How My Senior Rescue Dog Became the Agency’s Greatest Mentor

Stacy Jones | April 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM

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From Tangled Cords to Tangible Lessons

There are business insights to be found in the most unexpected places. Sometimes, they come during a high-pressure client pitch. Other times, they arrive late at night when your elderly rescue dog climbs behind you on the couch… and promptly pees on your back.

Let me introduce Leia, our 16+ year-old cocker spaniel- a scrappy, spirited survivor with an unexplainable obsession with electrical cords. In this article, Hollywood Branded shares powerful business lessons drawn from Leia’s journey - from surviving cancer and blindness to her unshakable will to connect with every power strip in sight.

How My Senior Rescue Dog Became the Agency’s Greatest Mentor

Meet Leia, Our Electrically Charged Spaniel

Our 16+ year-old rescue cocker spaniel Leia (yes, named after THE Princess Leia from Star Wars) has an oddly undeniable attraction to electricity. If there's a cord anywhere nearby, she'll manage to become hopelessly entangled in it.

Leia was always a runner. My husband found her as a scruffy pup darting along his street near a busy highway back in his bachelor days, never imagining this adventurous little creature would become his lifelong companion. When I first met Leia as a spirited adolescent – despite needing to coexist with my German Shepherd, Sadie – she immediately decided I was some sort of godsend. Ian and I had very different dog-parenting philosophies: Sadie slept in my bed, lounged on furniture, joined me daily at work, and even tagged along on road trips and kayaking adventures – activities Leia desperately yearned to do and soon joined eagerly.

Agency Dog Extraordinaire

I officially rescued Leia from her lonely days spent home alone while Ian worked as an administrator at a distinctly non-dog-friendly high school, as those settings are. She quickly embraced her proud new role as an agency dog, happily providing cuddles and significantly reducing workplace stress. (I whole heartedly recommend dogs in any hectic agency environment!)

True acceptance came during one unforgettable bonding moment late at night while I was typing away on my laptop. Leia climbed onto the couch pillows behind me, wrapping me in unprecedented warmth – which felt oddly comforting for a split second until I realized she had peed on me, effectively marking me as hers, just as she'd done with every dog bed in the house – much to Sadie's chagrin.

Leia’s Incredible Tenacity

Tenacity has defined Leia's entire life. How else could she have endured multiple bouts of cancer (goodbye kitchen remodel dreams – who needs working ovens or cabinetry when doggie chemo saves the day over and over?), glaucoma, blindness, deafness, dementia, one terrifying night of grand mal seizures, and even surgery to remove a melon-sized gallbladder? She's a tough cookie through and through.

And even blind, she relentlessly charges toward every electrical cord within reach.

Queen of Entanglement

Entanglement is Leia’s specialty. The more tangled she gets, the greater the chaos. Monitors, laptops, lamps, TVs – you name it, she's toppled it. She never gives up, standing stubbornly in place, tugging endlessly, utterly convinced the cord will eventually surrender. At least she's finally stopped trying to bite her way through – which, amazingly, she survived multiple times.

Leia's attraction to electricity isn't limited to cords alone. She genuinely seems fascinated by outlets, power strips, and even the hum of electrical appliances. If there's something plugged in nearby, you'll find her curled up next to it, basking in its mysterious energy like she's recharging her own batteries.

Read on for those learning lessons I mentioned...

Powerful Insights From Leia's Life

Watching Leia these last 15 years has provided powerful insights into business, leadership, and life:

Lessons from a Dog’s Life: Her relentless pulling mirrors how we often approach tangled situations – in our case, celebrity missteps, complex brand partnerships, or PR crises. Often, the solution isn't pulling harder. It's about pausing, stepping back, reassessing, and finding a fresh approach.

The Power of Adaptability: Leia's journey exemplifies adaptability – a crucial skill in pop culture and celebrity marketing. Trends shift quickly, and gracefully pivoting can be the difference between thriving and stumbling.

Choosing Meaningful Partnerships: Just as we've prioritized Leia's health over home upgrades, successful agencies, businesses, and individuals should prioritize meaningful, long-term relationships over quick fixes or flashy deals. Authentic connections, like our bond with this resilient little spaniel, form the core of what Hollywood Branded strives to build with brand partners, celebrities, and clients.

Agency Mascot: Leia has become one of our beloved agency mascots, embodying the heart and spirit behind Hollywood Branded. She's our "influencer" of office morale, reminding team members about perseverance, adaptability, and what's truly essential.

Photo Jan 11 2024, 9 07 07 PM

Leia’s Lasting Lessons

Ultimately, our little cocker – with her endless pursuit of cords and unwavering spirit – has shown us:

Be resilient when facing challenges, but recognize when it's wiser to pivot.
Embrace the power of pausing and reflecting rather than stubbornly pulling harder.
Prioritize what's genuinely essential, even if it means short-term sacrifices.
Always find time to rest and recharge – preferably basking in sunlight or curled up comfortably next to the ones you love. Just make sure it's cord-free.

Leia is fiercely lovable and has definitely taught me just as much about life and agency leadership as I've tried to teach her. At one point, she could even spin like a ballerina – hands down, my biggest success in dog training yet. With her cord fixation, she's so tuned into energy that maybe she really is a Jedi, secretly here to train me in the ways of the Force. ;) I wouldn’t trade her – or our shared journey – for anything.

Eager To Learn More?

Leia’s story may be one-of-a-kind, but the lessons she’s inspired are deeply relevant to today’s fast-moving world of marketing and brand partnerships. At Hollywood Branded, we’re passionate about sharing real-world insights that help brands thrive at the intersection of pop culture, storytelling, and strategy.