The Team
Welcome to our Meet the Team page!, you’ll meet the two creative minds behind toy designs. With a shared passion for fun and imagination, we work closely to bring joy to playtime. Get to know us and discover what inspires our unique creations!
Richard
Toy Designer & Product Photographer
Let us introduce you to the one and only Richard… the man, the myth, the very talented (and slightly annoying) creative force behind Aurora Paws 😂
By day, Richard is a seasoned professional with a strong background in sales and a current role in marketing — which basically means he knows how to make things look good, sound good, and sell themselves without even trying. And luckily for us, he brings all of that into the business.
He’s the mastermind behind all of our photography (yes, all of it), and honestly… he’s a bit of a dab hand, don’t you know. Whether it’s capturing the perfect product shot or getting one of our dogs to pose like a seasoned model, he somehow just makes it happen.
But where Richard really shines is in the creative side of Aurora Paws. He’s our primary toy designer (although we do debate that regularly… loudly… and often 😅). Every toy starts with him — a spark of inspiration from a photo, a random idea, or something he’s spotted out and about — which he then turns into a sketch or even a full-on painting. And yes, annoyingly, he’s also a very talented painter. It’s all a bit unfair really.
At the heart of it though, Richard is the business. He absolutely loves what we do — especially the people (and dogs!) we meet along the way. If you ever visit us at an event, there’s a high chance he’ll start off behind the gazebo… and then mysteriously vanish for a good 30 minutes. Don’t worry — he hasn’t gone far. He’ll be off somewhere, deep in conversation, catching up with fellow small business friends, having a laugh, and probably sneaking in a few dog cuddles along the way. Wouldn’t have him any other way 🐾
Martin
Boss Man (Does all the boring admin stuff)
And now… introducing Martin — also known as the Boss Man… or more accurately, the Bossy Man depending on who you ask 😅
Martin is the one with the serious business brain behind Aurora Paws. With an extensive background in Visual Merchandising, Retail Management, HR and Marketing, he’s the guy making sure everything actually runs as a business (someone has to, apparently).
While Richard is off creating and chatting, Martin is usually buried in the really glamorous side of things — emails, spreadsheets, logistics, planning… all the bits that make your eyes glaze over but keep the whole show on the road. Behind all of that though, he’s the one driving the vision, constantly thinking about where we’re going next and how we get there.
Now… he will tell you he designs the toys as well. We’ll let him have that moment 😏 But truthfully, if there’s a decision to be made — big or small — Martin is your man. He’s the one responsible for shaping the Aurora Paws brand into what it is today, from the look and feel to the voice and direction (which is quite impressive really… considering he allegedly doesn’t have a personality 😂 only joking… sort of).
All jokes aside, Martin is the glue that holds everything together. The ideas, the growth, the structure — it all runs through him. Every business needs someone who can see the bigger picture and keep things moving forward… even if it means being slightly bossy along the way 🐾
Brianna & Darcey
Product & Treat Testers
And of course, we couldn’t do any of this without our very important team members… Darcey and Brianna — our official product and treat testers 🐾
These two take their roles very seriously.
Every toy is thoroughly chewed, tugged and tested (often to its limits), while every treat is sampled with expert enthusiasm and zero hesitation.
Darcey brings the gentle, considered approach… whereas Brianna is more of a “let’s see how quickly I can destroy this” kind of girl 😅 Between them, they make sure everything we create is not only fun, but truly dog-approved — because if it doesn’t pass their standards, it doesn’t make the cut.