It's In The Bag

A Determined Woman. A Little Dog Named SHERPA. A Remarkable Story. It's In the Bag: A Revolution in Pet Travel (New Voices Press, NUMBER OF PAGES, Feb. 14, 2021) is part memoir and part business book. Pet people will find inspiration in the journey of a determined woman who single-handedly designed, manufactured and marketed the iconic SHERPA Bag. This carrier, which millions have bought for their dogs, cats and other animal companions, continues to be THE top-selling, prize-winning, globally-popularly soft-sided pet carrier. The book will also inform, motivate and inspire would-be entrepreneurs and ambitious business owners as they read Gayle's unusually candid cautionary tales of the many "sharks in the water" she encountered in building SHERPA Pet Trading Company into a global brand, after convincing airlines to allow pets to travel in the cabin, where they can be most comfortable and safe.IT's IN THE BAG" details the great lengths Gayle went to, to have pets on board and give people a greater appreciation of how easy it can be to travel with your pet safely and comfortably, whether in their automobile, on a train or bus, or walking around town, while offering their pet a cozy "home away from home" the pet can constantly enjoy.Her story began in 1987, when she was on a brief hiatus from her job as a TWA Hostess (now known industry-wide as a flight attendant). As Gayle relates, "SHERPA the dog was my life, and I loved her dearly. She also served as a bittersweet reminder of my fianc , who had recently died in his sleep. SHERPA was my greatest source of comfort and companionship long before the concept of "emotional support animals" entered the vernacular. That was exactly what she was, total emotional support. My story is not a fairy tale in which everything went smoothly. If that were so, I wouldn't have needed to write this book. When I designed my first line of SHERPA Bags, I not only had no business experience-I also had no money. I borrowed $5,000 from my dear mother and then took the SHERPA Bag from store to store, selling their sales teams on my soft sided pet carrier concept. I became a one-woman business - a designer, distributor, salesperson, CEO. I handled sales from my personal phone number and went to Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and elsewhere to begin my business. Most important, I was an advocate for pet travel. I needed to spread awareness and educate people about traveling with pets. By 1994, The Sherpa Bag had been officially approved by most major airlines, opening up a world of freedom for pet owners."Anyone who has ever been in business for any length of time knows that competition always jumps in. Sometimes the danger of being ripped off is not only without but within. Gayle's story is filled with trials, tribulations and challenges, and is a page-turner as well as a cautionary tale to help other people, entrepreneurs and most especially pet lovers.More about the book, and Gayle's journey, with a spectacular Photo Gallery, is on her website, gaylemartz.com