Bettina Frohn

Bettina is a marketing guru, pet whisperer, entrepreneur and so much more. We met her when we lived in Hackney, she was our next-door neighbour for many many years. The kind of next-door neighbour you cat sit for, have dinners with, check on each others flat when someone thinks they might have left the oven on, etc... This doesn't happen very often in London, does it?! Good neighbours are hard to find, especially those who become your friends. Bettina is a cool cat lady (who now also has a doggo), her cats can do tricks - high fives and all sorts! Zeppelin (our dog) was left feeling quite simple after he's seen that, haha. Here's our little interview. Mostly about make them roar - an online shop of designer pet furniture and accessories. Yup, you read correctly!

What are you wearing?

It’s very hot today in London, so I’m afraid I’m wearing very little. Think t-shirt and shorts.

Who are you and what is it that you do?

My name is Bettina and I’m a marketer. My day job is to manage strategic and creative workflows and client relationships in advertising and branding agencies. I essentially make sure that all work runs smoothly and everyone’s happy. I’ve also set up businesses; a street food company called Waffle On (waffleon.net) and an online pet shop called Make them Roar (makethemroar.com). So, I’m a jack-of-all-trades, really.

Tell us about your pets!

I’ve got two cats. There’s 10-year-old tuxedo Spats. Born and raised in Hackney, he’s a big boy and a proper lad as he does pretty much what he wants. And then there’s 7-year-old Teddy who we adopted from Battersea dog & cats home. He was found in and named after the Teddington area in the South West of London. He’s a bright little boy, who just managed to open his food storage container... And then there’s my boyfriend’s dog Axel. He’s a pretty big lad with a gentle soul. And gets totally ruled by the felines in our house.

Is Make them Roar full time or a side hustle?

It’s a side hustle for now. I wish I could dedicate all of my time to Make them Roar. I love to work with my brand partners and curate their awesome products for the shop. Maybe one day I can make it a reality…

What inspired you to start Make them Roar?

When Spats moved in, we struggled to find high-quality products that wouldn’t make our home look like a purple plastic playground. When I spotted some design-oriented, boutique businesses popping up in Europe and the US, I started to blog about them. I launched the shop a few years later and we’re seeing the industry grow steadily.

What is the biggest challenge in running Make them roar?

Time. I have so many ideas and so little time to realise them all. I collaborate with amazing freelancers who help me run social media and content creation but ultimately I look after it all.

What is your favourite part of the process?

I like to interact with my customers. People write to me for advice on what products might suit their cat or dog and it is rewarding to hear when you’ve been able to help them find what they were looking for. I also love to meet new partners and bring new brands into our little universe.

How do you find the designers you want to work with?

Sometimes they find me, and sometimes I find them. I focus on small, independent, and design-led pet businesses and find that people are very open and accessible. We all like helping each other out.

Anything new and exciting in the pipeline?

We have a range of collaborations in the pipeline. I’ve just created a silver pendant in the image of my very first pet, a longhaired Dachshund. It’s made from recycled silver that comes from old phones and computers and I’m excited to launch this in the fall.

Spots or stripes?

Spots. At the moment.

And that's that! Makethemroar.com is a pet owner heaven. From natural dog shampoo to super cool cat beds. A snippet of what can be found there below, but do visit the webshop and blog, it's certainly worth a ponder, and if you like what you see give her a follow on instagram too!

Much love and respect,

Greta & Zulfi