenty of my content material on the weekends. Saturday is my brainstorming day, wherein I assess what occurred throughout the week—what labored and didn’t work. After which I attempt to map out the massive footage. Like, these are the themes that appear to be working, the content material sorts that appear to be working.
I don’t batch create content material—I don’t function that manner. I do plan out and reassess and reevaluate my plans weekly in order that I’m capable of create intuitively. Let’s be actual: It’s not like I’m placing collectively podcasts or YouTube movies or writing weblog posts. A seven-second video just isn’t going to take me plenty of time, particularly if I’m already sporting make-up. If I’ve some downtime throughout work, I’ll shoot a video, however that’s as a result of I do plenty of planning on the weekends.
Does Gus ever have to take a break from making content material?
Sure, he undoubtedly does. After I first began TikTok, I used to be identical to, I wanna do all the issues. I’ll simply give Gus treats and he’s advantageous. After which I spotted in a short time, okay, I can run myself to the bottom, however I cannot try this to Gus. Now, I’ll solely hassle him from his slumber as soon as I’ve mapped out the idea. All he has to do is sit there and look cute. If I haven’t figured it out myself, I’m not bothering him.
Love that you simply’re such canine mother ensuring that your canine can simply do it in a single take.
That’s the purpose. It must be enjoyable for him—he doesn’t have to work like I do! He must be a contented canine, look cute, and stay his finest life. He doesn’t have to do a number of takes as a result of I couldn’t get my act collectively. That’s not his downside.
Precisely. His solely job is to be a contented canine. What drew me to your content material initially is that you simply have been one of many first canine mother influencers—such as you put your self in entrance of the digital camera along with your canine, as an alternative of simply your canine. We obtained to expertise your relationship, not simply see your cute canine. What pushed you to do this?
To start with, there have been pushbacks. Individuals have been like, I solely need to see your canine. However I wished individuals to be clear on who was behind these posts. Let’s be actual—Gus isn’t writing these captions. It’s necessary to do not forget that. I like seeing all of the accounts which are doing one thing comparable as a result of I join a lot extra once I see the human. All of us have cute canines, however it’s the reference to the human that I keep in mind.
TikTok has been the driving drive in giving me confidence to do plenty of issues I don’t do on Instagram. Perhaps persons are much less keen to experiment on Instagram—I like being myself on TikTok.
What has been your favourite TikTok that you simply’ve made?
The preferred one was earlier than we transitioned the account to being each of us was simply Gus within the bathtub. The music selection was good, and it went viral. However I don’t like to say that one as a result of I’ve nothing in opposition to cute pet movies, however I don’t need to depend on these simply to get views. I don’t really feel that’s attracting the viewers that I would like.
So, when it comes to the brand new route, one of many prime movies has been “Work Bitch” by Britney Spears. It’s me at my workstation. I press a key on my pc and it begins taking part in the track. The textual content overlay is simply reminding myself that my canine and I like costly issues. That one’s been blowing up.
One other one which’s been doing very well—not essentially viral—however is my new route on TikTok that I’ve been completely loving.
it’s simply me showcasing that individuals have instructed me, “You’ll be able to’t be a company lawyer and a content material creator.” And me simply saying, “Why not? Says who?” And simply doing it in any case. For me, that sort of content material is inspirational for not solely millennials who may be working at a demanding profession and seeing this, but in addition youthful audiences like gen z who could also be pondering, I can’t be a lawyer as a result of my thought of a lawyer is somebody who’s professionally uptight. I need to encourage the long run generations of legal professionals. I’d relatively try this than share model partnership suggestions.
So, behind the scenes: What do you feed Gus?
Proper now, we’ve been feeding him Karma. I usually don’t do any sort of pet food promos as a result of we like to regulate what he eats. However I had partnered with Karma as a result of we love their environmentally-conscious messaging. The substances are quite simple and are what we’d usually feed him anyway. He has brown rice, kale, candy potatoes, and eggs or hen. We put together it ourselves—and we eat it ourselves, too! Nicely, I don’t eat the meat as a result of I’m vegetarian. I’ve turned down so many pet food manufacturers.
That’s big of you—pet food firms have all the cash!
It’s so exhausting to show down these alternatives. I want I might present you all these items. When individuals publish a distinct pet food each month, I get involved. I hope they’re not feeding their canine a distinct meals each month—which is a separate problem as a result of which means you’re simply selling one thing that you simply’re probably not doing. It’s a belief issue.
I feel it’s so necessary to set boundaries as a content material creator.
Canines can’t converse for themselves, so that you because the canine mum or dad must be discerning of what you feed to your canine.
You’re a canine mother first, content material creator second. What does Gus’ grooming routine appear to be?
We go to skilled groomers as a result of I do know my limitations. I normally simply present an image of how the final groom regarded and he comes again in a number of hours trying good. We do that when each two months as a result of it’s so costly. However they do such job that we don’t have to do a lot maintenance. Each time we take a stroll, we sanitize his paws with paw sanitizer spray and wipes. We use Soos Pure Useless Sea Go away-In Pet Conditioner and provides him a rubdown. We additionally give him Bocce’s Bakery Good Hair Dailies. His coat is wonderful.
That’s wonderful that Bocce’s making dietary supplements! Artemis is so choosy about her dietary supplements so I’m at all times searching for dietary supplements that really style like treats. Acquired any New Yr’s resolutions associated to Gus?
The largest one is getting out with him extra. I had an aha second in October. I used to be working a lot and I used to be like, why am I even doing this? It’s so we are able to do good issues, get exterior, and discover the town. We are able to’t simply keep within the condo and do self-care. Gus must be a canine. I do know he doesn’t consider himself as a canine, however he must get out.
Images by Tayler Smith
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