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Happy Dogs, Happier Owners, with Stacy Fotos, The Happy Dog Hotel

March 3, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Happy Dogs, Happier Owners, with Stacy Fotos, The Happy Dog Hotel

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Happy Dogs, Happier Owners, with Stacy Fotos, The Happy Dog Hotel (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 849)

In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray interviews Stacy Fotos, co-owner of The Happy Dog Hotel. Stacy shares insights about her dog-centric business that offers daycare, boarding, and grooming services for dogs. She emphasizes the importance of cleanliness, staff who genuinely love dogs, and the difference between owner-run and investor-run dog care businesses. Stacy also discusses the unique features of The Happy Dog Hotel, such as large kennels, a dog ice cream shop, and various community events. Additionally, she outlines her future goals, including acquiring a farm to expand her services and creating a non-profit to help homeless dogs.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Stacy Fotos, Co-Founder, The Happy Dog Hotel

Stacy Fotos is a dedicated entrepreneur and community leader who has been an integral part of the Metro Atlanta area for over three decades. As a mother of two grown children, Courteney (29) and Joseph (25), and a grandmother to Jaxson (4) and Chandler (21 months), Stacy has deep roots in Alpharetta, where she raised her family. Her personal interests include spending quality time with her grandchildren, traveling abroad, and indulging in her love for reading.

Throughout her career, Stacy has demonstrated a strong commitment to both community service and business leadership. From 1998 to 2002, she served on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Restoration Network, eventually holding the position of Chair. In this role, she was instrumental in media relations, acting as a spokesperson across various platforms, and led successful fundraising initiatives, including chairing the fundraising committee and organizing annual auctions. From 2008 to December 31, 2024, Stacy founded and managed Synergy HomeCare of North Atlanta, a home care company where she oversaw daily operations, employee management, and ensured compliance with state regulations.

**Stacy Fotos and Christopher Zimmerman, Co-Founders, The Happy Dog Hotel**

The Happy Dog Hotel is a premier dogboarding and daycare facility co-founded by Stacy Fotos and her childhood friend Christopher Zimmerman. Opened in March 2024, the hotel offers a unique “home away from home” experience for canine guests, providing services such as boarding, daycare, grooming, and even featuring an organic doggie ice cream parlor. The facility prides itself on its spacious, climate-controlled suites, supervised playtime sessions, and personalized care tailored to each dog’s individual needs.

At The Happy Dog Hotel, Stacy oversees comprehensive management, including human resources, marketing, networking, social media, and all operational aspects of the business. What sets the hotel apart is not only its commitment to exceptional pet care but also its dedication to giving back to the community. The founders have set a five-year goal to use proceeds from the hotel to build their own homeless shelter and support dogs in need. This mission-driven approach, combined with their family-owned status and trained, dog-loving staff, has quickly established The Happy Dog Hotel as a top-rated choice for pet owners in the Johns Creek and Alpharetta areas of Georgia.

The Happy Dog Hotel is located at 11895 Jones Bridge Rd., Johns Creek, GA 30005.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Stacy LinkedIn

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:35 Meet Stacy Fotos of Happy Dog Hotel
01:55 Services Offered by Happy Dog Hotel
02:41 The Story Behind Happy Dog Hotel
04:29 Importance of Cleanliness and Quality Care
05:46 Owner-Run vs. Investor-Run Facilities
14:25 Community Involvement and Events
17:38 Future Plans and Goals
21:51 Conclusion and Contact Information
22:42 Final Announcements and Thank You

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 850 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

**John Ray, North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

Family Business Radio, Episode 10: Kathy Stone, Camp Bow Wow Lawrenceville, and Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic

July 20, 2020 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Family Business Radio, Episode 10: Kathy Stone, Camp Bow Wow Lawrenceville, and Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic

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Family Business Radio, Episode 10: Kathy Stone, Camp Bow Wow Lawrenceville, and Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic

Kathy Stone of Camp Bow Wow Lawrenceville joined “Family Business Radio” to discuss her doggy day care and boarding business. Host Anthony Chen also welcomed Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic, to talk about how she helps her clients gain radiant-looking skin. “Family Business Radio” is broadcast from the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX®.

Kathy Stone, Owner, Camp Bow Wow Lawrenceville

Camp Bow Wow Lawrenceville GA is part of the largest dog care franchise in the US. A premiere dog day camp, overnight boarding and full-service grooming service organization, CBW Lawrenceville GA specializes in all day play/open play environments where a dog can be a dog. CBW Lawrenceville GA even has Camper Cams through a free app so that parents can watch their pups play during the day. CBW Lawrenceville GA just celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Maedeh Samimi, Founder, Urban Skin Care Clinic

Urban Skin Care Clinic is committed to providing clinically-proven, results-driven treatments with the highest integrity of customer service in the aesthetic industry.

