What Dog Rescue Teaches About Love with Isabel Klee: Ep 45
Highlights from the episode:
How simple ideas can lead to big opportunities
Why doing what you love leads to alignment
What fostering dogs teaches about patience and communication
Why saying what you want out loud can change your path
How storytelling became the bridge between passion and career
Podcast show notes:
Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from pushing harder; they come from leaning into the simple thing you already love.
In this episode, I sit down with Isabel Klee, a writer and content creator whose journey started with fostering dogs and sharing their stories online. What began as a passion project quickly grew into something much bigger, with a loyal following, a book, and even a TV series in development. But at the center of it all is something surprisingly simple: authentic storytelling rooted in love and authenticity.
We talk about how Isabel combined her two biggest passions, writing and animal rescue, and what she’s learned along the way about relationships, patience, and connection. From navigating her twenties to building a career that feels aligned, Isabel’s story is a reminder that you don’t always need a perfect plan to create something meaningful.
What You’ll Discover:
How fostering dogs led to a bigger platform (01:24)
The power of saying what you want out loud (10:33)
Love, connection, and communication (13:54)
Lessons from caring for animals (15:45)
Building a life that feels aligned (20:10)
This conversation is a reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is trust what already feels right and follow it. If this one resonates with you, be sure to subscribe to Things No One Tells You and share this episode with a friend.
Connect with Isabel Klee
Follow Isabel on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonsits/ and on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@simonsits
Isabel’s new book Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About just came out: https://simonsits.com/en-cad/products/dogs-boys-and-other-things-ive-cried-about
Mentioned in the Episode
What It Really Takes to Win Gold with Angela Ruggiero https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/angela-ruggiero-37
Be sure to subscribe to Things No One Tells You—Lindsay’s podcast all about the real, unfiltered conversations we don’t always have but should. From big names to everyday voices, each episode dives into the moments that shape us. Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Follow along with Lindsay below!
Full Transcript
[00:00:00] Isabel: You know, the most famous songs of all time are usually really simple, like a really simple chord progression or really simple lyrics. Yeah. I think that is true for so many things, like the secret to life is really quite simple. The secret to success is really quite simple. The best ideas, the ones that are gonna take off, are really simple.
[00:00:19] And, you know, so many people could look at anything and say, well, I could have done that. But you didn't. And so the people who are right moving up in life and progressing are the ones who actually took the risk and did it and put themselves out there. So I think to be like, oh, just be kind. It's so simple.
[00:00:36] But that is the, that's, it. Like it really is that simple. Everybody wants to work with somebody nice.
[00:00:44] Lindsay: Hey guys, okay. Welcome to this episode of Things No One Tells You with Miles and me, Miles. Say Hi. I'm showing you, Miles, because I am, I'm officially a dog person. I hadn't been a dog person growing up.
[00:01:00] and he is absolutely one of the loves of my life. My family calls him my boyfriend. That's not true. I do love my husband very much, and my children, but Miles rides with us to school, and he's just become such a fixture. So, anyone who has a dog, I know that you know what I'm talking about. I am so excited, even if you're not an animal owner, to share this conversation with Isabelle Klee.
[00:01:24] So Isabelle is a writer and a content creator. You very well may have seen her content or heard of her because she has over 2 million followers across her social media platforms. She gained her following on social media through these incredible stories of dogs that she was fostering, in partnership.
[00:01:47] With Muddy Paws, which is a rescue in New York City. So her content went viral last summer, specifically because she shared content about Tik, a dog that she was fostering. And it's just incredible. She's in really. I would say she's a super talented storyteller. A lot of that is because of her background, but.
[00:02:09] Her authenticity is because of what she loves and really believes in, in terms of animal rescue and these dogs. It just shines through. So, Isabel doing what she's doing, has found all of this success in different things that have come up. She has just written a book, her new book is called Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About.
[00:02:33] So she's joining me to talk about that, talk about her life journey. So much to learn from her. not just in the realm of animals, but also in humans, she is, Isabelle Klee, Isabelle, I am just, I'm so excited to talk to you for so many different reasons. But one thing is, even after we had decided, okay, we're doing this podcast episode on this day, I think I had to reschedule it once, and then, after that, fact is when.
[00:03:03] These other things started happening. Like the book obviously has been in the works for a while, but then the rights are picked up, and this is going to be a series, and I love how this is something that you have said was your passion, maybe you define it as purpose. That really is something that you are now living out in such a big way.
[00:03:24] What is that like?
[00:03:25] Isabel: It's unreal. I mean, I wake up every day, not an exaggeration, and I am just so grateful. I literally, this probably sounds so annoying, but I literally go to bed at night excited to wake up and like work, work because I'm just so excited about everything, and I'm so, like, I am literally living my dream.
[00:03:50] I'm doing what I love, and I just can't believe it. I cannot believe that all of these things have landed in my lap so naturally and have just kind of unfolded for me, really, in the past two years.
[00:04:05] Lindsay: What do you make of that? What do you think is the reason behind that?
[00:04:13] Isabel: I think that I think. You know, I've been working in animal welfare for a decade, more than a decade, and it is truly, you know, I say I came out of the womb, like obsessed with dogs.
[00:04:27] I, as soon as I could talk, I was pretending to be a dog. I would walk on all floors and like to eat my food on the floor. My preschool teacher had to call my mom one time because I kept drawing. All I would draw were dogs. And then around Halloween time, I kept drawing vampire dogs, and she was like, you're, she's like scaring the other children because like, she won't stop drawing these like, vampire dogs.
[00:04:53] and so my parents ended up getting me a dog, my own dog, named Rub, when I was five. So I've always been obsessed with dogs. As soon as I left the house, I started volunteering at animal shelters through college. So, it's just always been this passion of mine. And, you know, I also went to school for writing, so okay.
[00:05:16] My. My mom was an English teacher, seventh grade English teacher. My dad was a journalist. I went to college for writing.
[00:05:25] Lindsay: And what kind of writing were you thinking that you would gravitate towards?
[00:05:29] Isabel: I love creative writing. I love, you know, I wrote, it's funny, I wrote a lot of personal essays about dating, and I love writing about love.
