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Public relations is important because it will get your brand and products into the media. This helps with attracting customers to inquire about your products. I remember when I was contacted by Bloomingdales to have The SHERPA Bag included in their catalog. It was a major win for the brand.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Gayle Martz.
Gayle Martz is an inventor, animal advocate, business executive, photographer and author who has worked with the world’s leading brands on designing, manufacturing and marketing.

Gayle invented the iconic SHERPA bag and is founder of The SHERPA Pet Trading Company — creating the soft-sided pet carrier category. She grew the company, which she started from scratch, into a multimillion-dollar enterprise with products still sold globally. Now, she continues to advocate for a world that responsibly welcomes pets wherever their humans go and advises companies and government agencies on pet-friendly policies, just like she did with American Airlines when she first revolutionized pet travel.

Gayle provides her expertise to legislators and leaders of brand name companies in the travel, hospitality, media and fashion industries (has worked on campaigns for Lanvin, Valentino, and Godiva Chocolate), and, of course, key influencers throughout the dog and cat world. She is the author of No Pet Left Behind: The Sherpa Guide for Traveling with Your Best Friend and It’s In The Bag: How to turn a passion into a new business. Gayle has been featured on CNN, CNBC, FOX, The New York Times, and numerous other television, radio, print and online organizations. She is also the recipient of Avon’s Women of Enterprise award.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Love brought me here. I had a dog named SHERPA and wanted her to be with me everywhere I went, and I knew I couldn’t be the only pet owner who felt this way. The love people have for their dogs and cats is so strong and most have a desire to be with them. Just look at all the media surrounding employees petitioning for their pets to go to work with them when they had to return back to the office after quarantine! Read more

Check out a real life Snoopy!