Back in 2007 when Mindy Barancik started greeting card and paper product company Fresh Frances, her plan was to get into shops where her fun designs would succeed. Recently, her earnestness called for a new endeavor; Franny B Good. This younger company focuses on fun collar charms for pets and greeting cards for their owners. Now, Barancik is in charge of two successful companies.

Mindy Barancik

Owner and designer | Franny B Good

How long has Franny B Good been around?

We are a young pup of a company, just about a year and a half old, but we are a sister company to Fresh Frances Greetings and Gifts, which was started in 2007.

Where did you come up with the name?

Franny is my dog’s name and I often call her Franny “B.” It’s been a family tradition to call each other by our first name and then append “B” to it. Since dogs are family, it was just a natural name for her. And “Good,” well, she’s a very good girl! Thus, Franny B Good was born.

What’s your specialty?

At the moment, we’re known for our design-driven Franny B Good Collar Charms, as well as the fun pet-centric cards from our sister company, Fresh Frances.

Where does your inspiration for themes, products and designs come from?

Franny is my muse and inspiration. Like a lot of dogs, she has a lot to say! I created the charms because I wanted something fun, well-designed and inexpensive that could show off my dog’s unique personality and sense of style. I knew we were onto something when I took her into the dog park wearing one of our early creations and she attracted quite a bit of attention. We put a lot of thought into the presentation of the charms, as well. We have displays and custom hang tags that show off the charms beautifully. Their eye-catching design works equally well in gift andpet stores. Our one-size-fits-all charms express personality quirks, favorite foods, on-trend expressions, hometowns, holidays and more. We intentionally chose a price-point that was lower than traditional dog ID tags so pet parents could buy in multiples and switch them out based on holidays, events — and their changing moods.

How many employees do you have?

We currently have two full-time employees, occasional part-timers, and one four-pawed mascot.

What does a typical day look like at Franny B Good?

While I wish that I could design new charms every day, all day, other duties do call. Everything from communicating with sales reps, fielding inquiries, processing orders, and working on the website comprise a typical work day for us. But every day starts and ends with a dog walk to and from the office — wearing our charms of course.

Where do you see the business going in the next five years?

Customers are really responding to our designs, sense of humor and joie de vivre that define Franny B Good. We’ve recently gone global and will be expanding our product offerings with the same fun brand tone and ‘charming’ design sensibilities — stay tuned!

Sam Ujvary

Sam is the managing editor of Gift Shop Pets, Museums & More and Party & Halloween Retailer, and is a contributing editor for Gift Shop Magazine. She has a copywriting background and has been in publishing for six years.