[00:05:36] I love reading about love. I never thought to combine the two. The two loves of my life are dogs and writing. I never thought to combine them until I started creating content online. I started Wow. Documenting my fostering journey. And I think that's just the way my brain works in a very storytelling way.
[00:06:01] Yeah. That I would tell the stories of these dogs and. I would write about it, and I would share these videos. And my literary agent happened to follow me, and she's the one who cold emailed me and just said, I see your videos. I love it.
[00:06:17] Lindsay: So, like before, she was your literary agent?
[00:06:19] Isabel: Yes.
[00:06:20] Lindsay: Wow.
[00:06:21] Isabel: She said, I saw your videos.
[00:06:22] I love the way that you write. Would you ever consider writing a book? And I was like. What, like it was, it literally just fell into my lap because I was just doing what I loved. And I always say, like, you never know who's following you, because she followed me. And then the woman who ended up buying the rights to make my book into a TV series followed me.
[00:06:46] And it's all just like you put out what you wanted into the world, and it all just happens.
[00:06:53] Lindsay: Okay. What's so awesome about you saying that is one of the guests that we've had recently, Angela Ruggiero, who is an Olympic hockey player, won several medals with Team USA, and she. Her thing is that people don't say enough of what they really want.
[00:07:11] They spend all this time, you know, like maybe you're thinking about what I should do, what I've been, you know, raised to do whatever it is. But I really took that to heart. 'Cause I'm like, you know, you're right for some reason, for some people, and I think especially if you're. Later in your career, it can become hard to say, what is that?
[00:07:29] And sometimes it's hard to flesh out what you really want. When I look at what you're doing, I'm like, this is so fascinating because it is, it's you as you're saying, like living what truly speaks to your heart and being able to do that now in a really, I. Like this platform now that you're growing through all these different media, avenues now it's like the amount of people that you will reach to talk about the thing that really means so much to you is just perplexing.
[00:07:58] And also just the fact that when I watch your videos, like when I watched your, you know, your rescue stories and the stories about Tiki and Simon, like I was watching those on your TikTok, and I'm like, this is what's fascinating to me. And I'm gonna stop talking in a second, 'cause I realize my view. I don't hear it.
[00:08:16] Isabel: No, truly.
[00:08:17] Lindsay: But what's so fascinating is, in essence, what you're doing is. Creating a package as I did as a traditional reporter back in the day, whether you're doing news or sports for a local TV station, because the way you produce them and create your content is so great. Like it's so exactly what you would see on TV in the old version of the way people consume their content.
[00:08:44] That really, like, you are a living example of the way that. You're like, this generation can do the thing that is equal to what I was like, the thing that we were all doing. You know what I mean?
[00:08:59] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:08:59] Lindsay: That's really deep and weird, but I think it's really accurate.
[00:09:03] Isabel: Yeah, it is funny, like especially early in my career, like having to explain to my dad, and like what I, you know, my dad is a journalist, and so like having to explain to him, I'm like, well, it's kind of like what you did, but like, it's different.
[00:09:15] It's on, you know, it's like. Yes, it is. It is similar in so many ways. But I do think, you know, every time I get a new foster dog. I get so many. This is like my favorite comment to get is, so many people say, " Oh, it's a new series of mine, or a new season of my favorite TV show, because that is how it reads to people.
[00:09:36] Lindsay: Wow. Yes.
[00:09:37] Isabel: Foster Dog is a new season, and they get to tune in, and they get to see, like me picking up the dog and. The dog is getting its first bath,and like all the little checkpoints, And they know that they will seek it through to the end, like the ups and the downs and the happy moments and the sad moments.
[00:09:53] And then eventually the dog gets adopted, and then that's like the season finale, and then two weeks later, another season starts. So I think the way, and I don't think I did this intentionally, but the way that I have now, like started to create content. It is very episodic, and it lends itself to TV really naturally, I think.
[00:10:13] and then factor in the book where I talk about relationships and being in my twenties in New York City and my friendships, it's like,
[00:10:22] Lindsay: It's Sex and the City with animals, like,
[00:10:24] Isabel: Exactly. So, I think I am always, circling back to you, saying. Say what you want out loud.
[00:10:33] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:10:33] Isabel: When I posted the TV news, I posted a little screenshot or a photo that I took of my journal.
[00:10:41] And for years, I've written, I want this book to be turned into a TV show. I want this book to be turned into a TV show, and write it down day after day, and that is what I wanted because I always had that vision in my head. I'm like, this book is so important to me. But I always liked to see it as something.
[00:11:01] Else and something bigger. So yes, I had a very clear idea. I was like, I know exactly what I want this to turn into.
[00:11:09] Lindsay: So the book is The Bones. Really? Yeah, like the book is, okay. So with the book, the literary agent sends you that note. And then how did the rest fall into place in terms of what the book became, and a reminder
[00:11:24] Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About, A Memoir, which is epic.
[00:11:29] Isabel: So she and I met for coffee, and I always say it was like, love it for sight. Like it's, you know, in your adult career, I feel like picking the people you work with is a lot like dating. You're like, did we vibe? Like, do we have the same vision of our future?
[00:11:42] And so she and I met, and it was like we loved each other. Immediately, we had the same taste in mind. Books and media and TV and like we just had the same, she just got it. Like, you know, when you put something out, and you're like, you just understand like what I'm trying to do here?
[00:11:57] Lindsay: Yes.
[00:11:57] Isabel: Yes. And she and I started working on a book proposal, and we kind of had the idea of like, it's gonna be a memoir about my twenties and everything.
[00:12:10] situation that I go through, whether it's like a breakup or falling in love, is going to be then reflected in a story of my foster dogs, because I believe that caring for dogs like that love that you pour into dogs is so similar to a relationship in that it takes so much time and trust and you have to like really work at it and you have to.
[00:12:35] Kind of figure out each other's communication styles. Like, you know, with Simon, he can like to move differently, and I know exactly what's wrong with him. I'm like, oh, he has an ear infection. Like you, it's this innate communication that you have. And it's the same with my fiancé at this point, where it's like he can come to the door, and I'm like, he's in a bad mood.
