A Lurgan woman has revealed how her dog got her through her ‘darkest days’, inspired her business and secured her a stall at this year’s Belfast Christmas Market.
After facing several health-related hurdles, Emma Goodman and her partner David embarked on a fertility journey.
“For just over six years my partner and I have been trying for a child but unsuccessfully,” said Emma who has been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and stage-four precancerous endometrial cells in her womb.
“It’s something I’ve found incredibly difficult to deal with but three years ago when we were experiencing what I would say were probably our darkest days that’s when we got Hank.”
Hank, is the couple’s three-year-old Shichon (Bichon Frise Shih Tzu mix) who Emma describes as “the light of their lives.”
She told The Irish News: “Hank has made our family and has really helped us to start coming to terms with the idea of maybe not being able to have children.
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“He got his name from Breaking Bad but actually, Hank means ruler of the home which I think show’s there’s a meaning behind everything and it just felt like everything fell into place when we brought him home.”
Over the last three years Hank has been a “huge emotional support” for Emma, so when she noticed a gap in the market for creative, quirky and good quality dog accessories she decided to “return the favour.”
An engineer by trade, she combined her professional skills with her passion for fashion to create Haus of Hank, a dog boutique specialising in stylish, comfortable and affordable pet accessories.
“Everything I do is just out of love - I design all the prints, I size the harnesses myself and I hand make our dickie bows because I just want the dogs to be at the centre of everything we do.”
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Emma’s hard work and attention to detail has clearly paid off as in August she won this year’s Jolly Big Business competition.
Supported and organised by Market Place the initiative offers young businesses the opportunity to expose their products to more than one million visitors at the award-winning Belfast Christmas Market, free of charge.
Previous winners include clothing brand OutsideIn, Bathe Botanicals and Belfast Beard Company.
“We’ve been open for 17 months but since I won the competition business has just boomed,” said Emma.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the Jolly Big Business Boost, the support that I’ve had has been amazing.
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“And because the market attracts people from all over the world, I’ve started getting online orders from places like Germany, America and Australia which is just incredible.”
Emma’s Christmas Market chalet has also received Hank’s seal of approval.
“He was down the other day, and he absolutely loved it,” she laughed.
Long term Emma would love to open her own shop where both humans and hounds can come in to browse but for now, she’s set on becoming a regular fixture at the Christmas Markets.
“I’ll definitely be back next year, I’ve already said to the ones that run it to put my name down for next year – I just love it.”