By specializing in results-driven, clinically-based treatments, Maedeh is able to educate her clients on how to take better care of their skin and customize a treatment plan as well as proper home care regimen so that they can look as confident as they feel.

Anthony Chen, Host of “Family Business Radio”

family owned craft breweries — **Anthony Chen**

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (RAA), member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of RAA. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd. Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090 ext 5075 or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance. Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

The complete show archive of “Family Business Radio” can be found at familybusinessradioshow.com.

Jenny Westmoreland with I Speak K-9! and Dusty Porter with Porter Media

June 18, 2019 by Beau Henderson

North Georgia Business Radio

Jenny Westmoreland with I Speak K-9! and Dusty Porter with Porter Media

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Beau Henderson, Jenny Westmoreland, Dusty Porter, Dr. Bill Lampton

Jenny Westmoreland/I Speak K-9!

I Speak K-9 is a friendly, safe training, boarding, and stay and play center, providing services to our community, by certified experts. Jenny has been training, and showing dogs for over 25 years. She has influenced several breeds, most notably Collies and Rottweilers, and has been active in many aspects of the dog world – not only conformation, but also obedience, protection, and herding, and she has a long list of titled dogs to show for it. She is educated in Applied Animal Behavior and Experimental Psychology, but experience is what has given her the natural ability to communicate with the dogs on a level that is clearly understood by the animal. In her past, as a proven leading Trainer for a the largest Corporate pet company in the world, Jenny used her skills and her own knowledge as oppose to their traditional curriculum, to train others in her methods, always encouraging young people to become pack leaders, and use body language to present yourself. Using many different training methods – positive reinforcement being at the top of the list, but understanding that each dog is an individual – she applies the appropriate method to give the dog every opportunity for a long, happy life with the right human. She is a Professional Premium Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), What truly sets Jenny’s training apart, is that she is comfortable and confident in what she does. It is not as much a learned method, as it is what comes naturally! Few people can really handle the dog in their own element, read the dog’s body language and give you an enlightening picture into the dog’s mind. Jenny can truly “speak K-9”, and she does it just as naturally as most people breath air or speak their native language.

“I am very blessed that God gave me a gift I’ve been allowed to use to help dogs that few others can. I don’t abuse it and I don’t get greedy. I was taught that looking into the eyes of a dog will help us forgive the ignorance of the human. That, alone has helped me save many dogs from being Euthanized or re-homed. I was taught at an early age that if we shake our head and get rid of the junk, we’d think like a dog.” Jennifer Westmoreland

Dusty Porter/Porter Media

Under the Porter Media umbrella is Dusty’s YouTube channel called “Dusty Porter” with over 260 thousand subscribers and over 60 million video views to this point. Dusty also hosts 2 YouTube centric podcasts called “YouTube Creators Hub” and “TubeBuddy Express”. These podcasts get around 40-50 thousand downloads per week. He also films and DJs weddings. All of this has lead to Dusty becoming a Voice Actor as well.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Kathy Stone with Camp Bow Wow, Jordan Sandler of Frenik Marketing Group and Courtney Spencer with Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

June 24, 2016 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Kathy Stone with Camp Bow Wow, Jordan Sandler of Frenik Marketing Group and Courtney Spencer with Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

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Johnny Phelps, Courtney Spencer, Jordan Sandler, Kathy Stone

Kathy Stone/Camp Bow Wow

Camp Bow Wow Lawrencveille/Hamilton Mill is Georgia’s newest location of the largest dog daycamp and overnight boarding franchise in the country. Their location has been open 15 months and uses the latest equipment and design. They do training, grooming and offer an in-home pet sitting service, called Home Buddies. They have webcams so parents can watch their camper play during the day. They are open every day.

Jordan Sandler/Frenik Marketing Group

Frenik Marketing Group is a full-service marketing firm that specializes in strengthening the digital presences of growing companies. Based upon thorough assessments, they deliver creative strategies that grow revenue, rankings, followers, and total brand equity. They are trusted by many large companies and organizations, but are also partners with many growing brands.

Courtney Spencer/Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

The Gwinnett Chamber is the forum for business, government, education, healthcare, arts/culture/entertainment, and philanthropic and public-service communities to come together to advance the region’s economy and enrich Gwinnett’s quality of life. The mission of the Gwinnett Chamber is to strengthen existing businesses, facilitate the growth of quality job opportunities, and enrich the community’s quality of life. The Gwinnett Chamber serves over 2,000 members throughout metro Atlanta by delivering pertinent and useful programs that strengthen and connect businesses locally, regionally, and globally.