[00:12:56] Like, you know what I mean? Yes. You spend so much time with these people and these dogs. So I wrote a memoir. And you know, about all of my breakups and all of the apartments that I lived in and my friendships. And then, I mirrored those situations and those experiences with kind of like perfect matches of situations that I went through with my foster dogs.
[00:13:21] And, just like we talked about how, you know, caring for a dog. Really holds so much weight and really means so much. It's sometimes even more than a romantic connection. You know, I feel like we put romantic love at the very top of our lists. Like, we're like, that is like the end-all, be-all. If we find our person like that, it is, but
[00:13:44] I think that, you know, having an animal that you love and care for can be just as meaningful in a lot of ways.
[00:13:54] Lindsay: It's, you know, yes. That romantic relationship we have with a spouse, with a significant other, or whatever it is, it's at the core of it. It's the things that you feel that aren't the spoken word.
[00:14:10] You know, that is the connector with the animals. I don't know, as my family says. They joke with me that my dog is my boyfriend. And so oftentimes they'll be like, " Oh, did you guys get engaged? And I like, Miles is two, and he is, he's just the best. He rides with us every morning to school.
[00:14:29] He's become so much of, like, now I've started to think about. Oh no, 'cause like he rides with us to school every single day in the morning. So once that milestone passes and my kids don't get driven to school, I'm like, oh, that's gonna be a, you know, any, I don't know. I'm a crier, so I'm like, I could just think about, you know, but yeah, I, so,
[00:14:50] Isabel: I mean, yeah, I talk about that in the book, too.
[00:14:53] You know, your dogs and your cats, but especially your dogs, I think, because, well, I've never had a cat, but your dog can go places with you more than a cat can. Your dog is with you more than your spouses, more than your children, more than your best friend. Your parents like whatever. Your dog is there every second of the day, especially like a person who works from home.
[00:15:16] I'm like. It is him against the world and me. As we go on vacations together, we go on walks together. Yeah, we, he's just there. He's by my feet right now. It's like all of these moments, life passes you by and happens and happens, and he's there. And I think that is so beautiful. And like I think you have that deep connection and that deep trust because you have to communicate without words,s and it's like.
[00:15:45], kind of feeling like loving an animal is proof that actions speak louder than words because you're not really, I mean, I talk to Simon all day every day, but he can't speak back to me. But we, there's just this connection, and yeah, I think, I just think it's magical.
[00:16:02] Lindsay: Were there things that you realized or discovered from going through the process of writing the book?
[00:16:10] Isabel: I mean, yeah, I think. I think that it instilled a lot in me that I already knew. But, you know, I was pretty shocked we came up with this, the concept together of like mirroring the experience with men and dogs, but I was honestly shocked at how perfectly they. They matched together.
[00:16:35] I was like, I know I came up with this concept, but like, so it was like things that I wouldn't even think of. Like, you know, I fell in love with my fiancé over COVID, via FaceTime, and it was over Christmas, and it was like we had not even met in person. And I mirrored that experience by fostering a dog over Christmas and his.
[00:16:58] The eventual owner, like, you know, saw a photo of him and fell in love with him before she ever met him in person. So it's like these, like almost identical situations, like two years apart. I think what was most surprising to me was just how perfectly everything matched up.
[00:17:16] Lindsay: So you mentioned your fiancé, you guys are getting married in September?
[00:17:20] Yes. Right. And so what, have you learned about how to navigate your relationship from the work that you've done with the dogs?
[00:17:32] Isabel: Oh, the Number one thing is patience. I'm historically not a very patient person. I am,
[00:17:41] Lindsay: I'm shocked because when I watch her videos, I'm like, oh my gosh, she's so good at just being present, you know?
[00:17:47] Isabel: Well, I will say I've always had patience for animals, I should say. I have a patient person in. Relationships, and I'm, you know, I'm the youngest child. I'm the baby. I have two older brothers. I'm the only girl. So like, I think I, and I, just like, I'm from Jersey, like I'm, I am kind of loud and opinionated and like, and stubborn, and I'm a Taurus.
[00:18:12] If you believe in that stuff, which I am, like classic Taurus. And so I, you know. Also had a history in my twenties of dating guys that, like, weren't the best. So I felt like in those relationships I was always, you know, they would mess up, and they would do things,and yeah, I was always kind of on this higher ground that I was like, I never do anything wrong,and you guys are doing things that are like so clearly wrong that I never had to address my own behavior in relationships. Like I never had to be like,
[00:18:44] Lindsay: Okay,
[00:18:45] Isabel: How am I reacting? How am I, because it's like they're doing things that are so bad that I'm like, I never had to like look inside myself. until Jacob, and he was kind of the first person who was like my equal. And he's like such a good person, and he was coming at me like, Hey, the way that you're communicating is like.
[00:19:05] You know, you're, you don't have much patience or like, you didn't say that very kindly or, you know, he would come to me with these things that I was like, oh, like I've never had somebody check me, check you. Yeah. Which is so necessary in a healthy relationship to be like, you know, a person being like, Hey, like, I didn't really like the way that you just spoke to me.
[00:19:26] and so I had, by that point, been fostering. For a while. And, I really think that like the lessons that I learned through the dogs of being patient and like, if something happens, like just taking a deep breath and like taking it moment by moment absolutely applies in my relationship day to day.
[00:19:47] Like, you know, it's of course it's always a work in progress, but I, you know, I think if you asked Jacob, like he would be like, oh, five years ago when we first started dating versus today, it is like. Night and day, like I think I have really changed for the better as far as communication, and you know, just being the best partner that I can be to him,
[00:20:10] Lindsay: That is not, that's also not easy.
[00:20:11] It takes a special person, I think, to communicate that well without making the other person defensive. You know,
[00:20:17] Isabel: He was like the kindest. Yes. Most gentle. I mean, he's from northern Kentucky, like the Cincinnati area, and I just say he's like the sweetest Midwest. Boy, and he is just like, like I always say, I think like an East Coast Jersey girl, they need, we all need.
[00:20:36] We all need a Midwestern boy. Like that is the Yeah, the secret sauce.
[00:20:40] Lindsay: I love to, I just love how he's so engaged in your content also and just so into it. And I loved your story of how you shared that. He said that he was going to pay the bill, you know, wanted to split the bills with you before you got engaged, right?
[00:20:55] Isabel: Yeah. It was actually. It wasn't even before we got engaged; it was like three months after we met. I, you know, my dog Simon has a lot of health issues, and he's very expensive. And, I was, you know, paying all the bills on my own. And at that point, I was making no money. It was like three months after we met, and he sat me down and was just like, I would love to split these bills with you.
[00:21:23] And I was like, you don't have to do that. Like, this is not your dog. Like I adopted Simon on my own. Yeah. And he was like, I really want to like, I want to feel like we're in this together. I want to help you. I want to take this burden off of you. And that to me was like the most romantic thing that anyone's ever done for me.
[00:21:40] Especially because it was. My dog. Like, my dog is the most important thing to me. So that just spoke to who he is as a person.
[00:21:50] Lindsay: That is so awesome. And you guys, you also shared about your, you were getting married at a camp.
[00:21:58] Isabel: Yeah, a sleepaway camp.
[00:22:00] Lindsay: This is the coolest thing I have actually. I have heard of someone else doing that, and I was like, wait a minute.
[00:22:03] Yeah, just stand by. I know this is a slight detour in our conversation, but I just wanna hear about this 'cause I think it's awesome. What is your vision?
[00:22:09] Isabel: Yes. So, Jacob and I were both sleepaway camp counselors. Not together, but like separately in our early twenties. And I worked at a camp in California.
[00:22:22] It was the best, it was truly the best experience of my life. And, I think we both have the personality of like camp counselors. We're just like very, like, I don't know. It just makes sense to us, and we've always talked about it. I do not, I never wanted a traditional wedding. And we, you know, walked about like our perfect, what our perfect weekend would be, and.
[00:22:46] It's really like being in nature, being surrounded by our friends and family, like in close quarters. So everybody's gonna be staying in the cabins at the camp.
[00:22:55] Lindsay: That is the coolest thing.
[00:22:56] Isabel: Yeah. And everybody can bring their dogs. It is a dog-friendly camp. Dogs can be off-leash, like they can go swimming in the lake.
[00:23:05] So we rented the camp for three days. And it's just gonna be like a full, we're doing like a field day. We're doing a talent show. It's gonna be like a full adult summer camp. Yeah.
[00:23:17] Lindsay: So, but what is your talent? What are you gonna do?
[00:23:19] Isabel: Oh, I think as the bride, I get to sit out, I get to just watch everything.
[00:23:23] Lindsay: Oh my God. No. During this week,
[00:23:27] Isabel: I don't really have, I don't know. I mean, I did like high school theater, but. I think I would rather just like sit and have people,
[00:23:33] Lindsay: You should do like a monologue. Oh my God. Wait, honestly, you could do an essay and like to perform yoke an Es. Seriously. I mean that.
[00:23:43] Seriously. I'm not joking. Yeah, that would be really cool.
[00:23:45] Isabel: Maybe I don't know. I feel like. I'll think about it. I don't, there's something about me making everybody listen to me even more than I already do. I'm like, I don't really need to do that.
[00:23:58] Lindsay: I get that. I totally get that. Okay, wait, so real backing up, and I know I'm all over the place, but I just, this is so cool.
[00:24:06] When you first started your collaboration with Medi Paws
[00:24:11] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:24:11] Lindsay: And working with them, when was that, and what was that for you? Yeah,
[00:24:15] Isabel: So I actually have. Fostered. I started fostering with MediPass years and years ago, like probably like eight years ago. I ended up adopting Simon. He was my fifth foster dog, and I stopped fostering for like four or five years because of his medical issues.
[00:24:36] It was just too much. I didn't have an outdoor space. I was single for a lot of that time. It was just too much for me to take on. And then. When Jacob and I moved into this current apartment, it was the first time that I had a backyard, and I had a partner to help me, and I said to him, I was like I really wanna start fostering again.
[00:24:54] So we, you know, started, that's kind of really when my partnership with Muddy Paws really took off. I got really close with a lot of their volunteers, a lot of their staff members, and I always say, especially with rescue. There are so many amazing organizations, but to find an organization that completely aligns with the way that you view animals, everybody has different opinions, right?
[00:25:26] So it's like finding an organization that has the same morals and ethics that you do and the same standards that you do, and cares about the same things that you do, I think, is really. Maybe not rare, but I think it, you just like, it's kind of, again, it's kinda like dating. It's how, you know, and it's just like a good fit.
[00:25:46] Like, we just work together so well. One of my very close friends at this point is the foster program manager, so she's the one who matches me with all the dogs, and it's just this like, well-oiled machine that like, we have this beautiful partnership that like, obviously, my videos and my content.
[00:26:06] You know, boost their platform and they get a ton of donations, but also they work so closely with me to get me these dogs that, you know, need more time and attention. Wow. So it's just, it's very, it's just a great partnership, and I'm so grateful for them.
[00:26:24] Lindsay: That is so cool. What, when you talk about those things that it's important to align on, what would you say are the most important things?
[00:26:32] Because maybe there are people that are listening and watching that are like interested in that have never fostered. I'm sure there are a lot of people who are very into and understand the process, but
[00:26:41] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:26:42] Lindsay: Educate us.
[00:26:44] Isabel: A lot of these are kind of like sticky topics that I think people in rescue don't.
[00:26:51] Talk about, but I think it's very important to talk about. One thing is that a lot of rescue organizations will, you know, let's say I have a foster dog and that foster dog gets 50 applications, a lot of rescues will go through and, kind of like cherry picking. They're perfect adopters, which sounds great in theory, like a lot of things in life.
[00:27:19] but what ends up usually happening is that person is a white couple in suburbia with a white picket fence in, you know, a rich area code. And you know, that is a great place for a dog to live. If every dog goes to one of those families, it's not quite fair. And you know, inherently people don't realize this, but you're being biased, and you're saying like this person who, this white family who lives in the suburbs.
[00:27:54] in this very fancy house will be a better parent than this. You know, maybe this person of color who lives in an apartment building in the Bronx, that is not necessarily true. Right? There are plenty of people who live in the suburbs who just let their dog out, never take their dog for a walk,k and completely neglect it.
[00:28:11] There are plenty of people who live in apartment buildings who are the best dog owners who take their dog for four-mile-long walks. Yeah. It's just this bias that we have about where the best place for a dog to go is. So what Medi Paw does is, of course, there are exceptions, like, for example, I had, you know, Tiki is my most viral dog.
[00:28:32] He was obviously terrified of the world, so we knew he wanted to, we knew he needed to be out of the city. So that's like an example of like, okay, in certain cases you have to kind of consider some factors, but what Medi Pause does is, you become a registered adopter and, Then you can say, I'm interested in this dog.
[00:28:56] They work first come, first serve. So they go, it's not that anybody can just get any dog, but it's in order. So it's like if you are the first person to show interest, you will have a call with Muddy Paws. It'll be like, you kind of get priority, which
[00:29:10] Lindsay: Okay.
[00:29:11] Isabel: Then it helps the system as a whole in that, like, there's no bias of like.
[00:29:16] Who you are, your, you know, race, your ethnicity, your sexual sexuality. Likewise,there's no, it's fair. It's fair. And to me, that is so important. Like, I think that rescue can become, and it's so funny because you wouldn't think of this, it's like they're literally like. They're literally dogs who don't have homes.
[00:29:37] Like, but it becomes kind of this classist thing where it's like, well, we want the dog to go to the best home, but it's like, what is the best home? Like, who are we to say what the best home is?
[00:29:47] Lindsay: Right. Right. And things can be very different from what they seem in any situation.
[00:29:54] Isabel: Yes. So that is important to me
[00:29:57] and it's something that people don't think about a lot because obviously, like a good home is a good home, but to me. Being aware of those things is really important. And also just like taking away barriers to adoption. A lot of places won't even give you a dog if you don't have a fenced-in backyard.
[00:30:18] Like, if you live in an apartment, you can't have a dog. If you live in a home but don't have a fenced-in backyard, you can't have the dog. Like, there are all these barriers to adoption when dogs are being killed in the shelter. Like, how does that make sense? It makes no sense.
[00:30:29] Lindsay: Well, and to your point, I remember vividly living in an apartment in Washington, DC, before we moved to Connecticut, and some of the best dog owners were in that building.
[00:30:39] And it's like, you just know because you, to your point, you see them all the time out with their dogs and they're going to the park
[00:30:44] Isabel: 100 percent. I mean, I live in an apartment, and I like it. Simon, my friends, who live in the suburbs, says that Simon gets walked more than any dog that they know because, I mean, we have the backyard now, but he's so accustomed to walks that I can't take it away from him.
[00:30:59] Now, not that I would want to, but like he gets five walks a day, and because we live in Whoa.
[00:31:05] Lindsay: An apartment,
[00:31:06] Isabel: So like, but that's to the point of like, I believe that people who have dogs in apartments actually. Sometimes they are even better dog owners because they have to take their dog out. You know, there's no option of just letting them out in the yard.
[00:31:19] So that's like one example. There are so many things that I could talk about, but I don't wanna take up this entire time. But that is like one instance in which I am very aligned with the way that Mud Paws operate.
[00:31:31] Lindsay: Yeah. And to that point, I was curious too, like what has been, because people love your content.
[00:31:38] I know it can be a polarizing topic because of what you're just talking about. What has been the thing that has been the most challenging for you to deal with? If you've ever had, I don't wanna use the word backlash, but people being critical about something that you've been open about.
[00:31:56] Isabel: Yeah, I think, I think, well, there's been a couple, but most recently, in December, I had a foster dog named Zero. And he was very old. He was probably like 14. He was blind and deaf. And then when I got him, it became very clear that he was really suffering from a cognitive decline very rapidly.
[00:32:22] Honestly, most people were so supportive. I was very open about that journey. We ended up having to put him down. It was his time, and I felt very clear about that. The staff at Medi Paws, the entire vet staff, like it was, you know, a decision that was not made lightly, but it was also not a decision that I, of course, made by myself.
[00:32:44] and most people were so supportive of it. Of course. I'm putting a dog down, so there will be some backlash from people saying, I didn't do the right thing, or I didn't give him enough time, or whatever the case may be. But, you know, the way that I handle that stuff is that I am working so closely with people whom I really trust and whose opinions are the most important to me.
[00:33:14] Like the vet staff at Medi PA are some of the most. Brilliant, kind people that I know, and if they believe that this is the right decision, those are the people I have to trust. Not an anonymous person on the internet who's saying I didn't do enough. Like, they're not there when he's barking for literally 23 hours a day at a corner in my apartment.
[00:33:38] It is not a quality of life that any dog should have, so I felt very secure in that. Decision. But, yeah, that, I think that was probably a situation that I got. Not a lot, but I got some backlash on that. I was just kinda like, there's no winning in this situation. You know, if I kept him alive, I would be criticized,d and if I put him down, I would be criticized, and it's a lose-lose situation.
[00:34:07] Lindsay: So you just, you rely on the team around you? Yes. To what? What is the hardest thing about fostering? I, you know, as someone who I, we've never fostered, we've thought about it, but I can't imagine what that would feel like. Well, two very different things, of course, when you're talking about having to put a dog down, but even giving the dog to another foster family or to their forever home, which, of course,e is a happy thing.
[00:34:32] Yeah. How do you navigate that?
[00:34:35] Isabel: I always say, when people ask me this, like, I've never fostered, how do you deal with that? I always say the first one is the worst because it's your, everybody gets attached to their first foster dog. It's just like that's just par for the course. You have to go into it knowing that you're gonna get attached.
[00:34:50] The more you do it, the easier it gets. And for me, the most rewarding part of it is seeing that dog with their new family. There is nothing like it.
[00:35:00] Lindsay: Aw.
[00:35:01] Isabel: I cannot describe like every foster that I've adopted, which is all of them. They're fa, it is like magic, like seeing their perfect family. And this is also a credit to Muddy Paws.
[00:35:15] I think Muddy Paws does such a great job of just, I don't know. They have a whole adoption team that makes all these meetings happen, and it always just happens at the families that end up adopting. My dogs are just the most perfect families. Specifically, the past two dogs that have been adopted, Marmi and Raven, have both been adopted by families with little girls.
[00:35:39] Seeing those little girls with their new dog is just, I mean, there are no words for it, and that is what makes it worth it for me to witness a little girl getting her first dog. And that moment, as I remember so vividly, getting my first dog and that first dog has. Paved the way for my life. I know that these dogs will be that for these little girls, and that is so much bigger than me.
[00:36:05] It's bigger than my emotions. It's bigger than the love that I feel for that dog. It is so worth it. And so it will be hard, and it will be sad, but it is always worth it, and I've never regretted it, not once. I've never regretted having a dog adopted and not keeping it myself.
[00:36:23] Lindsay: That experience makes you wanna just do it again?
[00:36:25] Isabel: Yes. I always say it's very addictive, and if I'm gonna have an addiction, it's a good one to have.
[00:36:32] Lindsay: I would say so. Yeah. Yes, noted.Agreed, okay, so also in the spirit of what you're talking about, just how these things have just sort of fallen in line. I loved how you found yourself in collaboration with Oscar de Lata.
[00:36:51] Yeah. And the fact that you were. You know, trying to find an outfit on the Today Show. So I was, I wanna hear where that stands, like what we can expect. But just can you sum up and share that story? Because, I mean, obviously, I have a personal interest in the Today Show. But, I just, I think it's awesome.
[00:37:11] Isabel: So I was going on the Today Show, and I am not, I mean, no one can look at my page, and I'm not quite a fashionista. I spend most of my time in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, like with dogs. So, you know, I was looking for something to wear, and this is no shade to these brands, but I was at like Abercrombie and like Madewell and like, you know, I'm like,
[00:37:33] Lindsay: Yeah,
[00:37:34] Isabel: Just looking for a cute dress to wear.
[00:37:36] And I post this video. I'm looking through my DMs and I see this DM and it's from an account with like no followers. and they said,
[00:37:48] Lindsay: Which probably gave you pause.
[00:37:50] Isabel: Yes.
[00:37:51] Lindsay: Right. Okay.
[00:37:52] Isabel: I see this. And the DM said, I'm the CMO at Oscar De La Renta. Our CEO is a big fan of yours. We'd love to dress.
[00:38:00] You email this email. And I was like, I sent it to my manager. I like. I don't know if this is real. Like, I don't know. So we email them, and it's real, and we, you know, we hop on a phone call, they're like, come in. At that point, I had a foster dog, Itsysyy. She was like this big bully mix who needed to get both of her ear canals removed.
[00:38:22] but she was so silly and like just the best girl, they were like, bring Itsy in. Like, we love rescue animals. I like it. So I brought Itsy to the Oscar De La Renta store, and you know, they have all these outfits lined up for me. And then they brought out a line of bows that they had made. Specifically, there were couture bows made specifically for Itsy out of Oscar dealer Renta material.
[00:38:47] And just like truly a magical moment. I'm like, you know, trying on dresses. They like to hand me a phone. They're like. The CEO wants to talk to you. I'm like, what? So I talked to him. His name is Alex. He has like five rescue animals. He and his wife, Eliza, are obsessed with rescue animals and just like the kindest people ever, and it has just.
[00:39:12] Taken off since then. I mean, we then made a custom bow line with all proceeds going to Muddy Paws together. And we've done a bunch of stuff since. But actually, they're throwing my book launch party in two days.
[00:39:26] Lindsay: In New York.
[00:39:27] Isabel: In New York City. They're throwing my book launch party at their store. So that is the current status of our relationship.
[00:39:36] Oh, and they are also to speak to their, how generous they are. I mean, that is so generous for them to throw a launch party.
[00:39:43] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:39:43] Isabel: They are sponsoring the first Muddy Paw Gala. that is at, which is in May. So they have now become partners of Muddy Paws through me. And so it's the Muddy Paws Gala presented by Oscar De La Renta?
[00:39:58] Lindsay: No, they're the sponsors of the gala. Yes. So, that gala will be to raise money to go to Muddy Paws to help. Yep. That's incredible. Is that in New York?
[00:40:09] Isabel: That's in New York.
[00:40:10] Lindsay: Oh my goodness.
[00:40:11] Isabel: You should come.
[00:40:11] Lindsay: Well, yes, I would love to come. That's amazing. Are people bringing dogs?
[00:40:18] Isabel: I think so. I am not sure I'm not running the Muddy Paws Gala, but, ot it.
[00:40:24] I got it. I do think that dogs will be there. Yes.
[00:40:27] Lindsay: That is so, I mean, that, that is so serendipitous and amazing. Congratulations. That's just,
[00:40:32] Isabel: Yeah,
[00:40:33] Lindsay: That's incredible.
[00:40:34] Isabel: That speaks again to like, when you are just like being your authentic self, the people that are supposed to be in your orbit just kind of show up and the, and it just is so we talk about it all the time, like it's such an unlikely pairing.
[00:40:49] I think Oscar De La Renta and I. Yeah. But at the same time. We are so aligned, and it's just like, it's been the most natural, one of the most natural partnerships that I've had professionally, you know, or just like we have the same vision in mind. And you know, we were planning on doing, hopefully,l y like these rescue trips to different countries and helping in different ways.
[00:41:13] Like we just want it to be bigger than ourselves. And so it's been wonderful. I mean, they're just incredible, and they're so generous.
[00:41:22] Lindsay: That's so insightful. What is your advice on, or what have you learned in that situation? I know it seems like yes. Listening to your organic self and these things, sort of, that holds the key.
[00:41:40] What have been some of the business lessons that you've learned? Because you're still very young, you're navigating all of these things and like several different types of worlds, which is what really impresses me.'Causee like, wow, you know, you, like, you have a manager, you, how do you, what have you learned along the way in that realm?
[00:41:58] That you think is helpful for others, and maybe it's a thing no one tells you. Maybe it's not.
[00:42:03] Isabel: I think, and this is so obvious p, probably, but I do think that it's helpful for people to know that being kind gets you really far. Just being a good person. Like, and this is not to pat myself on the back. It's just like being a baseline kind and gracious person.
[00:42:32] I think, you know, I have met a lot of people in the content creation world who do not come across that way. I've met a lot of people in the content creation world who do come across that way, and the difference is stark. The people who are kind and really just so grateful for the opportunities that they get.
[00:42:55] And don't take it for granted and put effort into relationships. And, don't just take, but also give back and think about other people. I think those are the people who really have success. I think that you know, it's a big reason why I have these working relationships that go for so many years.
[00:43:20] You know, it's like I have been working with the farmer's dog for, I can't even tell you how long, like seven years. And it's just because, you know. Everybody wants to work with somebody nice, and that just gets you so far in, especially in this world of social media or TV or whatever the case may be.
[00:43:43] and that doesn't mean, you know, letting people take advantage of you, but just showing up and doing the work and being a kind person, I think, is like, it's like the simplest advice, but I really think it's important.
[00:43:57] Lindsay: I can really relate to that, too. And like we were talking about in the beginning, just what you're doing is sort of the modern version of a certain type of journalism.
[00:44:07] It's influencer work, but it's journalism, and it's also, you know, the real work of the work that you do with the animals. Yeah, it's the same way for me when I was coming up too. It's like there's a well. Right. There's like the pitfall of competition, like you, you know, and it's what you're talking about with other content creators, et cetera.
[00:44:28] It's like you can panic and fall into that box. Or you can just be your authentic self and be kind. And there's room for a piece of the pie for everybody, and everybody's story is different. I think it's true. I think about that sometimes in terms of being a woman in a sports department, you know?
[00:44:46] And like when for the first time I was at ESPN and it's like you're with other women and that's such an opportunity to like lean on each other really, you know? But it is also one of those things where just because. Things are still evolving, and I think there's always room to grow in breaking glass ceilings.
[00:45:04] It's like there's also that, you know, pitfall, as I said. Anyway, I dunno if I'm making sense.
[00:45:11] Isabel: No, you are. I also think this is another kind of tangential thing, but I'm obsessed with, as everybody is, Amy Puller's podcast right now.
[00:45:22] And she always says, which I love. The best people to work with are like the kindest people, and those are the people she says, as she surrounds herself with people that she loves to work with.
[00:45:38] And those are always like the kindest, easiest-going people. And like those are the people that keep getting work because they're easy and you know, it's like, it just keeps. Going and going and you know, being cutthroat might get you so far in the moment, but as far as like the longevity of your career, I think the key is really just being like a pleasant person.
[00:46:03] Lindsay: Right. And kind of going back to what you said initially, like it's not rocket science. It is the thing that I really like, yeah. Like maybe we could all just lean into what we actually love, like, you know, and just not. Right. And just letting it ride. Okay. I just thought of something. Have you communicated with the ex-boyfriends who are gonna find themselves in chapters in this book?
[00:46:26] Isabel: I haven't. I haven't, yeah, but so many people have asked me about that. There is one ex that I have, so I basically write about three exes. Two were not great. And the third one was like a very nice person. I think I wrote kindly about him, so I'm not worried about that. The other two, I'm like, whatever, like, you were not very nice to me.
[00:46:58] So that's how I feel about it. Honestly, the first two, I wouldn't even know how to get in contact with them, so.
[00:47:05] Lindsay: Got it.
[00:47:06] Isabel: We'll see what happens, but, you know, everything's been changed. So all the names, obviously, are in all identifying details. So smart. If they take personal offense to it, that's on them.
[00:47:17] But there's no way for people to figure out who they are or anything like that. Right.
[00:47:21] Lindsay: They're being a little sensitive if that's the case.
[00:47:23] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:47:24] Lindsay: Okay. So what is a thing that no one tells you that you've experienced along the way?
[00:47:29] Isabel: Yeah, I mean, I am, I feel like. What I'm realizing, especially over the past two years, is that what you will be the most successful at is what you care about the most.
[00:47:46] And I feel like a lot of people like to chase the money or just chase success, but it's like truly rooting yourself in who you are and what you care about. Like that is going to make you the most money, and that is going to bring you the most success, like. What you actually care about. And like when people ask me how I blow up on TikTok, or like, how do I go viral?
[00:48:10] It's like, I know it sounds so annoying, but it's like literally just being the most authentic version of yourself is what is going to bring you the most success if you are copying somebody else's style or like imitating somebody else's content. Like, I feel like people can pick up on it, and people can, it's like authenticity is very.
[00:48:32] Obvious, I think, to a lot of people, whether they're conscious of it or not. And so, you know, I sometimes look at my own life, and I'm like. Why do people care so much? Like me, I'm just myself, and I'm like, I'm just like this, like a boring homebody who loves dogs. I don't think it's that interesting.
[00:48:50] But, people care, and I think it's because it's clear how much I care about what I'm doing, and I think it is clear to people who are watching my content.
[00:49:02] Lindsay: Isn't that wild? Because it's just like, it probably feels so easy. Yeah, 'cause you're just doing the thing
[00:49:12] Isabel: That is, I think the craziest part is that obviously, especially now, my life is very busy, but it's not difficult.
[00:49:20] Like I'm just doing the thing that I love doing. I'm actually doing what I've been doing for, you know, many years, far before I ever documented it online. And, but I just started taking out my video and recording it, and I think that the craziest part is like, I've been doing this for so long, the only difference is that I just started making videos about it, and my entire life has changed. So yeah, it is very insane.
[00:49:49] Lindsay: God, there's, I have so many questions.
[00:49:52] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:49:53] Lindsay: Before we let you go, what is it that you hope to accomplish? I know you said you want this, the whole thing to be bigger than just yourselves, but when the book comes out and then eventually the series, like what are you really hoping?
[00:50:08] Hoping for,
[00:50:11] Isabel: I don't know. I mean, of course, I have so many dreams, and I have so many things that I wanna do. But I think that the best thing, the best message or comment that I get is just that people come to my page as kind of like this. Respite, but also this is very grounding, like, you know, I think I talk about the good and the bad, and just like a perspective, a different perspective on life that people might not always hear.
[00:50:43] And so I think, just like validating the human experience in different ways, I think it is important for me. And, I hope that this book does that. I think especially for young girls. To read a book where, you know, my entire twenties were super messy and there were a lot of ups and downs in learning ,and now I'm kind of like the other side.
[00:51:11] I'm sure my life will still be messy and all of those things, but you know, it's a specific kind of mess that your twenties bring. just like understanding that it's all worth it and it's all important. And even if it's hard, it's still a part of your story. I think, yeah, just like dogs are the greatest connectors.
[00:51:34] And I think just allowing people to feel that relationship, to feel the weight of that relationship and their own experiences is really important for me. So I know that was Woo's answer of like, no.
[00:51:52] Lindsay: I love it.
[00:51:53] Isabel: It's all about the bigger thing. But yeah, of course, I then have like other bigger dreams.
[00:51:57] Like I'm working on a fiction novel. I, you know, years down the line, I would love to have an animal sanctuary, like these kinds of things. But, I think I just really like connecting with people, connecting with humans, connecting with animals, and building community. I think the world is really divisive and hard right now.
[00:52:18] And I, if I can be. A bright spot in somebody's day. That means the world to me.
[00:52:24] Lindsay: Did you have a time in your twenties before stuff started to click? Like maybe before you were really doing the content where you were like, this isn't working, what you know, did you ever have a moment? What were you doing then?
[00:52:39] Because I realize I didn't ask you about that piece. Like you moved to New York. Yeah. You thought you were gonna be a writer.
[00:52:44] Isabel: I, I actually worked, I had the same job, so I got a job out of college working for a photographer, and I worked there for like seven to eight years, and 1000%. I had so many moments throughout my twenties, whether it was dating the wrong guy or being at this job that you kind of think is gonna amount to something.
[00:53:04] And then, like, especially as a woman in a professional career, especially a creative career, you use a lot of your time and energy pouring your brain into somebody else's dream. And yeah, I kind of think that, I always thought it was gonna pay off, and I put my whole heart into this job for close to a decade, and it didn't amount to anything.
[00:53:34] And it was such a learning experience of, I mean, I shouldn't say it didn't amount to anything because obviously, like, it all led me here. You know, ultimately, like when I got let go from that job, I remember thinking like, oh my God, I just like spent so many years of my life working on someone else's dream when I could have been doing it my way, for myself.
[00:53:56] And that's when I started creating content for myself and creating, like, telling my own story. And it all happened within two to three years. So that just in and of itself speaks volumes, like I was. You know, in so many ways. For myself, I was the magic. Like I was the thing that, you know, I was pouring all of this brain power into something else when I could have been using it for my own journey,y and that's when it all clicked into place. So,
[00:54:30] Lindsay: But it did, and it clicked, ke,d and the timing was exactly as it should have been. Right?
[00:54:34] Isabel: Right. Yeah,
[00:54:34] Lindsay: Totally. Right. And as I'm sure you learned stuff in that experience, even though the end may have been right, sort of a revelation, but you learned stuff that you,
[00:54:42] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:54:44] Lindsay: Yeah. And I think the kindness thing, I really think that resonates so much, and I think it's so true. And it's, again, that's something that seems so simple, but it's just,
[00:54:52] Isabel: Yeah.
[00:54:52] Lindsay: The thing no one tells you is how simple it really can be. Just,
[00:54:56] Isabel: Yeah. It's interesting, I just thought of this now that we're having this conversation, but my dad always said, and not even in this context, just like, I think he actually said it in the context of like a really good song.
[00:55:10] My dad loves music.
[00:55:11] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:55:13] Isabel: The best ideas are the simplest ones. Like, if you hear, you know, the most famous songs of all time are usually really simple, like a really simple chord progression, or really simple lyrics. Yeah. I think that is true for so many things,f like the secret to life is really quite simple.
[00:55:31] The secret to success is really quite simple. The best ideas, the ones that are gonna take off, are really simple. And, you know, so many people could look at anything and say, well, I could have done that. But you didn't. And so the people who are
[00:55:44] Lindsay: Right
[00:55:44] Isabel: Moving up in life and progressing are the ones who actually took the risk and did it and put themselves out there.
[00:55:49] So I think, yeah, I think like to be like, oh, just be kind. It's so simple. But that is the, that's it. Like it really is that simple.
[00:56:00] Lindsay: I mean, man, look at the things that's, it's just wild. The things that have sort of come, right, come to you. But that's all, it's so good. Isabelle, you're the best.
[00:56:09] Thank you so much. You're, what I take most from that conversation is just the simplicity, and you know, there is this just natural, ah, warmth and happiness that I feel from. My dog, but I love what she said about the connection between, you know, that and also people. And you know, I see it in horses. You feel it when you're around different types of animals or in different situations, but at the end of the day, really.
[00:56:37] I love how she just talked about kindness and the simplicity of the thing that you love, and I think we could all use a lot more of that. So I did wanna make sure to mention, because this is so cool,l that in the past year, Isabella has raised more than $750,000 for animal welfare. But when you think about the things that she discussed, like.
[00:56:58] The gala that she has helped sort of, you know, bring to fruition from Muddy Paws. The book that is certainly going to, you know, turn heads, just all the awareness that she's doing for animals is pretty incredible. Again, I just love the way she goes about her business. So if you like this episode, I hope that you will like it. Subscribe.
[00:57:21] As always, we say one of the best ways to support things no one tells you is to share an episode with a friend. So for Ashley, Sarah, Sam, Sean, and the rest of the team, thank you so much for watching and listening, and we will see you here next week. Thanks so much for joining me. I can't wait to see you back here next week.
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[00:57:54] See you next time.
